Podcasts about Germany

Tonight's guest, Big D, had his encounter while he was serving as an MP, in the U.S. Army, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Late one night, in the summer of '89 or '90, when he was working graveyard shift, he was on his way back to his MP station when he saw something he never would have believed existed. He saw a creature he never would have thought could be out there do something he wouldn't have believed was possible. What did he see? What did it do? We hope you'll tune in and find out.MY NEW DOGMAN PODCAST!My new podcast is called "Dogman Tales.” It features fictional stories about Dogmen and people who have experiences with them. The podcast is only available for listening in podcast format. It is NOT available on YouTube. If you'd like to listen to it, you can find the show wherever you listen to podcasts. Dogman Tales is available for listening on every podcast app out there. If you don't have a go-to podcast app, here's a link to the Dogman Tales Podcast Page, on Spreaker...https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dogman-tales--6640134If you've had a Dogman encounter and need help or would like to be a guest on the show, please go to https://DogmanEncounters.com and submit a report. I'd love to hear from you.Premium memberships are now available! If you'd like to listen to the show without ads and have full access to premium content, please go to https://DogmanEncounters.com/Podcast to learn how to become a premium member.If you'd like to help support the show, by buying your own Dogman Encounters t-shirt, sweatshirt, tank top, or coffee mug, please visit the Dogman Encounters Show Store, by going to https://Dogman-Encounters.MyShopify.comIf you've had a Sasquatch sighting and would like to be a guest on My Bigfoot Sighting, please go to https://MyBigfootSighting.com and submit a report.I produce 4 other shows that are available on your favorite podcast app. If you haven't checked them out, here are links to all 4 channels on the Spreaker App...Dogman Tales...  https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dogman-tales--6640134My Bigfoot Sighting...  https://spreaker.page.link/xT7zh6zWsnCDaoVa7 Bigfoot Eyewitness Radio...  https://spreaker.page.link/WbtSccQm92TKBskT8 My Paranormal Experience https://www.spreaker.com/show/my-paranormal-experience Thanks for listening!

World Cup Biathlon is back and so are the weekly recaps! In this case we saw so much fun in the first two days of the season that we couldn't wait to start this next week. We had to start right away! It was a fantastic couple of days so we had a lot to discuss including: - Our favorite things including great races from our offseason guests! - Campbell Wright and the spunky Americans - Nice opening for the Canadians - Lou is Lou which is scary for everybody - Tandrevold and the shooting scaries - Relay change over excitement - Gandler, Davidova, and Suvi all showing good things - Czechia with a phenomenal opening weekend - Sebbe and Ponsi making their traditional late relay charge - Italian excitement and Germany up and down - Analyzing Norway's premier And more!

A.M. Edition for Dec. 1. As talks to end the war in Ukraine continue with U.S. envoys headed for Moscow this week, WSJ's Bertrand Benoit details Germany's secret plan preparing the country for a major conflict with Russia. Plus, President Trump sets his sights on another Latin American country, even as congress opens inquiries into the administration's boat-strikes in the Caribbean. And WSJ's Quentin Webb explains why it's bad news that Gen Z shoppers aren't spending big this holiday season. Caitlin McCabe hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donate (no account necessary) | Subscribe (account required) Join Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA Operations Officer, as he dives into today's top stories shaping America and the world. In this Monday Headline Brief of The Wright Report, Bryan covers the nation's grief and anger after the Washington terror attack, the deepening crisis within America's immigration system, and President Trump's most sweeping border actions yet. He also examines the political backlash, the debate over assimilation, and the global pressures shaping events from Europe to Venezuela. America Mourns and Demands Answers: Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe remains in critical condition while Specialist Sarah Beckstrom is laid to rest after last week's terror attack in Washington. DHS confirmed the attacker, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was a former CIA-backed Afghan Zero Unit fighter who was radicalized after arrival in the United States. Investigators say he drifted between Washington State, Arizona, and the East Coast with little oversight, revealing systemic vetting failures across multiple administrations.   Vetting Breakdown Exposed: Inspector General reports show that over two hundred thousand Afghans brought into the country during the 2021 evacuation were admitted with almost no reliable databases, poor ID verification, and limited interagency cooperation. None received continual vetting after entry. Bryan explains why "strict vetting" is a political myth and why U.S. systems remain unable to verify criminal history, ideology, or cultural fit for many migrants.   Trump Orders the Most Sweeping Immigration Freeze in Decades: The President has paused all asylum applications, halted Afghan visa processing, and instructed his team to permanently pause migration from Third World nations to reset the system. Green card and citizenship requests from nineteen countries are suspended. Trump is also considering the denaturalization of foreign-born citizens who fail loyalty or cultural compatibility standards. Legal scholars note that Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act grants the President broad authority to take such steps.   Political Firestorm and Cultural Divide: Republicans and most Independents support a historic crackdown, while Democrats accuse Trump of racism and xenophobia. Some leaders, including Representative Jasmin Crockett and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, blamed the National Guard deployments for the attack. Bryan argues that many progressive lawmakers reject assimilation because they reject the idea of American culture itself, pointing to recent examples in education, media, and politics.   College Degrees Lose Appeal: New polling shows only 33 percent of Americans believe a four-year degree is worth the cost. Interest in vocational training and maritime careers is rising as tuition increases outpace wages. Maritime academies report that graduates earn more than $200,000 a year after six months of work.   The Autopen Controversy: President Trump announced he is canceling all executive actions signed by Joe Biden through the autopen, citing concerns that Biden did not authorize their use. The Justice Department may soon bring cases that will force the Supreme Court to clarify the legality of autopen approvals.   Debate Over Unlawful Orders Heats Up: Reports claim Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered a second strike on a cartel boat. Hegseth denies it. Senator Mark Kelly suggested troops should rely on intuition when evaluating orders, which critics warn could lead to chaos and politicized discipline. The issue may shape U.S. operations in the Caribbean.   Global Flashpoints: Venezuela and Europe: Trump rejected demands from Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro for guaranteed amnesty and military control as part of an exit deal. Maduro may attempt a guerrilla resistance if forced out. In Europe, Islamist protests are disrupting Christmas markets in Belgium and Germany, where security costs have surged. France's populist movement is surging in polls as crime tied to migrants fuels public frustration. Portugal's populist party Chega is also now tied for first place in national polling.   Medical News: A major UK study finds that weight loss drugs like Mounjaro and Zepbound must be taken long-term to maintain results, with many patients regaining most of the weight after stopping treatment.   "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32     Keywords: Washington DC terror attack Afghan Zero Unit, Rahmanullah Lakanwal vetting failure, Trump asylum freeze Section 212f, de-naturalization debate immigration reform, Jasmin Crockett Guard criticism, Debbie Wasserman Schultz Trump blame, college degree value drop vocational training, autopen Biden executive actions, Hegseth double tap allegation, Venezuela Maduro exit talks, Belgium Germany Christmas market threats, France National Rally Bardella, Portugal Chega Ventura, GLP-1 weight loss drug study UK

Send us a textPeaches drops a fresh Daily Drop packed with real military updates, Special Warfare insight, and a full tour through what's happening across the DoD. From Army sensor tests in Europe to Marine fast-rope drills in the Caribbean, this episode hits every corner of the force. Peaches breaks down why attributes matter in Special Warfare selection, how every exercise ties directly to the job, and why candidates must show raw potential—not just speed on a run. He also dives into tank gunnery in Bulgaria, airborne night navigation, Navy refueling ops, Coast Guard rescues, Space Force silence, and a Silver Star story that actually deserves attention. Plus: the mystery of submarine navigation, political noise in the defense world, and why getting your news from credible sources matters more than ever.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS00:00 Daily Drop kickoff 00:40 What “attributes-based selection” really means 01:30 OTS updates and performance breakthroughs 02:55 Army sensor testing in Germany 03:40 Abrams gunnery in Bulgaria 04:25 Airborne night nav at Fort Bragg 05:10 Navy aerial refueling recap 06:00 Seahawk rescue training in Hawaii 07:15 Quantum navigation breakthroughs 08:30 Submarine navigation curiosity 09:40 Carrier flight ops in the Caribbean 10:20 Marine fast-rope readiness 11:10 Silver Star ceremony highlights 12:40 Coast Guard rescue and port response 13:30 DoD investigations and legal updates 14:30 POTUS message on lawful orders 15:30 Wrap-up and final thoughts

By late 1942, after the success of Operation Torch, the Allies had finally gained a foothold in North Africa. What followed was a hard-fought and often overlooked campaign in Tunisia. For six months, British, American, and French forces battled determined Axis troops for control of the last corner of Africa held by Germany and Italy. It was a campaign marked by tough lessons, uneasy cooperation, and moments of heroism — one that would shape how the Allies fought together for the rest of the war. In this episode, I'm joined by historian and author Saul David to discuss his latest book, 'Tunisgrad: How the Allies Won North Africa and Set the Stage for D-Day'. Saul brings to life the soldiers, commanders, and decisions that defined the Tunisia campaign and paved the way for the Allied invasion of Europe.   patreon.com/ww2podcast  

In Episode 187, Jay and Matt bring on one of the OG's in professional bodybuilding, Dennis "The Menace" James! Dennis talks about growing up in Germany, moving to Thailand at a young age, his professional career and turning into a podcaster / show promoter after he retired from the professional stage! TRT Kingdom - https://trtkingdom.com/free-consult/?ref=cutlercast Cutler Nutrition - http://jaycutler.com/cutlercast  

Join us as Julius Jakob shares his account of what it was like to be a Czechoslovakian citizen who was forced to fight for the Wehrmacht after his country was annexed by Nazi Germany prior to WW2. Julius was a Sudaten German in Czechoslovakia who served, as a Czech citizen, in the Czech army prior to WW2. After Czechoslovakia was annexed by Germany in 1938/1939, he was conscripted into the German army and was later taken prisoner and served time as a POW for the Americans, Canadians and British.Julius shares experiences that are not as widely studied or discuss but were shared by millions of citizens occupied by the Nazis during WW2. Listen in!Support the show

TCW Podcast Episode 247 - The History of Commodore Pt 4 The final chapter of our Commodore series covers the company's chaotic decline. After early success with the Amiga line, internal conflict grew under President Tom Rattigan, who wanted to focus on the low end with the Amiga 500 while Irving Gould pushed for high end systems like the Amiga 2000. Missed deadlines and a failed boardroom challenge led to Rattigan's firing and Gould taking direct control. When IRS tax issues forced Gould to step back, Mahdi Ali became President and began reorganizing engineering. Ali hired Bill Sydnes from the IBM PC team, who also had a hand in the failure of the PC Jr, to evaluate and streamline development. Gould continued to cycle executives in pursuit of short term stock gains, which weakened Commodore as it chased conflicting markets. Cost cutting turned the popular Amiga 500 into the poorly received A600, though the later A1200 fared better. Ali moved manufacturing to the Philippines after shutting down facilities in Hong Kong and Germany, but production was disrupted by the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption. Commodore finally collapsed and went bankrupt in 1994, ending one of the most turbulent stories in personal computing.   Pepsi Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkPjteYv4YI Pepsi Challenge 1978: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEXEdibXSak New Coke Conspiracy: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/HJ_6wewbDjk Amiga 1000 & Sidecar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPfArIhoy0s Amiga 2000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he_p8A7A1aU Amiga 2000 HD Professional Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keG2KdQHC6s Amiga 500 Bundles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc5gpyA6SjQ Amiga 500 Batman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM2SCzt73s0 Amiga 500 Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVZrL4k1los Commodore C65: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoHxDe3Gc9E Leonard Nimoy Laserdisc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5msrmf5Tw Amiga 3000: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzA5AhH1mbw History of the Amiga 1992 Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq1s77nzpYk Amiga 600: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5svNq2grTEU Amiga 500 vs Amiga 1200: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFh4zuNUyMg Amiga CDTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQW6upDCRFI Mount Pinatubo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjDDdYM4x0s Planer Computer Graphics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planar_(computer_graphics) Amiga CD32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJU4TZhj0e8       New episodes are on the 1st and 15th of every month!   TCW Email: feedback@theycreateworlds.com  Twitter: @tcwpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theycreateworlds Alex's Video Game History Blog: http://videogamehistorian.wordpress.com Alex's book, published Dec 2019, is available at CRC Press and at major on-line retailers: http://bit.ly/TCWBOOK1     Intro Music: Josh Woodward - Airplane Mode -  Music - "Airplane Mode" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/song/AirplaneMode  Outro Music: RoleMusic - Bacterial Love: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Rolemusic/Pop_Singles_Compilation_2014/01_rolemusic_-_bacterial_love    Copyright: Attribution: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

From Corporate Ladder to Freedom: The Franchise Path to Business OwnershipGuest: Doris Fink, President of Plan B 2000 Inc | Host: Julie RigaOverviewJulie sits down with Doris Fink, who turned an unexpected $300,000 opportunity into two decades of helping professionals create their Plan B. Doris shares her journey from single mom working three jobs to successful business owner, revealing the truth nobody talks about—why the first two years are hardest and how franchise ownership provides the structure that makes all the difference. If you're stuck in corporate America or ready for your Phase 2 career, this conversation will inspire you to leap with clarity and confidence.About This EpisodeDoris and Julie explore Phase 1 versus Phase 2 careers, the power of structure in entrepreneurship, and why passion alone isn't enough. Doris shares authentic insights including sleepless nights, tough decisions, and realizing she'd built someone else's dream—plus practical guidance for professionals ready for business ownership with purpose.Guest BackgroundDoris Fink, President of Plan B 2000 Inc, has over 20 years helping professionals build lives of freedom, fulfillment, and legacy through smart business ownership. Her journey spans healthcare executive to diagnostic business owner to franchise success.Fun Fact: Favorite dessert is sunshine cake with chocolate in the frosting.Key TopicsThe Entrepreneurship Journey:A $300,000 opportunity that changed everythingPhase 1 (career you need) vs. Phase 2 (career you want)Years 1-3 truth: Year 3 is when you turn the cornerThree Ingredients for Success:Interest in business developmentGreat interpersonal skillsBusiness sense or knowing where to get help Bonus: A clear WHYMemorable Quotes"I had just built somebody else's dream.""Year 1 you're covering expenses. Year 2 becomes steady. Year 3 you see earning capability and believe it will work.""Follow your heart and get advice from someone walking the walk, not just talking the talk."Financial RealityYear 1: Investment phase, expenses outweigh incomeYear 2: Steady but supplementalYear 3: The turning pointCapital needs often misunderstoodWho Should Consider ThisProfessionals 45-65 who've climbed the ladder, been passed over or laid off, or asked to compromise values. Anyone with sleepless nights knowing they need change—with family support and right timing.The Passion TrapDon't confuse passion with business sense. Many love pets but a pet business might be wrong. Find the intersection of interest, skill set, and market opportunity.Plan B 2000 ApproachNo-fee, no-pressure consultations assessing family support, timing, capital, and skills. Doris builds friendships, not just client relationships.Questions to AskDo I have the energy?Do I have the personality for uncertainty?Do I have family support?Is timing right?What's my WHY?Connect with Doris FinkLinkedIn: Doris Fink (in Florida, not Germany!)Company: Plan B 2000 IncKey TakeawaysCorporate skills transferStructure accelerates successYear 3 is the turning pointFamily support essentialGet guidance from experienced advisors.Final Wisdom"Try the sunshine cake!" But seriously: "Follow your heart. Just do what you feel is right and get advice from someone who has the experience and not only is talking the talk but is walking the walk."Perfect for anyone in corporate America wondering "is there something more?" and leaders ready to create their Plan B with clarity and confidence.

When Matt Sykes took over JD Ross Europe, he inherited a £4M ledger crisis, a merged brand that wasn't working, and a team that needed a complete reset.In this episode, we walk through how that crisis forced a full pivot into renewables and how the business grew into a multi-country powerhouse across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and beyond.You can connect with Matt here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sykesmatthew/-------------------------Watch the episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2jmoIfX7sYQ-------------------------Sponsors - Claim your exclusive savings from our partners with the links below:Sourcewhale - Check Out Sourcewhale & Claim Your Exclusive Offer Here.Raise - Check Out Raise & Claim Your Exclusive Offer Here.-------------------------Extra Stuff:Learn more about our online skills development platform Hector here: https://bit.ly/47hsaxeJoin 6,000+ other recruiters levelling up their skills with our Limitless Learning Newsletter here: https://limitless-learning.thisishector.com/subscribe-------------------------Get in touch:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hishemazzouz/-------------------------

Send us a textWelcome to Guilders-Ford Radio, a Necromunda podcast broadcasting from the East Gate Docks of Hive Primus (via Guildford Games Club, Surrey, UK).Team GFR are starting Season 4 strong with yet another special guest - returning friend of the show Constantin Gerlach, fresh from his most recent CoriusCon03 event in Berlin, Germany.  We dive into all the details of the event, including the international crowd of attendees, fantastic terrain, bespoke campaign resources and some chronic FOMO from the team for missing out.As correctly predicted, Warhammer dropped a wealth of World Championship previews straight after our last episode, and we dive into all the forthcoming Necromunda releases. Rounding out the episode, we do our usual hobby round up, and take a moment to marvel at the truly international Guilders-Ford Radio community!We'd like to take the opportunity to thank all our listeners who have chosen to support us on Patreon & Buzzsprout - your contributions help us make a better show!• Flow • Denny Wright • Stefan Sahlin  • Matt Miler  • Matti Puh  • Nick McVett  •Warhammer in the Dark  •From_Somewhere • Alfonso  • The Traitor • Johnny DeVille • Stephan B • Jeff Nelson • Lankydiceroller • Morskul • Beau  • Justin Clark • Dr.Toe • Mikael Livas • Josh Reynolds • StandStab • ChestDrain • Scott Spieker • Tucker Steel • Shaughn • Stewart Young • Goatincoat  • Jason • Joseph Serrani • Billy  • Phil • Stephen Griffiths  • Søren D • Spruewhisperer • Kevin Fowler • Scott Spieker • Andy Tabor  • TheMichaelNimmo • Tucker Steel  • Dave Shearman  • Shaughn  • Stewart Young •Damien Davis • Wayne Jeffrey   •  Frawgenstein • Matthey Mulcahy   • William Payne •Thomas Laycock • Stephen Livingston • Tyler Anderson • McGobbo • Jed Tearle • Gene Archibald • James Marsden • John Haynes • Ryan Taylor • Yuki van Elzelingen  • Dick Linehan • Rhinoxrifter • Shawn Hall  • Eric McKenzie  • Paul Shaw  • Jenifer • Drew Williams  • Greg Miller • Andy Farrell  • Nate Combrink •  Don Johnson • Michael Yule • Joe Roberts • TheRedWolf • Lukasz Jainski • Aaron Vissers • One Punch Orlock (Tom) • Matt Price • ShnubutsSupport the showHelp us make better content, and download free community resources!www.patreon.com/guildersfordradioAny comments, questions or corrections? We'd love to hear from you! Join the Guilders-Ford Radio community over at;https://linktr.ee/guildersfordradiowww.instagram.com/guildersfordradiowww.facebook.com/guildersfordradioGuildersFordRadio@Gmail.com ** Musical Attribution - Socket Rocker by (Freesound - BaDoink) **

This week, host Richard Graves sits down with former Great Britain and England international basketball player Kofi Josephs, an athlete whose journey through elite sport has been anything but ordinary. From growing up in Birmingham to playing in front of Michael Jordan at the Jordan Brand Classic, suffering two major hip surgeries in the US collegiate system, becoming the British Basketball League's highest-scoring British player, and navigating the hidden psychological battles behind performance… Kofi's story is raw, real, and deeply relevant for anyone working in elite sport. Now the founder of WhyNotI, a preventative mental health tech platform designed specifically for elite athletes, Kofi is on a mission to reshape how professional environments understand – and support – the person behind the performer. This episode offers an unfiltered look at the pressures, cultural challenges, expectations, and mental load that athletes carry, and the systemic changes needed to truly support sustainable high performance. What You'll Learn The hidden mental toll of elite sport and why performance alone never tells the full story. How perfectionism, pressure, and identity shape athlete wellbeing – and where support structures fall short. Why mental health must be preventative, not reactive, if teams want consistency and longevity in performance. Insights into the collegiate system in the US and its cultural, emotional, and psychological challenges for young athletes. Why separating “the athlete” from “the person” is flawed, and how reframing this changes support strategies. The crucial role of coaches, GMs, and ownership in building environments where mental health is prioritised. How WhyNotI is using technology, psychology, and data to influence policy, culture, and player care across elite sport. About Kofi Josephs Kofi Josephs is a former professional basketball player who represented England at the Commonwealth Games and Great Britain at EuroBasket, competing across elite leagues worldwide including Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and Iceland. A psychology graduate and outspoken advocate for athlete mental health, Kofi has built a platform that blends his lived experience with scientific insight. He is the founder of WhyNotI, a preventative mental health tech solution designed to provide bespoke support for elite performers while equipping organisations with the data needed to improve culture, care, and decision-making. Kofi now works across sport, safeguarding, and policy, collaborating with leaders from national governing bodies, Olympic sports, and high-performance environments to drive systemic change. FREE 7d SCIENCE FOR SPORT ACADEMY TRIAL SIGN UP NOW: https://bit.ly/SFSepisode241 ​ Learn Quicker & More Effectively ​ Optimise Your Athletes' Recovery ​ Position Yourself As An Expert To Your Athletes And Naturally Improve Buy-In ​ Reduce Your Athletes' Injury Ratese ​ Save 100's Of Dollars A Year That Would Otherwise Be Spent On Books, Courses And More ​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance ​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes ​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

A former professional boxer who began his journey with 19 amateur fights, drawn to the sport for its physical and mental challenges. He went on to win and defend the Australian Junior Middleweight Title, and after a comeback in 2005, fought five international opponents before earning a World Title Eliminator bout in Germany. At his peak, he was ranked 12th in the worldThen in 2009 founded the Fight Like a Pro Rite of Passage Program — a transformational experience designed to help men rise into their full potential as husbands, fathers, and leaders.After leading over 3,000 men through the program, Gavin authored A Rite of Passage, which has sold thousands of copies worldwide. Then in 2019 was inducted into Queensland boxing Hall of FameThis journey led to the creation of the Man Alive Experience, an online mentorship platform connecting with men across the globe.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gavinlancetopp/Book: https://gavin-topp.mykajabi.com/the-man-alive-ebookConnect and tag me at:https://www.instagram.com/realangelabradford/You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel herehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDU9L55higX03TQgq1IT_qQFeel free to leave a review on all major platforms to help get the word out and change more lives!

Is Portugal the tortoise or the rabbit? Our latest explains why he thinks Portugal is the tortoise. Thomas Stark is a dad, a husband, a triathlete and a business man. Originally from Germany, Thomas is passionate about Portugal and his company supports forward-thinking companies to start and scale in Portugal. He chats to Dylan about why he loves Portugal, how Portugal has perfected work-life balance, how Portugal has so much potential but has kept it's simplicity, authenticity and quality of life. FOLLOW OUR GUESTStark & Partners WebsiteThomas on LinkedinABOUT PORTUGAL THE SIMPLE LIFE PODCAST: "Portugal - The simple life”, an insider's perspective to Portugal. We already know about Portugal's fantastic weather, food and beaches. In this podcast, we go deeper to meet the people who make this country so wonderful. Dylan, who has made his life in Portugal, shares an insider's perspective on what makes Portugal the unique, beautiful and fantastic country it is.  Join him and his guests weekly as they shed light on the incredible people, culture, history and lifestyle that make Portugal one of the world's best places to live! Don't forget to subscribe to our Podcast to receive more stories about living and moving to Portugal!  ⭐ EXCLUSIVE FOR SUBSCRIBERS⭐ If you're looking to buy a home in Portugal, book a 30-minute call with Dylan here: BOOK A CALL There are only 5 slots available every week – EXCLUSIVE for our podcast subscribers! SPONSOR: Portugal Realty, a Leisure Launch group company, sponsors this episode.   FOLLOW US:Portugal The Simple Life WebsitePortugal The Simple Life FacebookPortugal The Simple Life InstagramPortugal The Simple Life XPortugal The Simple Life YouTubeFOLLOW OUR HOST: Dylan Herholdt - LinkedIn Dylan Herholdt - Facebook Dylan The Simple Life - Instagram If you'd like to get in touch or share your experience with Portugal, Dylan would love to hear from you! Email: ola@portugal-the-simple-life.com WhatsApp: (+351) 910 571 613

It is an honor and a privilege to welcome music producer and songwriter Toby Gad to the first Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast Holiday Special!  Toby began his career in the late 1980s, when he and his brother Jens had three of their songs featured on controversial music duo Milli Vanilli's European debut and multi-platinum album, All or Nothing. Because of the songs' success, Milli Vanilli's producer Frank Farian produced the brothers' 1990 debut album, NRG. That same year, Toby met Jacqueline Nemorin, and a 10-year collaboration began with 1992's Creole Dance and continued with 1995's Mission of Love and the title song for Neverending Story III.  Following success in Germany, Toby left for the United States. He opened Strawberrybee studio in Midtown Manhattan and co-wrote “Unspoken” with Madeline Stone and O. Hatch for Christian platinum artist Jaci Velasquez. The song stayed on the Christian Billboard Top 20 Singles chart for half a year.  In 2003, Toby produced and co-wrote “A Toast to Men” for Willa Ford, and two years later, developed, produced, and co-wrote Kaci Brown's Interscope Records debut, Instigator. He also produced and co-wrote songs for Ricky Martin and the Veronicas.  In 2008, his career shifted into high gear after Fergie released a song they co-wrote, “Big Girls Don't Cry.” The song went 4x platinum and peaked at the number one position on the US Billboard Hot 100. He also co-wrote and co-produced Beyoncé's “If I Were A Boy,” which went 2x platinum and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100. He continued to write massive hits for Calum Scott (“No Matter What”), Demi Lovato (“Skyscraper”), Jessie J (“Who You Are”), Josh Groban (“River”), Leona Lewis (“Fire Under My Feet'), and Madonna (“Bitch, I'm Madonna” and “Living for Love”).  One of his massive hits was John Legend's “All of Me,” which earned RIAA's 13x Diamond (Highest Certified RIAA Single in History) and won Grammy, Soul Train, and NAACP Awards.  Recently, Toby Gad released his first holiday studio album, Piano Diaries Christmas. The album features original songs co-written with an all-star group of recording artists. Anthony Gargiula, Gavin James, Huntley, Joelle James, Jordin Sparks, Loren Allred, Marisha Wallace, Sam Ryder, and Victoria Justice are some of the talented vocalists who are featured on the record.    When he is not in the recording studio, Toby is also the host of the Songs You Know Podcast. In each episode, Toby and his guests uncover the tales, creative processes, and moments of magic that brought iconic songs you know and love to life. Previous guests include Billy Steinberg, Jessie J, Josh Groban, Justin Tranter, Lindy Robbins, Loren Allred, and Marisha Wallace.  On the 2025 holiday special, Toby Gad talked about his songwriting sessions with Beyonce and Demi Lovato, writing “All of Me” with John Legend, the moment he swore at the Queen of Pop, and previewed Piano Diaries Christmas. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.

In this episode of Sanctions+, hosts Milana Karayanidi and Shahrzad Noorbaloochi discuss with Dina Hoffman the new “Affiliates Rule” by BIS and what it means for export controls compliance. Drawing on her experience with BIS in Germany and her current work in Kazakhstan with ECS Advisors, Dina explains aggregation across the Entity List and MEU owners, the rule of most restrictiveness, and the practical implications of new Red Flag 29 and BIS's closer alignment with OFAC's 50% rule. The discussion touches upon tracing the ownership to the ultimate beneficial owner, recalibrating screening beyond the Consolidated Screening List, document diligence, and preparing for increased licensing and voluntary disclosure decisions. This episode also explores the culture of Kazakhstan – from its nomadic heritage to modern life in Astana and Almaty.

More than 800 AfD members in Gießen voted to found the new youth organisation “Generation Germany” after the predecessor organisation “Young Alternative”, which was classified as “far-right”, was dissolved in March. The meeting was accompanied by massive protests, which also led to violent clashes with the police. - Mehr als 800 AfD-Mitglieder haben in Gießen für die Gründung der neuen Jugendorganisation „Generation Deutschland“ gestimmt, nachdem die als „gesichert rechtsextrem“ eingestufte Vorgängerorganisation „Junge Alternative“ im März aufgelöst worden war. Die Versammlung wurde von massiven Protesten begleitet, bei denen es auch zu gewaltsamen Auseinandersetzungen mit der Polizei kam.

In this episode of Superlative, host Ariel Adams, Founder of aBlogtoWatch, sits down with Felix Wallner, CEO of Hanhart, for a wide ranging conversation that explores the deep heritage, technical ingenuity, and modern evolution of one of Germany's most storied watch manufacturers. Felix discusses Hanhart's origins in the Black Forest and its longstanding ties to Swiss horology, the company's early breakthroughs in accessible mechanical stopwatches, and the military specification chronographs that later defined the brand's identity. He explains how Hanhart maintained its leadership in mechanical stopwatch production even as the rest of the industry moved toward wristwatches, and why the company continues to manufacture more than ninety percent of its stopwatch components in house today. Ariel and Felix also examine the modern landscape of German watchmaking, Hanhart's product first philosophy, and the engineering driven mindset that shapes everything from movement regulation to hardened HD12 steel, anti magnetic construction, and mono pusher modifications. The conversation reveals how a small authenticity focused brand balances heritage with innovation, how customer interaction directly informs product refinement, and how Hanhart preserves its identity in a competitive market without compromising on integrity or craftsmanship. Whether exploring the technical complexities behind mechanical timing instruments or the cultural nuances of German tool watch design, this episode offers a thoughtful and comprehensive look at what makes Hanhart a unique force within the industry.Check out Hanhart watches:- Website: https://www.hanhart.com/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hanhart_watches/ SUPERLATIVE IS NOW ON YOUTUBE! To check out Superlative on Youtube as well as other ABTW content:- YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ablogtowatch To check out the ABTW Shop where you can see our products inspired by our love of Horology:- Shop ABTW - https://store.ablogtowatch.com/To keep updated with everything Superlative and aBlogtoWatch, check us out on:- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ablogtowatch/- Twitter - https://twitter.com/ABLOGTOWATCH- Website - https://www.ablogtowatch.com/If you enjoy the show please Subscribe, Rate, and Review!

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureCanada just folded and is now doing what Trump wants in regards to steel and aluminum, Trump has all the leverage. The Dept of Labor confirms that Americans were being replaced in the work field. Trump is set to push homeownership thru the roof with a  50 year mortgage. Trump has the solution to the affordability crisis that the [CB] created, get rid of the [CB]. Trump is dismantling the [DS] world wide. The criminal syndicate was setup in many countries to make it virtually impossible to dismantle. But it is being done through peace through strength. The [DS] system is being strangled and soon those who have been held captive will be removed or come to heel. Trump is now setting the stage to bring the [DS] to justice. He has now voided out 92% of Biden orders, which means judges, other nominees will be removed. Justice is coming and the [DS] players are panicking. Economy Interesting Development – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Announces New Limits on Foreign Steel and Aluminum, With New 25% Tariff on Steel Derivative Components   Prime Minister Mark Carney is conceding defeat to President Trump and positioning the Canadian economy to be compliant with U.S-Mexico trade regulations. However, Carney is not saying that, indeed he cannot; he's spent over a year telling Canadians that President Trump's trade and economic demands are not going to be accepted by Canada.  However, what he is factually doing is exactly what President Trump has demanded. Prime Minister Carney is saying he is restricting Steel and Aluminum imports from non-free trade agreement countries, and he is lowering the tonnage of Steel and Aluminum that will be permitted for import.  His claim is that this approach will help drive up “domestic demand” for Canadian Steel and Aluminum, but that's ancillary to the real objective. President Trump has demanded Canada stop importing cheap steel and aluminum mostly from China; including manufactured component goods that are made with steel and aluminum (think autos).  Canada would not stop, because they could not stop.  Their manufacturing base, green energy and climate change economy, is more of a component assembly system now. So, President Trump hit Canada with a 35% tariff, and things got ugly.  In June Trump raised the tariff to 50%. The back and forth has gone on all year. Carney now announces restrictions on imported steel and aluminum, as well as restrictions on imported derivative goods that come from steel and aluminum, in combination with a spending plan to bolster the Canadian steel and aluminum manufacturing base.  This ends up shifting the Canadian industrial sector to making steel and aluminum products without Chinese import dependency. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/USDOL/status/1994841467345670569?s=20 https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1994556411439976468?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1994918010197278811?s=20 https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent/status/1994478437042438573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1994478437042438573%7Ctwgr%5Ee930cbbc1182e7871f84fda0a85e43c6c0f2ca9c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2025%2F11%2Ftreasury-working-cut-benefits-money-transfers-illegal-aliens%2F   are no longer available to illegal and other non-qualified aliens, covering the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, and the Saver's Match Credit. https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1994064168115478599?s=20 https://twitter.com/unusual_whales/status/1994844057110262116?s=20   Prices and Taxes are DOWN. Education is being brought back to the States (where it belongs!), and our Military, and Southern Border, is the strongest they have ever been. The USA is respected again, respected like never before. All of this was brought about by Strong Leadership and TARIFFS, without which we would be a poor and pathetic laughingstock again. Evil, American hating Forces are fighting us at the United States Supreme Court. Pray to God that our Nine Justices will show great wisdom, and do the right thing for America! Political/Rights https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1994796365461758352?s=20   public that illegal entry violates 8 U.S.C. §1325 and reentry after deportation violates §1326, a felony the left avoids acknowledging. He said 60–70% of illegal aliens arrested in immigration sweeps carry prior criminal or immigration histories. With DHS logging over 527,000 deportations in 2025, Trump's enforcement surge is targeting high-risk offenders. Bovino said the radical left simply ignores the law because it undermines their narrative. DOGE Trump White House Unleashes Media Bias Tracker to Crush Fake News Narratives  The Trump administration has launched a brand-new “Media Bias Tracker” directly on the White House website. Unveiled on Friday, this tool is designed to call out and document the endless stream of false, misleading, and biased stories peddled by outlets that have spent years attacking President Donald Trump and his agenda. According to the White House, the tracker serves as a “record of the media's false and misleading stories flagged by The White House.” The tracker highlights “offenses” from major news publications, including an “Offender Hall of Shame” and a leaderboard ranking the worst culprits in spreading misinformation. Described as “a race to the bottom,” this feature ranks outlets based on repeat offenses. Topping the Hall of Shame list is The Washington Post, followed by rebranded leftist mouthpieces like MSNBC (now MS NOW), CBS News, CNN, The New York Times, Politico, and The Wall Street Journal. In response to their top spot, a spokesperson for the Washington Post said, “The Washington Post is proud of its accurate, rigorous journalism.” The page also features a “Media Offender of the Week,” currently blasting outlets for exaggerating Trump's calls to hold Democrats accountable for their seditious behavior. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/newstart_2024/status/1994506579660689812?s=20  entire Silicon Valley “tech wife mafia” and how they were used. Her exact words (full clip attached): “I don't think many of the tech mafia wives realize… they were used to set the groundwork for what Klaus Schwab calls The Great Reset. Their money especially was being conscripted through a network of NGO advisors, Hollywood, Davos, and their own companies. A really small group of people… completely blind to how their groundwork is being used to enable these Great Reset policies.” Then she turns the knife inward: “These women find their meaning through philanthropic work. I really believed I was helping Black communities and indigenous communities rise up. But now the problems have gotten worse. Crime worse. Mental health worse. The whole model is broken. At the end of the day they always go: ‘But climate change.' Social justice + climate change — it gets progressive women 100% of the time.” She even says many now believe the biggest “climate change issues” are actually geoengineering issues. This isn't some random podcast bro. This is a woman who lived in the mansions, sat on the boards, flew private to Davos parties… and is now saying: “We were the useful idiots.” Geopolitical https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1994936233878065399?s=20   with a legally possessed shotgun at a Florida shooting range, a British man was arrested, locked in a cell overnight, interrogated, and lectured that he “must understand how posts make people feel.” Police seized his computer and phone, wiping out his ability to work. Weeks later, all charges were quietly dropped because they were baseless from the start. Critics say the ordeal proves the UK has turned social media into a surveillance trap where innocent people are punished by process alone. https://twitter.com/amuse/status/1994781531244474604?s=20   terrorizing AfD. Antifa extremists descended on an AfD youth event in Giessen, attacking attendees and Bundestag member Julian Schmidt in a coordinated effort to intimidate the rising populist party. Germany has faced a wave of Antifa terror: doxxing AfD addresses, firebombing cars and threatening families. Mike Benz says Antifa is part of a transnational Marxist network weaponized since Trump's 2016 victory to shield globalist interests by attacking democratic populist movements across the West. Violence increases as AfD gains support. War/Peace   roads. His chief opponent is Rixi Moncada, who says Fidel Castro is her idol. Normally, the smart people of Honduras, would reject her, and elect Tito Asfura, but the Communists are trying to trick the people by running a third Candidate, Salvador Nasralla. Nasralla is no friend of Freedom. A borderline Communist, he helped Xiomara Castro by running as her Vice President. He won, and helped Castro win. Then he resigned, and is now pretending to be an anti-Communist only for the purposes of splitting Asfura's vote. The people of Honduras must not be tricked again. The only real friend of Freedom in Honduras is Tito Asfura. Tito and I can work together to fight the Narcocommunists, and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras. I cannot work with Moncada and the Communists, and Nasralla is not a reliable partner for Freedom, and cannot be trusted. I hope the people of Honduras vote for Freedom and Democracy, and elect Tito Asfura, President!   potential, of Honduras! Additionally, I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly. This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success. VOTE FOR TITO ASFURA FOR PRESIDENT, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN ORLANDO HERNANDEZ ON YOUR UPCOMING PARDON. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE HONDURAS GREAT AGAIN! PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1994907658021998933?s=20   a crisis. International law has no force here. Your authority, mine, and that of the scholars you cite sits on the same level: none. It is all gatekeeping dressed as expertise. The video urging people to ignore “illegal orders” made your intent clear. You stretch the term until it covers anything that suits your goal of weakening the security apparatus and pushing Trump out of office. People see that. They see you. That you all are walking free and making those posts trying to advance a color revolution is the ultimate proof that Trump is not an authoritarian… he is far too lenient. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/1994807665147744671?s=20 https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/1994552598142038358?s=20  intended to be “lethal, kinetic strikes.” The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization. The Biden administration preferred the kid gloves approach, allowing millions of people — including dangerous cartels and unvetted Afghans — to flood our communities with drugs and violence. The Trump administration has sealed the border and gone on offense against narco-terrorists. Biden coddled terrorists, we kill them. Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict—and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command. Our warriors in SOUTHCOM put their lives on the line every day to protect the Homeland from narco-terrorists — and I will ALWAYS have their back. https://twitter.com/TimOnPoint/status/1994570386239852571?s=20   is probably closer to the SECWAR's office in the Pentagon. The Washington Post begins writing the story. C) a Soros-funded NGO puts billboards up encouraging military personnel to report unlawful orders… although there are no unlawful orders identified. D) out of nowhere, the Seditious Six – which includes one presidential hopeful and one former IC member who had direct involvement in the original attempt to destroy Trump – delivers to social media a “don't give up the ship” video – a public service announcement to all personnel to refuse unlawful orders. *** the video was funded and produced a Soros funded NGO. E) Senator Slotkin, the former CIA ghoul, goes on the news and is very careful to state that she can't identify any unlawful orders that have been given. F) boom, the WaPo delivers the story claiming unlawful orders. G) Friday evening, everyone on the left hits social media – with paid amplification – about the unlawful orders. H) the Sunday shows will be filled with calls for war crimes charges, impeachments, and resignations. All a coincidence, right? None of it was coordinated, right? Not all civil wars happen on the battlefield. https://twitter.com/PeteHegseth/status/1994553202767700041?s=20  https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1994957376764424644?s=20   House through a number of channels, with ongoing discussions about what future communication between the two countries might look like, multiple administration officials told CNN. Venezuela Issues Statement After President Trump Orders All Aircraft to Avoid Regime-Controlled Airspace   In Venezuela's statement, the regime accused the United States of attempting to “intimidate Venezuela” and framed Trump's announcement as an attack on Latin America as a whole. The press release ignored every factual concern raised by U.S. intelligence, including increased military involvement in cocaine transport and the regime's long-standing partnership with the Cartel of the Suns. Today's outburst from the Maduro regime is another example of Venezuela deflecting blame while its role in regional crime expands. Meanwhile, President Trump's position is clear: protect international aviation, disrupt drug networks, and stop allowing a criminal regime to use its airspace as a staging ground. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/GhostEzraQ/status/1994769781073867174?s=20   Pentagon for decades. Who do you think really armed the Venezuelan “gangs” that flooded swing states right before the election? Who flew the untraceable Gulfstreams full of product and kids out of Maturín and Maiquetía while Biden looked the other way? Same people who ran Iran-Contra, fast-forward 40 years. Trump isn't just closing airspace, he's cutting the oxygen to the deep-state money laundering superhighway that's been funding black sites, color revolutions, and child trafficking networks across the hemisphere. Land operations begin “VERY SOON.” Translation: The white hats are moving in to seize the servers, the tunnels, and the ledgers the mockingbird media swore didn't exist. The storm over Caracas is about to expose everything. https://twitter.com/xAlphaWarriorx/status/1994912948201165251?s=20   just talk…he'll detonate his/deep states entire network. Many are struggling with discernment, but the strategic reality is simple: Maduro hasn't controlled Venezuela for years. The deep state held the reins. Then the guardians caught him, flipped him and weaponized the façade of control against the deep state. They may publicly acknowledge it; they may bury it. But the aftermath will speak for itself. In the days immediately following his surrender or “death,” watch the information floodgates burst wide open…especially involving U.S. elections. The timing will be surgical. The disclosures will be coordinated. And the narrative collapse will be unmistakable. Zelensky’s Sacked Top Aide ‘Escapes’ To Front-Line To ‘Hide’ From Corruption Investigators  Andriy Yermak, the man who until just over 24 hours ago was Zelensky’s right hand man and the president’s top most powerful aid as chief of staff, and Ukraine’s appointed chief negotiator with the US on the peace process, is going to the front lines, apparently to “fight”. After his home and offices were raided by Ukraine’s anti-corruption investigators Friday related to the ongoing massive energy sector kickback scandal, Yermak announced by text message to The New York Post, “I'm going to the front and am prepared for any reprisals.” He followed with, “I am an honest and decent person.”  According to the lengthy analysis [emphasis ZH]:  Zelensky's fixer, enforcer, gatekeeper, and indispensable ally, isn't a “corruption scandal.” It's Washington slapping the table. NABU, the U.S.-trained attack dog of Ukrainian politics, didn't raid the Presidential Office by accident.It raided to remind Zelensky that the war isn't his to command, the peace process isn't his to veto, and the leash around Bankova Street is held in Washington, not Kiev and certainly not European chihuahuas. Because the real story isn't Yermak's resignation. The real story is the West turning on itself over how to end a war Russia has already won.      Source: thegatewaypundit.com Ukrainian Delegation Arrives in the US To Meet Secretary Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner for Peace Talks  Kiev regime leader Volodymyr Zelensky announced Saturday (29) that a peace talks delegation was on its way to the United States. The Ukrainian team, now headed by former Defense Minister and Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, will continue talks today (30) on an agreement to end the war with Russia. Zelensky expects that these talks, to be held tomorrow (30) to develop upon the previous meeting in Geneva. “U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will meet Ukrainian officials on Sunday in Florida, a senior U.S. official told Reuters.” Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/MZHemingway/status/1994835005357576325?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/1994938711729938444?s=20 Medical/False Flags https://twitter.com/ImMeme0/status/1994907732890325212?s=20   let millions of illegal aliens pour into the country? But sure, keep acting like Americans are too stupid to notice what's actually going on. You really think people are that dumb, don't you? https://twitter.com/BretWeinstein/status/1994904606913302874?s=20  medicine, the debut of a lethal new vaccine platform, shredding of the First Amendment, and robotic pens used to brazenly pardon criminal masterminds—all lurk just below the surface. Thanks to @VPrasadMDMPH for stepping up.    win the Midterm Elections in RECORD NUMBERS. I AM THE AFFORDABILITY PRESIDENT. TALK LOUDLY AND PROUDLY! President DJT https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1994939951293895094?s=20 [DS] Agenda  President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1994543710437007421?s=20   DC) is the basis of the contempt investigation. Kash Patel says all contents of FBI Trump-Russia burn bags will be made public FBI Director Kash Patel says the contents of the burn bags containing Trump-Russia documents discovered at the FBI building will be made public one way or another. “You're going to see everything we found in that room in one way or another, be it through investigation, public trial, or disclosure to the Congress,” Patel told The Epoch Times in an interview with reporter Jan Jekielek that will air Saturday. The bureau said that the classified information was stashed away in a room at FBI Headquarters and was related to Crossfire Hurricane and also other FBI inquiries into President Donald Trump and his allies. Patel previously said that the FBI had found “several bags” containing evidence related to the Russiagate investigation. One electronic communication made public by the Justice Department in court filings related to the prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey earlier this month indicated the FBI began a preliminary investigation into the discovery this summer. Source: justthenews.com https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/1994913285259272493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1994913285259272493%7Ctwgr%5Ef8c44fa6520e3b2f5c1b1f5de5158fa619710e1c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fnick-arama%2F2025%2F11%2F29%2Fpass-the-popcorn-kash-patel-has-intriguing-news-about-comey-case-and-those-burn-bags-n2196663   tuned for right after Thanksgiving. And you’ll see multiple responses…” @FBIDirectorKash https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/1994967913636528531?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1994582862176149809?s=20  fundraisers. Limiting events. Stage-managing appearances. Reducing his workload. Avoiding interviews. Even recruiting Hollywood directors Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg to help with the State of the Union. They controlled everything, including who could see him. This wasn’t a presidency. It was a production. The 91-page committee report found Biden’s “inner circle” took steps to “meticulously stage-manage” his public appearances, lighten his private workload, and block lawmakers from talking to him directly. Three key aides took the Fifth Amendment when questioned, including White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who refused to answer: “Were you ever told to lie about the president’s health?” Former Chief of Staff Jeff Zients admitted under oath he didn’t even know who operated the autopen that signed approximately 92% of Biden’s documents. Trump has now declared all autopen-signed executive actions “NULL AND VOID” and threatened Biden with perjury charges if he claims he authorized them. The same people who called you a conspiracy theorist for questioning Biden’s fitness were stage-managing his every movement. They knew. They all knew. And they lied to your face for four years. TIMESTAMPS: 0:22 – Panicked Donor Calls Chief of Staff Immediately After Biden Fundraiser 1:33 – Zients Confession: “Age is the Most Difficult Issue” 2:37 – Why Spielberg and Katzenberg Were Secretly Brought In 5:30 – The Makeup and “Discipline” Strategy to Hide Biden’s Decline 7:05 – The Real Reason Biden Dodged Super Bowl Interview 9:58 – Staff Ordered to Reduce His Steps After Multiple Falls Source:   directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally. Joe Biden was not involved in the Autopen process and, if he says he was, he will be brought up on charges of perjury. Thank you for your attention to this matter! https://twitter.com/JoeLang51440671/status/1994860387108340010?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

In this episode, I'm joined by Professor Jürgen Weigand from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, one of Germany's most prestigious business schools. We dig into Jurgen Weigand's fascinating professional journey, from his start in academia and time abroad in the U.S., to his experience as a civil servant in the Netherlands and his influential role in shaping leadership programs at WHU. We chat about the true purpose of education, the importance of meaningful work—no matter what stage you're at in your career—and the differences between American and German approaches to teaching. Jurgen Weigand also shares insights from his co-authored books, "Hope is Not a Strategy" and "From Chaos to Clarity," and explains why successful strategy is about ownership, humility, and navigating complexity rather than trying to master it. If you've ever wondered why so many transformation projects and strategies fail, or how cognitive diversity and strong communication can make all the difference in leadership, you'll find practical takeaways and plenty of food for thought in our conversation.

Rubio and Witkoff are meeting with Ukraine's negotiators in Florida as Trump pushes to broker a deal. Netanyahu says a pardon for him in corruption trial would be in ‘national interest'. Gaza death toll crosses 70,000 as Israel continues strikes; at least 350 killed amid ceasefire. Concerns are mounting about a wider conflict following Donald Trump's threat to close Venezuelan airspace. Children are among victims in mass shooting at birthday party in Stockton, California. Number of deaths in Sri Lanka from Cyclone Ditwah approaches 200. Germany's Christmas markets open with festive cheer and tight security following deadly attack last year.

Good Sunday to you,A bit of admin before we come to today's thought piece.First, in case you missed it, here is this week's commentary, mostly ranting about the budget, the UK's inept leadership and what actions you, as an investor, should take:And this week I also appeared on comedian Geoff Norcott's podcast, What Most People Think. Here are the links to the show on Apple and Spotify, if of interest.But for your thought piece today, we have another great little World War Two gold story which didn't make the cut. The farcical journey of Albanian and Italian gold (NB: a tonne of gold is about a medium-sized suitcase full).As the Nazis took both Austria and Czechoslovakia with ease, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini grew anxious to flex his own muscles.Albania would be his target. Geographically, culturally and historically, it made sense: Albania had been part of the Roman Empire even before northern Italy.In April 1939, Italy invaded with a force that contained 400 planes, 300 small tanks, 12 warships, and 22,000 men. But some untrained Albanian locals with the help of a few soldiers managed to drive them back into the sea. Such was 20th century Italian warfare.The Italians made it on the second attempt, however, and the capital, Tirana, fell.The Albanian King Zog gave an impassioned speech on the radio, urging resistance, but nobody heard it because Albania at the time had fewer than 2,000 radios, and the Italians soon managed to jam the airwaves anyway. Shortly after giving the speech, like the true patriot he was, he fled the country, taking enough gold with him to lead a long life of luxury in exile, eventually ending up in Egypt as a guest of King Farouk, to whom he had to pay $20 million for refuge.Albania's founders believed in gold, and their currency, the lek, was based on it. Inflation, as a result, had been nonexistent. The central bank was established in the summer of 1925, and it had worked hard to build up its gold holdings. At home, it had encouraged citizens to swap their jewellery for paper money. That private gold was then added to the nation's gold holdings. Whenever possible, the country increased its gold holdings in London.But by the time of the invasion in 1939, most of Albania's 2.3 tonnes was in Italy anyway, where it had been sent for safekeeping. The Italians managed to confiscate quite a bit more in coins and jewellery from citizens.We fast forward four years.The Italian dilemma: give their gold to the Nazis or the Allies? In 1943, Allied forces moved north from Africa into Sicily and then Italy: the invasion of the soft underbelly of Europe had begun.Hectic days followed the ousting of Mussolini in July. The Italian Fascists were still nominally in charge. They declared Rome an open city in the hope of avoiding Allied air attacks. But by September 1943, the Nazis had control of the capital and central Italy, and they wanted Italy's gold moved to Berlin, while they still had control of the area.They began confiscating the gold of Italian citizens in Rome, especially Italian Jews. The amounts demanded were unrealistic, but Roman Jews reached into their family treasures, their synagogues and institutions to turn in what they had. The Pope, Pius XII, heard about the demands and authorised Catholic churches to lend Jews gold so they could reach the quota.But the big prize was in the Italian Central Bank, and several Nazi organisations had their eyes on it: Himmler's SS, Göring's Four Year Plan, von Ribbentrop's Foreign Office, and Funk's Reichsbank. Even the Bank of International Settlements (BIS), which was worried about its investments in Italy, started making demands that Italy send it gold. Initially, the governor of the Italian bank, Vincenzo Azzolini, made out that he was offended by the idea, but he soon realised the BIS was a better option than Berlin, whichever Nazi department received it.The Italians did not know what to do. On the one hand, they did not want the Nazis to have their gold, but nor did they want the invading Allies to have it either. They thought of sending it to Sardinia, they thought of sending it to the Swiss border. They sent small amounts of gold to branch offices around Italy, but the Bologna gold went missing, as did much of the Milan gold - now supposedly in Turin, but actually hidden in a well. They even sent some to colonial outposts in Benghazi, Rhodes and Addis Ababa.The Albanian gold Italy had stolen was still sitting in the Italian bank's vault, so, under pressure from the Nazis, they sent that up to the Reichsbank in Berlin, while they tried to come up with a solution.The following day, Niccolò Introna, the Italian bank's deputy general manager, had his plan: to build a false wall in the bank's underground vaults. He would then backdate documents to show the gold had been moved to Potenza, a town in the Italian south that was about to fall into Allied hands, but hide the gold behind the wall.Bank governor Azzolini approved the plan, but then ruled that only half the gold should be hidden. The next day the wall was built. The day after that, the official order to ship the gold to Berlin came in from the German ambassador. If the bank did not agree, the Germans would simply seize it. At this point, Azzolini learned that the Germans had seized government records, from which they would know the size and location of the country's gold. Azzolini lost his nerve and had the wall torn down.The next day, the German military unit arrived at the bank with orders to move the gold north by air. Azzolini stalled them, saying it would be safer by train. The Germans sent 5 tonnes by air, the rest - 119 tonnes - was sent by train to Milan. From there, it was shipped to Fortezza, Bolzano, close to the border with Germany and under their control, where it stayed for several months. The now-ousted Mussolini even signed his approval that it be sent there.The following spring, Azzolini, who above all wanted to stop the gold going to Berlin, struck a deal with Swiss and German representatives that would see 26 tonnes sent to Switzerland, some to the BIS and some to the Swiss National Bank.Göring, however, insisted he needed money and suggested giving Italy Reichsmarks for its gold. The deal was signed without the Bank of Italy knowing about it. 50 tonnes left Fortezza, which included 8 tonnes Italy had stolen from Yugoslavia earlier in the war in "restitution" (that's another story). The delivery arrived in Berlin a tonne light. As almost always by this point in the war, someone had their hands in the till.The process of shipping the next batch of Italian gold - some 22 tonnes - went on for months, as some (but not all) Italian officials tried to stall. But eventually, that too was dispatched. That too arrived in Berlin a tonne light.When American forces eventually liberated Fortezza, they found 25 tonnes. It was handed over to the Bank of Italy.What a mess.Stories like this fill the pages of The Secret History of Gold (although this one didn't actually make the cut).The Secret History of Gold is available at Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops. I hear the audiobook, read by me, is excellent. And it would make a wonderful Christmas present! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

Fascism is one of the most notorious political ideologies that shaped the 20th century. Fascism is typically only thought of in tandem with Nazi Germany, but it wasn't the only country that adhered to the ideology, and they weren't even the first.  The originator was Italy.  Despite many similarities between fascist Italy and Germany, the two nations developed forms of fascism with significant ideological differences.  Learn about Italian and German fascism, their differences and similarities, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. Sponsors Quince Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Mint Mobile Get your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/eed Chubbies Get 20% off your purchase at Chubbies with the promo code DAILY at checkout! Aura Frames Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/DAILY. Promo Code DAILY DripDrop Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code EVERYTHING for 20% off your first order. Uncommon Goods Go to uncommongoods.com/DAILY for 15% off! Subscribe to the podcast!  https://everything-everywhere.com/everything-everywhere-daily-podcast/ -------------------------------- Executive Producer: Charles Daniel Associate Producers: Austin Oetken & Cameron Kieffer   Become a supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/everythingeverywhere Discord Server: https://discord.gg/UkRUJFh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everythingeverywhere/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/everythingeverywheredaily Twitter: https://twitter.com/everywheretrip Website: https://everything-everywhere.com/  Disce aliquid novi cotidie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Legends of Triathlon, we sit down with one of the sport's most distinctive champions - Faris Al-Sultan, the 2005 IRONMAN World Champion. Known for his trademark beard, his fierce competitiveness, and his no-nonsense approach to racing, Faris carved out a career defined by grit, authenticity, and passion for the sport. From his early days as a young athlete in Germany to conquering Kona in the heat of Hawaii, Faris reflects on the highs, lows, and defining moments of his journey. We talk about what it took to win on triathlon's biggest stage, his years as a consistent world-class performer, and how he transitioned into coaching and shaping the next generation of athletes. This is a deep dive into the mind of one of triathlon's true originals - a man who did things his way and left an indelible mark on the sport. You can follow Faris by clicking here.

In this episode of Legends of Triathlon, we sit down with one of the sport's most distinctive champions - Faris Al-Sultan, the 2005 IRONMAN World Champion. Known for his trademark beard, his fierce competitiveness, and his no-nonsense approach to racing, Faris carved out a career defined by grit, authenticity, and passion for the sport. From his early days as a young athlete in Germany to conquering Kona in the heat of Hawaii, Faris reflects on the highs, lows, and defining moments of his journey. We talk about what it took to win on triathlon's biggest stage, his years as a consistent world-class performer, and how he transitioned into coaching and shaping the next generation of athletes. This is a deep dive into the mind of one of triathlon's true originals - a man who did things his way and left an indelible mark on the sport. You can follow Faris by clicking here.

Saturday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Radbod of Utrecht, 850-917; he was educated by his Uncle Gunther, the bishop of Cologne, Germany, and became bishop of Utrecht, Holland in 900; he distinguished himself for his aid to the poor and for his poetry; he was forced to move his see to France after an invasion by the Danes, and he died there Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/29/25 Gospel: Luke 21:34-36

AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on a large protest in Germany as the German far right Party AFD sets up its new youth wing.

It's EV News Briefly for Friday 28 November 2025, 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/EVNewsDaily GERMANY SETS UP FIGHT OVER EU 2035 ENGINE BAN https://evne.ws/4p7rG5B VOLKSWAGEN STRUGGLES TO HIT JOB-CUT TARGET AS EV COSTS BITE https://evne.ws/3MqpGXk FORD RANGER PHEV TURNS INTO A TECH‑HEAVY WORKHORSE https://evne.ws/4pADVqS FRANCE EXTENDS EV BONUS SCHEME INTO 2026 https://evne.ws/43XP253 HYUNDAI TURNS EVS INTO GRID‑READY POWER SOURCES https://evne.ws/48lOwiF LEAPMOTOR GOES HARD ON GLOBAL GROWTH https://evne.ws/483Bl72 RENAULT LAUNCHES V2G GRID SERVICE FOR DUTCH EV DRIVERS https://evne.ws/43SnZbo TESLA GIGA BERLIN BOOSTS OUTPUT AS NORWAY SALES HIT RECORD https://evne.ws/48ohVc4 TESLA SALES SLUMP AS EUROPE RIVALS SURGE https://evne.ws/4px1AbJ AESC OPENS SUNDERLAND GIGAFACTORY FOR NEW NISSAN LEAF https://evne.ws/4p2JlLr FIAT CUTS UK ENTRY PRICE FOR GRANDE PANDA EV https://evne.ws/3M1rZ3b KGM TORRES EVX: LONG-RANGE MID-SIZE EV TARGETS MAINSTREAM BUYERS https://evne.ws/3M3dkEC RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM IMPORTING CHINESE EVS TO BUILDING THEM AT HOME https://evne.ws/48DURHn FIRST BUS UNVEILS ESSEX'S FIRST ALL‑ELECTRIC BUS DEPOT https://evne.ws/4inEPVk RIVIAN R1T FLEET HEADS TO AUSTRALIAN AUCTION https://evne.ws/4pG9mQW

Can you help me make more podcasts? Consider supporting me on Patreon as the service is 100% funded by you: https://EVne.ws/patreon You can read all the latest news on the blog here: https://EVne.ws/blog Subscribe for free and listen to the podcast on audio platforms: ➤ Apple: https://EVne.ws/apple ➤ YouTube Music: https://EVne.ws/youtubemusic ➤ Spotify: https://EVne.ws/spotify ➤ TuneIn: https://EVne.ws/tunein ➤ iHeart: https://EVne.ws/iheart GERMANY SETS UP FIGHT OVER EU 2035 ENGINE BAN https://evne.ws/4p7rG5B VOLKSWAGEN STRUGGLES TO HIT JOB-CUT TARGET AS EV COSTS BITE https://evne.ws/3MqpGXk FORD RANGER PHEV TURNS INTO A TECH‑HEAVY WORKHORSE https://evne.ws/4pADVqS FRANCE EXTENDS EV BONUS SCHEME INTO 2026 https://evne.ws/43XP253 HYUNDAI TURNS EVS INTO GRID‑READY POWER SOURCES https://evne.ws/48lOwiF LEAPMOTOR GOES HARD ON GLOBAL GROWTH https://evne.ws/483Bl72 RENAULT LAUNCHES V2G GRID SERVICE FOR DUTCH EV DRIVERS https://evne.ws/43SnZbo TESLA GIGA BERLIN BOOSTS OUTPUT AS NORWAY SALES HIT RECORD https://evne.ws/48ohVc4 TESLA SALES SLUMP AS EUROPE RIVALS SURGE https://evne.ws/4px1AbJ AESC OPENS SUNDERLAND GIGAFACTORY FOR NEW NISSAN LEAF https://evne.ws/4p2JlLr FIAT CUTS UK ENTRY PRICE FOR GRANDE PANDA EV https://evne.ws/3M1rZ3b KGM TORRES EVX: LONG-RANGE MID-SIZE EV TARGETS MAINSTREAM BUYERS https://evne.ws/3M3dkEC RUSSIA SHIFTS FROM IMPORTING CHINESE EVS TO BUILDING THEM AT HOME https://evne.ws/48DURHn FIRST BUS UNVEILS ESSEX'S FIRST ALL‑ELECTRIC BUS DEPOT https://evne.ws/4inEPVk RIVIAN R1T FLEET HEADS TO AUSTRALIAN AUCTION https://evne.ws/4pG9mQW

This week's Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by USRider, is with five-star eventer Sydney Elliott. She spoke with us in mid-November as the competition season was winding down after her CCI4*-L win with QC Diamantaire at The Event at TerraNova in Myakka City, Florida.To give you a little more background on Sydney, she first competed at the five-star level at the Kentucky Three-Day Event with Cisko A in two thousand sixteen. Two years later, the pair made their U.S. team debut at the Great Meadow International Nations Cup, helping the U.S. to a third-place finish. With her partner of nearly 10 years, QC Diamantaire, also known as Q, Sydney tallied numerous Nations Cup appearances, including earning team silver in Aachen, Germany in two thousand twenty-one and in Boekelo, the Netherlands that same year. In two thousand twenty-three, Sydney and QC Diamantaire competed in the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, collecting the silver medal as part of the U.S. team. Last year, they were the traveling reserve pair for the Paris two thousand twenty-four Olympic Games. Since then, the duo has continued to have strong competition results. In addition to her success on the international stage, Sydney runs Elliott Eventing, a training business, based in Benton, Louisiana, and Hoffman, North Carolina.In our discussion, Sydney talks about what she enjoys about working with horses, her training philosophy, how she handles her show nerves and more.About This Episode's Sponsor, USRiderThis Black Friday, give yourself the gift of peace of mind with USRider—the roadside assistance program designed specifically for horse owners. Whether you're hauling to a show, trail ride, or simply heading home, USRider is there for you and your horses with 24/7 nationwide coverage. And right now is the perfect time to join. For a limited time, new members can save 20% on any USRider membership during our Black Friday promotion with code BFUSR25. Just go to USRider.org and enter code BFUSR25. Don't miss your chance to protect yourself, your passengers, and your horses with the only plan built for life on the road with horses. Visit USRider.org today and ride with confidence this Black Friday!

You know them, you hate them! It's Arthur Moeller van den Bruck, Edgar Julius Jung and the conservative faction of German Fascism 1918-1933! Subscribe to https://patreon.org/tenepod https://bsky.app/profile/tenepod.bsky.social https://x.com/tenepod

FIXED UPLOAD (HOPEFULLY): Travel as far as you want. Germany, Iceland, Sweden, Siberia... No matter how much reindeer meat and surstromming you eat with the locals, Mom and OVERCAST will always tell you "we have melodic death metal at home".

In this episode, I sit down with Peter Twohy, Principal of the award-winning 2e Architects and one of the earliest pioneers of Virtual Reality in residential design. Long before VR became mainstream, Peter was using immersive technology to help homeowners walk through their future spaces—bringing clarity, confidence, and excitement to the design process.Peter has since trained more than 1,500 architects around the world on how to integrate VR into their workflows, shaping how the industry communicates ideas and collaborates with clients. We also dive into his early career in Germany, how that experience sharpened his design perspective, and why personalized, deeply thoughtful homes remain at the heart of his Maryland-based practice today.If you're interested in architecture, innovation, or what the future of home design looks like, this episode is a must-listen.

I am Rolf Claessen and together with my co-host Ken Suzan I am welcoming you to episode 169 of our podcast IP Fridays! Today's interview guest is Prof. Aloys Hüttermann, co-founder of my patent law firm Michalski Hüttermann & Partner and a true expert on the Unified Patent Court. He has written several books about the new system and we talk about all the things that plaintiffs and defendants can learn from the first decisions of the court and what they mean for strategic decisions of the parties involved. But before we jump into this very interesting interview, I have news for you! The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is planning rule changes that would make it virtually impossible for third parties to challenge invalid patents before the patent office. Criticism has come from the EFF and other inventor rights advocates: the new rules would play into the hands of so-called non-practicing entities (NPEs), as those attacked would have few cost-effective ways to have questionable patents deleted. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) reports a new record in international patent applications: in 2024, around 3.7 million patent applications were filed worldwide – an increase of 4.9% over the previous year. The main drivers were Asian countries (China alone accounted for 1.8 million), while demand for trademark protection has stabilized after the pandemic decline. US rapper Eminem is taking legal action in Australia against a company that sells swimwear under the name “Swim Shady.” He believes this infringes on his famous “Slim Shady” brand. The case illustrates that even humorous allusions to well-known brand names can lead to legal conflicts. A new ruling by the Unified Patent Court (UPC) demonstrates its cross-border impact. In “Fujifilm v. Kodak,” the local chamber in Mannheim issued an injunction that extends to the UK despite Brexit. The UPC confirmed its jurisdiction over the UK parts of a European patent, as the defendant Kodak is based in a UPC member state. A dispute over standard patents is looming at the EU level: the Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) of the European Parliament voted to take the European Commission to the European Court of Justice. The reason for this is the Commission’s controversial withdrawal of a draft regulation on the licensing of standard-essential patents (SEPs). Parliament President Roberta Metsola is to decide by mid-November whether to file the lawsuit. In trademark law, USPTO Director Squires reported on October 31, 2025, that a new unit (“Trademark Registration Protection Office”) had removed approximately 61,000 invalid trademark applications from the registries. This cleanup of the backlog relieved the examining authority and accelerated the processing of legitimate applications. Now let's jump into the interview with Aloys Hüttermann: The Unified Patent Court Comes of Age – Insights from Prof. Aloys Hüttermann The Unified Patent Court (UPC) has moved from a long-discussed project to a living, breathing court system that already shapes patent enforcement in Europe. In a recent IP Fridays interview, Prof. Aloys Hüttermann – founder and equity partner at Michalski · Hüttermann & Partner and one of the earliest commentators on the UPC – shared his experiences from the first years of practice, as well as his view on how the UPC fits into the global patent litigation landscape. This article summarises the key points of that conversation and is meant as an accessible overview for in-house counsel, patent attorneys and business leaders who want to understand what the UPC means for their strategy. How Prof. Hüttermann Became “Mr. UPC” Prof. Hüttermann has been closely involved with the UPC for more than a decade. When it became clear, around 13 years ago, that the European project of a unified patent court and a unitary patent was finally going to happen, he recognised that this would fundamentally change patent enforcement in Europe. He started to follow the legislative and political developments in detail and went beyond mere observation. As author and editor of several books and a major commentary on the UPC, he helped shape the discussion around the new system. His first book on the UPC appeared in 2016 – years before the court finally opened its doors in 2023. What fascinated him from the beginning was the unique opportunity to witness the creation of an entirely new court system, to analyse how it would be built and, where possible, to contribute to its understanding and development. It was clear to him that this system would be a “game changer” for European patent enforcement. UPC in the Global Triangle: Europe, the US and China In practice, most international patent disputes revolve around three major regions: the UPC territory in Europe, the United States and China. Each of these regions has its own procedural culture, cost structure and strategic impact. From a territorial perspective, the UPC is particularly attractive because it can, under the right conditions, grant pan-European injunctions that cover a broad range of EU Member States with a single decision. This consolidation of enforcement is something national courts in Europe simply cannot offer. From a cost perspective, the UPC is significantly cheaper than US litigation, especially if one compares the cost of one UPC action with a bundle of separate national cases in large European markets. When viewed against the territorial reach and procedural speed, the “bang for the buck” is very compelling. China is again a different story. The sheer volume of cases there is enormous, with tens of thousands of patent infringement cases per year. Chinese courts are known for their speed; first-instance decisions within about a year are common. In this respect they resemble the UPC more than the US does. The UPC also aims at a roughly 12 to 15 month time frame for first-instance cases where validity is at issue. The US, by contrast, features extensive discovery, occasionally jury trials and often longer timelines. The procedural culture is very different. The UPC, like Chinese courts, operates without discovery in the US sense, which makes proceedings more focused on the written record and expert evidence that the parties present, and less on pre-trial disclosure battles. Whether a company chooses to litigate in the US, the UPC, China, or some combination of these forums will depend on where the key markets and assets are. However, in Prof. Hüttermann's view, once Europe is an important market, it is hard to justify ignoring the UPC. He expects the court's caseload and influence to grow strongly over the coming years. A Landmark UPC Case: Syngenta v. Sumitomo A particularly important case in which Prof. Hüttermann was involved is the Syngenta v. Sumitomo matter, concerning a composition patent. This case has become a landmark in UPC practice for several reasons. First, the Court of Appeal clarified a central point about the reach of UPC injunctions. It made clear that once infringement is established in one Member State, this will usually be sufficient to justify a pan-European injunction covering all UPC countries designated by the patent. That confirmation gave patent owners confidence that the UPC can in fact deliver broad, cross-border relief in one go. Second, the facts of the case raised novel issues about evidence and territorial reach. The allegedly infringing product had been analysed based on a sample from the Czech Republic, which is not part of the UPC system. Later, the same product with the same name was marketed in Bulgaria, which is within UPC territory. The Court of Appeal held that the earlier analysis of the Czech sample could be relied on for enforcement in Bulgaria. This showed that evidence from outside the UPC territory can be sufficient, as long as it is properly linked to the products marketed within the UPC. Third, the Court of Appeal took the opportunity to state its view on inventive step. It confirmed that combining prior-art documents requires a “pointer”, in line with the EPO's problem-solution approach. The mere theoretical possibility of extracting a certain piece of information from a document does not suffice to justify an inventive-step attack. This is one of several decisions where the UPC has shown a strong alignment with EPO case law on substantive patentability. For Prof. Hüttermann personally, the case was also a lesson in oral advocacy before the UPC. During the two appeal hearings, the presiding judge asked unexpected questions that required quick and creative responses while the hearing continued. His practical takeaway is that parties should appear with a small, well-coordinated team: large enough to allow someone to work on a tricky question in the background, but small enough to remain agile. Two or three lawyers seem ideal; beyond that, coordination becomes difficult and “too many cooks spoil the broth”. A Game-Changing CJEU Decision: Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux Surprisingly, one of the most important developments for European patent litigation in the past year did not come from the UPC at all, but from the Court of Justice of the European Union. In Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux, the CJEU revisited the rules on cross-border jurisdiction under the Brussels I Recast Regulation (Brussels Ia). Previously, under what practitioners often referred to as the GAT/LuK regime, a court in one EU country was largely prevented from granting relief for alleged infringement in another country if the validity of the foreign patent was contested there. This significantly limited the possibilities for cross-border injunctions. In Bosch, the CJEU changed course. Without going into all procedural details, the essence is that courts in the EU now have broader powers to grant cross-border relief when certain conditions are met, particularly when at least one defendant is domiciled in the forum state. The concept of an “anchor defendant” plays a central role: if you sue one group company in its home forum, other group companies in other countries, including outside the EU, can be drawn into the case. This has already had practical consequences. German courts, for example, have issued pan-European injunctions covering around twenty countries in pharmaceutical cases. There are even attempts to sue European companies for infringement of US patents based on acts in the US, using the logic of Bosch as a starting point. How far courts will ultimately go remains to be seen, but the potential is enormous. For the UPC, this development is highly relevant. The UPC operates in the same jurisdictional environment as national courts, and many defendants in UPC cases will be domiciled in UPC countries. This increases the likelihood that the UPC, too, can leverage the broadened possibilities for cross-border relief. In addition, we have already seen UPC decisions that include non-EU countries such as the UK within the scope of injunctions, in certain constellations. The interaction between UPC practice and the Bosch jurisprudence of the CJEU is only beginning to unfold. Does the UPC Follow EPO Case Law? A key concern for many patent owners and practitioners is whether the UPC will follow the EPO's Boards of Appeal or develop its own, possibly divergent, case law on validity. On procedural matters, the UPC is naturally different from the EPO. It has its own rules of procedure, its own timelines and its own tools, such as “front-loaded” pleadings and tight limits on late-filed material. On substantive law, however, Prof. Hüttermann's conclusion is clear: there is “nothing new under the sun”. The UPC's approach to novelty, inventive step and added matter is very close to that of the EPO. The famous “gold standard” for added matter appears frequently in UPC decisions. Intermediate generalisations are treated with the same suspicion as at the EPO. In at least one case, the UPC revoked a patent for added matter even though the EPO had granted it in exactly that form. The alignment is not accidental. The UPC only deals with European patents granted by the EPO; it does not hear cases on purely national patents. If the UPC were more generous than the EPO, many patents would never reach it. If it were systematically stricter, patentees would be more tempted to opt out of the system. In practice, the UPC tends to apply the EPO's standards and, where anything differs, it is usually a matter of factual appreciation rather than a different legal test. For practitioners, this has a very practical implication: if you want to predict how the UPC will decide on validity, the best starting point is to ask how the EPO would analyse the case. The UPC may not always reach the same result in parallel EPO opposition proceedings, but the conceptual framework is largely the same. Trends in UPC Practice: PIs, Equivalents and Division-Specific Styles Even in its early years, certain trends and differences between UPC divisions can be observed. On preliminary injunctions, the local division in Düsseldorf has taken a particularly proactive role. It has been responsible for most of the ex parte PIs granted so far and applies a rather strict notion of urgency, often considering one month after knowledge of the infringement as still acceptable, but treating longer delays with scepticism. Other divisions tend to see two months as still compatible with urgency, and they are much more cautious with ex parte measures. Munich, by contrast, has indicated a strong preference for inter partes PI proceedings and appears reluctant to grant ex parte relief at all. A judge from Munich has even described the main action as the “fast” procedure and the inter partes PI as the “very fast” one, leaving little room for an even faster ex parte track. There are also differences in how divisions handle amendments and auxiliary requests in PI proceedings. Munich has suggested that if a patentee needs to rely on claim amendments or auxiliary requests in a PI, the request is unlikely to succeed. Other divisions have been more open to considering auxiliary requests. The doctrine of equivalents is another area where practice is not yet harmonised. The Hague division has explicitly applied a test taken from Dutch law in at least one case and found infringement by equivalence. However, the Court of Appeal has not yet endorsed a specific test, and in another recent Hague case the same division did not apply that Dutch-law test again. The Mannheim division has openly called for the development of an autonomous, pan-European equivalence test, but has not yet fixed such a test in a concrete decision. This is clearly an area to watch. Interim conferences are commonly used in most divisions to clarify issues early on, but Düsseldorf often dispenses with them to save time. In practice, interim conferences can be very helpful for narrowing down the issues, though parties should not expect to be able to predict the final decision from what is discussed there. Sometimes topics that dominate the interim conference play little or no role in the main oral hearing. A Front-Loaded System and Typical Strategic Mistakes UPC proceedings are highly front-loaded and very fast. A defendant usually has three months from service of the statement of claim to file a full statement of defence and any counterclaim for revocation. This is manageable, but only if the time is used wisely. One common strategic problem is that parties lose time at the beginning and only develop a clear strategy late in the three-month period. According to Prof. Hüttermann, it is crucial to have a firm strategy within the first two or three weeks and then execute it consistently. Constantly changing direction is a recipe for failure in such a compressed system. Another characteristic is the strict attitude towards late-filed material. It is difficult to introduce new documents or new inventive-step attacks later in the procedure. In some cases even alternative combinations of already-filed prior-art documents have been viewed as “new” attacks and rejected as late. At the appeal stage, the Court of Appeal has even considered new arguments based on different parts of a book already in the file as potentially late-filed. This does not mean that parties should flood the court with dozens of alternative attacks in the initial brief. In one revocation action, a plaintiff filed about fifty different inventive-step attacks, only to be told by the court that this was not acceptable and that the attacks had to be reduced and structured. The UPC is not a body conducting ex officio examination. It is entitled to manage the case actively and to ask parties to focus on the most relevant issues. Evidence Gathering, Protective Letters and the Defendant's Perspective The UPC provides powerful tools for both sides. Evidence inspection is becoming more common, not only at trade fairs but also at company premises. This can be a valuable tool for patentees, but it also poses a serious risk for defendants who may suddenly face court-ordered inspections. From the perspective of potential defendants, protective letters are an important instrument, especially in divisions like Düsseldorf where ex parte PIs are possible. A well-written protective letter, filed in advance, can significantly reduce the risk of a surprise injunction. The court fees are moderate, but the content of the protective letter must be carefully prepared; a poor submission can cause more harm than good. Despite the strong tools available to patentees, Prof. Hüttermann does not view the UPC as unfair to defendants. If a defendant files a solid revocation counterclaim, the pressure shifts to the patentee, who then has only two months to reply, prepare all auxiliary requests and adapt the enforcement strategy. This is even more demanding than at the EPO, because the patentee must not only respond to validity attacks but also ensure that any amended claims still capture the allegedly infringing product. It is entirely possible to secure the survival of a patent with an auxiliary request that no longer covers the defendant's product. In that scenario, the patentee has “won” on validity but lost the infringement case. Managing this tension under tight time limits is a key challenge of UPC practice. The Future Role of the UPC and How to Prepare Today the UPC hears a few hundred cases per year, compared with several thousand patent cases in the US and tens of thousands in China. Nevertheless, both the court itself and experienced practitioners see significant growth potential. Prof. Hüttermann expects case numbers to multiply in the medium term. Whether the UPC will become the first choice forum in global disputes or remain one pillar in parallel proceedings alongside the US and China will depend on the strategies of large patentees and the evolution of case law. However, the court is well equipped: it covers a large, economically important territory, is comparatively cost-effective and offers fast procedures with robust remedies. For companies that may end up before the UPC, preparation is essential. On the offensive side, that means building strong evidence and legal arguments before filing, being ready to proceed quickly and structured, and understanding the specific styles of the relevant divisions. On the defensive side, it may mean filing protective letters in risk-exposed markets, preparing internal processes for rapid reaction if a statement of claim arrives, and taking inspection requests seriously. Conclusion The Unified Patent Court has quickly moved from theory to practice. It offers pan-European relief, fast and front-loaded procedures, and a substantive approach that closely mirrors the EPO's case law. At the same time, national and EU-level developments like the Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux decision are reshaping the jurisdictional framework in which the UPC operates, opening the door for far-reaching cross-border injunctions. For patent owners and potential defendants alike, the message is clear: the UPC is here to stay and will become more important year by year. Those who invest the time to understand its dynamics now – including its alignment with the EPO, the differences between divisions, and the strategic implications of its procedures – will be in a much better position when the first UPC dispute lands on their desk. Here is the full transcript of the interview: Rolf Claessen:Today's interview guest is Prof. Aloys Hüttermann. He is founder and equity partner of my firm, Michalski · Hüttermann & Partner. More importantly for today's interview, he has written several books about the Unified Patent Court. The first one already came out in 2016. He is co-editor and author of one of the leading commentaries on the UPC and has gained substantial experience in UPC cases so far – one of them even together with me. Thank you very much for being on IP Fridays again, Aloys. Aloys Hüttermann:Thank you for inviting me, it's an honour. How did you get so deeply involved in the UPC? Rolf Claessen:Before we dive into the details, how did you end up so deeply involved in the Unified Patent Court? And what personally fascinates you about this court? Aloys Hüttermann:This goes back quite a while – roughly 13 years. At that time it became clear that, after several failed attempts, Europe would really get a pan-European court and a pan-European patent, and that this time it was serious. I thought: this is going to be the future. That interested me a lot, both intellectually and practically. A completely new system was being built. You could watch how it evolved – and, if possible, even help shape it a bit. It was also obvious to me that this would be a complete game changer. Nobody expected that it would take until 2023 before the system actually started operating, but now it is here. I became heavily interested early on. As you mentioned, my first book on the UPC was published in 2016, in the expectation that the system would start soon. It took a bit longer, but now we finally have it. UPC vs. US and China – speed, cost and impact Rolf Claessen:Before we go deeper into the UPC, let's zoom out. If you compare litigation before the UPC with patent litigation in the US and in China – in terms of speed, cost and the impact of decisions – what are the key differences that a business leader should understand? Aloys Hüttermann:If you look at the three big regions – the UPC territory in Europe, the US and China – these are the major economic areas for many technology companies. One important point is territorial reach. In the UPC, if the conditions are met, you can get pan-European injunctions that cover many EU Member States in one go. We will talk about this later in more detail. On costs there is a huge difference between the US and the UPC. The UPC is much cheaper than US litigation, especially once you look at the number of countries you can cover with one case if the patent has been validated widely. China is different again. The number of patent infringement cases there is enormous. I have seen statistics of around 40,000 infringement cases per year in China. That is huge – compared with roughly 164 UPC infringement cases in the first year and maybe around 200 in the current year. On speed, Chinese courts are known to be very fast. You often get a first-instance decision in about a year. The UPC is comparable: if there is a counterclaim for revocation, you are looking at something like 12 to 15 months for a first-instance decision. The US can be slower, and the procedure is very different. You have full discovery, you may have juries. None of that exists at the UPC. From that perspective, Chinese and UPC proceedings are more similar to each other than either is to the US. The UPC is still a young court. We have to see how influential its case law will be worldwide in the long run. What we already see, at least in Germany, is a clear trend away from purely national patent litigation and towards the UPC. That is inside Europe. The global impact will develop over time. When is the UPC the most powerful tool? Rolf Claessen:Let's take the perspective of a global company. It has significant sales in Europe and in the US and production or key suppliers in China. In which situations would you say the UPC is your most powerful tool? And when might the US or China be the more strategic battleground? Aloys Hüttermann:To be honest, I would almost always consider bringing a case before the UPC. The “bang for the buck” is very good. The UPC is rather fast. That alone already gives you leverage in negotiations. The threat of a quick, wide-reaching injunction is a strong negotiation tool. Whether you litigate in the US instead of the UPC, or in addition, or whether you also go to China – that depends heavily on the individual case: where the products are sold, where the key markets are, where the defendant has assets, and so on. But in my view, once you have substantial sales in Europe, you should seriously consider the UPC. And for that reason alone I expect case numbers at the UPC to increase significantly in the coming years. A landmark UPC case: Syngenta vs. Sumitomo (composition patent) Rolf Claessen:You have already been involved in several UPC cases – and one of them together with me, which was great fun. Looking at the last 12 to 18 months, is there a case, decision or development that you find particularly noteworthy – something that really changed how you think about UPC litigation or how companies should prepare? Aloys Hüttermann:The most important UPC case I have been involved in so far is the Syngenta v. Sumitomo case on a composition patent. It has become a real landmark and was even mentioned in the UPC's annual report. It is important for several reasons. First, it was one of the first cases in which the Court of Appeal said very clearly: if you have established infringement in one Member State, that will usually be enough for a pan-European injunction covering all UPC countries designated by the patent. That is a powerful statement about the reach of UPC relief. Second, the facts were interesting. The patent concerned a composition. We had analysed a sample that had been obtained in the Czech Republic, which is not a UPC country. Later, the same product was marketed under the same name in Bulgaria, which is in the UPC. The question was whether the analysis of the Czech sample could be used as a basis for enforcement in Bulgaria. The Court of Appeal said yes, that was sufficient. Third, the Court of Appeal took the opportunity to say something about inventive step. It more or less confirmed that the UPC's approach is very close to the EPO's problem-solution approach. It emphasised that, if you want to combine prior-art documents, you need a “pointer” to do so. The mere theoretical possibility that a skilled person could dig a particular piece of information out of a document is not enough. For me personally, the most memorable aspect of this case was not the outcome – that was largely in line with what we had expected – but the oral hearings at the appeal stage. We had two hearings. In both, the presiding judge asked us a question that we had not anticipated at all. And then you have about 20 minutes to come up with a convincing answer while the hearing continues. We managed it, but it made me think a lot about how you should prepare for oral hearings at the UPC. My conclusion is: you should go in with a team, but not too big. In German we say, “Zu viele Köche verderben den Brei” – too many cooks spoil the broth. Two or three people seems ideal. One of them can work quietly on such a surprise question at the side, while the others continue arguing the case. In the end the case went very well for us, so I can speak about it quite calmly now. But in the moment your heart rate definitely goes up. The CJEU's Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux decision – a real game changer Rolf Claessen:You also mentioned another development that is not even a UPC case, but still very important for European patent litigation. Aloys Hüttermann:Yes. In my view, the most important case of the last twelve months is not a UPC decision but a judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU): Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux. This is going to be a real game changer for European IP law, and I am sure we have not seen the end of its effects yet. One example: someone has recently sued BMW before the Landgericht München I, a German court, for infringement of a US patent based on acts in the US. The argument is that this could be backed by the logic of Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux. We do not know yet what the court will do with that, but the fact that people are trying this shows how far-reaching the decision might be. Within the UPC we have already seen injunctions being issued for countries outside the UPC territory and even outside the EU, for example including the UK. So you see how these developments start to interact. Rolf Claessen:For listeners who have not followed the case so closely: in very simple terms, the CJEU opened the door for courts in one EU country to rule on patent infringement that took place in other countries as well, right? Aloys Hüttermann:Exactly. Before Bosch Siemens Hausgeräte v. Electrolux we had what was often called the GAT/LuK regime. The basic idea was: if you sue someone in, say, Germany for infringement of a European patent, and you also ask for an injunction for France, and the defendant then challenges the validity of the patent in France, the German court cannot grant you an injunction covering France. The Bosch decision changed that. The legal basis is the Brussels I Recast Regulation (Brussels Ia), which deals with jurisdiction in civil and commercial matters in the EU. It is not specific to IP; it applies to civil cases generally, but it does have some provisions that are relevant for patents. In Bosch, a Swedish court asked the CJEU for guidance on cross-border injunctions. The CJEU more or less overturned its old GAT/LuK case law. Now, in principle, if the defendant is domiciled in a particular Member State, the courts of that state can also grant cross-border relief for other countries, under certain conditions. We will not go into all the details here – that could fill a whole separate IP Fridays episode – but one important concept is the “anchor defendant”. If you sue a group of companies and at least one defendant is domiciled in the forum state, then other group companies in other countries – even outside the EU, for example in Hong Kong – can be drawn into the case and affected by the decision. This is not limited to the UPC, but of course it is highly relevant for UPC litigation. Statistically it increases the chances that at least one defendant will be domiciled in a UPC country, simply because there are many of them. And we have already seen courts like the Landgericht München I grant pan-European injunctions for around 20 countries in a pharmaceutical case. Rolf Claessen:Just to clarify: does it have to be the headquarters of the defendant in that country, or is any registered office enough? Aloys Hüttermann:That is one of the open points. If the headquarters are in Europe, then it is clear that subsidiaries outside Europe can be affected as well. If the group's headquarters are outside Europe and only a subsidiary is here, the situation is less clear and we will have to see what the courts make of it. Does the UPC follow EPO case law? Rolf Claessen:Many patent owners and in-house counsel wonder: does the UPC largely follow the case law of the EPO Boards of Appeal, or is it starting to develop its own distinct line? What is your impression so far – both on substantive issues like novelty and inventive step, and on procedural questions? Aloys Hüttermann:On procedure the UPC is, of course, very different. It has its own procedural rules and they are not the same as at the EPO. If we look at patent validity, however, my impression is that there is “nothing new under the sun” – that was the title of a recent talk I gave and will give again in Hamburg. Substantively, the case law of the UPC and the EPO is very similar. For inventive step, people sometimes say the UPC does not use the classical problem-solution approach but a more “holistic” approach – whatever that is supposed to mean. In practice, in both systems you read and interpret prior-art documents and decide what they really disclose. In my view, the “error bar” that comes from two courts simply reading a document slightly differently is much larger than any systematic difference in legal approach. If you look at other grounds, such as novelty and added matter, the UPC even follows the EPO almost verbatim. The famous “gold standard” for added matter appears all over UPC decisions, even if the EPO case numbers are not always cited. The same is true for novelty. So the rule-based, almost “Hilbertian” EPO approach is very much present at the UPC. There is also a structural reason for that. All patents that the UPC currently deals with have been granted by the EPO. The UPC does not handle patents granted only by national offices. If the UPC wanted to deviate from EPO case law and be more generous, then many patents would never reach the UPC in the first place. The most generous approach you can have is the one used by the granting authority – the EPO. So if the UPC wants to be different, it can only be stricter, not more lenient. And there is little incentive to be systematically stricter, because that would reduce the number of patents that are attractive to enforce before the UPC. Patent owners might simply opt out. Rolf Claessen:We also talked about added matter and a recent case where the Court of Appeal was even stricter than the EPO. That probably gives US patent practitioners a massive headache. They already struggle with added-matter rules in Europe, and now the UPC might be even tougher. Aloys Hüttermann:Yes, especially on added matter. I once spoke with a US practitioner who said, “We hope the UPC will move away from intermediate generalisations.” There is no chance of that. We already have cases where the Court of Appeal confirmed that intermediate generalisations are not allowed, in full alignment with the EPO. You mentioned a recent case where a patent was revoked for added matter, even though it had been granted by the EPO in exactly that form. This shows quite nicely what to expect. If you want to predict how the UPC will handle a revocation action, the best starting point is to ask: “What would the EPO do?” Of course, there will still be cases where the UPC finds an invention to be inventive while the EPO, in parallel opposition proceedings, does not – or vice versa. But those are differences in the appreciation of the facts and the prior art, which you will always have. The underlying legal approach is essentially the same. Rolf Claessen:So you do not see a real example yet where the UPC has taken a totally different route from the EPO on validity? Aloys Hüttermann:No, not really. If I had to estimate how the UPC will decide, I would always start from what I think the EPO would have done. Trends in UPC practice: PIs, equivalents, interim conferences Rolf Claessen:If you look across the different UPC divisions and cases: what trends do you see in practice? For example regarding timelines, preliminary injunctions, how validity attacks are handled, and how UPC cases interact with EPO oppositions or national proceedings? Aloys Hüttermann:If you take the most active divisions – essentially the big four in Germany and the local division in The Hague – they all try to be very careful and diligent in their decisions. But you can already see some differences in practice. For preliminary injunctions there is a clear distinction between the local division in Düsseldorf and most other divisions. Düsseldorf considers one month after knowledge of the infringement as still sufficiently urgent. If you wait longer, it is usually considered too late. In many other divisions, two months is still viewed as fine. Düsseldorf has also been the division that issued most of the ex parte preliminary injunctions so far. Apart from one special outlier where a standing judge from Brussels was temporarily sitting in Milan, Düsseldorf is basically the only one. Other divisions have been much more reluctant. At a conference, Judge Pichlmaier from the Munich division once said that he could hardly imagine a situation where his division would grant an ex parte PI. In his words, the UPC has two types of procedure: one that is fast – the normal main action – and one that is very fast – the inter partes PI procedure. But you do not really have an “ultra-fast” ex parte track, at least not in his division. Another difference relates to amendments and auxiliary requests in PI proceedings. In one recent case in Munich the court said more or less that if you have to amend your patent or rely on auxiliary requests in a PI, you lose. Other divisions have been more flexible and have allowed auxiliary requests. Equivalence is another area where we do not have a unified line yet. So far, only the Hague division has clearly found infringement under the doctrine of equivalents and explicitly used a test taken from Dutch law. Whether that test will be approved by the Court of Appeal is completely open – the first case settled, so the Court of Appeal never ruled on it, and a second one is still very recent. Interestingly, there was another Hague decision a few weeks ago where equivalence was on the table, but the division did not apply that Dutch-law test. We do not know yet why. The Mannheim division has written in one decision that it would be desirable to develop an autonomous pan-European test for equivalence, instead of just importing the German, UK or Dutch criteria. But they did not formulate such a test in that case because it was not necessary for the decision. So we will have to see how that evolves. On timelines, one practical difference is that Düsseldorf usually does not hold an interim conference. That saves them some time. Most other divisions do hold interim conferences. Personally, I like the idea because it can help clarify issues. But you cannot safely read the final outcome from these conferences. I have also seen cases where questions raised at the interim conference did not play any role in the main oral hearing. So they are useful for clarification, but not as a crystal ball. Front-loaded proceedings and typical strategic mistakes Rolf Claessen:If you look at the behaviour of parties so far – both patentees and defendants – what are the most common strategic mistakes you see in UPC litigation? And what would a well-prepared company do differently before the first statement of claim is ever filed? Aloys Hüttermann:You know you do not really want me to answer that question… Rolf Claessen:I do! Aloys Hüttermann:All right. The biggest mistake, of course, is that they do not hire me. That is the main problem. Seriously, it is difficult to judge parties' behaviour from the outside. You rarely know the full picture. There may be national proceedings, licensing discussions, settlement talks, and so on in the background. That can limit what a party can do at the UPC. So instead of criticising, I prefer to say what is a good idea at the UPC. The system is very front-loaded and very fast. If you are sued, you have three months to file your statement of defence and your counterclaim for revocation. In my view, three months are manageable – but only if you use the time wisely and do not waste it on things that are not essential. If you receive a statement of claim, you have to act immediately. You should have a clear strategy within maybe two or three weeks and then implement it. If you change your strategy every few weeks, chances are high that you will fail. Another point is that everything is front-loaded. It is very hard to introduce new documents or new attacks later. Some divisions have been a bit generous in individual cases, but the general line is strict. We have seen, for example, that even if you filed a book in first instance, you may not be allowed to rely on a different chapter from the same book for a new inventive-step attack at the appeal stage. That can be regarded as late-filed, because you could have done it earlier. There is also case law saying that if you first argue inventive step as “D1 plus D2”, and later want to argue “D2 plus D1”, that can already be considered a new, late attack. On the other hand, we had a revocation action where the plaintiff filed about 50 different inventive-step attacks in the initial brief. The division then said: this does not work. Please cut them down or put them in a clear hierarchy. In the end, not all of them were considered. The UPC does not conduct an ex officio examination. It is entitled to manage the case and to tell the parties to limit themselves in the interest of a fair and efficient procedure. Rolf Claessen:I have the feeling that the EPO is also becoming more front-loaded – if you want to rely on documents later, you should file them early. But it sounds like the UPC is even more extreme in that regard. Aloys Hüttermann:Yes, that is true. Protective letters, inspections and the defendant's perspective Rolf Claessen:Suppose someone from a company is listening now and thinks: “We might be exposed at the UPC,” or, “We should maybe use the UPC offensively against competitors.” What would you consider sensible first steps before any concrete dispute arises? And looking three to five years ahead, how central do you expect the UPC to become in global patent litigation compared to the US and China? Aloys Hüttermann:Let me start with the second part. I expect the UPC to become significantly more important. If we have around 200 cases this year, that is a good start, but it is still very small compared to, say, 4,000 to 5,000 patent cases per year in the US and 40,000 or so in China. Even François Bürgin and Klaus Grabinski, in interviews, have said that they are happy with the case load, but the potential is much larger. In my view, it is almost inevitable that we will see four or five times as many UPC cases in the not-too-distant future. As numbers grow, the influence of the UPC will grow as well. Whether, in five or ten years, companies will treat the UPC as their first choice forum – or whether they will usually run it in parallel with US litigation in major disputes – remains to be seen. The UPC would be well equipped for that: the territory it covers is large, Europe is still an important economy, and the UPC procedure is very attractive from a company's perspective. On sensible first steps: if you are worried about being sued, a protective letter can make a lot of sense – especially in divisions like Düsseldorf, where ex parte PIs are possible in principle. A protective letter is not very expensive in terms of court fees. There is also an internal system that ensures the court reads it before deciding on urgent measures. Of course, the content must have a certain quality; a poor protective letter can even backfire. If you are planning to sue someone before the UPC, you should be extremely well prepared when you file. You should already have all important documents and evidence at hand. As we discussed, it is hard to introduce new material later. One tool that is becoming more and more popular is inspection – not just at trade fairs, where we already saw cases very early, but also at company premises. Our firm has already handled such an inspection case. That is something you should keep in mind on both sides: it is a powerful evidence-gathering tool, but also a serious risk if you are on the receiving end. From the defendant's perspective, I do not think the UPC is unfair. If you do your job properly and put a solid revocation counterclaim on the table, then the patentee has only two months to prepare a full reply and all auxiliary requests. And there is a twist that makes life even harder for the patentee than at the EPO. At the EPO the question is mainly: do my auxiliary requests overcome the objections and are they patentable? At the UPC there is an additional layer: do I still have infringement under the amended claims? You may save your patent with an auxiliary request that no longer reads on the defendant's product. That is great for validity, but you have just lost the infringement case. You have kept the patent but lost the battle. And all of this under very tight time limits. That creates considerable pressure on both sides. How to contact Prof. Hüttermann Rolf Claessen:Thank you very much for this really great interview, Aloys. Inside our firm you have a nickname: “the walking encyclopedia of the Unified Patent Court” – because you have written so many books about it and have dealt with the UPC for such a long time. What is the best way for listeners to get in touch with you? Aloys Hüttermann:The easiest way is by email. You can simply write to me, and that is usually the best way to contact me. As you may have noticed, I also like to speak. I am a frequent speaker at conferences. If you happen to be at one of the conferences where I am on the programme – for example, next week in Hamburg – feel free to come up to me and ask me anything in person. But email is probably the most reliable first step. Rolf Claessen:Perfect. Thank you very much, Aloys. Aloys Hüttermann:Thank you. It was a pleasure to be on IP Fridays again. Some of your long-time listeners may remember that a few years ago – when you were not yet part of our firm – we already did an episode on the UPC, back when everything was still very speculative. It is great to be back now that the system is actually in place and working. Rolf Claessen:I am very happy to have you back on the show.

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This week's Practical Horseman Podcast episode, sponsored by USRider, is with five-star eventer Sydney Elliott. She spoke with us in mid-November as the competition season was winding down after her CCI4*-L win with QC Diamantaire at The Event at TerraNova in Myakka City, Florida.To give you a little more background on Sydney, she first competed at the five-star level at the Kentucky Three-Day Event with Cisko A in two thousand sixteen. Two years later, the pair made their U.S. team debut at the Great Meadow International Nations Cup, helping the U.S. to a third-place finish. With her partner of nearly 10 years, QC Diamantaire, also known as Q, Sydney tallied numerous Nations Cup appearances, including earning team silver in Aachen, Germany in two thousand twenty-one and in Boekelo, the Netherlands that same year. In two thousand twenty-three, Sydney and QC Diamantaire competed in the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, collecting the silver medal as part of the U.S. team. Last year, they were the traveling reserve pair for the Paris two thousand twenty-four Olympic Games. Since then, the duo has continued to have strong competition results. In addition to her success on the international stage, Sydney runs Elliott Eventing, a training business, based in Benton, Louisiana, and Hoffman, North Carolina.In our discussion, Sydney talks about what she enjoys about working with horses, her training philosophy, how she handles her show nerves and more.About This Episode's Sponsor, USRiderThis Black Friday, give yourself the gift of peace of mind with USRider—the roadside assistance program designed specifically for horse owners. Whether you're hauling to a show, trail ride, or simply heading home, USRider is there for you and your horses with 24/7 nationwide coverage. And right now is the perfect time to join. For a limited time, new members can save 20% on any USRider membership during our Black Friday promotion with code BFUSR25. Just go to USRider.org and enter code BFUSR25. Don't miss your chance to protect yourself, your passengers, and your horses with the only plan built for life on the road with horses. Visit USRider.org today and ride with confidence this Black Friday!

Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. James of the Marches, 1391-1476; born in Ancona, studied law, and joined the Franciscans in 1416; he became an effective and forceful preacher; he worked as a missionary in Italy and in Germany, Bohemia, Poland, and Hungary, and in 1426 was named inquisitor against the Fraticelli by Pope St. Martin V; in 1462 he became involved with the Inquisition because of a sermon he preached at Brescia; the case was referred to Rome, and no decision was ever rendered; he died in Naples, where he spent the last three years of his life Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 11/28/25 Gospel: Luke 21:29-33

In this talk, Xia He-Bleinagel, Head of Data & Cloud at NOW GmbH, shares her remarkable journey from studying automotive engineering across Europe to leading modern data, cloud, and engineering teams in Germany.We dive into her transition from hands-on engineering to leadership, how she balanced family with career growth, and what it really takes to succeed in today's cloud, data, and AI job market.TIMECODES:00:00 Studying Automotive Engineering Across Europe08:15 How Andrew Ng Sparked a Machine Learning Journey11:45 Import–Export Work as an Unexpected Career Boost17:05 Balancing Family Life with Data Engineering Studies20:50 From Data Engineer to Head of Data & Cloud27:46 Building Data Teams & Tackling Tech Debt30:56 Learning Leadership Through Coaching & Observation34:17 Management vs. IC: Finding Your Best Fit38:52 Boosting Developer Productivity with AI Tools42:47 Succeeding in Germany's Competitive Data Job Market46:03 Fast-Track Your Cloud & Data Career50:03 Mentorship & Supporting Working Moms in Tech53:03 Cultural & Economic Factors Shaping Women's Careers57:13 Top Networking Groups for Women in Data1:00:13 Turning Domain Expertise into a Data Career AdvantageConnect with Xia- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/xia-he-bleinagel-51773585/- Github - https://github.com/Data-Think-2021- Website - https://datathinker.de/Connect with DataTalks.Club:- Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.html- Subscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r?cid=ZjhxaWRqbnEwamhzY3A4ODA5azFlZ2hzNjBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ- Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-events- GitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClub- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/datatalks-club/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/DataTalksClub - Website - https://datatalks.club/

In this talk, Anusha Akkina, co-founder of Auralytix, shares her journey from working as a Chartered Accountant and Auditor at Deloitte to building an AI-powered finance intelligence platform designed to augment, not replace, human decision-making. Together with host Alexey from DataTalks.Club, she explores how AI is transforming finance operations beyond spreadsheets—from tackling ERP limitations to creating real-time insights that drive strategic business outcomes.TIMECODES:00:00 Building trust in AI finance and introducing Auralytix02:22 From accounting roots to auditing at Deloitte and Paraxel08:20 Moving to Germany and pivoting into corporate finance11:50 The data struggle in strategic finance and the need for change13:23 How Auralytix was born: bridging AI and financial compliance17:15 Why ERP systems fail finance teams and how spreadsheets fill the gap24:31 The real cost of ERP rigidity and lessons from failed transformations29:10 The hidden risks of spreadsheet dependency and knowledge loss37:30 Experimenting with ChatGPT and coding the first AI finance prototype43:34 Identifying finance's biggest pain points through user research47:24 Empowering finance teams with AI-driven, real-time decision insights50:59 Developing an entrepreneurial mindset through strategy and learning54:31 Essential resources and finding the right AI co-founderConnect with Anusha- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anusha-akkina-acma-cgma-56154547/- Website - https://aurelytix.com/Connect with DataTalks.Club:- Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.html- Subscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r?cid=ZjhxaWRqbnEwamhzY3A4ODA5azFlZ2hzNjBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ- Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-events- GitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClub- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/datatalks-club/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/DataTalksClub - Website - https://datatalks.club/

Watch the Devotion Based on Philippians 1:3-6 Thank You Since this is Thanksgiving weekend, I want to pause and reflect on the past year. The mission of WELS Ministry to the Military is to make Word and sacrament available to our actively serving military members and their families. To carry out this mission, the Wisconsin Synod provides financial support for 25 percent of our operating expenses. The other 75 percent comes from generous gifts from you. This past year WELS Ministry to the Military received $154,000 in gifts. Thank you! Your generosity and the work we do together as a synod reminds me of the apostle Paul's words to the Christians in Philippi: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6). Because of your generosity this past year, I was able to travel to 10 duty stations (including one aircraft carrier and 3 duty stations overseas), 16 congregations, 3 high schools, and 2 grade schools. This included a trip to Okinawa this past January where we led a retreat for service members who came from Guam, Japan, South Korea, and Okinawa. Because of your generosity, our office mailed 130 Spiritual Deployment Kits to service members around the world, not to mention a number of hymnals, catechisms, and devotion books. Thanks to you, 135 new referrals came in through our website. We were able to train seven Distinctive Religious Group Leaders to lead Bible study and worship in places we can't be. Five more are being trained right now. I want to say thank you to our European chaplain, Rob Weiss, and his wife, Rachel, for their faithful, dedicated service all over Europe: Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Poland. Thank you to the WELS pastors, teachers, and staff ministers who encourage and support our military service members, who show compassion and care to the family members when their service member is away from home. Thank you to all the grade schools, pastors' and teachers' conferences, and churches who adopted our ministry for their mission offering designation. Thank you to the WELS pastors and lay leaders who serve as contacts at numerous duty stations around the country, especially those who take extra time to visit our young people during basic training. I'd like to highlight Hope in Irmo, S.C., for serving Fort Jackson; Immanuel in Waukegan, Ill., for serving Great Lakes; Our Savior in San Antonio, Texas, for serving Lackland Air Force Base; and Risen Savior in Chula Vista, Calif., for serving Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD). At MCRD Pastor Paul Schulz leads the Lutheran service on Sunday mornings. This past year the Holy Spirit blessed Pastor Schulz' efforts with an average Sunday worship attendance of 47 recruits, and he was privileged to baptize 25 Marine Corps recruits. Thank you to the congregations in the Colorado Springs area for adopting Air Force cadets at the Academy and being their home away from home. Thank you to the Lutheran Military Support Group (LMSG) for their partnership. Because of their generosity, we led a Military Contact Pastor workshop near Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, this past May. The LMSG also provided professional Christian counseling for active duty service members, veterans, and their dependents. I am grateful for our working relationship with WELS Campus Ministry. They have been helpful in identifying high school graduates pursuing ROTC or the National Guard and referring them to our ministry. Thank you to Michigan Lutheran Seminary who reached out to us, wanting to partner and provide a stable high school experience for high school-age students of our service members. I am grateful to the members and staff at Reformation Lutheran Church and School here in San Diego, where my wife teaches and we are members. You have been a huge support for our family. I want to say thank to the team that works behind the scenes to publish these devotions, for posting on our social media and website. You are so patient with me! I want to thank my Military Services Committee family: Paul, Joel, Holly, Josh, Dave, Ryan, Rob, Rachel, and Dale. It is a joy working with you. From me personally, I want to thank you for your small tokens of appreciation. The challenge coins, squadron caps and patches, letters, e-mails, and text messages—this is all so humbling and encouraging. And I am grateful for all of you every day for this partnership in the gospel. I ask that you continue to keep WELS Ministry to the Military in your prayers so that together we might reach more of our nation's service members with Word and sacrament. Have a happy Thanksgiving. Written and recorded by Rev. Paul Horn, WELS National Civilian Chaplain to the Military, San Diego, California. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. Note: Scripture reading footnotes are clickable only in the web version.

Roka Sheddo fled the war in Syria to Germany 11 years ago. She is speaking to us about the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, its importance and how it is observed in Kurdish society and the diaspora. She explains the situation of women—especially Kurdish women—in a European society within the framework of cultural perspectives, rights foundations and educational assistance. - Ev hevpeyvîna bi Roka Şido re li ser Roja Navneteweyî ya Ji-holêrakirina Tundiya li ser Jinan e, girîngiya vê rojê û awayê ku di civaka kurd û diyaspore de tê hêsibandin e. Hevpeyvîn di destpêkê de girîngiya 25 Mijdarê wek rojeke ku balê dide ser pêwîstiya şopandina mînakên girîng yên têkoşîna jinan li dijî tundutûjiyê, ewlehiya civakî û mafên bingehîn e ku tên şikandîn. Her weha, di nav civakeke Ewropî de rewşa jinan—bi taybetî jinên Kurd—di nav çarçoveya dîtinên çandî, bingehên mafî û alîkarîya perwerdehiyê de tê şirove kirin.

We celebrate Fangsgiving with a visit to darkest Transylvania (and Germany) for the plague-stricken, rat-infested tale of “Nosferatu”, a legally questionable knock-off of “Dracula” more than a century old that surprisingly reinvigorates the classic lines of the Dracula story. Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Annette Wierstra, Tiff Arment and Tony Sindelar.

Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell break down the powerful conversation with keynote speaker and coach John Mollura, exploring how perfectionism, procrastination, and overthinking quietly chip away at your self-trust. They unpack why these three all stem from fear, how they derail the small promises you make to yourself, and why that matters more than you think. This recap is your reminder that confidence isn't a mystery; it's built through honest awareness and daily follow-through.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:The shift from self-judgment to a seeker mindset that opens new direction.How changing lanes later in life reflects growth rather than starting over.The Big Three that derail meaningful actions by operating from fear.Breaking your own commitments as the root cause behind loss of self-trust.Why honoring tiny choices today makes you a hero to your future self.Episode References/Links:Black Friday Cyber Monday Sale - https://opc.me/bfcmOPC Winter Tour - https://opc.me/tourPilates Journal Expo - https://xxll.co/pilatesjournalCambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsPilates on Tour - https://www.pilates.comSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsJohn Mollura's Website - https://www.johnmollura.comJohn Mollura's Free Resources - https://www.johnmollura.com/freestuffEpisode 119: John Mollura - https://beitpod.com/ep119Episode 592: Dr. Jill Allen - https://beitpod.com/ep592 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Brad Crowell 0:00  These three behaviors constantly derail us from doing the things that we want to do or the things that we say are so important for us. And he said, all three of them share the same root. Okay, what is the root of perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking? Lesley Logan 0:15  Drum roll please. Brad Crowell 0:18  Fear.Lesley Logan 0:21  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Lesley Logan 1:03  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the encouraging convo I have with John Mollura in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, feel free to pause this now. Go back and listen to that one, and then listen to this one, or listen to this one and then listen to that one. They're fun, back-to-back, to be completely honest, in whatever order you want to do. And John Mollura, he said this is his second time on the pod. Brad Crowell 1:28  Yeah, the first one he was in the hundos. Lesley Logan 1:27  Yeah. I know. Is that crazy? It's insane. Brad Crowell 1:28  Yeah, yeah. Like this probably puts him almost 500 episodes ago. Lesley Logan 1:34  I know. Who else should we bring back? Send it in, guys. Brad Crowell 1:38  Let us know. Lesley Logan 1:38  Today is Thursday, November 27th 2025 and for Americans, it is Turkey Day. Brad Crowell 1:46  It's Thanksgiving Day. Lesley Logan 1:47  Yes, but it's also for Americans and anyone else wants to celebrate, Un-Thanksgiving Day. Brad Crowell 1:54  That's right. Lesley Logan 1:54  Let's, before people get upset, this is what Un-Thanksgiving Day is. It's also known as National Day of Mourning, or Indigenous People's Sunrise Ceremony, is commemorated on the fourth Thursday in November. That is on purpose, because, well, I'll tell you more in a second, this place, it takes a place on November 27th but it just happens on to be on the same Thursday as Thanksgiving, because it's always the fourth Thursday. And it actually there's a big thing over on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay to honor the indigenous peoples of America and promote their rights. And the reason why we do this is because, well, there's also, naturally a mourning is what they do in Boston, but what they do in happened in at Alcatraz is when it was no longer being used as a prison, the indigenous people went and took over the island, and they lived in it and inhabited and controlled it for 19 months. And it's kind of amazing. It's basically them taking their land back, which is very beautiful on we didn't do this because we'll have episodes come on Monday, but I really love that on Columbus Day, the day formerly known as Columbus Day in this household, but known as Indigenous People's Day, somebody, somebody posted a meme that said a reminder that on this day in 1492 indigenous people discovered Columbus lost at sea, or whatever day it was. I don't know if I heard the year correctly, but I love it. It's like, yeah, you fucking discovered this place. You so. So anyways, if you're like me and Brad, sometimes these holidays are kind of hard to celebrate, because, like, of course, I want to spend time with family. Of course I'll spend time with friends. Of course, we need days off, and we do need some joy, but I think finding new ways to educate ourselves and then celebrate those people is wise. Brad Crowell 3:48  Yeah, or just to have some clarity around the history of a holiday, you know, like, like, like, historically, the Romans would take the conquered people's holidays, and, you know, morph them so that the people could still celebrate, and then over time, things would change, you know. And now, all of a sudden, we have, you know, things like Christmas or Halloween or whatever, you know. And they've been, they've been basically taken over, and Thanksgiving is, is, I don't think Thanksgiving was taken over, but Thanksgiving has a different premise.Lesley Logan 4:22  There's a folkloric story about, like, what happened I'm like this, but (inaudible).Brad Crowell 4:25  But it's, well, it's, yeah, it's well, it's, it's that, you know, we came, we saw, we conquered, kind of thing and we did that. But it's a day of thanks, right? Thanks for this new land that we took from people. So, you know, thank you for that.Lesley Logan 4:41  It's like a bully kicking a kid taking a lunch, going, thanks, man.Brad Crowell 4:43  You know, so so I still think that we can have a day where we we are thankful for the things that we have and family and those things. But I think it's also fair to to to recognize that, you know, like that, like for the native people of this continent. They they want to remember their history too, and the genocide of indigenous people that happened when we came over here, so.Lesley Logan 5:12  Yeah, and I just think, like, Hallmark washing, and no offense to that company, but like, just making everything, like this beautiful day to like, you know, go out and buy decorations and all this different stuff. It's like, I think you can have a day of thanks, I think. But I also think, like, it is, it is important that we're educating ourselves about the people that have been hurt by this kind of stuff, and also, like, have a day of thanks and be thankful for them and what they did on, you know, for this land before we got here. Brad Crowell 5:39  Yeah, Thanks for Thanks for going down that journey with us. Lesley Logan 5:42  Yeah, Happy Thanksgiving Day. Brad Crowell 5:44  Yeah, it's intentionally on Thanksgiving every year. It's the fourth, same as the fourth, fourth Thursday of November. Lesley Logan 5:50  So and you know what? Here's the deal, if you're like guys, thanks, totally understand. You know, honor them every day. And I love Thanksgiving. That is very, very cool. But for some people who are having a hard time right now with this holiday, we just gave you one. You're welcome.Brad Crowell 6:04  Yeah, all right. Coming up it is. We are in the middle of our Black Friday Cyber Monday sale right now for OPC, onlinepilatesclasses.com. Just go to, actually check your emails. But I want to say it's opc.me/bfcm, Black Friday Cyber Monday, for the short link for that. In December, in literally a week, we leave and we hit the road. We are driving to Colorado. We're gonna be in Colorado Springs. We're not gonna review all the days and the locations and all the things.Lesley Logan 6:32  There's 23 of them. Brad Crowell 6:33  There are 23 cities, public stops there. And we have, you know, definitely more than 50% sold out. We are more than that already as we're recording this, and you know. Lesley Logan 6:44  Powered by Balanced Body, so we're gonna be bringing our Controlology line with us. We'll have some prizes from them. You don't have to be a Pilates instructor to come. You don't even have to have done Pilates for you to come. (inaudible) my fucking friends have come, and they don't, have never done it before. So you are welcome to bring a family member or ditch them and say that you have something to do for work. It's important. Everyone understands. So go to opc.me/tour for tickets in the remaining stops. And then what's also happening later in December, because we're not doing a Black Friday, Cyber Monday sale for Profitable Pilates this year, we are doing something special December 26th through the 31st so, but you'll need to have the be on the email list for Profitable Pilates. So if you're not on that list, you need to get on that list, yeah, and go do that. And then after our tour is over, we come home. I fix my roots, I change my nails, I launch a mentorship program, and then we drive out to Huntington Beach. Brad Crowell 7:40  I think I'll shave while you're doing all those things. Lesley Logan 7:40  I mean, you'll have your shave going on, but you'll probably need a trim. So we're gonna go, we'll be at the Pilates Journal Expo in Huntington Beach. It's the first time the Pilates Journal is doing an event in the States. It's a humongous lineup of teachers, some that I, who I used to take from when I was a baby Pilates person, and some that I've taught how to teach. So it's kind of crazy. So you'll want to go to the Pilates Journal Expo to join us on that party, xxll.co/pilatesjournal. Then we're home for a little bit, thank goodness, because, like everybody and their mom is wanting to visit in February, and, oh, there's more in January. Brad Crowell 8:05  Yeah, there's more in Jan. So we're gonna be.Lesley Logan 8:12  It's also my birthday. I don't see that on the events list.Brad Crowell 8:17  For those of you who've been interested in joining us on a Pilates retreat where we hang out, we decompress from all the insanity that this life has for us. Each and every one of us is different. Go to crowsnestretreats.com. Get yourself on the waitlist. In January, we're going to be doing our pre sale, our early bird for our retreat for next year, which will be in October at our home in Cambodia. We're actually going to be doing a call at the middle end of January. It's not yet on the calendar exactly, but we're going to have a call, and we're going to interview a couple of our past attendees. We're going to hang out, we're going to talk about the trip and all the things that everybody's ever wanted to know. It's going to be great. So come join us for that, but you got to be on the waitlist for that. Go to crowsnestretreats.com to get on the waitlist. And then in February, something that is really I'm passionate about as well, is Agency Mini. Okay, so as you know, we coach Pilates business owners, and we have a coaching program and all those fun things. But people ask, you know, often look at it and go, I don't know if I'm ready for a six month commitment. No problem. That's why we created Agency Mini, and it's a three-day program. Okay? Used to be seven. We've shrunk it down to three, because we all know how crazy life actually is. It is a really powerful three days, and you should join us for that. Go to prfit.biz/mini prfit.biz/mini. That's profit without the O.Lesley Logan 9:35  And then we get on our plane for the first time in almost six months. Brad Crowell 9:39  Which is insane. Lesley Logan 9:40  Insane but so delicious. I'm sitting here knowing we have six months not. Brad Crowell 9:45  Of no flying. Lesley Logan 9:46  So it's the really ridiculous thing. But I saw it on the day we were at the airport some reel which is like, Have you ever been to the airport and you realize, like, every time I go to the airport, it is everybody's first time on this earth. And so I was just like looking at people, and honestly, I had more empathy for them. I'm like, well, it's their first time here. And then we pull a move where we like, just stop in the middle of the airport, like you did, like, like people do, and then we're just like, turn and like, I'm like, so sorry. Brad Crowell 10:11  Cutting people off. Oops.Lesley Logan 10:11  Like, I was like, oops, I'm so sorry. It's our first time on this planet. They didn't understand what I was saying. But I laugh my heart out. But anyways, we're home for six months, and then when we get on a plane, it's a big deal because we are going to be in three different countries, teaching in the content, continent of Europe, because I can't say the EU anymore, since the Brexit. So school year, we're starting to right, I have to like London and England is its own thing. Brad Crowell 10:37  Almost positive. Lesley Logan 10:38  I have to say, like the European continent, so annoying, but we'll just say,Brad Crowell 10:44  Yeah, it's considered part of Europe geographically. Lesley Logan 10:46  But not the EU. Brad Crowell 10:47  Although technically it's the European continental shelf. Anyway, no, it's not the EU but it is part of Europe.Lesley Logan 10:54  It's like when we were in John o'Groats, and we had to be so specific, we couldn't say we were at the top of the UK. We had to say we're at the top of the mainland UK.Brad Crowell 10:58  Right. Because there are islands north of the mainland.Lesley Logan 11:01  Or top of mainland Scotland. So okay, so in March, we're going to be in Poland at the Controlology Pilates Conference, xxll.co/poland Karen Frischmann is doing that with me, and it's really fun. We haven't been back there in a couple of years. Really, really great time. Really cool people there. So I can't wait to see you guys. And then the next weekend we'll be in Brussels. Els Studio tells and you want to go to xxll.co/brussels same, two teachers, very different workshops, also private sessions. So choose the adventure you want to go on, check out both lineups, and pick the one you want to go to or come to both and hang out with us in two different countries, why not? And then in April, Brad and I will be at the POT in London. We're very excited about it, it's my first POT in London, (inaudible) I know it's, it's gonna be a great time. It's gonna be a really fun to see all those people. So pick the one you want, my European fabulous people, because that's it for 2026. That's all there is. Brad Crowell 11:59  So xxll.co/poland or slash Brussels. Eventually we might have slash London, but they're not. They don't even have a landing page up yet to buy tickets for that. Lesley Logan 12:08  From the time that we're recording this. Brad Crowell 12:08  Yeah, we're just, we're putting it on your radar. So go to pilates.com and go see their continuing education. That's where they have all that information about future POTs Pilates On Tour. Brad Crowell 12:19  All right, so this week, we had a question for you from Natalie. Lesley Logan 12:25  Hit me with it. Brad Crowell 12:27  @nathalieds9011 asks on YouTube about the video, How to Take Your Pilates Practice Outdoors. She said, hey, how about doing Pilates outdoors during winter in Madrid, which is where I am, winter is not extreme. I have a big terrace, which is where I do Pilates. Since inside my apartment, there's just not that much space for me to move.Lesley Logan 12:43  I mean, if you live somewhere where it's beautiful in the winter, fuck yeah. Do it outside. Tag me in a video. Take one of my classes on OPC, or Pilates Anytime or on YouTube. And I want to see your, I want to live vicariously through you, because, let me tell you, I would love being in Madrid in the winter. Instead, I am in the winter places. Brad Crowell 13:04  I'm in the winter places.Lesley Logan 13:04  I'm in the places where winter happens. But I would, love that's great. I mean, like, when I did that video, I was being conscious of, like, if I say, you do it outdoors, I'm gonna get someone say I can't. It's negative 21 degrees here, and it's gonna be 115 here. So I have to, like, you know, be considerate, because some people just don't feel seen. So you, my dear, are in the blessed space. We actually have a couple OPC members who also live in Spain, and they do their Pilates outside all year long. So please, rock on. Do it, but, but basically, when you're doing Pilates outside, there's just things to consider. You can check out that video we did on YouTube, because I'm not gonna list the exhaust, exhaustive list that I gave on there, but we just did Pilates in Cambodia, and something we have to consider is, like bugs, you know, rain. We can do it in the rain there, because we have a covered patio, but as long as the rain isn't going sideways, which can happen, then we have these things that we bring down to make the walls. So it's not so much water on the patio, but the mosquitoes don't care, so we have to we have extra fans that like make it harder for them to land, you know. So there's just things you want to think about when you're doing Pilates outside, and I have blue eyes, it is really difficult for me to do outside Pilates when there's no cover. I was doing, early in the spring, I was doing yoga outside in the morning, and it was fine, as long as I was in down dog, but the moment I came up, the sun was in my face, and I was like, well, this isn't this is terrible. I need sunglasses, but you can't do sunglasses. You can't work out with sunglasses. So like you just it looks stunning. Just make sure you have things set up so that you're not constantly distracted from your workout, about being outside. You know that's all. Brad Crowell 13:06  Love it. Lesley Logan 13:06  If you have a question, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534, or submit them at beitpod.com/questions, where I would like you to send a win as well. I'm being demanding here. Come on. You have a win in your life. You do. You wanna know something, one of our retreaters would. Brad Crowell 13:06  You wanna know something. Lesley Logan 13:06  You wanna know something. One of our, one of our retreaters shared a win one day after our retreat. She said, I only said, I'm sorry two times. It was amazing. Like, if you walk around like, that's a fucking win. Huge win. Instead of walking around, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Like, she just said, excuse me, and then when she needed to, she said, I'm sorry, and she's like, oh, two times it was such a win. So those are the wins I want to hear. I don't need to hear, like, I have my biggest launch ever. Okay, great. That's wonderful. I'm super excited for you, and you can send that in, but like, there were little wins along the way. And if you don't celebrate those you are, you're unlikely to feel fulfilled for a long period of time. So send them in. Brad Crowell 13:37  Yeah, I just looked up on our board we have a win. Lesley Logan 13:37  Great. Brad Crowell 13:37  I'm gonna read it. Lesley Logan 13:37  Oh, okay, okay great. Brad Crowell 13:37  Big win this week. This is from Jordan BB, I've neglected using my Wunda Chair for quite a while now. So I decided it was time to break out my Chair Flashcards. I started working through the order and whatever bits of time I had available each day, starting from the top of the deck each day to get to the to get the repetition. By the time I got to my second week, I started feeling connections in my body that the week previous, I couldn't have even dreamed of. Exercises that felt impossible to move were actually moving. But even better, I felt more connected to myself. Super excited to add my Chair back into my regular rotation. Thank you, Lesley for the amazing flashcards. Lesley Logan 16:32  I mean, I'm so grateful for you. And don't click that off, Brad, because I'm going to say it on FYF so she can hear it on one of those episodes. But thank you like that is so freaking cool. Brad Crowell 16:42  Great job, Jordan. Lesley Logan 16:43  I just want another shout out to Jordan. She is also a listener who, when she discovered this podcast, went back to the beginning and listened to every single one. Brad Crowell 16:51  Wow. Lesley Logan 16:51  I know. So pretty big deal. Pretty amazing win. All right, Jordan, you're amazing. I'll put that in FYF so you're gonna hear it twice, because what if she misses this episode? All right, let's talk about John Mollura.Brad Crowell 17:05  John Mollura. Okay, so stick around. We'll be right back. We're going to talk about John. Brad Crowell 17:11  Welcome back. All right, let's dig into this convo you have with John Mollura. John is a personal coach and keynote speaker who helps people move from fear and hesitation into confidence and action, which I love that. For 15 years he had he led test operations on NASA missions before stepping into a new chapter as an award winning photographer, with work featured in National Geographic. Today, he shares those experiences through coaching and his signature talk, Elite Level Confidence, giving people simple tools to build trust in themselves and take consistent action in their lives. Look, we, Lesley and I have, man, we connected with John three or four years ago now, and. Lesley Logan 17:52  At least, he was in the hundreds. So.Brad Crowell 17:54  Yeah, look, if you like to read newsletters, John's newsletters are great. He really takes time to write enjoyable newsletters, and I read them. Lesley Logan 18:05  You don't read anything. Brad Crowell 18:07  I don't really read anything. So John's newsletters are really fun. So I really like that. I feel like I've been along his journey with him, as he's shifted from engineer to photographer to now being a speaker and a coach, so we're really fired up for him. It's been awesome to have him. He's coming to speak to Agency, our coaching group multiple times, and his content is available for those who are members of Agency. And then we were like, hey, man, would you like to be back on the pod? And we got this epic episode. It's like this episode felt like a mic drop moment on every chapter of the conversation that y'all, y'all were having, you know, talking about confidence, talking about perfectionism, talking about all these great things that, I, I literally listened to it twice. So. Lesley Logan 18:58  I love that, that's so good. Well, thanks for doing that. I mean, it's so fun to have guests back and see where they've gone. Some people have gone further in the same lane. Some people have switched lanes. Some people have reversed and then rewound and, you know, like it's and so he has switched lanes. But really it seems like it all aligns, because he, basically what I like that he said, which goes with what I'm just saying, is that he talked about, it's being really important to be aware. Like, the more aware you are, it's actually a really powerful thing and and it's because when you have a seeker mindset, right? Like, that's going to help you, when you have that curiosity, it's going to help you in what you want to be and what you want to do. So clearly, he was in that seeking mode, that being aware mode, and that's where he's like, Oh, I'm a, I'm an award winning photographer, I'm a NASA engineer, but I actually really want, I'm feeling called, to do this thing over here and it lights me up, and that, you, just going to Gay Hendricks like, that's his genius zone. Like, it would be so easy for him to it's, it's a what does Gay call it, like, your whatever. Like, there's a zone of excellence, which is his photography, but his own genius is this. And I just really loved it. He also said, like, when you are being aware, it's important that you don't judge yourself with your awareness. Like, that's where the critic lives. You like things you'll say is like, well, that's not gonna happen. Or, like, this is never gonna work. But instead, shifting into that seeker mindset and having awareness and curiosity.Brad Crowell 20:23  Yeah, that, so, okay, this part, I thought, was really heartfelt, because he already in his adult life with kids and a wife changed from being a, I'm guessing, stable, high paying government job, where he's an engineer for NASA, to an unstable, potentially high paying, but who knows, job of being a photographer. Now he happens to kick ass at being a photographer, you know, but he said, the engineering job, he quit. He started something else. He got another engineering job, then realized that still wasn't the right answer. Then he started doing something that he found fulfilling. And then after a while, was like, this isn't doing it either. And then decided to make us another change in his adult life. And he's like, I honestly didn't even want to tell my wife, because she'd already been on the journey with me getting out of being an engineer. And now I'm like, thought I was doing the thing I wanted to do, but I'm not feeling it, you know, it's not actually the right thing for me. And and then, you know, and so he has, what I thought was really great, is you threw in there. Well, look, it was maybe we end up thinking that we need to do this thing for because we made the decision, right? For me, this really resonated with my decision to go to college for music, right? And I left. And then my whole time in Los Angeles, for the for the first decade I was there, I was like, I am a musician. That's how I defined myself. It's how I saw myself. I am in a band. I do perform. This is what I do. This is who I am. And when you started, when that started to shift and change and not be that anymore. I was like, well, what do I do now? You know, that I'm not, you know, can I do something else? Like, am I allowed? Because I felt (inaudible), I had literally spent $80,000 or whatever was going to college. I don't even know. A lot of money, you know, going to college to be a musician, you know, am I, am I like, is it okay to not be a musician anymore? You know, while I still can think of myself as a musician today, that's not my primary thing that I'm doing, but it was just one step along the way and and I think it's okay for us to be making these changes in our lives. You know, my I never talked with my friend about this, but my high school buddy went to school to be an engineer, right? He went to Germany, he came back, he was doing all this really fancy engineering stuff, and then somewhere along the way, was like, I this isn't it. And then he went back to school to be a doctor. Like, I was like, wait, you signed up for like, four more years of school after already going to, like four or five years of school. And, you know, now he's a doctor, and I have to imagine he really likes it, or he wouldn't keep doing it. But that is quite a path to jump from one to another, especially when the foundation to become a doctor again, you're, you're starting over, in a way, you know, so.Lesley Logan 20:25  Yeah, I think that's and I think that clearly in that instance, like, he must have had to be a seeker and not a judger in his like, well, this is gonna work. Oh my God, it's four more years of school. Brad Crowell 23:33  Judging himself. Lesley Logan 23:39  Like, using himself, you know, or what like, and this is like, this is the hard part, right? Because when you share some things, it's really, really important who you share stuff with. Like, I think sometimes some of you who are listening, you so badly want someone in your life's love that you're telling them the thing that you're wanting to do, and they are not your cheerleader. It's not because they are an asshole or trying to be an asshole, it's that they are in the critic zone. And so you have to be mindful, like, who you're sharing your dreams with, until you feel the muscle is very strong. And I don't think that that was, like, why he didn't want to share it with his wife, but we were very clear, like he was just was just like, now we're starting all over again. But like, I do think that, like, there are, like, when we told my grandfather we're in Cambodia, he's like, it's not safe there, right? And we're like. Brad Crowell 24:32  What's he, like, all he's doing is projecting his own fear. Lesley Logan 24:34  His own fear, you know, and so, so just be mindful those of you who are listening, who are like, in the curious space, in the awareness space, and you're feeling called, yes, you have excellent investments and other things you've done in your life, but you're being called to do something else. Be mindful that you tell the friends who are like, fuck yeah, you should do that. The other people in your life, you'll tell them when the muscle is a bit stronger, because I would just be afraid that their critic will come out and bring your critic to the party, and we don't need that.Brad Crowell 25:05  Well, I think, I think the high level here, you know, the conclusion of this thought is awareness plus curiosity is a win, right? Awareness plus curiosity, it enables progress, right? So no matter where you are in your life, no matter what projects you're working on, if you have both awareness and curiosity, you will be able to move that ball forward. So love that. And speaking of your grandfather, that leads into what I really loved in a roundabout way, you'll get, we'll get there. Lesley Logan 25:36  I can't wait. I'm excited. I'm looking at these notes. Did you know, my grandfather?Brad Crowell 25:41  I did. So the big three that John talked about, this was a whole nother chapter of the conversation, and this is where I kept saying, these are mic drop moments, you know? He said, hey, look, you know, it's not even about perfection. It's not even about procrastination. He said, in fact, there are the, these are the big three things that I talk about all the time, perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking. He said these three behaviors constantly derail us from doing the things that we want to do, or the things that we say are so important for us. And he said the thing that they're like they don't, all three of them share the same root. Okay, what are, what is the root of perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking? Lesley Logan 26:22  Drum roll, please. Brad Crowell 26:26  Fear. Right? And this is what your grandfather was, was applying. He was, he was projecting his fear on us. And that's when, when you share something with someone, be cautious of that in the sense that they are, they know you really well. They love you. They want the best for you. And they are going to immediately, like, look at it and see what is the problem that that could happen here. And they're going to push that out there and right? And that could be really deflating for you, especially if you aren't yet, like you don't yet have surety in the place you're going, you're feeling it out right, because that, like they don't want you to be hurt or fail, or any of those things and fear is that that root, and it's easy for that to blossom into these things, perfectionism, procrastination and overthinking. And he said, by understanding that fear is the root of these three people, can now get honest with ourselves and begin asking, what is it actually that I'm so scared of? What is it actually? I can't remember who it was, but a couple weeks ago, we had another episode. She was a business coach. Lesley Logan 27:37  Oh, Jill. Brad Crowell 27:39  Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it was, I think it was her. She said, what am I afraid of? What's the worst could happen. I could go bankrupt, right? And I was like, well, that's a pretty big deal, you know? But for her, she was like, okay. Lesley Logan 27:52  Jill Allen. Dr. Jill Allen.Brad Crowell 27:52  Dr. Jill Allen, yeah she said, okay, I could go bankrupt. And it's like, well, okay, but she acknowledged that, like, what am I so afraid of, if that's the worst that could happen can that be overcome? Like, is that like, it doesn't it's not something to laugh at. But what if it do? What if it does happen? Lesley Logan 28:10  I don't know. Do I share this, like, my, I remember my trainer when I was, like, thinking of breaking up with my ex, and I was like, just like, not. He's like, what are you afraid of? Like, I don't. He's like, you're not gonna die. Like, he's like, to me, the scariest thing, the thing that, like, the ultimate fear, is death. And you breaking up with him, you're not gonna die. Like, in my situation, I'm sure that that's not the same for other people, but in my I could, he would just let me walk away. And I was like, oh, I'm not gonna die. That is, that is I can do like, I love this question. I think it's really important to reflect on and journal about Brad Crowell 28:40  What am I so scared of? I remember being my first I just moved to L.A. and I had no money, and I got a job at this restaurant. It took me a week to get a job at a restaurant of where I walked around to, I don't know, a dozen more, I don't even know. I would evaluate the restaurant, see how busy they were at dinner, decide, could I make enough money here, and then, do I want to work here? Does this seem cool? And I would put in an application, and I went to all these different places, and I finally got this job, because I went back a second a third time, I really wanted to work at this restaurant. And I then I met these guys, and they offered me a job. And I called my best friend at the time and I said, hey, man, I'm thinking of doing this. And he I said, but I'm worried. I'm worried about, you know, like, they're gonna pay me a salary, but I've, I've, I would be, I would have to give up my restaurant job. And he's like, you can get another restaurant job. And I was like, oh, you're right. Like, that's so true. Lesley Logan 29:37  Yes, yes, even in a shitty economy, there's always an opportunity for something. It might not be, you know, it might not be the the restaurant job, but it would be a restaurant job like, you know, like, there's just, there's, there's options.Brad Crowell 29:52  Yeah, so I just thought that was really astute of John to take these three things, which we all have dealt with, struggled with in our lives, perfectionism, procrastination, overthinking, connect the dots that there's fear is the root of these three things, and then how do we how do we lean into that? What are we so afraid of? What are we so afraid of? Lesley Logan 30:18  Yeah, and your fears are allowed to be like, they could be legitimate fears. And then at least the power is removed when it has air, you know, like the power of fear is really removed when you just, like, put it out on the table. And at least then you can figure out, like, well, what would I do if that happened? You know, so I loved it. I loved, you know, John's, we posted the tour, and we'll be at Rehoboth Beach Delaware. Brad Crowell 30:42  Yeah, it's, it's really close to where he lives.Lesley Logan 30:45  I think it's really close. I think we should finally fucking see him. Brad Crowell 30:53  Yeah, yeah, it's gonna be good. Lesley Logan 30:57  John. Brad Crowell 30:57  We're calling you out, John, we're calling you. Lesley Logan 30:57  We're gonna, we gotta talk. Brad Crowell 30:57  We're gonna call you. Lesley Logan 30:53  We gotta talk about food. How about coffee. How about a happy hour?Brad Crowell 30:57  Love it. All right. Well, stick around. We'll be right back, because we've got some great Be It Action Items from John as well. Lesley Logan 31:04  John, you can also text us. That's fine too. Brad Crowell 31:06  Yeah. All right, we'll be right back. Brad Crowell 31:10  Finally, let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What are the bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items that we could take away from your convo with John Mollura. He said, confidence is the ability to trust yourself. Confidence is the ability to trust yourself. Most of us are showing up for the person we've made a commitment to. Okay, I'll pick you up at six. Okay, I'll do the dishes. Okay, I'll take the trash out, right? You're committing to someone else. I'll do my homework. I'll do this thing, whatever. But we constantly let our own selves down. And it doesn't seem like a big deal. Lesley Logan 31:48  It is a humongous deal. You say you're gonna go to bed at 9 pm and you don't go to bed till 10, you are literally taking a drop out of the confidence bucket.Brad Crowell 31:57  Yeah, and it's subconscious. You might not be like, oh, can't believe it. Oh, I didn't go to bed at nine o'clock.Lesley Logan 32:03  Please, please listen to the habits podcast, and don't do that.Brad Crowell 32:05  In your in in your belief you're chipping away at the foundation of confidence that you have in yourself when you don't uphold your own decisions to yourself, right? And you might not realize that that's happening. But he explained the actual root cause of people's lack of confidence is that they're not showing up for themselves, and meaning that loss of self-trust because we consistently and continually break commitments we made to ourselves time and time again, that will it's it's fascinating, because John is an engineer first, so he still thinks and talks like an engineer, even though he's very creative with photography and now working with his clients and coaching. But he started talking about data, you know, or the data, sorry, and so he said, he said, you why, why don't we uphold these things to ourselves? Because we never have upheld these things to ourselves. But we can change that. We can rectify that by starting to keep these promises to ourselves. When you start to give your brain a new set of data to work with, instead of the old data of broken self-promises, right? So how do we do that? Small, consistent actions that aren't a big thing, but over time, they add up to I am consistent. I do this thing. I do wake up, you know, earlier. I do go all the things that we say we want to go do, but we don't uphold we don't do them. Why don't we follow through? It's because we never have. Well, we can change that by making these small decisions, day by day.Lesley Logan 33:38  Agreed. I loved these, he gave us some questions, and this is really fun thing for you to journal upon. It said, when making conscious decisions on honor one's future self, one must ask, is what I'm going to do or not do going to cause me to be a hero to the future me? I love this like I love this. I look back at the the me in 2013 who made that big decision, go, I'm a fucking hero to myself, like, I thank God I fucking did that when I did it, because my whole life was like the domino effect of like, everything that I wanted. So yes, right? The goal is to ensure that when you meet your future self, you are not staying there tired and disappointed because you failed to go after it. Like if you ever said, oh, by this date, I want to have X thing. And then you didn't do anything, and then you got to that day like, I wanted to be over here by now. Well, the effort thing, it's not like I have missed dates on goals that I was working towards. And there's a difference between actually working towards something and the deadline is further than you thought, than not doing anything at all, and getting to the deadline,Brad Crowell 34:47  I think, I mean, I was thinking about goal setting and all that kind of stuff. Like, okay, this, this quarter in business, we're gonna do $100,000 and you, you know, work, work, work, and you make only $60,000 but it was more than you've ever made before. It doesn't mean that you like didn't make that you didn't keep a promise to yourself.Lesley Logan 35:09  Right. Well, were you, were you the person who could like, did the effort you put towards it, could it have been $100,000 if the stars had aligned? Then, then you should, whatever you land with you should celebrate, because the person that you made yourself be to do those things is the goal, is the journey, right? Is the hero. So the action should result in you high fiving yourself and saying, thank you for honoring me. Thank you for doing that, that the thing in that moment. He also said, you can call him. You guys, I have not like, that's insane, free calls. And he also gave some free resources over on his site, on johnnmollura.com, that's John with an H-N-N.Brad Crowell 35:10  Yeah, J-O-H-N-M-O-L-L-U-R-A dot com, johnmollura.com. Lesley Logan 35:49  Yeah. So check those out. I love it. John, you're such an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and the Be It Till You See It babes. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 36:06  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 36:07  Thanks for joining us. How are you going to use these tips in your life? Tag John. Tell us. Send this to a friend who needs to hear who needs to be a hero in their life, and until next time, Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell 36:17  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 36:19  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 37:00  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 37:06  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 37:10  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 37:17  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 37:21  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It hasn't been a Good Week for the climate since, er, 1820-something? And it wasn't last week, either. But it is a good week for The Europeans, because we're joined by Luisa Neubauer, one of Germany's best-known climate activists. Luisa recently wrote a terrific piece for The Economist about Europe's climate “vibe shift”. We got her insights on what has caused the greenlash and what we ought to be doing about it. It's a thoughtful, self-reflective, heartening conversation we think you'll enjoy.    We're also talking about Brussels' proposed “military Schengen” agreement, which would allow EU member states to move troops and equipment across borders relatively swiftly. (You don't want to know how sluggish things are now.) And we're taking a look at Slovenia's troubling new “Šutar Law”, a security bill that is widely understood to target the Roma minority.   In other news… The Europeans are launching a newsletter! If you want to hear more about what happened in Europe over the past week and find out what we left on the podcast-cutting-room floor, subscribe to GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK over on Substack. New issues hit inboxes on Friday mornings.   And someone else has a new newsletter, too. Our very own Katy Lee has just published the first issue of Millefeuille, an English-language newsletter “for Parisians who are bad at local news”. If you fall in the middle of the Europeans podcast–Francophile Venn diagram, subscribe here.   This week's Inspiration Station recommendations are two newly resurfaced works by Johann Sebastian Bach (here and here) and Carlo Rovelli's book about the physics of time, The Order of Time.  And if you, too, are in the market for a novella to help you knock out your 2025 reading goals, Dominic likes Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These.    Other resources for this episode:   “The surreal 45-day trek at the heart of Nato's defence” - Financial Times, 17 November, 2025  “Commission moves towards ‘Military Schengen' and transformation of defence industry” - European Commission press release, 19 November, 2025  “Why you probably should not re-gauge railways in Europe” - Jon Worth, 30 September, 2025 “Slovenia's ‘Šutar Law' Sets a Dangerous Precedent for Europe” - Roma Foundation for Europe, 18 November, 2025 “Romani Activists Fear Collective Punishment & Discrimination as Slovenia Passes New Security Bill" - European Roma Rights Centre, 7 November, 2025   This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But it's contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Morgan Childs  Editorial support from Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina   YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com

We celebrate Fangsgiving with a visit to darkest Transylvania (and Germany) for the plague-stricken, rat-infested tale of “Nosferatu”, a legally questionable knock-off of “Dracula” more than a century old that surprisingly reinvigorates the classic lines of the Dracula story. Jason Snell with Steve Lutz, Annette Wierstra, Tiff Arment and Tony Sindelar.

Mike Pesca is joined by CNN anchor and author Abby Phillip to discuss her new book, A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power. They explore Jackson's soaring, sermon-like rhetorical style and the hubris of the "tree shaker, not a jelly maker" philosophy. The conversation traces how Jackson's push to change delegate rules made the path possible for Barack Obama, even as the Obama campaign intentionally created contrast with Jackson's image. We dive into Jackson's unique brand of populism—more Bernie Sanders than Obama—and his surprising, Trumpian anti-globalist instincts regarding Japan and Germany. Plus, we discuss how his rhetorical style, while rousing, could also be exhausting, and why the most heartbreaking part of the world's chaos is the people who are okay with it. Produced by Corey Wara Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠thegist@mikepesca.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ To advertise on the show, contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠ad-sales@libsyn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: ⁠⁠⁠⁠GIST INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow The Gist List at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Pesca⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack

In this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch, host Raney Aronson-Rath speaks with longtime FRONTLINE correspondent Evan Williams, director of The Rise of Germany's New Right. Together, they unpack how the hardline Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has surged in popularity, drawing young voters on TikTok, capitalizing on economic anxiety, and reframing nationalism for a new generation.

Will cheap, DIY solar reach American renters? In Germany, millions of people plug solar panels directly into wall outlets like any other appliance, but in the US, red tape makes it ludicrously costly. I chat with Cora Stryker of Bright Saver about how “balcony solar” (AKA “plug-in solar”) is booming in Europe and making its way to America, starting in Utah. We discuss the technical and safety issues, the regulatory hurdles, and the solar “gateway drug” effect. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.volts.wtf/subscribe

On a humid September day in 1997, a man walking his dog discovered the nude body of 26-year-old Tracy Habersham in a ditch near Fort Benning, Georgia. She had been strangled. What investigators couldn't know then was that her death marked the beginning of a six-year killing spree.Part 1 of 2VICTIM PROFILE:Paul Durousseau's victims shared heartbreaking commonalities. They were young African American women—many of them mothers—struggling to build better lives. Tyresa Mack was raising three small children. Nikia Kilpatrick was six months pregnant when she died; her two young sons, aged 11 months and 2 years, were found alive but malnourished beside her body two days later. Shawanda McCalister was also pregnant. These women trusted the wrong person, and that trust cost them everything.CASE SIGNIFICANCE:Between 1997 and 2003, Durousseau used his various jobs—security guard, taxi driver—to identify and gain access to vulnerable women. His method was consistent: gain trust, enter their homes, bind them, sexually assault them, then strangle them with whatever cord was available. A phone cord. A coaxial cable. An extension cord tied in a distinctive military-style slipknot. His victims included Tracy Habersham, Tyresa Mack, Nicole Williams, Nikia Kilpatrick, Shawanda McCalister, Jovanna Jefferson, and Surita Cohen. German authorities also suspect him in additional unsolved murders near U.S. military bases during his Army deployment.CONTENT WARNINGS:This episode contains detailed discussion of sexual assault, strangulation, domestic violence, and child endangerment. Listener discretion is strongly advised.KEY DETAILS:Durousseau was born in Beaumont, Texas in 1970 and experienced significant brain trauma in utero and as a toddler. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder.After graduating high school in 1989, he enlisted in the Army in 1992 and was stationed in Germany, where he married fellow soldier Natoca Spann.In 1997, while stationed at Fort Benning, he was arrested for kidnapping and rape but was acquitted. Less than a month later, Tracy Habersham was found murdered—DNA would eventually link Durousseau to her death.RESOURCES:For case documentation, sources, and additional information, visit: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/obscura/If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.CREDITS:Research and narration by Justin Drown. Obscura is an independent true crime documentary podcast dedicated to telling the stories of forgotten victims with unflinching honesty and scholarly research. All information presented draws from court records, police reports, and verified news archives.SUPPORT OBSCURA:Join the Obscura community on Patreon for ad-free episodes, extended content, and exclusive behind-the-scenes access: https://www.patreon.com/obscuracrimepodcast/Our Sponsors:* Check out Chime: https://chime.com/OBSCURA* Check out Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com* Check out Mood and use my code OBSCURA for a great deal: https://mood.com* Check out Progressive: https://www.progressive.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/obscura-a-true-crime-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy