Podcasts about Iceland

Silicon Bites Ep283 | 2026-01-08 | The tanker seizure drama has apparently opened the flood gates of Z-patriots rage and tears. They bemoan the humiliation of their navy and demi-god Tsar, the weakness of the Russian navy, and the lack of counter response, and above all the shifting perception that Russia will not be carving up this world with Trump, as they had thought, but that he may be carving slices off their power, influence and geopolitical reach. This is genuine panic and rage by Russia's nationalist imperialists, and it's delicious to behold. Let's unpack it.If you want a snapshot of Russia's decline into strategic humiliation, you could look at the battlefield map in Donbas, but for a fresher dose of prime humiliation, look at the loss of their tanker this week to US forces, that conducted a joint UK-US operation. Because this week, the United States — backed operationally by the United Kingdom — ran down a sanctions-busting “grey fleet” vessel that literally tried to cosplay sovereignty mid-flight from Venezuela, changing identity, switching flags, painting a Russian tricolor on the hull while being pursued. None if that helped, and it was nonetheless seized.----------Silicon Curtain is a part of the Christmas Tree Trucks 2025 campaign - an ambitious fundraiser led by a group of our wonderful team of information warriors raising 110,000 EUR for the Ukrainian army. https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtainThe Goal of the Campaign for the Silicon Curtain community:- 1 armoured battle-ready pickupWe are sourcing all vehicles around 2010-2017 or newer, mainly Toyota Hilux or Mitsubishi L200, with low mileage and fully serviced. These are some of the greatest and the most reliable pickups possible to be on the frontline in Ukraine. Who will receive the vehicles?https://car4ukraine.com/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-silicon-curtain- The 38th Marine Brigade, who alone held Krynki for 124 days, receiving the Military Cross of Honour.- The 1027th Anti-aircraft and artillery regiment. Honoured by NATO as Defender of the Year 2024 and recipient of the Military Cross of Honour.- 104th Separate Brigade, Infantry, who alone held Kherson for 100 days, establishing conditions for the liberation of the city.- 93rd Brigade "Kholodnyi Yar", Black Raven Unmanned Systems Battalion ----------SOURCES:Michael Naki - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEs10co9JVI&t=1326sUK Ministry of Defence press release (Jan 7, 2026): operational support details + Healey quotes (GOV.UK)Reuters exclusive (Jan 7, 2026): timeline, seizure near Iceland, submarine shadowing, no confrontation, second tanker (Reuters)Financial Times (Jan 8, 2026): legal/flagging dispute framing, “ghost fleet” context TIME (Jan 8, 2026): UK support overview, RAF + RFA Tideforce reference, contextThe Wall Street Journal (Jan 7, 2026): shadow fleet scale + escort reporting The Times (Jan 8, 2026): additional operational colour (attributed) The Guardian (Jan 7, 2026): additional reporting, context and reactions (used cautiously) ----------SILICON CURTAIN LIVE EVENTS - FUNDRAISER CAMPAIGN Events in 2025 - Advocacy for a Ukrainian victory with Silicon Curtainhttps://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extrasOur events of the first half of the year in Lviv, Kyiv and Odesa were a huge success. Now we need to maintain this momentum, and change the tide towards a Ukrainian victory. The Silicon Curtain Roadshow is an ambitious campaign to run a minimum of 12 events in 2025, and potentially many more. Any support you can provide for the fundraising campaign would be gratefully appreciated. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------

President Donald Trump is defending law enforcement after another alleged attack on Wednesday on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Officials say a Minneapolis protester used her car to try to run over an ICE officer, who fired shots in response. Local authorities are calling on ICE to leave Minnesota after the deadly incident.Trump announced a deal under which the U.S. will sell sanctioned Venezuelan oil, between 30 million and 50 million barrels, with proceeds partly allocated to Venezuela on the condition that it purchases only American products.The U.S. confirmed the seizure of two more sanctioned oil tankers linked to Venezuela. One was seized in the Caribbean and the other in the North Atlantic near Iceland.

The United States says it has seized two tankers accused of violating sanctions against Venezuela. One of them, a Russian ship, was boarded in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Britain. The US coastguard had been pursuing the ship for weeks since intercepting it off the Venezuelan coast. During the chase, the vessel underwent a change of name and adopted a Russian flag. Russian support including a submarine was on its way before the tanker was seized. The other tanker, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, was seized in the Caribbean. Also: the White House says that President Trump has been discussing options, including military force, to acquire Greenland, which it says is vital to US security. How a collection of preserved bowel cancer samples could help to unlock the mystery of why the disease is rising around the world, especially among younger people. And the Iron Age battle trumpet discovered in England - the most complete such instrument found in Europe. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

The US has dramatically seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker between the UK and Iceland, with the support of the UK government. The operation comes after US attacks on Venezuela, the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro, and threats against Greenland. Lucy Hough speaks to Russian affairs correspondent Pjotr Sauer. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

The Boldest Move Yet: Trump Enforces Sanctions as Russia Dares the U.S.

The United States says it has apprehended two oil tankers which are part of a "ghost fleet" linked to Venezuela. One flying under a Russian flag was seized in the North Atlantic, with the assistance of the British military. Also: The American Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, says he'll meet Danish officials about Greenland next week, after President Trump renewed his threat to seize the territory. And despite England's woeful Ashes performance, the head coach and the director of cricket look set to stay.

This is Terrible.This is our follow up episode to the last Venezuela episode we released this past Saturday. There has been a torrent of information and analysis released since then and a reinvigorated push for heedless domination coming out of the Whitehouse - to discuss this, special operations propaganda, diaspora politics, the seizure of a Russian Flagged Oil tanker off the coast of Iceland and what this all means for the future of geopolitics and the working class, we are joined as usual by Elina Xenophontos. Fun times in the most sarcastic way possible, too bad we only have an hour to discuss the most salient points of what is going on right now.

As the new year begins, I'm revisiting my Europe travel bucket list for 2026.So I'm sharing the destinations that are calling my name — along with a few beloved places I'm eager to return to.This annual tradition is less about rigid travel plans and more about dreaming, reflecting and noticing how our travel wishes evolve over time.In this episode, I walk through my Travel Bucket List for 2026, highlighting a mix of new destinations and long-time favorites across Europe.From England's countryside and dramatic coastlines to iconic regions of France, Italy, Ireland and Scandinavia, I share what's drawing me to each place and why they've earned a spot on my travel bucket list this year.I also touch on the places I'm most excited to revisit — destinations that left a lasting impression and still have more stories to reveal.Whether it's returning to wild landscapes, exploring quieter regions, or imagining a future long-distance walk, this episode is about how travel dreams shift as we do.If you love Europe travel, reflective planning, and using a travel bucket list as a source of inspiration rather than pressure, this episode is for you. Want to chat more about travel to Europe?Send me a message at Lynne@WanderYourWay.comIn this episode:1:30: Intro5:05: Places I crossed off from my 2025 list7:02: Rome, Italy8:45: Sligo & Donegal, Ireland11:40: Iceland13:27: Lake Como, Italy15:41: Slovenia18:00: Brittany, France19:45: Grindelwald / Lauterbrunnen / Interlaken, Switzerland21:59: Finland24:36: Cornwall & Devon, England26:34: The Shetland Islands & Orkney Islands, Scotland31:24: Bonus item34:30: Return list45:55: Wrapping it upImportant links:Discover SligoCounty Donegal • IrelandExploring Astonishing Iceland with Monika Pronczuk: Beyond the Golden CircleSlovenia OverviewTravel to Switzerland with Carolyn Schönafinger of Holidays to SwitzerlandDiscovering Amazing Finland with Tarja Koivisto of Visit FinlandExploring the Islands of Scotland with Bo FraserWander Your Way AdventuresWander Your WayWander Your Way ResourcesSafety Wing Insurance ★ Support this podcast ★

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: The Icelandic Annual End-Of-Year Skit ShowThe last joint cultural event all of Iceland collectively enjoy, to various degrees, takes place on New Years's Eve. We try to explain what it is. Greenland and Venezuela Last night Iceland's PM Kristrún Frostadóttir wrote on her Facebook “Greenland is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Nothing about Greenland without Greenland. Iceland stands in full solidarity behind our friends.” This morning, Iceland's Foreign Minister, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, wrote an Op-Ed on visir.is saying, opening with “It is clear that the international system we have lived with since the end of the Second World War is shaking at its foundations. At work are what can rightly be called the threatening forces of history, generating uncertainty far beyond what we have been accustomed to and creating dangers that would have seemed implausible only a few years ago.” Both of these statements are responses the USA's seizure of Venezuela's president, and Trump's subsequent comments about taking over Greenland.Gas Prices Drop By A ThirdThe price of gas dropped by a third on the first day of the year, subsequent to changes in how the Icelandic state collects tax from automobiles. An Icelander Dies On The Front Lines In UkraineA 51 year old Icelander, Kjartan Sævar Óttarsson, died on the front lines in Ukraine  in and around the 20th of December, according to the man's brother. Kjartan had travelled to Ukraine on December 7th from Gothenburg Sweden, and neither what he was tasked with on the front lines, nor what lead to his death, has been reported on as of yet.What's Coming Up In 2026?The show's host ponder what this new year will bring us.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SHOW SUPPORTSupport the Grapevine's reporting by becoming a member of our High Five Club: https://grapevine.is/high-five-club/Or donate to the Grapevine here:https://support.grapevine.isYou can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store:https://shop.grapevine.is------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast.The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine's goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland's most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it's not sponsored content.www.grapevine.is

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Jen Campbell Boles, founder of Explore More Travel Co., for a wide-ranging conversation about intentional travel, customization, and building a relationship-driven business. Based in the Lake Norman area, Jen shares how her agency designs highly personalized trips—from Europe and Asia to safaris, cruises, and luxury resorts—by truly understanding how her clients like to travel.The conversation dives into river cruising, bucket-list destinations like Iceland and Japan, and why slowing down often leads to a better travel experience. Jen also pulls back the curtain on scaling a service business, delegating with intention, and what most people misunderstand about working in the travel industry.The episode wraps with details on the first-ever Lake Norman Luxury Travel Expo, happening Wednesday, January 14, from 5:30–7:30 PM at the Cain Center. The free, community-focused event brings together luxury travel brands, cruise lines, and destination experts—all designed to inspire people to explore more.Learn more and register at LKNLuxuryTravelExpo.com or visit ExploreMoreTravelCo.com to follow Jen's work and weekly travel inspiration.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lake Norman's #1 Podcast & Email NewsletterThe Best of LKNhttps://thebestoflkn.com/Hosted by:Jeff Hammwww.lknreal.comThanks to Safe harbor Peninsula Yacht Club for their support!Support the show

Travel expert and co-founder of the award-winning Black Tomato tour operator Tom Marchant joins Tanya Rose to divulge his travel secrets this week. In this episode, Tom shares why he believes everyone must visit Iceland, his poignant experience working with charities in Morocco and takes us behind the scenes of his hit James Bond-inspired travel tours… Plus, Tom discusses why he thinks Mykonos is overrated and reveals his top tip for getting the best service when on holiday. Don't forget to follow @travelsecretsthepodcast and remember, you can watch all of our episodes on YouTube. Places mentioned: Birmingham, England The Pantanal, Brazil Reykjavik, Iceland Smokey Valley, Iceland Cochrane, Chile Ljubljana, Slovenia Belgrade, Serbia Mykonos, Greece Kefalonia, Greece Zante, Greece Paros, Greece Monaco Austria Paris, France Lake Como, Italy Matera, Italy The Corinthia, London The Oberoi, India Delhi, India Ethiopia La Coupole, Paris La Fontaine de Mars, Paris Williamsburg, New York The Ear Inn, New York Cherry Tavern, New York La Bomboniera, New York Nashville, USA Morocco Kyoto, Japan Chapters 00:00 Intro 07:59 Secret 1: Number 1 travel destination everybody should go to 15:22 Secret 2: Most unexpected travel experience 18:32 Secret 3: Most Over or Underrated travel experience 25:33 Secret 4: Best Food & Drink while travelling 34:07 Secret 5: Number 1 travel tip 39:00 Secret 6: Poignant memory from a trip 44:33 Secret 7: Special travel photograph 45:42 Outro

In this episode of the Weinberg in the World podcast, Olyvia Chinchilla '18 shares how early experiences (from studying abroad in Poland to working with a Stanford-affiliated nonprofit) shaped her passion for economics, social justice, and empathy-driven research. Olyvia reflects on the challenges and rewards of creating change, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, framing conversations, and seeing people beyond statistics. Her career journey spans teaching, global research, and policy analysis. Transcript: Leonie: How did your career begin, and what were your career goals coming out of undergrad? Olyvia: Well, I believe I mentioned while I was at Northwestern, I had been in the reserve officer training course, I had been planning to go into the Navy, and that ended up not panning out because of a few athletic injuries. But earlier in my time at Northwestern, I believe it was the summer of my sophomore year, I studied abroad. And I was studying in Poland and it was my first time actually being out of the country, so it was super exciting. And I was just super excited also to explore Poland because my mom is originally from Poland. So it was just this really amazing moment. And I remember going into that program not being able to fully form sentences, to then leaving the program a few weeks later and literally just talking to my friends in the program in Polish as we tried to navigate the city. And I owed a lot of that to one of the instructors there at the program. So she spoke Polish the whole time, but she was so patient whenever we couldn't get it or we didn't understand or there's a translation error. And I think in that moment, my passion for learning was melded with my... I had this vision of perhaps using that to then also teach. So I had this idea, it stuck in the back of my mind, "Oh, maybe I could take a year off and teach or teach down the road." I did not take a year off, I went back to Northwestern, but I was at a career fair later. And one of the first people I ran into was a national teaching organization. And so that, again, kind of stoked that thought in my mind. And I had planned to actually teach for that program I got accepted, but then I took a year off actually to have a medical procedure following one of the athletic injuries. And when I took that year off, I'm like, "I'll just go to San Francisco for a few months and then Australia for the rest of that year." That was my plan to travel as I recovered. But when I got to San Francisco, I ended up getting in touch through the Northwestern network with a nonprofit based out of Stanford University, so they were sponsored by Stanford. And it was perfect because it melded my interest in teaching because they had a large educational component in the program for fifth through 12th grade students. And then there was also a significant amount of research being conducted by all of the people at the institution. So it was such, I think, a perfect blend for me because then I got to teach as well as do a lot of research for the program. And I actually ended up researching five continents, or I should say four. I didn't go to the last one, but I definitely traveled the whole world doing that research. So it was quite exciting. Leonie: Wow. What subjects were you teaching? Olyvia: So the program was structured so that people could focus on their specialties in teaching and research. So I was focused on economic and social policy, and I had colleagues that worked on immigration more specifically, more specifically on cybersecurity, technology issues. I did cover some of technology like AI issues where it met with economics. So I say I covered a lot of issues, but my specialty was always coming at it from an economic and social perspective. Leonie: And then I assume the research you were doing was related to economic policy? Olyvia: Yes, yes. Policy, but I would say also some of the societal and ethical questions that come up along with policymaking as well as just how communities work and operate. So for example, when we were studying immigration, we were also interviewing a lot of local businesses on the US-Mexico border. We talked with a lot of locals, nonprofits, immigration advocates. So it was kind of like a 360-degree look, but I was always the one who brought that economic knowledge and thought a lot about a lot of social issues too. So that's why several years later, I actually went to London to get a master's in political sociology. So that politics and society part, I think was definitely an element along with the economics. Leonie: Yeah. And you kind of touched on this earlier when you were speaking, but you can expand on it now. What was your motivation for going into this field? Olyvia: So I think I've always just been really fascinated with how people think and how people also are affected by different structures. And that's where the economics piece comes in because economics, of course, impacts different people differently, impacts different communities differently based on how the policies are structured. So I, for almost as long as I can remember, have been interested in economics. I remember as a 12-year-old, I read Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations, and it was a really long book, but at that age, I was still really fascinated by it. So I've always just had that interest, how money interacts with people. But as I've went along, and definitely the role I was in really opened myself to thinking even more about a lot of the ways in which money and economics also creates wealth disparities, racial disparities, disparities for other minorities, like gender groups. So I feel like all of that, my thought and motivation has evolved quite a bit, I will say, but I think that as I've come along in my career, I've really, as I've just talked to so many people across the entire world, whether it's the communities in Colombia that are still recovering from drug trafficking or whether it's in Iceland talking to different police and then social groups or Portugal as they're working on drug decriminalization, and then seeing that in San Francisco as well in the criminal justice system, just having all of these conversations has really made me really just be motivated to see how we can create the best world for marginalized groups. Leonie: Yeah. And then along those lines, what has been the most rewarding and the most challenging aspect of your job? Olyvia: So for one, for teaching, it was incredibly rewarding to be able to work with students and to see them understand something. And I think it felt to me a little bit of a puzzle when they didn't as well, how's the best way you can communicate, what's the best way to present a topic? And what I found actually, which was interesting to me with teaching was that oftentimes the way I would structure a lesson to start would actually be the exact opposite of how I would end up teaching it. So I would perhaps structure it linearly, and then I compared it to pulling a plastic bag inside out. You would take something from the middle of that linear story and move it to the beginning and switch things around because I think the way that we actually think is often different than the way that we're tempted to explain things. So working with that jigsaw puzzle of how to best explain things was also very fascinating. And I think it's also inspired a lot of my thought process about even as I move forward with potentially moving more into policy implementation or other work and policy, definitely that experience will shape that moving forward because I find how we frame conversations around social policymaking really makes a big difference in terms of how it's understood, how it's received, even how people access the program, for example. There was a study I found very fascinating that was conducted, I believe it was by the University of Minnesota economists. And what they found was that even if they sent a letter in the mail to underprivileged students saying, "Hey, you qualify for this scholarship," but it was actually the same sort of funding they would get anyway just based on their need status, students were more likely to apply for that program. And so I think things like that are really fascinating where we're framing and conversation, thinking about how people think, not just students, but people broadly really does have a big impact on policy. So I think it was very just amazing and fulfilling to actually have that opportunity to grapple with that. But I think also even just the idea of stepping into a space where you're actively envisioning, researching, working towards creating a better world was very fulfilling. On the flip side, I think it is the same thing that's rewarding in that regards is also sometimes one of the challenges that I think definitely as someone who I really aspire to be a changemaker, and I think that that's sometimes you're constantly learning, constantly thinking. And I think sometimes it's easy to... It's challenging, I should say. It's easy to get burnt out or it's easy to perhaps work too hard maybe. But I would say, for example, even just some of the interviews that we conducted with people were challenging even to talk to unhoused people in the city or to talk to people in poverty in Aspen, Colorado when we were studying poverty there, or to interview people that had fled from Gaza and to hear their stories, all of those were definitely very emotionally challenging stories. And I think to meet people in that space, you have to give out a certain amount of empathy and understanding, even if it's for research purposes. And I think just navigating that balance was challenging in its own way. Leonie: Definitely. I think the point about balance is a really good one. I think being able to incorporate empathy into research is a very critical skill that I think sometimes is lacking. So I really do appreciate that point. And based on your vast experiences, how has your mindset towards your career evolved over time? Olyvia: It's interesting because I guess when I was younger, maybe a teenager, I was like, "Oh, A, B, C." And then when I was at Northwestern and it was like, "Well, you do this, and then that, and then this, and it's maybe not quite as linear as the alphabet, but it's point A, B, C." And so you kind of move forward. I think more recently I've come to realize that there's, and this has been a recurring lesson actually. It's not just now, but I would say when I left the military, for example, that was a lesson I was like, "There's many routes to the same destination. If service is one of my goals, there's many ways to serve, even if it's not in the military." Nowadays, I'm thinking about the fact that I stayed in San Francisco many years longer than I had expected. I was supposed to stay for three months, it became three years, six years, and counting at the moment. So I think one of the things I really realized is that sometimes life takes you in very different directions than you would've expected, and that's the same with your career. I think that definitely can be a challenge to be patient and understanding with the evolution that takes place, but definitely the experiences may be just as fulfilling on a very different route than what you had envisioned. Leonie: Yeah. Bringing us back to our Northwestern connection, are there any moments in your career that reminded you of CORE connected you to a lesson you learned at Northwestern? Olyvia: What I mentioned earlier about having the capacity to balance your own emotional needs as well as create change and serve, all of those lessons were lessons that I really learned at Northwestern. I remember when I was in ROTC, we watched this video that the Cleveland Clinic had put out, and it was a video that just shows different scenes in the hospital, but then it has thought bubbles next to the people. So for example, the girl petting the dog, it's like, "Well, her dad's dying of cancer. Or the woman sitting in the waiting room, she saw something on her mammogram." So all of these different thoughts and emotions people are experiencing, but you don't really know anything about it. And having such a diverse community at Northwestern as well as just thinking about that practice of empathy every day really helped me to see that even at Northwestern and since then, is that you might run into someone and think, "Oh, I don't know what to think about this person," or, "Oh, they're frustrating me at work," or, "Oh, this is happening." But a lot of times there's a lot more beneath the surface than we expect. So I think that lesson of empathy as well as humility is definitely... And I'd say empathy, humility, as well as endless possibilities for different lives of different people that all came together and sent me on a passion for learning and understanding people because I've come full circle, but I would say all of those lessons have really stuck with me throughout my work. And I'd say along those lines, in research, everyone that you're interviewing is more than a statistic. Leonie: Absolutely. Olyvia: A lot of times it's really hard to quantify things and we do our best as researchers, but sometimes what doesn't go into the research is actually sometimes the most impactful in many ways. Leonie: Yeah. Thank you for that answer. I'm a philosophy major and we've been talking a lot about character virtues, and so empathy comes up a lot in our classes. And yeah, seeing how you're able to use empathy in your research and looking at people's more than a statistic, I remember saying it before. Yeah, I think that's really touching and it gives me faith in the further research world and what people are able to do when they look at people beyond just their statistical measurements and whatnot. Yeah. Is there- Olyvia: Well, and I think to that point though, I think even if we think about ways that we've began to see different characteristics that have been left out of research, for example, even if we think about rates of death among African-American women during childbirth, or if we think about maybe other environmental effects of certain policies on particular communities that live by highways, for example, and low-income communities, all of that, if you don't look at the bigger picture, might go unnoticed, but definitely if you bring in those larger stories to individual people, you can understand a situation better. Leonie: Absolutely. Thank you for that.  

Stone and Jake are back and fresh off an unforgettable trip to Iceland, breaking down everything from jaw-dropping landscapes to the little moments that made the trip legendary. Along the way, they crack open a couple packs of Pokémon cards they picked up overseas (because souvenirs don't get better than that).The guys also pour up and review “Cold War” from Manhattan Project Beer Company, sharing their honest thoughts while the conversation takes its usual unpredictable turns. From sleeping straight through alarms to debating the best fictional places from Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows they'd actually want to visit in real life, this episode is packed with laughs, nostalgia, and classic side-quests.Grab a beer, hit play, and hang out with us.

Planted with Sara Payan was recorded live at Hemp for the Future in Reykjavík, Iceland, capturing the energy of a truly global conversation. The setting brought together voices from around the world, each offering a different perspective on where hemp and cannabis are headed. Across six conversations, the focus stays on health, science, sustainability, and the real work happening behind the scenes to move the industry. It's a snapshot of a movement in motion, recorded in a place that underscored just how international and interconnected this space has become. [Ep 189]

MYTHOLOGY AND THE MURDER OF SNORRI Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. Barraclough discusses the difficulty of accessing Norse beliefs, as most sources, like Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda, were written post-conversion. She outlines dramatic myths, including the creation of the world from the giant Ymir and its destruction at Ragnarok, featuring a ship made from the fingernails of the dead. The segment covers Snorri's life as a politician in 13th-century Iceland during a bloody civil war. Barraclough recounts his assassination in his own basement on the orders of the Norwegian king, noting his final words were "don't strike." NUMBER 5

THE FIRE GIANT'S CAVE AND RITUAL OFFERINGS Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. The discussion descends into Surtshellir, a massive lava cave in Iceland associated with the fire giant Surt. Barraclough describes archaeological finds deep within the cave, including a stone wall and a boat-shaped structure filled with burnt offerings like bones and jasper. She posits these were sacrifices to appease a fire being following a volcanic eruption around 900 AD. The final offering, a Christian cross, suggests a closure to these rituals. Barraclough connects this to a saga poem where a giant predicts the end of the pagan world. NUMBER 6

THE FIRE GIANT'S CAVE AND RITUAL OFFERINGS Colleague Eleanor Barraclough. The discussion descends into Surtshellir, a massive lava cave in Iceland associated with the fire giant Surt. Barraclough describes archaeological finds deep within the cave, including a stone wall and a boat-shaped structure filled with burnt offerings like bones and jasper. She posits these were sacrifices to appease a fire being following a volcanic eruption around 900 AD. The final offering, a Christian cross, suggests a closure to these rituals. Barraclough connects this to a saga poem where a giant predicts the end of the pagan world. NUMBER 6

Paul Metsa is a legendary musician and songwriter from Minnesota. Born on the Iron Range, he has been based in Minneapolis since 1978. He has received seven Minnesota Music Awards and has played more than five thousand gigs, including forays to Iceland and Siberia. He lives in Northeast Minneapolis with his faithful dog, Blackie; a…

#391 In this episode, Guy talked with Kamini Desai. She discussed the journey towards finding inner peace and the transformative power of yoga and meditation. Growing up as the daughter of a yoga master, Kamini explored various life paths, including a stint in diplomacy, only to return to the teachings of yoga. She explained how practices like yoga nidra help clear karmic blocks and transform our consciousness and energy. The conversation also delved into the broader possibilities of spiritual awakening, the importance of facing personal suffering for growth, and practical tips for daily mindfulness and self-care routines. About Kamini: For over 30 years Kamini has created unique body of teachings combining the ancient wisdom of yoga with modern psychology. Trained at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health with degrees in Anthropology and Psychology from Smith College and La Salle University, Kamini Desai PhD has served as Education Director of the Amrit Yoga Institute, Director of Wellness at Yarrow, an executive retreat center, and on faculty of the Foxhollow Leadership Center. She is the co-founder and curriculum developer of I AM Yoga Nidra, one of the 5 major schools of Yoga Nidra, founder of I AM Yoga Therapy and the former director of the 800hr IAYT- Accredited I AM Yoga Therapy program. She now serves as the Director of I AM Education featuring advanced studies and trainings in personal development. Kamini is the developer of the I AM Yoga Nidra app, author of the source text; Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep, and the book Life Lessons, Love Lessons. Kamini is the daughter of Yogi Amrit Desai, founder of Kripalu Center, Amrit Institute, and one of the original yoga masters who pioneered the popularity of yoga in the West. Key Points Discussed:  (00:00) - The Effortless Path to Awakening Most People Don't Understand! (00:49) - Guest Introduction: Kamini's Journey (02:26) - Growing Up with a Yoga Master (03:54) - Understanding the Essence of Yoga (07:27) - The Role of Energy and Consciousness (11:31) - Experiencing and Harnessing Energy (16:27) - Clearing and Healing Through Energy (21:50) - Living from Presence and Inner Knowing (26:22) - Combining Intuition and Intellect (27:29) - Enhanced Mental Clarity and Intuition (28:33) - Teaching Yoga in Iceland (30:05) - Exploring Yoga Nidra (34:27) - Understanding Karma and Its Impact (47:58) - Daily Routines for Spiritual Well-being (50:41) - Final Thoughts on Creating Life Experiences How to Contact Kamini Desai:www.kaminidesai.com www.iameducation.org   About me:My Instagram: www.instagram.com/guyhlawrence/?hl=en Guy's websites:www.guylawrence.com.au www.liveinflow.co

 VIKING AS ACTIVITY: THE NORSE EXPANSION WESTWARD Colleague Martyn Whittock. Whittock defines "Viking" as an activity of enterprise and raiding, not just an ethnicity. He explains that disruptions in the Islamic silver trade and population growth drove Norse expansion westward. This movement eventually reached the British Isles, Iceland, and Greenland, setting the stage for voyages to North America. NUMBER 1

Oleksandr Mykhed is a Ukrainian writer. Until March 2022, he lived in Kyiv; he is now enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is the author of nine books; selected essays and excerpts from his books have been translated into ten languages. He has participated in literary residencies in Finland, Latvia, Iceland, the USA and France, and a virtual residency at Oxford University. He has written for publications including The Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and The Guardian, and has appeared as a guest on CNN and NPR. He is a member of PEN Ukraine, and anyone who has heard him speak, such as at the event in Waterstones in London with Luke Harding, will know how compelling he is.----------LINKS:https://x.com/mykhed_o https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/303637/oleksandr-mykhedhttps://pen.org.ua/en/autors/myhed-oleksandr ARTICLES:https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/jun/30/the-language-of-war-by-oleksandr-mykhed-review-ukraine-russia-a-painful-piece-of-history https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqWDfx4XtRY ----------BOOKS: Artur Dron' - We Were Here (2024)Kostiantyn Zorkin - In the Name of the City (2024)Kostiantyn Zorkin - Codex (Graphic novel in progress)FILMS:Pavlo Ostrikov - U Are the Universe (2024)Anton Ptushkin - Antarctica (2025) Mstyslav Chernov - 2000 Meters to Andriivka (2024)ARTISTS:Kostiantyn Zorkin----------The Steel Porcupine https://www.thesteelporcupine.com/I'm proud to say that this series of ‘Ukrainian advent' interviews is supported by The Steel Porcupine – a unique and powerful film about a country that refuses to lie down, a people who turned themselves into a fortress of needles when Russian tanks rolled in. The Steel Porcupine is an unforgettable cinematic experience that exposes Russia's campaign of extermination in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian people's spirit to resist and prevail. It follows soldiers, volunteers and people who decided that survival meant resistance, not submission.Created by the makers of the acclaimed To the Zero Line, this is another film about humanity, that clearly states there is no such thing as neutrality when war crimes are being committed systematically by Russia, and on a scale in Europe only comparable to World War Two. Set to a haunting soundtrack featuring music by Philip Glass, and blending rare archival footage with original material, it is an impactful work of art and storytelling, as well as being informative.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.orgNGO “Herojam Slava”https://heroiamslava.org/kharpp - Reconstruction project supporting communities in Kharkiv and Przemyślhttps://kharpp.com/NOR DOG Animal Rescuehttps://www.nor-dog.org/home/----------

There is a lot that is spooky about the Holiday season. In this year's Creepy Christmas episode, we party with Gryla, her Yule Cat, Her husbands, and her children, the Yule Lads. Iceland has a lot of explaining to do. Haha.

In our first podcast of 2026 we are joined all the way from Southern Maryland, USA by the very aptly named Levi Strong. Levi is a 6ft 8, 375lb giant of a man who recently WON the Magnus Classic out in Iceland in November beating a world class line-up. We discuss Levi's hard working blue collar background, working in ice storms & extreme conditions, his experience in Iceland, his training & aspirations for the future. This is a relaxed & informative conversation with an intelligent, humble & polite athlete who hopefully we will all be seeing much more of over the coming months & years.

Today, we take a throwback to Glacial Resonance by Nefúr, which transported the audience through immersive soundscapes inspired by the Arctic's beauty and fragility.This performance was recorded live at the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, from October 16th to 18th.Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. Learn more about Arctic Circle at www.ArcticCircle.org or contact us at secretariat@arcticcircle.orgTWITTER:@_Arctic_CircleFACEBOOK:The Arctic CircleINSTAGRAM:arctic_circle_org

Episode 747: Neal and Toby revisit some of their favorite numbers throughout the year, including the death of partying, Americans are very rich but also miserable, ChatGPT changing the way we speak, and people hating cars that have too much tech. Then, the selection of the next pope caused a resurgence in pope content. Don't forget, Wyoming only has 2 escalators and mosquitoes show up in Iceland for the first time ever. Finally, why Din Tai Fung is absolutely crushing in.  Check out https://www.public.com/morningbrew for more. Subscribe to Morning Brew Daily for more of the news you need to start your day. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app. Listen to Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.swap.fm/l/mbd-note⁠⁠⁠  Watch Morning Brew Daily Here:⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@MorningBrewDailyShow⁠ Paid endorsement. Brokerage services provided by Open to the Public Investing Inc, member FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk. Not investment advice. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool by Public Advisors. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. See disclosures at public.com/disclosures/ga. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and investment values may rise or fall. See terms of match program at https://public.com/disclosures/matchprogram. Matched funds must remain in your account for at least 5 years. Match rate and other terms are subject to change at any time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

""Life Is" by Jessica Pratt from Here is the Pitch; "Iceland" by Dreamend from May You Die Well; "Sometimes" by Spellling from Portrait of My Heart; "First Wisteria (Bottle Magic Mix)" by Certain Slant of Light from It Isn't But It Is; "Garmonbozia (Instrumental) by Flying Lotus from Spirit Box; "Qw4nt0hmw3b" by Discovery Zone from Quantum Web EXP; "7-21-17_substitute_hifi_v3" by Toro y Moi from Soul Trash; "Flyboat" by Frunk29 from The Fifth Season. Courtesy of Not Not Fun; "Milestones" by GIFT from Illuminator. Courtesy of Captured Tracks; "Silver Bells" by Grails from Miracle Music; "Escape Lounge" by heith from Escape Lounge; "Blackoak" by Maribou State from Hallucinating Love; "Cotes de Cachalot a la Psilocybine" by Heldon from It's Always Rock 'n' Roll (Heldon III); "Skylarking" by Bitchin Bajas from Inland Sea; "The Opinion of the Lamb, Pt. 1" by Smote from A Grand Stream

As we hurtle through the festive season it's getting cold, but here at This Paranormal Life instead of conserving our energy and our heat, Kit and Rory are heading north into the icy fjords and lakes of Iceland to hunt down a terrifying ancient paranormal creature known as the Lagarfljót Worm. At first the stories may sound like yet another slice of Iceland's rich tradition of folklore and myth but then why do we have video evidence of the beast's existence? Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our Secret Society Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/ThisParanormalLife⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get access to weekly bonus episodes! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy Official TPL Merch!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thisparanormallife.com/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Intro music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.purple-planet.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Edited by Philip Shacklady Research by Ewen Friers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

#iceland #horror #folklore Support The Most Haunted City On Earth and get zero ads, a welcoming community, exclusive content, and special episodes like The Fix. Join us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/hauntedcitypodcastIn this wildly festive, completely unhinged episode, we dive deep into the dark Icelandic folklore of Grýla, the mountain-dwelling Christmas ogress who eats naughty children, commands the Yule Lads, and owns the terrifying Yule Cat. Along the way, things spiral exactly as you would expect.ANNOUNCEMENTSJanuary 11: The Other Side Show goes LIVE exclusively on PatreonJanuary 13: Season 8 Episode 1 dropsJanuary 23: The Other Side Show pilot releases publicly

Roxi Power talks with co-editor Dion O'Reilly about poems in the second volume of En•Trance, an online journal about altered states, in particular, those that arise from entering “the lyric moment” in surreal and visionary poetry.  As always, we laugh, accepting “there is always more dark” as we enter the shadow in strangely humorous poems. In Liz Cambra's “Survey,” she asks librarians, marmosets, anglerfish, and Elizabeth Barrett Browning whether they welcome “the return of the dark” when “volcanos shut off” in Iceland. Kim Adonnizio takes us on a journey into the chimeric dream images of childhood where “a man might be half-scorpion, a woman half fish” in “Kansas, 4:00am.”  We travel through the ears of a dreamer “like looking down a well-lit hallway into another room” in Sally Ashton's “Form is the opposite of dream.”  And then we travel even further into earthly and unearthly realms, through the mythical soundscapes of Marc Vincenz's “The First Gods,” seeing “omens/in the curdled milk/of the fat-tailed sheep.” Join us on our entrancing journey into the strange music ofpoetry where  “There is another world, and it's this one.”  –Paul Éluard.  Entrancejournal.net

This week we're bringing you an ITEM RENEWAL from our archives. In this episode of Rhody Radio first released on December 19, 2023, Liz Gotauco AKA Cosbrarian dispenses with the merry and instead wishes you a Very Scary Christmas, sharing some macabre yuletide folk tales to accompany a dark winter night. If you love this episode and haven't yet, be sure to read Liz's book and listen to our episode with her and her sister Jade Gotauco all about folktales, illustrating the book, and their respective efforts to shine a light on neglected stories: F*cked Up Fairy Tales by Liz Gotauco, illustrated by Jade Gotauco Overdueing It Episode 35 - F*cked Up Fairy Tales the Book! With Liz and Jade Gotauco Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and is produced by library staff around the Ocean State. We are proud to be a resident partner of the Rhode Island Center for the Book. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers' own and do not represent those of the Overdueing It podcast, its sponsor organizations, or any participants' place of employment. The content of Overdueing It episodes are the property of the individual creators, with permission for Overdueing It to share the content on their podcast feed in perpetuity. Any of the content from the Overdueing It podcast can not be reproduced without express written permission. Our logo was designed by Sarah Bouvier and our theme music is by Neura-Flow. Story sources and further reading "Frau Perchta, the Belly-Slitter" by Bone and Sickle "Meet the Thirteen Yule Lads, Iceland's Own Mischievous Santa Clauses" by Smithsonian Mag "Why Iceland's Christmas Witch Is Much Cooler (and Scarier) Than Krampus" via Smithsonian Mag "Hans Von Trotha" via Wikipedia "The Evil Butcher" via the St. Nicholas Center Ginevra, or, The old oak chest, a Christmas story by Susan Wallace (1894) "The Legend of the Mistletoe Bough" via Wikipedia "The Romance of Certain Old Clothes" by Henry James (1868) "Secrets of the Old Oak Trunk" is an original short story by Liz Gotauco, November 2023 Music "The Demons Dance on Christmas Eve" by melodyayresgriffiths, via Pixabay "Coventry Carol" by Chillmore from Pixabay "A Christmas Tale" by lena_orsa via FreeSound.org "Our Love is Here to Stay" performed by Gracenotes in 2011, featuring Charles Wizon on violin, Lou Messana on guitar and Al Cardillo on bass "Grey Cuckoo Christmas Background Music" by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Julius H. from Pixabay

This week we're bringing you an ITEM RENEWAL from our archives. In this episode of Rhody Radio first released on December 19, 2023, Liz Gotauco AKA Cosbrarian dispenses with the merry and instead wishes you a Very Scary Christmas, sharing some macabre yuletide folk tales to accompany a dark winter night. If you love this episode and haven't yet, be sure to read Liz's book and listen to our episode with her and her sister Jade Gotauco all about folktales, illustrating the book, and their respective efforts to shine a light on neglected stories: F*cked Up Fairy Tales by Liz Gotauco, illustrated by Jade Gotauco Overdueing It Episode 35 - F*cked Up Fairy Tales the Book! With Liz and Jade Gotauco Overdueing It is a project funded by the Rhode Island Office of Library and Information Services and is produced by library staff around the Ocean State. We are proud to be a resident partner of the Rhode Island Center for the Book. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers' own and do not represent those of the Overdueing It podcast, its sponsor organizations, or any participants' place of employment. The content of Overdueing It episodes are the property of the individual creators, with permission for Overdueing It to share the content on their podcast feed in perpetuity. Any of the content from the Overdueing It podcast can not be reproduced without express written permission. Our logo was designed by Sarah Bouvier and our theme music is by Neura-Flow. Story sources and further reading "Frau Perchta, the Belly-Slitter" by Bone and Sickle "Meet the Thirteen Yule Lads, Iceland's Own Mischievous Santa Clauses" by Smithsonian Mag "Why Iceland's Christmas Witch Is Much Cooler (and Scarier) Than Krampus" via Smithsonian Mag "Hans Von Trotha" via Wikipedia "The Evil Butcher" via the St. Nicholas Center Ginevra, or, The old oak chest, a Christmas story by Susan Wallace (1894) "The Legend of the Mistletoe Bough" via Wikipedia "The Romance of Certain Old Clothes" by Henry James (1868) "Secrets of the Old Oak Trunk" is an original short story by Liz Gotauco, November 2023 Music "The Demons Dance on Christmas Eve" by melodyayresgriffiths, via Pixabay "Coventry Carol" by Chillmore from Pixabay "A Christmas Tale" by lena_orsa via FreeSound.org "Our Love is Here to Stay" performed by Gracenotes in 2011, featuring Charles Wizon on violin, Lou Messana on guitar and Al Cardillo on bass "Grey Cuckoo Christmas Background Music" by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay "In the Bleak Midwinter" by Julius H. from Pixabay

Today, iDJa takes over the Arctic Circle Podcast to present Gaskačázis (“Middle of the Sky”), a fusion of traditional Sámi music and contemporary electronic sounds.This performance was recorded live at the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, from October 16th to 18th.Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. Learn more about Arctic Circle at www.ArcticCircle.org or contact us at secretariat@arcticcircle.orgTWITTER:@_Arctic_CircleFACEBOOK:The Arctic CircleINSTAGRAM:arctic_circle_org

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://betterhelp.com/MASTYORASTY and get on your way to being your best self.-------------------------------------------In this episode Raam talks to Jason about direct democracy and an analysis on the Iceland direct democracy experiment. You can follow up what we were talking about based on this deepseek research:https://chat.deepseek.com/share/3m5ek25rrcy12g5sqwcontact Raam at https://t.me/queenraaminfo@kingraam.comTo learn more about psychedelic therapy go to my brother Mehran's page at: https://www.mindbodyintegration.ca/ or to https://www.somaretreats.org for his next retreat.***Masty o Rasty is not responsible for, or condone, the views and opinions expressed by our guests ******مستی و راستی هیچگونه مسولیتی در برابر نظرها و عقاید مهمان‌های برنامه ندارد.***--------Support the showhttps://paypal.me/raamemamiVenmo + Revolut: @KingRaamContact me at:info@kingraam.comt.me/queenraam Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another year ends, and once more, it's time to reflect on our creative goals. I hope you can take the time to review your goals and you're welcome to leave a comment below about how the year went. Did you achieve everything you wanted to? Let me know in the comments. It's always interesting looking back at my goals from a year ago, because I don't even look at them in the months between, so sometimes it's a real surprise how much they've changed! You can read my 2025 goals here and I go through how things went below. In the intro, Written Word Media 2025 Indie Author Survey Results, TikTok deal goes through [BBC]; 2025 review [Wish I'd Known Then; Two Authors], Kickstarter year in review; Plus, Anthropic settlement, the continued rise of AI-narrated audiobooks, and thinking/reasoning models (plus my 2019 AI disruption episode). My Bones of the Deep thriller, pics here, and Business for Authors webinars, coming soon. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. J.F. Penn books — Death Valley, The Buried and the Drowned, Blood Vintage Joanna Penn books — Successful Self-Publishing, 4th Edition The Creative Penn Podcast and my community on Patreon/thecreativepenn Unexpected addition: Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at the University of Winchester Book marketing. Not quite a fail but definitely lacklustre. Reflections on my 50th year Double down on being human. Travel and health. You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. J.F. Penn — Death Valley. A Thriller. This was my ‘desert' book, partially inspired by visiting Death Valley, California in 2024. It's a stand-alone, high stakes survival thriller, with no supernatural elements, although there are ancient bones and a hidden crypt, as it wouldn't be me otherwise! The Kickstarter campaign in April had 231 Backers pledging £10,794 (~US$14,400) and the hardback is a gorgeous foiled edition with custom end papers and research photos as well as a ribbon. As an AI-Assisted Artisan Author, I used AI tools to help with the creative and business processes, including the background image of the cover design, the custom end papers, and the Death Valley book trailer, which I made with Midjourney and Runway ML. The audiobook is also narrated by my J.F. Penn voice clone, which took a while to get used to, but now I love it! You can listen to a sample here. I published Death Valley wide a few months later over the summer, so it is now out on all platforms. J.F. Penn — Blood Vintage. A Folk Horror Novel, and Catacomb audiobook I did a Kickstarter for the hardback edition of Blood Vintage in late 2024, and then in 2025, worked with a US agent to see if we could get a deal for it. That didn't happen, and although there were some nice rejections, mostly it was silence, and the waiting around really was a pain in the proverbial. So, after a year on submission, I published Blood Vintage wide, so it's available everywhere now. My voice clone narrated the audiobook, listen to a sample here. I also finally produced the audiobook for Catacomb, which is a stand-alone thriller inspired by the movie Taken and the legend of Beowulf set in the catacombs under Edinburgh. I used a male voice from ElevenLabs, and you can listen to a sample here. The book is also available everywhere in all formats. J.F. Penn — The Buried and the Drowned Short Story Collection One of my goals for 2025 was to get my existing short stories into print, mainly because they exist only as digital ebook and audiobook files, which in a way, feels like they almost don't exist! Plus, I wanted to write an extra two exclusive stories and launch the special edition collection on Kickstarter Collection and then publish wide. I wrote the two stories, The Black Church, inspired by my Iceland trip in March, and also Between Two Breaths, inspired by an experience scuba diving at the Poor Knights Islands in New Zealand almost two decades ago. There are personal author's notes accompanying every story, so it's part-short story fiction, part-memoir, and I human-narrated the audiobook. I achieved this goal with a Kickstarter in September, 2025, with 206 Backers pledging almost £8000 (~US$10,600) for the various editions. I also did my first patterned sprayed edges and I love the hardback. It has head and tail bands which make the hardback really strong, gorgeous paper, foiling, a ribbon, colour photos, and custom end papers. The Buried and the Drowned is now out everywhere in all editions. As ever, if you enjoy the stories, a review would be much appreciated! Joanna Penn Books for Authors Early in the year, How to Write Non-Fiction Second Edition launched wide as I only sold it through my store in 2024, so it's available everywhere in all formats including a special hardback and workbook at CreativePennBooks.com. While I didn't write it in 2025, I made the money on it this year, which is important! I also unexpectedly wrote the Fourth Edition of Successful Self-Publishing, mainly because I saw so much misinformation and hype around selling direct, and I also wanted to write about how many options there are for indie authors now. The ebook and audiobook (narrated by human me) are free on my store, CreativePennBooks.com and also available in print, in all the usual places. If you haven't revisited options for indie authors for a while, please have a read/listen, as the industry moves fast! All my fiction and non-fiction audiobooks are now on YouTube After an inspiring episode with Derek Slaton, I put all my audiobooks and short stories on YouTube. Firstly, my non-fiction channel is monetised so I get some income from that. It's not much, but it's something. More importantly, it's marketing for my books, and many audiobook listeners go on to buy other editions especially non-fiction listeners who will often buy print as well. I'm one of those listeners! It's also doubling down on being human, since I human narrate most of my audiobooks, including almost all of my non-fiction, as well as the memoir, and short stories. This helps bring people into my ecosystem and they may listen to the podcast as well and end up buying other books or joining the Patreon. Finally, in an age of generative AI assisted search recommendations, I want my books and content inside Gemini, which is Google's AI. I want my books surfaced in recommendations and YouTube is owned by Google, and their AI overviews often point to videos. Only you can decide what you want to do with your audiobooks, but if you want to listen to mine, they are on YouTube @thecreativepenn for non-fiction or YouTube @jfpennauthor for fiction and memoir. The Creative Penn Podcast and my Patreon Community It's been another full year of The Creative Penn Podcast and this is episode 842, which is kind of crazy. If you don't know the back story, I started podcasting in March 2009 on a sporadic schedule and then went to weekly about a decade ago in 2015 when I committed to making it a core part of my author business. Thanks to our wonderful corporate sponsors for the year, all services I personally use and recommend — ProWritingAid, Draft2Digital, Kobo Writing Life, Bookfunnel, Written Word Media, Publisher Rocket and Atticus. It's also been a fantastic year inside my Patreon Community at patreon.com/thecreativepenn so thanks to all Patrons! I love the community we have as I am able to share my unfiltered thoughts in a way that I have stopped doing in the wider community. Even a tiny paywall makes a big difference in keeping out the haters. I've done monthly audio Q&As which are extra solo shows answering patron questions. I've also done several live office hours on video, and shared content every week on AI tools, writing and author business tips. Patrons also get discounts on my webinars. I did two webinars on The AI-Assisted Artisan Author, which I am planning to run again sometime in 2026 as they were a lot of fun and so much continues to change. If you get value from the show and you want more, come on over and join us at patreon.com/thecreativepenn We have almost 1400 paying members now which is wonderful. Thanks for being part of the Community! Unexpected goal of the year: Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at the University of Winchester During the summer as I did my gothic research, I realised that I was feeling quite jaded about the publishing world and sick of the drama in the author community over AI. My top 5 Clifton Strengths are Learner, Intellection, Strategic, Input, and Futuristic — and I needed more Input and Learning. I usually get that from travel and book research, but I wasn't getting enough of that since Jonathan is busy finishing his MBA. So I decided to lean into the learning and asked ChatGPT to research some courses I could do that would suit me. It found the Masters in Death, Religion and Culture at the University of Winchester, which I could do full-time and online. It would be a year of reading quite different things, writing academic essays which is something I haven't done for decades, and hanging out with a new group of people who were just as fascinated with macabre topics as I am. I started in September and have now finished the first term, tackling topics around thanatology and death studies, hell and the afterlife in the Christian tradition, and the ethics of using human remains to inspire fiction, amongst other interesting things. It was a challenge to get back into the style of academic essay writing, but I'm enjoying the rigour of the research and the citations, which is something that the indie author community needs more of, a topic I will revisit in 2026. I have found the topics fascinating, and the degree is a great way to expand my mind in a new direction, and distract me from the dramas of the author community. I'll be back into it in mid-January and will finish in September 2026. Book marketing. Not quite a fail but definitely lacklustre. I said I would “Do a monthly book marketing plan and organise paid ad campaigns per month for revolving first books in series and my main earners.” I didn't do this! I also said I would organise my Shopify stores, CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com into more collections to make it easier for readers to find things they might want to buy. While I did change the theme of CreativePennBooks.com over to Impulse to make it easier to find collections, I haven't done much to reorganise or add new pathways through the books. I'm rolling this part of the goal into 2026. I said I would reinvigorate my content marketing for JFPenn, and make more of BooksAndTravel.page with links back to my stores, and do fiction specific content marketing with the aim of surfacing more in the LLMs as generative search expands. I did a number of episodes on Books and Travel in 2025, but once I started the Masters, I had to leave that aside, and although I have started some extra content on JFPennBooks.com, I am not overly enthusiastic about it! I also said I would “Leverage AI tools to achieve more as a one-person business.” I use AI tools (mainly ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) every day for different things but as ever, I am pretty scatter gun about what I do. I lean into intuition and I love research so I am more likely to ask the AI tools to do a deep research report on south Pacific merfolk mythology, or how gothic architecture impacted sacred music, or geology and deep time, rather than asking for marketing hooks. I intended to use more AI for book marketing, but as ever, I was too optimistic about the timeline of what might be possible. There's lots you can do with prompting, finessing things and then posting on various platforms, but I'm not interested in spending time doing that. My gold standard for an AI assistant is to feed it the finished book and then say, “Here's a budget. Go market this,” and not have to connect lots of things together into some Frankenstein-workflow. That's not available yet. Maybe in 2026 … Of course, I still do book marketing. I have to in order to sell any books and make money from book sales. We all have to do some kind of book marketing! I have my Kickstarter launches which I put effort into, as well as consistent backlist sales fed by the podcast, and my email newsletter (my combined list is around 60K). I have auto campaigns running on Amazon Ads, and I have used Written Word Media campaigns as well as BookBub throughout the year. This is basically the minimum, so as usual, must do better! I'm pretty sure I'm not the only author saying this! However, my business has multiple streams of income, and I have the podcast sponsorship revenue as well as the Patreon, plus sporadic webinars, which add to my bottom line and don't require paid advertising at all. Reflections on my 50th year I woke up on my 50th birthday in March in Iceland, by the Black Church of Budir out on the Skaefellsnes peninsula. As seals played in the sea and we walked in the snow over the ancient lava field under the gaze of the volcano that inspired Jules Verne Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and my short story, The Black Church, which you can find in my collection, The Buried and the Drowned. On that trip, we also saw the northern lights and had a memorable trip that marked a real shift for me. I've been told by lots of people that 50 is a ‘proper' birthday, as in one of those that makes you stop and reconsider things, and it has indeed been that, although I have also found the last few years of perimenopause to be a large part of the change as well. A big shift is around priorities and not caring so much what other people think, which is a relief in many ways. Also, I don't have the patience to do things that I don't think are worth doing for the longer term, and I am appreciating a quieter life. I'd rather lie in a sunbeam and read with Cashew and Noisette next to me then create marketing assets or spend time on social media. I'd rather go for a walk with Jonathan than go to a conference or networking event. In my Pilgrimage memoir, I quote an anonymous source, “Pilgrim, pass by that which you do not love.” It's a powerful message, and I take it to mean, stop listening to people who tell you what is important. Listen to yourself more and only pay attention to that which you feel drawn to explore. On pilgrimage, it might be turning away from the supposedly important shrine of a saint to go and sit in nature and feel closer to God that way. In our author lives, it might be turning away from the things that just feel wrong for us, and leaning into what is enjoyable, that which feels worthwhile, that which we want to keep doing for the long term. Let's face it, as always, that is the writing, the thinking, the imagination. As ever, I have this mantra on my wall: “Measure your life by what you create.” It's the creation side of things that we love and that's what we need to remember when everything else gets a little much. Many authors left social media in 2025, and while I haven't left it altogether, I don't use it much. I post pictures proving I am human on Instagram @jfpennauthor which automatically post to Facebook. I barely check my pages on Facebook though. I'm also still on X with a carefully curated feed that I mainly use to learn new cool AI things which I share with my Patreon Community. Double down on being human. Travel and health. Yes, I am a human author, and yes, I continue to age! When you've been publishing a while, you need to update your author photos periodically and I finally had a photoshoot I loved with Betty Bhandari Photography, which means I can add the new pics to my websites and the back of my books. Are you up to date with your author photos? (or at least within a decade of the last photoshoot?!) Here are a few of the pictures on Instagram @jfpennauthor. Healthwise, I gave up calisthenics as it was too much on top of the powerlifting and the amount of walking I do. I did another British Powerlifting competition in September in the M2 category (based on age) and 63kgs category (based on weight). Deadlift: 95kgs. Squat: 60kgs. BenchPress: 37.5kgs. While this is less overall than last year, I also weigh less, so I'm actually stronger based on lift to body weight percentage. I have also done a few pull-ups in the last week with no band, which I am thrilled with! On the travel side, Iceland was the big trip, and I also had a weekend in Berlin for the film festival, where I met up with a producer and a director around an adaptation of my Day of the Vikings thriller. That didn't pan out, as most of these things don't, but I certainly learned a lot about the industry — and why it doesn't suit me! Once again, I dipped my toe into screenwriting and then ran away, as has happened multiple times over the years. When will I learn? … Over the summer of 2025, I visited lots of gothic cathedrals including Lichfield, Rochester, Durham, York, and revisiting Canterbury, as part of my book research for the Gothic Cathedral book. I have tens of thousands of words on this project, but it isn't ready yet, so this is carried over into 2026 as it might happen then, depending on the Masters. I spoke at Author Nation in Las Vegas in November 2025, and before it started, I visited (Lower) Antelope Canyon, one of the places on my bucket list, and it did not disappoint. What a special place and no doubt it will appear in a story at some point! How did your 2025 go? I hope your 2025 had some wonderful times as well as no doubt some challenges — and that you have time for reflection as the year turns once more. Let me know in the comments whether you achieved your creative goals and any other reflections you'd like to share.The post Review Of My 2025 Creative And Business Goals With Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Thanks to Holly for suggesting this week’s topic! Further reading: Mermaids: Myth, Kith and Kin [this article is not for children] Feejee Mermaid A manatee: A female grey seal, looking winsome: A drawing of the “original” Fiji (or Feejee) mermaid: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. Let's close out the year 2025 with a mystery episode! Holly suggested we talk about mermaids! Mermaids are creatures of folklore who are supposed to look like humans, but instead of legs they have fish tails. These days mermaids are usually depicted with a single tail, but it was common in older artwork for a mermaid to be shown with two tails, which replaced both legs. Not all mermaids were girls, either. Mermen were just as common. Cultures from around the world have stories about mermaid-like individuals. Sometimes they're gods or goddesses, like the Syrian story of a goddess so beautiful that when she transformed into a fish, only her legs changed, because her upper half was too beautiful to alter, or the Greek god Triton, who is usually depicted as a man with two fish tails for legs. Sometimes they're monsters who cause storms, curse ships, or lure sailors to their doom. Sometimes they can transform into humans, like the story from Madagascar about a fisherman who catches a mermaid in his net. She transforms into a human woman and they get married, but when he breaks a promise to her, she turns back into a mermaid and swims away. In 2012, a TV special aired on Animal Planet that claimed that mermaids were real, and a lot of people believed it. It imitated the kind of real documentaries that Animal Planet often ran, and the only disclaimer was in the credits. I remember how upset a lot of people were about it, especially teachers and scientists. So just to be clear, mermaids aren't real. Many researchers think at least some mermaid stories might be based on real animals. The explorer Christopher Columbus reported seeing three mermaids in 1493, but said they weren't as beautiful as he'd heard. Most researchers think he actually saw manatees. A few centuries later, a mermaid was captured and killed off the coast of Brazil by European scientists, and the careful drawings we still have of the mermaid's hand bones correspond exactly to the bones of a manatee's flipper. Female manatees are larger than males on average, and a really big female can grow over 15 feet long, or 4.6 meters. Most manatees are between 9 and 10 feet long, or a little less than 3 meters. Its body is elongated like a whale's, but unlike a whale it's slow, usually only swimming about as fast as a human can swim. Its skin is gray or brown although often it has algae growing on it that helps camouflage it. The end of the manatee's tail looks like a rounded paddle, and it has front flippers but no rear limbs. Its face is rounded with a prehensile upper lip covered with bristly whiskers, which it uses to find and gather water plants. The manatee doesn't look a lot like a person, but it looks more like a person than most water animals. It has a neck and can turn its head like a person, its flippers are fairly long and resemble arms, and females have a pair of teats that are near their armpits, if a manatee had armpits, which it does not. But that's close enough for Christopher Columbus to decide he was seeing a mermaid. Seals may have also contributed to mermaid stories. In Scottish folklore, the selkie is a seal that can transform into human shape, usually by taking off its skin. There are lots of stories of people who steal the selkie's skin and hide it so that the selkie will marry the person—because selkies are beautiful in their human form. Eventually the selkie finds the hidden skin and returns to the sea. Similar seal-folk legends are found in other parts of northern Europe, including Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and Ireland. Many of the stories overlap with mermaid stories. Seals do have appealing human-like faces, have clawed front flippers that sort of resemble arms, and have rear flippers that are fused to act like a tail, even if it doesn't look much like a fish tail. The grey seal is a common animal off the coast of northern Europe, and a big male can grow almost 11 feet long, or 3.3 meters, although 9 feet is more common, or 2.7 meters. It has a large snout and no external ear flaps. Males are dark grey or brown, females are more silvery in color. It mainly eats fish, but will also eat other animals, including crustaceans, octopuses, other seals, and even porpoises. While I don't think it has anything to do with the mermaid or selkie legends, it is interesting to note that seals are good at imitating human voices. We learned about this in episode 225, about talking mammals. For instance, Hoover the talking seal, a harbor seal from Maine who was raised by a human after his mother died. Imagine if you were walking along the shore and a seal said this to you: [Hoover the talking seal saying “Hey get over here!”] Let's finish with the Japanese legend of the ningyo and a weird taxidermy creature called the Feejee mermaid. The ningyo is a being of folklore that dates back to at least the 7th century. It was a fish with a head like a person, usually found in the ocean but sometimes in freshwater. If someone found a ningyo washed up on shore, it was supposed to be a bad omen, foretelling war and other disasters. If you remember the big fish episode a few weeks ago, if an oarfish is found near the surface of the ocean around Japan, it's supposed to foretell an earthquake. The oarfish has a red fin that runs from its head down its spine, like a mane or a comb, and the ningyo was also supposed to have a red comb on its head, like a rooster's comb, or sometimes red hair. Some people think the ningyo is based on the oarfish. The oarfish is a deep-sea fish so it's rare, usually only seen near the surface when it's dying, and it has a flat face that looks more like a human face than most fish, if you squint and really want to believe you're seeing a mythical creature. These days, artwork of the ningyo usually looks a lot more like mermaids of European legend, but the earliest paintings don't usually have arms, just a human head on a fish body. But by the late 18th century, a weird type of artwork had become popular among Japanese fishermen, a type of crude but inventive taxidermy that created what looked like small, creepy mermaids. They looked like dried-out monkeys from the waist up, with a dried-out fish tail instead of legs. That's because that's exactly what they were. Japanese fishermen made these mermaids along with lots of other monsters, and sold them to travelers for high prices. The fishermen told tall tales about how they'd found the monster, killed it, and preserved it, and pretended to be reluctant to sell it, and of course that meant the traveler would offer even more money for it. The most famous of these fake monsters was called the Fiji Mermaid, and it got famous because P.T. Barnum displayed it in his museum in 1842 and said it had been caught near the Fiji Islands, in the South Pacific. It was about three feet along, or 91 cm, and was probably made from a young monkey and a salmon. The original Fiji mermaid was probably destroyed in a fire at some point, but it was such a popular exhibit that other wannabe showmen either bought or made replicas, some of which are still around today. People still sometimes make similar monsters, but they use craft materials instead of dead animals. They're still creepy-looking, though, which is part of the fun. You can find Strange Animals Podcast at strangeanimalspodcast.blubrry.net. That's blueberry without any E's. If you have questions, comments, corrections, or suggestions, email us at strangeanimalspodcast@gmail.com. Thanks for listening!

Missed the live broadcast? Catch up now with Ciaran Urry-Tuttiett for a packed edition of the Eurovision Showcase on Forest FM. We are officially looking ahead as the first two entries for the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna make their debut! On this week's show: The Class of 2026: We play the first confirmed entries! Hear Alis (Albania) with “Nân / Under” and Tamara Živković (Montenegro) with “Nova zora / New dawn”. New Music: A powerful festive blend of rock and pop from 2004 winner Ruslana with her new single “Hey, Malanka”. Rob's Random Request: Warning: High levels of cheese ahead!

Welcome to the thirty-ninth episode of the Zoology Ramblings Podcast! In this episode, Emma and Robi adopt a wintery, festive theme for this December episode. They start by looking back at their wildlife adventures from 2025. Robi also explores the question 'to Beave or Not To Beave?', when considering the role of beavers contributing to natural flood management. For his species of the week, Robi discusses the festive reindeer and Emma talks about the Arctic fox and her special connection to them in Iceland. For their local conservation stories, Robi spotlights some exciting new research showing how reintroducing wolves in Scotland could help regenerate forests and sequester carbon. Emma platforms the European Young Rewilders, with Emma and Robi keen to join the movement. Robi and Emma end with their global conservation news, with Robi delving deeper into polar bear hunting and management, breaking down WWF's stance on this topic. Emma ends by sharing some sad new for snowy owls in Sweden, but also some better news for the species in North America. We look forward to bringing you with us into 2026!Robi Watkinson is a Conservation Biologist and wildlife filmmaker specialising in the spatial and movement ecology of large carnivores, camera trapping survey methods, rewilding, metapopulation dynamics and conservation planning. He has an MSc in Conservation Biology from the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, and the Institute of Communities and Wildlife in Africa, University of Cape Town. He is based between Cape Town and London, and has strong interests in equitable and inclusive conservation, palaeontology and wildlife taxonomy and evolution!Emma Hodson is a Zoologist and wildlife content creator, currently working in the community and engagement team at Avon Wildlife Trust. Emma's role as a Wildlife Champions Project Officer involves supporting and upskilling people to take action for nature in their local communities. Emma has experience in remote wildlife fieldwork, and has been part of Arctic fox, macaw and cetacean research teams in Iceland, Peru and Wales respectively. She has also been involved in animal care and rehabilitation work in Costa Rica and South Africa. Emma is particularly passionate about the interface between community engagement and wildlife monitoring, and enjoys running workshops and giving talks on topics including camera trapping, beaver ecology and rewilding. You can watch "Rewilding A Nation" for free on WaterBear by following this link: https://www.waterbear.com/watch/rewilding-a-nation . You can follow more of our weird and wonderful wildlife adventures on instagram: @zoologyramblingspodcast & @robi_watkinson_wildlife & @emma_hodson_wildlife

The Yule Lads are back… and they're still up to no good. In this festive yet eerie episode, host Natty revisits Iceland's infamous Yule Lads, the terrifying Gryla, and the strange holiday folklore that turns Christmas creepy. Expect mischievous monsters, dark legends, and a dose of humor as ancient myths collide with modern holiday cheer. Perfect for fans of spooky folklore, paranormal podcasts, and twisted Christmas tales.

Holiday Oddities: Stolen Santa Bones, Pooping Logs, and the Strangest Christmas Traditions on Earth This holiday bonus episode of The Box of Oddities unwraps the weirdest, darkest, and most unexpectedly heartwarming Christmas stories from history. Kat and Jethro explore the true fate of Saint Nicholas's bones, including the medieval relic theft that scattered Santa's remains across Europe—and the unsettling legend of “Santa juice” still collected from his tomb. From there, the episode sleighs straight into bizarre holiday traditions from around the world: Catalonia's infamous pooping nativity figure, the gift-pooping Christmas log that children beat with sticks, Iceland's child-eating troll Grýla and her terrifying Yule Cat, and the unsettling folklore behind Santa once writing threatening letters to children instead of the other way around. Balancing the strange with the sincere, the episode also highlights true stories of compassion and humanity during wartime, including the Christmas Truce of 1914, enemies sheltering together on Christmas Eve during World War II, George Washington returning an enemy general's dog, and a Japanese pilot gifting his ancestral samurai sword to an American town decades after bombing it. It's a holiday episode filled with macabre history, unsettling folklore, absurd traditions, and genuine hope—a reminder that even in the darkest seasons, people can still surprise us. Listener discretion advised… and Merry Weird Christmas. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Luxury travel has changed. Discover the smart strategies 78% of luxury travelers are now using—from shoulder season timing to emerging "cool-cation" destinations like Iceland and Portugal. Learn why ultra-luxury all-inclusive experiences are surging, how to maximize your precious vacation days, and the insider secrets that turn good trips into unforgettable ones. For busy professionals who want effortless planning and maximum impact.Busy professionals, this one's your cheat code.

What were the highlights this year for award travel for the Points Talk Squad? In this episode, Alex, Pam, and Jess take you through their year of points and miles. The Squad walks through their card openings, closures, and the strategies they used to earn millions of points.   They also share how they used those points for family vacations, girls' trips, and more. From Bora Bora to Iceland to Japan, the Squad discusses the destinations they traveled to and how they turned their points into memorable experiences. Tune in hear who opened nine new credit cards, who earned almost 2 million points, and who took 17 trips this year.   You can find links to resources mentioned in this episode plus the transcript here: pointstalksquad.com/160   Ready to get started with NEARLY FREE travel? Click here for the exact offers we would sign up for this month: https://pointstalksquad.lpages.co/bestoffers/   Points Talk is also on YouTube! You can watch this episode here: youtube.com/@pointstalksquad   Let us know what you want to hear on the podcast by sending us a DM on Instagram: instagram.com/pointstalksquad

SPONSORS: 1) RIDGE: Take advantage of Ridge's Biggest Sale of the Year and GET UP TO 47% Off by going to https://www.Ridge.com/JULIAN #Ridgepod (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Gus Gonzalez is a prominent scuba instructor and technical cave diver, widely known as the co-host and producer of the popular YouTube channel and podcast, "Dive Talk GUS's LINKS: - YT: https://www.youtube.com/c/ORCATORCHWorldwide - IG: https://www.instagram.com/OrcaTorch/# - X: https://x.com/orcatorch - WEBSITE: https://www.orcatorch.com/info/orcatorchambassador-10.html JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Intro 01:36 - Diving in 2018, cave diving, Iceland, Silfra, wetsuit vs drysuit, nitrogen narcosis 13:03 – Dry suit danger, off-gassing, decompression sickness, stigma, first dive, 250 dives 24:08 – 10k cave divers, gatekeeping, technical vs recreational, oxygen pressure 34:02 – Commercial diving, certifications, deepest dive 58:47 – Cavern to cave diver, guidelines, Gainesville, 4k ft lines 01:06:42 – Virgin caves, danger, Thai cave rescue, Rick Stanton 01:26:22 – Rick Stanton, Sheck Exley, narcosis, near death 01:35:13 – Mental training, problem solving, lifelong commitment 01:43:18 – Rogan cave story, lost line, backlash, ocean vs freshwater 01:55:36 – Artifacts, bones, Blue Hole Belize, bodies 02:04:09 – Blue Hole depth, rescues, Edd Sorensen, robots can't dive 02:19:51 – Orcas, sharks, expeditions, Titanic sub 02:31:38 – USA migration, Venezuela 02:40:30 – Bonne Terre Mine, DiveTalk, private caves 02:53:16 – DiveTalk mission CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 368 - Gus Gonzalez Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

50 years ago, Iceland's women went on strike. It's not the most gender-equal country on earth. A new documentary, "The Day Iceland Stood Still," tells that historic society. Christiane speaks to their president and the film's director.  Also on today's show: Former CNN Cairo bureau chief Gayle Young; tech activist Cory Doctorow  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest: Dr. William W. Li, NYT-Bestselling Author of Eat to Beat DiseaseOriginally Recorded: May 2022 on Nutrition Without CompromiseSponsor of Original Episode: ÖRLÖ Nutrition Co-Hosts: Corinna Bellizzi & Tia Walden This episode is shared with permission from Nutrition Without Compromise and ORLO Nutrition.  Episode Summary Today's bonus episode comes from the archives of a show I once hosted—Nutrition Without Compromise—a series created to explore nourishment that never sacrifices human health, planetary health, or ethical integrity. While Dr. Li has joined us on Care More Be Better a few times, this conversation has never before aired here, and it remains one of my favorites. Dr. William Li, internationally renowned physician, scientist, and author of the bestseller Eat to Beat Disease, breaks down the body's five health defense systems, the science of using food as medicine, and how we can personalize nutrition to strengthen immunity, support longevity, and reduce disease risk. We talk about dietary diversity, the joy of eating, the role of omega-3s, the pitfalls of low-quality supplements, and how modern research is reframing what it means to live vibrantly at every age. This episode originally aired under the sponsorship of ÖRLÖ Nutrition, makers of carbon-negative, algae-based omega-3s grown in Iceland using clean geothermal energy. Their commitment to regenerative nutrition aligned beautifully with the ethos of that show—and with the work we continue here. Topics We Cover Dr. Li's journey from medical researcher to food-as-medicine pioneer The Five Health Defense Systems: angiogenesis, stem cells, microbiome, DNA protection, and immunity Why dietary diversity—not restriction—is the foundation of vibrant health How food can enhance medical treatments, not just prevent disease The rise of planetary-aware eating and the importance of responsible sourcing Omega-3s: fish vs. algae, and why quality matters The 5x5x5 framework for daily eating without rigidity How lifestyle, joy, and cultural food traditions shape well-being Dr. Li's free masterclasses and practical tips for getting started Referenced In This Episode Eat to Beat Disease by Dr. William W. Li https://amzn.to/3YEosdU Dr. Li's TED Talk: Can We Eat to Starve Cancer? https://www.ted.com/talks/william_li_can_we_eat_to_starve_cancer The Angiogenesis Foundation: https://angio.org/ The Lives of a Cell by Lewis Thomas https://amzn.to/3KKEb8h Dr. Li's Masterclasses & Newsletter: https://drwilliamli.com Dr. Li's Instagram: https://instagram.com/drwilliamli ORLO Nutrition: https://orlonutrition.com Connect with Me Website: https://caremorebebetter.comFollow on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok: @CareMoreBeBetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbellizzi/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/caremorebebetterYouTube: https://youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter Cause Partnership Each month, Care More Be Better supports Prescott College and their leadership in sustainability education. Learn more or join this effort: https://caremorebebetter.com/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We're pushing out until we return for the holiday break on January 19, with FIVE EXTRA EPISODES. Our initial episode count of 8, increased to 12, and now we know we have more than enough content to put out 17 very strong episodes this season (which means 7 more episodes).Upcoming travel:On January 8th, I'll be in LA with Tooker and Charlie (Crimelines) for a happy hour and meet-up at the Bigfoot Lodge on Los Feliz Blvd from 6-8pm. Stop by and join us for drinks and conversation.Additionally, the trip to Iceland has sold out. But we're working on a second 2026 Trova Trip for those of you wanting something warm, tropical, and closer to home. That announcement will be coming soon.Thanks for your patience, support, and understanding. Have a wonderful holiday season.

INTRO (00:24): Kathleen opens the show drinking a Hazy Holiday IPA from Silver Bluff Brewing Company in Brunswick, GA. She reviews her weekend in Ponte Vedra and then LA and Vegas, discussing Fantasy Football at Good Morning Footballand seeing The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere in Vegas.   TOUR NEWS: See Kathleen live on her “Day Drinking Tour.”   COURT NEWS (25:50): Kathleen shares news announcing thatChappell Roan becomes a global brand ambassador for MAC cosmetics, Cher is set to marry her 39-year-old boyfriend, and Taylor Swift gifted millions of dollars in bonuses to her ERAs Tour crew.     TASTING MENU (2:38): Kathleen samples a Madigan Family Midwest Cheeseball, Reese's Holiday Caramel Cups, and Hadley Orchards Gourmet Dill Cheese Puffs.   UPDATES (32:14): Kathleen shares updates on the search for MH370, Zuckerberg is moving on from the metaverse, Australian children just lost access to social media, the Louvre has even more security issues, Andrew and Fergie are finally being evicted, a Waymo encounters a standoff with police, and Faberge's Winter Egg fetches millions at auction.   FRONT PAGE PUB NEWS (1:04:36): Kathleen sharesarticles on Prada purchasing Versace, a cruise ship passenger dies after being served 33 drinks, the Super Bowl pregame performers are announced, air travelers without a REAL ID will pay a fee in 2026, iHeartRadio bans AI music and hosts,protesters vandalize the Crown Jewels, Norway has unveiled a Northern Lights train, and BINGO returns to Vegas.   HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND IT (1:02:26): Kathleen reads about a lost Renaissance painting found in a garage in the UK.   SAINT OF THE WEEK (1:30:40): Kathleen reads about St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors, merchants, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students.   WHAT ARE WE WATCHING (30:40): Kathleen recommends watching the Wizard of Oz on HBO Max.   FEEL GOOD STORY (1:23:56): Kathleen shares a story aboutIceland's Yule Cat, and Sweden rolls out edible road salt to save birds.  

From the monstrous Yule Cat of Iceland to the cannibal Wendigo of North America, in this episode I explore seven eerie winter legends from around the world. You'll meet Japan's ghostly Yuki-Onna, China's New Year beast Nian, Greece's chaotic Kallikantzaroi, the rhyming ghost-horse Mari Lwyd of Wales, and the shape-shifting Ijiraq of the Arctic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We go to the Westman Islands off the southern coast of Iceland and meet the heroes who save young birds that have wandered from their nests every summer.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 1984, a young fisherman named Gudlaugur Fridthorsson — better known as “Laugi”— headed out to sea off the coast of Iceland in a small fishing trawler. But the first night of the trip, their boat capsizes, leaving Laugi and his crewmates stranded in frigid waters miles from shore. Be the first to know about Wondery's newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletterListen to Against The Odds on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting http://wondery.com/links/against-the-odds/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

#HolidayHorrors | Hundreds of people have reported encounters with what looks exactly like Santa Claus — and they weren't children dreaming on Christmas Eve. If the real Santa doesn't exist, what are these witnesses actually seeing... and why does it want to be seen?IN THIS EPISODE: Many of us are familiar with the flip side of Father Christmas – the darker entity who visits and kidnaps bad children, Krampus. But when it comes to true fear, even Krampus would run in terror at the sight of Iceland's Gryla, the Christmas Witch! With roots dating back to the 13th century, Gryla is not to be messed with! (Iceland's Christmas Witch) *** It was Christmastime, 1938, and 19-year-old Margaret Martin had just graduated from Wilkes-Barre Business College with honors and was eager to secure a secretarial job. Her eagerness would lead to her disappearance. (The Murder of Margaret Martin) *** Ask anyone over the age of twelve what they think about the existence of Santa Claus and you'll most assuredly get the same answer. But that has not stopped people of all ages reporting sightings of the jolly old elf, and some of the stories are downright creepy. (People Who Swear They've Seen the Real Santa Claus) *** Two murders committed in the same house during the holidays of 1928 appear to have resulted in the spirits of Christmas past haunting the place today. (The Hundley Murders)TIME STAMPS & CHAPTERS:00:00:00.000 = They Swear They Saw Santa00:01:22.035 = Show Open00:03:20.486 = The Hundley Murders00:18:08.033 = *** People Who Swear They've Seen the Real Santa Claus00:38:56.938 = *** Iceland's Christmas Witch00:45:55.352 = The Murder of Margaret Martin00:49:25.321 = Show CloseSOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…“The Strange World of True Kris Kringle Sightings” by Brent Swancer for Mysterious Universe:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8kfyka“Iceland's Christmas Witch” by Alex Palmer for Smithsonian Magazine: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/57ntaeeu“The Murder of Margaret Martin” by Troy Taylor: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/7e6xxvph“The Hundley Murders” by Troy Taylor for his book “Bloody Illinois”: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3yb3fd2p(Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46=WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: December 08, 2021#WeirdDarkness #SantaSightings #ParanormalChristmas #ChristmasMysteries #SupernaturalEncounters #TricksterSpirits #UnexplainedPhenomena #GhostStories #ChristmasParanormal #TrueParanormalStorieshttps://weirddarkness.com/RealKrisKringleSightings