Podcast appearances and mentions of hampton inn

Live from the Hampton Inn in Adrian, Michigan, the AwesomeCast crew brings another jam-packed episode of tech talk and geeky goodness! Michael Sorg, Katie Dudas, and Dave Podnar discuss their latest adventures covering the Formula SAE Electric Vehicle competition, highlighting the gear upgrades and behind-the-scenes prep for video production and livestreaming. Katie showcases her new favorite budget-friendly sunglasses from Knockaround, with cool licensed designs like Hello Kitty, Ninja Turtles, and Transformers. Dave dives deep into Adobe's Project Indigo, an experimental mobile camera app offering advanced AI photography features like noise reduction and reflection removal—perfect for iPhone shutterbugs. Plus, the team reacts to Honda's e-quad delivery vehicle that skirts regulation by legally qualifying as an e-bike, and shares a spooky tech conspiracy from the Denver International Airport.

Hampton Inn and Suites has become the largest hotel here in the U.S...and part of its success may come down to waffles. For more on this, KCBS Radio news anchor Margie Shafer spoke with Bloomberg's Patrick Clark.

How can embracing the Japanese concept of omotenashi create better connections? Dr. Eric Brey, a Professor of Hospitality in the School of Management at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, joins Dan on the show today. Eric brings a wealth of experience from his time in the US Army to earning a PhD in hospitality administration and management. They discuss the significance of hospitality in various contexts, the launch of the nation's first Luxury Management Program at UW Stout, and how luxury isn't limited to opulence but extends to heartfelt interactions and detailed customer service. From the importance of thoughtful gift giving to cultural insights about hospitality, Eric shares the essence of genuine, anticipatory hospitality that enhances guest experiences across the spectrum, whether at a local tavern or a five-star property.Takeaways:Strive to deliver genuine hospitality, which involves anticipating guests' needs and providing meticulous attention to detail.Understand the varying expectations in different hospitality settings, from budget accommodations to luxury establishments.Recognize the value of understanding and integrating cultural nuances in hospitality. Consider participating in study-abroad programs or international internships to broaden your perspective.Engage with industry professionals and participate in hospitality summits and conferences. Extend your network by connecting with professors, industry leaders, and peers on platforms like LinkedIn.Always seek to learn from various sources, including other industries and educational programs, to continuously improve your hospitality skills.Cultivate meaningful relationships with guests, colleagues, and mentors. Emphasize the importance of personal interactions in an increasingly digital world.Quote of the Show:“ Omotenashi is at the heart of every interaction.” - Eric BreyLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorbrey/ Website: https://www.uwstout.edu/Shout Outs:2:45 - New York University https://www.nyu.edu/ 2:46 - Pennsylvania State University https://www.psu.edu/ 2:51 - Cornell University https://www.cornell.edu/ 10:56 - Green Bay Packers https://www.packers.com/ 12:34 - Kwik Trip https://www.kwiktrip.com/ 14:13 - Courtyard https://courtyard.marriott.com/ 14:17 - Ritz-Carlton https://www.ritzcarlton.com/ 14:30 - Hampton Inn https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/hampton-by-hilton/ 19:08 - Four Seasons https://www.fourseasons.com/ 20:58 - Michigan State University https://msu.edu/ 20:59 - University of Central Florida https://www.ucf.edu/ 21:00 - University of Nevada-Las Vegas https://www.unlv.edu/ 22:08 - Scott Pierson https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-pierson/ 23:15 - Giftology https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strengthen-Retention/dp/1619614332 25:40 - Paul Bunyan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan 33:24 - Dan Seymour https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-seymour-549a4326/ 33:39 - HD Expo https://hdexpo.hospitalitydesign.com/ 40:14 - David Byrne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Byrne 40:16 - American Utopia https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11874226/ 42: 57 - McDonald's https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us.html 46:32 - Disney https://www.disney.com/ 

Patricia and Larry Wallace of Grove Hill announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Jordan Elizabeth, to Mr. Gregory Ray Phillips, son of Shirley and H.G. Phillips of Dickinson. Miss Wallace is the granddaughter of the late Arnold Lee Harrell, the late Mary Belle Harrell, and the late Jimmy Wallace. The bridge-elect was a student at Jackson High School and a graduate in 2008 from 3D Learning Interactive Academy and Fortis College with a degree in massage therapy. She is currently employed at the Hampton Inn in Jackson. Mr. Phillips is the grandson of the late Ray Weatherly,...Article Link

The 6th-annual Vision Northwest North Carolina economic development summit is just around the corner and will feature a visit and remarks from North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Rachel Hunt. On this week's Mind Your Business, we set the context for the discussion and preview some of the presentations and panels.Much has been discussed about tourism trends in the High County over recent days. We'll visit with Tara Brossa, General Manager of the Hampton Inn & Suites and Courtyard by Marriott of Boone and get her take on tourism traffic and what is driving visitors to the High Country. We'll also get some perspective on how visitors impact jobs and wages for local hospitality workers.Mind Your Business is written and produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.Catch the show each Thursday morning at 9AM on WATA (1450AM & 96.5FM) in Boone.Support the show

Early morning burglary, two people have been arrested in the parking lot of Dollar General on Sandflatts Road. The Neshoba County Sheriff's Department is investigating a drowning that occurred at Lake Pushmataha, A second person was life-flighted. Bond has been set for a man who shot an MPD during a police chase through the Streets of Meridian. Suspect charged in the Hampton Inn incident from Tuesday afternoon. A 2021 murder suspect has been sentenced to life in prison without the chance of parole in a trial that ended Thursday at the Laudedale County Courthouse. Headlines and More - join the Scotty Ray Report.

Lane Taylor has won the special election of Senate District 82, a seat previously held by MS Supreme Court Jennifer Branning. Charges are expected to be formally announced today on two suspects who were taken into custody at the Hampton Inn on Tuesday. Kemper County Sheriff's Department is looking for Cordarius Shondavis Lake. Contact Crime Stoppers at 855-485-8477 if you have any information. The TN Pastor who was kidnapped in South Africa has been rescued after a shootout.

Corey Lucas and podcast producer Clayton Beaird sit down at a Hampton Inn in Raleigh, North Carolina with Leroy and Jan Martin to hear about a lifetime of events filled with purpose.Leroy and Jan share their stories of adoption, sickness, and literal "crushing" circumstances that have led them to be bold in their faith. We step through their childhood upbringing, hear about the adoption process of their son, the traumatic (but redeeming) events surrounding catastrophic damage to their home and Jan's recent health scare, and wrap-up by discussing Leroy's duck hunting adventures and the Outdoor Dream Foundation.Leroy and Jan are an absolute gem and their story is one that needs to be shared...The Outdoor Dream Foundation: https://outdoordream.org/

In this, the premiere episode of Season 6 of the 7th Gear Over Rev Show, we capture the incredible story of racer, Chris Prey's journey into the big leagues of open wheel racing, only to have his dream 'stolen' by one of the biggest names in motorsport. Told in the Hampton Inn hotel lobby with some grub and some beer along with great friends Steve Frank and John Lewis. It's a MUST listen!

What is soul-making hospitality? Today, Rob Blood, Founder and Chairman of Lark Hotels and Principal at Elder and Ash, joins Dan to talk about the importance of creating genuine hospitality experiences. Rob shares his journey from an innkeeper to managing nearly one hundred hotels and over thirty restaurants. They discuss the core principles of hospitality, the significance of soul-making in hotel design, and the innovative approaches Lark Hotels brings to the industry. The conversation includes insights on scaling businesses, retaining top talent, and tech advancements impacting the sector.Takeaways: Understand that hospitality is about creating genuine, memorable experiences for guests, extending beyond just the service provided. Balance the needs and wants of guests to create personalized, eye-to-eye connections.Foster a culture where employees feel like stakeholders and collaborators, thereby increasing their emotional investment in the company.Develop a flexible and scalable operational model that maintains the unique qualities and culture of the brand as the company expands geographically.Ensure that technology streamlines operations, making transactional processes smoother so that staff can focus on guest interactions.Emphasize the soul or essence of the hospitality experience through thoughtful design and service culture, making it an integral part of the guest experience.Cross-train staff to give them a well-rounded understanding of all operations within a hotel, which can enhance retention and career growth.Quote of the Show:“ We believe that every project has an essence or soul that needs to be drawn out.” - Rob BloodLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-blood-13b53452/ Website: https://www.larkhospitality.com/ Website: https://www.larkhotels.com/ Website: https://www.elder-ash.com/ Shout Outs:1:53 - Independent Lodging Congress https://ilcongress.com/ 6:19 - Hampton Inn https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/hampton-by-hilton/ 6:30 - Scott Hopps https://www.linkedin.com/in/scot-hopps-40015711/ 6:38 - Amanda Wallace https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-flanagan-wallace/ 8:19 - Peter Twachtman https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-twachtman-b152143b/ 8:49 - Saunders Hotel Group https://saundershotelgroup.com/ 12:43 - Abraham Maslow https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html 16:58 - Henry David Thoreau https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau 20:31 - Lifehouse https://www.lifehousehotels.com/ 31:38 - Hyatt https://www.hyatt.com/brands/hyatt 31:40 - Hilton https://www.hilton.com/en/ 31:40 - Marriott https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 40:46 - Bashar Wali https://www.linkedin.com/in/basharwali/ 43:20 - Cambridge Common https://cambridgecommonrestaurant.com/ 

Tigs' trip to BARP was anything but smooth—wrecks, delays, and a near meltdown in a Hampton Inn parking lot. But did that stop him? Hell no! He pushed east, met Bubba Army legends, got the ring, and lived to tell the tale. From dodging Lasker's motorcycle to getting into a Mexican standoff with Alex Stein, this one's packed with wild moments. Buckle up—this is a ride you don't want to miss!FOR ALL OF THE LATESThttps://www.tigsbits.com/

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., is proud to announce the kickoff of the 2025 Save Texas History Essay Contest for 4th and 7th grade students. The Save Texas History Essay Contest encourages students to explore topics in Texas history or culture, however big or small, that helped shape Texas. This year's two grand-prize winners will each receive a gift card worth 0, courtesy of Chris Cantu of Kingsview Partners, and a free two-night stay in Austin at Hampton Inn & Suites University/Capitol. The five finalists in each grade will each receive gift cards worth 0 courtesy of the Moses...Article Link

I don't normally do this, but content warning, this episode talks at length about death and funerals and, while I continue to approach everything with an inappropriate degree of levity, if that's something you're not game to listen to right now, go ahead and skip the first hour of this one. Recommend me your favorite show or video game at podcast@searls.co and I will either play/watch it or lie and say I did. Thanks! Now: links and transcript: Kirkland Signature, Organic Non-Dairy Oat Beverage Die with Zero book The "Prefer tabs when opening documents" setting Aaron's puns, ranked Amazon hoped more people would quit BoldVoice Accent Oracle Cab drivers get Alzheimer's less Video Games Can't Afford to Look This Good LG announces Bachelor's Only TV Can the rich world escape its baby crisis? Why aren't we talking about the real reason male college enrollment is dropping? The Diplomat The Penguin It's in the Game Madden documentary Like a Dragon / Yakuza 7 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Transcript: [00:00:29] It is our first new year together in this relationship. [00:00:36] Breaking Change survived season one. [00:00:39] We are now in season two. [00:00:43] I don't know what, you know, how seasons should translate to a show about nothing. [00:00:51] I like to talk about how, you know, in different stages of life, we go through different seasons, right? [00:00:58] You know, like maybe, you know, after, you know, the seasonal life when maybe you get married or you have a kid, your first kid and all the changes that kind of go with that. [00:01:08] And if you play multiplayer competitive games, you might go through different seasons. [00:01:15] You know, like if you play Diablo four or Call of Duty, you might be in a particular eight week or 12 week season. [00:01:24] Now, as you grind your battle pass, that's similar in in scale and scope to having a child or having some big life event, because it turns out none of this fucking matters. [00:01:35] Hello, welcome. [00:01:36] This is a this is your kind and friendly host, Justin Searles, son of Fred Searles, son of Fred Searles himself, son of a Fred Searles. [00:01:48] That's yeah, there were there were, I think, three Fred's before me and then my dad was like combo breaker and he named me Justin. [00:02:02] Uh, thank you for subscribing to the advertisement free version of the podcast. [00:02:08] Uh, if you, if you think that there should be an advertisement version of the podcast, feel free to write in a podcast at Searles.co and then pay me money to read about your shit. [00:02:20] And I will do that. [00:02:21] Uh, and, and, you know, I'm happy to have all the conflicts of interest in the world because, uh, if your product sucks and I use it, I can't help myself. [00:02:32] I'm just, I'm just going to say it's bad. [00:02:34] So, uh, that's a real, you know, I, I, if you can't tell, I also run the ad sales department of this journalistic outfit and, uh, that might have something to do with the total lack of, uh, corporate funding. [00:02:48] Well, anyway, this is version 28 of the program. [00:02:54] This, this, this episode's breaking change titled, do you regret it yet? [00:02:59] And that'll make sense, uh, momentarily. [00:03:03] Uh, so, um, it's a big one in a sense, you know, it's something that, uh, there's very little in life that I'm not comfortable talking about. [00:03:14] And that's because, you know, well, I'll just dive right in. [00:03:20] So, so I read it, uh, I read an article, uh, uh, some number of years ago that explained that part of the reason why foot fetishes are so common in men is like part of the brain that identifies feet. [00:03:38] And part of the brain that is like erogenous in its, you know, there's different parts of the brain. [00:03:46] They do different things, but if you got to pick which neuron cluster you lived in as a part of the brain, erogenous zone, that would be sweet. [00:03:53] That'd be a lot more fun than the, um, whatever the, the part of the brain is that gets scared easily, which, uh, because I get stressed and anxious, [00:04:04] even just talking into a microphone with zero stakes on a recording that I could stop. [00:04:08] That makes me no money. [00:04:10] I'm too nervous to remember the fear part of the amygdala. [00:04:13] There it is. [00:04:14] You see, and if it just, and, and that gets back to my point in my particular fucked up brain soup, [00:04:22] the, uh, the, uh, the part of my brain that talks out my mouth hole is right next to the part of my brain that critically reasons through things. [00:04:37] So for me, it is very difficult to process something without talking it, talking it through. [00:04:47] And the idea that something is taboo has always been really uncomfortable for me. [00:04:52] And you can just sort of see the pained look on my face as I try to hold it in like a, like a burp or something. [00:04:57] Like I, I, I got to let it out somehow. [00:05:00] And so I'm, I, you know, I'm glad, I'm glad I get to be here with you. [00:05:05] I hope you find it kind of entertaining. [00:05:06] Unfortunately, the thing to talk about first thing, as I get into the section of this to-do list, that is this podcast titled life is that the big thing that happened since the last major breaking change, uh, uh, back in version 26, which is, I, I, I understand two numbers away from 28. [00:05:30] Uh, the big thing that changed, uh, is, uh, my father, Fred, he of a, a long and proud line of Fred's, uh, he passed away, uh, uh, uh, December 15th. [00:05:45] So just, just shortly after, uh, the previous, the previous version aired and, uh, pretty much every it's January 4th today and we're still working through it. [00:05:59] Um, he had a heart attack. [00:06:02] I think that's fair to say at this point, there's no, you know, no way to be a thousand percent sure, but all the signs suggest that's what it was. [00:06:11] And, uh, you know, without getting into, uh, the, the details, my side of the story is like, I was at Epcot with my brother, Jeremy. [00:06:26] So at least we were together. [00:06:28] Um, Jeremy gets the call and, uh, you know, we were, we were in that little tequila bar, uh, hanging out with a friend of ours who works there. [00:06:40] And, uh, the tequila bar inside of the Mexican pavilion pyramid. [00:06:44] And, uh, he had just brought us out the three kind of specialty cocktails that they got going on right now. [00:06:53] Uh, which is, uh, you know, wasn't, we are in a great time. [00:06:57] It was a lot of fun. [00:06:58] And, uh, Jeremy gets the call. [00:07:00] We process a little bit. [00:07:02] We realized like, we got to get home. [00:07:04] We got to figure this shit out. [00:07:06] You know, he's, he's a, he was a former emergency responder. [00:07:09] So he's really good at, uh, at thinking through the logistical things that you have to do with a relatively cool head. [00:07:16] It, you know, he comes across as like, you know, not drill sergeanty, but somebody who's like, you know, part of being calm and collected in an urgent situation is you have to be very direct. [00:07:28] And boom, boom, boom, boom. [00:07:30] So that was as soon as he knew what was happening. [00:07:35] That's the mode he flipped on. [00:07:37] And the mode that I flipped on was intense, uh, metabolization is the best word I can think of it. [00:07:44] Cause like you have like, like, like, like the saves take four shots of liquor, right? [00:07:48] You will metabolize that at whatever speed you do, and it'll hit you really hard and maybe you'll black out and maybe you'll, uh, you're a slower burn. [00:07:56] But for me, I feel, I feel things, whether they're chemical toxicology report showing up things or emotions, I tend to feel them extremely intensely and, and, and, and, and in a relatively brief burst, you know, uh, if you ever lit in a strip of magnesium on fire, which for some reason I did several times. [00:08:19] I was in, in, in different science lab classes as a kid, it brights, it burns real bright and real hot, but not for very long. [00:08:27] So while, while Jeremy was in his, you know, we got to figure out what to do mode. [00:08:33] Uh, we got to get out of here. [00:08:35] Uh, we gotta, you gotta, you know, we gotta book the next flight to Michigan to take care of this shit. [00:08:43] I was in, I'm going to, I'm going to just take a little, I'm going to pop a little deep squat here in Epcot, uh, right outside this bar. [00:08:56] And I'm going to just allow my vision to get blurry, which it did. [00:09:04] Um, my heart to race, my stomach to turn. [00:09:08] And I just needed that, you know, you lose track of time when something big and, and, and, and, and earth shaken happens. [00:09:20] I [00:09:22] snapped out of it is, you know, it's, it's crude way. [00:09:31] Words don't, words that you use for everyday things end up getting used for big life-changing things. [00:09:40] And it makes it feel smaller. [00:09:43] So even though I'm verbally processing every time I tell the story or think through it and, and talk it out. [00:09:53] I, I, I, I kind of came to my normal Justin senses pretty quickly, uh, where normal Justin senses means, you know, back in the bar, you know, everyone's, you know, who'd heard was upset and immediately like they're in their own kind of sense of shock, even not knowing my dad. [00:10:14] And I, I was, you know, uh, comforting them immediately and, you know, just asking our host, Hey, you know, because as a, as a staff member, he, he's able to get us out of the park a little bit more expeditiously, uh, than having to go all the way out and do this big, you know, what would have felt like a 15 minute walk of shame out of a theme park. [00:10:39] And, uh, yeah, anyway, so he got us out of there, we got home, booked flight, got, went up to Michigan the next day, uh, pretty much immediately. [00:10:50] And, and, and, and, and, and kudos to my brother for, for having that serious first response. [00:10:56] Cause like my first response after asking for, Hey, get us out of here was to see those three specialty cocktails on the table and be like, well, that, that would be a waste and B I could probably use a drink. [00:11:08] And so I, you know, one of them was a sake and, uh, mezcal infusion. [00:11:13] And I was like, well, they'd already poured it. [00:11:16] So I just threw that back on, on my way out the door. [00:11:18] That was probably a good move. [00:11:21] Uh, so we got up to Michigan, right? [00:11:25] And I don't want to tell anyone else's story about how, how they work through stuff and families. [00:11:31] Everyone processes things differently. [00:11:34] Uh, uh, so I'll skip all that shit. [00:11:36] I'll just say that like pretty quickly, the service planning, like that takes over, you know, the, uh, this is the first time I've had an immediate family member pass, but pretty quickly you're like, all right, well, there is this kind of, you know, process. [00:11:53] It's like not dissimilar from wedding planning, but instead of having six months, a year, or if you're an elder millennial, like eight years to plan, you have, uh, a few days. [00:12:07] And fortunately, uh, uh, dad had just by coincidence of, of, of another, uh, person we know passing had found a funeral home that he really liked. [00:12:18] And he, he said he wanted to do that one. [00:12:20] So that, that was off the table. [00:12:21] That was, that worked out. [00:12:23] But, uh, then, you know, even, and that was helpful. [00:12:28] That was really helpful to sit down and, and, and, you know, of course you go to the funeral home, you talk to the funeral home director and super sympathetic there. [00:12:35] It takes a certain kind, right? [00:12:38] A person, you know, you gotta have the strategically placed tissue boxes all over the place and then know when to stop talking and when to hand it and when to back away. [00:12:46] And, you know, dude is an absolute champ, but he's also done this before and he knows the questions to ask. [00:12:55] And it's not to like boil it down into a questionnaire, but it, it's a questionnaire. [00:13:00] It's like, Hey, what do you want? [00:13:01] How do you got to do this? [00:13:02] You know, you're being bang, boom. [00:13:04] What? [00:13:04] And fortunately, uh, collectively we came to the table with a lot of answers to a lot of those stock questions at the ready. [00:13:15] Um, but the thing that stood out to me was, you know, there's going to be a service we're going to have to write an obituary. [00:13:22] They gave us a start and, um, a start is actually the perfect thing to give me when it, when it comes to writing, you know, if you give me a blank page, it could take me all week. [00:13:32] But if you give me something I don't like and like me not writing in a hurry would result in the thing I don't like going out, then all of a sudden I get the motivation to go and write some shit. [00:13:46] So we, we, we, we, we worked together and we cleaned up the eulogy or the, excuse me, the obituary, all these terms you only use sparingly. [00:13:55] Occasionally, uh, got the obituary out, had a tremendous response, maybe from some of you because it was up on the website. [00:14:05] Had a tremendous response from people. [00:14:07] Everyone was shocked. [00:14:08] You know, no one expected that, uh, dad had a tremendously large social network being a dentist for 45 plus years in a community of people who loved him. [00:14:20] And he was genuinely, you know, an incredibly kind and friendly guy everywhere he went. [00:14:26] Uh, so, so that was good. [00:14:29] And you re and, and it was the obituary that made me realize like, well, I, you know, I knew this intellectually, but be like, oh yeah, like next few days here are for them. [00:14:37] It's for everybody else to understand process grief. [00:14:42] And so as soon as the obituary out, I was like, all right, next eulogy time. [00:14:48] So I, uh, I approached it as soon as I knew it's a, when I know something's for me, I let it be for me. [00:14:58] I'm not, I've, I accept myself. [00:15:00] I love myself and take care of myself as best I can. [00:15:03] I don't, I'm not a martyr, right? [00:15:06] Like I don't push down my needs and interests for the sake of other people. [00:15:12] To the point of other people's viewing it as selfish sometimes. [00:15:15] And increasingly over the years, I'm viewing it as like, maybe you, maybe it's the children who are wrong. [00:15:21] Maybe this is just the way to be, because it turns out that when you take good care of yourself, you can show up for other people. [00:15:26] Well, right. [00:15:26] So anyway, I, I, as soon as I knew that like the point of the service wasn't for me, the point of the service was, uh, the other people in the room who, who, some of whom drove hours and stayed overnight in hotels to come be there. [00:15:42] It was, it was to give them something. [00:15:46] So as soon as that bit flipped in my brain, it became very easy to write a eulogy because I, I approached it like work. [00:15:56] I approached it like a conference talk or yeah, like it, I didn't actually open keynote, but I thought about it because that's how, that's how I tend to storyboard and work out conference talks. [00:16:09] And I, I thought about like, well, maybe I just do that and I just don't show the slides, you know, because I think it would be possibly inappropriate to, to have a PowerPoint presentation at your, I, at a funeral. [00:16:23] I don't know. [00:16:24] I guess I had to make one anyway. [00:16:26] We'll talk about that. [00:16:29] So anyway, writing, the eulogy took over. [00:16:31] It went smoothly. [00:16:33] It, I liked how it turned out. [00:16:35] If you subscribe to the newsletter, you'll get a copy of it. [00:16:38] So, so justin.searles.co slash newsletter. [00:16:41] It's called Searles of Wisdom, which of course, you know, me making that sound kitschy right now in this rather grave moment might sound inappropriate to, to, to shill, but you will get a copy of the eulogy. [00:16:53] I'm happy with it, how it turned out. [00:16:56] I, uh, as soon as I wrote it then, of course, and this is what I'm trying to illustrate is like everything just became task A. [00:17:03] Like, okay, task A is complete, task B, no real time in there for processing and thinking through things through. [00:17:11] Uh, so the eulogy took over, wrote it, and as soon as I'd written it, I was now task C, I gotta deliver it, you know. [00:17:21] I don't typically read a script when I speak, uh, but I had to write it all out as if it was being spoken. [00:17:32] And I had to even practice and rehearse it as if I was reading it because I knew that in an emotionally, you know, the best way that people seem to talk about this is like, it's, your emotions are close to the surface as if like any little tiny thing could just break the surface tension and, and, and spill over. [00:17:51] Right. [00:17:52] I knew that out of my control, I might, I might tear up. [00:17:56] I might cry. [00:17:57] I might need a minute. [00:18:01] While delivering this. [00:18:02] And so I, uh, I, I practiced it to be read, but I knew like, man, there's just a, there's a, I call it a 5%, 10% chance that I just have a fucking breakdown and I can't get through this thing. [00:18:18] And the anxiety in the day and a half leading up to the service worrying that I would fail as a public speaker outside the context of, you know, sure. [00:18:32] Everyone would give you a break if your dad just died. [00:18:35] Right. [00:18:35] But this is like the last thing I'm doing for him, you know, in a, in a publicly meaningful way. [00:18:40] And it's also a skill that I've spent a lot of time working on. [00:18:45] And so I wouldn't for me to fail at that by, by breaking or by even, even just failing to deliver it successfully and in a, in an impactful way would have been hard for me. [00:19:05] And it would have been something I probably would be ruminating on here. [00:19:08] We are a couple of weeks later. [00:19:10] And as a result, what happened is the same thing that happens before I give a conference talk in front of a bunch of people at a conference or whatever. [00:19:18] It's the, the, the, the, uh, stress hormone gets released, the adrenaline and the cortisol starts coming out. [00:19:26] And so the morning of the funeral, everyone else is kind of approaching it their own way. [00:19:31] And I'm like, it's game time, you know, like I, I'm dialed in my, you know, all of my instincts are about just getting through that five to seven minute speech. [00:19:47] And no emotional response before then. [00:19:50] And afterwards, to be honest, the biggest emotional response afterwards was the relief of successfully. [00:19:57] And I did successfully deliver it. [00:19:59] And, uh, and then as soon as task C of delivering it is done, then task D starts of now it's the end of a funeral service. [00:20:08] And you've got a receiving line of all these guests coming up and they, you know, they're, they're approaching the open casket and they're, they're coming to, you know, hug you, talk to you. [00:20:17] See how you are. [00:20:18] And there's a performative aspect to that, right? [00:20:22] Like you gotta be like, all right, who's ready for lunch? [00:20:24] That would be inappropriate. [00:20:25] Right. [00:20:26] But the, you know, also talking about how, like, oh, I'm actually mostly focused on how I did a good job. [00:20:32] Giving this speech would separately be maybe, you know, off color, but these are the things that go through our brains in the, in these high impact moments. [00:20:43] When you just have to, when, when, whenever a situation dictates that your behavior be misaligned or the statements about oneself be at all discordant with what's really going on inside you in that literal moment. [00:21:08] And so, so I did my best, uh, of course, to make it about other people and see how they're doing and answer their questions in as, uh, productive a way as possible. [00:21:20] Right. [00:21:20] Give them answers about myself that gave them the things that they needed was my primary response all through. [00:21:29] And then, and then through that, and then task E, the wake. [00:21:32] Right. [00:21:33] And, and, uh, you do, you, you do that. [00:21:35] And then suddenly, uh, well, now you have task F after, after all that stuff of like, okay, well, we've got all this leftover food we got to take home. [00:21:42] So it's like load up the car and, and, and, and help everyone out and see everyone on their way safely. [00:21:48] And then, you know, you're exhausted and you want to just go back and, and, you know, get out of this fucking suit that barely fits. [00:21:58] Nope. [00:21:59] Task G is you got to go turn around, drive 20 minutes in the opposite direction to go back to the funeral home, to pick up all of these flowers. [00:22:05] Cause you, you tell people not to send flowers. [00:22:07] Uh, you, you say, you know, in dad's case, donate to the humane society, but people send flowers. [00:22:14] And then, you know, what do you fucking do with them? [00:22:16] Right. [00:22:17] It's like, well, here's look, if you or someone you're affiliated with sent flowers to this particular funeral, I'm deeply grateful. [00:22:25] And I had a moving moment, actually looking at all the flowers of friends of mine, people who never met dad. [00:22:31] Most of the time, a couple of our neighbors, right. [00:22:35] Who we don't really know well, but they're just really lovely people. [00:22:38] They, they did a bouquet and it was really nice. [00:22:40] You know, flowers are beautiful, but. [00:22:49] Like a cigarette can be really, really nice, but a carton can be a lot. [00:22:53] Uh, you know, a cocktail can be really nice, but drinking a whole fifth is problematic. [00:23:00] When you have so many bouquets that you can't fit them into your vehicle and also the people in the vehicle. [00:23:06] It's all it's, it, it just, it, it becomes a work. [00:23:10] Right. [00:23:11] And so that's what, you know, that's one of the ways in which having this service like this become sort of, you know, like less about the immediate family and more about the surrounding, you know, network of people that somebody knows. [00:23:24] And maybe this is all common sense and, and I should have been more conscientious of this going into the experience, but looking back on it, uh, I was just sort of like, all right, well, here's next task is figure out how to cram all these flowers. [00:23:39] And then you get home and it's like, where'd all these flowers go? [00:23:43] And so you just kind of scatter them throughout the house. [00:23:48] Uh, but they're all, you know, like they're not invasives or they're not like going to survive the long winter. [00:23:53] Like they're, they're now all on their own separate week to two week timer of themselves dying and needing to be dealt with, which is like, you know, a, let's just say an echo or a reverberation of like kind of what you're thinking about. [00:24:07] So maybe, okay, look, I don't want to spend this whole fucking podcast talking about a funeral. [00:24:15] I realize it's like maybe a bit of a downer, but you know, there's other stuff going on to like, I skipped a whole fucking half day activity. [00:24:25] Actually is wedge a task in there between B and C if you're for anyone playing the home game and keeping track of this, not that it's that complicated, uh, you got to come up with a slideshow, right? [00:24:39] So you've got the visitation before the service and we also had it the night before for anyone who couldn't make it or, you know, maybe acquaintances and whatnot, who didn't feel like going to the whole service, whatever it is. [00:24:57] You got to come up with a slideshow, which is theoretically easy these days because there's so many goddamn pictures of all of us. [00:25:04] It's theoretically easy because you have tools like, uh, shared iCloud photo libraries, uh, and shared albums, which, you know, as soon as somebody suggested a shared album, I went into my like pre canned speech. [00:25:20] And I think of, well, actually shared albums predate, you know, modern ways of sharing photos in the photos app. [00:25:25] And so whenever you put anything in a shared album, Apple compresses it pretty badly. [00:25:30] It, it downscales the resolution. [00:25:32] It also, you know, adjusts downward, the quality of the image. [00:25:39] And I got halfway through that spiel and being like, you know, this is going to go up on a 10 ADP TV in the back of a room. [00:25:45] Like it's fine. [00:25:46] That's not the issue. [00:25:47] But then the next issue is, you know, everyone goes in the people and pets and photo library, sees all the pictures of dad that aren't bad. [00:25:56] And we all dump them into the same shared library, shared photo album, which is like, like, that's no one's fault, but mine. [00:26:02] I told people just do that and I'll clear them out. [00:26:04] But then you wind up with, and it turns out, this is how that stupid fucking system works. [00:26:09] The shared photo album will treat all of those duplicates as distinct. [00:26:14] And there's, even though there's duplicate deduping now in the photos app, it does not apply to shared library, shared photo albums. [00:26:21] And on top of that, if somebody adds something to a shared photo album, they can remove it. [00:26:27] But for somebody else, like, like, let's say I added a photo of dad that Becky didn't want in there. [00:26:33] Well, Becky can't go in and remove it. [00:26:35] Only the organizer can remove it or the person who posted it. [00:26:39] So then I had to be the person going through and, like, servicing any requests people had for photos to, like, ban from the slideshow. [00:26:46] Because for whatever reason, you know, it's a sensitive time. [00:26:49] And then after it was all done, you realize the slideshow tools don't work correctly. [00:26:56] Like, just the play button and all the different options in the Mac, like, just don't work correctly in a shared album. [00:27:01] Because, of course, they don't. [00:27:02] So then you've got to copy them all. [00:27:07] You thought I was talking about feelings, but it all comes back. [00:27:11] All comes back to Apple shit. [00:27:13] So you've got to copy them all into your photo library, whoever is going to be running the slideshow. [00:27:17] Create a new slideshow project from there. [00:27:20] Dump them all in there. [00:27:22] And then realize there's no, once you've dumped shit into a slideshow project, there is no way to reorder them. [00:27:27] Short of manually drag dropping extremely slowly in a left-right horizontal scroll dingus. [00:27:34] And you've got 500 pictures or something, just fucking forget about it. [00:27:37] And on top of that, I had all these dupes. [00:27:40] Like, I had manually de-duped as best as I could before. [00:27:43] But first question I get half an hour into the visitation is like, yeah, it just seems weird. [00:27:48] Because, like, there's this one picture of me that's going to come up, like, four times. [00:27:52] I was like, I'm sorry, bud. [00:27:54] I said, oh, it's randomized or whatever, you know. [00:28:01] So after you get all of those into a photo slideshow project, and successfully, I installed amphetamine, which will keep your screen awake. [00:28:11] And you plug that into HDMI, and you know how to put a fucking Mac on a TV. [00:28:15] I don't need to tell you that. [00:28:16] After all of it was done and I got home, the two days later I realized, oh, yeah, shit. [00:28:24] Because now my photo library is full, all of the most recent photos are just shit that was copied, that was already initially in my photo library anyway. [00:28:32] And none of them are showing up in the little dupes thing, of course, because it needs days to analyze on Wi-Fi. [00:28:39] So I went to the recent imports or recently saved tab, and then I had to manually go through and delete, like, 1,400 pictures of my dad. [00:28:50] And then hope that, like, I wasn't deleting one that wasn't a dupe. [00:28:55] So I had to go through and, like, manually tease these out. [00:28:59] It took me a fucking hour and a half. [00:29:02] And, yeah, so then I deleted all those to kind of dedupe it, because I was confident I had copies of all those pictures already somewhere else in the library. [00:29:11] That could have been smoother, is the short version of this story. [00:29:16] And, of course, there's no goddamn good software that does this. [00:29:20] There are two people who have made apps that simply shuffle photos in a slideshow. [00:29:26] And they're bad apps. [00:29:27] So they look old. [00:29:28] It's like they basically had to reinvent slideshow stuff, including the software and the shuffling and the crossfades and the Ken Burns effect and the music and all the stuff that the Apple product does. [00:29:38] They had to reinvent all that just to have a shuffle button, which is what you probably want, especially if you've got a mix of scanned photos and, you know, contemporaneous photos. [00:29:50] Because there's no way you're going to make the timeline actually contiguous. [00:29:54] So instead, like, well, here's, like, a bunch of photos between, like, 2003 and 2017, because that's the digital photography era. [00:30:05] And then in 2018, when we scanned all of our photo albums, suddenly it's just all of the photo albums in random order. [00:30:12] And then you have 2019 to 2024. [00:30:15] Like, it's not a cohesive experience. [00:30:20] Now, I would say, well, you know, it's a visitation. [00:30:23] People are coming and going. [00:30:24] They go in, they visit the casket, and they spend time chatting. [00:30:28] But, like, they don't, though. [00:30:30] All the chairs are pointing at this TV, and people just sat there for more than an hour. [00:30:36] They'd watch multiple. [00:30:37] Like, I thought that having a 45-minute long slideshow, that pacing would be okay. [00:30:43] People watched it two or three times while they chatted, you know, just the state of, the lack of kinetic energy throughout the entire experience of somebody passing. [00:30:54] You know, the phrase sit Shiva from Judaism. [00:30:58] Like, I am somebody who is relatively uncomfortable just sitting around, around other people. [00:31:06] I'm happy to sit around by myself. [00:31:08] I'm doing it right now. [00:31:09] I'm actually pretty good at it. [00:31:10] Ask anybody. [00:31:11] But to not have an activity with other people, and also not to have, like, interesting conversation to have with other people, [00:31:20] to just have to be around and with other people, is really goddamn hard. [00:31:25] And I suspect I'm not the only one who feels that way. [00:31:28] Hence, everyone just staring at the slideshow and making a comment here and there. [00:31:32] So, a couple things did jump out at me about that service and about the visitation, though, that were interesting. [00:31:40] One was, Dad had mentored a couple of younger dentists in his last couple years practicing. [00:31:48] People who had intended to take over the practice. [00:31:51] That's his own long story. [00:31:52] But they were, my age or younger, probably younger, definitely younger, come to think of it. [00:31:59] Splendid people. [00:32:00] Like, super upbeat, super duper energetic, just, like, fun. [00:32:05] They forced my dad to do stuff like go fishing and get out and do things that he normally wouldn't do. [00:32:13] And they blew me away by just saying, like, you know, dad was 72. [00:32:18] He was like, this guy, most dentists, when they get older, the hands get shaky. [00:32:25] Their craft gets sloppy. [00:32:28] But your dad was, he, he, I think he said, he set the standard. [00:32:33] He was just a beast. [00:32:34] He was, and I was like, what do you mean? [00:32:36] Like, actually, I've never really talked to anyone about his craft, right? [00:32:41] Because he didn't want to talk about it. [00:32:44] He was like, his prep work and, and, and how he prepped for each procedure was meticulous and perfect every single time. [00:32:53] And his technique while doing things was, was like, like phenomenal. [00:33:00] And they went into a handful of specifics for me. [00:33:02] And that was really special to me because I, like, I, I know that about myself that I'm chasing this asymptotic goal of perfection, but I didn't have evidence that my dad was as well outside of just stuff around the house. [00:33:16] And you can say that, well, that's perfectionism and that's OCD. [00:33:19] And we both have like, you know, traits of that too. [00:33:20] But the, that was really interesting because everyone had only ever experienced my dad as a patient or somebody who's like really, really gregarious and friendly and good at comforting patients. [00:33:33] But yeah, their stories were really, really encouraging. [00:33:39] And that was, that was one where it's like, I was glad to be able to walk away from that series of experiences and learn new stuff about my dad, uh, new stuff that rounded out the story of him in my mind. [00:33:54] Uh, so I'm really thankful to those guys, uh, because they were able to dive in and baby bird for me, explain like I'm five, like the ways in which he was a great dentist, which is just a thing that like, you know, everyone. [00:34:08] How do you rate your dentist, right? [00:34:10] Well, he's good at comforting me. [00:34:12] He's good at explaining things. [00:34:13] He doesn't upsell me a lot. [00:34:15] You know, I'm not afraid when I'm in the chair with him. [00:34:17] And then afterwards things seem to go pretty well, but like, really like the, the work is a black box. [00:34:22] You can't see what's going on in your fucking mouth. [00:34:24] You're, you're conscious. [00:34:25] You know how you feel before and how you feel after, but it's, uh, that was really cool. [00:34:31] Uh, the other, uh, another dentist that worked for him earlier in, in, in, uh, his career, uh, she, she had previously lost her dad and she said, you know, she said something that felt at the time, extremely true. [00:34:47] That a funeral is like having to host the worst party ever. [00:34:51] Uh, so that just to put a cap on it, that's, uh, accurate. [00:35:00] It felt like a party because I got to see a whole lot of people, friends from college, you know, Mark Van Holstein, the president or former president, but co-founder, founder of, uh, mutually human software in Grand Rapids. [00:35:10] You had my former housemate. [00:35:11] He came out, uh, uh, other kid, uh, other friends from, from middle school, high school made the trick, trick, trick, trick, Jeff and Dan. [00:35:21] It was really great to see so many people under, you know, suboptimal circumstances. [00:35:28] And then of course the whole set of extended family where it's like weddings and funerals, huh? [00:35:33] And then like the obligatory, like, yeah, we should really figure out a way to see each other more. [00:35:37] And it's like true. [00:35:38] And no one doesn't feel that way. [00:35:40] It's just like structurally unlikely the way people's lives work. [00:35:44] Uh, and so there's a sort of, uh, uh, nihilism is definitely the wrong word. [00:35:52] There's a sort of resignation that one has about what even are weddings and funerals and why is it that there's this whole cast of characters in your life that are important or close to you and via affiliation or history in some way. [00:36:12] But that you only see at these really like, like, like, like loud life events where it's a big, the background sound is a huge gong going off that distracts from actually getting to know the people. [00:36:26] If you just, you know, picked them on a random Tuesday and went to lunch, you'd probably learn a lot about the person. [00:36:31] But if it's just in the context of like, you know, like looking at, you know, a tray of sandwiches and having to find something to say, it's all going to be sucked in by the event. [00:36:41] And that's too bad, but that's, that's life, I guess, uh, tasks, you know, H through Z day after I, I had intentionally put off any sort of like looking at stuff, like, like thinking about the logistics, uh, the finances, the legal side, the, all that stuff, life insurance, yada, yada. [00:37:06] Uh, but then, you know, it was a lot of that, right. [00:37:09] For, for the rest of our trip, we were there for, for, for 11 days. [00:37:12] I would say skipping a lot of the minutiae because I, of course, you know, when the, when the, when, when a, when a household had a household or breadwinner passes and they didn't leave instructions, like you got to go and do the forensic analysis to figure out like, what are all the, where is everything? [00:37:32] Right. [00:37:32] That's, that's what it was. [00:37:34] It's all fine. [00:37:36] But the, uh, the tech support son, which is like my, you know, uh, it's not an official designation, but, uh, you know, it's a, it's a role I've stepped into and I feel like I've grown into pretty well. [00:37:48] One of the things that jumped is, all right, so we got a couple of things going on. [00:37:54] One, my mom is in an Apple family organized to buy my dad's Apple ID. [00:37:59] Now what? [00:38:00] All the purchases have been made in general on dad's Apple ID, including their Apple one premiere subscription. [00:38:06] Okay. [00:38:07] Well, you know, next eight, you can imagine my next eight Google searches or coggy searches. [00:38:13] All right. [00:38:14] Well, how do you change head of house or organizer of a family answer? [00:38:19] You cannot. [00:38:19] Okay. [00:38:20] Well, how can I transfer the purchases from an organizer to somebody else in the family? [00:38:28] You cannot. [00:38:28] Okay. [00:38:29] Is there a process by which I can make somebody sort of like a legacy page on Facebook, a legacy [00:38:35] human Apple ID? [00:38:37] No. [00:38:39] Okay. [00:38:40] So what do I do? [00:38:41] And they're like, well, you can call Apple support and they may need a death certificate, [00:38:45] but then you can call them and then they can do some amount of stuff, but some, but you don't [00:38:52] get to know what. [00:38:52] And once you kind of go through that process, the Apple ID gets like locked out or that's a, [00:38:57] that's a risk. [00:38:58] And all the sort of, you know, contingent, other things related to that. [00:39:02] I was like, all right, well, I don't necessarily want to do that as a first resort, but I do got [00:39:09] to figure this out because having just like this extra Apple, having this whole like digital [00:39:14] twin to borrow a, an industry term, continue to be a part of a, you know, an Apple family, [00:39:22] a one password family or all this for years into years, just because the software companies [00:39:27] don't make it logistically possible to die. [00:39:30] Uh, that seems great, you know, like, like, so working through that, you know, like I, I still [00:39:38] don't quite have a solution to that. [00:39:39] I'm just going to get through a couple of billing cycles on all the other stuff first, [00:39:43] before I think too hard about it. [00:39:44] Just kidding. [00:39:45] I've thought really hard about it and I've got a 15 step, you know, uh, set of to do's, [00:39:50] but they're just gonna, I gracefully, mercifully, I mercifully punted them two weeks into the [00:39:56] future. [00:39:56] Uh, I, one of the biggest things other than the Apple family stuff was my, my dad had just [00:40:09] bought a new iPhone 16. [00:40:12] I, and he set it up and all that stuff, but my mom was on an older one, like a 12 pro or a 12 mini or a 13 mini. [00:40:19] And it didn't make sense to leave her with the old phone and the new 16, just like in a drawer, [00:40:30] it made sense to give her the new phone. [00:40:33] Right. [00:40:34] Otherwise that the other phone's old enough. [00:40:36] It's like, I'll just be back in six months or, or, or, you know, like we'll, you'll be wasting [00:40:39] money. [00:40:40] So, and that, you know, just like deleting photos of your dad because of a stupid duplication bug, [00:40:45] having to go through a whole bunch of hoops to, to migrate one phone to the other was like the [00:40:50] next challenge. [00:40:52] Cause here was why it was thorny, right? [00:40:54] If, if all of the bank accounts and multi-factor authentication against banks is almost exclusively [00:41:03] SMS, right? [00:41:04] Cause they didn't get on the bandwagon for a, a T O T P or, you know, like you scan the QR code and you [00:41:11] get an authenticator app to, to show it. [00:41:13] And because they, they certainly don't support pass keys. [00:41:16] Uh, we can't just turn off dad's cellular line until we work through all the financial stuff. [00:41:22] But at the same time, okay. [00:41:25] So like if I'm resetting dad's phone and moving mom's stuff onto dad's phone, then how do I [00:41:30] transfer, how do I get these, how do I make it so that dad's SIM doesn't just disappear? [00:41:35] Cause like last thing I want to do is have to call T-Mobile and explain, and then set up the [00:41:41] old phone from scratch and then have them like, I guess, restart the e-SIM process over the phone [00:41:46] on Christmas, you know, Christmas Eve or whatever. [00:41:51] So I, um, I came up with like a towers of Hanoi solution that I actually kind of liked. [00:41:56] What I did was I transferred dad's SIM from the 16 to mom's 13, call it. [00:42:03] So now she had two SIMs on her phone. [00:42:05] She had her primary SIM and dad's SIM, uh, e-SIM. [00:42:09] Uh, uh, and then I, oh, and the 13 or the 12, whatever has one physical and one e-SIM. [00:42:17] And she fortunately had a physical SIM in there. [00:42:19] So she was able to, to, to receive dad's old e-SIM. [00:42:22] So now the 13 of that stage has a physical, a physical nano SIM and an e-SIM. [00:42:27] And then that allowed me to go to dad's phone, back it up, of course, and all that, and then [00:42:32] wipe it. [00:42:33] Cause it had no cellular plan on it. [00:42:35] And then you set it up new, you set it up for mom. [00:42:40] And during that wizard, you know, you do the direct transfer, they're connected via, you [00:42:45] know, USB cables or whatever. [00:42:46] You set it up for mom. [00:42:49] And she has to, she, it says, Hey, you're ready to transfer your cellular plans. [00:42:56] I'm like, yes. [00:42:56] And then I, it's, I realized it's not, you click, you tap one in it and a check box goes [00:43:02] up next to that number. [00:43:03] And then you check the other one and the check box, the check mark moves. [00:43:07] It's clearly like it doesn't support actually initializing a phone with two SIMs, which means [00:43:14] now it's like, okay, so I'll move for a primary SIM first as part of this direct transfer. [00:43:20] And then the direct transfer, because her router was simultaneously and coincidentally failing, [00:43:25] the direct transfer failed because the wifi timed out. [00:43:30] And when you're in the direct transfer mode between two phones in that setting, you can't [00:43:36] like get to control center and turn off the wifi nick. [00:43:39] So then I've got these two phones that I can clearly tell are timing out in the activation [00:43:43] process while the SIM is moving. [00:43:45] And I'm like, fuck sake. [00:43:47] But it's also like a mesh router and there's three mesh access points throughout the house [00:43:52] and I don't know where they are. [00:43:53] So I, I can't just unplug them and make the SSID go away. [00:43:57] So then I would like throw on my winter coat, it's fucking freezing outside and I start marching [00:44:03] down the street until I can get to like far enough away that they both lose the wifi signal [00:44:09] so that the transfer doesn't fail. [00:44:11] So I, it took 15 houses. [00:44:14] I'm, you know, in, in, in, in, uh, uh, my winter coat, 15 houses, they finally get onto [00:44:21] five G and then the, the, the transfer starts succeeding. [00:44:23] And then I start walking back and then it's just instantly says failed. [00:44:26] So then I get back to the house, start the whole thing over again. [00:44:30] And now of course, mom's primary SIM is like trapped on the first phone or the second, the [00:44:36] new 16, but in setting it up again, it doesn't see it anymore because like it was just at that [00:44:41] perfect moment when all the e-sim juice lands in the 16 or whatever. [00:44:48] So I started the whole process over again. [00:44:50] I, I, I set it up fair and square and then I, I, uh, uh, it all went fine after a few hours. [00:44:59] And then the last thing it does is the 13 or whatever says, Hey, okay, time to delete [00:45:04] me. [00:45:04] And then it's like a, basically two taps and you've deleted the phone that just was the [00:45:08] sender or the old phone in the transfer process. [00:45:11] And I almost habitually clicked it. [00:45:13] And I was like, wait, no, that will delete the SIM, the e-sim. [00:45:16] So click, no, cancel out of that, restart the phone. [00:45:20] And then, and then you can transfer that second SIM back to the first one. [00:45:23] So like when that was just two phones, just moving to e-sims, like again, you know, note [00:45:28] to Apple, like this could probably be made easier. [00:45:31] Uh, it's just, it's edge cases like this, that all software companies are really, really bad [00:45:37] at, uh, especially ones that don't have a great track record of automated testing and stuff [00:45:43] like, so I get it. [00:45:45] I know why it happened. [00:45:47] The other thing that sucked was a dad had an Apple card and if we're not going to have [00:45:52] a phone with dad on it, you don't want, there's no other fucking way to cancel an Apple card. [00:45:57] You have to be on the phone that has the Apple card to cancel it. [00:46:01] But if there's no phone with Fred on it, like that meant I, that forced the issue. [00:46:05] Like I'm not, I'm putting off all the financial stuff, right? [00:46:07] But I had to cancel the Apple card, but I had a balance. [00:46:10] So now I've got to like pay a balance on this Apple card. [00:46:13] And of course the banking connection, he didn't like, like it expired or something. [00:46:18] So I have to go and find the banking information. [00:46:21] I log in, whatever I hit cancel. [00:46:23] And it's, you can cancel the card. [00:46:25] It wants you to pay the balance first. [00:46:27] I tried to pay the exact balance. [00:46:30] It was $218 and 17 cents. [00:46:32] I, and I tried 15 goddamn times. [00:46:35] Uh, I changed to a different bank and it said insufficient balance. [00:46:41] And I was like, does that mean like the checking accounts overdrawn? [00:46:45] So then I'm panicking. [00:46:45] It's like, so I go into the bank account. [00:46:47] I'm like, is it easy overdrawn or what? [00:46:50] Hour of, you know, me retrying and doing this only to realize that there's a fucking bug, [00:46:58] a rounding bug of sub decimal sense. [00:47:02] Because when it said $218 and 17 cents as being the balance owed, it was probably a floating [00:47:09] point under there of $218 and call it 16.51 cents. [00:47:16] Because when I tried to do $218 and 17 cents, it failed. [00:47:21] It's an insufficient balance, which made me think insufficient funds. [00:47:25] But then I had the bright idea to try just one penny less than that. [00:47:28] And it cleared. [00:47:30] It meant that you can't make a payment on the card that is in excess of what is owed on the [00:47:35] card. [00:47:35] And it saw that fraction of a penny as being, oh, hey now, a little too generous. [00:47:40] So an Apple, you know, be good guy, Apple, making sure people can't overpay. [00:47:44] Also, the bad guy, Apple doesn't write tests or use, you know, appropriate data structures [00:47:50] for storing goddamn dollars. [00:47:52] Results in, I can't close this card out. [00:47:56] So eventually, so I got it down to one penny. [00:47:58] And then when it was down to one penny, it let me pay one penny, which is separately hilarious. [00:48:02] So I close the Apple card and then the Apple card says, all right, you're closed now. [00:48:09] The card is removed from all your devices. [00:48:14] Now monitor for the next few months and make payments against anything that shows up in [00:48:18] the statement, right? [00:48:19] Because like, that's how credit cards work. [00:48:20] Things don't post immediately. [00:48:22] I was like, well, I have no idea what was getting charged onto this thing. [00:48:26] What might hit it? [00:48:28] I'd scrolled through a statement. [00:48:31] I had a feeling it wouldn't be bad. [00:48:32] But then of course, like as soon as I wipe that phone, I even restored it. [00:48:36] I restored dad's Apple ID onto another phone because I had a burner phone back when I got [00:48:42] home just to see like, would it, would it, would it, would the, would it, the iCloud sync [00:48:47] work, you know, where your wallet shit just shows up in the new phone just magically after [00:48:52] setup. [00:48:52] And the answer is no, because the Apple card is closed. [00:48:55] So there's no reason to put the Apple card on the new phone. [00:48:58] People would be confused, even though it's just in this removed state of like, watch the [00:49:01] balance, which means now that once the phone gets wiped, there's actually no way to pay [00:49:06] a balance. [00:49:06] If one were to materialize, I guess it would just go to collections. [00:49:10] So now, you know, like, please don't post any transactions to my dad's defunct Apple card. [00:49:16] Cause like, I don't have any fucking way to pay it. [00:49:18] There's card.apple.com. [00:49:19] But like, that's just for downloading statements. [00:49:22] So great job, Apple, like you should really make it easier to die. [00:49:26] Like, fuck, fuck it's sake. [00:49:27] This is a, I realized this has been a lot. [00:49:33] I'm going to move right along. [00:49:37] While we were up, we wanted to just, we needed a break. [00:49:42] It'd been like day after day of the same, you know, emotional and logistical tumult. [00:49:48] Just a real grind. [00:49:49] So we want to go see a movie and like, like, uh, uh, Jeremy had expressed interest in seeing [00:49:53] wicked, which is an autobiography about Ariana Grande as a person, as best I can tell. [00:50:00] Real just, she seems like a piece of shit in real life, but also she got to play one in [00:50:08] a movie. [00:50:08] And so like, uh, it's like one of those things where it's like, well, that Bill Murray just [00:50:12] like plays himself. [00:50:13] And it just so happens that he is such a delightful and interesting person that everything he's [00:50:18] in is always amazing. [00:50:19] So I'm glad she got to play herself. [00:50:21] It seemed well acted, but I knew it was probably just who she is. [00:50:27] Uh, huge fan. [00:50:31] Uh, so anyway, we went to see wicked and all of a sudden, you know, we joked about it beforehand, [00:50:37] but like, I can't, I don't understand lyrics. [00:50:39] I have a thing I've got a, uh, a worm lives inside my brain. [00:50:43] And whenever there's a song playing, uh, that worm starts humming and I can't hear the lyrics [00:50:49] to the song. [00:50:50] I can't understand or discriminate where the words are starting and stopping. [00:50:53] I can't tell what is being said. [00:50:56] And if I can barely make it out, then I'm so overwrought and focusing on what's being said. [00:51:01] Then, then I kind of lose the thread. [00:51:02] Like I'll hear the individual words if I really focus, but then not understand what is being [00:51:08] communicated through lyrics. [00:51:10] At the same time, you go to a musical, you go to like, when I went to Hamilton, this was [00:51:15] like extremely clear. [00:51:16] It's like, Oh, I, I put, we went to Hamilton, uh, when, when Hamilton was still cool and not [00:51:21] seen as some sort of, you know, uh, uh, white supremacist whitewashing by putting BIPOC [00:51:27] people in, in these roles and whatnot, 2020 was a hell of a year, uh, when we went to [00:51:33] Hamilton, I got, they got through the first number and I was like, that was very impressive. [00:51:38] I, I appreciate the, this tonal, you know, interesting take. [00:51:43] This is like very like, like skillfully and artfully, uh, done. [00:51:47] Uh, and then, uh, you know, then they go straight into another song and I turned to Becky. [00:51:54] He was like, is there, is there no talking in this one? [00:51:56] Is there zero spoken dialogue in this? [00:52:00] And it turned out that the answer was yes. [00:52:02] And I was like, I don't understand anything. [00:52:04] And so, uh, when we went to Hamilton, which I'd paid a lot of money to go to, uh, I walked [00:52:09] to the lobby in the middle of the show. [00:52:12] And then I ordered like two thingies of wine, uh, which I paid a lot of money for the wine. [00:52:20] And then I got back to the seat, threw back both wines and fell asleep. [00:52:23] So that was Hamilton for me. [00:52:26] So here I am at wicked and we're in the first little ditty. [00:52:28] And I'm like, I don't understand any of these fucking words. [00:52:33] I don't, I don't know what's happening. [00:52:35] And I've got to worry that this is going to be a song heavy movie, which it was. [00:52:40] So I was like, you know what, like normally I'd be embarrassed to do this, [00:52:44] but I'm going to go to the front and say, like, I'm hard of hearing. [00:52:49] Can I have a subtitle machine dingus? [00:52:52] I knew that theaters had them. [00:52:55] I didn't really know how they worked or what they were, if they were any good. [00:52:58] But I was like, you know, for the sake of science and technology, I'm going to try the [00:53:02] subtitle dingus. [00:53:04] So I went to the front, I went to the little, like, you know, whatever ticket booth, and [00:53:08] they handed me a gooseneck snake thing where the bottom is like, it's like a, a drill that [00:53:17] would bore a tunnel, but it goes in the cup holder. [00:53:20] So it's like a cup holder drill and it screws in. [00:53:23] So it goes in the cup holder. [00:53:25] You screw it in to secure it. [00:53:27] And then there's a long gooseneck, a too long, in my opinion, gooseneck. [00:53:31] It's like probably two feet. [00:53:34] If you don't know the term gooseneck, like, like, like, like bendy, like, like, you know, [00:53:42] relatively thick, not a cable, but like a, like a pole that is pliable. [00:53:48] So you can bend it in all sorts of different directions to kind of adjust it. [00:53:53] And then on the top, it was a, a device that had a blinder on the top so that other people [00:53:59] weren't getting a whole bunch of illumination and seeing subtitles and a radio system in [00:54:05] the center, as well as like a kind of internal projector unit. [00:54:08] And so it was very interesting to see how these worked. [00:54:11] You would, and, and, and honestly, because I was uninterested in the Ariana Grande story, [00:54:16] I was mostly just futzing with, and it gave me something to do for the three and a half [00:54:23] hours. [00:54:23] By the way, I had been told that there was an intermission and I was told that because somebody [00:54:29] had in the game of telephone and said they broke it up into two parts. [00:54:32] So like I went in expecting an intermission and then we're like three hours in, it's almost [00:54:37] like 11 fucking o'clock. [00:54:38] And I'm like, I got to pee, but like, I hear there's an intermission. [00:54:41] How late are we going to be here? [00:54:44] So that was, that kept me busy too. [00:54:46] I had something else to do, but anyway, the, the, the subtitle machine was really interesting [00:54:50] because as you look at it and once you get it configured, right, you realize like while [00:55:00] I was walking down the, the, the corridor, it just said, Hey, you know, go inside the theater [00:55:06] or whatever. [00:55:07] When you go in the side of theater, it'll just start showing up. [00:55:09] And when I looked inside the theater, just at the, at the edge of the theater, it was like, [00:55:14] malfunctioning. [00:55:15] It said like something about an, a reader. [00:55:16] And then I realized, Oh, what's happening here is, and this is really one of those kind [00:55:20] of old school, cool technology, you know, innovations where they couldn't just use a digital system [00:55:27] for this per se. [00:55:28] Like a protocol, right? [00:55:30] Like if you were to build this today, these would be like lithium ion battery devices that [00:55:34] would have some charging dock and some kind of software that ran on, like on top of some [00:55:38] minimal Linux stack. [00:55:40] And then it would use the, the, the theater's wifi to send subtitles, which would require [00:55:46] all of this configuration, right? [00:55:47] Like, okay, now punch in on the touch screen on your subtitle device, like which theater, [00:55:52] which theater you're in and which movie time. [00:55:54] And we'll play it. [00:55:55] Right. [00:55:55] But instead, this was just like a short wave radio system. [00:55:58] So you'd be inside the theater and every theater you, you've never even noticed this. [00:56:03] Probably you're in the theater and you're watching a movie. [00:56:06] And the subtitle machine is just receiving these waves that you can't see because the projector [00:56:13] area, I presume is just always blasting out radio waves of the current line of dialogue. [00:56:20] You just didn't have the device to see it. [00:56:22] And so I got the thing screwed in with Jeremy's help because I'm not very handy and I got to [00:56:29] actually follow along the rest of the movie, which makes me an authority on, on, on being [00:56:34] able to say not that great. [00:56:35] Not very interesting. [00:56:37] I I'm on the Kinsey scale. [00:56:40] I'm all the way to hetero male, which means musical theater is not, doesn't come naturally [00:56:48] to me in terms of being like something that gets me real excited deep down there. [00:56:53] Uh, sorry if that's you, I'm just saying it's not it anyway. [00:57:02] Uh, yeah. [00:57:03] So that was, that was pretty cool. [00:57:05] Uh, other life stuff. [00:57:13] Well, the, the version, I guess tying a bow around the, uh, the trip up there and all [00:57:21] that realizing I've gone an hour on it now. [00:57:25] People, when you move from the Midwest United States to Florida and you do it because you [00:57:35] feel like the Midwest kind of sucks, you know, it's cold. [00:57:38] A lot of the time, uh, a lot of the rest belt States are, well, they're called rust belt. [00:57:45] They're dying economically. [00:57:46] There's less economic activity. [00:57:48] There's less new stuff. [00:57:50] There's less vibrancy. [00:57:51] Uh, when you move from the Midwest to Florida and you have a great setup there and lots of sunshine [00:58:00] and, and, and, and stuff to do people react in very different ways. [00:58:08] No one just says, Oh my God, that's so great for you. [00:58:10] I'm really, really happy for you. [00:58:11] Wow. [00:58:12] That sounds awesome. [00:58:12] I mean, some people kind of do, uh, a lot of people are either jealous or in some state [00:58:20] of denial or, or frustration by it, you know, like you feel abandoned or whatnot. [00:58:27] I think, I think the people who genuinely think the Midwest is better and the people who are [00:58:34] jealous, both end up asking the same question of us Midwestern expats. [00:58:41] And that, that question is, do you regret it yet? [00:58:44] God, I've been down here for four years. [00:58:48] Right. [00:58:49] And here I am. [00:58:50] My dad just died. [00:58:52] Just put on a funeral, you know, staying at a Hampton Inn. [00:58:57] Huh? [00:58:59] A Hampton Inn where like, it was a great experience. [00:59:02] The staff were really great, but like they had a desk in the laundry room that was never screwed [00:59:07] in or, or, or secured properly. [00:59:08] So I set down my brand new MacBook pro and a Coke, a can of Coke. [00:59:13] And then it just collapsed all of it all at once to the floor. [00:59:17] So my MacBook got soaking wet and Coke. [00:59:19] And also the, the unibody enclosure got super scraped up. [00:59:23] And, uh, the, the day before the funeral, I was all, you know, in a lot of neck pain from, [00:59:29] from the fall and the general manager still hasn't gotten back to me. [00:59:33] It was gray outside. [00:59:35] It was cold. [00:59:37] You know, and I, and I was struggling like for activities and things we could do as a [00:59:42] family and, and settled. [00:59:43] Uh, and the best, most entertaining thing to do was the Ariana Grande story. [00:59:50] And they ask, do you regret it yet? [00:59:52] Like totally just straight. [00:59:56] Every time we go back, I thought like, this is going to be the trip. [01:00:00] I go back and I don't have a single person ask me that, but then it came up relative at the [01:00:06] wake. [01:00:09] And I was like, man, thank you for asking. [01:00:11] You know, I think about it a lot. [01:00:14] I love Michigan. [01:00:14] Michigan's beautiful in the summers, but inside I'm like, come on. [01:00:17] No, I don't regret it. [01:00:19] Yes. [01:00:20] I'm already homesick. [01:00:21] Uh, it's fucking awesome here. [01:00:23] I'm not going to lie. [01:00:24] Like I live in goddamn paradise. [01:00:26] I don't know why more people don't do it. [01:00:28] I don't, you know, politics are part of the equation for a lot of folks, uh, politics and [01:00:35] policies. [01:00:36] Uh, and I, and I get it, but man, like I am so much fucking happier here just on a [01:00:42] day-to-day basis. [01:00:43] Like you, you blind out all of the sort of like metal layer stuff and just like my meat [01:00:48] bag gets a lot more sun and a lot more movement and a lot more just stuff going on down here. [01:00:53] And so, no, I don't regret it yet. [01:00:54] Uh, but if I ever do, I'll let you know, I've got a podcast, so I definitely will. [01:01:02] Uh, one thing I do regret is eating so, or is, uh, uh, drinking so little dairy in my [01:01:07] twenties because I have become extremely lactose intolerant. [01:01:12] Uh, so I don't have any lactase to the point where even if I drink lactaid, like, like what [01:01:19] they call like lactose free milk, but, but actually is lactose full milk with also lactase enzyme [01:01:25] added to it so that your tummy will process it. [01:01:28] Even when I drink that, I drank 20 grams two nights ago and the whole next day I was [01:01:33] wrecked. [01:01:33] That's not a lot of fucking milk. [01:01:35] Uh, now you call that an allergy or an intolerance. [01:01:39] Um, but like if I want cereal, like it's going to happen. [01:01:42] So sure you can pathologize it, but I was like, I, I am making a trade with my future self. [01:01:48] Like I'm going to put up with some indigestion so that I can have this deal. [01:01:52] Okay. [01:01:53] We're in, uh, if I had a peanut allergy to the point of like anaphylactic shock, I'd be [01:02:01] having the same negotiation. [01:02:03] I would just probably not take the deal most of the time. [01:02:07] Uh, anyway, I finally caved. [01:02:11] Cause like I talking about politics, I am politically, um, unaccepting intolerant of, [01:02:19] uh, milk alternatives. [01:02:22] Cause it's not milk. [01:02:24] People call almond milk, milk. [01:02:26] That's not milk. [01:02:27] That's just squeezed almond. [01:02:29] And like the amount of water that goes into making an almond is insane. [01:02:32] And so the, whatever almond milk is must be not, not really great from a sustainability [01:02:37] perspective. [01:02:38] And it's just, it's not, it's not what it says on the 10. [01:02:41] It shouldn't be allowed to be called milk. [01:02:43] It's like that fake egg product called just egg. [01:02:45] I was like, that's no, it's unjust egg. [01:02:48] This is not an egg. [01:02:49] Uh, so I, I, I caved and I bought Kirkland dairy-free oat beverage is what it says in the [01:03:00] box and oat milk. [01:03:02] And I had that last night and I'm still mad at myself about it, but here we are. [01:03:08] I'm going to say that's, I'm going to cap it at an hour of life updates. [01:03:16] I knew it would be life heavy. [01:03:18] Um, but, and because it's a heavy period of life right now, but if you're curious after all [01:03:24] of this shit and all the storytelling and all me getting stuff off my chest, I'm actually [01:03:28] doing great. [01:03:29] I'm processing things. [01:03:30] Love my dad dearly. [01:03:31] Um, I, I've taken the moments, you know, to be quiet and still and to spend effort and [01:03:44] time genuinely reflecting and going through old things and, you know, letting feelings happen [01:03:51] and letting those memories come by and doing other

Meg, Hal and Symphony discuss episode 173 of Welcome to Night Vale: The One Hundred Year Play. They chat about a life in the theater, Hal's fashion, and Cecil's age. In the FanZone Calzone™ we hear from fans about BLOOD, The Hampton Inn and weird aging. Find out more about calzones on our Patreon.www.patreon.com/goodmorningnightvaleFollow us on Facebook.Good Morning Night Vale is a production of Night Vale PresentsHosted by Symphony Sanders, Hal Lublin, and Meg BashwinerProduced by Meg BashwinerEdited by Felicia DominguezMixed by Vincent CacchioneTheme Music by Disparition

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Wednesday December 18, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Wednesday December 18, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[SEGMENT 1-1] Relieved   I'm telling my audience this now, but I am out of the country. I literally had to record a week's worth of shows in advance to cover my show. And this is not bad news, because I needed to play catch up. And as you know, I'm not necessarily that big on trying to cover the hottest topics, because some times we need time to let news absorb. Anyway, it was a daunting task to achieve this, but my team and I did our best. Trump's election.   I'm sure there will be more pertinent stories as things continue to break, but this trip is something we planned for our youngest son, and provides him an opportunity to see that America is a very different place than the rest of the world.   Relieved Democrats Many are secretly happy Harris lost. They will never admit it, but it's true. What about you? Are you happy? Not for the win, but for what it means. What it forebodes?  [SEGMENT 1-2] Lawfare for idiots We have so much to be thankful for. And as always I thank God and my friends who listen to the show. I'm honored to know many of you, and I hope I get the honor of getting to know more of you. Let's get to some things that I haven't discussed but think are relevant. Last week I covered how the media is in big trouble. They are, and it's their own fault. You've also heard me talk about how we need to use Leftist tactics against them, when necessary. Trump is my views personified. Trump is suing CBS for $10B…   Whoopi Goldberg cried racism over some cupcakes, and there is backlash on that… [X] SB – The View Sunny Hostins    [SEGMENT 1-3] Making light of pop culture   Follow my logic: - Most abortions are of Black babies - Planned Parenthood sells the parts of these babies - White people know how to make slaves of Blacks IN THE WOMB   Jay Leno supposedly fell down the stairs while staying at a Hampton Inn. What celebrity stays at a Hampton Inn? Rumors are that Leno is broke, and he has a gambling problem. Which would explain the bruises. The minute I saw his face, I said to myself, “Guess who got caught counting cards at the casino?” Dude looked like he was auditioning for Rocky 7. He certainly lost a fight with gravity if he did fall. His face was lit up. Leno looked like he was the loser at a UFC fight.   It was national “trans” day, and people posted pictures of their old Trans-Ams. Hysterical. I have a solution: National Identity Day. That should cover everybody, except those who chose not to have an identity?                   Matt Gaetz is gone, and Pam Bondi has replaced him as AG. Let's see how Pam does…  [SEGMENT 1-4] Government incompetence   Bureaucracy pays: Washington DC is the richest “state” $260K per person New York is second $111K Average is $81K   HHS Sec Beccerra has no idea why kids are living at strip clubs… [X] SB – Beccerra Talk about having illegals working the POLLS! Democrats consider this long-term career development program Why not have them fill out job applications at Epstein Island? Why not appoint Cardi B as head of Child Protective Services?   And we wonder why we need DOGE This man doesn't even know his job. It reminds me of Secy of Defense Austin going awol and NOBODY MISSED HIM. And what was the surgery? They claim it was something serious, but what if it was liposuction or a facelift? And he did this while Russia is escalating a war? If Austin were a white Republican, the media would have tracked him with a drone.   https://x.com/_johnnymaga/status/1859675119712600087 Laken Riley's killer got LIFE. How sick is that. This man was flown into the country by Biden-Harris. I saw the video of the family when they got the news of her death. Heartwrenching. [X] SB – Riley Gaines on the efforts to legally get to America    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-kevin-jackson-show--2896352/support.

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Friday November 22, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

76ers MAJOR DRAMA, Jay Leno's CRAZY night: Coley and Trill are back, bringing fresh debates and insightful takes that no sports fan will want to miss. The two discuss all the drama surrounding the 76ers and wonder if it's time for Philadelphia to consider trading Joel Embiid. The boys also break down the crazy night Jay Leno must have had after returning from his trip to the Hampton Inn with a MASSIVE bruise on his face. Then the boys finish up the podcast wondering what Deion Sanders future is with Colorado after this season. Hop on the Underdog App and play the way you wanna play. Promo Code: CHARM Subscribe to the Podcast

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Friday November 22, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mut and Cinema Lord are in studio with Justin home sick as Kirk predicts today's Unnamed Show is going to stink. Kirk doesn't care about Brianna Chickenfry's drama anymore (1:00). Mut brought Kirk Coca-Cola oreos (3:30). Playoff Pat was in full swing during yesterday's show (6:30). Mut has no problem with Cullinane splitting a hotel room (8:00). Cinema is excited for Gladiator II this weekend (10:00). Mut defends his mom being a huge Larry Johnson fan (11:45). Rich Shertenlieb took a victory lap for coming in 5th place in a weekly ratings book, and Kirk remembers when Gerry and Mut celebrated a 2nd place finish (16:45). The Monkey Boy documentary is coming out next Tuesday (19:10). Fox News reports that Trump is going to investigate Joe Scarborough for murdering his intern (22:00). MCAS talk (23:45). Jay Leno “fell” at a Hampton Inn, Mut thinks he is deep with gambling debts (25:30). Howard Stern interviewed Cher, and deleted audio (32:00). Mut has not heard from his Sportsook LIVE Co-host Eytan since the show ended (33:00). Adam Schefter says he broke news after he finished having sex, Kirk tells an Adam Schefter story (34:00). Mut should do a podcast with his mom remembering LJ, previewing tomorrow's Mutstack (38:00). Raiders sold more of their ownership stake (40:45). Mut brought a movie game, Mut's top 10 movies of the 90's (41:40). Calling Klemmer to get his take on Mut's top 10 movies of the 90's (50:00). Cullinane is seeing Moana 2 next weekend, Chase Cullinane is having trouble sleeping through the night (55:00). PRC has a new fast food show on the network, Mut will not respond to Menner's DM's (57:00). Mut has a problem with Blind Mike texting people at 4:30AM, when is it too early to text someone (1:01:30)? Mut was texting Blind Mike looking for old John Dennis audio (1:05:40). Mut took offense to what Portnoy said about his wife on The Unnamed Show, Mut has said he applied for some jobs (1:07:00). Semi Finalists for the NFL Hall Of Fame were released (1:15:30). The world premiere of Alec Baldwin's new movie Rust happened (1:19:50). Mut has been super sensitive lately, frozen pop-tart talk (1:22:45). Calling Rico Bosco about deleting a tweet coloring in a color book in the office (1:24:00). An update on Cinema Lord”s personal life and Minifan of The Year talk (1:26:45). Step-mom's are too young in porn nowadays (1:35:00).You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/kminshow

Lauren Oyler's “Revenge Plot”, a literary diary of her trip to this year's Republican convention in Milwaukee, is the cover story of this month's Harper's. So when I talked today with the Berlin based writer, we discussed both the revengefulness of the Republican party and what she calls the “risk aversion” of the Democrats. While Oyler cares a lot about the outcome of today's election, she is wary of what she calls the “constant catastrophizing” both on the left and right of American politics. While this probably won't be the final election in the history of American democracy, she suggests, it might be the first 21st century Presidential contest not dramatically shaped by the internet. LAUREN OYLER's essays on books and culture appear regularly in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, London Review of Books, Harper's Magazine, Bookforum, and other publications. Born and raised in West Virginia, she now divides her time between New York and Berlin.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TRANSCRIPTAndrew Keen: Hello, everybody. The day has come, it's Tuesday, November the 5th. Election Day. We don't know who's won, but many people are going to the polls. One person who won't be going to the polls is my guest today, Lauren Oyler. She's a distinguished American writer, bestselling writer, essayist, critic. But she happens to be, as I joked before, we went live in exile in Berlin. She lives there in Germany, but she's also the author of an excellent piece, it's the cover story of Harper's this week: "Reunion or Revenge: The GOP Identity Crisis." According to Lauren, they're on the brink. I'm not sure of what. Lauren is joining us from Berlin in Germany. Lauren, what's the view from there? Americans looking as crazy as ever?Lauren Oyler: We're looking for a bar to go to. To be honest, we've been we've been we've been caucusing, trying to figure out where we can watch the the results. And we just found there's one place. But, you know, it doesn't the results aren't really start coming in until midnight here. So the debate is about whether we will stay up--or, people have some bad memories of doing that in 2016. I personally have a bad memory of doing that in 2016 as well. So the view is we're looking at our phones.Keen: So I assume the bad memory was not that you drank too much or ate too much.Oyler: No, I did. I certainly did. I'm just I was with my boyfriend at the time and we had gotten in a fight earlier that day about Hillary Clinton. And I, I just remember being like, I just don't care. I just don't care. And then we went to the bar with our friends and got quite drunk. And and then we were walking home and I didn't live here at the time, so I didn't have we didn't have cell phone service. So we walked home at like three in the morning. We were really drunk and we were like, Well, we won't know anything. And then we got home and we like, laid in bed in the dark and and looked at our phones and we were like, no, this is terrible. So and then just laid in bed again, really drunk looking at our phones.Keen: It's something that could have occurred in one of your books or maybe in a in a DeLillo book. So are the Germans shocked? I mean, they they they've made a culture out of being a shock to other people that they particularly shocked this time around?Oyler: No, I don't think so. I remember right before I went to report this story, I was in a restaurant down the street from my house and I listened to--I was overhearing a conversation with this German guy, was talking to these people and he was like, he was he was like, Yeah, have you heard they have the plague in Colorado now? He's like, Yeah, this is crazy. Imagine if we had the plague in Berlin. Like, it was really like, I don't really think they sort of like, Yeah, this is crazy, but it's, you know, it's not it's not the first time. And I think to and in Europe, it used to be that you were reviled as an American. Certainly when I first moved here in 2012, there was still that kind of anti-American sentiment. But now far right populism has spread across the West and everybody is sort of commiserating with with you and just kind of like, you know, it could happen. It could happen to us at any time. It basically is the idea.Keen: The plague has come home to Germany from Colorado. So let's get to the piece, Lauren, you went to Milwaukee to cover the GOP's identity crisis. And it's a long essay. Very...to use the word Oyler-ish in the sense that it's it's a very creative piece of work, creative nonfiction, although some people might say there's a fictional element there. What was your overall take on this odd convention and why was it that it's almost five months ago now?Oyler: Yeah. Well, I think the big the the big concern that I had going into it was that, you know, you're right, it would be coming out it came out in the middle of October, and I would be reporting on something that had happened in July, which, of course, in the past would have been perfectly normal for this kind of piece of this kind of like literary new journalism type thing. Many, many great pieces about political conventions that I'm sure your listeners, listeners will be familiar with, things like Norman Mailer, they come out late. But, you know, now--Keen: It's timeless as well in their own way. I mean--Oyler: It's supposed to be timeless, but now everybody's sort of attitude towards the news is like, I need to hear it right now. And then it the cycle, the cycle, the cycle and it goes away. So you sort of forget about it. So I kind of was grateful for the assignment because the assignment was basically like write something of lasting literary value about about the circus and spectacle, which was very interesting. And, you know, it was sort of you're following the news as it's happening and you're like, well, I can't really like you just have to be aware of the general narrative as time has gone on, you can't really be too obsessed with anyone's story because as I learned when former President Trump was almost assassinated while I was on the plane there, like something can just completely derail the whole plan. But I had never been to a political convention before. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed doing that kind of reporting. And I was surprised at how at the dissonance between what was being reported by these live up to the minute coverage, like blogs or social media or things like this. The difference between the analysis that those those journalists would generally produce and what I was interested in or even like what I thought the mood was, frankly, as, as the title of the piece and the sort of the tag line suggests, like it was a bit fraught, I think, for the Republicans. I think I think the liberal media generally tends to want to keep to the storyline that they are evil masterminds of the chaos that they saw. But I what I saw there at least, was kind of a fracturing basically.Keen: Right? I mean, I think that the more I watch or listen to liberal media or mainstream media, they behave as if they're the grownups and. And perhaps some of these photos actually underline the fact that it's the Republicans who were the children. For better or worse, they're out of control. They need to be sent to their room and perhaps spanked, although I'm guessing most liberal media people don't believe in spanking anymore. I'm curious, Lauren. I had lunch with Rick MacArthur, the publisher of Harper's few months ago in New York. And like all publishers of traditional magazines, he claims poverty, not enough money to go around. Couldn't you find someone a bit closer? I mean, I assume he paid for you to fly from Berlin to Milwaukee. That's quite a long way. Why didn't he find a local person, or do you think he chose you, or they chose you, the editor chose you because you bring a slightly foreign perspective?Oyler: Do you don't think I'm such a good writer that it's worth flying me over there?Keen: Did they pay for first class?Oyler: No, it was was economy, which was good, actually, because I got I had some interesting conversations with my senior and they did say, you know, we won't pay for paper business, but I did buy the expensive internet in the end. But and I think I was staying in a Hampton Inn. Do you know how do you know how the--Keen: My God. So they put you up in a Hampton Inn?Oyler: Do you know how it works? So when you go to a convention, there's like the convention as the press, the press corps or the convention, if you like, a place to stay. And so many of the delegates were staying like in Madison, Wisconsin, or in Illinois, and I was in the same hotel as the USA Today people. So that speaks to me being like the, you know, the national and the the government's like belief in the value of Harper's magazine in comparison to other other places. So it was maybe like 20 minute drive away anyway. Non sequitur. So why do you think they asked me to go? Maybe because I do have a little bit of foreign perspective, I think to it is not you know, it is nice to have a literary writer juice politics coverage. You know, there's a long history of this. Norman Mailer is a wonderful introduction to this book that I have about ranting about journalists and reporters and why it's important to bring a novelistic eye to things. Joan Didion, obviously famously, and all sorts of other examples. George Saunders did a did a Trump rally in 2016. I think Patricia Lockwood did one as well. So I think there's that kind of tradition that that Harper's is a part of and wants to sort of continue in the face of maybe people saying that literary writing has no place in society anymore. But also, I assume that my being from Appalachia has something to do with it because, yes, as you say, I live in Berlin, but I was born and grew up in West Virginia, and although we did not know J.D. Vance was going to be selected as the VP when they assigned me this piece, it wasn't always a strong possibility. And I think the region sort of exerts a pull on the national media at least every four years. So I would assume that that also has something to do with it.Keen: That's interesting that, you know, the the other side of the Appalachian coin from J.D. Vance. You mentioned earlier, Lauren, that the the media reported on this differently from bloggers and some of the online crowd. What are the differences? Can you generalize about how the USA Today crowd covered it verses bloggers who perhaps weren't there or watching online?Oyler: Yeah, well, I think there is a certain kind of convention story that is just like we're here, there's someone on TV, they're doing a stand up. They have someone shooting them and they're just like, I'm here live at the convention. Like, here's how crazy it is. But the thing that I talk about in the piece especially is this Ezra Klein sort of blog about the convention. And I believe the headline that he wrote was for his podcast about it was I watched the Republican National Convention. Here's whatever, and that kind of dramatic headline style that that has been honed on the Internet--Keen: And this was a New York Times piece--Oyler: Well, the New York Times Piece...I watched the Republican National Convention on television. Why does that...anyone can watch the Republican National Convention on television. And they want it to be like a dramatic sort of...a little bit dangerous feeling that it did have at points. But but the thing that was surprising to me was how unenthusiastic many of the people there were or who were just there because, you know, they go every been ten times or whatever.Keen: I mean, you have some great photos in the piece of people looking pretty miserable, which of course probably makes most of us feel better about it. And I mean this one in particular for people watching a couple of white middle class people with cheese hats, one with a "Make America Great Again" sign, the other, "bring back common sense." They look most uncommon and most miserable.Oyler: And it's not to say that there wasn't, there were many sort of disturbing moments of enthusiasm, I think. But they weren't always the people on stage that you would--the biggest applause that I remember was not for Trump or for J.D. Vance. Of course, those went on forever. But this sort of passion, like the sort of scary passion that the media wants to find it in the Republicans. I noticed it most with Peter Navarro, who had just gotten out of prison that day and offering to give a trial, which was so bizarre and people were just screaming their heads off for him.Keen: And he's a China hater.Oyler: Yes, I can never remember what the sort of White House department of something that they invented that he was the head of. It was some kind of trade council.Keen: Like Go to War with China Department.Oyler: Yes. Yes. And he had just been let out of prison and he was missing a tooth. Which was really bizarre. And then Tucker Carlson, everybody was going crazy for it because he's like a celebrity. But there was not this kind of excitement for, say, Kid Rock or something like this. Or even Hulk Hogan.Keen: Yeah. So here's the question for you. Lauren, I think you're as well-positioned in every sense to to answer this question, which is the question I struggle with and I've talked to I've talked about endlessly on this show and I haven't resolved I'm sure I've bored most of my viewers and listeners. You mentioned Hulk Hogan, of course, the ultimate wrestler. In fact, I had Peter Osnos on the show last week. It was the original editor of Art of the Deal, and he said when he was editing out of the deal, he went with Trump to a wrestling contest, and Trump was enormously popular there back then, 30 or 40 years ago. To what extent is this whole--and I use this word carefully--spectacle, just wrestling. To what extent is it just another version of reality television and everyone understands in an odd kind of way that they're participating in this weird narrative. You've done a lot of thinking and writing on this in terms of the Internet, although some of the people participating in this are pre-Internet people. I mean, Trump is Mr. Reality television. So this goes back before the Internet. But to what extent is this, I don't know, reality, hyper reality, beyond reality, and how does it connect with--there is a reality of America on November the 5th, 2024. I hope that's a--I'm not sure it's a particularly clear question, but gives you an opportunity to talk about how you perceive this whole spectacle or circus.Oyler: Well, I think it's I think that the Republican Party and I think the American society in general, certainly American media, has been in a kind of transitional phase since 2020. Don't quote me on that, but like generally, like since Trump's term was a very crystal clear political moment in the country, I think. And it did make a lot of people sort of immediately think back and say what, what did I miss about the last ten, 15 years that led to this? Like, why didn't I see this coming? Why didn't I expect Donald Trump to be elected president in 2016? And that led to all this kind of--the things that you're referencing, which are, you know, reality, the effects of reality television and the effects of social media, you know, the sort of the the sense that--the desire for kind of like a more immediate relationship to our media that develops--all these things kind of developed in tandem, which is to say that, you know, someone who's watching the Hills on MTV, which is sort of my demographic, is not going to be the same kind of person who's watching wrestling per say. But there are many things that those two kinds of programing have in common, right? And it is kind of the ironic presentation of reality and scare quotes, right? And I think that Donald Trump, obviously a reality television host himself and and and certainly involved in professional wrestling can like sort of tap into could tap into that. But I don't think we're in that period anymore. I don't you know nobody is we aren't I hope we don't have graduate students writing dissertations on the on the Kardashians anymore which is what, you know that was such a prominent force in the media and in the sort of 2010s during Obama's administration. And I don't know exactly like what is next, right? The conversations we're having now are all about AI. They're all about Elon Musk. But it's certainly not this like pro-wrestling spectacle thing anymore. And I think you can see that because it's not as if that was that was not new, part of part of the spectacle that was created by the by the Hulk Hogan stuff was like that it was so surprising. But you can't keep bringing Hulk Hogan out every for, you know, you can't have them every four years. I'm sorry.Keen: An immortal Hulk Hogan or for that matter, Trump.Oyler: Yeah, yeah. And I do think that--picking J.D. Vance as the vice presidential nominee does indicate that they are trying to sort of move forward and kind of set the path for Trumpism after Trump. As many...that's not my phrase. It's a phrase everybody everybody uses, because also Trumpism is the most successful kind of Republican movement in a long time. You might remember the Tea Party didn't arrive. But there's a lot of dissent about that, I think. I think a lot of older people in the party that I talked to when I was at the convention were dissatisfied with Trump. And they would say, you know, I actually never liked him. I didn't vote for him in the primary in 2016. I would prefer he not do this. I overheard a man giving an interview to some some wire service and he, he really sounded like he was having an identity crisis. Like he was like, I don't know. This is not the party I grew up with. This is not the party I joined. What am I going to do? So there are lots of these older guys who feel that way. And then on the other side, there are lots of these young guys who I talked to who are kind of young Republicans in their early 20s, and they also don't really care. It's not like they're excited about Donald Trump. They're like excited by the kind of meme-ified free market capitalism opportunities that the Republicans sort of scoop up, right? Like they like crypto. They like, you know, they're like they have some really confused ideas about tariffs, which if you if you press them on it a little bit, you would say maybe you actually should vote for a Democrat because Trump is just putting more tariffs on things, just all sorts of things.Keen: By the way, it's the first time in this conversation, Lauren, I've heard the the West Virginian twang when you when you said tariffs. Say it again.Oyler: Tariffs? I mean, I can do it all day if you want. I was anticipating you asking me to perform the accent. Maybe when we talk about a little bit more about J.D. Vance.Keen: Yeah.Oyler: But but, yeah--Keen: Tariffs, and what about China? Could you do China?Oyler: Well, you know, I lived in Beijing for about two months.Keen: I mean, JD, is he the fool here or is he the one who's being made to look like a fool, do you think?Oyler: I think he's allowing himself to be made to look like a fool. I don't think that...Keen: Does he know what he's doing here?Oyler: Yeah. I mean, does he know what he's doing entirely? No. Does he know what he's doing? More than, like, Donald Trump's kids? Yes.Keen: It isn't hard, especially the boys. The girls disappeared, right? I think our girls have disappeared.Oyler: And yeah, good for them. I think I saw on Twitter that it's Ivanka's 43rd birthday today.Keen: Maybe a happy birthday, Ivanka, if you're well, I'm sure you've got better things to do. Although, she does seem to be participating. I'm sure she's severely embarrassed now by the whole thing.Oyler: Yeah, I think that that's a big issue for, you know, they're just they're struggling to have like a base for Trump anymore. And there is like a base for Republican, like a Republican Party base. But it doesn't seem like there's that many.Keen: Yeah, and your essay is entitled "The GOP's Identity Crisis." Maybe it should be "The Trump Family's Identity Crisis."Oyler: Yeah. I mean, he's he's not going to be around for that much longer.Keen: Yeah. I mean, what you said was interesting about talking to a lot of older people who suggested they don't like Trump. I mean, if he loses today, who knows what's going to happen? But if he does indeed lose and relatively decisively in the sense that it's clear that he lost. Do you think the knives are going to be out in your experience in Milwaukee? Yeah, there are enough people in the Republican Party will say enough is enough. This guy's a loser and we need to move on.Oyler: I mean, I think you can't lose two times in a row. You know, I mean, I think that there is enough...It's it's hard to say, well, what are the billionaires going to do? Like, what's Elon Musk going to do? What? Like, where's the money going to go? I don't know. I think they are trying to set up...to me at the convention, it seemed to me that, like J.D. Vance and Vivek Ramaswamy are the are the people that are sort of creating the most enthusiasm. But at the same time, you do have this kind of thing which the Democrats start with in 2016 and in 2020, which is that the younger members of the party have sort of radically different kind of Internet inflected ideas about what they want from the party. And the older guard is sort of scandalized a little bit by that. And it's kind of like a power struggle that will be interesting to watch if if Trump loses. And even if he wins, frankly.Keen: The narrative, the traditional narrative in mainstream media over the last few days has been mostly about men. Men, male and female voters, black and white voters, which is always a feature. And young and old voters. What wisdom did you derive on those fronts from from Milwaukee? Were there any young people there or any black people there? Were there any women there?Oyler: Were there any young people, black people or women there? Yes, there were there. It does skew older. It's very white. And, you know, the women who are there generally wives, even if they're also delegates, like they're not the main event. They don't have a Sarah Palin at this point right? There was...many of the women who spoke on stage were given a pink backdrop. They're very welcoming to women and minorities and young people. The rhetoric is all very much, we're not racist. America is not racist country. This is not a racist party. Over and over again, Tim Scott gave a big speech about how the Republicans aren't racist. Amber Rose Kanye West's ex-girlfriend, gave a big speech about how Republicans aren't racist. There was all this kind of state saying how not racist they were. And, you know, on the ground, obviously most people are white, most people are old, and most people are men. So, it was not super convincing, but it is kind of interesting to watch them say that because, of course, even ten years ago, they would have never cared about any of that, any of those kinds of points.Keen: Early on in the piece, you mentioned DeLillo. To what extent did he, especially in White Noise, did he predict all this? I mean, not just him, but that school of American writing.Oyler: But do you think they're predicting it or they're just observing their own time, and actually, it hasn't changed?Keen: I guess, yeah. I remember a review, I think it was Andrew Hagan's review in the New York Review of Books after 9/11, in which they were reviewing one of one of DeLillo's books about terrorism. I know Hagan wrote about DeLillo in the sense that reality kind of overtaking, maybe, his prediction or his his kind of work. It must be, again, to use a word, surreal here to to see this world that DeLillo already imagined in practice.Oyler: Well, I think he's probably talking about Underworld. But I think it's maybe our idea of of history being kind of flawed rather than DeLillo's being overtaken. I do think DeLillo has some struggles writing about the Internet, but that's fine. But I think, too, because I was reading so much of these convention pieces from the 60s and 70s, the conversation is the same. And that's nonfiction, right? And so I actually think this kind of like apocalyptic rhetoric and and ever greater spectacle, it does sort of get ever greater, but it has always been getting ever greater. And so I don't know that DeLillo has been like overtaken, because also people can read. People read, you know, Libra now, which is all about in the wake of the failed assassination attempt on Trump. Everybody was talking about Libra, which is about the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the kind of, let's say, deep state apparatus surrounding that event. And also, you know, White Noise is a satirical novel. But but I think there was sort of some airborne toxic events in the United States.Keen: Yeah. I mean, he actually did write that in the book. I think about that. In a small town.Oyler: Exactly. But I believe White Noise is based on also a real incident. And DeLillo tends to work with actual news stories. Underworld is also sort of heavily researched and based on on on real, real events. So I think actually, maybe we we have to sort of admit that like as as as writers, as pundits, as journalists, as as whatever, it's in our best interest to say now is totally different. Right now, more than ever, everything's totally different. We're in a new paradigm. We're in a new era. This is especially bad. You know, you keep hearing this is the most important election of our lives. And we've been hearing that for every single election. And it's always been that kind of story. I can't really remember what your question was, but my my feeling about DeLillo is, like, amazing author. One of the best we have.Keen: Yeah, I know. I agree. And this idea of it being the most important election and of course, until the next one. This idea of an identity crisis. Lauren, what is an identity crisis? You noted that America is in a transitional stage. I mean, countries are always in transitional stages. They're always changing. Gramsci I think wrote that these kind of periods are a time for monsters. So we imagine the worst. What, to you, is an identity crisis, and why is the GOP going through it and not the Democrats? Might one argue that it's actually much healthier to face up to this crisis than to basically ignore it as the as the Democrats seem to be doing?Oyler: Yeah. Well, I think the Democrats, for all their faults, sort of dealt with this in the last two elections. And actually, you could say too the election of Barack Obama in 2008 was also a kind of identity crisis moment for them because the party didn't really want him, right? And Hillary's people, I believe, in 2008 were really critical of anyone who would go work for Obama, and it was it was actually like quite a big conflict. So you could say that basically the Democrats have been going through it as well. And now they've kind of they lost so humiliatingly in 2016 that they kind of had to do something about it, and they basically strong armed the left wing of the party in 2020, which for people of my generation, it was quite upsetting or like, galvanizing in some way, but you just don't really see so much...for someone who was really paying attention in 2020, the dissent against Kamala Harris is so much less than the dissent against Joe Biden in 2020. Does that sound right to you?Keen: Yeah, but I'm not sure you...I mean, if America is indeed in what you call this transitional stage where things the nature of the country, perhaps what we might think of as its kind of operating system is changing so dramatically. The Republicans are trying to face up to it and perhaps making fools of themselves, but at least they're addressing it. Why? Why the Republicans? Why the Democrats? So maybe America really isn't...I mean, this idea of a transitional stage is always true. So it's no more transitional in 2024 than it was in 2020 or 1920.Oyler: Yeah. Well, I think the Democrats have proven themselves to be quite denialists, right? Like they're very centrist. So the radical wing of the Republican Party. You could argue that J.D. Vance is part of part of the radical wing of the Republican Party. So I just think that the the Democrats are risk averse. They're very risk averse. And the things that they want are a return to normalcy when Republicans want like a radical reshaping of the government and society. They want...I went to some Moms for Liberty event where, you know, they weren't talking about this on the convention floor, but the Republicans give hearing to people who want to abolish the Department of Education. I can't remember what Trump's specific view on that is, but that's an incredibly radical proposal.Keen: I mean, Michael Lewis wrote a whole book on that: The Fifth Risk.Oyler: Yeah. But, it's not inconceivable that they would do that.Keen: Well, they did it. I mean, they did it in in 2016. I don't know if you're with the Department of Education, but some of these departments, they essentially shut down or appointed people with so hostile to the bureaucratic state that they by definition were going to ruin it.Oyler: Yeah. And then there was the the acronym R.A.G.E, Retire All Government Employees, and this kind of stuff. So but my point is that they you know, they see themselves as a revolution--the Republicans see themselves as a revolutionary party, and the Democrats are emphatically not. They're defining themselves against Republicans. So they're like, of course we're not America is not in an identity crisis. We just need to, like, get back to normal. But to go back to the phrase identity crisis, I think, too, is a reference also to J.D. Vance, whose whole career is, I argue, based on a sort of perversion of liberal identity politics, or an appeal to a kind of liberal identity politics. And the Republican Party's use of him or his use of them, is also based on this kind of Appalachian identity he has has created for himself in the media.Keen: Lauren, whatever happens today, the country's still profoundly divided. One side's going to win, one side is going to lose, but not by much. Lots of people have written about America in a process of divorce. You've presented the Democrats as denialists and the Republicans as so aggressively trying to figure themselves out in a slightly absurd way. Is this like a kind of traditional divorce where one partner denies there's any problems and the other exaggerates them? I don't know what the outcome of that kind of divorce usually is.Oyler: I don't know. Are you divorced?Keen: Yeah, but I'm not a denialist.Oyler: So you're so you're like--Keen: I mean, I was divorced.Oyler: What?Keen: I mean, I was. So...I've married and divorced.Oyler: Okay. But you have been through that. You've experienced--Keen: Yeah, I've done a divorce. Have you?Oyler: No. Never been married.Keen: But you've written about maybe not marriage, but you've written about...split ups, shall we say? I mean, you book Fake Accounts, which was a big hit, is about individuals and how they relate to one another. Is this like, maybe not a divorce, but a breakup in a in a weird kind of way, which, you know, you can't really breakup because you can't split the country in two?Oyler: Well, I don't think so, because I think it's probably...the thing about a romantic relationship is generally you are choosing in some way at least, to be in it and you're sort of declaring your your desire to be in it at some point in time. So if you're breaking it up, you're kind of it's seen as a failure, right? Whereas if you're an American citizen and you were just born in the country, you can't really control where you were born and you can't really, you know, there are only so many things you can do about that, and about your stake in the American political system and whether it breaks out. But are you asking for going is if this sort of south is going to secede or something like that--Keen: No, I'm saying, does this all tie into perhaps our therapeutic culture? I mean, is it coincidental that the kind of language that's being used both by the participants and observers like yourself is the same kind of language used by therapists, people addressing marriage breakups, relationship breakups, denialism, risk aversity, revenge plots, all this sort of thing?Oyler: Well, I think all the political parties are just made up of individual people, and as an individual person, the metaphors that we have at hand are our personal interpersonal metaphors. But I believe I'm a little rusty on this, but I believe Civilization and Its Discontents by Freud makes a similar kind of argument, right? Which is that there's a interpersonal metaphor that can be expanded to encompass the society. And you can read society psychoanalytically. I'm not a Freudian or even pro psychoanalysis per say, but it's not like it's actually not a new tendency that we we want to speak in these terms, especially in politics, which is different from government, right? Like in politics, all of the rhetoric, all of the language that politicians use and that they construct in order to make their case is incredibly personal and incredibly designed to incite emotion. That may remind you of things that happen in in private life, say. But I mean, are we getting a divorce? Like, we can't get a divorce. The Democrats or Republicans can't get a divorce. Maybe they need to grow up rather rather than split up.Keen: Finally, Lauren, I think your latest collection of essays is, No Judgment, I'm being critical...one of your strengths as a writer, thinker, or broadcaster, is your distance. I saw you had two interviews recently, one with GQ that says you don't take your work too seriously and then one with Vanity Fair, which suggests you care a lot. I wonder, and that's probably true of most of us, that we both hopefully don't take ourselves too seriously, but we also, in our own way, care a lot. Is this something that we should care about? I mean, so much hysteria. You noted earlier, every election is the most important election in American history. 2028 will no doubt be the same. You write without judgment, I think, that the piece also is written, in a sense, without judgment. But are you concerned with America? I mean, is this something to really worry about, or is it just one more scene and in the surreal history of the United States of America?Oyler: Well, I think, of course, it's something to care about. The idea I don't really care about things is obviously not totally true. But I think you can't care about the horse race aspect of of politics and you can't...the constant catastrophizing in the media hasn't worked. It's not accurate and it doesn't work. But of course it would be...I would prefer Donald Trump not win. Like, that will have many effects on even the country where I live, which is Germany. But to that point, I don't live in the United States and I don't live in the United States kind of for political reasons. And, of course, it shouldn't be a horrible catastrophe there the way that it is. Should care about it? Yeah. I think that if people don't care about it, or especially if young people don't care about it, it is a sense of that nothing that you do really matters, and like throwing stuff at the wall to see if it sticks politically. And that moment where everyone thought that they could do sort of political activism on social media has thankfully gone away. But there's been nothing to replace it to produce the kind of political subject for young people. So, I don't you know, I don't know what to do.Keen: Yeah,  it's interesting. I mean, I want to end this now because you've been very generous with your time. But I think your point, which hasn't really been made before...2024 is the first post-Internet election. Before, everyone was always obsessed with the Internet, always talking about how important it is. And now, you just don't read much about it. It's either it's the electric system, so it's just sort of ingrained into the system, or we've gone beyond the Internet, God knows where. But the Internet doesn't really feature in the discussion anymore.Oyler: No, I think that that's true. And I think that that's good because people are sort of accepting that it's a part of life now. I think the reason we focused on it so much in the previous two decades was because it felt like things were really radically changing. And maybe this sense that I have that we're transitioning into a new era and we don't really know what is the important thing to focus on is because it was so clear, I think, for many people that things were changing in a particular way with social media and social media was having these kind of drastic facts. And some people were in denial about that, and they would say, social media does matter. It's not real. Now, you can't really say that. But I think I noticed just before we got on the call that there was a New Yorker news, a breaking news story that The New Yorker published that that Russia was sort of inserting like kind of really bizarre election interference propaganda that was so bad. And it's not even going to be a big news story, right? Whereas that was such a huge news story in 2016 and 2020. And now we just sort of accept, yes, the foreign governments are going to attempt to use the Internet to interfere in our elections and we will almost certainly do the same. So, to relate this back to your question, should we all care? I think it's good to be realistic about these things, but it's hard to know where to put the emphasis at this point.Keen: Well, Lauren, Lauren Oyler, the author of Revenge--Revenge Plot, Not Revenge Post.Oyler: I thought you were going to say "romantic movie," which is cool.Keen: You've given me the title of this piece. 2024 is the first post-Internet election. I think that's very profound of you. Thank you so much, Lauren. And I hope I hope you're happy, because I think you and I probably agree on the kind of outcome of the election. But it's not the end of the plot, the revenge plot, whatever other kind of plot you want. We have to get you back on the show, Lauren, once the fog has cleared and we have a better idea of America post-2024. Thank you so much. And keep well and safe in Berlin. Really, I really appreciate it.Oyler: Thanks. Have a good night. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

On this week's podcast, Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, discussed their recent eating adventures. That included Pat's visit to a Hampton Inn, home of the original waffle bar, created by the midscale hotel chain 40 years ago.  That historical milestone is being celebrated by the hotel chain and promoted by Paris Hilton, since Hampton Inn is a brand of her family's hospitality empire, in the form of special pink waffles with edible glitter that guests can add. The hosts observed that there's a lot of edible glitter on menus these days, because it's fun and dazzling on social media and, one hopes, safe to eat.  It turns out that some onions being served by McDonald's probably weren't safe and allegedly sickened a number of people, resulting in one fatality. Pat and Bret discussed that turn of events. First, however Bret discussed his visit to a sushi restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, which he said was fine, just like a lot of sushi is fine these days, but not with the attention to detail that came with sushi in the past—the server didn't even bother to explain what type of fish he had been served. Pat suggested that this is what happens when food like sushi becomes ubiquitous.  She had a chance to visit the newest location of Kernel, a heavily automated quick-service restaurant developed by Chipotle founder Steve Ells, and was happy to report that the formerly meatless chain is now serving chicken.  While Pat was at Kernel, Bret went to a preview of Hudson Club, a new restaurant in Midtown Manhattan headed up by chef John DeLucie. He particularly enjoyed oysters with an apple mignonette, and that was a nice segue to this week's guest, Aaron Juvera, a level one certified oyster master and chef de cuisine of Southerleigh Fine Foods & Brewery in San Antonio, Texas.  Juvera discussed the oyster master certification program, Texas's burgeoning oyster-cultivation industry and Southerleigh's increasing use of lesser-known fish species. We hope you'll tune in.

Picture this - you've just arrived at the Hampton Inn. You're tired from traveling and just want to crash. But then! You see your name on the comically large television. It's beckoning you to watch some basic cable garbage. Your night is made! You're in the hotel tv liminal space! That's right, we're talking the TV we only watch in hotels. From local news to questionable movies to a night judging the couples on House Hunters - hotels are for uncomplicated television!In small talk, Hillary discusses Legos as it relates to Wreckx-n-Effect's Rump Shaker, Bobby (apparently) is always right (??), and Meredith has fallen and she can't get up! We need a Life Alert, STAT!TSHE RecommendsWhen the Clock Broke Jane Wickline's Party Song from SNLConnect with the show!This is your show, too. Feel free to drop us a line, send us a voice memo, or fax us a butt to let us know what you think.Facebook group: This Show Has EverythingFax Bobby Your Butt: 617-354-8513 Feedback form: www.throwyourphone.com Email: tsheshow@gmail.comAOL Keyword: TSHE

In this episode of iCantCU (#272), I dive into a whirlwind, last-minute trip to Pittsburgh.  It was a bit of an adventure, starting with a long train ride and a stay at a very questionable hotel. I mean, the smell alone deserves its own segment! But despite the less-than-ideal accommodations, I made the most of my one full day in the Steel City. Between navigating a tricky Lyft ride, representing the NFB of PA at the PaTTAN Tech Adventures event, and even catching a Pirates game, I squeezed a lot into just 24 hours. Spoiler: tickets to the ballgame were only $10!  Listen to hear how I turned a chaotic day into a memorable one, complete with unexpected kindnesses and, of course, a story about some very smelly hotel carpets. Hold your nose and join me as I recount it all!  Show notes at https://www.iCantCU.com/272  Links Mentioned (product links are affiliate links so that I may earn a commission.) Sony ZV-E10 camera : https://amzn.to/4fFBSxM  Crunchy Peanut Butter Kind Bars - YUM!: https://amzn.to/4cYfm0E  Be My Eyes app (free): https://www.bemyeyes.com/  Seeing AI app (free): https://www.seeingai.com/  Watch episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@iCantCU Support iCantCU When shopping at Amazon, I would appreciate it if you clicked on this link to make your purchases: https://www.iCantCU.com/amazon. I participate in the Amazon Associate Program and earn commissions on qualifying purchases. The best part is, you don't pay extra for doing this! White Canes Connect Podcast Episode 110 In episode 110, co-host Lisa Bryant and I gear up for the upcoming National Federation of the Blind  of Pennsylvania State Convention, which will be held from November 7–10, 2024, in Erie, PA. The episode features an insightful conversation with Lynn Heitz, NFB of Pennsylvania's president, and Tracy Soforenko, NFB of Virginia president and national representative for the event. Find the podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/white-canes-connect/id1592248709  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1YDQSJqpoteGb1UMPwRSuI YouTube Https://www.youtube.com/@pablindpodcast White Canes Connect On Twitter Https://www.twitter.com/PABlindPodcast My Podcast Gear Here is all my gear and links to it on Amazon. I participate in the Amazon Associates Program and earn a commission on qualifying purchases. Zoom Podtrak P4: https://amzn.to/33Ymjkt Zoom ZDM Mic & Headphone Pack: https://amzn.to/33vLn2s Zoom H1n Recorder: https://amzn.to/3zBxJ9O  Gator Frameworks Desk Mounted Boom Arm: https://amzn.to/3AjJuBK Shure SM58 S Mic: https://amzn.to/3JOzofg  Sennheiser Headset (1st 162 episodes): https://amzn.to/3fM0Hu0  Follow iCantCU on your favorite podcast directory! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/icantcu-podcast/id1445801370/  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3nck2D5HgD9ckSaUQaWwW2  Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/iCantCU-Podcast-Podcast/B08JJM26BT  IHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/256-icantcu-podcast-31157111/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/davidbenj  Reach out on social media Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/davidbenj Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidbenj Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidbenj LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbenj Are You or Do You Know A Blind Boss? If you or someone you know is crushing it in their field and is also blind, I want to hear from you! Call me at (646) 926-6350 and leave a message. Please include your name and town, and tell me who the Blind Boss is and why I need to have them on an upcoming episode. You can also email the show at iCantCUPodcast@gmail.com.

This week we resume our narrative of Night Demon's spring 2024 tour supporting German masters Blind Guardian in North America.  This episode picks up gigs in San Francisco and Portland. You will hear all about the historic venue in San Francisco and the accompanying sound issues. Then it's on to Portland where a massage appointment goes awry, a gig is awesome, and the backstage party makes it all even better.  As always, we bring you audio from the shows and commentary from the band and crew who were there.Become a subscriber today at nightdemon.net/subscriber. This week, subscribers have access to the bonus content below:Streaming Audio: Full show - Live in San Francisco, CA - April 28, 2024Streaming Audio: Full show - Live in Portland, OR - April 30, 2024Streaming Video: Love Gun cover at Soundcheck - Roseland BallroomPhoto: Hidden masonic lodge in San Francisco venue Listen at nightdemon.net/podcast or anywhere you listen to podcasts! Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook

There's so many acronyms in this episode, it might make your head spin. We talk about IRC, IBC, IEBC, ADA, FHA and more. John Anderson and I don't do this to punish you, or make you feel confused. But, it's critical to understanding the world of how buildings actually get built. John is usually good for at least a couple of one-liners, and this one is my favorite in this episode:Real estate development is a black box full of money and villains.You'll learn in this episode why requiring sprinklers in small and middle-scale building isn't necessary, and how it makes housing less affordable. We talk about single-stair reform, and understanding how the Fair Housing Act is a very different animal than the Americans with Disabilities Act.For more from John, check out his blog.Find more content on The Messy City on Kevin's Substack page.Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you'd like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.Intro: “Why Be Friends”Outro: “Fairweather Friend”Transcript of Episode:Kevin K (00:01.81)Welcome back to the Messy City podcast. This is Kevin Klinkenberg. You know, we spent a lot of time in the world of whatever you want to call it, urbanism, planning, design, urban design, talking about zoning reform, especially for what we kind of call missing middle housing and the need to reform zoning codes to enable the production of sort of smaller scale.housing. And so I've had a number of episodes on that. We've talked about it. We'll continue to talk about it. But one thing we really haven't talked much about at all, and that's often overlooked, is the need for reform to building codes and building code and development approval processes generally with local governments. So my friend John Anderson started an email thread the other day.that, kind of dug into this issue and like a lot of John's emails, it was long and thorough and a little bit grumpy. and so I thought John and I should just, talk about it, because there's a lot of really great stuff here that I'm not sure that people think about, terribly much, especially if you're one of those people who wants to do small scale, development.whether new construction or rehab, especially for new construction, there's just a lot of other things to think about that you're going to have to consider and other things potentially to work on with your local government to try to reform. So that's a very long introduction to say, welcome John, how you doing?R. John Anderson (01:44.944)Good, I'm good. I'm glad that emails are really thin medium, so it's hard to get grumpiness to come across at the right amplitude.Kevin K (01:55.902)always comes across, you know, it's okay. But I've known you long enough to be able to even decipher it when it's kind of a little more subtle.R. John Anderson (02:06.724)Well, I'll tell you one thing that's.Kevin K (02:08.766)And then there are times that you and Gary Brewer go at it and it's not subtle at all.R. John Anderson (02:13.468)hi. I, it feels like, having a conversation with someone in Quebec where I just don't, our experience is so different. The world's way operator so far apart. It's it. I feel like we're too, you know, Neanderthal tribes meeting in the dark searching for a common word for fire without success. You know, so.Kevin K (02:37.63)Yeah.No doubt. No doubt.R. John Anderson (02:41.904)No, Fog thinks small house 500 square feet. No, Og thinks small house 3000 square feet.Kevin K (02:47.646)Exactly. $2 million is a reasonable budget for any new house, Yeah.R. John Anderson (02:52.046)Right. And you ought to have it specially designed by an architect because that's the world that he's operating in.Kevin K (02:58.812)That's okay. We love, we love Gary too. He's a brilliant designer. but, he long operated in a different stratosphere in terms of architecture. So John, let's, let's get into this a little bit. I think there's, do you want to kind of lead off a little bit, just talking about building code reform generally before we get into some of theR. John Anderson (03:01.818)Yeah.R. John Anderson (03:17.71)Well, yeah, let's talk about why you'd want to reform the building code. We've seen a fair amount of uptake in zoning code reform where folks are, think, under the banner of making middle scale, missing middle housing legal again.you see that find its way into comprehensive plans and then policy documents. And then from there, it goes through the gruesome process of actually changing the zoning. Often it takes two mentions in the comprehensive plan or three to get that to happen. It's in the implementation paragraph in the back. We should change the zoning to make this legal. And the, and youTo the credit of people that are trying to move a comprehensive plan forward, they really are trying to engage the big ideas and get enough consensus and buy -in to be able to pursue them. And then that can be a couple hundred thousand dollars down the road and you've exhausted all your staff and you have no budget left to actually change the zoning. So which is why it takes two or three cycles of the comp plan.But when it finally comes around to it, then you get zoning that allows a duplex, an ADU, a fourplex. And then the fourplexes don't get built. And that's because when you move, in most places, when you move past two units, a duplex, into three units in a building, you move from the International Residential Code to the International Building Code or the Commercial Code. So.And when that happens, you have fire sprinklers. And in order to have fire sprinklers, you need to make a connection at the water main. You have to protect the water main from stale water in your sprinkler system from washing back, backflow preventer. You need a sprinkler riser and a pressure reducing valve and a flow alarm. And like this red trombone that lives in a little closet that gets inspected by the building is the fire inspector before.R. John Anderson (05:29.36)you run horizontally your pipes. And because you're tapping the water menu, that's a serious piece of plumbing work, but it also typically requires a tap fee. in Seattle, that was $16 ,000. And in Chattanooga, it was $18 ,000 if you wanted to build a fourplex.Kevin K (05:54.204)That's just the fee. That's just to check you right to the municipality. Right.R. John Anderson (05:56.664)Yeah, there's no tap. There's no water coming your way. There's just the promise of water now that you've paid the fee for the privilege. And it's at the discretion, typically, the fire official for an entirely residential building. If you're going to build a residential sprinkler system, the geek term for that is NFPA 13R, National Fire Protection Association, 13R. That means you can use PECs or PVC plastic pipe onceonce you're inside the building and you've got it all set up. But for a 13 -hour system, for a residential system, it's the fire official has some discretion about whether or not they want a separate dedicated service, or you should be able to use the domestic service with a backflow preventer or check valve to keep the stagnant water and the fire sprinklers from contaminating your domestic water. But typically fire officials areare creatures of habit and that habit is usually enforcing the strictest standard possible and not, they're not given to, making concessions. would make a builder's life easier. So it's good. It's got, you're deviating from the system, youKevin K (07:08.68)Plus you're, yeah, and you are practicing the dark arts of real estate development, so you probably are serving to endanger the lives of whoever you're building for,R. John Anderson (07:21.434)Well, that's actually how we make our money. It's by endangering other people. The more of our customers we can put at risk, the better for us. And I think, know, in their defense, our culture says that real estate development and construction is a black box full of money and villains, and it's unknowable how much money is going to be made. So why would you complain about saving children from a fire?Kevin K (07:30.558)It'sR. John Anderson (07:49.552)because there's just a huge amount of money you're going to make. it's a technical problem wrapped in myth and caricature.Kevin K (07:59.518)So if I just take a step back and think big picture again here, so especially maybe for a lay person, you know, a lot of people, I remember this, a lot of people refer to these codes as like fire codes. That's kind of like the vernacular for people who are not architects or in the professions, but they're actually technically called building codes. When I was a young architect, there were multiple different building codes. There was a uniform building code and there was a Southern building code.BOKA code, and then they eventually all coalesced into what we call the International Building Code. And that is the standard now that most cities, local governments, and states adopt. There are different cycles and years at which you might adopt a But as you mentioned, there's also this companion piece called the International Residential Code, which for the most part governs just one family and two familybuildings.R. John Anderson (09:00.428)or attached one family, like a townhouse with a fire separation wall between them, no common hallways or anything. The entity that issues those codes is called the International Codes Council, it's a private nonprofit. And if you're a fire official or a local building official, this is probably your trade group. Also, if you manufactureKevin K (09:07.474)Right.R. John Anderson (09:29.872)fire sprinklers, you're probably pretty active there. Because what happens is there's a code cycle where, okay, we have a new edition of the International Residential Code coming out for 2028 or 24 or whatever. so in between the last time the model, what they call model codes were issued and now folks have made proposals. This last round for the 2024contains a lot of really good improvements on the codes for building decks, which were kind of a neglected area and there were a lot of deck failures and some smart folks got together and came up with some common sense solutions. So, and if you use those solutions, you don't actually have to have an engineer verify your deck construction. So the issue of the model code and then state by state, state legislaturesthey'll review it in committee. It'll come to a vote. They'll adopt the such and such year, the 2024 international residential code, international existing building code, international FAR code, international, you know, all of those codes, kind of all at once. And then depending on your state, you can, when the state adopts it, then it goes over to a codes commissiondoes rulemaking where they might make some adjustments that are appropriate to that state, local climate and economics. And then it becomes law. And then the process for it to happen at the local level, your county, municipality, town, some places it immediately becomes the one you're supposed to work with. Others you have a window toadopted in and if you don't do anything to amend it, it's the one you're going to work with. And other places, the only way you, so you could adopt it and make it less stringent in places like California or New York, and I believe Illinois, but in states that are what are called Dillon's rule state versus home rule states, Dillon's rule state, you can only adopt it to make it moreR. John Anderson (11:55.726)So in Tennessee, recently basically legalized fourplexes without fire sprinklers. And they did that at the state level after attempting to do it just for Shelby County and Memphis. They had to go back and try again. most of the code reform issues that are going on in most states have to be engaged at the state legislature.level. And a lot of states will eliminate the requirement for fire sprinklers in all new residential units.Kevin K (12:36.178)And so we should probably talk about like what's the whole big deal? Why wouldn't you want to have sprinklers required in buildings? And I want to give you a little background from my standpoint, but you go ahead and answer that first. What's the problem here?R. John Anderson (12:55.662)Well, I think the problem is one, first of cost, and then second of benefit. A two -story fourplex is actually safer than a single -family house of the same size because there are rated assemblies separating one unit from the rest. You have exiting that meets the requirements.all those places that are sleeping rooms have to have an egress window. So in addition to going out through the hallway, you could go out through the window or a firefighter could come in from the window and they're sized. So firefighter with a Scott pack can go through the window. the, and there isn't much in the way of actual evidence that fire sprinklers save lives or save structures. They're mostly there even in commercial buildings to increase the amount of exitingpeople have to get out of the building. They don't put out fires. They control smoke to a point. So, and it, you know, it makes sense if you're in a big quarter building or a hotel or, you know, a high rise, that getting out of the building in the case of a fire is a big serious issue. There's a big difference in scale between a high rise and a fourplex. So, and also the cost of, again, getting the system just to the building is significant.actually costs more than running the pipe inside the building. So that additional cost, say you're trying to build market rate apartments adjacent to a daycare and a place for food and drink. And you get actually a little bit higher rents because you have those community amenities. But if the rents are not high enough to support a more expensive kind of construction, thenyou probably build townhouses or something else. So the notion of the missing middle, there is a whole strata of easily built wood frame buildings that could be built, but for this fire sprinkler requirement that makes the cost too high to be able to recover either with a sales price or with rent. So basically, you can't get the rent, you probably shouldn't build the building. And it'sR. John Anderson (15:19.536)I mean $18 ,000 before you install the system. you're going to, that's the same system you would use for 16 units. Just 16 units would have more pipe. But the core system being kind of, that cost being spread over just three or four units, it kills it off. And it's typically six units or more become kind of the threshold.Kevin K (15:44.958)Well, and there's also an ongoing maintenance cost. mean, you can't just like put in a backflow preventer in a fire sprinkler system and just like let it sit for 50 years and never touch it.R. John Anderson (15:53.284)Yep. Yep. Well, and also the, you'll often hear fire officials talk about, you're going to, you know, okay, so it costs a little bit more on the front end, but people are going to save money on their homeowner's insurance, you know, or, or the building owner will save money on their insurance. And that's just not true because there's more property damage from leaking fire sprinklers than there are from fires. And the folks that issue insurance are smart enough to, you know, look at the actuarial tables and say, Nope, no break for fire sprinklers. So.Kevin K (16:22.59)And I think you can – even if you don't know a of this stuff, you might intuitively kind of know it because if you look around and see what is actually built in terms of new construction and that's why I think one reason when you look around you see an awful lot of – not just single family. I mean there's obviously a big single family market but when you go to duplexes or a townhouse rows where you might have four, six townhouses in a row or something likeYou're doing all of that with the international residential code and you're avoiding all of the complexities of the international building code or the requirements that come with having multiple units.R. John Anderson (17:04.996)Yeah. Also, if you were to do, there's a, there's a paragraph in the international residential code that says, okay, so you could have a duplex and up and down duplex, no fire sprinklers attached to that. know, so you had a ground floor, you know, one bedroom and upstairs, had a two or three bedroom, you know, three story building like you'd see in Savannah. you can't do that without fire sprinklers. Now, once you put two units in a, in a building and attachwith the firewall and everything, now you gotta do fire sprinklers. So, and that's a really, really practical, flexible building type that we can't do because every one of those individual buildings now needs a fire sprinkler system. And there's just, now you're looking at spreading the cost of that red trombone over two units, so.Kevin K (17:56.882)Yeah, it's interesting to me because I think about before the codes unified, there were very different philosophies between like the UBC and the BOCA code. broadly speaking, like one of them was, have very, it was more about building materials and assemblies. And thenwhat became the international code was really just basically about sprinklers. They say we're gonna be a lot more lenient on exiting and materials and other stuff as long as you put in sprinklers. And that's the one that wonR. John Anderson (18:35.93)Yeah, there are other ways to build without sprinklers, but typically the amount of brain damage required is tough. And a lot of times when you take those alternative routes, the building official or file official will say, no, no, why don't you just sprinkle it? And the evolution of codes over time, it wasn't until the, I think the mid sixties.It's been a long time since I had to take my journeyman's test as an electrician, but I think it was the mid 1960s. Before that time, you weren't required to ground outlets. So an old house with no ground, your answering machine, computer, television, anything is kind of at risk because there's no ground. So now grounding outlets became the thing. In about 1975, hardwired smoke detectors became required.And that actually saved a lot of lives. So that was a really effective change in the building code. And when it all got consolidated, the kind of code caulking that was used to bring it all together was, well, yeah, we have all these differences, but I think we can agree that if you sprinkle it, it's no problem. We got it covered. So the end over time.you see that's also the place where you would go to argue about whether how wide a street needs to be because that's incorporated into the fire code. And in recent additions, it went from being 20 foot clear to 26 foot clear, depending on which appendix you adopt. And this is the kind of thing where if some restrictions are a good idea in the name of safety, then more might be better. And I think that a lot of this comesWe have really specialized rules that are not integrated into making places worth caring about. They are specialized and the builder, the developer, the architect, or the people that are responsible to combine these ingredients in a capable way. And then we have them reviewed by a bunch of specialists who each have their own particular set of goals when they do the review.R. John Anderson (20:57.956)And if you've ever worked on a big serious building that had elevators and you had a local electrical inspector and a state elevator inspector, both operating under perfectly good codes, you could be hung up for six months while they fight. And you've built it the way you thought was, the way the architect got it signed off. But in the final turf competition, you couldreally jammed up because now you have specialists that are in conflict. And both of them feel like they have the authority to win.Kevin K (21:36.926)But of course, one of the great ironies of all this is the sort of buildings that we're often trying to reproduce or emulate or do new again have been around for 100, 100 plus years. The truth is most of those were built with a very similar construction method as how we build today. A lot of them were like balloon framed with like a, maybe they have a brick veneer or something like that. But a lot of them aren't like Clay Chapman's structural masonry buildings. They're actuallywood -framed. have no, right, I mean they have no fire rated assemblies at all between the units or between the hallways. Single stair often in many cases, no sprinklers, none of those features at all. And I'm not to say there haven't been fires and tragedies in any of those buildings, but by and large, if you look around, there's enormous wealth of them that have existed for over aR. John Anderson (22:09.124)with really, really thick brick paint that goes onR. John Anderson (22:36.922)Yeah, and I think that the.If the decision about how much risk are we willing to take on, say as a community, that decision is delegated to elected officials and elected officials have staff and they adopt these model codes and enforce them. And the, isn't a lot of defensible territory in the, wait a minute. The rules that you are playing by and you want me to play by are,What's the technical term? Kind of b******t. And I would like to make a case for that. And people get very defensive because I think also people have a really good internal gyroscope for the slippery slope of having to rethink all their assumptions. And they'll put their heels in the ground and it doesn't take much to say no.as opposed to, you you make some interesting points. I would really like to dig into the research on this. I appreciate you brought it to our attention. know, that more commonly is like, look, you make a pretty good case, but if we let you do it, we'd have to let everyone do it. And I know you're a very careful builder, but there are some schlocky guys out there that are gonna make terrible things happen. And we have to protect the public from them. So we're gonna throw you under the same bus we throw them under.So, you know, so a lot of this comes down to how do people perceive and measure risk? How do they communicate about it? And are there benefits out the other side of it that are worth taking that effort? So right now, they're, last count, there are like nine different states that are, that have legislation pending about going to single stair for six stories in a sprinkled building.R. John Anderson (24:36.56)And what that does, if you Google single stair buildings in Seattle, you'll see that the ability to do just one stair allows you to work on a smaller footprint. So it creates a lot of really good infill on 50 by 100 lots or 100 by 100 lots instead of a full half block podium building. The requirement for two stairs anda third of the diagonal distance of that rectangle separating the two stairs. So you got your room to make a choice which stair you're going to. That requirement creates a lot of, and then two rated stair stair assemblies. That creates a lot of corridor buildings to amortize all that common area and all those additional stairs. So they've been building single -story single stair buildings with sprinklers in Europe for a very long time. And it's kind ofit's the established standard for, you know, that portion of the Western world. And so about 12 years ago, there was an amendment made to the local building code in Seattle to allow for single stair buildings. And a lot of them have been built with good success and are perfectly safe. And now the legislature has, I believe, passed it and it's on to the codes commission for rulemaking.The fourplexes don't need fire sprinklers rule didn't make it out of committee. But the but you can see, you know, looking around the country, there's at least nine states that are looking for single stair. And I think that we'll see a similar Montana, you can build a fourplex with no sprinklers in Vermont. You can build a fourplex with no sprinklers. But the.These things end up often sponsored by the local home builders association. In North Carolina, home builders came in with that. It passed in the legislature. It also involves some reduction in the requirements for the energy code. So Republican supermajority got it passed. Democratic governor vetoed it. Supermajority overruled them. Now those areR. John Anderson (26:59.482)Those are supposed to be the rules except that it still has to go to the codes commission and the codes commission doesn't have enough members and members are appointed by the democratic governor. So it became a turf issue about if those guys are for it, I'm against it. Plus, you know, energy codes are for important purposes like climate change. So we can't give ground on that ideologically. So that's kind of the process. And I think that the kind of bottomsupport for these things at a state legislature, you know, one at a time. I think that probably has a better chance than a top -down approach where you make code proposals to the ICC and need to survive the committee review process to be able to have those proposals incorporated in the next round of theI've, I've resisted, I've resisted joining, but I figured out that membership costs this, you know, the same as buying all the hard copy code books, as the non -member. So.Kevin K (27:55.038)Have youKevin K (28:06.398)There you go. Have you seen any discussion at all from the ICC about changing the one and two family to go up to three and four family?R. John Anderson (28:17.808)Not at the ICC in general. There's no proposals currently in the mix. But I think thatIt's a, you know, I only have so much room for research and development and missionary work in my life. the, and my batting average on that is pretty dismal.thought about trying to rally the troops and get multiple proposals in from all over the country. So absent a grant from Melinda and Bill Gates, I don't think I'm going to storm the battlements of a top -down solution.Kevin K (29:09.886)So it wasn't there, was it Memphis that did up to six units without sprinklers?R. John Anderson (29:15.118)Yeah. Yeah. And then it was killed off by the state fire marshal. And so the so the legislative fix to that was to say that the state fire marshal does not have jurisdiction in Shelby County or kind of was like in there, tagged on to some other bill. So the so now you can do six units, no forest reclures, but withtypically two hour separations between units, which is not a heavy cost because by the building code, the sound transmission requirements you have, if you just pick the right wall sandwich, you will exceed the two hour fire rating by the time you get to the sound transmission coefficient number of 59, which isthe minimum between units and multifamily.Kevin K (30:14.43)Isn't it mostly just like a double layer of Type X drywall on both sides?R. John Anderson (30:18.352)Yeah, typically double layer on resilient channel or double layer on double studs with air gap. So, you know, and it's 5 -8, two layers of 5 -8.Kevin K (30:27.912)Yeah, okay.Kevin K (30:33.65)Yeah, and the whole scheme of things that's cheaper than the sprinkler deal.R. John Anderson (30:38.5)Yeah, it's also the, just makes for a much quieter unit, you know, which is a benefit that your residents would see as a good thing.Kevin K (30:46.034)Yeah, no doubt.Kevin K (30:53.586)Right. Right. So we've talked a little bit about, you know, the sprinkler issues that relates to three, four, five, six plexes, that sort of thing. We've talked about the single stair exiting possibility. What else are you seeing that like small developers should be really aware of when it comes to, or like red flags when it comes to other code issues besides what you might see in the zoningR. John Anderson (31:18.698)the, one of the things that you'll, it's a confusing problem. all, facial tissues are not manufactured by Kimberly Clark called Kleenex, right? But if you said pass me a Kleenex, people know exactly what you're talking about. The brand name has become kind of the generic name. The same thing happens with accessibility requirements.the Americans with Disabilities Act governs basically places of public accommodation, commercial offices, retail, movie theaters, universities, hospitals, state capitals. And the Fair Housing Act governs the accessibility requirements for residential.and you need to have four units or more to have that building be covered by that set of standards. So if you were going to have four units in a fourplex, two up, two down, all of the ground floor units would be required to be accessible, adaptable. That doesn't mean they have to be accessible when you build them, but they have to be adapted to be accessible in a reasonable period of time if someone with a disability wants to rentSo what that turns into is doors with enough clearance, lever hardware, enough backing in the bathrooms to put in grab bars, enough space between appliances and counters, and be able to get into the building with a zero -slip entry. So we typically build porches, you know, two and a half feet over the surrounding grade. And the way that we handlethat adaptability issue is in a fourplex with a raised floor. The ramp you put in goes down the side of a narrow deep building and brings you up to the front porch elevation. So, and you don't have to do that until someone shows up and wants to rent that, you know, is in a wheelchair or whatever. So, but the people can, a lot of people conflate accessibility for residential with ADA.R. John Anderson (33:44.634)people talk about ADA requirements as if that's all of the accessibility requirements. So for small developers, it's important to understand if you did a mixed use building, the commercial on the ground floor is governed by the ADA, although there's some square footage exceptions for certain things. And then the units upstairs, if you decided to put all four units on top of the commercial space on the ground floor, as far as the Fair Housing Act is concerned,the second floor is now the ground floor, because that's the first place that housing occurs. So now you either need a really big difference in grade or an elevator, which you're not going to amortize over four units. So the better play is to put one unit, however small or modest on the ground floor, because in a non -elevator building, all ground floor units need to be accessible, adaptable, all one of them in this case.Kevin K (34:41.534)John, what might an elevator cost in round numbers, just to by way of thinking aboutR. John Anderson (34:47.504)Well, there's like the base, the cab and the equipment round numbers, that's going to be 50 to 75 ,000. And then you're going to see typically about 25 ,000 a stop in the additional shaft way. And that's for hydraulic. Once you've ever stayed on the fifth floor of a Hampton Inn, that's a hydraulic elevator and you're able tosome maybe some bad life choices by the time you get to the fifth floor because they're very slow at that point. So four stories is kind of the effective maximum for a hydraulic and at which point now you go to a traction elevator which is significant but another 50 to 60 percent more expensive per floor. So again if you are in a situation where you're going to have to have an elevator for market reasons orfor accessibility reasons, you need a lot of units to be able to spread that cost. Because it's not only a first cost, there's the ongoing maintenance and your insurance is gonna go up. But also your construction cost is gonna go up because as soon as you introduce an elevator into the building, kind of all the trades sort of start to move their numbers up or drop out because, yeah.Elevator inspector as an HVAC guy used to doing two story buildings. I don't think I need that guy in my life, you know, because I'm supposed to provide exhaust for the shaft and they're really picky about how you do that. And I just don't do enough elevator buildings to, and I'm busy anyway, you know, so there there's a point where, it's like there, there are buildings that are scaled right for a small developer. And then there's the nextKevin K (36:22.034)Yeah.R. John Anderson (36:45.104)which is a significant bump in the number of units, the cost, the overall scale and complexity of the project. there's, and the folks have a, often have a mistaken notion about that being same as, you know, that's the same as, as the four townhouses I built, just 40 units with an elevator and corridors and fire sprinklers. What's the worry? You know, you know, if I'm going to do four units in this town with all the brain damage I got to go through, I may as well doYou know, so now I get to raise more money. It costs more to build on a per square foot basis. My rents have to be higher. Everything sort of starts to snowball in complexity and scale. And what you should have done as a small developer is instead of, you know, swinging for the fences with that home run, that great project that now you don't have to work anymore. You should do a series of small projects and have a portfolio that is made up of things that.You weren't just doubling down until you lost everything. And you see conventional developers doing the same thing. it's like, you know, if I'm going to, you know, in California, it's probably the best example. If I'm going to do 400 units, may as well do 4 ,000 because the environmental litigation will cost about the same. You know, and also if I can get the stuff approved now, because the barriers to entry are so high, I can definitely make money on 4 ,000 units.400 is kind of sketchy, I don't know, it's a small deal.Kevin K (38:17.534)Yeah, I was just having this conversation with a couple of developers, friends the other day here and like in our city. Like there's just, there's no, there's a lot of great discussion and talk about reform to enable small scale stuff. But when you actually put pencil to paper and start to do a project, like the, the review machine has no mechanism to handle.smaller scale stuff or at all. And so everything pushes for bigness. And it's frustrating because there are a lot of us who I think would like to do some smaller scale stuff. But know, John, this is one reason like you developed, you created the 4F building prototype was to really kind of help smaller developers understand like a hack around some of these different codes.R. John Anderson (39:12.622)Yeah, and that's around the same time that, at that time you could in Texas, Idaho, Nevada, and a few other places, you could build a fourplex without, fire sprinklers. and those were some of the very few places during the great recession that you could build anything. So, it seemed to make sense. What's happened since then is that the fire sprinklers will, you know, the form follows finance fourplex really at this point should be two duplexes on the same lot or.a four unit cottage court or something. David Kim was really instrumental in hacking the code to come up with the three story single stair walk up. And that could be a mixed use building with one unit on the ground floor and then no more than four units on each of the second and third floor and had a maximum exiting number. So we kindIt's kind of like working an investment strategy around the tax code. You know, it's like that's that we're going to have to fit this box. And what we found was that you do wood frame construction. You could do a tall ground floor if you needed retail. And you could do either nine units, four on each of the second and third floor and one unit on the ground floor, the rest commercial, or you could do 12 units all the way down to the bottom, or you can add additional units on the ground floor as long as theydirect access for exiting on the outside wings or something on the back. So that type is getting a lot of traction. The same time Eric Brown and Union Studio had developed similar buildings using the same analysis of the code. So there's a number of those that have been built.That one of the benefits when you're doing a small multi -family building with fire sprinklers and the like is that you, if you're only doing four units on a floor, the common area is basically the stairway at a very large landing. So you end up with maybe four, about six to 8 % of the building area is common area compared to the 15 to 18 % you see in corridor buildings.R. John Anderson (41:36.752)So got to pay to build it, you got to pay to clean it, maintain it, insure it, et cetera. And so being able to reduce the common area, being able to reduce the number of stairs, together buildings that would fit on a 50 or 100 foot lot opens up a lot of opportunities for three story buildings and for mixed use. But again, ADA for the commercial and Fair Housing Act for the rest.Kevin K (42:04.712)Right. So it's really kind of funny because I think I don't think I ever really learned about the Fair Housing Act until you and I started working together, which was, you know, easily almost a decade into my career as an architect. And then we started like looking at the Fair Housing Act. There actually are some interesting workarounds besides like the ground floor thing in the Fair Housing Act. So one or two that I want you to talk about the townhouse rules for fair housing.But one I remember is I think it was adopted in what 1983 and it exempts all buildings built before that year if I remember right. 91, okay.R. John Anderson (42:45.127)1991, May, March of 1991, March 30th, 1991. So if you have an older built.Kevin K (42:48.902)Okay. It's almost like you'd memorize that or like tattooed it somewhere.R. John Anderson (42:53.712)You remember back in the early days of computers when offices didn't have IT people and whoever had figured out how to stay on hold for three hours with Dell computers to get a technical support answer?Kevin K (43:13.534)or was like me, was like the 18 or 19 year old who just grew up with computers, that was the IT person.R. John Anderson (43:16.644)Yep. Yep. And the fact that you could figure out how to download a print driver, you were now the go -to guy. And the more people came to you and asked for help with their print driver, the more problems you solve. the, you know, the fact that you never got a raise because you were the de facto IT guy. So these days for our own purposes, we have dug into this stuff. And then you start to look around and say, wait a minute, not everybody has done this homework. No, no, it's likeKevin K (43:23.228)Yeah. yeah.R. John Anderson (43:46.126)No, we're really busy and it's really hard and really complicated already. You know, we already have the building code and the fire code and everything else. Fair Housing Act. Jesus. So the, so I really, I have a hard time passing up on a chance to reduce my sense of imposter syndrome. It's like, I really am a legitimate guy, you know? No, no, I've read this. Let me send it to you, youDid you read it? No, I didn't. just took a word for it. So no, you got to read it and tell other people about it. You know, it's like, so you, you, ended up coming across as some sort of, you know, uh, crazy person, you know, the kind of people who nailed their 19 thesis to the door of the church and Wittenberg kind of guy, you know, like, uh, that was not my intent, but it's sort of evolved thatKevin K (44:40.072)So anyway, one thing I remember, so a great workaround in the Fair Housing Act, I've had a lot of people over the years talk to me about, have like a old historic mixed use building and they don't want to, they're scared to renovate the upstairs for residential because of what they say ADA, just like to your point, it's not ADA, it's actually fair housing. And my point was no, you're exempt.R. John Anderson (45:06.212)You're exempt. One of the problems, those buildings are covered by the international existing building code, which gives fire officials and building officials a lot of latitude about how you get to the intent of the code, how much effort is going to be required given the level of renovation you're doing. And that same sort of metric is appliedaccessibility upgrades for places covered with the ADA, know, more than 20, you know, can you devote 25 % of your budget to accessibility? Well, $25 ,000 in bathroom upgrades doesn't go very far. It's pretty easy to do. But when it comes time, when, when, uh, the current building code says, if you have residential occupancy over mercantile or business or, know, anything else, that's a big.hazard and now you need to have fire sprinklers because it's under the international building code. International residential existing building code says look if you can put another layer of drywall on the ceiling and create a two -hour rating around the stairway you're good you know. Also you need to use a firecock anytime conduits go through a through a rated floor orA lot of building officials are not ready to, you know, to learn about how much discretion they have or why they should use it in order to be able to get those second story apartments back online on Main Street. So the so even though it's in the code that they have adopted that this could happen, they're not trained at it. They don't get any practice at it. It basically, you know, goes through kind of the code egg sorter. Let's you know, you're spending this much money. You're now you need to bring it all up to code.So in those settings,R. John Anderson (47:06.434)Eric Cromberg is probably the best person to talk to about what the international existing code will allow you to do if you can explain it to the people enforcing it. And I think it's important to do that before you submit your plans with your code analysis and your stamp and wet signature next to the code analysis that says, I really do know what I'm talking about. Please look up these sections.You need to, you you need to talk with your building officials about the intent of the code and the like. And have you seen this section of the, know, you have to cultivate those relationships so that people trust you rather than they feel like they have to defend their turf. So, but the, the, the townhouse exemption and fair housing act is two story units are exempt from being covered by fair housing act, which.accounts for some of the enthusiasm for building rental townhouses.Kevin K (48:07.868)Yeah, yeah. And can you stack them then?R. John Anderson (48:12.75)No. No, if you stack a townhouse now, that's two units between, even though they have a firewall, once you put two units into a townhouse, now you're into fire sprinklers.Kevin K (48:24.86)Okay, yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. All right, so yeah, so just again to clarify a little bit in case we're making people's heads spin a little bit. I think it might be, but like when you talked about the international existing building codes is yet another code that's part of the model code family and it has to be adopted. I don't think like my city has adopted it. I think there are a lot of local governmentsR. John Anderson (48:36.624)I think the odds in that are pretty high.R. John Anderson (48:53.392)I would, if you look, it's in there in the alphabet soup of adopted codes. Most, most folks.Kevin K (48:56.188)Yeah. Okay. But it was, it was created, okay. It was created for the express purpose of making renovation of more historic buildings easier.R. John Anderson (49:07.588)Yeah. And the, all of the, the, the best parts of the international existing building code are all the paragraphs about intent, you know, and if you're sitting down with a code official about that, said, okay, so this says the intent is this, can we agree that that's, you know, that's a good intent? And if we can get, if we can satisfy that, you know, this project, can we get to yes, you know, the,But folks in those kind of positions don't want to be called out for being wrong or dogmatic or they wouldn't want to be characterized as Pharisees, which is usually the word that's like, I'm thinking that really loud and I'm in those meetings. The blind guides. So I think that it's about building relationships with the staff that are dealing with that.And I think in order to get to that point, small developers probably need to international residential code compliant buildings and establish trust with their neighbors so that you've built that foundation of support and you're blunting some of the opposition that might come if you're looking for some kind of entitlement later. But if you're just asking for building permits,build your track record and build your trust, be the person who does what they say they're going to do. Hire local folks, train local folks, create enough daylight in between you and the big production builder from out of town or the developer from the other side of town where you are, if this is going to happen, we would rather our person do it. Janine is the person who's built all those great carriage houses in our neighborhood.And we would like to see her be able to continue to do that. So we think that, you know, it's reasonable that we should, you when she renovates the old trolley stop, mixed use buildings, she shouldn't have to put in fire sprinklers, youKevin K (51:19.954)Yeah. Yeah. And to kind of put a last piece on it that is ever much so fun is there's the human element to all of this. And I was, I actually saw a tweet this morning from our friend Aaron Lubeck about, I think a builder friend in where he is in Durham had a project submitted and one staff reviewer for some, I can't remember the exact story, but there were like two different staff reviewers or code reviewers on it. And one of them came back with likeNo,R. John Anderson (51:53.264)Hard to get good help.Kevin K (51:54.686)That's OK.R. John Anderson (51:57.216)I'm being protected from marauding squirrels on the telephone wires.Kevin K (52:01.022)I fully understand. But basically, one staff person had no comments, and another one came back with 25 comments. And so there's a human element to this that the people who review your application and are looking to apply the building code may end up with very different interpretations of what is required and what is not required. So John, advice on how to navigateR. John Anderson (52:27.182)Well, the plan checkers and the building inspectors report to the chief building official. And that's a position that you have to identify when you adopt the building code. You know, you're, you're, you know, that's a job description that, that has to get filled. And sometimes that person has many other responsibilities, but there's somebody identified as the last word as the chief building official. Appointments with that person.and conversations about intent and, you know, demonstrating that you're trying to build something that will be safe and reasonable. And that you're trying to get to the intent of the code. If you can build that relationship,if you're sideways with a plan checker, it's like, well, we have, we have two very different opinions about this. Can we bring in the chief building official to, you know, break the tie or maybe advise a different approach? You know, are you okay with that? It's like, it's, it's, you know, it's not personal, you know, I definitely think this is working and my, my architect who's responsible for the safety of this building until the end of their natural life,that person, you know, has signed off on it. The city's got no liability here, even though you believe it does. So we think we've got you covered for liability. We think we've been responsible as professionals. How about it? I mean, come on, you know, but you need to build that relationship demonstrating that you are not not someone who's, you know, given to tantrumsor calling city council members, city manager, you're not gonna go over their head. You wanna work it out within that smaller circle. The day you go overhead, you go up the food chain, you can mark that day because now from now on, all your plan checks are gonna be given extra scrutiny and given to the most senior person and the most careful person in the group.R. John Anderson (54:41.014)More difficult is the situation where somebody will pick up a set of plans that are pretty much done by a junior person and then redline it and say, no, no, it has to be like this. And your conversation likely when you get your plans back is going to be with the junior person who can't actually articulate what the senior person did. And it's quite possible that they were wrong.but now you got that extra layer to go through. So to be able to get to the person who can say grace on the whole arrangement and build that relationship and demonstrate that while you have that relationship, you're not always going to pull that card. You're not going to do it for every little thing. And it's like the...There's kind of a quick sorting system that plan check and building inspectors have. If this person is basically doing a good job, I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt because they're consistently doing a good job. If this person is a jerk, I think it's my duty to protect my fellow building inspectors from this monster.You know, and I need to actually maybe cross the line a little bit in order to be able to put this guy in his place because he never read the code. You know, so the, there's a whole lot of high school hallway one -upsmanship that goes on usually between males. I think that female building officials and female contractors and developers typically are more rigorous instudy and their presentation and their communication skills. and I think recovering elementary school teachers who've become small developers, their communication skills are awesome because their expectation for human behavior is fairly modest.Kevin K (56:41.662)No doubt, no doubt. All right, John, before we wrap, any final words or thoughts for people to think about as they look at codes?R. John Anderson (56:53.602)Well, I think that particularly for small developers, it's really important because of the level of complexity and kind of the possibility that code issue will just stop your project altogether. It's important to become, don't leave it to your architect to be the last word on the code. It's OK to have spirited discussions about it. ButGet Francis Ching's books about, you know, the building codes illustrated or the international residential code illustrated, which when you read the code, there are a lot of things that you end up making a sketch or a diagram. So you see if you've got it figured out because it makes references from one section to another. You can't just hold it all in your head. The great thing about the Frank Ching books is that he's made those drawings much better than youand they communicate really effectively and you can bring that into the meeting. don't subcontract code compliance to somebody else because just like you wouldn't subcontract your personal guarantee on the construction loan to someone else, it's that serious. And start with small projects. Make small code problems and solveKevin K (58:10.386)Yeah, noKevin K (58:16.638)Yes, some of us may. We may learn to take that advice one day or maybe not, who knows.R. John Anderson (58:24.448)Well, I have a steady stream of I told you so's on any day of the week. So I'm happy to help people out with that.Kevin K (58:33.054)Yeah. All right, John, thanks so much. this. All right. See you later.R. John Anderson (58:35.994)Sure, take care.Thank you. Get full access to The Messy City at kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/subscribe

We play a clip from Matt Rhule's appearance on Joel Klatt's Podcast (presented by Hampton Inn and Suites and Hilton, For the Stay). What did Matt, Matt Rhule say about getting the team to the College Football Playoffs?

Summer tourism season is in full swing in the High Country! Yes, there may be extra traffic, but in a community that's built on volume, the summer dollars mean our favorite local businesses can afford to operate year-around.On this week's episode of Mind Your Business we examine the impact of the tourism economy on our local community. How do tourism partners work together to create "experiences." How do tourism dollars benefit our community all year long? What are the impacts of the summer season on the local workforce? We answer these questions through the perspectives and experiences of three guests:Wright Tilley, Executive Director, Explore BooneSteve Moize, Operations Director, Sky Valley Zip Tours & Mountain Cat Offroad AdventuresTara Brossa, General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott of Boone & Hampton Inn & Suites of Boone.Mind Your Business is a weekly production of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.Support the Show.

Ameet is the Founder and Managing Partner of Thoroughbred Hospitality Group. Since its inception in 2018, THG has grown to build, own and operate over 13 hotels and 6 F&B outlets across Kentucky and Tennessee, employing over 250 employees to date. In the greater Lexington area - Ameet and the THG team are more famously known for bringing all 3 Crumbl Cookies locations to central KY, the Hampton Inn by Hilton in Brannon Crossing, the Tru by Hilton in Hamburg, and the upcoming CAMBRiA Hotel and rooftop nestled between Downtown and Campus. In this episode we talked with Ameet regarding the development process behind a hotel, the importance of operations in Hospitality, and a very exciting Lexington project his team is doing today.

Get the Saturday Newsletter: tboypod.com/newsletter Abercrombie's stock surged 24% yesterday after its best quarter ever — Because Abercrombie's all-in on weddings… since wedding “days” are now wedding “weeks.”How did Hampton Inn become the biggest hotel chain in America? Free waffles — Executives thought DIY waffle machines would never work, but free waffles proved them wrong.And BuzzFeed is facing a surprise activist investor: former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — Because he wants to turn BuzzFeed into BuzzFox.Plus, the house from Home Alone is listed for sale… for $5.2 million. Booby traps not included.$ANF $BZFD $HLTWatch us on YouTubeGet the Saturday Newsletter: tboypod.com/newsletter Submit Shoutout Requests Submit The Best Fact YetFollow us: on InstagramAnd connect with us on Nick's LinkedIn & Jack's LinkedInAbout Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. 15 minutes on the 3 biz stories you need, with fresh takes you can pretend you came up with — Pairs perfectly with your morning oatmeal ritual. Hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's all about the Fed, never mind the fundamentals. markets have gone essentially nowhere, driven almost entirely by Nvidia. Markets are close to a short-term sell signal. It's time to rebalance portfolios. Corporate Greed does not cause inflation: The simple truth. 401k rollowver problems; why few receiving required 402(f) notifications; the tax implications of rollovers. If you've lost a 401k, Beagle.com may be able to help you find it. Why compounding doesn't work in the market; creditor protection for retirement funds. Hampton Inn merch: Waffle socks & fanny packs; Buc-Cee's, Cracker Barrel, Johnson Howards, & Stuckey's; Keeping all your 401k in company stock: The Enron Error. SEG-1: The Market Driver remains Nvidia: Time to Rebalance? SEG-2: Corporate Greed Does Not Cause Inflation SEG-3: The 401-k Rollover Problem SEG-4: Waffle Merch & Enron Errors Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Financial Advisor Danny Ratliff, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Watch today's show video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHJSrOyH95g&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1&t=3s ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "No, Corporate Greed Is Not The Cause Of Inflation." https://realinvestmentadvice.com/no-corporate-greed-is-not-the-cause-of-inflation/ ------- The latest installment of our new feature, Before the Bell, "Time to Rebalance Portfolios with NVIDIA" is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwuqllrc7iI&list=PLwNgo56zE4RAbkqxgdj-8GOvjZTp9_Zlz&index=1 ------- Our previous show is here: "What If I Get Names Executor of an Estate?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9ifsBCTyk&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1 -------- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/newsletter/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #MarketBullishness #Nvidia #PortfolioRebalancing #CorporateGreed #Inflation #FederalReserve #InterestRates #CrackerBarrel #Buccees #HamptonInn #HowardJohnson #Stuckeys #SupplyAndDemand #EconomicBasics #Economy #MonetarySupply #CreditCards #PopulationGrowth #Government #PrintingMoney #Economics #SlowingDownEconomy #DemandReduction #MoneyCirculation #FinancialMisconceptions #Fallacy #MonetaryPolicy #EconomicTheses #CreditConsumption #EconomicGrowth #InflationFall #MoneySupply #EconomicImpact #Markets #Money #Investing

It's all about the Fed, never mind the fundamentals. markets have gone essentially nowhere, driven almost entirely by Nvidia. Markets are close to a short-term sell signal. It's time to rebalance portfolios. Corporate Greed does not cause inflation: The simple truth. 401k rollowver problems; why few receiving required 402(f) notifications; the tax implications of rollovers. If you've lost a 401k, Beagle.com may be able to help you find it. Why compounding doesn't work in the market; creditor protection for retirement funds. Hampton Inn merch: Waffle socks & fanny packs; Buc-Cee's, Cracker Barrel, Johnson Howards, & Stuckey's; Keeping all your 401k in company stock: The Enron Error. SEG-1: The Market Driver remains Nvidia: Time to Rebalance? SEG-2: Corporate Greed Does Not Cause Inflation SEG-3: The 401-k Rollover Problem SEG-4: Waffle Merch & Enron Errors Hosted by RIA Advisors Chief Investment Strategist Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Financial Advisor Danny Ratliff, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Watch today's show video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHJSrOyH95g&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1&t=3s ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "No, Corporate Greed Is Not The Cause Of Inflation." https://realinvestmentadvice.com/no-corporate-greed-is-not-the-cause-of-inflation/  ------- The latest installment of our new feature, Before the Bell, "Time to Rebalance Portfolios with NVIDIA" is here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwuqllrc7iI&list=PLwNgo56zE4RAbkqxgdj-8GOvjZTp9_Zlz&index=1 ------- Our previous show is here: "What If I Get Names Executor of an Estate?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc9ifsBCTyk&list=PLVT8LcWPeAugpcGzM8hHyEP11lE87RYPe&index=1 -------- Get more info & commentary:  https://realinvestmentadvice.com/newsletter/ -------- SUBSCRIBE to The Real Investment Show here: http://www.youtube.com/c/TheRealInvestmentShow -------- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN -------- Subscribe to SimpleVisor: https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new -------- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #MarketBullishness #Nvidia #PortfolioRebalancing #CorporateGreed #Inflation #FederalReserve #InterestRates #CrackerBarrel #Buccees #HamptonInn #HowardJohnson #Stuckeys #SupplyAndDemand #EconomicBasics #Economy #MonetarySupply #CreditCards #PopulationGrowth #Government #PrintingMoney #Economics #SlowingDownEconomy #DemandReduction #MoneyCirculation #FinancialMisconceptions #Fallacy #MonetaryPolicy #EconomicTheses #CreditConsumption #EconomicGrowth #InflationFall #MoneySupply #EconomicImpact #Markets #Money #Investing

This is our first opportunity to hear from someone who has extensive experience in the hotel and tourism industry. Rocco Bova grew up in Italy, but always wanted to see and experience the world. While he left home at the age of 18, he returned, but at the age of 24 began his journey that lead to a 25-year involvement in the hotel industry.   From Europe to Middle East, Asia, India, Africa, the Caribbean and Mexico Rocco held many positions in various hotel organizations. Now he is a consultant to various hotel companies to help them grow and cope with all the changes that Covid and other forces has caused.   We get to hear about Rocco's concept about how to reform much of the hotel industry by creating an organization called “Humble House”. He will tell us about it. I can say that from a business point of view, his idea is an interesting and good one to explore.   Our conversation not only covers the hotel and tourism industry, but it also talks about relevant and good business processes and concept. I especially love our last five minutes that summarizes our conversation and puts all Rocco's concepts into a wonderful perspective and good summary.     About the Guest:   Rocco is an experienced hotelier with over 25 years of international experience having worked for some of the best international brands in 11 countries, from Europe to Middle East, Asia, India, Africa, the Caribbean and Mexico.  Educated in Italy, the UK and most recently with Cornell University in Singapore, Rocco is an avid learner and continues his education investigating online to keep up to date with the latest global tourism trends.   He started his career in Dubai with Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, worked with Four Seasons, Hilton, Aman Resorts, IHG, LUX Resorts, Starwood (now Marriott), and other independent companies managing world class, luxury hotels.   Rocco contributes actively as an influencer of the hospitality industry through social medias, writing articles in digital blogs, speaker in several conferences and podcasts, visiting lecturer at hotel schools and has been a Board Member of pro bono organizations like Hoteliers Guild, GSN Planet and the World Wellness Weekend. After years of brewing his idea and mastering the art of hospitality, Rocco has decided to put all his experience and knowledge into a revolutionary hospitality concept with a unique business model and begun working on ''My Humble House'' concept.   Rocco is still actively working in the industry and he is currently in Mexico, consulting for various developers of boutique hotels and master planned communities. ** ** Ways to connect with Rocco:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/roccobova/   https://www.linkedin.com/company/my-humble-house/?viewAsMember=true   About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes:* Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, thank you for being with us. Once again. Welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Today we get to interview someone who's in or who's been involved in an industry. We haven't talked about before Rocco Bova, who was a hotelier for 25 years. He is a consultant in the industry. So we get to talk all about travel, tourism and hotels and all sorts of things like that today with Rocco. I know he's got a lot of thoughts and a lot of things to discuss with us. So looking forward to this a whole lot. Well, Rocco, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Mike,   Rocco Bova ** 01:58 thank you so much for inviting me. I like this is unstoppable mindset. You know, this is one of the things why it caught my attention. And when we connect on LinkedIn, so I'm glad, I'm glad and honored to be invited on your show today.   Michael Hingson ** 02:15 And you are down in Mexico right now, right?   Rocco Bova ** 02:18 It's correct. I live in Merida Yucatan. So it's your it's on the southeast peninsula of Mexico, let's say about three hours drive from Cancun, just to give a bit of geography so that everybody is clear on where I where I'm based.   Michael Hingson ** 02:38 So in the winter, do you get any kind of snow?   Rocco Bova ** 02:43 Normally, by let me tell you that yesterday for the first night, I felt called a nice so we went down probably to about 22 Celsius, which is which is kind of winter for us what temperature 22 Celsius,   Michael Hingson ** 03:01 or 22 Celsius is pretty warm. It is pretty   Rocco Bova ** 03:03 warm. But it's cold. Because when you're used to sleep with air conditioning because outside the 36 Celsius definitely is cold for us. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 03:16 Yeah, that's that's a good point. Now just so that people understand. If you're listening to Rocco, that is not a Mexican accent because he's from Italy.   Rocco Bova ** 03:28 Absolutely. I was born in Italy, Mike but I left Italy very young. I was only 18 When I left my village in the south of Italy is a little village called Sheila. In fact, I live in the Strait of Sicily. So from my home, hometown, I can see the point that the tip of Sicily on the other side of the of the water is a beautiful place. But when I was growing up, I said to myself, I'm not going to stay here I want to explore the world I want to travel for as far as I can in things God I've been in few places. I'm very happy that you know, I decided to leave my house, my home. Very young. Right?   Michael Hingson ** 04:09 What was it like growing up in Italy? And what was it like for you growing up as a child and you went to school and all them have a pretty normal childhood or what   Rocco Bova ** 04:20 I am proud to say that probably I had the best childhood that one can have. So you know, I was raised by wonderful parents. I have three are the three brothers sister. We have four of us all together. And you know, we love each other. The family grew obviously with nephews and nieces and solid support. But I think the most important is also the environment where you grew up, is the friends that you grew up with. You know your circle, uh, you know the influence your life and eventually your future you know, so, you know, my, my childhood and you And also my teenage I was, I was growing, you know, the era of you probably the 80s, you know, between 80s and 90s. Those Those years were probably the peak of the, of the century. And, you know, I was lucky to enjoy a certain lifestyle, you know, during this period of time. So, you know, I also was inspired by certain people, you know, that may sound stupid, but even Rocky, you know, you know, we're watching these kind of movies, you know, we're very motivating, very inspiring, you know, that even a normal person can achieve great things. Yeah, through Air Force and hard work. And, you know, that's, that's basically what my life is about. I knew I could do it, it was just a matter of being focused and really work really hard for what I wanted to do. So here I am, after leaving in 11 countries and working for more than 25 companies, you know, some of the best company in the hospitality industry. So what can I say?   Michael Hingson ** 06:07 What did your parents think of you wanting to leave and explore the world?   Rocco Bova ** 06:14 You know, actually, my dad was very scared, you know, may rest in peace is he was always very worried about me, and it was sticky or rock or you got to do, you still don't you don't have a career you don't have, you know, I didn't study University. I went to university later in life, but I didn't study when I was young, you know, so I went to when I finished my high school, I went straight to work. And my mum was also you know, kind of, you know, stay in Italy don't go away, you know, where are you going? And then suddenly, you know, my life obviously changed. Because, you know, I was so stuck, unstoppable. That, you know, I just felt that everything was achievable, you know, just through effort and an hour. And, and yes, indeed, I achieved what I wanted. And, you know, my mom now she actually she told me, you know, it was good, a good a good choice that you left Italy, and you went to follow your dreams.   Michael Hingson ** 07:10 So she, she now feels that you made a pretty good choice. Definitely. Well, that's pretty cool. So she, she supports you and are your, your siblings in Italy still? Or where are they?   Rocco Bova ** 07:26 Yeah, yeah, the entire family stayed in Italy. No, but nobody was crazy. As we you know, the first time I left my hometown, I bought a one way ticket, and I only had a few $100 in my pocket. So you know, I'm kind of like the risk. Let's put it this way. So in addition   Michael Hingson ** 07:44 to doing all the things that you've done, have you ever have you started a family? Are you married or have any children or anything? Yes,   Rocco Bova ** 07:51 I have two beautiful kids, you know, they're now older, you know, they're not children anymore. So my son is 20 and my daughter's 19. And married for about 28 years or with my wife, so very, very happy to have achieved also, my personal life.   Michael Hingson ** 08:10 Being married for 28 years is certainly good. There's so many couples that just don't make it that far. So I am really glad to hear you continuing to do that. My   Rocco Bova ** 08:21 wife My wife says that, you know, we kind of museums couples, that are not many like us nowadays.   Michael Hingson ** 08:29 We were married for two years when my wife passed away last November so we I appreciate it. Definitely   Rocco Bova ** 08:36 yeah, sorry to hear that. But you know 40 years of big my milestone definitely. Yeah, a   Michael Hingson ** 08:44 lot of memories and definitely enjoy it. Well, I'm I'm really glad that you're you're doing so well. And you have two good kids, what are they going to do with their life where they're going to go off and explore the world too.   Rocco Bova ** 08:53 It looks like they are because my son is studying hospitality management. And I can see already are kind of on a right path to travel the world and experience so many things. My daughter she's studying marketing. So for her is still kind of first year study. But yeah, I'm sure they both speak four languages. You know, what, what can stop the nothing really?   Michael Hingson ** 09:20 And that's great. What does your wife do?   Rocco Bova ** 09:23 My wife she's a personal coach and she's a healer. So she helps people to get better in their life both from a physical spiritual and mental way so she she's she's been studying this both as a self learner but also through many different courses as she did in different country from India to Mauritius, and really more recently, Mexico. Maybe,   Michael Hingson ** 09:54 maybe we should explore her coming on the podcast sometime.   Rocco Bova ** 09:58 Sure. Why not?   Michael Hingson ** 09:59 We'd love to talk to, we'd love to talk to coaches. I will sell it about Well, so what did you do? So you left home? And why did you leave home? Did you have a job that you went to? Or why?   Rocco Bova ** 10:12 Believe it or not, I did not have a job when I left when I left to London. I mean, I was still in Italy I was working at at the time, you know, I was 24. And then one one evening, I meet this Brazilian guy, who tells me at the end of the evening work in this restaurant, he tells me Look what you want to do in life. And I was not expecting this question. But when I told him, You know, I want to travel the world. I don't know exactly what I want to do. But one thing I know, I want to travel the world. And he said to me, why don't you come to London? I can help you. You know, so I didn't, I didn't let him finish the sentence because I told me this No joke, I'm coming. And he's now how old?   Michael Hingson ** 10:55 How old? Were you then?   Rocco Bova ** 10:57 24.   Michael Hingson ** 10:59 So what did you do from 18 to 24.   Rocco Bova ** 11:02 I went to army, I went one year to university, but I dropped out after after 10 months. And then the other two years, I was working. So I did some work, obviously, you know, I had to earn my life. And you know, I didn't want to be dependent on my, on my parents. So I worked a couple of years. And and so when I came back to Italy, you know, to my hometown for the summer, I met this Brazilian guy. And so when he told me that he was going to help me to get to London, I say what I'm going so I put together the all the money that I had, which was those days, the equivalent to maybe $600. And, and, you know, I bought a one way ticket, and I went to London with a friend, we went there, we didn't speak English, we're talking you know, with what with our hands like most Italian do, but we literally we couldn't talk in any other language or the hands. So it was funny. But then eventually we reach out to the house of this of this friend. And a few days later, he came and he took us to, to Headhunter you know, like a lady that she was placing young young students or young people to go to work in different restaurants and bars in London. And in a matter of hours, we got our first job so we went to work in this Italian restaurant, during which time I was able to go to school learn English, and then met my wife and then the rest of history because you know I then I started to get to get to understand that the hospitality world and how big it was and how many opportunities they were in not just restaurant but hotels and in the real estate and investment company and everything spa wellness, you know, the the the the industry was so big that I said to myself, you know, I need to study now. So I went back to school at the age of 28. I got my diploma. And then my first job was in London in Jumeirah Beach hotel in Dubai. And then from Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, I went to four seasons in Singapore from four seasons Singapore, I went to the Hilton in Kuala Lumpur. And from there I went to a man resort in New Delhi. Then I went to the Intercontinental Bustan palace in Muscat in Oman, and then I went to looks or tells a resort in Mauritius, followed by St. Regis Mauritius. From there I came back to, to the to the Caribbean with Aman resort for the second time. And then finally I landed in Mexico, where I've been living now for the past several years. Very lovely.   Michael Hingson ** 13:48 And your family just went with you wherever you went. They   Rocco Bova ** 13:53 went with me. They follow me for this 28 years, you know, so my wife, she said to me now that's enough. I know. I want to stop traveling. I'm done with traveling. I'm done with packing and unpacking. Yeah. And so now we've been living in Mexico for the past seven years. And to be honest, actually, I also like Mexico is a beautiful country with nice people. So yeah, why not? is a big country anyway, it will take me maybe another 10 years to explore everything. So I'm sure I'll be busy. So   Michael Hingson ** 14:25 you're you're clearly obviously enjoying being in Mexico, but you're not currently in the hotel industry directly. Right.   Rocco Bova ** 14:35 Well, what I'm doing Mike now over the past three years I've been when I left the operation as such, if you want to say that, and I started to work as a consultant, so I've been working for different companies in different parts of Mexico, but I also work in Dominican Republic for one hotel group then in Puerto Rico, or another group. I've been doing some My remote work for Saudi Arabia, Bali. And, you know, it seems that something is going to happen maybe in Belize. So I can proudly say that I've been busy, very busy actually, even though I never worked as a consultant, you know, normally I consult for one company, which is my employer. But I've been, I've been doing up to seven clients at the same time. You know, last year, for example, I had 1.7 clients working at the same time, you know, so try to remember everything for each of the, each of them was not so easy, but I managed, it was, it was fun, is a difference from being in operation, of course. And that is as as, as interesting because you learn so much from a different angle, now, not just operation and guests. But also you learn about, you know, development, architecture, design, brand, rebranding some time, you know, construction, concept, development, many other things, which, before I was not involved, and also to finish that I also work directly with owners or investors. So that's also very interesting point.   Michael Hingson ** 16:16 So it's a kind of a different environment for you then than it was, but the fact that you have all the hotel knowledge must be something that people look for, and they hire you because they value the expertise that you have.   Rocco Bova ** 16:33 In fact, actually, my tagline on my LinkedIn page is actually lockable. Or tell experts.   Michael Hingson ** 16:40 There you go hotel. And I can   Rocco Bova ** 16:43 say that, yes, I do have quite some expertise, I've been working in this industry for over 30 years, I do educate myself everyday for at least two, two hours a day, every day. And, and I keep up to date with the trends with the evolution of the industry. And, you know, I tried to anticipate what's coming up, because in order for you to be ready for what is happening, you need to, you know, be prepared or, or even know what is coming next. You know, trends are predictable. To be frank, if you are, if you're a good observer, and a good listener to what's happening to other parts of the world, eventually will come to your part of the world so, so I keep an ear open always every single day. That's, that's what is my advantage. So   Michael Hingson ** 17:35 what do you do for two hours every day to keep your education up?   Rocco Bova ** 17:38 Well, there are, there are so many platforms where you can on a daily basis, you know, I'm talking about digital magazine, newsletters, websites. LinkedIn itself is a great platform where you can actually learn, you know, the news, new hotel, opening new calls to opening a new company, forming new brand. So it's, it's, it's a great platform, and it's all free. You know, those days, you know, to 30 years ago, we had to go to a library and there was no internet, you have to buy books, or you have to buy a magazine to learn, you know, you have to spend money. Now, it's all free. You know, it's all. So they're available. So it's just a matter of 1pm focus in knowing where to go and search for those information. So what do you think   Michael Hingson ** 18:29 the hotel industry has? Become? What do you what kinds of changes? Do you think in the hotel or in the travel and tourism industry in general? How has it changed over the years since you started working there?   Rocco Bova ** 18:45 Well, nothing has changed until something happened about three years ago, to be honest, everything was well working pretty well to be frank. And in the industry was going through a time of was going through a transformation was a positive transformation. And then the pandemic arrived, Mike and in then everyone thought that, you know, after the pandemic, we all going to be friends and we all going to be closer, we all going to be hugging each other. Then suddenly, I can tell you that it's actually not like this anymore. I am observing more and more actually, that the industry is becoming colder. It's becoming a lot more focus on bottom line is becoming a lot more focused on business, just being a business, hospitality. This is also business, but first is about people are being hospitable. And I think we're losing a little bit about this value of working in our industry. It's actually being hospitable, genuinely But I understand, you know, people lost a lot of money, you know, some people lost their jobs. And, you know, we lost hundreds of 1000s, if not millions of people, great people working in the hospitality industry, during the pandemic, that network will never come back, ever, because what happened was, you know, the most company, they got rid of, you know, something that they thought it was going to be a cost, you know, which is the payroll, call it the payroll, but you know, there are people. So the first call was to reduce the number of people working for the company, because you know, that we can save our, our business, but they didn't think about the, the effects of this decision. So, guess what, you know, now we're struggling to find talent, they're struggling to find committed people, that they actually want to stay with a company for a long, long time. And when I say long term, I know I don't mean to say for 10 years, but give it at least one year, you know, there's a huge turnover at the moment, which is nearly unmanageable. You know, in the old days, we knew that turnover in hospitality industry was big, but now is bigger. And I feel that most companies are not doing much to reduce down to control or to or to influence, you know, in in a positive way. And probably, this was also one of the reasons why I decided to get into consultants, maybe?   Michael Hingson ** 21:29 Why do you think that is, though? Why do you think that? We, we have such a turnover? Do you think it's just because of the coldness of the industry? And more important? How do you think we reverse that?   Rocco Bova ** 21:44 Well, the biggest reason is actually that if if people don't care anymore, they think they say, you know, if you don't treat me, well, I just go somewhere else. And there are jobs available, there's plenty of jobs available. So companies are desperate for talent, you know, most most of the time, the the, the recruitment process is not the same as it was before they immediately they will take you because they need people, they need legs in the hands to get the job done. And on the other hand, there is also a salary factor, you know, people they say, Oh, well, if I were there, they can pay me 20% more, you know, let me give it a try, maybe it's good, maybe it's not good. And if it's not good, I can change again. So, there is lack of like a commitment. And and there is a focus on earning more basically. So, what do go ahead? No, and I will say, you know, even if most company they have, they have increased the pay, because they did they have to do it, you know, there was no other way, you know, with increase of price for cost, the cost of living and solid support inflation. So, you know, they were obliged to increase salary by 1020, even in some places, even up to 30%. But even with that has more changed. So the commitment has not changed. So that means that people will change again, if they feel that are not properly treated in a place. So, you are asking me, okay, what is the solution to that? I don't know if there is a solution. But I personally am starting to work on a personal project called My humble house. And this happened actually, during the pandemic. So three years ago, I started to work on a on a hotel concept on a business model, that I think it could be the solution to this problem. And it's something very simple, you know, actually is not so complicated. So I said to myself, What if I was part of the business? What if I was responsible for the success of the financial business of my company that employs me. So I started to work in a business model that involves profit sharing with the employees. And then I started to develop this concept, I wrote about 60 pages of the business plan. And I started to share it with a lot of people about 300 plus people around the world. And guess what? I receive the compliment, on compliment and more compliments from more people all over the world. I open I open a LinkedIn page actually where I have 4000 followers already. I was invited to several podcasts like yours, I was invited to write even articles on on business magazine, of focusing on on hospitality. And from that, I gather that there is a need for something like this. I'm not saying that this is the the only solution. But I feel that there is definitely a need for something like this. And, you know, by the comments that I hear from different people, talking about, you know, senior people and Not to give out, you know, the waiter or the or the housekeeper, I'm talking about senior C level executive that they all told me, Rocco, this is a great idea. You know, when can you start one? But now I'm at the point that I'm looking actually for investors and watch this space Mike, you know, you might hear my humble ow soon around your corner.   Michael Hingson ** 25:21 So what's the idea how does it work?   Rocco Bova ** 25:25 It works very simply is hotel, you know this, this is this concept, I cannot change it, you know, I will tell you hotel, it will always be a hotel. But the point is, is the business model. So, generally, I will tell you know, when he first opens, you know, it takes about two to three years to get to break even point. But the business model for this for my humble life, is actually to join a hotel room with residences. So we all know that Brandon residence is nothing new for season, do it. Ritz Carlton do it Mandarin Oriental do it. So it's a proven business model, which means that if I have 25 room, and I have 15 residences that I can sell, and I invest, let's say $20 million, I have 15 residences, maybe each resident, I can sell it for a million dollar each, by the time I sell the residence, I already gained 15 $15 million, that can help me get to the return on the investment much faster, instead of waiting seven years, I may get into three years, the moment you get a real return on the investment, investors are very happy. But also, you get into the breakeven point faster because you have an inventory that is more efficient. I like to remind you that to manage 25 rooms, or to manager 40 rooms, you actually need the same number of staff, you don't need to double your staff because you're doubling your inventory of rooms. So when you are you become a bit of an efficient business is easier to get to your breakeven point, the more you start making profit, you can share this profit with your employees, what would an employee feel a if I earn more, if my boss earn more, or the company I work for earns more, I can earn more too. And, you know, that generates more commitment, longer term commitment. Honesty, you know, people actually do their job instead of wasting time. Because they know if they're more efficient, they actually become better in in, in, in, in business, you know, people that they're selling the business, for example, salespeople, they actually do sell because they know if if they sell more, they're gonna learn more. So everything becomes so much more organic. In the end, everyone will become part of the success of the business. That's why I'm so convinced that you know, profit sharing is actually the the future of the business model of this industry. Maybe every industry, you know, why? Why only few people need to make lots of money. You know, I think that the cake is big enough, and everyone can benefit.   Michael Hingson ** 28:13 So you think that by adding the profit sharing component, that that's the kind of thing that will keep employees and that they won't just jump ship, because they think they can get a better deal somewhere else that profit sharing is a major game changer.   Rocco Bova ** 28:32 That's one of the reason why is not just money. Remember that also, you need to have great leadership, you need to have a company that cares for you, you need to have a proper amenities for the team members, you need to have a great product and also for guests so that they want to come back or at least they want to recommend it. So is a number of things that you have to have. But you know, when you when you devise a new business, you devise or sort of the longer term, you don't devise a new business just for the sake of just going over a few years, and then it goes down or sell it to somebody else. Now the idea is to start the business for the long term. So yes, the ingredients are there. Hotels have been around for hundreds of years. So it's not easy to do. And in new brands are needed, because new generation are coming. And this sustainability, let's call it this way is not just about respect of the environment, but it's also respect of the people and also making the business sustainable for the long term. If the business is not sustainable for the long term, there's not sustainability at all. Basically,   Michael Hingson ** 29:45 where does the guest fit in all this? So you've talked about the the investors, you've talked about the sea level managers and you've talked about the employees and all that. How do the guests influence all About   Rocco Bova ** 30:00 I love this question I think is really spot on whether the guests fit. So imagine I am a guest I'm going to hotel, and I feel team members with a beautiful, genuine smile. The first thought that comes to my mind is a this guy must be very happy here. I'm gonna ask him, Hey, why are you so happy? Guess what, you know the employee can only say Hey, this is a great company, they take care of me. They look after me. They even share the profit. Imagine the guests reaction what the company shares of it with you as an employee. And the employee will say yes, they do actually, you know, every month or every year I at the end of the year, if the company is profitable, we get a share of this profit. So imagine imagine the reaction of the guest. Well, you may say to me, Well, maybe they will avoid tipping the the individual but the employee when the employee is actually so happy they'll provide the best service ever to a guest and the guest when they see the company takes care of their of their employees. They return in they recommend why I'm saying this because I also work for company that they take very good care of their employees I work for full season I work for Jumeirah I work for my resort, I work for Lux hotels, resorts I worked for a company that even the worst situation was scenario they took care of the their team member first. And guess what, they're still there. If they were not so good. Jumeirah will no longer be there. If four seasons not taking care of their team members, they wouldn't be there. So I know for a fact that that taking care of the team members definitely work for the business. And for the guests.   Michael Hingson ** 31:54 It seems to me that you know, of course, that's true for for any company. And I don't know whether it's a relatively new concept that you're introducing to the hospitality industry, but in general, certainly, employees, and everything clicks better. When people are happier, they're having fun. I know that I get to observe a lot of airline personnel as I travel. And I mainly use American because I've been using them for 42 years now, although I think that the airline industry has created a lot of challenges, and is not what it was 40 years ago. But I know that when I travel on Southwest Airlines, the employees seem to at least the last time I was on the flight. And the last several times I was on a Southwest flight to having a lot more fun. And they seem more happier than on any other airline that I've experienced. And they liked that. And they that reaction flows down to the passengers on the airplane.   Rocco Bova ** 33:05 See, I'm not I'm not I'm not inventing anything here, you know, it transpires to the to the customers, when team members, they're very happy or they feel comfortable being around the workplace. You can see immediately when a when a team members is not happy. Because they're they they drag their feet because they're moody because they say they don't even say good morning to you. Would you stay in a place where people don't care about you as a customer? Of course not? Of course not. So it's a reaction is you know, and a lot of people they say, Well, why do I need to waste money on training? Why do I need to waste money on benefit for the team members? But, you know, why not? If you don't do it, what is going to have? What is the worst case scenario that you close business, you close, you shut down because your business not doing well enough. So, you know, I'm Dave, I'm very careful in choosing to work for certain companies, you know, and I am very, very big, analytic, you know, when it comes to deciding whether I work for a company or not. And sometimes I prefer to step out of a company, if I feel that this is not for me, you know, I have nothing to lose. I actually have a lot to lose, if I stay. I prefer to step out. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 34:27 if they're not willing to utilize your expertise, I can understand that and it's unfortunate that we do see so much of all of that happening and the pandemic hasn't helped. Because, as you said, now people want more money and they want a lot of things. But again, is that really it or is it more that they want a really great feeling workplace to be involved with   Rocco Bova ** 34:59 You know, when I, when I think Mike is not, you know, they're just new generation, you know, I belong to Generation X, you know, that's, you know, 53 years old now. And I feel like a millennial, but you know, I'm a Generation X by age spoiled this way. And starting already from my generation, I'm starting to be more more more aware of my environment. And it's not just a matter of, oh, I need to work for this brand, because it's the best brand in the world. All right, you know, I need to work for this hotel, because they won so many awards. No, no, no, first and most important thing for me is to work. Who are the, who are the people behind this company? Who do I report to? You know, what is my relationship with these people? What am I going to get? Not just what they're gonna get out of me? What am I gonna get from them in in in the choice becomes smaller because obviously you start to eliminate immediately your if you are, say an expert, let's say you know, in reading, you know, the situation you can understand if this company is for you or not, by reading the people you're going to use, you are interviewed by for example. So definitely is something that is different now. Now talking about the new generation, the new generation, they might be careless, you know, they say, Okay, let's give it a try. There's nothing to lose. Okay, they try one they stay a few months, then they are, you know, what, no, this is not for me, I'm going resigned and go somewhere else, and then they go somewhere else and they go somewhere else. Because as I said, you know, jobs are plenty at the moment. So there is there is there are many opportunities and people you know, even even people that are tech, tech knowledgeable, you know, they can even work from home or you can do something online, they can program something maybe an application and they can earn some money very quickly, you know, they can just work on Uber or something like that. So there are many ways to earn money today. You know, it's not just about having a full time job.   Michael Hingson ** 37:13 Right? How do you think Airbnb has affected the hospitality industry? That was an interesting question. I thought I would spring up and just see what you thought.   Rocco Bova ** 37:27 I Lloyd Michael, you know, when when Airbnb grew up so quickly, you know, orderlies were scared oh my god, what are we going to do now? You know, these Airbnb guys that they broke everything you know, there was there was no longer hotels only and now that also homes the you know, what, what are we going to do? We're going to lose so much business. Did we hotels keep opening, new brands keep sprouting. The room count around the world keeps growing the population of the world keeps growing too by the way so we are eight plus billion people right now in this planet and the likelihood is that we're going to keep growing even even to more people in that in the next 1015 20 years. So the scare of being affected by Airbnb to me is it was unnecessary. And n is proven by the fact that actually Airbnb pushed hotels to get better. So why do I need to go to an Airbnb and not hotel so it tells the need to start to get the game up because Airbnb was getting the gap very quickly. Airbnb lately started to lose grounds they became too commercial they became they grew too much and there's literally no control so just room rental for one night or two nights or whatever. I'm actually happy that is is some cities like New York Venice you know Rome Berlin and sort of support they're starting to put rules because it is impossible to get a normal rental in city center so that was not good also for normal people like me and you you know if I want to rent an apartment in the center of London or New York or Boston, you know, I don't need to spend $10,000 a month you know, I want to spend the normal a normal rent which is reasonable. And so I'm glad that you know some rules are starting to come into place for Airbnb, because in case you don't know probably you do. Airbnb was was not born to rent a room for one night. Airbnb was, was born to rent a room for students are long term, but not shorter. You know, and when we say short term, it definitely was not one night or two. He was for a month or two months, maybe 45 days but good and Airbnb became another hotel another way to be a hotel without having the permit the licenses, paying taxes and so on and so forth. So, from their point of view, I think that some regulation, they should have come even much earlier. I don't know why it took so long.   Michael Hingson ** 40:15 And I think it makes sense to to deal with something like an Airbnb for long term rentals, because that's not what hotels typically are designed for.   Rocco Bova ** 40:27 No, no, wait for that. You have service apartment. Yeah. Which is, which is like a hotel, but it's now is for serve for long term rent, you know, you have proper amenities for long term rental.   Michael Hingson ** 40:40 Or you have Airbnb, and that's fine. Personally, for me, I certainly wouldn't want to I, I like when I go somewhere to use a hotel room because I don't want to take on the responsibility of preparing food or doing other things like that. But I also know I'm only staying for one or two nights or just a few nights. And I've been in long term rental apartment situations, and that's fine, but that's different, too. So when I when I travel, I just think that it works a whole lot better for me to be in a, in a hotel environment. I know when my wife wife was alive. Since she was in a wheelchair, it also was a lot more relevant for her because most Airbnb type houses that were made available for rental, we're not necessarily overly wheelchair accessible. And there's nothing that makes that happen, or there hasn't been   Rocco Bova ** 41:38 That's correct. That's correct. But on the other hand, we also are in a situation where even Airbnb is starting to transform themselves because they reach a point of stabilizing so what is going to be next for Airbnb as well, they cannot remain what Airbnb was 10 years ago, they need to start to innovate as well, I feel that that's why they're losing ground of it. Airbnb, I think that they do not innovate enough. Since the past five, seven years, they have not changed their business model. You know, this, they tried to make this experience so you know, leave like a lot, you know, leave like local stuff. Therefore, this is not for them, because they don't manage this, you know, somebody else does it for them. I mean, I just feel that Airbnb is probably time for them to do to shake the tree a little bit, you know, and get something new.   Michael Hingson ** 42:36 We'll see what they do.   Rocco Bova ** 42:39 Absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 42:39 So you've talked a lot about the talent pool and that people know they can make a lot more money. Sometimes if they go somewhere else, or they feel they can where it's going to be the end of all that is it? Is it a spiral that's out of control and is never going to change? Or what do you think will happen these are   Rocco Bova ** 43:02 the next two years I think is gonna wait is where we're going to see the worst part of our industry I have a feeling that what's happening right now is gonna only gonna get worse for at least another couple of years. During this two years, I hope that the industry is going to do something and and I hope that they understand that that if we don't do anything, it's just going to get worse and worse. So maybe this is also why this battle you know, my personal battle of getting this off the ground you know, this humble house project to the you know, which may never take off but as far as I'm concerned is already off the ground because a lot of people is already asking me for and it's very curious. So the curiosity for me that means that there is a need for for change in the business model of the industry. I also feel that you know that small investors they should be encouraged. Now when I say startups, I don't mean startups only in technology we should also encourage in help young investasi naturally get into independent hotels rather than be part of a big chain. So there is a trend right now for example, you know that more and more people they want to experience an independent hotel and no big brands that's why big brands they keep churning new brands every every month because customers want something new you know but getting out a new brand from Marriott is just gonna be another Marriott I'm sorry to say that I don't think Marietta can really make a new brand you know they just make another Marriott which is called something else. But it still is a marriage so is the ultimate so isn't a continental. So for as long as the we don't help people you know and the young investors for example, young age first getting into business, you know, I think it's gonna be very difficult to create something innovative really?   Michael Hingson ** 45:07 Well, when you look at, let's say, Hilton, you've got Hilton Garden Inn, you got Hampton Inn and Suites and you've got Embassy Suites, for example, and they're different but it all comes under the Hilton brand. Every Embassy Suites looks alike. I like Embassy Suites because of some of the amenities but is it really a major innovation I guess that's a subject that people could probably debate although you   Rocco Bova ** 45:35 know and all these brands obviously they they they observed there was a segment and it was a niche market I was looking for that kind of product that's why they created it which is fine. But can we can we really make something really unique you know really cool. You know, I think I think the last the last cool brand you know in hospitality was probably 30 years ago you know when the W hotels cave and then one where maybe you know this Ian striker for example, you know, it was kind of innovative in in creating this lifestyle cool vibe, you know, young models and Romanian women you know, going into this bars lively with school, live music, but you know, from there everybody coffee, coffee, coffee based, you know, it was not really innovation Any, any, any longer. So I think, I hope that there will be some some kind of change. So, yeah, the glamping is now coming up as a, you know, one of these hot topics at the moment. So, you know, cabins and tents and whatever, you know, everything that is luxury, you know, their conditioning, and they have all the amenities like a hotel, but they're in the middle of the jungle, this is also kind of new, so it's only five, six years old, this has become kind of very hot topic. But you know, let's see, what's what what else is gonna is gonna happen. That's why I say personally, I didn't want to reinvent the hotel. concept as such, I wanted to reinvent personally, you know, in my humble house, the business model more than the concept, because hotel concept at the end of the day is still the same, you know, no matter what you do is glamping? Or when is the luxury of big box Hotel?   Michael Hingson ** 47:20 There's nothing wrong with that. No,   Rocco Bova ** 47:23 absolutely. Absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 47:25 It's it's the other parts of the infrastructure, as you're talking about that are an issue almost like the talent pool in general. What do you think the the hotel industry is going to have to do? And maybe the other way to look at it is what do you think that the talent is going to have to do to change to address some of the issues that we're facing now? And you said that you think it'll get worse over the next two years? What do you think has to change or will change that will kind of, hopefully bring things back to a little bit more even keel?   Rocco Bova ** 48:00 Well, one, the first we need to get back to school, you know, let's look at the school system.   Michael Hingson ** 48:06 I was gonna ask about that. Go ahead. You know,   Rocco Bova ** 48:10 if you go to hotel school, what are they going to teach you first? And second? Who are the teachers teaching you? Yeah, you know, most of most teachers, probably the last job was 10 years ago, 15 years ago, then they got into teaching, and then everyone went back to work. So they're teaching you something that they've learned 15 years ago, which is already obsolete, completely obsolete. You know, tell schools normally the same student, every every year, or your two years, they send them to six months internship. If I were in the school system, I will send the teachers every year, at least for one month, back to work to understand the same what really is going on in the industry, firsthand, no, through Google or books or whatever investigation, no, no, to leave exactly what's happening in the industry. The second thing, I think that the programs are also, you know, they don't teach students on how to get into work immediately. I mean, probably some school they do Vietnam, but but they don't tell you the they don't tell you real stuff. They only tell you the fluffy stuff, you know, what is beautiful and what works. So, you know, you can meet a lot of people just so true. But let's talk about the real life story. You know, let's talk about you know, let's teach young students or how to make a choice between a m prime P. And people a MP will be you know, how can you choose the best people to work for, you know, one of the things that you need to look when you join a company, not just the brand, and how many awards and how many stars they have under their belt. But what are the leaders behind, you know, so important nowadays. And last but not the least, we should lower the expectation issue. You know, I think that many schools, they give you expectations of you know, when you come out from here, you become a manager? Well, I mean, it's, you know, I remember I made something public some six months ago on LinkedIn. There was a Swissotel school which, you know, with their tagline, Thomas, a student, leave as a manager. Wait a minute, oh, my God, I obviously made it public. I was, I had, like, 22,000 likes or something like this with this post, I was very popular. And, and I also was approached by the school itself, you know, and they told me, Rocco? No, we mean that we didn't want to say this specifically. But I said, Okay, well, what is that you want to say, you know, be honest with yourself and with the students, you cannot promise you cannot over promise and say, No, of course, you come to us and you become a manager doesn't work like that, you know, you have to be honest, also, you know, with, with young young people, because to become a manager, it takes time to become a manager takes knowledge, you have to learn even more when you get out of school. And you have to go through rough time to understand that you know, how to become a manager. So, you know, I remember 113 years ago, four years ago, before the pandemic, you know, I had this student from a very prestigious Hotel School in Switzerland. And he said to me, I want to be a consultant. And I told him, okay, let's talk about in 25 years, then I can tell you how to be a consultant. And he said to me Why 25 years, I said, because he took me 25 years to become a consultant. Now today, I can say, I can consult anyone because I've got the experience. But 25 years ago, I didn't know how to consult. Google doesn't tell me how to consult chat. GPT doesn't tell me how to consult someone, people, they want to know exactly what to do with their business, you know, as a consultant, and my success depends on what I say to my client. So anyway, didn't you didn't like that, and then talk to me ever since. But that's okay. Well, the other part about   Michael Hingson ** 52:17 it is that we live in a world that has been taught to demand instant gratification instant things. And the reality is, it doesn't work that way. And you know that and I know that there are so many people who don't understand that, you know, they come to our school as a student and leave as a manager, what are you teaching them about management? How are you doing it? And, you know, if they're just doing the same old stuff, they're not certainly teaching someone how to truly be a manager, because a manager isn't just someone who knows how to run a hotel. But a manager has to learn the skills of how to deal with employees how to deal with the people who come to the hotel as guests, what what do you do? How do you do it? And how do you make people feel welcome on all sides?   Rocco Bova ** 53:12 Absolutely, in, you know, the most difficult part in our industry, or possibly any industry is actually dealing with people, you know, both customers and employees. But in our industry, I say more our industry, because our industry is made of people, you know, we deal with human failing, every single moment, every single is we're dealing with people feelings. So the way you talk to people, the tone of voice, your body language, your attitude, your mood, influence everything and everyone around you. So if you don't know how to control that, how to manage yourself first, how can you manage others? Impossible. Even less consulting? Come on, let's get real. You know, so,   Michael Hingson ** 53:56 you've said that we've lost millions of people, because of the pandemic and so on, who will never come back? How do we work to get some of those people back? You   Rocco Bova ** 54:07 see, Michael, again, I go back to the title of your or your podcast unstoppable and that not everybody is unstoppable. Not everybody was actually able to have this stamina to continue no matter what. Not everybody was able to come over fear of not knowing what's going to happen to them and to their family and to the to the loved one more. So. Being a stock unstoppable is not for everybody. I think that the people they knew or they became unstoppable because of their strength because of their willingness and because of their stamina. They made it and they will make it again you know, no matter what is going to happen next They will make it again. And, and I've learned that all the time, you know, it's not the first crisis that I go through probably just like you. You know, my first big one was the the team Twin Tower in New York, you know, it wasn't the Middle East at the time. And everyone coming from the Middle East was terrorists, no matter what, you know, we lost business one day to the next, you know, we went from 90% occupancy to zero in a matter of days. You know, when then then, when I was in Singapore, in 2003, we had the first pandemic, which didn't spread as far as right as COVID. But SARS was just as bad for Southeast Asia was terrible, you know, all the hotels in Southeast Asia were empty. And then, and then we have 2008, the financial crisis. In 2007, I was in New Delhi, where they were a terrorist attack, you know, the Taj Mahal is on a surfboard. And then I went, I went, I was in Oman, and we had this Arab Spring. And then, now we are all we also have this, this pandemic, so it's not the first time I go through a crisis. But a crisis also give a lot of opportunities. So if people get into fear, that's where they get lost, that's where they become. They don't know, they don't know what to do. They they get in panic, and then they freeze. Instead, when you get into crisis mode, you need to stay more focused, and understand, how can I make the most of this moment? What can I do now. And, believe it or not, so that you know, also, when I went in, when I went through this particular COVID, you know, it was also it was fearful for me, I cannot lie to you that I was very fearful. For the first time actually, I also came into this freezing position. But then after a few weeks, I start to talk to myself and say, You cannot do that. Now your family depends on you. Your livelihood depends on you. Your mental health depends on you, you got to do something. And then suddenly, I was listening to some podcasts, and then one guy is spying on me so much, I removed my fears immediately. And I and I, I went, I made a decision that actually change my life, change my life and change the life of the wonderful 50 employees that were working at a time in the company in in Chile, Yucatan, you know, when I was employed at the time, and guess what, from the moment, I became so much stronger, so much self confident, in so much secure that again, in, in a situation of of all of a crisis, that is an opportunity.   Michael Hingson ** 57:55 And isn't that what it's about? And I think that you realize that there are so many things that you can't control. And as I talk about here, a lot there, excuse me, all the things that you you do have control over. And those are the ones that you have to address and you chose to let your fear be a tool for you. And you chose to not fear and be overwhelmed by stuff. And yeah, COVID is certainly something that affects all of us, and affected all of us. And I don't know when or if that is going to totally go away. I don't know how, you know, I don't know how it's going to progress. They're talking about there being a major upsurge during the winter. And that's very possibly going to happen. And we're going to have to deal with that. But that isn't something that I have control over. That isn't something that you have control over. But we certainly do have control over how we choose to deal with it. And whether we allow fear to overwhelm us or whether we allow fear to strengthen us, which is what you're talking about here.   Rocco Bova ** 59:09 Absolutely. And become a stalker.   Michael Hingson ** 59:12 And, you know, I, I think everyone can be unstoppable. But many people choose not to learn to grow. And unstoppable in part also really requires that you look at yourself. People don't like to do that.   Rocco Bova ** 59:30 Yep. Yeah, absolutely. I can only agree with you with that.   Michael Hingson ** 59:34 So it is a challenge. Well, any last things, any last thoughts that you want to add to what we've talked about? We've been doing this for an hour and I've really enjoyed it, especially the last five minutes. I love what you've had to say but any anything that you want to leave his final thoughts for us? Well,   Rocco Bova ** 59:54 Michael, I can only say that the hospitality industry is the most one The whole industry in the world, I will not change this for anything, I will do everything all over again for another billion times. I love I keep loving the industry I think is still a wonderful place to be something that you can teach to others. The hospitality industry teaches you a lot, by the way, as is, is an industry that prepares you for so many things, you know, you have situation of fires, bombs, explosion, you name it, you know, everything happens in hotel, you know, you know that. And, and definitely is I mean to say I would recommend it to anyone because he makes you a better person. That's why I was so glad when my son told me that he was going to study hospitality management. So I'm very proud of even and on my daughter as well, because maybe she will get into the industry as well, even though she's studying marketing doesn't say that maybe she's not gonna join the industry, too. So let's see that.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:03 We'll see how that goes. Have you written any books?   Rocco Bova ** 1:01:07 You know what? I'm not gonna lie to you. But the last book I read was The the biography of Steve Jobs.   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:16 But you've gotten any? Oh, go ahead.   Rocco Bova ** 1:01:19 No, I will say that, you know, I don't like I don't like to I don't like Hubble as a branch. I'm not an Apple guy. I'm silly. I have my laptop, my window. And my phone is is Google, Google face Google software. So I'm not an Apple guy. However, I love how Apple was born and grew, they grew up to become what it is. Today's a global brand is one of the most successful brands, you know, ever, ever invented. In I love how Steve Jobs actually made this brand. What are these? Today, if today, Steve Jobs was alive, I think that happened would have been 10 times more successful. Today, I agree at least at least 10 times. So I love the guy, but I don't like apple. Sorry. Sorry, for everybody else, you know, well, I   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:17 I like the iPhone, because it's more it's the most accessible smartphone. Now that happened, in part because Apple was going to be sued if they didn't fix it, but they chose to do it. And they did a great job. There about 95% There, there are still things that they should do that they're not but you know, overall, I know what you're saying as far as the hospitality industry. So you haven't written your own book yet. And maybe someday he'll decide to do that.   Rocco Bova ** 1:02:47 Let's see. I'm still too young, off. Hopefully, before I retire, I consider that and see I need to I need to find a ghostwriter. And perhaps somebody can help me with that.   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:00 They're out there. And yes, so maybe that that's certainly something that's good to do. Well, my first book was published when I was 61. So see, there you go. You got eight years. Exactly. Well, I want to thank you, Rocco, for being with us. This has been a lot of fun. And I think not only inspirational, but I've learned a lot and I love to hear your your discussions about business and so on, which validates so many things. So thank you for doing it and for being here with us. And I want to thank you for listening out there. We really appreciate it. Rocco, if people want to reach out to you how do they do that?   Rocco Bova ** 1:03:39 It Michael, I'm I'm very active on LinkedIn. So you can type of my full name Rocco Bova, you can definitely find that I know many people with my name. So can you spell that?   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:49 Could you spell it please? Yes,   1:03:50 is R O C C O that's my name. And my family name is B O V A. So you can find me very easily on LinkedIn. And then you you can follow me and I'll be very happy to follow back. And, you know, let's learn from each other. You know, I make my profile, open and public so people can actually reach out you can send me a message without being connected as well. So I reply to everyone that sent me a message. So reach out if you want to have an opinion, or if you want, just talk to me. I'll be happy to do so.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:29 There you go. So reach out to Rocco and tell him what you think and have a discussion with him. I enjoyed this and we're going to stay in touch for sure. And I hope that wherever you're listening, you'll give us a five star rating we would really appreciate that. And of course, as always, I really value getting your emails and your comments and if you'd like to email me, please do so at Michaelhi at accessibe.com that's m i c h a e l h i at a c c e s s i b e.com. I'm gonna go to our podcast page, which is www dot Michael hingson.com/podcast. And Michael hingson is m i c h a e l h i n g s o n all one word. But please give us a five star rating. Reach out to Rocco. I think you'd have a fun time discussing this with him and whatever you want to talk about with him. So I think it makes perfect sense to do and I hope that people will reach out to you, Rocco. And once again, I want to just thank you for being here with us and making us be able to be a part of your day   Rocco Bova ** 1:05:34 has been a pleasure. Thank you so much for the invitation.   **Michael Hingson ** 1:05:41 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

The Award Travel 101 Podcast is brought to you in part by Thrifty Traveler Premium. Get Thrifty Traveler Premium deal/award alerts sent straight to your inbox. Recent finds include:Business Class to Paris for 40KPremium Economy to Taipei for $1,994 R/TBusiness class to Seoul on Korean (Rare find) for 75KYou can find these at ThriftyTraveler.com/PremiumPost of the weekAndrew “Bacon” Goodman - Disney for $375 INCLUDING PARK TICKETS!?NewsHilton/Small Luxury Hotels (Updates)Choice Sweet Spots New Citi AAdvantage Business offerTrip updatesJoeGirl's night & Boy's night without spending $675!What bonuses did we get?AngieTwo Free Hilton NightsJoe20K Referral14X spend Amex Business GoldAlmost done with wife's Citi AAdvantage CardHighlight Feature: 20 Largest Hotel Chains & the Six We're Focusing OnWe came across an interesting diagram ranking the top 20 hotel programs throughout the world.  Do you know which is largest?Some are less familiar, so we ranked the six we most frequently discuss in the Award Travel 101 Facebook community:#2 Wyndham - 9,280 Properties from Days Inn all the way up to Wyndham Grand. #3 Marriott- One of the largest footprints with 8,484 properties a wide range of price points from Springhill Suites up to Ritz Carlton and St. Regis luxury hotels. #6 Choice - with 7,500 properties domestically, Choice is not known for being great. They start with low level properties like Comfort Inn's and Quality Inn's but  their Ascend and Cambria properties look great.#7 Hilton - counting 7,165 properties in their portfolio, Hilton is similar to Marriott with a fairly sizable footprint with a wide range of price points from Hampton Inn to Waldorf Astoria.#8 IHG - With 1,000 less (6,164) properties, another one that families on a budget may opt for is Holiday Inn Express and their tasty cinnamon rolls. IHG starts with Holiday Inn's and has upper level Kimptons.#16 Hyatt - With 1,200 properties (Hyatt says 1,300+ today), World of Hyatt is markedly smaller. They start at Hyatt Place and their flagship properties fall under Park Hyatt. TIP OF THE WEEK:Have a good backup plan for using your credit cards. Tune in to hear Angie's fail.Where To Find the Award Travel 101 Community For questions, you can join us in the free 100,000+ member Award Travel 101 Community. For more intermediate and advanced strategies, join Award Travel 201 community To book time with our team, check out Award Travel 1-on-1. You can also email us at contactawardtravel@gmail.com. Our next meetup is located in San Antonio, TX on April 26–28, 2024. If you want a waitlisted ticket, see this post in AT101. Support the AT101 Podcast/Community

Jamar Washington aka J Haleem, is a four-time author, motivational speaker, certified professional coach, facilitator, and trainer.   Jamar went from working for $8.00 an hour at the Hampton Inn to earning 5 figures as a Commercial Photographer in just a few years. He was able to accomplish all this while being a convicted felon.   He shares his mantra “I Won't Starve” and his work in government contracting and helping minority business owners.   Jamar shares his insights on entrepreneurship, self-employment, and the dedication required to lead a company. Website: jhaleem.com Instagram: iamjhaleem   Check out our CEO Hack Buzz Newsletter–our premium newsletter with hacks and nuggets to level up your organization. Sign up HERE.  I AM CEO Handbook Volume 3 is HERE and it's FREE. Get your copy here: http://cbnation.co/iamceo3. Get the 100+ things that you can learn from 1600 business podcasts we recorded. Hear Gresh's story, learn the 16 business pillars from the podcast, find out about CBNation Architects and why you might be one and so much more. Did we mention it was FREE? Download it today!

We are inching closer to the 8th annual Boone Area Chamber of Commerce 4 Under 40 Awards. This year's event takes place at the historic Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, Thursday, April 24th, with a full red-carpet experience beginning at 5:30PM. You can read more about this year's event and our 16 honorees here.Before we recognize the 4 Under 40 class of 2024, we thought you might find inspiration from hearing an update on some of our honorees of the past. On this week's Mind Your Business, we connect with:Dr. Caleb Marsh, 4 Under 40 Class of 2017, and current Dean of the Ashe Campus of Wilkes Community College.Danielle Wade, 4 Under 40 Class of 2019, and current President/CEO of Jackson Sumner & Associates.Anthony Brumfield, 4 Under 40 Class of 2017, and current owner of Infinite ScopeCaroline Poteat, 4 Under 40 Class of 2022, and law student at the University of North Carolina.We'll hear about what's transpired professionally for each since being recognized, how their leadership style has evolved, what do they study to continue pushing their own leadership journey forward, and what advice they have for the leaders of tomorrow.Mind Your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. The program is made possible thanks to the sponsorship support of Appalachian Commercial Real Estate.Support the show

Juliet and Leanne recap the final episodes of Amazon's K-Drama hit ‘Marry My Husband' and tie up the loose ends for a beautiful and happy ending. The ladies try to guess Su Min's e-trade password, how Su Min was able to enter Yu Ra's hotel room without a key fob, and Yu Ra's bodyguard's emoji game

What Wondrous Love Is This?! “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made, we will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it…” For me singing this simple song is sometimes a helpful antidote in the days when my mind and heart seems dominated by harsh, sorrowful, cynical, judgmental, or angry thoughts and emotions.  Sometimes my thoughts and feelings about myself or about my family, or about our governmental leaders, or about pretty much everybody else are more negative than positive.  Sometimes that has included my thoughts and feelings about God.  I can be pretty good at grumbling.    The story of the Israelites in the wilderness is one of four ancient stories of God's children grumbling, murmuring, complaining about how tough they had it on their long journey to the promised land.  Though God had provided water to quench their thirst, manna and quail to satisfy their hunger, a cloud to guide them during the day and a fire to guide them during the night, they would have much preferred the equivalent of a hamburger at Culver's or an Olive Garden salad, and a Hampton Inn for nightly lodging.  They were good at whining against both God and Moses.  [“We detest this miserable food.”] Their situation only worsened when at one point in their journey they were afflicted, many of them fatally, by poisonous serpents.  Sometimes it takes something deeply frightening, something life-threatening to make us aware of our negativity, our griping, our “bitching” if you will.  Here, I think, humbling and desperately “the people came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.'  So Moses prayed for the people.”   And here, as always, when we recognize our failure to trust that God has never forsaken us, has never misled us…and never will, even in the worst of circumstances, the wondrous love of God about which get to sing after this sermon is graciously, wonderfully, and powerfully given to us. And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it in on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at and live.”  So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.  And in John's gospel, Jesus says, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”   It was in wondrous love that God gave his wilderness children a visible sign that his love, his grace, was greater than their rebellion, greater than their murmuring, their complaining, their failure to trust him.  The wondrous mystery of God's love is that even and maybe especially those things we most fear, like being bitten by a poisonous snake, or fear that we might die of thirst or hunger, or die at the hands of those who hate us, all are transformed by God to become signs of healing and of new life.  What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! Now Jesus says to us (in the third person), “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” Here is the wondrous love of God:  Jesus takes into himself all the poison, all the vicious hatred, all the cunning lies, all the grumbling, all the fears of the world; and is lifted up on the cross. There the Son of Man and Son of God dies for us.  What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul?  And through his dreadful death on the cross, the antidote for the poison of the world, the poison in our own hearts and souls is given to us. When you and I think about the cross, maybe either before and/or after we receive  Holy Communion, when we take into ourselves Jesus' body and blood, we make the sign of the cross…, may we remember and know that we have eternal life. The serpents may still abound, the lies we hear, and yes, the lies we tell about ourselves, the lies that we and all the peoples and creatures of this world are not radically loved, all these lies are neutralized by Jesus' death on the cross.  We and all people are radically loved.  We know this by receiving and embracing the God's gift of faith day after day:  everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. The writer to the letter to the Ephesians, probably a protege of St. Paul, wrote these beautiful words: But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved – and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. What to me is so beautiful about these words is two-fold: 1) the very capacity to believe what Jesus did for us on the cross is a [daily] gift from God, not our own making; and 2) the outcome of this God-given faith each day is a life of good works which God has already set-up for us to do!  [To me this is eternal life, a life filled with love, filled with good works created and enabled by God to be our way of life.] Made newly alive every day, we do what comes naturally out of that newness.  After worship last Sunday many of gathered around tables, and we talked about the various ways God drew us to this congregation.  We talked about how over and over again we get to be our new selves in giving and receiving love for each other and for the world around us.  We shared, albeit briefly, about how each of us in our own unique way is doing good work as we grow and mature in grace.  Our God-given work in the months of transition still ahead is actually pretty simple:  it is to prayerfully and thoughtfully discern before we call our next pastoral leader, the good works which God has already prepared beforehand to be our future way of life together. Looking at Jesus lifted up on the cross, we daily confess our sins, our alienation from God and from each other, whether family or friend, stranger or foe.  We confess our grumbling.  We hear anew each day, in our souls, through that death we are forgiven.  We get to live a forgiven, grateful, joyful life of good works prearranged by God. What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!  [Let's sing it together.] Amen.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.   On today's show:     ·        Fairfax City Restaurant Week is back and keeps getting bigger and better. It's on from Monday, Feb. 26 through Sunday, March 3. Joe Sullivan is the head chef at Earps Ordinary and he's gonna be bartending for us today and showcasing some of his eatery's signature cocktails. Joe's joined by Tara Borwey, the economic development programs manager for Fairfax City Economic Development. Joe and Tara have all the deets on Fairfax City Restaurant Week;                                                                                                                               ·        Brad Feikert of Soko Butcher. He stops by to talk about not only the butcher shop's traditional offerings, but the delicious deli sandwiches it also provides. He is joined by Dylan Greer, general manager and head of beverages at the Koma Café, also in Takoma Park;                                                                                                                                                                                                                          ·        This show is all about the world of hospitality. And, whether you're a road warrior or on a family getaway, it's hard to name any place more hospitable than Hilton's Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn and Suites. It's easy to take for granted all that they do to make your stay a great one. So we brought in Shruti Gandhi Buckley, senior vice president and brand leader for Hampton by Hilton, to give us an insider look at the magic that Hiton works there;                                                                                                                                                                   ·        Miguel Guerra and Tatiana Mora, executive chefs at Mita,  a Latin American vegetable-focused restaurant.  This pop-up restaurant has become a permanent brick-and-mortar establishment in Shaw. Mita aims to offer a unique cultural experience, dispelling the notion of Latin American cuisine as solely meat-centered. Instead it focuses on Latin American vegetables and flavors.

Hosted by David and Nycci Nellis.  On today's show:  ·        Fairfax City Restaurant Week is back and keeps getting bigger and better. It's on from Monday, Feb. 26 through Sunday, March 3. Joe Sullivan is the head chef at Earps Ordinary and he's gonna be bartending for us today and showcasing some of his eatery's signature cocktails. Joe's joined by Tara Borwey, the economic development programs manager for Fairfax City Economic Development. Joe and Tara have all the deets on Fairfax City Restaurant Week;                                                                                                                              ·        Brad Feikert of Soko Butcher. He stops by to talk about not only the butcher shop's traditional offerings, but the delicious deli sandwiches it also provides. He is joined by Dylan Greer, general manager and head of beverages at the Koma Café, also in Takoma Park;                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ·        This show is all about the world of hospitality. And, whether you're a road warrior or on a family getaway, it's hard to name any place more hospitable than Hilton's Hampton Inn and Hampton Inn and Suites. It's easy to take for granted all that they do to make your stay a great one. So we brought in Shruti Gandhi Buckley, senior vice president and brand leader for Hampton by Hilton, to give us an insider look at the magic that Hiton works there;                                                                                                                                                                  ·        Miguel Guerra and Tatiana Mora, executive chefs at Mita,  a Latin American vegetable-focused restaurant.  This pop-up restaurant has become a permanent brick-and-mortar establishment in Shaw. Mita aims to offer a unique cultural experience, dispelling the notion of Latin American cuisine as solely meat-centered. Instead it focuses on Latin American vegetables and flavors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, if you stop by the area of West Vermont Street along the Canal Walk, you'll see a Hampton Inn by Hilton, but long before the building was a hotel called Bethel A.M.E., the oldest African American church in Indianapolis. Built-in 1869, Bethel A.M.E. was situated in the heart of the African American community. Notable members include Madam C.J. Walker, Doctor Joseph Ward, Reverend Willis Revels, and Mercer Mance.In addition to being a place of worship for members, the church served as a refuge for freedom seekers during slavery. In the years before the American Civil War, the congregation also played a role in helping freedom seekers find refuge. In the early 1900s, key organizations like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Indiana State Federation of Colored Women's clubs gathered at the church.By the end of the 20th century, the church was a historical landmark, but membership was in decline. The building was sold in 2016 and turned into the hotel that's there today. Many of the church's distinctive features have been preserved from the pendant lights and stained glass to the historic staircase.There are even artifacts throughout the years that will soon be on display. As for the congregation, it erected a new church known as ‘Bethel A.M.E. Cathedral‘ on Zionsville Road in 2018 after the historic building was sold.If you would like more information on the church's history, click here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Weinstein shares why data and technology are crucial to Hilton's customers' experience, the creative philosophy for the hotel's recent campaign with Paris Hilton, and marketing against home-sharing companies. Episode TranscriptPlease note, this transcript  may contain minor inconsistencies compared to the episode audio.Damian: (00:01)I'm Damian Fowler.Ilyse: (00:02)And I'm Ilyse Liffreing. AndDamian: (00:03)Welcome to this edition of the current podcast.Ilyse: (00:10)This week we're delighted to talk with Mark Weinstein, the Chief Marketing Officer at Hilton.Damian: (00:16)Mark joined Hilton more than 13 years ago rising to become the CMO in 2020, where he now leads global marketing for the Hilton portfolio of over 7,300 hotels across 22 brands in 123 countries and territoriesIlyse: (00:32)As travel surged. After all that pent up Wonderlust created during the pandemic, the hotel brand unveiled its biggest marketing push in six years. The campaign focuses on the quality of the travel experience with Hilton Brands. So Mark Hilton, of course, has its own loyalty program, the free Hilton Honors. How many Hilton guests currently take part in this program? What does it offer in terms of perks?Mark: (01:02)We have 165 million Hilton Honor members and growing. We're the fastest growing loyalty program in travel. And what we love about Hilton Honors, it allows us to get to know our guests to personalize the experience for them. And it also connects all 22 brands. 'cause what's interesting about our portfolio is each brand serves a travel need, budget and occasion. And you may transverse the brands for your different needs. And so Hilton Honors is that connective tissue, whether you're an infrequent traveler and Hilton Honors is a way to give you the best value for booking through hilton.com directly. So we get to know who you are, things like free wifi and points towards that free stay, a more elite member who can earn additional benefits like automated upgrades that we're delivering so you have even better stay or even that ability to dream for that once in a lifetime experience with our partners at McLaren, uh, F one Racing or Live Nation. Uh, and which you can of course further accelerate with things like our credit cards along the journey. So there's something for everyone, uh, along the Hilton Honors program. And of course, as you said, it's free to join, so you'd be crazy not to get that additional value.Ilyse: (01:56)Now how would you say like technology such as like your digital platforms and mobile app also play a role basically in enhancing the guest experience in order to foster like that loyalty and that wonderlust?Mark: (02:09)Yeah. The interesting thing about our technology, I would say it, it focuses in two different ways. All in service of that wonderlust. In some ways it's taking the friction outta travel so you can focus on doing what you're there to do, which is explore and find a great stay experience. So some of our innovations around digital key and the ability to choose your room in the app before you even get there, you know exactly what room you're gonna have. The ability to book confirm connecting rooms for parents. There's nothing more stressful than wondering if you're gonna get those rooms together. We actually are able to confirm it at time of booking. The ability to personalize the stay and choose things you want, the ability to message with the front desk, those are all friction removing items of the travel journey. They take away that interaction at the front desk where it's highly transactional.Mark: (02:48)That frees you up to then have a human conversation. Where do the locals like to eat? Where's the best place to get that Instagrammable rooftop bar shot, you know, as the sun's coming down. So that's one aspect of our technology is making the guest experience better, uh, and easier. On the other hand, putting the wonderlust back in. So you look at our social media abilities to connect with customers with the things they want to hear most about, to produce content and serve it up, whether it's on the interim TV with our connected room, digital TVs through the app itself or on our websites. The ability to let you personalize choices on Hilton Honors. What benefits you most wanna earn on that trip, or the ability to serve up what interesting experiences you might wanna use your honors points for. And so that Wonder Lust is enabled by both the simplifying the basics and really making it straightforward so we're always reliable and friendly to our guests. And then it also supercharging that, that sort of wonder lust that makes you wanna explore the planet.Ilyse: (03:37)How does like data then come into play from your loyalty program to tailor your marketing efforts and create those very unique experiences?Mark: (03:46)Data plays a critical role in everything we do for our customers. Whether that is for our less frequent travelers, trying to better get them the right content on initial stay. Like lots of people travel very infrequently and when they do, it's the trip of a lifetime. So we wanna make sure we use contextual clues from the data, where they came from, what they're engaging with to serve up the right hotel, the right products, the right experiences for that trip. Our Hilton honors members, our best customers who we know extremely well, we can be even more personalized. We can serve up the dream destinations they most want to go to. When you're looking at our website, you're seeing the kind of rooms you typically book, you know, 'cause we know you so well giving you add-on abilities. Things that we know you always add onto your trip are even easier at the fingertips.Mark: (04:24)So that, that's one aspect of it. Second aspect of it is product innovation. You know, the insights of our customers are telling us where we need to go next. They help us pick the next destinations. You know, we're opening about a hotel a day, they help us build new brands, places where we know our customers are looking for a great product, but maybe we don't have a category. And it becomes our design target, our muse for designing a new brand where we create partnerships, the products that we put in our hotels, the partners we affiliate with to build out that journey. So it's, it's both myopically used to, to give you a personalized experience in the moment itself, but also helping us innovate and build the pipeline of where we go next with who we go next and how we build out the brands.Damian: (05:00)Let's talk a bit about the actual marketing campaigns that you've launched. I know that last year you launched the biggest marketing push in six years. Um, it's the Hilton for the Stay platform. The tagline is, it matters where you stay. And that was a campaign, uh, created by TBWA Jet Day and that features Paris Hilton for the very first time, who's seen giving travel tips. Could you talk a little bit about that campaign and why you launched this big campaign last year? ComingMark: (05:26)Outta the pandemic, it would be really easy to get into that sea of sameness, trpi that was out there. You had this desire to reconnect and of course that was an important message, but every company in travel was gonna say the same thing, is saying the same thing and has done so for, you know, decades that empty, you can picture it, that empty beach with a nobody on the beach chair and the clear blue ocean. You can't tell if it's a credit card, a hotel company, an airline, a travel agency, or anything in between. So we knew there was kinda the sea of sameness. There was a tendency to fall in that trope of re connectivity coming outta the pandemic. So we used that moment, uh, during the pandemic to both double down on our customer relationships, donate a million rooms to frontline medical responders, do all the things you do in that moment, but really look ahead to what the future would be.Mark: (06:04)And what we realized was we had never had a platform to tell our story consistently. And in a sea of sameness of this kind of eat, pray, love wonderlust of travel and people on goji berries and surfboards, that's not my travel experience most of the time. Why were we glorifying the destination but not the thing we provide in this travel experience? The stay itself. And we thought back to our founder, uh, Conrad Hilton over a hundred years ago said it was our job to fill the earth with the light and warmth, the hospitality. So we had this really unique purpose in the world, very different than everyone else, and yet a sea of sameness marketing, uh, environment. And what we realized was we were going from campaign to campaign, getting sick of it before anybody else even saw it, before it even wore in. We needed a platform, we needed our version of what we're gonna stand for.Mark: (06:45)And so as we looked with TBWA, the answer was there all along. It's the stay. It doesn't matter how you travel, it doesn't matter how you live your life. When you come to our hotel and you cross that transom, it just feels different when it's at Hilton and at the heart of every great trip is a great stay. And so the stay became that, that that glue. We then look for stories you could tell on top of it. Uh, it matters where you stay as our first campaign to tell that story. Bringing other influencers and creators in to help tell their authentic story. And who more authentic than the great-granddaughter of the founder of our company, Paris Hilton, who has lived her life literally in our hotels, you know, born and raised in in many of our hotels, traveled the world. So we try to find a lot of different ways in to tell that story all connected back to these 22 brands, how they're all part of Hilton and how ultimately were for this day,Damian: (07:27)How significant was it? Was the fact that you launched this across many different channels?Mark: (07:32)I mean, fir look, first of all, we wanna be where our customers are. I mean that, that's ultimately drives this conversation. And, and you know, just using linear as an example, you know, your go-to oftentimes as a classically trained marketer is to to be on tv. And of course we need to be there. There's some reach and frequency in the saliency that comes with that. But the reality is increasingly our customers are engaging with brands differently. Uh, and whether that's on social media or their favorite creators, our ability to give up control a bit, which is hard as a brand owner, right? As as a brand leader. And you realize very quickly we actually don't own the brand that customers do. Their perception becomes reality. Their reality becomes the brand. So we better meet them where they are. Podcasting and audio is a huge trend coming particularly accelerated outta the pandemic.Mark: (08:09)Uh, social media obviously has been, you know, a rocket ship. Uh, your ability to even functionally serve up search results. SEO is being generated by your ability to be indexable on, you know, YouTube and, and TikTok and other places. So it's, it's a no brainer to be with the customers are. And and what's amazing to me about marketing this great discipline we all get to do is that the fundamentals are the same, right? We're still telling great stories like we're doing for hundreds of years that is just so authentically human, but how we get to do it is rapidly changing it faster than any time in history. And so that's why we went omnichannel duringDamian: (08:40)The pandemic of, of course people stopped traveling, they had to, and we saw a big surge of travel after that based on that wonderlust, that desire to get out of the house. According to the US Travel Association, total travel spending this year is still going up 4% over last year, year over year. Is that your perception? Is that your understanding travel demand is still very strong?Mark: (09:01)Yeah, look, coming, coming outta the crisis, I mean every single year of the last three years has been stronger than the previous. Uh, the reality is there's so much pent up demand and one or lost. I, I think there were some mechanic things like people had record levels of savings. But more importantly we had this golden age of travel going into the pandemic, you know, record levels of middle class all across the world, getting to experience travel for the first time that pause, but it didn't break during the pandemic. There was a very explainable reason, the pandemic to stop doing that. But the demand was still there. The desire was still there. And then it got accelerated when people realized how fragile freedom is, right? That at the end of the day, at any given time, your bucket list comes to a screeching halt. So why is it a bucket list?Mark: (09:37)Why is it not a tomorrow list? Why is it not a today list? Let's go out and do it. And then you started to see flexibility of working, right? This idea that I had to be on this calendar schedule where my kids had to get to back to school at a certain time or I needed back in the office, that dynamic changed as well. And so you have record amount of demand, you had a very acute moment where we all realized, my goodness, the thing I love to do could go away at any time. And then life became more flexible. It has led to record levels of travel all across the world. And our hotels are certainly seeing record levels of customers engaging with us.Ilyse: (10:07)So Hilton has a diverse portfolio, brands 22 to be precise. How does the marketing strategy then differ across these brands to cater to those like various travel segments?Mark: (10:19)It's a great question. Look, each brand has a design target, a ause that we use to design that and, and s sort an archetype that we're really focusing on. We build out that prototype of what it's gonna look like, feel like what brands are gonna appear in the hotel itself, what's the color palette, the look and feel, the logo, all those things that you'd expect us to do. And each brand has to win its category, right? All of 'em have, you know, great competitors that, that are offering options the same price point. So we gotta be differentiated. What's important for us though is that by Hilton or the name Hilton in the brand, which is in all 22 brands, is not a holding company. We're not a, we're not a sort of CPG company that just happens to own these brands and lets 'em all pure play, compete.Mark: (10:55)They all have a purposeful role in the journey. And so you may be at a Hilton resort, you know, having a great trip in Aruba and then suddenly you're at your kid's soccer game or you know, football match at a Hampton Inn somewhere in the world or you know, that you need to be in and then a Walter for story for your honeymoon. So you're transversing those brands by Hilton has to mean something by Hilton has to also be the connective tissue. And so it's this fun challenging balance of having 22 brands each with their own personality that commands premiums in their category, while also reminding customers that it matters that these are by Hilton and that you'll get the benefits of Hilton Honors and all the things we innovate and drive. Uh, along the journey.Ilyse: (11:30)Hilton recently conducted research into how different generations travel. What were like, the major takeaways from the research, for instance is like one generation travel more than the other.Mark: (11:41)You know, some trends you see are about where you are in your lifecycle, right? Obviously the older you get the the more you typically have more disposable income and time just definitionally. When you're younger, you're often in the early stage of your career, maybe your family's younger. So there, there's those dynamics. But we do look at each generation to see what's pervasive and what's what's there. The first was the focus on wellness. People are looking particularly for restorative sleep. Uh, when you looked at I think the lowest end of the, of the spectrum, you know, 55% of Gen Z were saying that's the primary purpose of their trip. All they up to 70% of, uh, boomers and and Gen X were saying the primary purpose of the trip was restorative sleep, right? So we take that responsibility very, very seriously that you need to be rested and relaxed when you come to our hotel.Mark: (12:20)Second trend we saw was a seamless digital experience, right? This ability to dream shop book, experience the entire, stay digitally and personalize that journey for you. And so as you look at our innovation agenda, whether that's putting your mind at ease when you book that, you've got a confirmed connecting room, whether that's knowing you can message the front desk, you know, how many times, uh, I know for me I'm in the room and I don't really wanna go back to the front desk. I don't really wanna call and bother them, but I could use more towels or I could use, uh, a beverage after the, the bars maybe close for the night to build a message to the front desk and have 'em respond back. That's pretty powerful. So how do we digitally engage with our customers all generations? You know, it may start with younger travelers, but I'm telling you that the boomers are just the same in terms of wanting the ease and access of a seamless digital booking experience and engaging experience.Mark: (13:01)The third is, uh, local experiences. So people go somewhere to do something typically. And so they want our hotels to help 'em connect with the neighborhoods. Where's the offbeat path? Yes, you'll see the big museum or the big, you know, sculpture in town or whatever it may be. But tell me what locals do. Where do they eat? Where do I go around here? And maybe some of that's in the hotel. Maybe we have a great, you know, Michelin star restaurant in the hotel and we can get you a reservation that you can otherwise have. So a third trend we saw was connecting with the local experience and not wanting a cookie cutter trip. Even. You know, you want a reliable hotel. And the last, and I mentioned this earlier, the dynamic of business travel has changed wildly. You know, as I think about my career and a lot of our consumers say the same thing, it was an interruption in your life.Mark: (13:41)It was, you know, I had my life at home and then I go do business travel and that's gonna stop my momentum at home. The flexibility we now all have to be virtual for an extra week. It allows us to extend a business trip into a personal trip. The ability to have your kids join you on the weekend. Suddenly now you can use that momentum of a business trip to be the catalyst for bringing your whole family along. 'cause the kids can miss a day of school or take a zoom class instead of having to be back in class. And so that journey has been blended. And so when we look at the trends across all generations, that ability to make it digitally and seamless for them is really important. The ability to be locally connected, that ability to ultimately blend the work in business, travel, uh, business and and leisure at the very top of it, the whole thing. Make sure that when you leave that hotel, you feel rested and restored. Whether that's mind, body or soul.Damian: (14:22)And in terms of your marketing calendar, your marketing cadence, you talk about all these many different streams you're looking at, how do you think about the rollout of campaigns?Mark: (14:31)A lot of markets have a natural pacing to them. There are, you know, there's golden week in China twice a year, right there, there's things that you lean into because that is a natural catalyst. We, despite all the flexibility I talked about earlier, we still in the US have big summer breaks. That's a big time to send people, you know, on holiday. But also watching customer cues, right? We were able to, a lot of the, the channels we talked about earlier are pool channels, not push channels. So as customers are engaging on video, on demand and they're watching programming about travel destinations or food destinations, let's, let's plug into that moment. Let's activate and trigger. We're watching social media all the time for moments to intercept. You know, we've got examples where there was a home sharing customer whose dad thought they booked a house for four.Mark: (15:08)It was a shed that was big enough for one person. They had two dogs and four kids. And it was crazy. We texted them and said, you know, we message 'em on Twitter and TikTok and got ahold of 'em and said, come to our hotel. Uh, we had one the other day who texted her at home sharing host and said, uh, we're at a toilet paper. Where do I find more? And they said, the supermarket. And we said, well that's crazy. Our hotel has come to our hotel, right? So you find these little human moments along the way. And so it takes the pressure outta marketing to some degree 'cause the customers are telling you when they want to hear about you. And we've got ready to go stories. The last example I would give is cultural tent poles. So we've got a long standing partnership with the Grammys.Mark: (15:43)Uh, we have a long history music. Uh, John Lennon wrote, imagine in the New York Hilton on a piece of stationary, had the bed in for peace at the Hilton in Amsterdam. Elvis did residencies. Freddie Mercury wrote a crazy little thing called Love in the Bathtub at the Hilton Frankert. Yeah. And so we belong in music, right? So Grammys becomes a big tent pole to tell our story. Formula one with McLaren and Lando Norris, uh, on a McLaren F one racing team. The big moment in the Vegas race will tell that story. So there, there are these moments where you can lean into culture, where the stay is really at the heart of what's possible and that just becomes an authentic way to connect with our customers.Damian: (16:14)I wanna ask you about sustainability and eco-conscious travel, which should become increasingly important. Can you talk about how Hilton incorporates those concepts and those initiatives into its marketing efforts to resonate with environmentally conscious travelers? ThisMark: (16:27)Is very top of mind. We have a huge responsibility. We have over a million and you know, almost a million and a half rooms across the world. And the decisions we make can make or break products for distribution. And so one of the things we did on the product side is we moved to bulk amenities. This idea that you're not gonna have those tiny little bottles that get thrown out every stay. We've got refillable bottles that are safe and secure and sealed and everything else, but the real driver was environmental impact, right? We, we are big enough that our ability to use reusable bottles for water, the ability to use refillable bottles in the, in the bath amenities, that has a huge impact on our supply chain. And so first and foremost is that second we have the ability for companies that are keeping track of their impact.Mark: (17:02)Or, you know, even for conscious consumers, we're tracking all the energy uses at our hotels and we're giving recommendations to the hotels how to save energy based on consumer behaviors. We're able to turn down the thermostats when the guests leave the room. We're able to do the things that actually make a difference. On the marketing side, it, it's kind of a funny scenario. And that customers care more than ever, as as they should. They'll tell you in a focus group, they'll pay a premium or they want to hear about they, they really don't. They, they want to have a great trip, but they wanna know underneath that great trip, you're doing the right thing. And so we're not necessarily gonna always put it front and center and say, this is an eco-conscious trip, but we better have the proof points for you that you'll know that the trip you're having that not paying a premium, but paying what you already pay includes Hilton's commitment to doing that.Mark: (17:41)So that's really important. And on the marketing side, look, we have to look at sustainable sourcing of things. We have to look at who our supply chain is with what are we buying and who are we buying it from. We built these rooms, these hotel rooms on golf courses, uh, for, you know, big golf activations and they're fun and they're great for three days. We've donated a couple of those to local schools to use as play facilities, right? So are you thinking through the entire journey and then the tricky part to your question coming back to that is just how much do customers really want to hear that story versus just know intuitively and instinctively that your brand stands for it and it's committed and the dollars they're spending are being reinvested in their communities and being reinvested for the environmental impact.Ilyse: (18:17)What emerging trends or channels do you see as having the most significant impact on Hilton's marketing strategy in 2024?Mark: (18:26)I look back to where we are today versus when I studied marketing, uh, you know, a number of years ago in school, too many years ago in school. And, you know, the channels we're using most today didn't even exist. Literally did not exist. Social media was not even really a thing. Uh, and suddenly here it is our number one channel for a number of ways to connect with customers. And so we will rejoice in the fact that marketing is job is always and will continue to be great storytelling. And that's not going anywhere. That is the heart of what we do. What will change and continue to accelerate for us is how we do that more on social, right? More on streaming and video on demand. You know, as you start to pivot from, I think this year was the first year that consumers officially watch more video not on linear TV than than on linear tv.Mark: (19:04)That trend will continue and so we'll need to meet them where they are on streaming and video on demand and YouTube and other platforms. You'll see us show up in TikTok and Instagram and show up on the platforms where we can tell authentic, credible stories. I think the more fun part for us is giving away the keys to the castle a bit, right? So we're gonna be doing more with creators and letting them tell their authentic story about a Hilton's day. And while you might not always have all the brand controls you have, the authenticity outweighs the impact of losing a little bit of your ability to control for every sentence and every, you know, color that they use in in their work. And then lastly, we'll look for ways to activate, um, at big cultural tent pole moments, showing up in an activational way with experiential marketing to let customers truly experience what our brand stands for in the moments that matter most to them, reminding them that it matters where you stay and that Hilton is for this day.Damian: (19:51)That's it for this edition of the current podcast. We'll be back next week. So stay tuned.Ilyse: (19:56)The current podcast is produced by Wonder Media Network. Our theme is by love and caliber. The current team includes Chris Leyer and Cat fei.Damian: (20:05)And remember, youMark: (20:07)Realize very quickly we actually don't own the brand that customers do. Their perception becomes reality. Their reality becomes the brand. So we better meet them where they are.Damian: (20:15)I'm Damien andIlyse: (20:16)I'm AiseDamian: (20:17)And we'll see you next time.

The Watauga Leadership Institute serves as the community leadership development arm of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. Each year, participants enjoy a cohort-style program that helps them unlock leadership and fine tine leadership skills, while also helping them better understand the way the High Country community functions.On this week's Mind Your Business, we hear from Duane Wade, Director of Operations at the Hampton Inn & Suites of Boone, and a Watauga Leadership Challenge graduate, about his experiences as a participant, and how his leadership style was impacted by the lessons he learned throughout the program.Mind your Business is produced weekly by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce. This podcast is made possible each week by Appalachian Commercial Real Estate and sponsored in part by UNC Health Appalachian.Support the show

Fran Anderson (Ryan Asher: Second City) hits the Business Trips studio to discuss some learnings from her travels as a conference coordinator and answer to the long awaited question: Hampton Inn or La Quinta?

In this episode, we learn from two hospitality leaders, Eleanor Erickson and Phil Cordell, about the importance of culture in creating a thriving hospitality business and how they did that at Hampton Inn - a Hilton brand. Eleanor, a former general manager with Hampton Inn, shares her career journey early in the discussion, and then Phil - Hilton's global head of lifestyle brands and new brand development - joins the conversation to discuss the key elements of creating a culture that drives business success. This episode is a masterclass in building a strong hospitality culture filled with insightful advice and plenty of laughter. Tune in and get inspired to empower your people and achieve your goals in the hospitality industry.Follow Phil on LinkedInFollow Eleanor on LinkedInVisit Eleanor's websiteListen to our other episodes with EleanorListen to our other episodes on people and culture What did you think about this episode? Join the Hospitality Daily community on LinkedIn and share your thoughts. If you care about hospitality, check out the Masters of Moments podcast where Jake Wurzak interviews top leaders in hospitality. His conversations with Bashar Wali and Matt Marquis are a great place to start, but also check out his solo episodes such as how he underwrites investment deals and a deep dive into GP fees you know about. Music by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

GDP Script/ Top Stories for Sept 22nd Publish Date:  Sept 21st From the Henssler Financial Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast Today is Friday, September 22nd, and happy heavenly birthday to MLB HOF Tommy Lasorda. ****LASORDA**** I'm Bruce Jenkins and here are your top stories presented by Peggy Slappey Properties. Georgia Gwinnett College ranked most diverse Southern college for 10th straight year Grayson High grad supports versatile missions while serving at U.S. Navy Helicopter Squadron Snellville will hold liquor store license lottery on Sept. 25 All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe!    Break 1 : M.O.G.          Story 1: Georgia Gwinnett College ranked most diverse Southern college for 10th straight year   Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been ranked as the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college by U.S. News and World Report for the 10th consecutive year. In the latest rankings, GGC secured the top spot for diversity in the Southern region and ranked fourth nationally for ethnic diversity among regional colleges. The rankings are based on data from the fall 2022 semester, with GGC's student body comprising 32% Black/African American, 27% Hispanic, 24% white, 12% Asian, and 4% multi-ethnic students. GGC also earned high marks in other categories, including undergraduate teaching, public schools, least debt, and international student representation.…..read more at gwinnettdailypost.com STORY 2: Grayson High grad supports versatile missions while serving at U.S. Navy Helicopter Squadron   Petty Officer 1st Class Johnny Rosario, originally from Grayson, serves as an aviation electronics mate at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3. Rosario joined the Navy seven years ago for educational benefits, having attended Grayson High School and college. He credits his hometown's culture of staying calm and focused in fast-paced environments for helping him succeed in the Navy. HSC 3 conducts various missions, including search and rescue, air assaults, and medical evacuations. Rosario takes pride in being part of the Navy, contributing to national defense, and appreciates the guidance of mentors like Senior Chief Ronnie Mendoza and Chief Sean Fagan.   STORY 3: Snellville will hold liquor store license lottery on Sept. 25 Snellville officials are using a lottery to decide which business owner will be granted a liquor store license to operate a package store in the city. Five groups have submitted proposals, and the lottery, scheduled for September 25th at City Hall, will determine the recipient. This decision follows voter approval last November for the issuance of liquor store licenses. Initially, three proposals were approved for the lottery, but two more groups successfully appealed their denial, making a total of five eligible proposals. The lottery includes proposed sites near Main Street, McDonald's, Autobell Car Wash, Hampton Inn & Suites, and QuikTrip on U.S. Highway 78. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info. We'll be right back   Break 2:   Slappey - Tom Wages - Obits – Cumming Fair             STORY 4: The new Elizabeth H. Williams library in Snellville merges literacy with entrepreneurship   The new Elizabeth H. Williams Branch in Snellville is unlike any other Gwinnett County library. It shares a building with business entrepreneurs, offering a sprawling library on the ground floor and a Thrive Coworking space for small businesses on the second floor. The facility, costing $10.2 million in special purpose local option sales tax funds, is twice the size of the old Snellville branch and is unique for being the first library in the county to incorporate co-working spaces. Snellville's Mayor, Barbara Bender, sees it as an opportunity to support local entrepreneurs in a city known for its business community.   STORY 5: 4-H Farm Friends exhibit continues to connect people with animals at Gwinnett County Fair   The Gwinnett County 4-H Farm Friends exhibit at the Gwinnett County Fair continues to provide visitors with the opportunity to interact with farm animals. The exhibit, now in its 32nd year, features cows, a donkey, goats, sheep, newly hatched chicks, and ducklings. Visitors pay $1 per person to see the animals, and the funds raised serve as a significant fundraiser for the Gwinnett County 4-H group, covering expenses for various activities throughout the year. It also offers suburban children the chance to experience farm animals up close and learn about their care.   We'll be back in a moment   Break 3:  ESOG – Ingles 9   STORY 6: Four from Gwinnett Heat up for ASPIRE Awards   Four individuals affiliated with the Gwinnett Heat have been nominated for the Fifth Annual ASPIRE Awards presented by the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs. These awards recognize outstanding contributions to support student-athletes with physical disabilities. Ed Shaddix, recently retired athletic director for GCPS, is nominated for the Eli Wolff Award for Advocacy. Jeff Jones of the Gwinnett Heat is a nominee for the Gail Hendrick Award for Volunteerism. Additionally, two Heat coaches, Len Boudreaux and Lynette Swanson, are nominated for Junior Varsity Coach of the Year. The awards banquet will take place on October 22nd in Atlanta.   STORY 7: Rebecca Miranda breaks Brookwood career assists record in win over Parkview   Brookwood's volleyball team celebrated Senior Night as they defeated Parkview with a score of 25-18, 25-10, 25-23. Rebecca Miranda achieved a career milestone by breaking the program record for career assists with a total of 1,253 assists, surpassing the previous record set in 2019. The win ties Brookwood with Grayson for first place in Region 4-AAAAAAA, both holding 3-0 records. Kate Phelan, Sarah Sanders, and Rayne Williams also made significant contributions to the team's success.   We'll have final thoughts after this.   Break 4: Henssler 60 Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Gwinnett Daily Post podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties, or the Paulding County News Podcast. Read more about all our stories, and get other great content at Gwinnettdailypost.com. Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home Briefing and be sure to like, follow, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. www.wagesfuneralhome.com  www.psponline.com  www.mallofgeorgiachryslerdodgejeep.com  www.esogrepair.com  www.henssler.com  www.ingles-markets.com  www.downtownlawrencevillega.com  www.gcpsk12.org  www.cummingfair.net www.disneyonice.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anthony Amunategui, the Founder of CDO Group, Inc. CDO Group is an industry leader providing a full range of corporate construction development and project management services. Since its inception in 1998, they have represented hundreds of clients in a wide range of varying industries in all 50 states.Anthony started his career painting houses during college, he unexpectedly caught the attention of a Project Manager at a Discovery Zone, where his exceptional efficiency and craftsmanship as a painter stood out. This led to a remarkable opportunities. Anthony and his team revolutionized the construction timeline for Discovery Zone playgrounds, reducing it to an impressive duration of just under seven days. He leveraged his expertise to excel at Boston Chicken (now known as Boston Market), Einstein Bagels, Au Bon Pain, and Panera Bread. In each case, his outstanding performance resulted in him essentially working himself out of a job. This inspired the conception of an outsourced construction management group, which gave birth to CDO Group. With a prestigious client roster including Hampton Inn & Suites, McDonald's, Starbucks, TGI Friday's, Kate Spade, Gap, Mac Cosmetics, Ann Taylor, and Dunkin' Brands, it's evident why CDO Group became a highly sought-after company. Anthony's authentic enthusiasm for construction, innovative concepts, empowering individuals, and the constant pursuit of personal growth has captivated me, and I believe it will have the same effect on you. If you aspire to break through the glass ceiling that's hindering your progress, this episode is for you.Support the showFollow me on Facebook ⬇️https://www.facebook.com/manuj.aggarwal❤️ ID - Manuj Aggarwal■ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manujaggarwal/ ■ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmanuj■ Instagram: ...

From surfing lessons and sunset cruises, to training dolphins and learning about space…Meagan and her two teens, Clara and Owen, packed in so many unforgettable experiences during their Spring Break trip to Florida! In this episode Meagan shares more about her travels with teens to the Space Coast of Florida and St. Augustine/Florida's Historic Coast, thanks to our sponsor VISIT FLORIDA. And while the activities may look a little bit different with teens vs. big kids and toddlers, find out why Meagan's best tips and take-aways for traveling with teens aren't actually that different from when they were toddlers. Enjoy!About Our SponsorThank you to VISIT FLORIDA for sponsoring this episode and making Meagan's and Catie's trips possible.Choosing where to go on a family vacation is easier than you think. Florida is filled with experiences you and your family will never forget. From 825 miles of beaches and 700 freshwater springs to over 1,300 trails with breathing room to run and play, there are so many reasons a Florida vacation is just, the best.Start planning YOUR best-ever vacation at VISIT FLORIDA today!Links We Mentioned (Or Should Have) In This Episode:Meagan and her kids enjoyed a nice stay at The Holiday Inn in Titusville, and visited the Cocoa Beach area to enjoy a kayak tour at sunset.They visited the Kennedy Space Center and had a waterfront dinner at Shiloh's restaurant.Meagan and her family loved their stay (especially the hot tub!) at The Hampton Inn & Suites St. Augustine/Vilano Beach.The Castillo de San Marcos is a must-visit, along with the Fountain of Youth Park.In St. Augustine, enjoy a trolley ride on Old Town Trolley Tours and be sure to stop into the Lightner MuseumMeehan's Irish Pub and Seafood House, Aunt Kate's, and Salt Life Food Shack are three great family-friendly restaurant options in and around St. Augustine.Enjoy the St. Augustine skyline and dolphin sightings on a sunset cruise with Florida Water Tours.Clara and Owen enjoyed surf lessons from Pit Surf Shop on St. Augustine Beach. Then it was off to Marineland for a Dolphin Encounter experience!If you have any alligator lovers in your life don't miss St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park.Looking for more travel tips? In last week's episode, Catie Parrish shared details about her family of five's vacation to Florida with ideas for traveling with younger kids.Continue the conversation:Instagram | Private Facebook CommunitySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's a good thing Alex Murdaugh has plenty of stolen money to throw around because boy, does he need a high-powered legal team! They're currently living the high life at the Eden at Gracefield, a 500-acre wedding venue in Walterboro, South Carolina. This luxurious property is the temporary home of Murdaugh's lead defense attorneys, Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, and their entourage. But why settle for just any old hotel when you can rent out all five homes nestled between lakes and tranquil forests, a little less than eight miles from the Colleton County Courthouse? For a mere $20,475 a week, Murdaugh's legal team is living in the lap of luxury. And don't worry, they were given a discount because of the length of their stay, how generous! Murdaugh is on trial for double murder, accused of gunning down his wife Maggie and son Paul on June 7, 2021, at the family's hunting estate. The prosecution has argued that he committed these heinous crimes to distract from his decade-long financial schemes, including embezzling millions from his law firm and clients. But according to his legal team, Murdaugh is a loving family man who would never do such a thing. While the Walkers who run Eden at Gracefield may not be paying much attention to the trial, it seems everyone else is. The state attorney general's office was even interested in the property, but alas, they were too late. Meanwhile, the state prosecutors and law enforcement agents are staying at a renovated Hampton Inn and Suites, but with over 30 members of the press also staying there, it's not exactly a luxurious experience. Murdaugh's legal team, on the other hand, is living the dream. They have a live-in cook who prepares three meals a day and a magnificent Manor House with crystal chandeliers, an onyx foyer, and a 12-foot kitchen island. And let's not forget the rustic Tobacco Barn, complete with whimsical fairy lights and a comfy bed. Privacy is of utmost importance to Murdaugh's team, so they've requested that the back entrance be locked for their stay. They access the property through a wrought iron gate that leads to an enchanting road lined with live oaks draped in Spanish moss. But the real question is, how is Murdaugh, who claims to be broke, paying for all of this? Harpootlian is a Democratic state senator and Griffin's team's housing tab has already surpassed $60,000. It's a mystery! Sadly, Murdaugh's legal team's stay at Eden at Gracefield will soon come to an end as they have to vacate the property by the end of February for a wedding scheduled the first week of March. Laura Walker, the property's owner, made it clear that she's not going to cancel someone's once-in-a-lifetime experience for Murdaugh and his team. So, it looks like they'll have to find somewhere else to stay. Perhaps they'll join their opposition at the Hampton Inn, where rooms either overlook I-95 or the parking lot and the nightly rate is a staggering $300. Unlock a world of mystery and intrigue with our Ad-Free Podcasts. Subscribe now through Apple Podcasts and experience three days of unlimited, uninterrupted listening. https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Embark on a journey of discovery with our captivating cases: Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski (All Cases) - https://availableon.com/universityofidahomurderspodcast4changedforwhat The shocking true story of Chad & Lori Daybell - https://availableon.com/demiseofthedaybellsthelorichaddaybellstory The Murder of Ana Walshe - https://availableon.com/findinganathisdisappearanceofanawalshe The Trial of Alex Murdaugh - https://availableon.com/thetrialofalexmurdaugh The Idaho Murders, The Case Against Bryan Kohberger - https://availableon.com/theidahomurdersthecaseagainstbryankohberger True Crime Today (All Cases & EXTRA Commentary) - https://availableon.com/truecrimetodayatruecrimepodcast Join the conversation on Twitter with Tony Brueski - https://twitter.com/tonybpod And be a part of our Facebook Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/834636321133