Podcasts about haystack

In a rare and vulnerable conversation, tech veteran Mark Fister shares the three powerful inflection points that shaped his extraordinary journey—from being discovered by John McAfee to realizing the power of humility, to making it his mission to solve systemic unemployment among autistic individuals. A story of insight, growth, and purpose.00:09- About Mark FisterMark Fister is the Co-Founder and CTO of Haystack.

אחרי שנתיים ביקרנו שוב בכנס Haystack העוסק בחיפוש והמלצה. נדבר על ההבדלים בין 2025 לשנת 2023 ועל מגמת החזרה לעולם החיפוש הלקסיקוגרפי על חשבון החיפוש הוקטורי. ועל גישות LLM as a judge הרווחת לאיבליואציה של חיפוש והמלצה

This week, Scott and Aaron discuss historical leaders who were willing to go back to the drawing board and correct mistakes. The post History Matters: Talk About a Needle in a Haystack appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

Cameron Keeling, one of the hardest working and accomplished musicians from the Heartland, learned to play and write songs around his hometown Kansas City MO.  He toured with bluegrass band Grassfed for 5-years, releasing 2 studio albums.  You can catch him these holding down the low end on the upright bass as well as singing and writing with the band Front Porch.  Cameron and his RunawayTrain bandmate Cory Clark recently came into the Tasty Brew to share stories behind and spin some tunes ("Off My Mind," "Ready to Go" and "Haystack") from the Runaway Train's new 2025 CD “Kill Creek.”  Enjoy my conversation with and selected selections fromCameron Keeling and the Runaway Train's Kill Creek available on all the major streaming platforms and from the band at one of their many shows throughout the country during this summer 2025 festival  season.  For all things for a busy and prolific Cameron Keeling… check out https://cameronkeelingmusic.com.

Your Purple Pants Podcast Pitstop duo, @BriceIzyah and @TheRealBCamhi, are back with a breakdown of The Amazing Race 37, Episode 7! For the first time ever, teams race to Bulgaria—navigating stick shifts, paper maps, and chaotic countryside roads.

Purple Pants Podcast | Bulgaria's Double U-Turn & Haystack Heartbreak Your Purple Pants Podcast Pitstop duo, @BriceIzyah and @TheRealBCamhi, are back with a breakdown of The Amazing Race 37, Episode 7! For the first time ever, teams race to Bulgaria—navigating stick shifts, paper maps, and chaotic countryside roads.   From searching haystacks for tiny bracelets to hauling massive loads of firewood, the Detour tests both patience and strength. A Double U-Turn adds even more tension, and a tricky Roadblock involving sheep and yogurt stirs the pot.   You can also watch along on Brice Izyah's YouTube channel to watch us break it all down https://youtube.com/channel/UCFlglGPPamVHaNAb0tL_s7g LISTEN: Subscribe to the Purple Pants podcast feed  WATCH: Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks! Previously on the Purple Pants Podcast Feed: Purple Pants Podcast Archives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your Purple Pants Podcast Pitstop duo, @BriceIzyah and @TheRealBCamhi, are back with a breakdown of The Amazing Race 37, Episode 7! For the first time ever, teams race to Bulgaria—navigating stick shifts, paper maps, and chaotic countryside roads.

Hey everyone, Alex here

Finding a partner after divorce can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. This week's guest, Jennie Young, suggests a bold alternative - burn the haystack. Jennie is the creator of Burned Haystack Dating Method, a method grounded in applied rhetoric and feminist praxis, designed to push back against the toxic norms built into many modern dating platforms. In this episode, Jennie shares practical, no-nonsense strategies for using dating apps more intentionally, treating them as tools (not lifelines), turning off notifications, and yes, burning the haystack. We also explore the common rhetorical patterns many men use on apps and how to recognize and respond to them when they show up. Tune in for an eye-opening conversation that puts you back in control of your dating life, no algorithm required. Here's what else we get into, in this episode: How Burned Haystack Dating Method came to be and the story behind its name (5:22) The 10 essential rules that make up the Burned Haystack Dating Method (13:06) What critical discourse analysis actually is and how it can help you navigate dating apps with confidence (37:10) The rhetorical red flags to look out for, like “Test and apologize,” “Are you my mother?” and “Where were you on January 6th?” (38:58) Learn more about Jennie Young:  Jennie Young is the creator of Burned Haystack Dating Method, a dating method grounded in applied rhetoric and feminist praxis. It is designed to combat many of the challenges of dating in a market that is too frequently mediated by misogynistic and patriarchal structures. She holds a Ph.D. in rhetoric and discourse studies from Case Western Reserve University and a satire writing certificate from Second City Chicago. Her work has been published in McSweeney's, Ms. Magazine, HuffPost, and others and covered by major media outlets such as The New York Times, Newsweek, RollingStone, and others. Resources & Links: Thank you to this episode's sponsor: Wild Pastures Unbreakable – the Divorce Recovery Retreat, Sedona, AZ in April 2025 Focused Strategy Sessions with Kate Phoenix Rising: A Divorce Empowerment Collective Jennie's website Jennie's Facebook Group Jennie on Instagram Jennie on Bluesky Jennie on LinkedIn Episode 309: Online Dating After Divorce with Alyssa Dineen DISCLAIMER:  THE COMMENTARY AND OPINIONS AVAILABLE ON THIS PODCAST ARE FOR INFORMATIONAL AND ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING LEGAL OR PSYCHOLOGICAL ADVICE.  YOU SHOULD CONTACT AN ATTORNEY, COACH, OR THERAPIST IN YOUR STATE TO OBTAIN ADVICE WITH RESPECT TO ANY PARTICULAR ISSUE OR PROBLEM. Episode Link: https://kateanthony.com/podcast/episode-317-burned-haystack-dating-method-with-jennie-young/

This episode of Why Make? is brought to you by Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.Thanks to Haystack to becoming our first sponsor and partner. Haystack currently has open spaces in select Square ONE Workshops for beginners and Summer 2025 Workshops! Spaces in workshops and housing are limited, and applications are processed on a rolling, first-come, first-serve basis. Applications for these open spots will be open the public starting Wednesday, March 26. To see workshop details and to apply, visit haystack-man.org or go to haystack-mtn.org/summer-workshops-details#workshops-how-to-applyOn this episode of Why make we continue our conversations from the 2024 Emma International Collaboration in Big River, Saskatchewan This time Miranda Jones. Miranda is primarily known in the art world for her paintings of animals but she is so much more than that. I saw her mostly in the metal fabrication area with plasma torch in hand but she could also be found in Tiny Shiny the jewelry workshop as well as the painting area. Miranda is a longtime participant in the Emma Collaboration and also sat on the Emma board, so a great person to talk to to get the length and breath of this hard to describe event. Here is my conversation with Miranda, we start with a silly reference to her honorary citizenship from New Zealand I refer to as her Kiwiness. Miranda is in fact a Canadian citizen and resides in Saskatoon but was originally from Australia.

In today's episode:Donald Trump reposts a post from Truth Social stating that Biden's presidency would be null and void based on Biden never being electedSpaceman Splashdown goes off without a hitch (beyond the 9 months they were stuck exercising in a microgravity environment or something) and Gilligan's Island in Space finally ends with dolphinsThe much-anticipated "JFK Files" mostly confirm the Official Story (so far)The proof we're after will never arrive - the good news is that it's already availableThe problem isn't a lack of information, it's bad epistemology and it can't be solved with more informationThe emerging "judicial coup" of judges attempting to thwart Trump's power as the plenary executive authorityMichael Shellenberger of the "Twitter Files" limited hangout supports the Regime narrative on judicial reviewJustice John Marshall was pioneer in the usurpation and inversion of the original Constitution.Connect with Be Reasonable: https://linktr.ee/imyourmoderatorLinks, articles, ideas - follow the info stream at t.me/veryreasonableHear the show when it's released. Become a paid subscriber at imyourmoderator.substack.comVisit the show's sponsors:Diversify your assets into Bitcoin: https://partner.river.com/reasonableDiversify your assets into precious metals: reasonablegold.comJoin the new information infrastructure - get Starlink: https://www.starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-1975306-67744-74Other ways to support the work:ko-fi.com/imyourmoderatorDonate btc via coinbase: 3MEh9J5sRvMfkWd4EWczrFr1iP3DBMcKk5Make life more comfortable: mypillow.com/reasonableMerch site:https://cancelcouture.myspreadshop.com/https://cancelcouture.comFollow the podcast info stream: t.me/veryreasonableYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imyourmoderatorOther social platforms: Truth Social, Gab, Rumble, or Gettr - @imyourmoderator Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/be-reasonable-with-your-moderator-chris-paul. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 263, Recorded 3/12/2025. Spill the Tea. Dig it up. Challenge Accepted?? Sweet, Sweet Lovin' Again. Draft scratchers. Cheetozoid. These trains ran on borrowed time. Billy Gonna Billy. Hats off! Todd is fast and Dewayne is a Tech Guru.

What deal did you make with your partner? Things people expect you to do for free. Bree & Claud want to see a psychic. Name in a Haystack is at $600! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guest this week, Hal Brooks, is the CEO at HaystackID Group Holdings, a specialized eDiscovery services firm helping corporations and law firms find, understand, and learn from data when facing complex, data-intensive investigations and litigation. Hal is an eDiscovery and litigation technology professional with more than 25 years of experience. He has participated in the acquisition and growth of several industry-leading companies, and has helped businesses address challenges in the areas of litigation strategy, automated discovery processes, and cybersecurity. This year, Hal was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Legalweek Leaders in Tech Law Awards. Today, Hal speaks with us about the advice he received at the beginning of his career, the evolution of the eDiscovery industry, Haystack's commitment to being a voice of reason, and the need for continuous education as technology evolves. Read the full transcript of today's episode here: https://www.seyfarth.com/dir_docs/podcast_transcripts/pioneers_Hal_Brooks.pdf

What's okay to buy second-hand? Badly timed breakups. Name in a Haystack. Georgia spoiled Love Island: the jury decides. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Patrick discusses Luis Elizondo speaking on Project Interloper & Haystack.

What level of adulting are you yet to hit? Name in a Haystack! The least romantic thing you partner does. Do we have a first edition Harry Potter book?! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Greg Jenkins' mother, Anna, vanished in Malaysia, local authorities provided little to no assistance. Determined to uncover the truth, Greg launched his own investigation, ultimately finding Anna's remains—but the discovery only deepened the mystery surrounding her disappearance, and the subsequent inaction of Malaysian authorities.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.You can donate to and support Greg's cause by visiting his GoFundMe here.You can keep up to date with Greg's journey on social media here.Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Got a True Crime question you want answered on the podcast? Send us a question by recording a voice message here.For Support: Lifeline  on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Guest: Greg JenkinsExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardThis episode contains extra content from ABC News.GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com  Become a subscriber to Australian True Crime Plus here: https://plus.acast.com/s/australiantruecrime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a "Shortcut" episode. It's a shortened version of this week's more detailed full episode, which is also available on our feed.When Greg Jenkins' mother, Anna, vanished in Malaysia, local authorities provided little to no assistance. Determined to uncover the truth, Greg launched his own investigation, ultimately finding Anna's remains—but the discovery only deepened the mystery surrounding her disappearance, and the subsequent inaction of Malaysian authorities.Do you have information regarding any of the cases discussed on this podcast? Please report it on the Crime Stoppers website or by calling 1800 333 000.You can donate to and support Greg's cause by visiting his GoFundMe here.You can keep up to date with Greg's journey on social media here.Click here to subscribe to ATC Plus on Apple Podcasts and access all ATC episodes early and ad-free, as well as exclusive bonus episodes. Got a True Crime question you want answered on the podcast? Send us a question by recording a voice message here.For Support: Lifeline  on 13 11 1413 YARN on 13 92 76 (24/7 crisis support phone line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732CREDITS:Host: Meshel Laurie. You can find her on Instagram Guest: Greg JenkinsExecutive Producer/Editor: Matthew TankardThis episode contains extra content from ABC News.GET IN TOUCH:https://www.australiantruecrimethepodcast.com/Follow the show on Instagram @australiantruecrimepodcast and Facebook Send us a question to have played on the show by recording a voice message here.Email the show at AusTrueCrimePodcast@gmail.com  Become a subscriber to Australian True Crime Plus here: https://plus.acast.com/s/australiantruecrime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's Mystery: A florist from Mexico City hires George to find a dozen roses in Pasadena ... during the Tournament of Roses. Murder follows.Original Air Date: January 2, 1950Originating in HollywoodStarring Bob Bailey as George Valentine and Virginia Gregg as BrooksieSupport the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.netSupport the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net.Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.netGive us a call at 208-991-4783Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectivesFollow us on Twitter @radiodetectivesJoin us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.

Redwood Empire gained notoriety early on by sourcing and bottling some excellent whiskey. Nestled in the heart of wine country on the Russian River in California, these distillers recently released 8 year cask strength single barrels of their own distillate. For this weeks short, we taste and review one of these bottles compliments of our good friend (and listener), Andrew. Even though this episode is a shorty, it's chock full of Mash Up goodness. Though you'll have to listen to find out what we think of this bottle, the future does look bright for Redwood Empire. Happy New Year! -------------------------- Socials IG: https://www.instagram.com/themashupky FB: https://www.facebook.com/themashupky TW: https://twitter.com/themashupky Partnership(s) Visit Bourbonoutfitter.com and enter code THEMASHUP for a special discount or visit bourbonoutfitter.com/THEMASHUP Visit https://woodworkcollective.shop and enter code MASHUP for a 15% discount on your order Music: All the Fixings by Zachariah Hickman Thank you so much for listening!

The Journey of Haystack Dryers w/ Wayne Jacks :: Ep 223 MMTBPIn this episode, we talk to Wayne Jacks, Vice President of Operations for Haystack Dryers.We discuss his career trajectory and current role at Haystack Dryers. Wayne, originally from the UK, moved to the US in 2007 to launch the US arm of Haystack Dryers, which manufactures drying machines for theme parks and other attractions. He shares his experiences from managing the London Eye to working with various theme parks, emphasizing the importance of customer relationships and innovation. Wayne highlights the benefits of his dryers, such as increased guest satisfaction and revenue, and mentions the transition from cash to contactless payment systems. He also touches on the challenges of introducing new concepts and the importance of persistence in sales. The conversation explores the evolution of technology and entertainment, highlighting the shift from traditional media like network TV and radio to modern platforms like podcasts and YouTube. We discuss the rise and fall of NFTs, comparing it to the early days of the internet. Our discussion also touches on the impact of cryptocurrencies, with references to Bitcoin and Dogecoin. We reflect on generational differences in technology adoption, the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance, and the importance of discipline in personal well-being. We also mention the future of theme parks and the potential impact of a more crypto-friendly administration on financial markets.Highlights:Wayne Jacks' Background and Haystack Dryers Experiences at the London EyeTechnological Shifts and Entertainment Evolution Entrepreneurial Challenges and Personal GrowthFollow Wayne:Linked in: Wayne JacksInstagram: @the.crafty.britHaystack Dryers: www.haystackdryers.com______________________________________________________________________****SUBSCRIBE/RATE/FOLLOW the Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast:www.mmtbp.comwww.instagram.com/mostlymiddletnbusinespodcastwww.instagram.com/jimmccarthyvosTiktok: @jimmccarthyvos __________________________________________________________Shoutout to Matt Wilson for lending his voice to the new intro of MMTBP.Follow him and his podcast from which I may have borrowed the *mostly* concept:https://linktr.ee/mamwmw___________________________________________________________If you like Jim's Boston Scallys, click here to shop and order yours!https://www.bostonscally.com/a/refer-a-friend/redeem/mqgpwi3u0zgm89vaxnv5crzvlolevo82rvcygsn5/1668 ___________________________________________________________***You hear Jim mention it on almost every episode, ME vs. WE and how 2023 will be 1943 all over again….order “PENDULUM:How Past Generations Shape Our Present and Predict Our Future”:https://a.co/d/7oKK7Ip_________________________________________________________________The co-author of Pendulum wrote a myriad of other books and started a non-profit 21st Century Non-Traditional Business School that you should really check out: Wizard Academy - www.wizardacademy.org______________________________________________________________________Curious about podcasting? This podcast (and many others) is produced by www.itsyourshow.co#billionaire #business #entrepreneurship #fashion #love #marketing #meme #middle #mindset #motivation #nashville #nashvilletennessee #nashvilletn #nature #podcast #podcasters #podcastersofinstagram #podcasting #podcastlife #podcasts #podcastshow #smallbusiness #tennessee #tennesseelife #MiddleTennesseeRealEstate #PersonalBranding #Entrepreneurship #ThemeParkIndustry #AmusementParkBusiness #EntrepreneurialJourney #InnovativeProducts #CustomerService #BusinessGrowth #InternationalExpansion #TechnologyAdoption #MiddleTNBusiness

Zichru Sanhedrin 5 [12.22] Haystack

Talking solo, Jesse tackles two important, ever-present investing questions in today's monologue. Should I try to time the market? How do I beat the market? The truth is, the timeless advice stands: diversify your portfolio, steer clear of speculation, and invest early and often. Diversifying is like buying the haystack, rather than looking for the needle, because, the truth is, you probably won't find the needle. Speculative stock-picking is like picking out some straw and hoping it'll turn out to be the needle. To illustrate the benefits of consistent investing - rather than attempted market timing - Jesse tells the tale of Bad Timing Bill, Normal Nick, and Good Timing Gary. Bill and Gary both tried to time the market. This episode is packed with insight you'll want to return to again and again. Key Takeaways: • Don't look for the needle in the haystack. Buy the haystack. Most stock pickers stumble into success. • There's no such thing as skilled stock picking because we can never know the entire market. • Just because a business is massive and visible, doesn't mean it will forever make good decisions. • How to sort out a fair price for something. A good burger isn't worth 100 dollars! • What are CAPE and PE ratios? • The story of Bill, Nick, and Gary: Why you shouldn't try to time the market.  Key Timestamps:(00:00) The Best Interest Year in Review (08:02) The Evergreen Question: Is Now the Right Time to Invest? (11:58) The Case for Index Investing (25:16) Understanding Market Efficiency (29:13) The Starbucks Dilemma: Diversification vs. Concentration (32:01) The Importance of Price (32:39) Warren Buffett's Wisdom on Fair Prices (33:37) The Risks of Overconcentration in a Single Stock (34:14) Diversification and Risk Management (35:36) The Concept of Timing the Market (36:08) The CAPE Ratio Explained (46:39) Dollar Cost Averaging vs. Lump Sum Investing (51:27) The Complexity of Market Movements Key Topics Discussed:The Best Interest, Jesse Cramer, Rochester New York, financial planner, financial advisor, wealth management, retirement planning, tax planning, personal finance, stock picking, speculation, index funds, mutual funds, stock market, DIY investing Mentions:Wealth Creation in the U.S. Public Stock Markets 1926 to 2019 by Hendrik Bessembinder https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3537838  The Needle in the Haystack:  https://bestinterest.blog/the-needle-in-the-haystack/ Yes, You Can Beat the Market, But...:  https://bestinterest.blog/yes-you-can-beat-the-market/ Good Company, Bad Stock:  https://bestinterest.blog/good-company-bad-stock/ The CAPE Ratio vs. Future Returns: https://bestinterest.blog/cape-vs-future-returns/ More of The Best Interest:Check out the Best Interest Blog at bestinterest.blog Contact me at jesse@bestinterest.blog The Best Interest Podcast is a personal podcast meant for educational and entertainment. It should not be taken as financial advice, and is not prescriptive of your financial situation.

The Eras Tour is officially over :( GROSS pet stories (you've been warned). Name in a Haystack. Hangover cures for the silly szn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join me as we discuss my NEW SHOW: Uber Dates, the Burned Haystack Dating Method™, do you need a "spark" to find a great partner?, Pop my balloon for love and...my NEW OBSESSION Witch Paddle Boarding!!

Rock band "Carver Commodore" joins the podcast for a fun chat about tour life, Switchfoot's influence, and we dive into the song "Needle and Haystack Life." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dailyjonforeman/support

This episode dives into the unique world of financial therapy, where professionals bring together personal finance and emotional well-being. Whether they're dual-credentialed as Certified Financial Planners and Certified Financial Therapists or experts in money-related trauma, the key is finding the right fit for you. We'll share how to navigate through the haystack to find a financial therapist who meets your needs, transforming not just your finances, but your relationship with money itself. Tune in!A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them.Rick Kahler, CFP®, CFT-I™, has helped people make better money decisions by integrating financial planning. He blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive making them and shares them on his financial therapy podcast.

Did someone think you were dead?  Bree went to Christina Aguilera alone.  Abbreviations IRL.  Name in a Haystack.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

DJ reflects upon recent events. Some backgound on his youth. Warning: Political View Expressed Write to DJ at djstarsage@gmail.com Leave a comment on our page at syjpodcast.wordpress.com Follow DJ on Twitter Friend DJ on Facebook Find out more at https://surely-you-jest.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

The single biggest difference between those that go the distance and have highly lucrative businesses and highly profitable portfolios and those that don't is the type of deals they do and the type of industries that they get into.   For every 999 deals or business opportunities, there's only one that will be highly lucrative and highly leveraged, and this is what we call the Needle in a Haystack.   In this podcast, I'm going to take you through what a Needle in the Haystack is, where you find them, how they work, and examples of the deals and businesses I've done over the last two decades, all of which meet this criteria.    If you're serious about building a business with low competition and high margins, you need to find a Needle in a Haystack that nobody else can see, let alone compete with you on.   Success and failure are both very predictable.    I hope you enjoy.

works as well as any vitamin tablet would!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/porch-talk/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, we explore the importance of recognizing non-obvious trends  and their implications for leadership and innovation with Rohit Bhargava, a 3-time Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author.   We discuss Norway's electric vehicle advancements, the preparation for the Leadership Conclave, and methods for effective trend spotting, including the Haystack method and scenario planning.   Learn how to spot the next big thing and position yourself for success. SHOWNOTES are here. Key Quotes "We can't solve the whole problem with just one part of the problem; we need to think in systems." - Zoe Routh "Leaders must create mental space to uncover insights." - Rohit Bhargava "Embrace the obvious insights; they often hold the key to broader understanding." - Rohit Bhargava Questions Asked: What are you paying attention to? How can leaders prepare for emerging trends? What role does creativity play in recognizing patterns? Take Action: Practice non-obvious thinking by observing everyday trends. Engage in scenario planning to anticipate future developments. Read Rohit Bhargava's book,  Non-Obvious Thinking, for deeper insights. Tip of the Week: Review the collaboration self-checklist - available for subscribers only. Join the community here. You'll get 40 book summaries and recommendations on Leading Strategy and Performance, along with a special secret audio from my award-winning book, People Stuff.    Key Moments  00:00 Welcome and Weekly Question  00:17 Electric Vehicle Revolution in Norway  01:38 Leadership Conclave Preparation  02:28 Reflecting on the Past and Future  05:43 Introducing Rohit Bhargava  06:50 Discussing Non-Obvious Trends  21:37 Breaking the Rules of Book Publishing  22:54 Time Horizons in Non-Obvious Thinking  25:37 Scenario Planning and Trend Prediction  28:39 The Haystack Method for Pattern Recognition  30:46 Surprising Insights in Non-Obvious Thinking  36:32 The Fast Three: Quickfire Questions  39:56 Podcast Wrap-Up and Listener Engagement  

Episode 278Celibate Farmer Ruins The RomanceSo what happens when a bachelor farmer is determined that his 52-year-old sister stay a spinster and she falls in love with the farm hand? Nothing good, you can bet on that, especially when the bachelor farmer discovers the suitor slinking around his house. I found this story interesting not only for the unusual disposal of the body, but also for the colorful people with names that sound like they came from a Saturday Night Live sketch or a Coen Brothers movie.Culled from the historic pages of the Wisconsin State Journal and other newspapers of the era.Ad Free EditionBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/true-crime-historian--2909311/support.

Cameron Lindsay is the founder of Haystack, the intranet for the future of work, focused on enabling organizations to deliver customized experiences that inspire and engage their employees.   Cameron provides valuable insight for entrepreneurs, sharing the twists and turns of his story, and the wisdom he's gained from other founders along the way. He offers his perspective on embracing risk, finding your moment in the market, and the importance of identifying and solving real problems before attacking them.   ------------------------------------------------------------------------  Subscribe & Listen: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Dz26hgC9D6YqwN8JMDBV Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mb2-underground/id1747349567 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow MB2 Dental on Social: MB2 Dental: mb2dental.com Instagram: instagram.com/mb2dental Facebook: facebook.com/mb2dental YouTube: youtube.com/@mb2dental LinkedIn: linkedin.com/mb2-dental

In this special crossover episode of The Cognitive Revolution, Nathan introduces a conversation from The Inside View featuring Owain Evans, AI alignment researcher at UC Berkeley's Center for Human Compatible AI. Evans and host Michael Trazzi delve into critical AI safety topics, including situational awareness and out-of-context reasoning. Discover Evans' groundbreaking work on the reversal curse and connecting the dots, exploring how large language models process and infer information. This timely discussion highlights the importance of situational awareness in AI systems, particularly in light of recent advancements in AI capabilities. Don't miss this insightful exploration of the evolving relationship between human and artificial intelligence. Check out "The Inside View" Podcast here: https://theinsideview.ai/ Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://www.turpentinenetwork.co/ SPONSORS: Weights & Biases RAG++: Advanced training for building production-ready RAG applications. Learn from experts to overcome LLM challenges, evaluate systematically, and integrate advanced features. Includes free Cohere credits. Visit https://wandb.me/cr to start the RAG++ course today. Shopify: Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system and exclusive AI apps like Quikly. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/cognitive. LMNT: LMNT is a zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix that's redefining hydration and performance. Ideal for those who fast or anyone looking to optimize their electrolyte intake. Support the show and get a free sample pack with any purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/tcr. Notion: Notion offers powerful workflow and automation templates, perfect for streamlining processes and laying the groundwork for AI-driven automation. With Notion AI, you can search across thousands of documents from various platforms, generating highly relevant analysis and content tailored just for you - try it for free at https://notion.com/cognitiverevolution Oracle: Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds; offers one consistent price, and nobody does data better than Oracle. If you want to do more and spend less, take a free test drive of OCI at https://oracle.com/cognitive CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) About the Show (00:00:22) Sponsors: Weights & Biases RAG++ (00:01:28) About the Episode (00:04:10) Intro (00:05:09) Owain Evans' Research (00:06:36) Situational Awareness (00:09:07) Measuring Situational Awareness (00:14:29) Claude's Situational Awareness (00:19:06) Sponsors: Shopify | LMNT (00:22:01) Needle in a Haystack (00:26:26) Concrete Examples of Tasks (00:34:51) Sponsors: Notion | Oracle (00:37:29) Anti-Imitation Tasks (00:50:03) GPT-4 Base Model Results (01:01:48) Benchmark Saturation (01:07:23) Future Research Directions (01:12:01) Out-of-Context Reasoning (01:27:29) Safety Implications (01:36:24) Scaling and Reasoning (01:44:28) Mixture of Functions (01:54:12) Research Style and Taste (02:08:51) Capabilities and Downsides (02:18:56) Reception and Impact (02:25:30) Outro SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://www.cognitiverevolution.ai Twitter (Podcast): https://x.com/cogrev_podcast Twitter (Nathan): https://x.com/labenz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanlabenz/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CognitiveRevolutionPodcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/the-cognitive-revolution-ai-builders-researchers-and/id1669813431 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6yHyok3M3BjqzR0VB5MSyk

This week, we are back with part two of Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah and Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano. Semil is a founding General Partner of Haystack and a Venture Partner at Lightspeed. Semil and Mike pick up their conversation on consumer AI technology, starting with innovative consumer tech like Friend AI by Avi Schiffmann. Mike and Semil consider the impact of Artificial Super Intelligence on the future of work, debate the future evolution of software on demand, and ask if we need AI agents to help us solve our boredom?  Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction (00:31) Consumer AI Tech (03:05) Autonomous AI Agents Versus Copilots  (04:19) Matt Levine: Robots Make Good AI Junior Analysts  (05:53) Future of Training Entry Level Consultants (07:55) Artificial Super Intelligence as a Drop in Coworker (09:38) Will We Have Our Own Agentic Consultants? (11:50) Software On Demand (16:32) AI Generated Music and Content  (20:31) Conclusion  Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Semil Shah is back for another episode of Generative Quarterly with Michael Mignano, Lightspeed Partner and host of Generative Now. Semil is a founding General Partner of Haystack and a Venture Partner at Lightspeed. Semil and Mike discuss the seed investing landscape, challenges and opportunities in building consumer tech, and competition between Apple and Google. Episode Chapters (00:00) Welcome and Introduction (00:37) Shohei Ohtani and Baseball (03:25) State of Seed Investing (11:04) Semil's Advice on Pitching Venture Capitalists (14:26) VC Fund Dynamics and AI Hype Machine (18:42) Miami's Tech Scene (19:18) Building the Next Big AI Consumer Product: Hype vs Reality (26:52) Apple's New iPhone: Where is the Apple Intelligence? (32:17) Google Android (34:04) Conclusion  Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co Email: generativenow@lsvp.com The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

This is one of my favorite song mixes by Dave Hum, "Behind The Haystack & The Setting Sun." They are both fun songs to play, especially The Setting Sun. Dave's family has tablature available for both of these songs and 39 more at their website. They also have this original backing track made and used by Dave. My tracks are inferior to Dave's. He's a constant inspiration for me to do better. I used Dave's recording as a template for my backing track. The song is done in standard tuning in the Kay of A. Use a capo on the second fret, and also on the 7th fret for the 5th string. Tablature for both songs is available on Dave Hum's website for purchase. Enjoy!

With college athletics constantly changing Mizzou has worked ahead of the curve on NIL. To explain some of the opportunities we had Ken Dubinsky of Haystack sourcing solutions and Matt Martin of Sugarfire join Mark.

A little girl falls prey to a disease so deadly and rare, the CDC fears it might be an act of bioterrorism. Investigators scramble to find the source, but the answer comes from somewhere nobody was expecting.Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes publish for free every Tuesday. Prime members can binge episodes 41-48 early and ad-free on Amazon Music. Wondery+ subscribers can listen ad-free--join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

⭐ Join Rental Property Mastery, my community of rental investors on their way to financial freedom: http://coachcarson.com/rpm   

This week we explore "the haystack method" when it comes to online dating. But before we touch on Batman, Ithaca Reggae Fest, Berkshire Yoga Fest and Jeannie's time in Greece. It's been a busy couple of weeks.

Join Eric, @ShelleyWynter, @DrJoeEsposito, @TimAndrewsHere, @Autopritts, @JaredYamamoto, and Greg in their newly extended timeslot from 3pm-7pm as they chat about debate protocol, the 'Hawk Tuah' girl, methylators, and much more! *New episodes of our sister shows: The Popcast and The Nightcap w/ Jared Yamamoto are available as well!*

We are less than a month away from listing our Brooklyn, New York condo, which we bought for $375,000 back in 2004, the same week we got married. 20 years, two kids, and one chocolate lab later, we are selling the condo for something close to $1 million and then flipping the profits into a new investment via a 1031 exchange. (New here? Catch up on the last few monthly missives!)  As a reminder, we haven't made much cash on this property over the past 20 years. The growth has been all equity—and now's the time to cash in! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For those who haven't heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a two-episode look at the song “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”. This week we take a short look at the song’s writers, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and the first released version by Gladys Knight and the Pips. In two weeks time we’ll take a longer look at the sixties career of the song’s most famous performer, Marvin Gaye. This episode is quite a light one. That one… won’t be. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a half-hour bonus episode, on “Bend Me Shape Me” by Amen Corner. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Resources Mixcloud will be up with the next episode. For Motown-related information in this and other Motown episodes, I've used the following resources: Where Did Our Love Go? The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound by Nelson George is an excellent popular history of the various companies that became Motown. To Be Loved by Berry Gordy is Gordy's own, understandably one-sided, but relatively well-written, autobiography. Women of Motown: An Oral History by Susan Whitall is a collection of interviews with women involved in Motown. I Hear a Symphony: Motown and Crossover R&B by J. Andrew Flory is an academic look at Motown. The Motown Encyclopaedia by Graham Betts is an exhaustive look at the people and records involved in Motown's thirty-year history. Motown: The Golden Years is another Motown encyclopaedia. And Motown Junkies is an infrequently-updated blog looking at (so far) the first 693 tracks released on Motown singles. For information on Marvin Gaye, and his relationship with Norman Whitfield, I relied on Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye by David Ritz. I’ve also used information on Whitfield in  Ain't Too Proud to Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of the Temptations by Mark Ribowsky, I’ve also referred to interviews with Whitfield and Strong archived at rocksbackpages.com , notably “The Norman Whitfield interview”, John Abbey, Blues & Soul, 1 February 1977 For information about Gladys Knight, I’ve used her autobiography. The best collection of Gladys Knight and the Pips’ music is this 3-CD set, but the best way to hear Motown hits is in the context of other Motown hits. This five-CD box set contains the first five in the Motown Chartbusters series of British compilations. The Pips’ version of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” is on disc 2, while Marvin Gaye’s is on disc 3, which is famously generally considered one of the best single-disc various artists compilations ever. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript Before I start, a brief note — this episode contains some brief mentions of miscarriage and drug abuse. The history of modern music would be immeasurably different had it not been for one car breakdown. Norman Whitfield spent the first fifteen years of his life in New York, never leaving the city, until his grandmother died. She’d lived in LA, and that was where the funeral was held, and so the Whitfield family got into a car and drove right across the whole continent — two thousand five hundred miles — to attend the old lady’s funeral. And then after the funeral, they turned round and started to drive home again. But they only got as far as Detroit when the car, understandably, gave up the ghost.  Luckily, like many Black families, they had family in Detroit, and Norman’s aunt was not only willing to put the family up for a while, but her husband was able to give Norman’s father a job in his drug store while he saved up enough money to pay for the car to be fixed. But as it happened, the family liked Detroit, and they never did get around to driving back home to New York. Young Norman in particular took to the city’s nightlife, and soon as well as going to school he was working an evening job at a petrol station — but that was only to supplement the money he made as a pool hustler. Young Norman Whitfield was never going to be the kind of person who took a day job, and so along with his pool he started hanging out with musicians — in particular with Popcorn and the Mohawks, a band led by Popcorn Wylie. [Excerpt: Popcorn and the Mohawks, “Shimmy Gully”] Popcorn and the Mohawks were a band of serious jazz musicians, many of whom, including Wylie himself, went on to be members of the Funk Brothers, the team of session players that played on Motown’s hits — though Wylie would depart Motown fairly early after a falling out with Berry Gordy. They were some of the best musicians in Detroit at the time, and Whitfield would tag along with the group and play tambourine, and sometimes other hand percussion instruments. He wasn’t a serious musician at that point, just hanging out with a bunch of people who were, who were a year or two older than him. But he was learning — one thing that everyone says about Norman Whitfield in his youth is that he was someone who would stand on the periphery of every situation, not getting involved, but soaking in everything that the people around him were doing, and learning from them. And soon, he was playing percussion on sessions. At first, this wasn’t for Motown, but everything in the Detroit music scene connected back to the Gordy family in one way or another. In this case, the label was Thelma Records, which was formed by Berry Gordy’s ex-mother-in-law and named after Gordy’s first wife, who he had recently divorced. Of all the great Motown songwriters and producers, Whitfield’s life is the least-documented, to the extent that the chronology of his early career is very vague and contradictory, and Thelma was such a small label there even seems to be some dispute about when it existed — different sources give different dates, and while Whitfield always said he worked for Thelma records, he might have actually been employed by another label owned by the same people, Ge Ge, which might have operated earlier — but by most accounts Whitfield quickly progressed from session tambourine player to songwriter. According to an article on Whitfield from 1977, the first record of one of his songs was “Alone” by Tommy Storm on Thelma Records, but that record seems not to exist — however, some people on a soul message board, discussing this a few years ago, found an interview with a member of a group called The Fabulous Peps which also featured Storm, saying that their record on Ge Ge Records, “This Love I Have For You”, is a rewrite of that song by Don Davis, Thelma’s head of A&R, though the credit on the label for that is just to Davis and Ron Abner, another member of the group: [Excerpt: The Fabulous Peps, “This Love I Have For You”] So that might, or might not, be the first Norman Whitfield song ever to be released. The other song often credited as Whitfield’s first released song is “Answer Me” by Richard Street and the Distants — Street was another member of the Fabulous Peps, but we’ve encountered him and the Distants before when talking about the Temptations — the Distants were the group that Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, and Al Bryant had been in before forming the Temptations — and indeed Street would much later rejoin his old bandmates in the Temptations, when Whitfield was producing for them. Unlike the Fabulous Peps track, this one was clearly credited to N. Whitfield, so whatever happened with the Storm track, this is almost certainly Whitfield’s first official credit as a songwriter: [Excerpt: Richard Street and the Distants, “Answer Me”] He was soon writing songs for a lot of small labels — most of which appear to have been recorded by the Thelma team and then licensed out — like “I’ve Gotten Over You” by the Sonnettes: [Excerpt: The Sonnettes, “I’ve Gotten Over You”] That was on KO Records, distributed by Scepter, and was a minor local hit — enough to finally bring Whitfield to the attention of Berry Gordy. According to many sources, Whitfield had been hanging around Hitsville for months trying to get a job with the label, but as he told the story in 1977 “Berry Gordy had sent Mickey Stevenson over to see me about signing with the company as an exclusive in-house writer and producer. The first act I was assigned to was Marvin Gaye and he had just started to become popular.” That’s not quite how the story went. According to everyone else, he was constantly hanging around Hitsville, getting himself into sessions and just watching them, and pestering people to let him get involved. Rather than being employed as a writer and producer, he was actually given a job in Motown’s quality control department for fifteen dollars a week, listening to potential records and seeing which ones he thought were hits, and rating them before they went to the regular department meetings for feedback from the truly important people. But he was also allowed to write songs. His first songwriting credit on a Motown record wasn’t Marvin Gaye, as Whitfield would later tell the story, but was in fact for the far less prestigious Mickey Woods — possibly the single least-known artist of Motown’s early years. Woods was a white teenager, the first white male solo artist signed to Motown, who released two novelty teen-pop singles. Whitfield’s first Motown song was the B-side to Woods’ second single, a knock-off of Sam Cooke’s “Cupid” called “They Call Me Cupid”, co-written with Berry Gordy and Brian Holland: [Excerpt: Mickey Woods, “They Call Me Cupid”] Unsurprisingly that didn’t set the world on fire, and Whitfield didn’t get another Motown label credit for thirteen months (though some of his songs for Thelma may have come out in this period). When he did, it was as co-writer with Mickey Stevenson — and, for the first time, sole producer — of the first single for a new singer, Kim Weston: [Excerpt: Kim Weston, “It Should Have Been Me”] As it turned out, that wasn’t a hit, but the flip-side, “Love Me All The Way”, co-written by Stevenson (who was also Weston’s husband) and Barney Ales, did become a minor hit, making the R&B top thirty. After that, Whitfield was on his way. It was only a month later that he wrote his first song for the Temptations, a B-side, “The Further You Look, The Less You See”: [Excerpt: The Temptations, “The Further You Look, The Less You See”] That was co-written with Smokey Robinson, and as we heard in the episode on “My Girl”, both Robinson and Whitfield vied with each other for the job of Temptations writer and producer. As we also heard in that episode, Robinson got the majority of the group’s singles for the next couple of years, but Whitfield would eventually take over from him. Whitfield’s work with the Temptations is probably his most important work as a writer and producer, and the Temptations story is intertwined deeply with this one, but for the most part I’m going to save discussion of Whitfield’s work with the group until we get to 1972, so bear with me if I seem to skim over that — and if I repeat myself in a couple of years when we get there. Whitfield’s first major success, though, was also the first top ten hit for Marvin Gaye, “Pride and Joy”: [Excerpt: Marvin Gaye, “Pride and Joy”] “Pride and Joy” had actually been written and recorded before the Kim Weston and Temptations tracks, and was intended as album filler — it was written during a session by Whitfield, Gaye, and Mickey Stevenson who was also the producer of the track, and recorded in the same session as it was written, with Martha and the Vandellas on backing vocals. The intended hit from the session, “Hitch-Hike”, we covered in the previous episode on Gaye, but that was successful enough that an album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow, was released, with “Pride and Joy” on it. A few months later Gaye recut his lead vocal, over the same backing track, and the record was released as a single, reaching number ten on the pop charts and number two R&B: [Excerpt: Marvin Gaye, “Pride and Joy”] Whitfield had other successes as well, often as B-sides. “The Girl’s Alright With Me”, the B-side to Smokey Robinson’s hit for the Temptations “I’ll Be In Trouble”, went to number forty on the R&B chart in its own right: [Excerpt: The Temptations, “The Girl’s Alright With Me”] That was co-written with Eddie Holland, and Holland and Whitfield had a minor songwriting partnership at this time, with Holland writing lyrics and Whitfield the music. Eddie Holland even released a Holland and Whitfield collaboration himself during his brief attempt at a singing career — “I Couldn’t Cry if I Wanted To” was a song they wrote for the Temptations, who recorded it but then left it on the shelf for four years, so Holland put out his own version, again as a B-side: [Excerpt: Eddie Holland, “I Couldn’t Cry if I Wanted To”] Whitfield was very much a B-side kind of songwriter and producer at this point — but this could be to his advantage. In January 1963, around the same time as all these other tracks, he cut a filler track with the “no-hit Supremes”, “He Means the World to Me”, which was left on the shelf until they needed a B-side eighteen months later and pulled it out and released it: [Excerpt: The Supremes, “He Means the World to Me”] But the track that that was a B-side to was “Where Did Our Love Go?”, and at the time you could make a lot of money from writing the B-side to a hit that big. Indeed, at first, Whitfield made more money from “Where Did Our Love Go?” than Holland, Dozier, or Holland, because he got a hundred percent of the songwriters’ share for his side of the record, while they had to split their share three ways. Slowly Whitfield moved from being a B-side writer to being an A-side writer. With Eddie Holland he was given a chance at a Temptations A-side for the first time, with “Girl, (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)”: [Excerpt: The Temptations, “Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)”] He also wrote for Jimmy Ruffin, but in 1964 it was with girl groups that Whitfield was doing his best work. With Mickey Stevenson he wrote “Needle in a Haystack” for the Velvettes: [Excerpt: The Velvettes, “Needle in a Haystack”] He wrote their classic followup “He Was Really Sayin' Somethin’” with Stevenson and Eddie Holland, and with Holland he also wrote “Too Many Fish in the Sea” for the Marvelettes: [Excerpt: The Marvelettes, “Too Many Fish In The Sea”] By late 1964, Whitfield wasn’t quite in the first rank of Motown songwriter-producers with Holland-Dozier-Holland and Smokey Robinson, but he was in the upper part of the second tier with Mickey Stevenson and Clarence Paul. And by early 1966, as we saw in the episode on “My Girl”, he had achieved what he’d wanted for four years, and become the Temptations’ primary writer and producer. As I said, we’re going to look at Whitfield’s time working with the Temptations later, but in 1966 and 67 they were the act he was most associated with, and in particular, he collaborated with Eddie Holland on three top ten hits for the group in 1966. But as we discussed in the episode on “I Can’t Help Myself”, Holland’s collaborations with Whitfield eventually caused problems for Holland with his other collaborators, when he won the BMI award for writing the most hit songs, depriving his brother and Lamont Dozier of their share of the award because his outside collaborations put him ahead of them. While Whitfield *could* write songs by himself, and had in the past, he was at his best as a collaborator — as well as his writing partnership with Eddie Holland he’d written with Mickey Stevenson, Marvin Gaye, and Janie Bradford. And so when Holland told him he was no longer able to work together, Whitfield started looking for someone else who could write lyrics for him, and he soon found someone: [Excerpt: Barrett Strong, “Money”] Barrett Strong had, of course, been the very first Motown act to have a major national hit, with “Money”, but as we discussed in the episode on that song he had been unable to have a follow-up hit, and had actually gone back to working on an assembly line for a while. But when you’ve had a hit as big as “Money”, working on an assembly line loses what little lustre it has, and Strong soon took himself off to New York and started hanging around the Brill Building, where he hooked up with Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, the writers of such hits as “Save the Last Dance for Me”, “Viva Las Vegas”, “Sweets for My Sweet”, and “A Teenager in Love”.  Pomus and Shuman, according to Strong, signed him to a management contract, and they got him signed to Atlantic’s subsidiary Atco, where he recorded one single, “Seven Sins”, written and produced by the team: [Excerpt: Barrett Strong, “Seven Sins”] That was a flop, and Strong was dropped by the label. He bounced around a few cities before ending up in Chicago, where he signed to VeeJay Records and put out one more single as a performer, “Make Up Your Mind”, which also went nowhere: [Excerpt: Barrett Strong, “Make Up Your Mind”] Strong had co-written that, and as his performing career was now definitively over, he decided to move into songwriting as his main job. He co-wrote “Stay in My Corner” for the Dells, which was a top thirty R&B hit for them on VeeJay in 1965 and in a remade version in 1968 became a number one R&B hit and top ten pop hit for them: [Excerpt: The Dells, “Stay in My Corner”] And on his own he wrote another top thirty R&B hit, “This Heart of Mine”, for the Artistics: [Excerpt: The Artistics, “This Heart of Mine”] He wrote several other songs that had some minor success in 1965 and 66, before moving back to Detroit and hooking up again with his old label, this time coming to them as a songwriter with a track record rather than a one-hit wonder singer. As Strong put it “They were doing my style of music then, they were doing something a little different when I left, but they were doing the more soulful, R&B-style stuff, so I thought I had a place there. So I had an idea I thought I could take back and see if they could do something with it.” That idea was the first song he wrote under his new contract, and it was co-written with Norman Whitfield. It’s difficult to know how Whitfield and Strong started writing together, or much about their writing partnership, even though it was one of the most successful songwriting teams of the era, because neither man was interviewed in any great depth, and there’s almost no long-form writing on either of them. What does seem to have been the case is that both men had been aware of each other in the late fifties, when Strong was a budding R&B star and Whitfield merely a teenager hanging round watching the cool kids. The two may even have written together before — in an example of how the chronology for both Whitfield and Strong seems to make no sense, Whitfield had cowritten a song with Marvin Gaye, “Wherever I Lay My Hat, That’s My Home”, in 1962 — when Strong was supposedly away from Motown — and it had been included as an album track on the That Stubborn Kinda Fellow album: [Excerpt: Marvin Gaye, “Wherever I Lay My Hat, That’s My Home”] The writing on that was originally credited just to Whitfield and Gaye on the labels, but it is now credited to Whitfield, Gaye, and Strong, including with BMI. Similarly Gaye’s 1965 album track “Me and My Lonely Room” — recorded in 1963 but held back – was initially credited to Whitfield alone but is now credited to Whitfield and Strong, in a strange inverse of the way “Money” initially had Strong’s credit but it was later removed. But whether this was an administrative decision made later, or whether Strong had been moonlighting for Motown uncredited in 1962 and collaborated with Whitfield, they hadn’t been a formal writing team in the way Whitfield and Holland had been, and both later seemed to date their collaboration proper as starting in 1966 when Strong returned to Motown — and understandably. The two songs they’d written earlier – if indeed they had – had been album filler, but between 1967 when the first of their new collaborations came out and 1972 when they split up, they wrote twenty-three top forty hits together. Theirs seems to have been a purely business relationship — in the few interviews with Strong he talks about Whitfield as someone he was friendly with, but Whitfield’s comments on Strong seem always to be the kind of very careful comments one would make about someone for whom one has a great deal of professional respect, a great deal of personal dislike, but absolutely no wish to air the dirty laundry behind that dislike, or to burn bridges that don’t need burning. Either way, Whitfield was in need of a songwriting partner when Barrett Strong walked into a Motown rehearsal room, and recognised that Strong’s talents were complementary to his. So he told Strong, straight out, “I’ve had quite a few hit records already. If you write with me, I can guarantee you you’ll make at least a hundred thousand dollars a year” — though he went on to emphasise that that wasn’t a guarantee-guarantee, and would depend on Strong putting the work in. Strong agreed, and the first idea he brought in for his new team earned both of them more than that hundred thousand dollars by itself. Strong had been struck by the common phrase “I heard it through the grapevine”, and started singing that line over some Ray Charles style gospel chords. Norman Whitfield knew a hook when he heard one, and quickly started to build a full song around Strong’s line. Initially, by at least some accounts, they wanted to place the song with the Isley Brothers, who had just signed to Motown and had a hit with the Holland-Dozier-Holland song “This Old Heart of Mine”: [Excerpt: The Isley Brothers, “This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak For You)”] For whatever reason, the Isley Brothers didn’t record the song, or if they did no copy of the recording has ever surfaced, though it does seem perfectly suited to their gospel-inflected style. The Isleys did, though, record another early Whitfield and Strong song, “That’s the Way Love Is”, which came out in 1967 as a flop single, but would later be covered more successfully by Marvin Gaye: [Excerpt: The Isley Brothers, “That’s the Way Love Is”] Instead, the song was first recorded by the Miracles. And here the story becomes somewhat murky. We have a recording by the Miracles, released on an album two years later, but some have suggested that that version isn’t the same recording they made in 1966 when Whitfield and Strong wrote the song originally: [Excerpt: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”] It certainly sounds to my ears like that is probably the version of the song the group recorded in 66 — it sounds, frankly, like a demo for the later, more famous version. All the main elements are there — notably the main Ray Charles style hook played simultaneously on Hammond organ and electric piano, and the almost skanking rhythm guitar stabs — but Smokey Robinson’s vocal isn’t *quite* passionate enough, the tempo is slightly off, and the drums don’t have the same cavernous rack tom sound that they have in the more famous version. If you weren’t familiar with the eventual hit, it would sound like a classic Motown track, but as it is it’s missing something… [Excerpt: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”] According to at least some sources, that was presented to the quality control team — the team in which Whitfield had started his career, as a potential single, but they dismissed it. It wasn’t a hit, and Berry Gordy said it was one of the worst songs he’d ever heard. But Whitfield knew the song was a hit, and so he went back into the studio and cut a new backing track: [Excerpt: Marvin Gaye, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine (backing track only)”] (Incidentally, no official release of the instrumental backing track for “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” exists, and I had to put that one together myself by taking the isolated parts someone had uploaded to youtube and synching them back together in editing software, so if there are some microsecond-level discrepancies between the instruments there, that’s on me, not on the Funk Brothers.) That track was originally intended for the Temptations, with whom Whitfield was making a series of hits at the time, but they never recorded it at the time. Whitfield did produce a version for them as an album track a couple of years later though, so we have an idea how they might have taken the song vocally — though by then David Ruffin had been replaced in the group by Dennis Edwards: [Excerpt: The Temptations, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”] But instead of giving the song to the Temptations, Whitfield kept it back for Marvin Gaye, the singer with whom he’d had his first big breakthrough hit and for whom his two previous collaborations with Strong – if collaborations they were – had been written. Gaye and Whitfield didn’t get on very well — indeed, it seems that Whitfield didn’t get on very well with *anyone* — and Gaye would later complain about the occasions when Whitfield produced his records, saying “Norman and I came within a fraction of an inch of fighting. He thought I was a prick because I wasn't about to be intimidated by him. We clashed. He made me sing in keys much higher than I was used to. He had me reaching for notes that caused my throat veins to bulge.” But Gaye sang the song fantastically, and Whitfield was absolutely certain they had a sure-fire hit: [Excerpt: Marvin Gaye, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”] But once again the quality control department refused to release the track. Indeed, it was Berry Gordy personally who decided, against the wishes of most of the department by all accounts, that instead of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” Gaye’s next single should be a Holland-Dozier-Holland track, “Your Unchanging Love”, a soundalike rewrite of their earlier hit for him, “How Sweet It Is”. “Your Unchanging Love” made the top thirty, but was hardly a massive success. Gordy has later claimed that he always liked “Grapevine” but just thought it was a bit too experimental for Gaye’s image at the time, but reports from others who were there say that what Gordy actually said was “it sucks”. So “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” was left on the shelf, and the first fruit of the new Whitfield/Strong team to actually get released was “Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got”, written for Jimmy Ruffin, the brother of Temptations lead singer David, who had had one big hit, “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and one medium one, “I’ve Passed This Way Before”, in 1966. Released in 1967, “Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got” became Ruffin’s third and final hit, making number 29: [Excerpt: Jimmy Ruffin, “Gonna Give Her All the Love I’ve Got”] But Whitfield was still certain that “Grapevine” could be a hit. And then in 1967, a few months after he’d shelved Gaye’s version, came the record that changed everything in soul: [Excerpt: Aretha Franklin, “Respect”] Whitfield was astounded by that record, but also became determined he was going to “out-funk Aretha”, and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” was going to be the way to do it. And he knew someone who thought she could do just that. Gladys Knight never got on well with Aretha Franklin. According to Knight’s autobiography this was one-sided on Franklin’s part, and Knight was always friendly to Franklin, but it’s also notable that she says the same about several other of the great sixties female soul singers (though not all of them by any means), and there seems to be a general pattern among those singers that they felt threatened by each other and that their own position in the industry was precarious, in a way the male singers usually didn’t. But Knight claimed she always *wished* she got on well with Franklin, because the two had such similar lives. They’d both started out singing gospel as child performers before moving on to the chitlin circuit at an early age, though Knight started her singing career even younger than Franklin did. Knight was only four when she started performing solos in church, and by the age of eight she had won the two thousand dollar top prize on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour by singing Brahms’ “Lullaby” and the Nat “King” Cole hit “Too Young”: [Excerpt: Nat “King” Cole, “Too Young”] That success inspired her, and she soon formed a vocal group with her brother Bubba, sister Brenda and their cousins William and Eleanor Guest. They named themselves the Pips in honour of a cousin whose nickname that was, and started performing at talent contests in Atlanta Chitlin’ Circuit venues. They soon got a regular gig at one of them, the Peacock, despite them all being pre-teens at the time. The Pips also started touring, and came to the attention of Maurice King, the musical director of the Flame nightclub in Detroit, who became a vocal coach for the group. King got the group signed to Brunswick records, where they released their first single, a song King had written called “Whistle My Love”: [Excerpt: The Pips, “Whistle My Love”] According to Knight that came out in 1955, when she was eleven, but most other sources have it coming out in 1958. The group’s first two singles flopped, and Brenda and Eleanor quit the group, being replaced by another cousin, Edward Patten, and an unrelated singer Langston George, leaving Knight as the only girl in the quintet. While the group weren’t successful on records, they were getting a reputation live and toured on package tours with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and others. Knight also did some solo performances with a jazz band led by her music teacher, and started dating that band’s sax player, Jimmy Newman. The group’s next recording was much more successful. They went into a makeshift studio owned by a local club owner, Fats Hunter, and recorded what they thought was a demo, a version of the Johnny Otis song “Every Beat of My Heart”: [Excerpt: The Pips, “Every Beat of My Heart (HunTom version)”] The first they knew that Hunter had released that on his own small label was when they heard it on the radio. The record was picked up by VeeJay records, and it ended up going to number one on the R&B charts and number six on the pop charts, but they never saw any royalties from it. It brought them to the attention of another small label, Fury Records, which got them to rerecord the song, and that version *also* made the R&B top twenty and got as high as number forty-five on the pop charts: [Excerpt: Gladys Knight and the Pips, “Every Beat of My Heart (Fury version)”] However, just because they had a contract with Fury didn’t mean they actually got any more money, and Knight has talked about the label’s ownership being involved with gangsters. That was the first recording to be released as by “Gladys Knight and the Pips”, rather than just The Pips, and they would release a few more singles on Fury, including a second top twenty pop hit, the Don Covay song “Letter Full of Tears”: [Excerpt: Gladys Knight and the Pips, “Letter Full of Tears”] But Knight had got married to Newman, who was by now the group’s musical director, after she fell pregnant when she was sixteen and he was twenty. However, that first pregnancy tragically ended in miscarriage, and when she became pregnant again she decided to get off the road to reduce the risk. She spent a couple of years at home, having two children, while the other Pips – minus George who left soon after – continued without her to little success. But her marriage was starting to deteriorate under pressure of Newman’s drug use — they wouldn’t officially divorce until 1972, but they were already feeling the pressure, and would split up sooner rather than later — and Knight  returned to the stage, initially as a solo artist or duetting with Jerry Butler, but soon rejoining the Pips, who by this time were based in New York and working with the choreographer Cholly Atkins to improve their stagecraft. For the next few years the Pips drifted from label to label, scoring one more top forty hit in 1964 with Van McCoy’s “Giving Up”, but generally just getting by like so many other acts on the circuit. Eventually the group ended up moving to Detroit, and hooking up with Motown, where mentors like Cholly Atkins and Maurice King were already working. At first they thought they were taking a step up, but they soon found that they were a lower tier Motown act, considered on a par with the Spinners or the Contours rather than the big acts, and according to Knight they got pulled off an early Motown package tour because Diana Ross, with whom like Franklin Knight had something of a rivalry, thought they were too good on stage and were in danger of overshadowing her. Knight says in her autobiography that they “formed a little club of our own with some of the other malcontents” with Martha Reeves, Marvin Gaye, and someone she refers to as “Ivory Joe Hunter” but I presume she means Ivy Jo Hunter (one of the big problems when dealing with R&B musicians of this era is the number of people with similar names. Ivy Jo Hunter, Joe Hunter, and Ivory Joe Hunter were all R&B musicians for whom keyboard was their primary instrument, and both Ivy Jo and just plain Joe worked for Motown at different points, but Ivory Joe never did) Norman Whitfield was also part of that group of “malcontents”, and he was also the producer of the Pips’ first few singles for Motown, and so when he was looking for someone to outdo Aretha, someone with something to prove, he turned to them. He gave the group the demo tape, and they worked out a vocal arrangement for a radically different version of the song, one inspired by “Respect”: [Excerpt: Gladys Knight and the Pips, “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”] The third time was the charm, and quality control finally agreed to release “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” as a single. Gladys Knight always claimed it had no promotion, but Norman Whitfield’s persistence had paid off — the single went to number two on the pop charts (kept off the top by “Daydream Believer”), number one on the R&B charts, and became Motown’s biggest-selling single *ever* up until that point. It also got Knight a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female — though the Grammy committee, at least, didn’t think she’d out-Aretha’d Aretha, as “Respect” won the award. And that, sadly, sort of summed up Gladys Knight and the Pips at Motown — they remained not quite the winners in everything. There’s no shame in being at number two behind a classic single like “Daydream Believer”, and certainly no shame in losing the Grammy to Aretha Franklin at her best, but until they left Motown in 1972 and started their run of hits on Buddah records, Gladys Knight and the Pips would always be in other people’s shadow. That even extended to “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” when, as we’ll hear in part two of this story, Norman Whitfield’s persistence paid off, Marvin Gaye’s version got released as a single, and *that* became the biggest-selling single on Motown ever, outselling the Pips version and making it forever his song, not theirs. And as a final coda to the story of Gladys Knight and the Pips at Motown, while they were touring off the back of “Grapevine’s” success, the Pips ran into someone they vaguely knew from his time as a musician in the fifties, who was promoting a group he was managing made up of his sons. Knight thought they had something, and got in touch with Motown several times trying to get them to sign the group, but she was ignored. After a few attempts, though, Bobby Taylor of another second-tier Motown group, the Vancouvers, also saw them and got in touch with Motown, and this time they got signed. But that story wasn’t good enough for Motown, and so neither Taylor nor Knight got the credit for discovering the group. Instead when Joe Jackson’s sons’ band made their first album, it was titled Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5. But that, of course, is a story for another time…

Watch this episode on YouTube. Today we are discussing the Supreme Court's arguments over the law used in January 6th prosecutions, the Cass review of gender transition, and Donald Trump visits a bodega. Time Stamps: 9:17 SCOTUS 20:57 Cass Review 32:04 The Hill 40:28 Trump 51:58 Valedictorian Speech 55:55 Caitlin Clark 59:57 Church Want more Getting Hammered? Follow us on Instagram @gettinghammeredpodcast Questions? Comments? Email us at [Hammered@Nebulouspodcasts.com]