Podcasts about Hawaiian

Ronny Cheng jokes about Hawaiian culture in his Netflix special, "Love to Hate It".

We continue our two-part conversation with Dr. Ross Cordy, Pacific Island Hawaiian-Pacific studies at University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu. Trained as both an archaeologist and ethnohistorian, Dr. Cordy's specialty is reconstructing the history of Hawai‘i as told from multiple data sources. In the second half of our discussion, we consider settlement patterns across the Hawaiian archipelago, as well as the rise of countries and kingdoms within the islands themselves. We also talk about the significance of cultural jewels like Wai‘anae and Kukaniloko on O‘ahu and the histories of places in Micronesia.

Samoa Joe (@samoajoe) of Twisted Metal joins the 'boys to talk San Diego Comic Con, video games, and Hawaiian food before closing out Twisted Monthal with a review of McDonald's Ice Cream.Watch this episode at youtube.com/doughboysmediaGet ad-free episodes at patreon.com/doughboysGet Doughboys merch at kinshipgoods.com/doughboysAdvertise on Doughboys via Gumball.fmSources for this week's intro:https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Pinto_Colvighttps://www.gobacktothepast.com/blog/112-a-brief-history-of-bozo-the-clownhttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/04/arts/television/willard-scott-dead.htmlhttps://www.pbs.org/wnet/pioneers-of-television/pioneering-people/willard-scott/https://www.rd.com/article/why-ronald-mcdonald-mascot/Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/8xqcrzj3 #CashAppPodAs a Cash App partner, I may earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, you'll discover why Niʻihau is the only major Hawaiian island you can't visit, how it's managed to stay closed to the public for over 150 years, and what makes life there so different from anywhere else in Hawaii. You'll get a rare look at the traditions, access rules, and reasons this island has chosen privacy over tourism. Become a member to listen to this and so many more: hawaiisbesttravel.com/members

Rebecca and Tori continue their wallow in the Apple TV+ series, Chief of War. We chat about the politics, colonialism, cultural representation, and the various personal relationships. Rebecca continues to bring in the wisdom of the hosts of the podcast Feathers and Fire.MusicApache Rock Instrumental by Sound Atelier licensed through Jamendo Music.Sound EffectsShining Star Flourish: Sound Effect by u_it78ck90s3 from PixabaySpotlight Flourish: Sound Effect by Dzianis Honczarow from PixabayPrint SourceLinnekin, Jocelyn. "Hawaiians." In Oceania, 95-97. Vol. 2 of Encyclopedia of World Cultures. New York, NY: Macmillan Reference USA, 1996. Gale eBooks (accessed August 24, 2025). SourcesThe Cinemaholic | Where is Chief of War Filmed? All Shooting LocationsKeauhou Holua Slide (U.S. National Park Service)Town and Country Magazine | Chief of War Epsidoe 3 Royal Wedding Scence Explained

In this amazing episode, conservation biologist Dr. Mark Davis joins hosts Amy and Karla to explain environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material shed by organisms into their surroundings. This tool allows researchers to detect species in water, soil, and air without disturbing them. A fascinating look at how invisible clues in nature help protect biodiversity.Highlights:- Rediscovering the endangered salamander mussel in Illinois after 100 years using eDNA.- Detecting rare Hawaiian birds through flower samples.- eDNA enables faster, less invasive biodiversity surveys.- Limitations include short DNA lifespan and data interpretation challenges.More informationIllinois Natural History Survey eDNAQuestions? We'd love to hear from you!Abigail Garofalo aeg9@illinois.edu, Erin Garrett emedvecz@illinois.edu, Amy Lefringhouse heberlei@illinois.edu Subscribe to our NewsletterCheck out our BlogSee the Everyday Environment Archives

The Cinematography Podcast Episode 322: Matthew Chuang, ACS Chief of War is a historical drama series from Apple TV+ co-created by and starring Jason Momoa. The show features a primarily Pacific Islander cast speaking Hawaiian, and is the first program to tell the story of the brutal and unprecedented unification of the Hawaiian islands in the late 18th century. Cinematographer Matthew Chuang, ACS shot episodes 1, 2, 5, 8 and 9 of Chief of War. He teamed up with director Justin Chon, his friend and collaborator on the indie film, Blue Bayou, to shoot episodes 1 and 2. Working with Chon, Matthew set the look of the show- a naturalistic, honest and real look, with few effects or stylized camera moves. They drew from films by director Terrence Malik, cinematographer John Toll and movies such as The Last of the Mohicans and Apocalypto. “It was a lot of fun because I had resources for the first time. The scale of the production was exciting,” says Matthew, who had never worked on a television show before, let alone an epic one like Chief of War. “We wanted to showcase Hawaii, the culture, the fighting style and costumes, but in a way that feels grounded and real.” Understanding the history and receiving guidance on cultural sensitivity was also important to the crew, who often engaged with the actors and local community to make sure it felt authentic. The crew shot in Hawaii for eight weeks before shifting to locations in New Zealand. For Matthew, the ninth and final episode, directed by Jason Momoa, proved to be the most difficult. They filmed major battle scenes in the lava fields of Kalapana on Hawaii, while the Mauna Loa volcano erupted for the first time in more than three decades. The lava rocks were sharp, hot and offered no protection from the sun, and the battle as scripted went from daytime into night. Matthew had to carefully plan the shooting schedule around the time of day in the script, with the crew often starting at 3am to get shots going from night into day. It was Momoa's directorial debut, and Matthew found him to be extremely knowledgeable. “Jason is very involved on the visual side,” explains Matthew. “He loves cameras. He loves the craft of shooting. He knows lighting as well, like the direction of the sun, especially with the show where we're shooting a lot of times outdoors, a lot of time on location.” Find Matthew Chuang: https://www.matthewchuang.com/ Instagram: @mattscope See Chief of War on Apple TV+ Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras: https://hotrodcameras.com/ The Cinematography Podcast website: www.camnoir.com YouTube: @TheCinematographyPodcast Facebook: @cinepod Instagram: @thecinepod Blue Sky: @thecinepod.bsky.social

In this episode of the Stockman Grassfarmer Podcast, we travel to Kauai, Hawaii, to meet Sharleen Andrade Balmores, a sixth-generation rancher carrying forward her family's 138-year cattle ranching legacy. Although she once imagined her brothers or cousins would take over, Sharleen found her true calling in ranching — building The Rancher's Daughter's Reserve, creating Minnie's Mercantile, and running the island's oldest USDA-inspected slaughterhouse. Sharleen opens up about: Why she chose to return to her roots and raise gourmet, grassfed beef in Hawaii The unique challenges of ranching on Kauai, from high land values to invasive grasses How rotational grazing and smart pasture management keep her herd thriving The importance of learning from multigenerational ranchers and trusting your instincts Why community support and giving back fuel her passion for the work Her journey is a powerful reminder that ranching is about more than cattle — it's about family, heritage, and feeding a community with integrity.

Jason Momoa's Hawaiian history show is at war with itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's that time of year again (well actually a little late, but we cover that early on!) The 2025 edition of the Pittsburgh Gaming Expo is upon us, and it's happening October 3-5th at the Monroville Convention Center, just outside of Pittsburgh proper. This week I'm joined by Wizz, one of the organizers of the show to have a chat about all the fun and coolness that you can expect to find if you should choose to come to the show!  And, if you look around enough, or ask a few folks, you could probably find me as well! (Look for the short, wide guy in the Van Halen print Hawaiian shirt). For more info on the show, ticket info, and so on, check out the website:  https://pittsburghgamingexpo.com/   d20 Network Spotlight:  The Genesys Archives -- https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/thegenesysarchives/   Game of the Week:      Wizz:  PLAY MORE BORG! --  https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/browse?ruleSystem=100215-mork-borg&src=fid100215&affiliate_id=2018399      Steve S:  Outgunned -- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/449021/outgunned?src=hottest_filtered&affiliate_id=2018399   *We have an affiliate link with Drive-Thru RPG.  All this does, is give us a small percentage of your purchase cost on Drive-Thru as a "referral bonus".  It does not cost you, as a consumer, anything extra.*   We greatly appreciate the donations of our Patreon supporters: Eric Witman, Jeff McKinney, Joshua Gopal-Boyd, Dave Smith, Brett Bowen, Nate Doverspike, and Dec!  Y'all make keeping this going possible!   As always folks, have fun, be kind to each other, and go play some rpgs!   Join the conversation on our Discord! Me And Steve RPG Discord  https://discord.gg/5wWNcYW You can reach us at meandsteverpg@gmail.com On Facebook as Me and Steve RPG Podcast On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpps0vVXLSGrOdM8i4ntFiQ On BlueSky @meandsteverpg.bsky.social Our Drive-Thru RPG affiliate link https://www.drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=2018399 Support us on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/MeandSteveTalkRPGs We are proud members of the d20 Radio Network! http://www.d20radio.com/main/ d20 Radio Discord Server:  https://discord.gg/aj3JdFtSM8 #ttrpg #tabletoproleplaying #indieRPG

Grab the First-Day in Hawaii ChecklistDid you know simple first-day mistakes in Hawaii can derail your whole trip before day two even starts?For a lot of visitors, the first 24 hours are packed with excitement—and that's when avoidable slip-ups happen with ocean safety, jet lag, and logistics.

Holly and her son Nate join this week's episode! Nate is the 22-year-old founder of 21 Pineapples, a Hawaiian shirt company on a mission to spread joy, break stereotypes, and change the world with love. Nate, who has Down syndrome, shares his humor, wisdom, and heartfelt outlook on life reminding us all to “be a good human.” Holly opens up about their journey, the challenges and gifts of parenting, and her own resilience as a cancer survivor. Together, they discuss family, acceptance, and why embracing the unexpected can lead to the most beautiful parts of life. Follow Nate (21 Pineapples): @21pineapplesshirtco Follow Holly: @hollywould11 Follow Morgan: @webgirlmorgan Follow Take This Personally: @takethispersonallySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Former U.S. Marine, whistleblower, and frontline activist Ken O'Keefe  @TJPKenOKeefe  exposes the Israel-Palestine conflict, war propaganda, and state power on episode 214 of the Far Out with Faust podcast.Ken O'Keefe is a former Marine turned human-rights activist known for the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and his daring “human shield” missions in Iraq. For years, he's confronted official narratives on war, sovereignty, and media manipulation — bringing raw firsthand experience and an unapologetic moral compass to some of the most uncomfortable conversations in geopolitics.In this conversation, Faust and Ken get specific about Gaza and the West Bank, how manufactured narratives shape public perception, and why free speech matters when history cuts against the grain. Ken traces his path from combat to dissent, calls out U.S. involvement abroad, argues for state sovereignty — even secession and state-run banks — and makes the case that empathy, love, and the family unit are the ultimate antidotes to a demoralized culture.In this episode:

In episode 264 of the Simple Flying podcast, your host Channing discusses,Alaska Airlines & Hawaiian Airlines launch Atmos RewardsDelta Air Lines Boeing 737 wing flap partially detaches inflightUnited Airlines crew decides to leave flight before takeoffDelta Air Lines captain rejects Boeing 757Unruly passenger opens door on Volaris flight during pushback

“You're always gonna be a haole, just don't be a f***ing haole.” What does this even mean? Listen to find out… if you plan to visit Hawaiʻi, it's the key to being an unproblematic tourist. Celest and I met on my first visit to Hawaiʻi in May of 2022. We reconnected to talk about her experience living on the Big Island for 5 years before recently moving back to LA. on this episode, we chat about:- what Celest learned from living in Hawaiʻi- how to a respectful traveler/tourist to the islands - important Hawaiian words and cultural norms to know before visitingfeatured questions:1. What are some ethical guidelines to know before traveling to Hawaiʻi?2. Did you ever experience resentment as an outsider during your time living in Hawaiʻi? 3. What's the greatest lesson the islands taught you?━━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━━connect with Celest here!✨ Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/celestdablessed?igsh=bmlkdjd6a3ljd2x0━━━━━━━━ ⟡ ━━━━━━━━learn more about Hawai'i here:

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb dive deep into the intersection of pop culture, entertainment, and the Christian life. They explore how Christians can engage with leisure and media in a way that glorifies God, applying biblical principles like those found in 1 Corinthians 10:31 and Ecclesiastes 3. The hosts emphasize the importance of balancing Christian liberty and holiness, while also recognizing the practical role of rest and recreation in human flourishing. Through personal anecdotes and theological insights, they provide listeners with a framework for discerning entertainment choices, encouraging believers to enjoy God's good gifts without compromising their faith. Key Takeaways: Entertainment is a Gift from God: Leisure and entertainment, when approached rightly, are part of God's common grace meant to refresh and restore us. Biblical Principles for Consumption: 1 Corinthians 10:31 reminds Christians that all activities, including entertainment, should glorify God. If an activity cannot do so, it may be unlawful. Christian Liberty and Prudence: Decisions about pop culture often fall under the domain of Christian liberty, constrained by wisdom and prudence rather than legalistic rules. The Importance of Rest: Rest is not just about recharging for productivity; it is a God-given means of worship and human flourishing in its own right. Guarding Against Sinful Influences: Christians should be cautious of consuming media that promotes sin, as it can subtly shape their worldview and lead them astray. Personal Convictions and Context Matter: What is permissible for one believer may not be wise or beneficial for another, depending on individual struggles and contexts. Recreation Should Point Back to God: Whether through beauty, creativity, or storytelling, entertainment can lead Christians to worship God when consumed with discernment. Entertainment as a Gift from God Tony and Jesse emphasize that entertainment, when properly enjoyed, is a part of God's common grace. This means that activities like watching a movie, playing a video game, or reading a novel are not inherently sinful but can serve as vehicles for rest and refreshment. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 3, they highlight that God has ordained seasons for both work and rest. True rest, they argue, is not about escaping responsibilities but about enjoying God's gifts in ways that glorify Him and restore our energy to serve others. When approached with discernment, even "secular" forms of entertainment can reflect God's creativity and goodness. Applying Biblical Principles to Entertainment The hosts discuss how 1 Corinthians 10:31 provides a litmus test for media consumption: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This principle challenges believers to ask whether their entertainment choices align with God's glory. For example, content that promotes or glamorizes sin—whether through violence, sexual immorality, or blasphemy—should give Christians pause. However, they also note that some depictions of sin in fiction can serve a redemptive purpose, such as illustrating the consequences of sin or the beauty of redemption. The key is to thoughtfully evaluate whether the media being consumed inclines the heart toward holiness or pulls it away from God. Christian Liberty and Prudence Tony and Jesse stress the importance of Christian liberty in deciding on entertainment choices, while cautioning against legalism. They explain that Christian liberty does not mean a license to sin but rather the freedom to make God-honoring decisions in areas where Scripture does not provide explicit commands. Prudence and wisdom must guide these decisions. For instance, a particular TV show or game may be permissible for one believer but harmful for another, depending on their personal struggles or circumstances. This underscores the need for self-awareness and reliance on the Holy Spirit to discern what is spiritually beneficial. Quotes: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. If we cannot glorify God in an activity, it's likely unlawful for us as Christians." – Jesse Schwamb "Recreation is not just about recharging for productivity; it has its own value in glorifying God and enjoying His good gifts." – Tony Arsenal "Every story worth telling reflects, in some way, the greatest story ever told: redemption through Christ." – Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript: [00:00:30] Introduction and Episode Overview [00:00:30] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 457 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:37] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast where sound doctrine meets brotherly love. Hey brother. [00:00:44] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. So we're in a whole series of little one-off conversations, all kinds of things that just pop into our head, or we've had on a list somewhere that we thought, you know what? [00:00:55] Jesse Schwamb: Someday we should talk about that. And I think we've got another great. Conversation coming up on this episode, we're gonna get into a little bit about how Christians should interact with and consume pop culture maybe, and especially things like entertainment. And I know that there are gonna be people out there thinking, wow, these guys are gonna do what reform people always do. [00:01:15] Jesse Schwamb: They're just gonna come out into their lawn, they're gonna shake their fists angrily at the sky, they're gonna yell at the birds. It might not be that way, loved ones, but you're gonna have to wait. We're gonna talk about it. It's gonna be good. We're gonna get after it. We all do it. Everybody loves a bit of a to consume pop culture. [00:01:31] Jesse Schwamb: Is it possible it might be somewhat of a gift that God has given us? Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it's not, but we'll get to that. But first, let's affirm with or denying against something in the world. So what have you got for us on this episode, Tony? [00:01:45] Tony's Frustrating Customer Service Experience [00:01:45] Tony Arsenal: I'm gonna keep mine super short. It was a frustrating customer service experience, uh, that I had today. [00:01:52] Tony Arsenal: In general, I, I have, uh, Comcast or Xfinity Internet in general. I'm actually very pleased. Their service. Um, I, I actually find them to be responsive. Um, I've managed to get a decent price. I don't have Comcast television, so that's probably part of it. Um, but I, my cable modem. Slash router, which I've had, I don't know, probably for like eight years. [00:02:13] Tony Arsenal: Um, it finally died, so I bit the bullet and bought a brand new one. And those man, those things have gotten expensive and um, you know, it's supposed to be a super easy installation. You plug it in, you do the little thing on the app and it didn't work. So I had to connect with customer service through the app, and. [00:02:30] Tony Arsenal: It seemed like everything was going fine. And then all of a sudden I get a link in my text message and the lady who's chatting with me on the thing says, well just, just scroll down and click on where it says accept and then hit okay. And I was like, that seems sketchy. So I read it and she was, she had sent me a link to change my internet service. [00:02:51] Tony Arsenal: Uh, she was giving me a 90, an $80 promotional price for the first year. Uh, but then it went up to $140 after the first year. Wow. So I went back to the chat app and I said, I'm sorry, I, I must have miscommunicated something. I don't need to change my service. I just need to activate my modem. She said, oh, no, no, you're not changing your service. [00:03:11] Tony Arsenal: And I said, no, I, I definitely am. She goes, let me explain this to you. And she went through and tried, like, she went through and she's like, your speed is this and you're paying this. And I said, and I said, with all due respect, I'm not stupid. I can see that you're trying to change my service and I'm just not interested. [00:03:27] Tony Arsenal: And I had to fight with her for like 10 minutes before I finally said, just activate my modem, please. I'm not interested. Full stop. So I, I guess I'm just denying. I get, I get it. Like, you gotta try to upsell. I used to be in sales. I don't have any problem with you trying to upsell. I, I don't even necessarily have a problem with you trying to be clever and like, you know, intentional about how you upsell. [00:03:48] Tony Arsenal: Like there are ways that you can do that without being deceptive. This was just deceptive. So I'm not denying Comcast. I'm pleased with my service. I'm denying this particular person and this really just underhanded tactic. It was really, really upsetting. I mean, [00:04:02] Jesse Schwamb: there is nothing like good customer service, right? [00:04:04] Jesse Schwamb: I mean, the converse of that is what a blessing it is, and it's kind of a lesson to all of us and how we treat one another. That is whether we're providing the service or we ourselves are consuming it. It is just such a blessing. It's like so easy and so light when you get somebody who really wants to help you. [00:04:21] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And. You know, I would not have changed my service, but I can imagine that somebody who was looking and was interested, if she had just said straightforwardly, like your internet that you have is far slower than the modem that you're, you're installing, right? Um, we can get you a faster internet speed and give you a, a large discount for the first year. [00:04:42] Tony Arsenal: Are you interested in that? I think a good portion of people would just say yes. Even if they didn't think it through, they would just say, oh yeah, sure. Faster speed, less money. They, they wouldn't think it through. That's not deceptive. If you present an option, honestly, to a consumer and they take it and they didn't understand the terms, that's not deception. [00:04:58] Tony Arsenal: That's on them as the consumer for not thinking through what they're purchasing. This was just straight out, like, don't read it, just click on it, it's fine. Totally underhanded, deceptive. Um, and, and you know, I work in. Sort of a kind of customer service and I just can't imagine ever doing something that shady and calling it customer service. [00:05:15] Tony Arsenal: I was, I was very disappointed. [00:05:17] Jesse Schwamb: But I mean, everybody has customers, right? Yeah. Everybody has somebody they're responsible to, and everybody has people to whom they should be responsible in the kind of care. Whatever you provide to somebody, whether it's your family, it's in your church, it's in your job, so, right. [00:05:30] Jesse Schwamb: I like that. It's a good reminder because again, there's nothing like walking away from experience and being like, wow, that was so easy, or that person was so good to help me. Yeah. Or like they really got me to the end that I was looking for and they did it and I felt better afterwards than I did before I called. [00:05:43] Jesse Schwamb: That should be like our goal, like what does great look like in every interaction that we can have with somebody. [00:05:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight? [00:05:52] Jesse's Affirmation: The Plana App for Plant Care [00:05:52] Jesse Schwamb: I'm going back to the app. Well, and by that was a really weird saying of just, I'm gonna affirm with another app. So I really love a good house plant, but I'm no good at the house plants. [00:06:02] Jesse Schwamb: I really like the way they look. It's a lot of pressure with house plans. Maybe people feel this way. Maybe you've not purchased a house plant or been like, I can't be that person. So here's something that I can confirm with for you. Loved one, it's a app called Plana. It's a Swedish plant care app, and it's designed to help both like novice people like me and I guess really experienced plant owners keep their house and garden plants healthy, which I know sounds super boring, but hear me out on this. [00:06:27] Jesse Schwamb: This is what's cool about this. It offers smart, personalized care reminders for things like watering, fertilizing, misting, repotting, and it has all these things where if you, there's paid subscription for this as well, which I do not have, but I looked at all the options. There's some super cool things like you can use your phone to sense where your plan is sitting, how much light it's getting to really tell you, is this the right spot for my plant? [00:06:49] Jesse Schwamb: Because you know, like some plants are like, we need partial sunlight and partial shade and afternoon sun and direct sun, and you need to water me, but not too much and not so often, but just the right amount. It's a lot of pressure. So it's got all these fun features in it, including like an AI doctor. So you can take a look or a picture of your plant rather, and not only will it describe what plants you have, of course, but it will help you say like, Hey, this thing is not healthy. [00:07:08] Jesse Schwamb: Here's what you should do. So the plant app is, might be your foray into feeling more confident about having some greenery in your house. [00:07:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, um, I could kill a plastic plant. I could kill like a fake plant, uh, without trying, uh, but I might check this out. You, you've seen my, my home. You've been here? [00:07:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Um, my, my house is, it's a, a mobile home and so it's, it's just one long line and it's situated like almost directly east, west. So I get direct sunlight over the top of the house pretty much the entire day. And we have really beautiful, um. Violet cone plants and some other like lilies on one end of the house, um, that the previous owner planted. [00:07:46] Tony Arsenal: They're very beautiful, but um, they just get baked in the sun and there's gotta be something that can be done to sort of help them through this. Maybe it's more water or something like that. So maybe I'll check this out and see if that can help. 'cause they're not, they're not doing great. Um, they, they didn't bloom very well this year. [00:08:00] Tony Arsenal: Mm-hmm. And I'm, I'm wondering if it might be, I dunno, it's been kind of dry, um, this part of the year, more than usual, so I'll check that out. That sounds like a good recommendation. There's a couple of different apps. This one sounds good. [00:08:10] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's, there's certainly a lot of stuff that you can get free in it. [00:08:14] Jesse Schwamb: Of course, they want to upsell you like you just talked about. They're, no, no, they're no Comcast, but they definitely would like you to purchase all their other features, and I bet for the right person, it's totally worth it. But I feel so much more confident now. Mainly just the watering. If you surprised how like much pressure. [00:08:30] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, like aloe plants and also I'm learning the names of my plants finally, which makes me feel more connected. This, this is, listen, this is like the app to help you take dominion in your house over house plants, which sounds like the lowest form of taking dominion, but honestly still shows how complex and complicated life can be and how God has made everything in this really wonderful way. [00:08:52] Jesse Schwamb: So I'm feeling more empowered to love my plants and to hopefully keep them growing. I was gonna say for generations, but I doubt that I'll be passing on links, plants for generations, but hopefully getting just lots more greenery into our living spaces, which is always super fun. [00:09:06] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, I, um, I would like to have more plants, but I just, with between toddlers and dogs and my ability to kill anything green that is in my home, uh, I don't think it would be good. [00:09:19] Tony Arsenal: That's your, your sister who is My wife does a good job with plants, but even the, yeah, she does, even, even that the plants die just because they're around me. I'm not sure what it is. I have like a, I hear it, listen, an aura of some sort that just kills plants. [00:09:32] Discussing Christians and Pop Culture [00:09:32] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's difficult sometimes to grow in soil, which is, I, one of the things I presume Christians often feel like when they're in the culture and when, mm-hmm. [00:09:41] Jesse Schwamb: Do. Do you like that segue? We're so good with this. I do. And when you are consuming, let me say pop culture, or you find yourself in a place where you want entertainment and you want to rest, and I think if you're a Christian for any length of time, you start to ask yourself, okay, so what's my place in all of this? [00:09:59] Jesse Schwamb: And what's interesting when I thought about this topic, which you graciously put forward for us, was that I think several times we've mentioned kind of cultural things often in the affirmation and denial section. Yeah. Where we've. Maybe come hard alongside something and said, this seems good. And other times we've definitely said, this seems very, very bad. [00:10:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. But we've never really had just a pretty honest conversation about, okay, so how does the Christian discern, what is the Christian's role in making that discernment? And how can we, like our house plants grow and flourish in that kind of environment to such a degree that we are actually bearing fruit by the power of the Holy Spirit. [00:10:36] Jesse Schwamb: And yet, of course, separate. From that culture in which we still find ourselves. [00:10:41] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, I think it bears saying, um, much of popular culture, media, whatever it might be, a lot of it is going to be a matter of Christian prudence and liberty. And I think it's important to say that because I think, you know, we'll talk about, we'll probably talk about like principles we use to try to determine whether we, you know, individually or, or whatever. [00:11:04] Tony Arsenal: We're going to watch something or listen to something, but. The, the Bible doesn't say like thou shalt, and I'm gonna say this example, and it's a little bit ironic because this is actually a show that I think is pretty black and white. But it, it's not like the Bible says, thou shalt not watch Game of Thrones. [00:11:20] Tony Arsenal: Right. Um. Right. Like thou shalt not. Listen to, I don't know who the kids are listening to. Britney Spears like tells you when The last time I listened to popular music was, is Britney Spears is the name on my mind. But like thou shalt not listen to, I dunno, Paramore, I don't know name. Name your pop culture band. [00:11:37] Tony Arsenal: The Bible doesn't give us explicit instructions about specific bands. Movies, shows, insert, pop, you know, novels, whatever it might be. It does give us some wisdom principles. And then of course, there's God's moral law, uh, but even God's moral law does not. Necessarily apply directly to every pop culture choice we might make. [00:12:04] Tony Arsenal: So I'm sure Jesse and I don't have identical opinions. I'm gonna guess that our thoughts are probably pretty close just because, you know, we're influenced by the same people and we, we are running in the same broader theological circles, but they're probably not identical. There are probably things that Jesse would watch that I'd go, oh, I don't know if that's such a great thing for me. [00:12:22] Tony Arsenal: And there's probably things I would feel comfortable with that Jesse might say, eh, I'm not so sure about that. This is usually a matter of Christian liberty constrained by Christian prudence and wisdom. So before we get into any of the nitty gritty or any specific talk of anything particular, I wanna get that out there because yes, we have to be wise, we have to. [00:12:44] Tony Arsenal: Apply God's law, but we are not able to bind other people's conscience and you are not able to bind other people's conscience based on your own particular opinion about something or your own interpretation of how the Bible is to be applied to a particular decision. Um. You know, again, you can speak into a situation. [00:13:03] Tony Arsenal: You, especially if you have a relationship with someone, you can say, Hey, I don't think this is healthy. I don't think this is in conformity with God's law, but at the end of the day, that is between that Christian and God as to whether or not they are applying God's law appropriately and, and in to an extent, and to a great extent between them and their elders. [00:13:21] Tony Arsenal: Right? The elders have a, a different role of authority in a, in a Christian's life than other Christians do. And [00:13:27] Jesse Schwamb: it might be worth saying as we begin that we're kind of talking about this, I think in part because we all feel that pull to consume pop culture, and what I kind of teased at the beginning is this idea, is it possible that, I think we're really speaking about consuming that in a kind of a way of entertainment of like rest and relaxation. [00:13:45] Jesse Schwamb: Principally there. There are other reasons I think as well, and that might be to edify, to educate, but I think principally when we feel this compulsion to say, well, I like you, just give great examples. Listen to music, watch a sporting event, watch tv, read something fiction or nonfiction. I think what we're after there is this idea that we want to rest and that understanding that entertainment is a part of the rest that God intends for us to enjoy from our labors is by itself, full stop, a legitimate thing. [00:14:13] Jesse Schwamb: So the question is. A little bit more nuanced. Where is that line? You already gave, I think a pretty good example of something that you and I would agree on would say that that's a bridge to fight across. Don't watch that thing, right? Yeah, do something else. But the question is how did we get to that place in making that judgment? [00:14:28] Jesse Schwamb: And is there a place in there where we would say, well, the Bible is an explicit about, let's say certain medium or even like specific things within that medium that it is outspoken enough that we ought to say. No, we will not do that. So I think this is what we're after in part, is this proper use of entertainment involving, of course, analyzing worldviews, appreciating elements of beauty and creativity, acknowledging reflections of truth. [00:14:53] Jesse Schwamb: But that also that in some way, all of this is God's gift to us. That while the Bible does not give us a great deal of explicit statements about how believers are to view entertainment, there is much we can draw out to scripture by way of good and necessary consequence to borrow language from somewhere else. [00:15:10] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:15:11] Applying Biblical Principles to Entertainment Choices [00:15:11] Tony Arsenal: And I also think too, like this is a question that often is presented as very simple and very like cut and dry, but it can be a lot more complicated than you think. And here's an example, and we don't have to get into this particular example, but let's do it. You know, I think a lot of times people, um, will take the example of blasphemy. [00:15:32] Tony Arsenal: Right, and a show that is, or a, a video game, whatever it is, content that is intentionally blaspheming, God is something that at a bare minimum, Christians should be very wary of participating in and consuming just because it, it's something that openly dishonors God is probably not something Christians should be eager to participate in or to consume, but. [00:15:56] Tony Arsenal: Um, there, there are instances where a, a show or a, a video game or a book contains a fictionalized blast swimming of God that actually may serve the greater purpose of glorifying God. So if you think of like, um. Think of a, a book or a a movie where there is a character who is a non-Christian, and over the course of the book, they are shown to be blaspheming God, and then they experience a conversion. [00:16:24] Tony Arsenal: And the purpose of the, the purpose of the book is to glorify God through this conversion redemption story. That it character in that fictionalized universe is blasphemy God within that universe, right? Or within that fictionalized story. But the purpose of that blasphemy is actually to serve the greater purpose of glorifying God. [00:16:46] Tony Arsenal: So that's not to say that automatically anything like that gets a pass, right? That can be done well, that can be done poorly. That can be done in a way that actually glorifies God. It can be done in a way that doesn't actually hit the mark. But it's not as simple as to say, this character in this show. [00:17:00] Tony Arsenal: Engaged in blasphemy. Therefore, we should never consume that show. We have to do some actual thinking and some actual analysis of what's going on in order to. Understand whether or not it actually is violating God's law. Now there are probably some things, um, you know, like graphic sex scenes. There's really no reason, um, for Christians to feel drawn to shows that contain that. [00:17:25] Tony Arsenal: Again, this is, this is, um, I, I, at this point in my life and I, in earlier periods in my life, I might have been more black and white on this. I am not here to tell you what you can and can't watch. That's not my role. I'm not the Holy Spirit. I'm not your pastor. I'm not any of the persons or people who have an obligation to tell you what is or isn't, right? [00:17:46] Tony Arsenal: Like I'm not that person. But I cannot think of personally a reason why a Christian would, would need to, or should ever participate in like enjoying a show that contains graphic sex scenes. Um. The people making those have to sin in order to make those scenes right. So there are, there are things we should consider. [00:18:12] Tony Arsenal: Are kind of always off board, right? It's always off board to do physical harm to somebody in the service of making a movie, right? So if you have a movie where people are, are actively trying to hurt each other in order to produce the film, I'm not sure that we should participate in that. I wouldn't feel comfortable if I knew that was going on in a film. [00:18:28] Tony Arsenal: I don't, I don't, you know, again, other Christians might, and we can have a conversation about that, but we have to think about those things. Do the actors. Do the people who are creating the content, do they have to sin in order to create it? If that, if the answer is yes, we as Christians, I think should be extremely, extremely wary of, of even watching or consuming those things. [00:18:49] Tony Arsenal: So those are the kinds of questions and situations that I think need to be list like thought about as we approach pop culture. But I also think, Jesse, you know, you made the point to that. Popular culture, entertainment broadly is a gift from God for us to enjoy. Right? And it's okay to enjoy it. It's okay for us to participate in that. [00:19:09] Tony Arsenal: You know, we're not, we're not the people who are gonna say to you like, well, you know, every minute you spend, uh, reading, I don't know, uh, reading will of the many, every minute you spend reading Will of the many you could spend witnessing to people, right? So therefore, you should never read Will of the many or The Hobbit or whatever it might be. [00:19:27] Tony Arsenal: Um, but we should think carefully about what we consume, how much of it we consume, when we consume it, all those are questions that the Christian needs to ask themselves. [00:19:35] Jesse Schwamb: I agree. I think the broad test here is actually not that difficult to comprehend. It's probably more that we sometimes hesitate to apply it because we're afraid of what it might mean for the stuff that we're consuming. [00:19:46] Jesse Schwamb: So again, like ceasing from our work in order to rest holds us together like that, that is something that God gives us as a pattern relaxation that we should take joy in. It must be the right amounts of lawful entertainment or consumption of all of this stuff in pop culture, but it is there. I think like even God gives it our own cultures as a means for us to find that kind of rest and to find some comradery and solidarity even with those in whom we interact and live with. [00:20:13] Jesse Schwamb: I think all of that's fine. Like you've said, it gets a little tricky when we start thinking about, well, where is that appropriate line? What is our conviction? But I think part of the problem with that is that we might not be seeking out conviction for ourselves. We not be asking because we hate to find that there is conviction in things that we're watching because there's gonna be a lot of things'. [00:20:31] Jesse Schwamb: That society's gonna be preoccupied with for entertainment for its own sake. And again, it's an indicator that everybody, men and women, even children, are seeking rest from the burden of their work and that rest is okay. Even that itself, like you're saying, Tony, it's interesting. I think so much we're gonna come back to is this idea of it. [00:20:47] Jesse Schwamb: Is, are we redeeming what we're doing in this process? Are we being not just thoughtful about discerning, adjudicating, or interrogating what we're watching and listening and reading, but as we do it, are we thoughtful people? Are we seeing the themes even in those joyous things that we find as entertainment that draw us back to the goodness of God that explains something about the world he's created or his own character finding? [00:21:10] Jesse Schwamb: Of course, that in every story is just a reflection of the greatest story ever told. Like, yeah, all of those themes, all the things we are drawn to that we gravitate towards. That move us. All of those things still come from God. And so therefore, even our entertainment can serve this purpose of not just alleviating our minds and bodies from the burden of ongoing labor in a fallen world, but can also draw, draw us back to God's common grace and his particular grace for his people who are always sinners. [00:21:34] Jesse Schwamb: So here's the the first test. I think it's the most simple one. And everybody's gonna throw their listening devices at the wall because it's the one that's the most straightforward. It's the one you might've been thinking you're gonna get to eventually, and let's just get it out of the way. I don't say that because it's not worthwhile. [00:21:49] Jesse Schwamb: I say it because it's exactly the kind of worthwhile test that we should apply, and it applies perfectly in every situation. And that's the Apostle Paul setting out in one Corinthians 10 31. Here it is. This is like. You know, top 20 reform verses whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. [00:22:07] Jesse Schwamb: So the beauty of this is I think just first pass, first blush, top of the house. If we cannot engage in an entertaining activity in such a way as to glorify God, then it's just unlawful. And by way of contrast, if you can, then we're justified in viewing it as a gift of God's common grace. I, I just throw it out there to start with. [00:22:26] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think that it's not that we found that this particular test has been tried and left wanting, but rather we haven't tried it very well. Oftentimes. Yeah. At least for my own sake. And instead we say, well, the Bible just isn't clear. But if you're, watch your point, Tony. If you're watching something that is gratuitous in any way, and you stop and say. [00:22:44] Jesse Schwamb: Am I glorifying God in the consumption of this? I think it's really difficult to make a strong argument that in some way you are actively, not just passively and saying like, well, it's okay and there's gonna be a redeeming story plot in here somewhere, I hope. But are we actively, whenever, whenever we're doing or we're consuming these things, are we actually glorifying God? [00:23:02] Jesse Schwamb: Is God glorified in. What's happening with my mind, my thoughts, my body, my eyes, my conversations, how this shapes me, how this changes my worldview. If we have to answer that God is not glorified there, then to my view, it's unlawful. And I think also in the eyes of the Apostle Paul. [00:23:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:23:20] Personal Convictions and Christian Liberty [00:23:20] Tony Arsenal: And you know, I think something that is important to, um. [00:23:24] Tony Arsenal: Comment on and think about when we sort of apply that test, that test really has more to do with what's going on in our heart. Yes. When we are consuming any particular part, you know, any particular media than it necessarily has to do with the media itself. I think there are some things, um, that. Just cannot be consumed to the glory of God. [00:23:46] Tony Arsenal: Right? You can't watch pornography to the glory of God, like you just can't do it. Um, you can't, you can't watch people murder each other for, you know, to the glory of God. But the vast majority of things that are out there, um, the, the, the question you're asking is not primarily grounded in the content itself. [00:24:07] Tony Arsenal: It's, it's grounded in. What the content does to us and in us and how we process it. And I think that's why I, you know, I always wanna say for most things, this goes back to Christian Liberty and. Christian Liberty is not a license to sin. It's, it's a freedom to, um, to obey, right? It's a freedom and it's a range of possibilities to obey God in different ways, in different situations, rather than some tightly constrained, tightly restricted behavioral code, right? [00:24:39] Tony Arsenal: There is a law. God gives us a law. We talked about this at length when we did the 10 commandment series. He gives us a law, but this law is a set of 10 principles for godly living. Not a, an exhaustive list of do this, don't do that. Right? So the seventh commandment, you know, for media. Is this inclining my mind towards chastity and purity of thought, right? [00:25:02] Tony Arsenal: For those of us who are married, is this likely to, um, create a barrier in my relationship with my wife, or is this likely to enhance the relationship I have with my wife? Is this. Particular thing I'm doing, this video game that I play, is this likely to draw my attention away from my children when they need me? [00:25:19] Tony Arsenal: Or is it something that I have that is likely to increase my ability to pay attention to my children? Or am I able to properly balance the demands that my children have and the needs my children have while I still play this video game, just as an example. So we can still use those 10 principles to help guide us, but the way that those. [00:25:38] Tony Arsenal: The way that the law is applied to these questions and how it is, is gonna be unique, I think almost, almost across the board for things. It's gonna be unique to each individual, right? One person may be able to, yeah, like my big thing and I like, okay, I'm just gonna put this out there. I'm just gonna lay myself bare here. [00:25:55] Tony Arsenal: If I could say that I have one actual real addiction in life, it's probably World of Warcraft, and I know that sounds probably really silly, but even me saying and saying the phrase World of Warcraft, in my mind I'm like, could I figure out a way that I could go back in and play that game? Like they call it World of Warcraft for a reason. [00:26:14] Tony Arsenal: It is super addictive and it's very easy to fall back into it. I'm sure there are people out there who can perfectly just fine, could manage their life of having children and a wife and a job and, you know, service to the church and still play World of Warcraft for a couple hours a week or, or an hour every night and still be just fine. [00:26:33] Tony Arsenal: I cannot do that. If I subscribe to World of Warcraft, it will imbalance my life such that something that God is calling me to, that I know God is calling me to, is going to be pushed out of the way for that. So for me. I cannot fulfill my obligations and participate in that particular element of pop culture. [00:26:52] Tony Arsenal: And I think there's probably something like that for most of us. Again, someone else may be able to do that just fine. There are probably many people who can do that just fine. That's a problem in my own heart. And the way I address that is by saying, this is just not healthy for me, so I'm not gonna do it. [00:27:05] Tony Arsenal: And whether that's a TV show or a a book series. I know people who won't read certain books because they get so immersed in it and it sort of like shapes their worldview in really unhealthy ways. They just won't pick up a particular set of novels or a particular book series. Um, you know, I've told this story that I, I don't remember where I was flying. [00:27:24] Tony Arsenal: Um, it wasn't. I must have been flying to Minnesota. That's the only place I've traveled by air for quite a long time. Um, I stopped in the, the bookstore, the, you know, the, the souvenir store, whatever. And I forgot a, I forgot a book at home of all the people to forget a book. And I was like, you know, there's this big hub lu about Game of Thrones and you know, maybe the book is better than the show. [00:27:43] Tony Arsenal: And like, you know, I can control what I'm imagining and it's easier for me to skip over parts and nobody is having to make graphic sex scenes. Even if they're sort of portrayed in the book. I can maybe do this. I got like. A chapter and a half into the book and was like, I can't, this is not healthy for me. [00:27:57] Tony Arsenal: It's not helpful. It doesn't glorify God. It's not true. It's not noble, it's not honorable, it's not worthy of praise. Right. I'm just gonna, and I just threw the book away. I spent like $15 on a book and then I just threw it in the garbage. Um, and I don't say that to like prop myself up as some bastion of self control. [00:28:10] Tony Arsenal: That's just in that moment I made the right decision. But there are things like that, that you are gonna have to look at your own self to say, I cannot participate in this, even if someone else might be able to. I personally cannot. And I think that's really the more the question we need to ask then. Are there universal principles that say, I can't do A, B, or C? [00:28:30] Tony Arsenal: It's really about my heart in the moment and how my heart is affected by a given thing. [00:28:36] Jesse Schwamb: Much like the 10 Commandments. This whole conversation in the scriptural, I think admonishment here is very much about freeing us up to enjoy freedom, to have joy in these things. It's not about just saying, well, here's a list of things that you can't do. [00:28:51] Jesse Schwamb: Isn't that unfortunate? Everybody else can do them, but you can't enjoy them. Instead, Scott saying like you're talking about Tony, no put to death all these evil, selfish things that are in your life that actually destruct. And instead, enjoy entertainment and pop culture in such a way that not only glorifies him, but does truly refresh you so that you're not drawn back into patterns of selfish behavior or sinful thinking, or all kinds of, you know, sexual frivolity that's going to lead your mind and your body and your heart astray or into places that you'll end up getting hurt. [00:29:25] Jesse Schwamb: I think. The beauty of this is it just provides us with a way to think and discern about the stuff that we're consuming so that we're ensured. Then it's fulfilling the right purpose that God has for in our lives, and that's freeing. When you get to a place where the scripture says like, here's the way walking it, then you know that you can walk confidently and you can enjoy that very thing. [00:29:46] Jesse Schwamb: One great example, I think that sit on both sides, we can talk about in some ways how there's like a, a lack of, or like kinda a, a moral perspective with certain types of medium of expression. One of those I think famously is, is music. Luther famously said, musical performance is principle among the entertainment that God has graciously given us to enjoy in life. [00:30:06] Jesse Schwamb: And yet who hasn't been part of either music that has been absolutely refreshing, absolutely life-giving, absolutely calming and beautiful in the same way that like David played before King Saul when he was distressed. And maybe you've had this experience where there's some kind of soothing melody that was just a bomb to your soul and your condition in that state. [00:30:25] Jesse Schwamb: And then also. On the other side, who hasn't listened even to some really catchy music that's been filled with like sexual perversion, misogyny, violence themes that at the end of it, you may have enjoyed the beat, but it's, it's just left you kind of feeling gross. And disgusted. Yeah. Even with yourself for enjoying it. [00:30:45] Jesse Schwamb: I, I think that's what we're after here is like to be freed up to enjoy this kind of entertainment in a way that it is truly the gift that God has given rather than something that enslaves us. And I'm gonna argue that it often does. Not because it's just addictive, though. [00:30:59] The Influence of Entertainment on Our Lives [00:30:59] Jesse Schwamb: It can be, but because it does actually influence us deeply and, and I think one thing is clear is that all the things we're talking about here that's present in entertainment, and I'm talking all the way back to things like athletic performance, all of this beauty and creativity, art expressed both in film literature and in music, that all of those things God has given us for our good and for his glory. [00:31:22] Jesse Schwamb: So he wants us to enjoy them. But sin is of course gonna take all those things and pervert them and twist them in such a way that they no longer become life-giving or become life taking. The problem is they take life incrementally and on the margin. Yeah. And so that you rarely feel that that's going on. [00:31:37] Jesse Schwamb: You rarely sense the divide of the chasm that's creating in your thought patterns, in the way that you interact with people, even the way that you interact with God until, not that it's too late, but that's, you wake up and you think, my goodness, how far have I gone from what I think this is really intended to be in my life? [00:31:52] Jesse Schwamb: Then maybe addiction does crop up in such a place that you're like this. This has gone too far. But I think, again, like many things in life, when God says no, what he's saying is, do not hurt yourself. I know better. I want you to enjoy these things. So I see this as like our opportunity to like empower to come with the scriptures, bearing full weights on what we consume, not because we need more laundry lists of things to avoid, but because we need direction on what is best to sink our entertainment time and resources into. [00:32:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I, I think that's a good, um, that's a good, maybe a next test right? [00:32:25] Balancing Time and Entertainment Choices [00:32:25] Tony Arsenal: Is we only have a finite amount of time. We, we, and, and I'm not even just talking about like in general, we have a, I'm, I'm talking about like we have a finite amount of discretionary time. We all have commitments, we have jobs, we have families, we have church commitments, we have friends that we wanna maintain relationships with. [00:32:43] Tony Arsenal: The amount of time we have to just like sit down and consume pop culture is limited no matter, no matter who you are. Some people have more, some people have less. Um, we can consume. Ev, every time we say yes to one thing, we're saying no to another thing, right? There is, um, there is popular culture or content out there that absolutely is encouraging, right? [00:33:05] Tony Arsenal: And absolutely is going to enhance your life, and it's going to enhance your piety and your devotion to God, right? And I'm not just talking about like Christian content. There's decent Christian content out there. There's decent Christian films, there's decent Christian music, there's decent Christian fiction writing. [00:33:22] Tony Arsenal: Um, there's probably even decent Christian video games, although I haven't run into them, I'm sure they're out there. Um. But that's not even what I'm talking about. [00:33:30] Finding Value in Non-Christian Content [00:33:30] Tony Arsenal: There there are, there are non quote, non-Christian, um, right there. There's General grace. Common grace works out there that will, they'll, they'll make you smarter. [00:33:41] Tony Arsenal: It will make you healthier. It'll help you enhance your life. It'll help you enjoy your world more. It'll help you enjoy and see the beauty in God's creation. More I've, I've commented, um. At length, and this isn't necessarily pop culture, although it kind of bridges the gap a little bit. I've commented at length on how beneficial in my life, Ryan holiday's, writings have been. [00:33:58] Tony Arsenal: Right? Right. That's what he doesn't get everything right. There are some things he gets very wrong, um, but. I, I read, um, Ryan Holiday's, stoic. Stoic Works, and I wouldn't say he's a scholar of stoicism. He's more like a modern day stoic philosopher. I read his works and I benefit from him. It makes my life better. [00:34:17] Tony Arsenal: It makes my devotion to God better. It makes my piety better. It makes me a better husband and a better father, and a better employee just in general. It makes me a better person. Not because Ryan Holiday is some special thing, but because he seems to have tapped into common grace principles that other writers haven't, I have a choice. [00:34:33] Tony Arsenal: You know? Do I wanna read that or do I wanna read some? Um, and don't get me wrong, I enjoy manga, but like, do I wanna read some. Meaningless, pointless manga that is just the same story over and over again with different animation. You know, some people might find that the reading the manga is the right thing for them and that enhances their life. [00:34:51] Tony Arsenal: Right? But for me, I've had to make that calculation. I only have so much time. I only have so much time to read. Um, and, and this is might be a shock to people. There are times where I'll have the decision between reading a theology book and. Being caught up on my reading in Daily Stoic, I most often will take time to read the Daily Stoic instead of reading something. [00:35:10] Tony Arsenal: For example, I'm way behind on Daily Devotion or Daily Doctrine by Kevin De Young Way Behind, but I'm not behind on, on Daily Dad or daily Stoic from Ryan Holiday. That's not because one, one thing is better than the other necessarily, but what I need in my life and what God is calling me to. The writings by di by Ryan Holiday right now are more effective in a, in accomplishing those tasks and into shaping me into who I believe God wants me to be. [00:35:37] Tony Arsenal: So that's the other question we have to ask is what? [00:35:40] The Importance of Rest and Leisure [00:35:40] Tony Arsenal: What is the most beneficial thing for us at the moment? It could be some sort of mindless cotton, candy entertainment. There's nothing wrong with that. This isn't, this isn't me saying like find, this isn't like hustle culture for pop culture. Like sometimes you just need to veg out and do something that doesn't require any brain power, and that's what God is, is giving you as a gift for your rest and your re recuperation. [00:36:04] Tony Arsenal: Sometimes it's a hard hitting. Heavy theology. Sometimes you need to sit down and read some Bob Ink again, not that that's pop culture, but I think the broader principle applies. Maybe you need to sit down and read some Turin, or maybe you need to like scroll Instagram for a little while and watch funny cat videos, right? [00:36:19] Tony Arsenal: All of those things are good things. They're all gifts from God in the proper proportions and at the proper time, and that's why this can be such a complicated question is because we have to have a good, robust. Honest reflection of who we are and what we need in order to make these, these decisions. Um, and it really is about what do we need in the moment? [00:36:37] Tony Arsenal: What is God calling us to? What is the wise thing to do right now, the wise thing to consume right now? Um, and, and I think that's a good test. Is this the most effective thing and accomplishing in my life what needs to be accomplished, right? That could be all sorts of goals, but is this the most effective thing to accomplish that at my life right now? [00:36:57] Tony Arsenal: If so, and it's not sinful, and then have at it enjoy. You know, I think those are the kinds of questions we need to ask, and I don't think we often ask that. I think we are often passive. And neutral in decisions about what we're gonna watch for pop culture. We're driven by what is the most popular thing on Netflix? [00:37:15] Tony Arsenal: What does the algorithm recommend for us? Or what is being talked about at work? Or what do I have on hand? What do I have easy access to? Um, I think we need to be more active and intentional in our decisions on this towards those ends. [00:37:29] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. And there's no accounting for taste, right? I mean, part, part of time we get caught up in that, so we'll just say, well, maybe what I'm experiencing, because I'm a Christian, I'm trying to process this, has to do more about like particular medium or the taste or the type of genre or something. [00:37:44] Jesse Schwamb: I'd encourage us to not get too caught up in that. I think what you're saying is really, really helpful. The idea here I think is more about embracing the fact that we don't have to be productive all the time. And that we don't have to be, and I use this with great love like puritanical in the sense that, you know, well, if Jonathan Edwards didn't laugh and the Lord sakes that was inappropriate, then I shouldn't either. [00:38:05] Jesse Schwamb: And by virtue of that fact, then I should really have this incredible puritanical work ethic where even when I'm at home or every second that I have, I should be reading something. And if I'm gonna read something, it should be productive. Or if I'm watch tv, it should be something kinda documentary. I need to learn and fill my mind and make use and redeem every second of that time. [00:38:18] Jesse Schwamb: What if part of that redemption. Is enjoying entertainment for the way that God intended it to be, and that when he makes beauty and creativity and artistic expression, and again, we're presuming that this is the right amount of a lawful entertainment, that all of those things are for their own enjoyment because they point back to the creator. [00:38:40] Jesse Schwamb: Just by themselves. Like there doesn't have to be an ulterior motive. You don't have to justify it. You don't even have to feel guilty about it. That in fact, because we're contingent beings and therefore we have limited energy supply and unlimited amount of time and space, that all those things com continue to propel us towards some kind of desire for a lawful entertainment that leads us into rest. [00:39:02] Jesse Schwamb: Even as you're saying Tony, if that's rest for 10 or 15 minutes before, it's the next thing to feel this compulsion instead. To have to again quote unquote redeem. That time by being super productive is I think a fool's errand because we are as much made to work as we are made to rest. And in that rest, I think sometimes we actually find for some of us an easier time identifying and worshiping God in that risk. [00:39:26] Jesse Schwamb: Because in our work, we are busy in our work and we often get caught up in our work thinking all of our work is all of us. And so we rest and we find enjoyment in something. We take a walk, we listen to a beautiful piece of music. We spend some times just conversing about nothing with friends. We sit outside and enjoy beverages together that something happens sometimes in that space. [00:39:46] Jesse Schwamb: We're in the pause of that in the fact that there is beauty that seemingly is without productive purpose, even though I'd argue there is one. It's just hidden behind it and we fail to see it. We are drawn to the fact drawn to say, God, are you not good? For all of your gifts. And of course he's good in our gifts of work. [00:40:02] Jesse Schwamb: He's also good in our, our gifts of rest. But he's given us this gift as a form of entertainment in our own pop culture for us really to enjoy. But you're right, if we get it twisted such that we consume too much of it, or if we misapply that, I think we're just gonna live a less abundant life. So again, like the task here is not, don't do any entertainment. [00:40:23] Jesse Schwamb: Get all, get away from all the entertainments. Like what? Like your point, Tony, I, and I've heard Christian say this, I think there can be a brow beating here where it's like, well, couldn't you have used that time more productive? Like they had a couple more minutes, like maybe you really should have prayed harder or. [00:40:38] Jesse Schwamb: Maybe you should have read that other chapter in the Bible. Maybe you should gone back through your genealogies again and read those because you know that you don't read those particularly well. Or maybe you should have studied this thing or that thing. And instead is there a kind of worship that truly gives itself over to resting in God in the form of appreciating entertainment as he's created it for us to give us that kind of rest? [00:40:59] Jesse Schwamb: I would say yes. It's just that we often don't talk about it and sometimes we do talk about it. It's hard to bring it up 'cause you're gonna. You're gonna feel guilty. Like, can you imagine somebody saying to you, you know what? I'm just finding so much rest these days in this, uh, little game on my phone that I get to play. [00:41:15] Jesse Schwamb: You would be like, you, you might, if you're, if you're like, you know that person, well, you might be like, that's weird. I guarantee though, if that happened to me, I'd walk away and then when I was with my wife later, I'd be like, let me tell you what this weird thing this person said. You know what I mean? [00:41:27] Jesse Schwamb: But what, what, yeah. We need to think more like that. Not as a liberty to forsake or abdicate responsibility, but instead to actually be well rested for the responsibility in the task, the good works that God has created for us. [00:41:42] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. [00:41:42] Personal Experiences with Entertainment [00:41:42] Tony Arsenal: And maybe here's like a concrete example is, um. You know, I, um, I work at a local hospital and my job is relatively intense. [00:41:53] Tony Arsenal: Um, in terms of emotional investment, I'm a patient relations supervisor, so I, I'm in charge of the department that hears all of the complaints from patients, which means we often hear some really frustrating stories about people's healthcare, and it can be very emotionally draining. And so I also, um, I also ride the bus home now. [00:42:15] Tony Arsenal: My, my vehicle is broken right now. Hopefully we're gonna get fixed soon, but I ride the bus home and for the first couple, I don't know, for the first week that I was riding the bus, I was like, I gotta use this time. I gotta read something. I gotta make sure I'm doing that right. And what I've learned actually is if I just take the 45 minutes that I'm on the bus and waiting for the bus and I just sort of zone out and play Pokemon Go. [00:42:39] Tony Arsenal: By the time I get home, I'm ready to engage with my kids better. I'm ready to engage with my wife better. I'm less likely to feel, uh, just drained and tired because I'm actually letting my brain sort of reset and I'm building that buffer. So something as simple as like. Playing a relatively mindless game on my phone for a half hour, 45 minutes while I ride the bus and wait for the bus, um, helps me to fulfill my obligations as a father and a husband in a more present way. [00:43:09] Tony Arsenal: Again, like if you wanna ride the bus and you wanna read a fiction, or you wanna do theology, like that's on you, that's your decision to make. But. I know people who would say to me, um, you really should be using that time for something more productive than playing Pokemon Go. And, and yeah, maybe like, maybe there are times that I should be more productive and maybe there are times that other people should be less productive. [00:43:32] Tony Arsenal: Like I think that's kind of what we're getting at here is. Productivity or spiritual growth or pi, like those categories are, each of those are good categories. Like productivity is not a bad thing. Um, personal devotion is certainly not a bad thing. [00:43:47] Jesse Schwamb: Yes. [00:43:47] Tony Arsenal: But it's not the only thing. And we also, I think we act as though our lives can be this sort of like perfect integrated balance when really like we have to be able to sort of recognize that. [00:44:02] Tony Arsenal: Sometimes doing nothing has its own utility. Like that feels like a weird thing to say, but I I, I'm with you here and, and maybe this is kind of how we bring the episode down to an end is I do think. There is this, obviously the Sabbath principle, the rest principle. Um, but God also gives us rest in these other small ways. [00:44:25] Tony Arsenal: Sometimes not so small, but small ways in the rest of our life. And I don't think that we should bear any shame or guilt or feel like we're less Christian because we take advantage of or make use of those. Those sort of like smaller opportunities to rest and you know, recreation is recreation. Like that's, that's that etymology is not a false etymology. [00:44:49] Tony Arsenal: That's where the word comes from. And it's because we often need to do these sort of leisurely things in order to be able to then go back and put forward the effort that we need. And the other thing just, I feel like we're tying. Leisure to the ability to produce in a way that may actually also be unhealthy. [00:45:09] Tony Arsenal: Leisure is not necessarily the ends, the means to being able to be productive. Right? Leisure serves its own purpose. It has its own use, its own way to glorify God. Yes, it does enable us often to be able to come back and put our nose to the grindstone, but we shouldn't just think about it as like, well, this is just, this is just my recharge period. [00:45:30] Tony Arsenal: We don't think about sleep that way. I don't think we think about sleep in, in a fashion of saying like, well, I've gotta sleep so that I can just get up and go to work the next day. And productive. I think we recognize that our bodies need to rest and there's a blessing and a joy in being able to close our eyes and sort of drift off and have dreams and rest, and that our body recuperates itself, I think we should think of leisure in a similar sense, and recreation and pop culture all kind of play into that. [00:45:53] Jesse Schwamb: I think that's right on. I mean, it's one of those things where we're certainly not saying that there isn't rest in prayer and in daily worship and consuming and studying the scriptures, there's certainly a rest in all those activities too. In some ways, I think we're presuming that we are trying to incorporate a balance into our lives, and that part of that balance is just rest for its own sake. [00:46:12] Jesse Schwamb: The enjoyment of that and when you're truly, I think, enjoying that rest, whatever it is, one we do not long feel guilty because we have processed. And pass everything to the sve of the scriptures and say, this is glorifying to God is for my goodness, for his glory. So therefore there's no, as it were like condemnation for me in this because I have a clear conscience about it. [00:46:31] Jesse Schwamb: And then in addition to that, it does provide us with perhaps, again, that lovely contrast between working hard and then having. Some period of which we are abstaining from that work and from that labor. And in so doing we find different ways to please and to worship God. We find that we see his character reflected in different ways. [00:46:49] Jesse Schwamb: And so in that way too, it reminds us that we are, like I said before, like completely contingent, we get tired, we get exhausted. Like there's only so much the mind can do and so much it can handle. And so by. Willingly accepting and leaning into that, not again, in a way that takes us away. We use as liberty to say, well, I, you know, I really should spend some time before the Lord in prayer. [00:47:10] Jesse Schwamb: I really should spend some time in, in daily particular worship, but you know what? I really need to rest instead. Like of, of course, that itself, we should be convicted about, uh, because then we're using entertainment such a way to distract us. Suppose this. Way from God rather than toward him. But the Bible is so clear, like you're saying, Tony, that there's all these seasons in life and the more I think about those seasons, the more I wonder if we tend to treat them too discreetly. [00:47:34] Jesse Schwamb: And in these two, like, kind of like prolonged periods, what if a season is for an hour? What if a season is for a day? What if a season is for five minutes? So famously, of course, when we have the teacher writing. Ecclesiastes chapter three, some of these famous words, I think we just fail to take them to heart. [00:47:51] Jesse Schwamb: Listen to this beautiful contrast, and I think it really fits in with what we're saying here about the, the ability to rightly consume entertainment and pop culture in such a way that it is glorifying to God and our understanding of it in our application of how it gives us true rest. So it writes things like this. [00:48:09] Jesse Schwamb: There's a time to kill and the time to heal. A time to break down, a time to build up, a time to weep, and a time to laugh, A time to mourn and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing a time to seek and a time to lose. [00:48:26] Jesse Schwamb: A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to tear. A time to sow, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, a time to love, and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. So it's very clear that God has given us, I think all of these wonderful things to enjoy as part of his character, as demonstrations of the fact that he is a God who is loving and love always leads to giving. [00:48:51] Jesse Schwamb: And so he gives us beauty in arts. In music, in literature, in screen, and of course then we should recognize because those are things from God and we ought to that. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Heavenly Father who is above that. It is the prerogative of the devil to twist and bend those things in such a way that we feel to see them as God's gifts and said, see them as our rightful consumption. [00:49:12] Jesse Schwamb: Such a way that enslaves. Changes our mindset, pulls us farther away from God. So I think part of it's just going into everything with the pun intended, with eyes wide open. So hopefully some of these tests have been helpful. I think people probably have, because like you said, Tony, there's a lot of Christian liberty here and maybe some point. [00:49:29] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I was gonna ask you like what's I, I'm not gonna ask you this because I know you're gonna ask it back to me, but like what would be maybe something you consume that others might be able. Ooh. Um, but I don't want you to ask that back to me. We could do that. We could do that if you want to. [00:49:42] Tony Arsenal: Um, yeah, let's, let's do that in a future episode. [00:49:43] Tony Arsenal: I think that'd be fun. Well, we'll [00:49:44] Jesse Schwamb: save that for another time. So everybody keeps listening. [00:49:46] Encouraging Community Engagement [00:49:46] Jesse Schwamb: But I think one of the things that we should be encouraging our listeners to do, the people who are part of the reform brotherhoodhood, is come hang out online. In this place called Telegram, which is just a chat messaging app and we have a little corner, a protected corner of the world. [00:50:00] Jesse Schwamb: There is a group of people who are like-minded listening to our conversations and participating in their own. And the way they participate with us is you can message in the app, they've got a bunch of channels of different topics, so you can get there by going to t.me/reform brotherhood. I bring this up now, not just to advertise as usual. [00:50:17] Jesse Schwamb: Because we want you to come be a part of this, but I would love to hear from others because we have a channel in there that's just about the conversations we're having on the podcast. Come share some of the practical things that you use, the tests that you have, the conversations that you bring forward to help you discern what kind of pop culture you're consuming. [00:50:37] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Don't just take our word for it. Let's hear what the Holy Spirit. How he is leadi

Kalani Vierra is what I consider modern “Hawaiian Royalty.” He looks and acts the part everyday and in every way. The list of what he does and how he does it is incredible. He is a renowned waterman in his personal and professional worlds and the lines between the two are very much blurred; this is who he is. And he is as cool, humble, dedicated, determined, authentic and as compelling a leader as they come. Professionally, Kalani is a 25+ year lifeguard, the Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau Chief, a renowned Hawaiian waterman, a personal watercraft risk management trainer, active member of the Water Safety Task Force for both the State of Hawai'i and the island of Kauai. And… He is also a board member of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association (HLA), Program Director of Kauai's Jr. Lifeguards, Pacific Island representative for the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA). He trains elite military personnel in ocean rescue. He has won The USLA Waterman of the Year, the Eddie Aikau Waterman of the Year award, the Hawaiian Lifeguard Associations Waterman of the Year award and was inducted into the Hawaiian Waterman Hall of Fame. He has won multiple tandem surfing world championships, he paddles big water and both surfs and foils massive waves. And… maybe most importantly, Kalani is an incredible role model and leader; in and out of the water.

Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan are known for discoveries, but it was Captain James Cook who made global travel truly possible. Cook was an 18th-century British explorer who mapped vast regions of the Pacific, including New Zealand and Australia’s eastern coast, with unprecedented accuracy. He meticulously conducted soundings to measure ocean depths and created highly detailed maps, providing accurate navigational charts that guided explorers and sailors for generations. His three voyages (1768–1779) also advanced scientific knowledge through detailed observations of astronomy, natural history, and indigenous cultures, earning him enduring recognition as one of history’s greatest navigators. Pacific Islanders literally worshipped him. In January 1779, when he sailed into a volcanic bay known by Hawaiians as “the Pathway of the Gods,” Cook beheld thousands of people seemingly waiting for him on shore. Once he came on land, people prostrated themselves and chanted “Lono,” the name of a Hawaiian deity. Today’s guest is Hampton Sides, author of “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook.” We take a look at Cook’s third and final voyage (1776–1779), detailing his exploration of the Pacific, encounters with indigenous cultures, and tragic death in Hawaii Cook was a brilliant yet complex navigator grappling with the moral and cultural challenges of European exploration in an era of expanding empires.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's up Fungal Associates!? This week we have part 2 of our bonus episode fortnight and bring you "What is Bark?" Which asks the question.... well, what is bark? We'll see you next week with new episodes!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Download the HawaiianMiles to Atmos Rewards ChecklistDid you know HawaiianMiles are ending and some of the best perks for Hawaii travelers are going with them?For years, HawaiianMiles made interisland and Hawaii travel more affordable and flexible, but with the launch of Atmos Rewards, many of those benefits are disappearing.

Dive into a unique chat on sumo wrestling, Shopify, Amazon, AI, and scaling e-commerce. Legendary seller insights and heavyweight strategies every serious seller needs. ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup  (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On Youtube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Join us for an engaging episode as we sit down with E-commerce legend Ezra Firestone, where our shared passion for sumo wrestling takes center stage. We explore the fascinating journey of sumo wrestlers like Koto Shoho and Anishiki, highlighting the surprising rise of Ukrainian athletes in this traditionally Japanese sport. Ezra shares his personal connection to Ukraine, influenced by his business ties and extensive work with Ukrainian professionals. Listen in as we reminisce about the Hawaiian sumo champions who inspired Ezra during his childhood in Hawaii, where Japanese culture played a significant role in shaping his interests and career path. This conversation then transitions into the dynamic world of e-commerce, focusing on the importance of resilience and adaptation. Ezra and Bradley discuss the parallels between maintaining physical well-being and thriving in a competitive business environment. Drawing from personal experiences, we discuss the journey from being sedentary to embracing a healthier lifestyle and how this transformation mirrors our strategic decisions in e-commerce. The shift from Shopify expertise to embracing Amazon's dominance showcases the necessity of staying agile in an ever-evolving market landscape. Finally, we explore the transformative role of AI in e-commerce and the strategies for maximizing growth. AI-powered tools like Zipify are revolutionizing Shopify store performance, but not without raising concerns about the impact on traditional job roles. Our discussion touches on the strategic expansion from Amazon to Shopify, emphasizing the importance of adapting to technological advancements while considering their broader implications. We also dive into effective marketing strategies, highlighting the power of email and SMS in engaging audiences and the importance of balancing business success with personal fulfillment. Join us for a thoughtful conversation that bridges the worlds of sumo and e-commerce, offering insights and inspiration for sellers at any stage. In episode 693 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Ezra discuss: 02:03 - Sumo Fans Discuss Wrestlers From Ukraine and Japan 04:30 - Rediscovering Judo in Upstate New York 06:57 - Resilience and Adaptation in eCommerce 12:00 - Amazon as an Extension of Brand 16:40 - E-Commerce Strategy and Amazon Growth 16:50 - AI-Powered Shopify Store Optimization Strategy  27:24 - Marketing Strategies for E-Commerce Growth 29:33 - E-Commerce Marketing Strategies and Goals 35:03 - Rock Star Mentality and Enjoying Life    

Ever feel like planning a Hawaii vacation is just too overwhelming?In this episode, we break down the top 10 listener questions so planning your Hawaii trip feels less stressful — and a lot more exciting.

The latest episode of Taste Radio's Elevator Talk spotlights innovative leaders from Whole Moon, Solstice, Raya Fruit Water, Hawaiian Soda Co. and Elixir Shots In this installment, founders and CEOs introduce their brands and share recent company updates and milestones. This week's special co-host is Allison Ball, the founder & CEO of Food Biz Wiz. She offers insightful questions, thoughtful feedback, and strategic perspective alongside regular host Ray Latif, editor and producer of the Taste Radio podcast. Early-stage food and beverage entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for future episodes of Elevator Talk. Participation is free, interviews are conducted remotely, and it's a unique opportunity to pitch your product, share news, and receive expert feedback from industry leaders. Apply now to be featured in an upcoming episode.

Join my upcoming Positive Intelligence© Program: https://www.vickibaird.com/positive-intelligence-purchase-vicki-baird Please consider becoming a supporter of Peaceful Acres Horses, no matter how small you think your donation is, it will mean lot for us: https://peacefulacreshorses.com/donation-to-pah/ Feeling stuck or waiting for a breakthrough? Here's the truth: no one's coming to save you—and that's actually great news. In this episode of Intuition: Your Success Compass, I (Vicki Baird, your wisdom-led mindset coach) walk you through the empowering shift of taking radical responsibility for your life. We'll talk about the sneaky ways the inner critic shows up when you're over-functioning, waiting for permission, or stuck in self-doubt. I share personal stories, intuitive tools, and one powerful Hawaiian practice (Ho'oponopono) to help you move forward with grace and self-compassion. If you're a business-minded woman over 40 who's tired of holding it all together while losing touch with your own needs, this is your sign to press play. Let's trade guilt for growth and hesitation for aligned action.

In this week's episode of Bonfire Talks, Mark Walberg dives into the significance of cultural respect while traveling, with a special focus on Hawaii. Mark shares his experiences from shooting 'Temptation Island' in various Hawaiian locations, reflecting on his relationships with the local grip department and the enriching cultural lessons they've imparted. He also discusses the history and spirit of Hawaii, the annexation by the US influenced by the sugar industry, and the importance of understanding and respecting the 'Aloha spirit'. The episode concludes with insights on how mutual respect and recognition of people's labor can transform your interactions positively, both in daily life and while traveling. And follow BonfireTalks online:EMAIL: BonfiretalksPodcast@gmail.comINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bonfiretalkspodcastYOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@BonfireTalksPodcastTIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialbonfiretalks CHAPTERS00:00 Intro00:21 Hawaii: Respecting the Culture05:50 Hawaiian History and Culture09:07 Respect and Reciprocity in Hawaii12:22 Lessons from Cruise Ship Life16:08 Cultural Sensitivity and Respect25:14 The Power of Showing Interest31:34 Respecting the Crew in the Entertainment Industry38:48 The Importance of Acknowledging Others43:19 Upcoming Podcast Episodes from Hawaii

We are continuing our trek through the Hawaiian islands by discussing a major part of their folklore... the Menehune! The Menehune are diminutive beings that were, and are still, believed to inhabit Hawaii, even predating the Polynesian migration to the islands. Nocturnal by nature, the Menehune are renowned for their feats of engineering and their mischievous nature, and structures purported to be built by them, such as the Kikiaola Ditch and the Alekoko Fishpond, still survive to this day. Are they firmly rooted in folklore, or are they a very real race of pygmy humans? 

Amy Carlson claimed to be the reincarnation of Robin Williams, Joan of Arc, Marilyn Monroe, Jesus Christ and the Hawaiian goddess Pele—along with being Elvis Presley's mother and Donald Trump's daughter in other lifetimes. In 2023, the HBO documentary Love Has Won: The Mother God Cult traced Carlson's journey from a McDonald's manager in Dallas to cult leader, promoting beliefs that the COVID pandemic was planned, 9/11 was staged, Sandy Hook was a hoax and drinking silver particles was a path to spiritual and physical healing.Blending QAnon, New Age mysticism, authoritarian religion, pseudoscientific wellness influencers and science denial, Love Has Won thrived until Carlson's mysterious death in 2021, when followers drove her mummified body from Oregon to Colorado, awaiting her reincarnation. Today, as conspiracy theories move further into the mainstream, I'm joined by her former lover, Andrew-Ryan Profaci, to talk about community, belonging, loss, power, and the cults that hide not just in buildings—but in ideas.Contact me at silverliningshandbookpod@gmail.comCheck out the Silver Linings Handbook website at:https://silverliningshandbook.com/Check out our Patreon to support the show at:https://www.patreon.com/thesilverliningshandbookJoin our Facebook Group at:https://www.facebook.com/groups/1361159947820623Visit the Silver Linings Handbook store to support the podcast at:https://www.bonfire.com/store/the-silver-linings-handbook-podcast-storeVisit The True Crime Times Substack at:https://truecrimemessenger.substack.comThe Silver Linings Handbook podcast is a part of the ART19 network. ART19 is a subsidiary of Wondery and Amazon Music.See the Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and the California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Darryl Answer is joined by Eun Strawser, the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means “Presence” in Hawaiian), non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii. They discuss the importance of being present in the community and being rooted in a place. Eun also shares about the recovery efforts on the island, three years after the Lāhainā fires.Learn more about the CCDA Conference and make plans to join us at ccda.org/conference. And discover ways to connect with like-minded people through CCDA's local and affinity networks at ccda.org/connect. Eun K. Strawser is the co-vocational lead pastor of Ma Ke Alo o (which means “Presence” in Hawaiian), non-denominational missional communities multiplying in Honolulu, Hawaii, a community physician at Ke Ola Pono, and an executive board member of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) with twenty years in both local and trans-local church planting work at executive levels. Prior to transitioning to Hawaii, she served as adjunct professor of medicine at the Philadelphia College of Medicine and of African Studies at her alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania (where she and her husband served with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship) after finishing her Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Dar es Salaam. She is the author of Centering Discipleship: A Pathway for Multiplying Spectators into Mature Disciples (IVP) and You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone: The Power of Sharing Leadership (IVP). She and Steve have three, seriously, amazing children. Rev. Dr. Strawser has nearly two decades of experience in centering discipleship and making mature missional disciples. She has developed a lay counseling curriculum, discipleship pathways for children's ministries, and discipleship pathways utilized both in established church and church-planting contexts. While her heart is in locally-rooted kingdom work, she also consults and coaches pastors, planters, and marketplace/community leaders worldwide in developing discipleship pathways and structuring their context to center discipleship. Ma Ke Alo o is also part of CCDA's Flourishing Congregations Initiative. Darryl was born in London, England. He is currently co-pastor of New Community Church, and founder of Verge Solutions. Through Verge Solutions, he provides consulting, training, and facilitation for organizations and communities in the areas of entrepreneurial mindset (ELI), and community development through an Asset-Based lens. In addition to serving in a consulting role, Darryl works in neighborhoods as a mobilizer and connector of residents and institutions around their shared vision of power, healing, and abundance. Darryl is a coach for CCDA's Flourishing Congregations Initiative. Connect with CCDA on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Follow CCDA on YouTube. 

Aloha from the J.E.T. Setting Divas!  Hosts, Jeanette, Evette, and Tina swap their usual routine for beach towels in this tropical episode! From breathtaking island views to wonderful travel moments, the Divas spill all about their Hawaiian getaway. Grab a fruity drink and join the fun—it's paradise, podcast-style, only on the J.E.T. Setting Divas Podcast

This week we are joined by Meryl Wilsner! Meryl is a bestselling author of contemporary romances featuring queer folks who love women, including Something To Talk About, Mistakes Were Made, Cleat Cute, and My Best Friend's Honeymoon. Whether high-heat or slow burn, their books always have a happily ever after. Some of Meryl's favorite things include: all four seasons, Hawaiian shirts, the way giraffes run, and their wife.In this conversation, Meryl Wilsner shares their journey as a writer, discussing their experiences growing up in Michigan, navigating identity, and the challenges of coming out. They reflect on their early writing influences, including fan fiction, and how these experiences shaped their current work in queer romance. Give this episode a listen!Recommendations From This Episode: Love and Other Disasters Enigma VariationsOvercompensatingFollow Meryl Wilsner: @merylwilsnerFollow Carly: @carlyjmontagFollow Emily: @thefunnywalshFollow the podcast: @aloneatlunchpodPlease rate and review the podcast! Spread the word! Tell your friends! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textDoug and Drew are doing their final summer nonrev trips which promise to be exciting - not in a good way. We discuss:Who is Chester, the eskimo on the Alaska tails?Is Atmos the name of Alaska/Hawaiian's new frequent flier program? Is it the name of a combined airline (Drew, calm down) Hawaiian cancels the current longest US domestic flightSpirit says it may have to shut down if revenue and costs don't improveAir Canada flight attendants are on the brink of a strikeTo out-source or not to out-sourceListener commentsDoug and Drew travel updateJoin The Network!https://www.nexttripnetwork.com/

Holly and her son Nate join this week's episode! Nate is the 22-year-old founder of 21 Pineapples, a Hawaiian shirt company on a mission to spread joy, break stereotypes, and change the world with love. Nate, who has Down syndrome, shares his humor, wisdom, and heartfelt outlook on life reminding us all to “be a good human.” Holly opens up about their journey, the challenges and gifts of parenting, and her own resilience as a cancer survivor. Together, they discuss family, acceptance, and why embracing the unexpected can lead to the most beautiful parts of life. Follow Nate (21 Pineapples): @21pineapplesshirtco Follow Holly: @hollywould11 Follow Morgan: @webgirlmorgan Follow Take This Personally: @takethispersonallySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Joe Vitale is a spiritual teacher best known for his appearance in the movie, The Secret. Joe is the author of far too many books to mention here.Here are just a few of them:He wrote the bestseller, The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or anything else) from the inside out. It became a #1 bestseller twice, even beating the latest Harry Potter book.He also wrote Life's Missing Instruction Manual: The Guidebook You Should Have Been Given at Birth. It, too, became a #1 bestseller and was picked up by WalMart.One of his most popular titles, Zero Limits: The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace, and More reflects an ancient Hawaiian practice, known as Ho'oponopono. A fan favorite, Joe has hosted multiple live events on the subject, nation-wide, and he has created quite a following on this title alone."You are the Michelangelo of your own life. The David you are sculpting is you."Enjoy my inspirational conversation with Dr. Joe Vitale.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.

You don't have to change, and you will not be the same after listening to this conversation with Lisset King", The Emotional Ninja". Tune in for an inspiring look at healing, growth, and choosing a higher frequency for your life. Lisset is an expert in neurolinguistic programming, hypnotherapy, and Hawaiian energy work. She shares her journey of overcoming trauma and helping others heal unresolved trauma on a spiritual, mental, and emotional level. Lisset guides her clients to rapid transformation. Learn more about her ⁠Mastery Mornings community, coaching, and luxury retreats for women⁠ , and her Honest Feedback Podcast.  Like me, Lisset is passionate about the power of the unconscious mind and the importance of self-worth. This is such a powerful conversation.I would love to hear from you. Tell me what you think of this episode. Be Amazing, Because You are Already AMAZING!Take CareHeather

Evan joined ESPN Honolulu yesterday, so we do an impromptu Hawaiian words spelling bee as part of Can He or Canty. Also, is this the start of Chiefs Kingdom Part 2 or The Last Dance? ESPN BET's Joe Fortenbaugh joins to discuss that and more. Plus, Canty's Best Bet, and the most UnSportsmanLike moments of the day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evan joined ESPN Honolulu yesterday, so we do an impromptu Hawaiian words spelling bee as part of Can He or Canty. Also, is this the start of Chiefs Kingdom Part 2 or The Last Dance? ESPN BET's Joe Fortenbaugh joins to discuss that and more. Plus, Canty's Best Bet, and the most UnSportsmanLike moments of the day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evan joined ESPN Honolulu yesterday, so we do an impromptu Hawaiian words spelling bee as part of Can He or Canty. Also, is this the start of Chiefs Kingdom Part 2 or The Last Dance? ESPN BET's Joe Fortenbaugh joins to discuss that and more. Plus, Canty's Best Bet, and the most UnSportsmanLike moments of the day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this warm and inspiring episode, Kino MacGregor welcomes her dear friend and legendary Ashtanga Yoga teacher David Swenson for a conversation about his new book, Only Dead Fish Go With the Flow. David shares what sparked the idea for the book — a collection of stories, reflections, and wisdom from decades of living yoga on and off the mat. He offers an inside look at the writing journey: the surprises, the challenges of editing, and why he chose the self-publishing route to keep his voice true and unfiltered. David shares a few anecdotes straight out of the book! Kino and David also laugh and reflect on life's simple pleasures — teaching students around the world, staying connected to loved ones, and tending to the fruit trees that thrive under David's careful eye on his Hawaiian land. This episode is a reminder that yoga is more than poses — it's a way of living with courage, humor, and a willingness to swim against the current when your heart says so. Tune in for: Why Only Dead Fish Go With the Flow is a book for every yogi and seeker Practical tips on writing and self-publishing Teaching stories and life lessons from decades of practice Honest reflections on staying rooted in what matters A glimpse into David's island life, fruit trees included! Practice LIVE with me exclusively on Omstars! Start your journey today with a 7-day trial at omstars.com. Limited time Offer: Sign up for an Omstars+ membership and Get my FREE course: Ashtanga Mechanics. Sign up Here! Stay connected with us on social @omstarsofficial and @kinoyoga Practice with me in person for workshops, classes, retreats, trainings and Mysore seasons. Find out more about where I'm teaching at kinoyoga.com and sign up for our Mysore season in Miami at www.miamilifecenter.com.

Don't have time to listen to the entire Dave & Chuck the Freak podcast? Check out some of the tastiest bits of the day, including Chuck’s YMCA Cop, Pete Davidson talks about struggles with BDE, guy arrested for playing train sounds at his house, and more!

Forgiving someone can feel especially hard when they never apologize or try to make things right. Even when we want to release the pain, the hurt can linger. In this episode, we explore a different way forward that helps you move beyond old wounds and make space for fresh joy, hope, and possibility. After listening, you may be inspired to learn about Hoʻoponopono, a traditional Hawaiian practice of reconciliation and forgiveness. It is a method that has brought me clarity, lifted my spirit, and deepened my ability to forgive myself. This is a rebroadcast, but it is an important one to remember so we can all let go, move on and live our best lives. Hoʻoponopono I am sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you. If you found this podcast enjoyable, kindly consider subscribing and leaving a rating or review. Additionally, I'd appreciate it if you could share it with your friends to spread the love! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If you are interested in my work, please check out my books, The Gift of Maybe: Finding Hope and Possibility in Uncertain Times (including a new audiobook), A Year Without Men: A 12 Point Guide To Inspire and Empower Women and my new Audiobook,  Maybe Everything Is Okay, A Parent's Guide To Less Stress and Worry. Also you can check out my new Maybe Cards: A Path to Stress-Free Living or my new digital Maybe Journal. Above all, my heartfelt hope is that this podcast has supported your journey of personal growth, helped shift your mindset, built emotional resilience, and brought you less suffering and more joy, clarity, and peace.      

Evan joined ESPN Honolulu yesterday, so we do an impromptu Hawaiian words spelling bee as part of Can He or Canty. Also, is this the start of Chiefs Kingdom Part 2 or The Last Dance? ESPN BET's Joe Fortenbaugh joins to discuss that and more. Plus, Canty's Best Bet, and the most UnSportsmanLike moments of the day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Evan joined ESPN Honolulu yesterday, so we do an impromptu Hawaiian words spelling bee as part of Can He or Canty. Also, is this the start of Chiefs Kingdom Part 2 or The Last Dance? ESPN BET's Joe Fortenbaugh joins to discuss that and more. Plus, Canty's Best Bet, and the most UnSportsmanLike moments of the day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of Conduct Detrimental: THE Sports Law Podcast, Dan Lust (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SportsLawLust)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠is joined by Tarun Sharma (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tksharmalaw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠), Mike Kravchenko (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and special guest, Don Van Natta Jr. (@DVNJr⁠⁠) to break down major stories including Jon Gruden's massive legal victory, Shohei Ohtani's involvement in a $240M real estate dispute, and Trump's executive order on college sports.Dan and the team first tackle Trump's "Saving College Sports" executive order, explaining what's actually in it versus the headlines. They cover the requirements for athletic departments based on revenue thresholds, the prohibition on third-party pay-for-play, and clarification that student-athletes aren't employees. Mike provides coverage of the shocking $240M real estate lawsuit involving Shohei Ohtani and his agent, centered on a luxury Hawaiian development deal. The case alleges tortious interference and unjust enrichment, with Ohtani potentially liable for his agent's actions despite being removed from direct negotiations. Dan connects this to the previous gambling controversy, suggesting this case could reveal more about Ohtani's actual involvement in business dealings than previously known.The episode also covers Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer's gambling controversy involving Venmo transactions labeled "sports gambling," examining why even jokes about NCAA violations can trigger investigations and the broader implications for student-athlete social media use.The Centerpiece: Don Van Natta Jr. joins for a discussion of the Nevada Supreme Court's 5-2 decision allowing Jon Gruden's case against Roger Goodell and the NFL to proceed in open court rather than arbitration. Don explains how this stems from the Dan Snyder investigation, the 650,000 emails obtained by Beth Wilkinson, and why only Gruden's 11 emails were leaked. The conversation explores the unconscionability ruling that could destroy the NFL's arbitration system, the potential for massive discovery including all those emails, and why Gruden has said he'll "burn the house down" to get the truth. and finally, what to watch for: Tarun previews the long-awaited NCAA decision on Michigan's sign-stealing scandal, while Mike provides Conduct Detrimental updates and recommends WWE Unreal on Netflix. Dan enthusiastically reviews the Chiefsaholic documentary, offering a cautionary tale about lawyers appearing in documentaries.Let us know your thoughts!***Have a topic you want to write about? ANYONE and EVERYONE can publish for ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ConductDetrimental.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Let us know if you want to join the team.As always, this episode is sponsored by Themis Bar Review: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.themisbarsocial.com/conductdetrimental⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Host: Dan Lust (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SportsLawLust⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)  Featuring: Tarun Sharma (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tksharmalaw⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) , Don Van Natta Jr. (⁠@DVNJr⁠⁠⁠)Feat. and Produced by: Mike Kravchenko (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email

President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are meeting today at a U.S. military base in Alaska to discuss the war in Ukraine. CBS News' Nancy Cordes reports. "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan, who is in Anchorage, Alaska, for the summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, discusses what to expect from the highly-anticipated meeting. CBS News' John Dickerson breaks down the history between President Trump and Vladimir Putin, whose meetings have typically taken place abroad until now, as the two leaders convene on U.S. soil for the first time. A CBS News data analysis reveals red flags about collision dangers in the airspace around Washington's Reagan National Airport. For a year leading up to January's deadly midair collision, there were close encounters between helicopters and aircraft nearly every day. On Friday, Tropical Storm Erin neared hurricane strength and is expected to become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. Forecasters anticipate Erin to become a major hurricane over the weekend. "CBS Mornings" returns to Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui to look at how the community is recovering two years after wildfires destroyed the city and claimed more than 100 lives. CBS Saturday Morning's Dana Jacobson shows how three Houston Dash players are making powerful comebacks after becoming mothers, just in time for a pivotal stretch of the NWSL season. Nutritionist and Nutritious Life CEO Keri Glassman joins "CBS Mornings" to break down the truth behind popular gut health trends like fiber loading, internal showers, and olive oil shots, and what actually supports digestive wellness. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Branson hosts his long-awaited Hawaiian House Party in sunny Akron, Ohio. Starring in order of appearance: Alana Branson, Will Menaker, Katherine Krueger, Alex Branson, Andrew Hudson, Charles Austin, Nate Ruess, Aaron @bertovo, Michael Hudson, Alex Nichols, Chet @GirlfriendHaver, the Villain Joel, Raina Douris, John Semley, Jesse Farrar, Mike Hale, Hesse Deni, Felix Biederman, Cameron Fetter, Caleb Pitts, Patrick Doran, Titas Vilkaitis, CJ @futurevictim_, Ben @BetrayedMan1990, Tom @tom_on_here, and Brace Belden.

On this week's show, Julia Turner is joined by guest hosts Nadira Goffe and Dan Kois to answer the urgent question: is The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson the vital satire we need for our time? (Answer: No, but does that matter? The joke-dense spoof reboot directed by Akiva Schaffer is a hoot.) Next, they turn to tropical shores and talk about Chief of War, the epic series about Hawaiian history starring and produced by Jason Momoa. Finally, the panel examines the legacy of the musical Hamilton on its ten-year anniversary. Is it a naive Obama-era cringefest or an enduring piece of theater that still has much to say about American democracy? In an exclusive Slate Plus Bonus episode, Julia and Nadira grill Dan about the creation of Slate's newest game Pears and discuss the state of the internet game ecosystem.     Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Endorsements: Nadira: The new album BLACKSTAR by Ghanaian and American singer and songwriter Amaarae. Julia: Jurassic Park at the Hollywood Bowl accompanied by the LA Philharmonic. If not that, stream on a screen near you. Dan: Quitting your job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Across the planet, the actions of humans are creating novel ecosystems which, according to the BBC, have been dubbed ‘freakosystems' by the daughter of a professor of ecology. ‘Freakosystems' are places where unfamiliar species mix with native species in unexpected ways. Research into the Hawaiian island Oahu's lush landscape demonstrates how the actions of humans have radically changed the natural world. What do these emerging ecosystems tell us about both the resilience and fragility of life on Earth? Corey Tarwater, an ecologist at the University of Wyoming who has been researching Oahu's ecosystems for more than a decade, joins USA TODAY's The Excerpt to discuss her findings.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, Julia Turner is joined by guest hosts Nadira Goffe and Dan Kois to answer the urgent question: is The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson the vital satire we need for our time? (Answer: No, but does that matter? The joke-dense spoof reboot directed by Akiva Schaffer is a hoot.) Next, they turn to tropical shores and talk about Chief of War, the epic series about Hawaiian history starring and produced by Jason Momoa. Finally, the panel examines the legacy of the musical Hamilton on its ten-year anniversary. Is it a naive Obama-era cringefest or an enduring piece of theater that still has much to say about American democracy? In an exclusive Slate Plus Bonus episode, Julia and Nadira grill Dan about the creation of Slate's newest game Pears and discuss the state of the internet game ecosystem.     Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Endorsements: Nadira: The new album BLACKSTAR by Ghanaian and American singer and songwriter Amaarae. Julia: Jurassic Park at the Hollywood Bowl accompanied by the LA Philharmonic. If not that, stream on a screen near you. Dan: Quitting your job. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know you can see Oahu's Windward side in just one day without feeling rushed or missing the best spots?For many visitors, the east side is simply a scenic drive, but behind those stunning views are hidden beaches, lush gardens, and photo-worthy moments most travelers overlook.If you've ever wondered how to plan a one-day itinerary that combines jaw-dropping scenery, local secrets, and perfect photo ops, this episode is for you. Join professional photographer Heather Eijenga as she shares her must-visit stops, insider tips, and expert advice for capturing Hawaii's magic, whether you're using a phone or a DSLR.

If you’ve shared the screen with a world-famous boy band AND a talking cat, you’re automatically cool. But if you can also claim an iconic role in one of the most generationally defining films of the ‘90s, well then, you’ve entered legendary status. The gang is in San Francisco and hanging with Elisa Donovan!We’ve headed back into the world of Sabrina to find out what it was like to be a witch’s roommate, and AS IF we’re not gonna ask EVERYTHING about Clueless (just in time for its 30th anniversary!)Plus, Elisa reveals how the Clueless TV show led to a Hawaiian vacation with *NSYNC! All that and more, on a Bay Area Pod Meets World…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.