Podcasts about Industrial Age

Why did Pope Leo XIV choose that name? Turns out, his choice is no mere homage—it's a manifesto. In this explosive episode, we uncover how Pope Leo XIV is channeling the legacy of Pope Leo XIII to shape a bold new vision for the Church in the age of AI, transhumanism, and the Third Industrial Revolution. From the Industrial Age to the Digital Age, this new pope is positioning the Church at the center of a historic confrontation between human dignity and technological idolatry, and it's already reshaping everything.--Go to https://hometitlelock.com/turleytalks and use promo code TURLEYTALKS to get a FREE title history report so you can find out if you're already a victim AND 14 days of protection for FREE! And make sure to check out the Million Dollar TripleLock protection details when you get there! Exclusions apply. For details, visit https://hometitlelock.com/warranty*The content presented by sponsors may contain affiliate links. When you click and shop the links, Turley Talks may receive a small commission.*Leave a message for Steve! Call now! 717-844-5984Highlights:“Pope Leo XIII sought to affirm unchanging human dignity in a rapidly industrializing world—Leo XIV is doing the same in a digitizing one.”“Francis frowned on the ancient Latin rite—Leo appears to be its champion.”“Leo may be our first Archeofuture pope: fusing ancient tradition with cutting-edge technology for a renewed human future.”Timestamps: [00:41] The significance of Pope Leo XIV's chosen name as a manifesto for his papacy[02:06] Pope Leo XIII's legacy and the transformative impact of past Industrial Revolutions[05:58] Confronting the challenges of AI, transhumanism, and the rise of digital idolatry[10:53] Merging tradition with technology to forge a new vision for the Church - Leo XIV as the first Archeofuture pope--Thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and/or leave a review.FOLLOW me on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/DrTurleyTalksSign up for the 'New Conservative Age Rising' Email Alerts to get lots of articles on conservative trends: https://turleytalks.com/subscribe-to-our-newsletter**The use of any copyrighted material in this podcast is done so for educational and informational purposes only including parody, commentary, and criticism. See Hosseinzadeh v. Klein, 276 F.Supp.3d 34 (S.D.N.Y. 2017); Equals Three, LLC v. Jukin Media, Inc., 139 F. Supp. 3d 1094 (C.D. Cal. 2015). It is believed that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

Hello Interactors,This week, the European Space Agency launched a satellite to "weigh" Earth's 1.5 trillion trees. It will give scientists deeper insight into forests and their role in the climate — far beyond surface readings. Pretty cool. And it's coming from Europe.Meanwhile, I learned that the U.S. Secretary of Defense — under Trump — had a makeup room installed in the Pentagon to look better on TV. Also pretty cool, I guess. And very American.The contrast was hard to miss. Even with better data, the U.S. shows little appetite for using geographic insight to actually address climate change. Information is growing. Willpower, not so much.So it was oddly clarifying to read a passage Christopher Hobson posted on Imperfect Notes from a book titled America by a French author — a travelogue of softs. Last week I offered new lenses through which to see the world, I figured I'd try this French pair on — to see America, and the world it effects, as he did.PAPER, POWER, AND PROJECTIONI still have a folded paper map of Seattle in the door of my car. It's a remnant of a time when physical maps reflected the reality before us. You unfolded a map and it innocently offered the physical world on a page. The rest was left to you — including knowing how to fold it up again.But even then, not all maps were neutral or necessarily innocent. Sure, they crowned capitals and trimmed borders, but they could also leave things out or would make certain claims. From empire to colony, from mission to market, maps often arrived not to reflect place, but to declare control of it. Still, we trusted it…even if was an illusion.I learned how to interrogate maps in my undergraduate history of cartography class — taught by the legendary cartographer Waldo Tobler. But even with that knowledge, when I was then taught how to make maps, that interrogation was more absent. I confidently believed I was mediating truth. The lines and symbols I used pointed to substance; they signaled a thing. I traced rivers from existing base maps with a pen on vellum and trusted they existed in the world as sure as the ink on the page. I cut out shading for a choropleth map and believed it told a stable story about population, vegetation, or economics. That trust was embodied in representation — the idea that a sign meant something enduring. That we could believe what maps told us.This is the world of semiotics — the study of how signs create meaning. American philosopher Charles Sanders Peirce offered a sturdy model: a sign (like a map line) refers to an object (the river), and its meaning emerges in interpretation. Meaning, in this view, is relational — but grounded. A stop sign, a national anthem, a border — they meant something because they pointed beyond themselves, to a world we shared.But there are cracks in this seemingly sturdy model.These cracks pose this question: why do we trust signs in the first place? That trust — in maps, in categories, in data — didn't emerge from neutrality. It was built atop agendas.Take the first U.S. census in 1790. It didn't just count — it defined. Categories like “free white persons,” “all other free persons,” and “slaves” weren't neutral. They were political tools, shaping who mattered and by how much. People became variables. Representation became abstraction.Or Carl Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish botanist who built the taxonomies we still use: genus, species, kingdom. His system claimed objectivity but was shaped by distance and empire. Linnaeus never left Sweden. He named what he hadn't seen, classified people he'd never met — sorting humans into racial types based on colonial stereotypes. These weren't observations. They were projections based on stereotypes gathered from travelers, missionaries, and imperial officials.Naming replaced knowing. Life was turned into labels. Biology became filing. And once abstracted, it all became governable, measurable, comparable, and, ultimately, manageable.Maps followed suit.What once lived as a symbolic invitation — a drawing of place — became a system of location. I was studying geography at a time (and place) when Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and GIScience was transforming cartography. Maps weren't just about visual representations; they were spatial databases. Rows, columns, attributes, and calculations took the place of lines and shapes on map. Drawing what we saw turned to abstracting what could then be computed so that it could then be visualized, yes, but also managed.Chris Perkins, writing on the philosophy of mapping, argued that digital cartographies didn't just depict the world — they constituted it. The map was no longer a surface to interpret, but a script to execute. As critical geographers Sam Hind and Alex Gekker argue, the modern “mapping impulse” isn't about understanding space — it's about optimizing behavior through it; in a world of GPS and vehicle automation, the map no longer describes the territory, it becomes it. Laura Roberts, writing on film and geography, showed how maps had fused with cinematic logic — where places aren't shown, but performed. Place and navigation became narrative. New York in cinema isn't a place — it's a performance of ambition, alienation, or energy. Geography as mise-en-scène.In other words, the map's loss of innocence wasn't just technical. It was ontological — a shift in the very nature of what maps are and what kind of reality they claim to represent. Geography itself had entered the domain of simulation — not representing space but staging it. You can simulate traveling anywhere in the world, all staged on Google maps. Last summer my son stepped off the train in Edinburgh, Scotland for the first time in his life but knew exactly where he was. He'd learned it driving on simulated streets in a simulated car on XBox. He walked us straight to our lodging.These shifts in reality over centuries weren't necessarily mistakes. They unfolded, emerged, or evolved through the rational tools of modernity — and for a time, they worked. For many, anyway. Especially for those in power, seeking power, or benefitting from it. They enabled trade, governance, development, and especially warfare. But with every shift came this question: at what cost?FROM SIGNS TO SPECTACLEAs early as the early 1900s, Max Weber warned of a world disenchanted by bureaucracy — a society where rationalization would trap the human spirit in what he called an iron cage. By mid-century, thinkers pushed this further.Michel Foucault revealed how systems of knowledge — from medicine to criminal justice — were entangled with systems of power. To classify was to control. To represent was to discipline. Roland Barthes dissected the semiotics of everyday life — showing how ads, recipes, clothing, even professional wrestling were soaked in signs pretending to be natural.Guy Debord, in the 1967 The Society of the Spectacle, argued that late capitalism had fully replaced lived experience with imagery. “The spectacle,” he wrote, “is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images.”Then came Jean Baudrillard — a French sociologist, media theorist, and provocateur — who pushed the critique of representation to its limit. In the 1980s, where others saw distortion, he saw substitution: signs that no longer referred to anything real. Most vividly, in his surreal, gleaming 1986 travelogue America, he described the U.S. not as a place, but as a performance — a projection without depth, still somehow running.Where Foucault showed that knowledge was power, and Debord showed that images replaced life, Baudrillard argued that signs had broken free altogether. A map might once distort or simplify — but it still referred to something real. By the late 20th century, he argued, signs no longer pointed to anything. They pointed only to each other.You didn't just visit Disneyland. You visited the idea of America — manufactured, rehearsed, rendered. You didn't just use money. You used confidence by handing over a credit card — a symbol of wealth that is lighter and moves faster than any gold.In some ways, he was updating a much older insight by another Frenchman. When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in the 1830s, he wasn't just studying law or government — he was studying performance. He saw how Americans staged democracy, how rituals of voting and speech created the image of a free society even as inequality and exclusion thrived beneath it. Tocqueville wasn't cynical. He simply understood that America believed in its own image — and that belief gave it a kind of sovereign feedback loop.Baudrillard called this condition simulation — when representation becomes self-contained. When the distinction between real and fake no longer matters because everything is performance. Not deception — orchestration.He mapped four stages of this logic:* Faithful representation – A sign reflects a basic reality. A map mirrors the terrain.* Perversion of reality – The sign begins to distort. Think colonial maps as logos or exclusionary zoning.* Pretending to represent – The sign no longer refers to anything but performs as if it does. Disneyland isn't America — it's the fantasy of America. (ironically, a car-free America)* Pure simulation – The sign has no origin or anchor. It floats. Zillow heatmaps, Uber surge zones — maps that don't reflect the world, but determine how you move through it.We don't follow maps as they were once known anymore. We follow interfaces.And not just in apps. Cities themselves are in various stages of simulation. New York still sells itself as a global center. But in a distributed globalized and digitized economy, there is no center — only the perversion of an old reality. Paris subsidizes quaint storefronts not to nourish citizens, but to preserve the perceived image of Paris. Paris pretending to be Paris. Every city has its own marketing campaign. They don't manage infrastructure — they manage perception. The skyline is a product shot. The streetscape is marketing collateral and neighborhoods are optimized for search.Even money plays this game.The U.S. dollar wasn't always king. That title once belonged to the British pound — backed by empire, gold, and industry. After World War II, the dollar took over, pegged to gold under the Bretton Woods convention — a symbol of American postwar power stability…and perversion. It was forged in an opulent, exclusive, hotel in the mountains of New Hampshire. But designed in the style of Spanish Renaissance Revival, it was pretending to be in Spain. Then in 1971, Nixon snapped the dollar's gold tether. The ‘Nixon Shock' allowed the dollar to float — its value now based not on metal, but on trust. It became less a store of value than a vessel of belief. A belief that is being challenged today in ways that recall the instability and fragmentation of the pre-WWII era.And this dollar lives in servers, not Industrial Age iron vaults. It circulates as code, not coin. It underwrites markets, wars, and global finance through momentum alone. And when the pandemic hit, there was no digging into reserves.The Federal Reserve expanded its balance sheet with keystrokes — injecting trillions into the economy through bond purchases, emergency loans, and direct payments. But at the same time, Trump 1.0 showed printing presses rolling, stacks of fresh bills bundled and boxed — a spectacle of liquidity. It was monetary policy as theater. A simulation of control, staged in spreadsheets by the Fed and photo ops by the Executive Branch. Not to reflect value, but to project it. To keep liquidity flowing and to keep the belief intact.This is what Baudrillard meant by simulation. The sign doesn't lie — nor does it tell the truth. It just works — as long as we accept it.MOOD OVER MEANINGReality is getting harder to discern. We believe it to be solid — that it imposes friction. A law has consequences. A price reflects value. A city has limits. These things made sense because they resist us. Because they are real.But maybe that was just the story we told. Maybe it was always more mirage than mirror.Now, the signs don't just point to reality — they also replace it. We live in a world where the image outpaces the institution. Where the copy is smoother than the original. Where AI does the typing. Where meaning doesn't emerge — it arrives prepackaged and pre-viral. It's a kind of seductive deception. It's hyperreality where performance supersedes substance. Presence and posture become authority structured in style.Politics is not immune to this — it's become the main attraction.Trump's first 100 days didn't aim to stabilize or legislate but to signal. Deportation as UFC cage match — staged, brutal, and televised. Tariff wars as a way of branding power — chaos with a catchphrase. Climate retreat cast as perverse theater. Gender redefined and confined by executive memo. Birthright citizenship challenged while sedition pardoned. Even the Gulf of Mexico got renamed. These aren't policies, they're productions.Power isn't passing through law. It's passing through the affect of spectacle and a feed refresh.Baudrillard once wrote that America doesn't govern — it narrates. Trump doesn't manage policy, he manages mood. Like an actor. When America's Secretary of Defense, a former TV personality, has a makeup studio installed inside the Pentagon it's not satire. It's just the simulation, doing what it does best: shining under the lights.But this logic runs deeper than any single figure.Culture no longer unfolds. It reloads. We don't listen to the full album — we lift 10 seconds for TikTok. Music is made for algorithms. Fashion is filtered before it's worn. Selfhood is a brand channel. Identity is something to monetize, signal, or defend — often all at once.The economy floats too. Meme stocks. NFTs. Speculative tokens. These aren't based in value — they're based in velocity. Attention becomes the currency.What matters isn't what's true, but what trends. In hyperreality, reference gives way to rhythm. The point isn't to be accurate. The point is to circulate. We're not being lied to.We're being engaged. And this isn't a bug, it's a feature.Which through a Baudrillard lens is why America — the simulation — persists.He saw it early. Describing strip malls, highways, slogans, themed diners he saw an America that wasn't deep. That was its genius he saw. It was light, fast paced, and projected. Like the movies it so famously exports. It didn't need justification — it just needed repetition.And it's still repeating.Las Vegas is the cathedral of the logic of simulation — a city that no longer bothers pretending. But it's not alone. Every city performs, every nation tries to brand itself. Every policy rollout is scored like a product launch. Reality isn't navigated — it's streamed.And yet since his writing, the mood has shifted. The performance continues, but the music underneath it has changed. The techno-optimism of Baudrillard's ‘80s an ‘90s have curdled. What once felt expansive now feels recursive and worn. It's like a show running long after the audience has gone home. The rager has ended, but Spotify is still loudly streaming through the speakers.“The Kids' Guide to the Internet” (1997), produced by Diamond Entertainment and starring the unnervingly wholesome Jamison family. It captures a moment of pure techno-optimism — when the Internet was new, clean, and family-approved. It's not just a tutorial; it's a time capsule of belief, staged before the dream turned into something else. Before the feed began to feed on us.Trumpism thrives on this terrain. And yet the world is changing around it. Climate shocks, mass displacement, spiraling inequality — the polycrisis has a body count. Countries once anchored to American leadership are squinting hard now, trying to see if there's anything left behind the screen. Adjusting the antenna in hopes of getting a clearer signal. From Latin America to Southeast Asia to Europe, the question grows louder: Can you trust a power that no longer refers to anything outside itself?Maybe Baudrillard and Tocqueville are right — America doesn't point to a deeper truth. It points to itself. Again and again and again. It is the loop. And even now, knowing this, we can't quite stop watching. There's a reason we keep refreshing. Keep scrolling. Keep reacting. The performance persists — not necessarily because we believe in it, but because it's the only script still running.And whether we're horrified or entertained, complicit or exhausted, engaged or ghosted, hired or fired, immigrated or deported, one thing remains strangely true: we keep feeding it. That's the strange power of simulation in an attention economy. It doesn't need conviction. It doesn't need conscience. It just needs attention — enough to keep the momentum alive. The simulation doesn't care if the real breaks down. It just keeps rendering — soft, seamless, and impossible to look away from. Like a dream you didn't choose but can't wake up from.REFERENCESBarthes, R. (1972). Mythologies (A. Lavers, Trans.). Hill and Wang. (Original work published 1957)Baudrillard, J. (1986). America (C. Turner, Trans.). Verso.Debord, G. (1994). The Society of the Spectacle (D. Nicholson-Smith, Trans.). Zone Books. (Original work published 1967)Foucault, M. (1977). Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (A. Sheridan, Trans.). Vintage Books.Hind, S., & Gekker, A. (2019). On autopilot: Towards a flat ontology of vehicular navigation. In C. Lukinbeal et al. (Eds.), Media's Mapping Impulse. Franz Steiner Verlag.Linnaeus, C. (1735). Systema Naturae (1st ed.). Lugduni Batavorum.Perkins, C. (2009). Philosophy and mapping. In R. Kitchin & N. Thrift (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Elsevier.Raaphorst, K., Duchhart, I., & van der Knaap, W. (2017). The semiotics of landscape design communication. Landscape Research.Roberts, L. (2008). Cinematic cartography: Movies, maps and the consumption of place. In R. Koeck & L. Roberts (Eds.), Cities in Film: Architecture, Urban Space and the Moving Image. University of Liverpool.Tocqueville, A. de. (2003). Democracy in America (G. Lawrence, Trans., H. Mansfield & D. Winthrop, Eds.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published 1835)Weber, M. (1958). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (T. Parsons, Trans.). Charles Scribner's Sons. (Original work published 1905) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Wellness + Wisdom | Episode 734 How is poor sleep quietly sabotaging your health, performance, and relationships? Dr. Kirk Parsley, Performance Enhancement Physician + former SEAL, joins Josh Trent on the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast, episode 734, to uncover the shocking truth about mainstream sleep drugs and how they hijack natural processes like GABA without delivering true rest, how high-stress lifestyles demand recovery strategies, and why optimizing your sleep might just be the missing key to a better life, stronger communication, and lasting emotional resilience. "When you don't sleep very well, you're choosing to age faster. If you stay up for 20 hours, you've added 4 hours of damage, which means your brain is aging 25% faster. If you do this regularly, you will get neurological decline." - Dr. Kirk Parsley Get 20% Off Dr. Parsley's Sleep Remedy Sleep Remedy is designed to enhance the quality of your sleep, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Sleep experts meticulously formulated this product to naturally align with your body's sleep mechanisms, providing a non-habit-forming solution to improve nightly rest. Dr. Kirk Parsley's Sleep Remedy works by supplementing your body's own production of sleep-inducing molecules like melatonin, magnesium, and a special blend of amino acids. 20% OFF WITH CODE "JOSH20" In This Episode, Kirk Parsley MD Uncovers: [01:05] The Dangers of Sleep Drugs Kirk Parsley MD 125 Dr. Kirk Parsley – Sleep To Win 256 Navigating Transitions In Relationships, Health, and Wealth: Dr. Kirk Parsley & Krisstina Wise How the pharmaceutical industry formulates sleep products. Why Benzodiazepines are 100X stronger than GABA. How sleep has nothing to do with GABA, but pharmaceuticals mainly focus on GABA. Why sleep drugs can cause anomalistic behavior. How alcohol decreases deep sleep and REM sleep. [08:20] Sleep Quality Directly Impacts Performance Why success can't be predicted but failure can. How millions are spent on Navy SEAL trainings. Why none of the SEALs complain about sleep, even though they barely get any during their training. How Kirk made the SEALs test 98 blood markers to find out why they were not performing to their full potential. How he discovered that Ambien was negatively impacting their sleep and performance. How he gave the SEALs sleep supplements to improve their sleep. Why sleep impacts all other aspects of well-being and performance. [23:15] Modern Lifestyle Changed How We Sleep How Kirk's work translated from the Navy SEALs to all people. Why he became a private health consultant. How stress ages us. Why the Industrial Age affected our sleep quality. [27:35] Super Sleeper Genes Why wearable data is not actionable. How we can't change what we don't measure. Why our genes define whether or not we suffer when we get less than 8 hours of sleep. How to treat insomnia using non-sleep deep rest. Why we need to mimic what our ancestors did to sleep well. The importance of creating a list of our worries. [39:05] The Science of Sleep 591 Dr. John Lieurance | Biohacking Big Souls: How UFC Fighters + Big Wave Surfers Holistically Heal Why parents lose 6 months of sleep during the first 2 years of their baby's life. How we can recover from long-term lack of sleep. Why it takes 8 hours to recover from being awake for 16 hours. How we clean the waste inside of our body through sleep. What happens in the body when we go to sleep. Why our body creates inflammation when we don't manage to get rid of the waste product. How calcified plaque is created in the body. [44:55] Chronic Sleep Deprivation = Neurological Decline? How psychiatric illnesses are highly impacted by sleep. What chronobiology has discovered about psychiatric patients and their mental health in relation to circadian rhythm. Why being awake is catabolic and being asleep is anabolic. How we repair our stress levels while we sleep. Why immediately after working out we are weaker and we need to repair during our sleep. How aging affects our capacity to repair our body. Why long-term lack of sleep makes us age faster. How releasing stress hormones can help us repair if we don't get enough sleep. Why we're the only stress-deprived species on Earth. [54:20] How to Navigate Sleep Deprivation As a Parent Why co-sleeping with our children is not essential. How each child has different sleep needs. Why Kirk repressed a lot of his childhood anger and trauma. How he used to pull all-nighters when he was studying, working, and raising his children. Why sleeping 4 to 5 hours a day for several years caused Kirk's health to decline. How he was helping the SEALs with their health issues but wasn't helping himself. [01:07:55] Sleep Affects Your Relationships The role that sleep played in the issues in Kirk's first marriage. William Dement How research proved that couples who don't get enough sleep perceive each other more negatively. The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal MD Why stress causes impulsive behavior and lack of emotional control. How sleep deprivation is used as a torture technique in interrogation. [01:14:20] Good Communication Starts with Good Sleep Why brain function is essential for communication. How the brain holds on to arguments even after it has ended. The role of emotional categorization. How good quality sleep rebalances our hormone levels. Why hormones impact how we show up. [01:21:10] Are You Good At Suffering? What makes some people exceptionally good at suffering. Why our genetics influence our ability to endure suffering. What led Kirk to believe that suffering is a choice. Why he doesn't suffer even though he's suffering. [01:26:50] Fear Is For The Weak Why Kirk grew up fearful because he lived in a dangerous environment. What made him decide that being fearful is weak. Why he's happy with everything that's happened in his life. How fear only takes us out of enjoyment. Why everything that matters to Kirk is driven by love. [01:32:20] The Journey Back to God How Kirk defines his faith in God. Why we only have control of how we react to what's happening around us. How he asks God to show him the path every morning. Why psilocybin made him face darkness. How the psilocybin experience changed how he perceives fear. Why love and fear are the only emotions, but only love is real. [01:44:15] The End of Suffering Why Kirk used to believe that we need to choose to suffer for a reason. 692 Paul Chek | Spirit Gym: How To Find The Truth of Your Soul + Live Your Dream How he always wanted to raise his children to be able to handle as much as him. Why the consequence of suffering was that he got tired of suffering. Leave Wellness + Wisdom a Review on Apple Podcasts Power Quotes From The Show Lack of Sleep = Threat? "The only animal on this planet that sleep deprives itself on purpose is us. It makes evolutionary sense that our brains perceive lack of sleep as famine or threat because there's some kind of stressor going on. That is why people who don't sleep well or don't sleep enough have higher amygdala tone and higher stress hormones." - Dr. Kirk Parsley Benefits of Sleep "It takes 8 hours to recover from being awake for 16 hours. The benefit of sleep is the hormone production, the repair, the acceleration of your immune system, the consolidation of memories, the categorization of emotional events." - Dr. Kirk Parsley Your Brain Creates Waste Products "When you go to sleep, the neurons that hold the structure of the brain contract about 30% and they create little channels for the cerebral spinal fluid to flow through. There are ways for it to clear and get outside of the blood brain barrier and get rid of your waste products. If you don't clear that, it's toxic. It's a waste product. It'd be like if you leave feces in your living room, you don't get rid of it, it's toxic. And what happens is that your brain or your body attacks it. It's like a foreign object. So it's an inflammatory response." - Dr. Kirk Parsley Links From Today's Show  Kirk Parsley MD 125 Dr. Kirk Parsley – Sleep To Win 256 Navigating Transitions In Relationships, Health, and Wealth: Dr. Kirk Parsley & Krisstina Wise 591 Dr. John Lieurance | Biohacking Big Souls: How UFC Fighters + Big Wave Surfers Holistically Heal William Dement The Upside of Stress by Kelly McGonigal MD 692 Paul Chek | Spirit Gym: How To Find The Truth of Your Soul + Live Your Dream   Josh's Trusted Products | Up To 40% Off Shop All Products Biohacking⁠ MANNA Vitality - Save 20% with code JOSH20 HigherDOSE - 15% off with the code JOSH15 PLUNGE - $150 off with discount code WELLNESSFORCE Pulsetto - Save 20% with code "JOSH" SaunaSpace - 10% off with discount code JOSH10 Ultrahuman Ring Air - 10% off with code JOSH Wellness Test Kits Choose Joi - Save 50% on all Lab Tests with JOSH Blokes - Save 50% on all Lab Tests with JOSH FertilityWize Test by Clockwize - Save 10% with code JOSH Tiny Health Gut Tests - $20 off with discount code JOSH20 VIVOO Health Tests - Save 30% off with code JOSH SiPhox Health Blood Test - Save 15% off with code JOSH Nutrition + Gut Health Organifi - 20% off with discount code WELLNESSFORCE SEED Synbiotic - 25% off with the code 25JOSHTRENT Paleovalley -  Save 15% off here! EQUIP Foods - 20% off with the code WELLNESS20 DRY FARM WINES - Get an extra bottle of Pure Natural Wine with your order for just 1¢ Just Thrive - 20% off with the code JOSH Legacy Cacao - Save 10% with JOSH when you order by the pound! Kreatures of Habit - Save 20% with WISDOM20 Force of Nature Meats - Save 10% with JOSH Supplements MANNA GOLD - $20 off with code JOSHGOLD Adapt Naturals - 20% off with discount code WELLNESSFORCE MitoZen - 10% off with code WELLNESSFORCE Activation Products - 20% off with code JOSH20 BiOptimizers - 10% off with discount code JOSH10 Fatty15 Essential Fatty Acids Supplement - Get 15% off with code JOSH15 Sleep BiOptimizers Sleep Breakthrough - 10% off with JOSH10 Zyppah Anti-Snoring Mouthpiece - 20% off with the code JOSH MitoZen Super SandMan Ultra™ (Melatonin Liposomal)+ 10% off with WELLNESSFORCE Luminette Light Therapy Glasses - 15% off with JOSH Cured Nutrition CBN Night Oil - 20% off with JOSH Natural Energy MTE - Save 20% with JOSH TruKava - Save 20% with code JOSH20 Drink Update - Save 25% with discount code JOSH25 Lifeboost Coffee - Save 10% with JOSH10 EONS Mushroom Coffee - 20% off with the discount code JOSH20 EnergyBITS - 20% off with the code WELLNESSFORCE BUBS Naturals - Save 20% with JOSH20 Fitness + Physical Health Detox Dudes Online Courses - Up to $500 off with discount code JOSH Kineon - 10% off with discount code JOSH10 Create Wellness Creatine Gummies - 20% off with discount code JOSH20 BioPro+ by BioProtein Technology - Save $30 OFF WITH CODE JOSH Drink LMNT - Zero Sugar Hydration: Get your free LMNT Sample Pack, with any purchase ⁠Myoxcience - 20% off with the code JOSH20 Healthy Home SunHome Saunas - Save $200 with JOSH200 JASPR Air Purifier - Save 10% with code WELLNESS QI-Shield EMF Device by NOA AON - 20% off with the code JOSH Holy Hydrogen - $100 off with discount code JOSH SimplyO3 - 10% off with discount code JOSH10 LEELA Quantum Upgrade + Frequency Bundles - Get 15 days free with code JOSH15 TrulyFree Toxic- Free Cleaning Products - Get 40% off + Freebies with code WELLNESSFORCE Mental Health + Stress Release Mendi.io - 20% off with the code JOSH20 Cured Nutrition CBD - 20% off with the discount code JOSH NOOTOPIA - 10% off with the discount code JOSH10 CalmiGo - $30 off the device with discount code JOSH30 QUALIA - 15% off with WELLNESSFORCE LiftMode - 10% off with JOSH10 Personal Care⁠ The Wellness Company's Emergency Health Kits + More - Save 10% with code JOSH Canopy Filtered Showerhead + Essential Oils - Save 15% with JOSH15 Farrow Life - Save 20% with JOSH Timeline Nutrition - 10% off with JOSH ⁠⁠Intelligence of Nature - 15% off Skin Support with the code JOSH15⁠⁠ Young Goose - Save 10% with code JOSH10 Mindfulness + Meditation BREATHE - 33% off with the code PODCAST33 Neuvana - 15% off with the code WELLNESSFORCE Essential Oil Wizardry - 10% off with the code WELLNESSFORCE Four Visions - Save 15% with code JOSH15 Lotuswei - 10% off with JOSH Clothing NativeToWear - Save 20% with code JOSH20 Rhizal Grounded Barefoot Shoes - Save 10% with code WELLNESS Earth Runners Shoes - 10% off with the code JOSHT10 MYNDOVR - 20% off with JOSH Free Resources M21 Wellness Guide - Free 3-Week Breathwork Program with Josh Trent Join Wellness + Wisdom Community About Kirk Parsley, MD Kirk Parsley, MD is certified in Hyperbaric Medicine, Anti-Aging Medicine, and Hormone Replacement Therapy, and is currently pursuing national certification in Psychedelic Medicine Therapies. He dedicates a significant portion of his time to advising non-profit organizations that support the SEAL community and providing healthcare guidance and treatment to veterans. Operating his practice and supplement business from Austin, Texas, Kirk is an avid outdoorsman and fitness enthusiast. His philosophy is straightforward: our bodies are built on a 100,000+ year-old model, and we perform best by emulating the lifestyle we evolved to live, as closely as possible, striving to approximate the health metrics of our 25-30-year-old selves (the physiologic peak of most humans). Kirk firmly believes that 80% of health is derived from focusing on Sleep, Nutrition, Exercise, and Stress mitigation, with a strong emphasis on Sleep. Website Instagram Facebook  

 ”You are not too late for a great life, ever. You're not too late for change. You're not behind.” In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession speaks directly to the high achievers who feel stuck—not burned out, but just… blah. You're performing, checking all the boxes, and maybe even winning awards, yet something still feels off.Rebecca introduces the idea of “functional freeze,” a neuroscience-backed state where you're doing all the things but feel emotionally detached and disconnected. With compassion and clarity, she shares practical, science-based ways to break free from the cycle of performance and disconnection—without quitting your job or upending your life.In this episode, you'll learn:What “functional freeze” is and why it often goes unnoticed in high performersHow small, daily shifts can rewire your brain and reconnect you to joy and purposeWhy redefining success means letting go of hustle and embracing your true worthThings to listen for:(00:00) Intro(00:43) The buzzword problem(03:20) Understanding functional freeze(05:05) Recognizing the signs of functional freeze(06:34) Breaking the Industrial Age mindset(10:30) Small daily shifts for big changes(17:37) The power of gratitude(23:18) You are not too late for a great lifeConnect with Rebecca:https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/Free webinars - New dates added continually: https://shop.standtallinyourstory.com/products/free-webinar-reconnect-recharge-moving-from-disconnected-to-deeply-fulfilledBusiness is Human Masterclass: https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/businessishumanmasterclass

Industrial technology giant Honeywell is redefining the noble barcode scanner for the industrial age. In this episode, I speak to Theodore Newman, Senior Manager of Global Application Engineering, and Steph Hobley-Lloyd, Global Offering Manager, about Honeywell's Swift Decoder SDK. We discuss the needs of barcode scanners for industrial and enterprise use cases, focusing on rapid, high-accuracy batch scanning, integrating the functionality into various types of devices and machines, and how Swift Decoder's flexibility and multi-OS support address these needs. Additionally, we explore how the upcoming support for AI will significantly expand its utility and applications.  

Welcome back to Higher Density Living! In this captivating fourth (or fifth!) episode, co-host Jason Rigby is joined once again by the brilliant Dr. Eric Cunningham, a Professor of Philosophy at Gonzaga University and an expert in modern Japanese intellectual history, Zen Buddhism, Catholicism, psychedelia, and eschatology. Together, they dive deep into the mysterious world of secret societies through the lens of Rudolf Steiner's profound teachings—a topic that bridges the physical and spiritual realms like never before.   Dr. Cunningham, a former naval officer turned academic, shares his fascinating journey into Steiner's esoteric philosophy, sparked in 1989 by a friend who introduced him to Knowledge of the Higher Worlds and Its Attainment. What followed was a decades-long exploration of Steiner's vast body of work—over 70 books and hundreds of lectures—that seamlessly connects spirituality, history, and human evolution. As a practicing Catholic with a passion for Zen Buddhism and Asian mysticism, Cunningham brings a unique perspective to Steiner's ideas, blending rigorous scholarship with metaphysical insight.   In this episode, we explore Steiner's views on secret societies—described as “lines of connection” between the material and spiritual worlds. From the Rosicrucians' pursuit of conscious immortality to the Illuminati's entanglement with Ahrimanic (materialistic) forces, Cunningham unpacks the distinction between societies seeking esoteric wisdom and those chasing temporal power. Steiner's cosmic framework reveals a timeless struggle between “left-hand” and “right-hand” brotherhoods—rebellious spirits resisting divine evolution versus those embracing self-sacrificial love.   We journey through history, examining how spiritual impulses, not just material causes, shaped events like the Renaissance and Industrial Age. Steiner's radical perspective challenges conventional narratives, suggesting that the modern world's obsession with “fitness over truth” (as echoed by Donald Hoffman) reflects the triumph of Ahrimanic forces. Cunningham also delves into the 19th-century esoteric revival—Freemasonry's expansion, the Golden Dawn, and the OTO—connecting these movements to Steiner's fifth post-Atlantean epoch and the karmic shifts of industrialization.   The conversation takes a dark turn as we confront the Nazis' suppression of esoteric groups like Steiner's Anthroposophical Society, alongside their own occult obsessions (think Thule Society and Maria Orsic). Were these crackdowns a karmic backlash against Ahrimanic tendencies? And how do they tie into modern conspiracies like Operation Paperclip and the rise of technocrats like Wernher von Braun?   Fast forward to 2025: Cunningham speculates on what Steiner would see in today's world—AI, media consolidation, and geopolitical tension. Is artificial intelligence the ultimate Ahrimanic threat, stripping humanity of its capacity for independent thought? Or can we resist by cultivating “enthusiastic attentiveness” and piercing the hidden power structures Steiner warned about?   Plus, get a sneak peek into Cunningham's book, The Luciferic Verses: The Daodejing and the Chinese Roots of Esoteric History (available now on Amazon—link in the show notes!). This groundbreaking work explores Luciferic influences, Chinese mysticism, and even dragons—yes, dragons!—across cultures. Jason also teases an upcoming episode on tarot and Aleister Crowley, inspired by his personal dive into the Waite deck.   Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro: Secret Societies and Rudolf Steiner 02:34 – Dr. Eric Cunningham's Journey into Steiner's World 05:20 – Defining Secret Societies: Esoteric Wisdom vs. Temporal Power 08:25 – Steiner's Take on Rosicrucians, Illuminati, and Historical Forces 13:00 – Freemasonry's Role in the 19th Century and Beyond 18:05 – The Dark Side: Death, Control, and Ahrimanic Brotherhoods 23:17 – Golden Dawn, OTO, and Aleister Crowley's Hollywood Legacy 28:22 – Nazis, Thule Society, and Steiner's Persecution 35:15 – Modern Elites, AI, and the Ahrimanic Shadow 49:35 – Reincarnation and Secret Societies' Spiritual Manipulation 51:04 – Steiner in 2025: The Greatest Threat to Humanity 56:12 – Closing Thoughts: Get The Luciferic Verses Now!   Support Dr. Cunningham:   Grab his book, The Luciferic Verses: The Daodejing and the Chinese Roots of Esoteric History, on Amazon. It's a must-read for anyone intrigued by Steiner, secret societies, and the cosmic interplay of Luciferic and Ahrimanic forces.   Stay Connected: Subscribe to Higher Density Living for more mind-expanding discussions. Hit subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube!   Join the Higher Density Living community on [Instagram]and [TikTok] for bonus clips.   Check out our previous episodes with Dr. Cunningham on Steiner's threefold society and economics.   Buy the Book on Amazon.

In this episode of Crazy Wisdom, host Stewart Alsop talks with Rosario Parlanti, a longtime crypto investor and real estate attorney, about the shifting landscape of decentralization, AI, and finance. They explore the power struggles between centralized and decentralized systems, the role of AI agents in finance and infrastructure, and the legal gray areas emerging around autonomous technology. Rosario shares insights on trusted execution environments, token incentives, and how projects like Phala Network are building decentralized cloud computing. They also discuss the changing narrative around Bitcoin, the potential for AI-driven financial autonomy, and the future of censorship-resistant platforms. Follow Rosario on X @DeepinWhale and check out Phala Network to learn more.Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation!Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Crazy Wisdom Podcast00:25 Understanding Decentralized Cloud Infrastructure04:40 Centralization vs. Decentralization: A Philosophical Debate06:56 Political Implications of Centralization17:19 Technical Aspects of Phala Network24:33 Crypto and AI: The Future Intersection25:11 The Convergence of Crypto and AI25:59 Challenges with Centralized Cloud Services27:36 Decentralized Cloud Solutions for AI30:32 Legal and Ethical Implications of AI Agents32:59 The Future of Decentralized Technologies41:56 Crypto's Role in Global Financial Freedom49:27 Closing Thoughts and Future ProspectsKey InsightsDecentralization is not absolute, but a spectrum. Rosario Parlanti explains that decentralization doesn't mean eliminating central hubs entirely, but rather reducing choke points where power is overly concentrated. Whether in finance, cloud computing, or governance, every system faces forces pushing toward centralization for efficiency and control, while counterforces work to redistribute power and increase resilience.Trusted execution environments (TEE) are crucial for decentralized cloud computing. Rosario highlights how Phala Network uses TEEs, a hardware-based security measure that isolates sensitive data from external access. This ensures that decentralized cloud services can operate securely, preventing unauthorized access while allowing independent providers to host data and run applications outside the control of major corporations like Amazon and Google.AI agents will need decentralized infrastructure to function autonomously. The conversation touches on the growing power of AI-driven autonomous agents, which can execute financial trades, conduct research, and even generate content. However, running such agents on centralized cloud providers like AWS could create regulatory and operational risks. Decentralized cloud networks like Phala offer a way for these agents to operate freely, without interference from governments or corporations.Regulatory arbitrage will shape the future of AI and crypto. Rosario describes how businesses and individuals are already leveraging jurisdiction shopping—structuring AI entities or financial operations in countries with more favorable regulations. He speculates that AI agents could be housed within offshore LLCs or irrevocable trusts, creating legal distance between their creators and their actions, raising new ethical and legal challenges.Bitcoin's narrative has shifted from currency to investment asset. Originally envisioned as a peer-to-peer electronic cash system, Bitcoin has increasingly been treated as digital gold, largely due to the influence of institutional investors and regulatory frameworks like Bitcoin ETFs. Rosario argues that this shift in perception has led to Bitcoin being co-opted by the very financial institutions it was meant to disrupt.The rise of AI-driven financial autonomy could bypass traditional banking and regulation. The combination of AI, smart contracts, and decentralized finance (DeFi) could enable AI agents to conduct financial transactions without human oversight. This could range from algorithmic trading to managing business operations, potentially reducing reliance on traditional banking systems and challenging the ability of governments to enforce financial regulations.The accelerating clash between technology and governance will redefine global power structures. As AI and decentralized systems gain momentum, traditional nation-state mechanisms for controlling information, currency, and infrastructure will face unprecedented challenges. Rosario and Stewart discuss how this shift mirrors previous disruptions—such as social media's impact on information control—and speculate on whether governments will adapt, resist, or attempt to co-opt these emerging technologies.

After Romania, one night in Rome.By FinalStand. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.When our ancestor committed the first murder, was it rage, or fear that drove them to the deed?(Evening near the Metropole, Roma, Italia)"I think you've done well," Riki congratulated me as she terminated her phone call. Word had come down that her replacement was on the way. Our profile had been updated back at State and they clearly wanted to bring in the 'real professionals'. There also had been a miscommunication. I was far too stressed to be reasonable now.Some undeserving smuck was about to be at the receiving end of my wrath for no better reason than I was at my limit of accepting any further alterations to my life. In hindsight, I was being totally irrational. At that moment in time, I didn't care whose day I was ruining. Sometimes I can be a jerk and an idiot at the same time.The US State Department apparently thought I couldn't dictate who was, or wasn't, a member of 'Unit L', we now had our own designation within Javiera's expanding task-force. The government had a random name generator for this shit and we got the letter 'L'. Maybe that device didn't think we were going to last long enough to matter. Anyway, I took the phone and hit redial. Riki gave me an 'I'm puzzled' look."Who am I talking to?" I inquired."Ms, who are you?" he demanded, since my caller ID said Riki and, unless I used my high, squeaky voice, I obviously sounded like a guy."I'm Cáel Nyilas. Who is this?" I replied."I'm Bill A. Miller, Director of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service. What seems to be the problem, Mr. Nyilas?" He was rather uptight about the call-back."Since we are working together, why don't you call me Cáel?" I politely requested. "I'll call you Willy.""My name is Bill, but you can call me Director Miller," he corrected me. "The reason for your call is?""It is Willy, or Dick; your choice," I countered. "I don't call my boss 'Director' and I worship the ground she walks on. You are not even in her league. Also, I've had bad experiences with guys named Bill which are too painful to explain right now."That was true. One was friend taking a shower and leaving me alone with his mother. The other was early on in my career when I confused a girl named Bonnie with her real name 'Bill'. I was my own personal 'The Crying Game'. I didn't handle that episode well."Besides, I didn't call to discuss name-calling. I want to know how many agents work for you.""What does that have to do with anything?" he grumbled."You are quick with the questions while painfully bereft of answers," I snorted. "Don't make me Google this too.""Over two thousand," he stopped being a total ass. "Is there anything else I can tell you that Miss Martin should have been able to tell you?" Ooops, Back to being an ass."Riki's being physically restrained from taking her phone back by some of my educationally-challenged, illegal alien, unskilled labor force of questionable loyalty," I outrageously lied. It was an odious habit of mine that I'd cultivated vigorously over the past few weeks. "Two thousand humans, thanks. Is Riki's replacement a guy, or a girl? Wait, who cares? Just send their picture and I'll let you know where to send their replacement.""Are you threatening my people?" he simmered."No. That would make me an uncooperative and nefarious nuisance," I evaded. "Of course, when a person sticks their hand into a functioning garbage disposal, you don't blame the device. You blame the moron who stuck their hand in." From the perspective of our relationship, I was the garbage disposal."That definitely sounds like a threat," he responded. He was going to stick his hand in anyway."Your inability to comprehend the nuances possible with the English language is not why I called and not something I feel I can educate you about, given my current time constraints. Just have one of your insipid flunkies send me the picture. I need to purchase duct tape and an out-of-the-way storage space," I informed him."By the way, in the spirit of legal chicanery, could you tell me how long it will take for Riki Martin's name to come back up in the rotation? Let's figure 36 hours between each hot-shot leaving DC and their eventual inability to return phone calls," I wanted to make sure he knew I was taunting his pompous self. (Me being pompous and unhelpful didn't cross my mind at that moment.)"Let me make myself clear, Mr. Nyilas," he repeated. "Not only can you not dictate terms to the US government, you are not even the team's designated leader." I wasn't? Fuck him. I had tons of useless members of the Alphabet Mafia in front of my name, all loudly proclaiming my numerous accolades.Of everyone on the team, I had the most: NOHIO (Number One House Ishara Official), HCIESI-NDI, (Havenstone Commercial Investments Executive Services' Intern -- New Directive Initiative, I didn't make that one up, I swear), MEH (Magyarorszag es Erdely Hercege) and UHAUL (Unpaid Honcho Assigned to Unit L). I liked that last one, so that was how I was going to sign off on all my reports now."First off, I AM in charge, Willy. Without me, there is no Unit L. I quit, and then what? In case you missed it, I can't be drafted or threatened by you. If you think you can replace me, please do so right now and let me get back to my life -- you know, the thing that actually puts money in my pocket.Besides, I am not refusing to take anyone you see fit to put on MY team. I'm just not going to tell you where I'm going to take them to. I suspect they are adults and can find their way home, eventually, Willy.""Mr. Nyilas, you are an unbelievably fortunate amateur and novice intellectual in a situation that demands experience and professionalism. It is time for you to step back and let the people who know what they are doing take over. Just play your part and we'll make sure you get due credit for following orders and behaving," he unleashed his fair-smelling bile."I am following your orders; your procedures dictate that a member of the State Department will be on this team," I kept my calm. "As one of the people who actually has experience with this situation, I'm letting you know how things work in the field. Every person you send will be misplaced, thus you will have to send someone else. Alerting you to the need to stay on top of your job -- sending someone else -- sounds to me like common sense advice in this circumstance.""That is not going to happen, Nyilas. If something happens, " he got out."Willy, duct tape is plentiful and cheap. Kidnapping -- thus hostage keeping -- is virtually a religion in Southern Italy. And though I am already wired into the local criminal underground, I'm just not going to be able to help you, or them. I'll make up some implausible excuses as the need arises. So now you know the score. The next move is yours," I smiled."The next words out of your mouth had better be 'I'll behave', or the State Department will revoke your passport and have stern words with the Republic of Ireland over your diplomatic status," Willy warned me."I'll behave," I fibbed. Riki snatched the phone out of my hand."Sir -- Director Miller, I want you to know I had nothing to do with Mr. Nyilas' tirade," Riki apologized. "He stole my phone.""I did." and "oww!" I hollered in the background. "She ground her heel into my instep. the fiery little minx." I was propping up her excuse because I owed her for verbally taking a dump on her boss, the ass-heap back in Romania. Riki punched me."Ms. Martin, do we need to reconsider your employment, or can we rely on you to re-organize Unit L before Ms. McCauley (her replacement) arrives?" Willy lectured."Director Miller, ""Call him Big Willy," I whispered to her. "He loves that 'Big Willy' style."This time she hit me in the thigh. My ballistic vest had gotten in the way of her first hit, but she was a quick learner."How can you know a song from 1997, yet not know that Russia invaded Georgia in 2008?" Riki put her hand over the phone and hissed at me."Ah," Pamela teased. "Somebody is a Will Smith fan." Riki looked away.I wasn't sure what to make of the Will Smith -- Ricky Martin combo forming in my mind. Will was one of my manly icons. Hey, he was a stud, scored numerous hotties in his film career and married Jada Pinkett Smith. What's not to love? Growing up, I wanted to be like Will Smith. When/if I ever finished growing up, I wanted to be like George Clooney."Director Miller," Riki tried again. "He's lying. From my personal observations and with supporting personality profiles provided by other members of the task force, I can guarantee you that Mr. Nyilas is unreliable and untrustworthy. Sir, I've watched Romani males hide their wallets and their daughters when he walks by." Okay, wasn't that last bit a lie?"that last bit a lie?es hide their wallets and their daughters when he walks by. provided by other members However, unless she has been cross-trained as a waitress at a gang-affiliated nightclub, a day-care worker for the criminally insane, plus consistently wins at Texas hold 'em, she's going to be out of her element here.""No sir, but Mr. Nyilas likes me, I'm not sure why," she glared at me. I poked her in the boob to help clarify the matter. Riki slapped my hand. Virginia punched me in the shoulder. I decided to poke Virginia in her ballistic-covered breast, hoping she was jealous for the attention. I was wrong. They both hit me again.Had this been sexual harassment, they would have hated this job and despised me. Since this was me being my painfully childish self, well, I was still annoying, but also adorable. Put it this way: if a woman could not only pepper spray a man making cat-calls at her, and was even encouraged to do so, wouldn't that de-stress the situation?"Director Miller, I don't want to stay on this assignment, yet I'd be remiss if I didn't explain some of the numerous pitfalls of working with Unit L. Every one of them is comfortable being a walking arsenal. I'm on my way to have a ballistic vest tailored for me because I'm the only one in the unit without one. I have no doubt that any of them could kill me with their bare hands in less than 5 seconds if they so desired," she explained."You would think they would want a more effective combatant with them," Miller grew icy, suspecting duplicity on Riki's part -- moron. She looked at me over the phone."Sir, I think they like me because I know I don't belong in a firefight. They can count on me to cower behind cover while the bullets are flying. That allows the rest to kill unimpeded by having to keep an eye on me," she said.Pause."One of them did show me how to recognize and start various grenades. She said if I was ever the last one alive, it would give me 'options'."Pause."Ms. Martin, don't cancel your flight back to DC yet. I'm going to give Ms. Castello a call to see what her assessment of the situation is," Willy allowed. "Good-bye.""I can't believe I talked him into making me stay with you people," Riki moaned.Our little caravan was slowing to a stop outside the Metropole Hotel. It was Hana's choice for a Roman meeting location. A restaurant and a hotel room, all in one location. Rachel and Wiesława were ahead of us, checking things out. Hana had informed us that the Illuminati had two people watching her. This was going to be my last bit of time with Rachel for a while.(Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch, )Two new members of House Ishara were on their way to Rome. They'd be joined by two members of the House Guard of Andraste from Britain. The two Isharans were the first members of the House Guard of Ishara in over a thousand years. I didn't expect them to be the martial equals of Rachel, or Charlotte. Not yet. And anyway, that didn't matter. What mattered to me was that they'd volunteered for the task and Buffy felt they were the best we had.Another nomadic pack of House Hylonome Amazons had taken in the traumatized Zola. She had to stay in Romanian until the authorities finished up her part of the investigation. A mixed group from House Živa and Ishara (led by Helena) would handle security for Professor Loma, his family and the Lovasz sisters during their trip to New York.Aliz, his wife, was officially in House Ishara's custody. That was my best play at making sure she avoided summary justice for her 'betrayal' of House Hylonome. The whole group would be handed over to House Epona as soon as the Romanians cleared them for foreign travel. It helped my case that Aliz appreciated my warnings about the danger that both families were in from House Illuyankamunus.The occult nitpicking that allowed me to leverage this maneuver was accomplished by me doing yet another rarely done feat. In the name of Alkonyka Lovasz, House Ishara was sponsoring a new Amazon house. I could testify to the existence and matronage of the Goddess SzélAnya (without her permission), which was one of the stepping stones for acceptance.Vincent was going to stay in Germany for two days, then he was off to his home and daughters in Arlington Virginia, with a long convalescence and a rumored promotion. Mona and Tiger Lily were already on their way to New York as honor guard for Charlotte's body, courtesy of the US Air Force. The Amazons needed the USAF to do it because that was the only way we could get the Romanians to release her body.The Hylonome dead, they would be buried in a private plot after all the autopsies were done. I was absolutely sure the Hylonome would steal the bodies in due time and give them a 'proper' burial. Of the Mycenaeans, Red and one of his buddies still remained at large. Of Ajax's half-brother, Teucer, and the other previously wounded Greek warrior, there was no sign. Kwen and the other POWs remained in Romania to face a laundry list of charges. Her fate was unknown to me.My bodyguard was reduced, yet no one minded. The twin reasoning was that the Black Hand in Italy would provide some protection for me. The other was that I was in the birthplace of the Condottieri. Selena's sources strongly suspected that their HQ was close to Rome itself. I could have had more security by recruiting among the 'natives'.Various sources, some inside Italy, had suggested that the Carabinieri, Italy's military police force, had 'offered' to provide some protection. That was prompted by events surrounding my visits to Budapest  and  Mindszent, Hungary and the 'action' south of Miercurea Ciuc, Romania (no one wanted to call it a battle, even though the fight involved over 1000 Romanian Land Forces troops and half a squadron of the Romanian Air Force).My refusal of the offer caused a 'disruption'. This was a polite way of saying the Italians did not want me to enter their country. I wasn't being a jerk this time. Selena and Aunt Briana were both of the opinion that the Condo's recruited heavily from European military and paramilitary units -- particularly Western Europe. And that not all their 'new hires' had left active duty either.A peculiar circumstance then developed. The pretext for denying me entry was undercut by Hungary and Romania erasing me from their official investigation. I wasn't a threat (despite the burnt landscape and tombstones sprouting up in my wake.) Romania didn't want me to stay, Hungary decided they didn't want me back -- at the moment -- and the US/UK/Ireland were telling the Italians that I was a peach, or whatever implied that in diplomatic speech.There was a compromise finally reached by Riki and shadow forces that I couldn't put names to. I could come to Italy as long as my itinerary was relayed to Carabinieri. We could keep our side arms in holsters and our big guns as long as they weren't on our persons. I could go around without a Carabinieri bodyguard as long as I ignored them floating around me at a discreet distance. A liaison officer would meet me at the hotel to maintain the illusion that I was just a paranoid tourist.Delilah had to touch base with the British again, probably for the same reasons that the US wanted to replace Riki. While both Delilah and Chaz were military and seconded to MI-6, they weren't considered Intelligence Experts by the people at the helm. For that matter, they weren't even sure how Delilah had ended up at my side, killing multi-national terrorists in three separate countries inside of one month. That was very cinematic, not realistic. The idea of governments with shadow operatives 'sanctioning' people was not something that anyone in the 'know' wanted to talk about.Whether it was before the media, a US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, or a UK Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Select Committee this wasn't what these Department Heads wanted to discuss. Less anyone forget, my Congress and my President didn't, umm, get along.In my favor, I was an orphan from New Hampshire, both my US Senators were women and I'd worked on their campaigns or dated some of their volunteers. It might do me some good to call Dr. Kimberly Geisler at Bolingbrook to see what she could do politically. All that could wait.(Finishing Up)Selena Jovanović had the first of our two dark blue Alfa Romeo 159s, the one that disgorged Rachel and Wiesława. She, Saku and Odette would circle the block in case there was any trouble. Pamela had the driver's seat in my car. No one wanted me or Odette to drive because we didn't understand urban Italian street etiquette. It was Virginia, me and Riki in the backseat with Chaz up front with Pamela.Rachel gave the preliminary order to disembark. That meant the lobby was partially clear -- there were armed types about that seemed to be either Carabinieri, or understandable private security. Rome wasn't as dangerous as Mexico City (kidnap-wise), but events in London, Budapest and the Hungarian and Romanian countryside were putting people on edge. And those with enough money could buy some emotional comfort in the form of armed private contractors.Chaz took his H and K UMP-45, stock folded, out of the bag at his feet and secured it inside the right-side of his jacket. Three spare clips went inside a harness on his left. It was dreamlike as Virginia and I went through a similar, less heavily armed process. For FBI Girl, it was a 'carry-on' with flash-bang, concussion and smoke grenades, plus a few extra clips/mags for everyone.For me, it was a tomahawk, a second Gloc-22 and a bullet for everyone in the hotel, if that became necessary. As the car came to a stop in front of the main doors, I worked my way over Riki so that I would be the second person to exit the car. Chaz would be the first. Virginia got out on her side. Pamela would stay at the wheel -- Riki had an appointment with a tailor to keep.I felt it then, that sympathetic spiritual harmony I was one-third of. I looked up into the 'clear' Rome night. There she was, Bellatrix, the Amazon star in the Constellation of Orion. According to the Egyptian Rite, the Weave of Fate was nearly invisible by day, but by night, you could make out its strands in the motion of the stars. That was not something Alal had ever truly mastered. Still,I had a new phone since the charred remains of my old one were in some evidence locker in Budapest by now. That didn't mean I wanted to use it. I was getting squirrely about people I didn't want finding me, finding me. Chaz was in the lead, I was in the middle and Virginia covered my back. Rachel caught sight of us, gave a quick nod, and then she and Wiesława went for the elevators.Rachel would want to check out Hana's room before I got there -- if I got there. I called Odette."Hey Babe," Odette beamed excitement my way. She was in Rome and we had a guaranteed 24 hour layover. For a girl who thought her great adventure in life was going to end up being a high school trip to Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, she was in Nirvana."Hey to you too, Odette. I need a favor," I began."Sure," she chirped."In five minutes from, right now make sure Sakuniyas comes to see me and Hana in the restaurant by herself," I requested. Odette hesitated, taking in her knowledge of 'Cáel-speak'."No problemo Jeffe," she answered. She knew I was in some undefined trouble. We both knew that her body language would convey that unease to Saku, which was what I needed. See, I had a plan. I tapped Chaz, slowing him and thus allowing Virginia to bunch up with us."Do either one of you remember the movie 

Greetings Glocal Citizens! As I head back to the Continent, I can't help but to train my mind on what it takes to seed and sow solutions in Africa's best interest. This week's guest has also been invested in these types of solutions for his entire career. A serial social entrepreneur, innovation consultant, service designer, learning scientist and startup coach, Femi Longe is passionate about helping individuals and organizations be and do their best to enable a better world. Born in the UK, raised in his Nigera and now based in Ireland, Femi currently works on the Financial Freedom team at the Human Rights Foundation (https://hrf.org) as Global Bitcoin Lead, driving strategy and execution of the HRF's Bitcoin Development Fund, This is a fund dedicated to growing adoption of Bitcoin and adjacent freedom technologies especially in countries under repressive regimes. Previously, he was the CEO of QALA Africa (https://www.forbes.com/sites/digital-assets/2023/09/05/jay-z-and-jack-dorsey-funded-btrust-acquires-african-bitcoin-talent-firm-qala/) — acquired by Btrust and transformed into Btrust Builders, which is an engineering training programme helping African software developers transition to careers in Bitcoin & Lightning development. Prior to joining the Bitcoin ecosystem, Femi co-founded and remains a non-executive Director at Co-Creation Hub (CcHub) (https://cchub.africa), Africa's leading social innovation centre and tech hub. Earlier in his career, he gained experience at the UK's foremost social innovation centre, The Young Foundation, where he established the UpRising Leadership Programme. As the transitions between the Stone Age to Bronze Age, and various different human technologies delivered us to the Industrial Age and presently the Information Age, all contributing the imprint that is humanity today, I am extsatic to be a storyteller with the ability to share perspectives like these. Stories that support and inspire a borderless mindset and are indeed manifesting a new world. Where to find Femi? On LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/femi-longe/) On YouTube (https://youtu.be/05Pfg89FZkg?si=mJcdPT8VDdRrS3k4) What's Femi watching? Wicked (https://www.wickedmovie.com) Emilia Pérez (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emilia_P%C3%A9rez) What's Femi reading? Start with Why (https://simonsinek.com/books/start-with-why/) by Simon Sinek Other topics of interest: Ilesa, Nigeria (https://www.osunstate.gov.ng/about/major-towns/ilesa/) Ijesha tribe (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ijesha) About AIESEC (https://aiesec.org/) Silk Road (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road) Satoshi Nakamoto's Bitcoin Vision (https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf) Meme Coin Spoils (https://www.reuters.com/markets/currencies/trumps-meme-coin-made-nearly-100-million-trading-fees-small-traders-lost-money-2025-02-03/) Sam Bankman-Fried (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Bankman-Fried) and the collapse of FTX What happened to Silcon Valley Bank (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_Silicon_Valley_Bank) About South Korean crypto currency entrepreneur Do Kwon (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn7r8xr3v76o) Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziGD7vQOwl8) On Moring Pages (https://www.urbanwildstudio.com/blog/2024/2/21/benefits-of-morning-pages-artists-way-graphic-notes) Special Guest: Femi Longe.

Practical progress toward a sustainable lifestyle, whether you are an individual or a business, will always be unique to your situation, but you can base your choices on lessons learned by others. Tune into a conversation with Sarah Currie-Halpern, Co-Founder of Think Zero LLC, a consultancy that helps businesses, institutions, and households reduce waste and embrace sustainable practices. With a focus on practical, actionable solutions, Sarah and her team work to make sustainability accessible to many clients. Sarah shares travel tips to keep in mind to reduce your impact on the ground in other cities and countries. Taking a water bottle, reusable utensils, and a coffee cup can eliminate the single-use stuff you'll find at many hotels and resorts. Check out Ecohotels.com and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council's guidance. You will discover insights that can pierce the veil of greenwashing by travel marketers with the information you find there.Sarah draws on her waste management work in the office of the Mayor of New York to discuss the potential for applications of artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the flow of materials to landfill. According to several studies, AI could consume up to 10% of electricity generated by the end of the decade. AI can be a powerful tool, but many companies focus on delivering trivial consumer convenience using the technology. Finding your next favorite social video or saving the effort involved in changing the channel on your TV are not worthwhile applications of technology that could be applied to, for example, developing fire suppression materials that are free of the toxins and heavy metals dumped in waves of red on cities in the Los Angeles basin amid this year's wildfires. We can and will use AI to invent new, sustainable materials, sort reusable materials out of the waste stream, and much more. Still, we should not see every question humans pose, like “What's on TV tonight?” handed to AI to resolve. If information is the new oil, we can use AI more judiciously than we did with petroleum during the Industrial Age. You can learn more about Sarah and her work at Think Zero at https://www.thinkzerollc.com/Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.Follow Sustainability in Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube

Fresh from the floor of CES 2025, I grabbed about 10 minutes each with two brilliant minds in technology and innovation who shared fascinating insights about where we're headed in this AI-driven world for a fast but powerful bonus episode. Andrew Klein, who leads creative technology and innovation at PMCI (Publicis Media Content and Innovation Team), dove straight into how generative AI is becoming increasingly woven into our daily lives. Andrew Klein, SVP, PMCI at CES 2025 He painted a vivid picture of our near future, where wearable AI technology won't just sit on our desks but will travel with us through our days via glasses, earbuds, and head-mounted displays. His most striking observation? "I think we're going to have more conversations with AI, potentially, than we would with people. Especially when you think about digital communication." Klein shared fascinating insights about the emerging convergence of crypto and AI, describing a future where we'll essentially subscribe to different AIs like we currently follow social media accounts or news sources. These AI agents, running 24/7, could serve as everything from market analysts to personal companions. When our discussion turned to the critical issue of trust in AI systems, Klein highlighted how major platforms are starting to prioritize transparency by clearly identifying AI-driven interactions.   Albert Thompson, Walton Isaacson, at CES 2025 This focus on trust was echoed and expanded upon by my next guest, Albert Thompson, Managing Director of Digital Innovation at Walton Isaacson, who had just finished moderating a panel on monetization in immersive technologies. Thompson offered a profound observation that really stuck with me: "The world's currency is not technology, it's trust. And that's everywhere from political candidacy to why three ply toilet paper is better than one. ...And when you start to think about news and information, it's whom do we trust?" Thompson drew a fascinating distinction between generations: Boomers understand how things are made because they come from the Industrial Age, while Gen Z knows how nothing is made - they just want it to work. He predicts we'll return to valuing in-person verification, noting that while deepfakes can fool us online, "the one thing a deepfake can't do is walk in the room and fake you out." The episode concludes with my personal note about the Los Angeles wildfires and information about supporting affected communities, including the Grammy-winning composer of my Insider Interviews theme, John Clayton. (You can see a few images of what his home WAS in our episode last year of "It's Quite a Living".) John Clayton and lost compositions Key Segments & Timestamps: [00:01:15] Andrew Klein on Innovations at CES 2025 [00:04:34] The Convergence of Crypto and AI [00:06:40] Trust and Transparency in AI [00:12:13] Albert Thompson on The Future of Technology and Trust [00:17:56] Closing Note about LA Wildfires DONATION RESOURCES: American Red Cross to support the communities in need. World Central Kitchen has mobilized across Southern California, providing sandwiches and water throughout the region.   Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation to go toward equipping firefighters with tools and supplies to contain the infernos. GoFundMe.org started a 2025 Wildfire Relief Fund that will “go directly to people impacted who are seeking help through GoFundMe fund-raisers, and to nonprofit organizations on the ground providing relief. And, as mentioned, I'll be donating a portion of any support of this episode that is sent to buymeacoffee.com/MossAppeal  Connect with E.B. Moss and Insider Interviews: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mossappeal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insiderinterviews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsiderInterviewsPodcast/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@insiderinterviews Blusky: https://bsky.app/profile/mossappeal.bsky.social

Hello Interactors,As the year ends, I reflect on 2024's top five essays and a shared theme emerges: the systems that define our lives. These systems intertwine nature and nurture, machines and morality, and markets and minds.From evolution's harmony to the moral balance of economic power, the co-opting of language to the divides between prosperity and precarity, our journey has revealed deep connections between people, place, and power.Let's rewind and reweave these connections into a broader narrative that sets us on our way to another trip around the sun.NATURE, NURTURE, AND NODAL NETWORKSIn “DEVO, Darwin, and the Evo-Devo Dance,” we explored how evolution reflects the eternal interplay between biology and environment, progress and adaptation. The evolution of synthesizers — as my daughter's playful experiments with sound reminded me — offers a metaphor for humanity's relationship with technology.This relationship echoes the broader theme of systems and evolution. Iterative changes and interactions between tools and users offer the potential to create new possibilities. As noted in the essay,"DEVO's fusion of human and machine echoes these evolutionary dynamics, where both biological and technological systems evolve through reconfiguration and integration, creating emergent complexity that Darwin could not have imagined."Just as synthesizers blend natural sound waves with human creativity, humanity's interaction with technology evolves in cycles of adaptation and transformation, shaping both the tools we use and the societies we build. We shape our tools, and they shape us in return.The blend of nature's design and our technological imprint creates an ecosystem of mutual influence, much like the Evo-Devo theories of biology, where small tweaks in developmental genes lead to dramatic evolutionary outcomes.This interplay of creation and transformation mirrors the cycles of human progress. Just as Hox genes orchestrate body plans, societal changes—spurred by technology or ideology—reshape our collective body. Whether it's the mechanistic choreography of DEVO's performances or the emergence of Evo-Devo in biology, the boundaries between human and machine blur.Are we programming nature, or is nature programming us? Perhaps the answer lies not in drawing distinctions but in understanding common patterns. These questions highlight the complexities of how we, and other organisms and systems, grow, adapt, and evolve in a world increasingly interwoven with introduced technology.From the mechanized rhythms of industrialization to the organic flow of natural systems, human -- and nonhuman -- there exists a tension and balance between stability and change. The teleonomic goal-directed behavior of living systems together with society's driving pulse of technology has fused into an unrecognizable but somehow familiar new existence. Even as we invent tools to navigate this existence, we become part of the systems we create—both shapers and shaped.The orchestration of evolution — like the many-layered songs of a many-player band — shows a world of many, connected, but not always planned.MARKETS, MACHINES, AND MORALITYThe Industrial Revolution brought unparalleled progress but also profound moral dilemmas. In “Markets, Machines, and Morality,” we reflected on Adam Smith's dual identity as both an economist and a moral philosopher. For Smith, markets were not just mechanisms of exchange but reflections of human nature. His “Theory of Moral Sentiments” reminds us that sympathy, justice, and prudence are vital governors of economic power — like James Watt's centrifugal governor, which balanced the speed of steam engines.But history shows us that unchecked systems, whether economic or mechanical, often prioritize efficiency over empathy. From Bentham's utilitarian calculus to the exploitative practices of modern capitalism, we've seen how the quest for profit can erode the moral underpinnings of society. Today's tech-driven economies, much like the Industrial Age's steam engines, require careful regulation to prevent runaway consequences. Smith's ideals of community benevolence and fair markets resonate more than ever.The unchecked growth of industrial power also highlights the tensions between human ingenuity and ethical responsibility. The centrifugal governor's simple elegance stands as a metaphor for our need to impose limits on excess, whether in economic policies, technological innovation, or social systems. Without these balancing mechanisms, we risk spiraling into inequity, instability, and dehumanization — a lesson as relevant today as it was in Smith's time.Moreover, the moral fabric underpinning economic actions — sympathy, justice, prudence — often fades in the shadow of profit-driven systems. Yet, these values remain the quiet governors ensuring that society's engines run not just efficiently but equitably.Smith's vision was never limited to wealth accumulation; it was about creating a society where individual pursuits align with collective well-being. Unlike today's economic practices, which often prioritize short-term profit over long-term societal health, Smith emphasized the importance of moral virtues such as sympathy and justice in guiding market dynamics.His insights are less about the "invisible hand" and more reminders to steer not only by the metrics of progress but also by the compass of morality. Like a finely tuned machine, morality should govern the obscene, in a more steady and fair routine.LANGUAGE, LANDSCAPE, AND LOSSLanguage has the power to shape identities and wield influence. These were the themes in “Woke and Wealth” and “Molding Minds Through the Markets of Material Worlds.” Words like “woke” and “decolonize”—once rooted in justice—have been distorted, co-opted by power to serve as tools of division. Similarly, capitalism's framing of “Homo Economicus”—the rational, self-interested individual—has reshaped not just our identities but the very landscapes we inhabit.These constructed identities reflect the power dynamics embedded in economic and geographic systems. The urban centers that thrive on globalized knowledge economies are mirrored by rural regions left to grapple with stagnation and decline, as explored in “Main Street to Metropolis.” As noted in that essay,“Rural areas have become Republican strongholds, drawn to promises of reversing globalization, reshaping economic policies, and making their communities great again.”These places — shaped by policies, demographics, and technology — become symbols of our collective divisions. Yet even amidst these fractures, alternative identities emerge. “Homo Ecologicus,” focused on environmental stewardship, and “Homo Absurdum,” embracing creativity and imagination, remind us of humanity's potential for resilience, community, and connection.The co-opting of language — turning tools of empowerment into instruments of division — illustrates the ongoing struggle for control over cultural and political narratives. When words like “woke” are weaponized, the original call for awareness and justice is lost in a haze of ideological conflict.Meanwhile, the landscapes shaped by economic systems mirror these distortions, transforming places of shared community into arenas of exclusion and competition. Consider, for example, the gentrification of urban neighborhoods. Once vibrant hubs of diverse community life, these areas often transform into exclusive enclaves where rising costs push out long-time residents, replacing shared culture with economic segregation.Yet, within these landscapes of loss lies the potential for renewal. Rural areas, often overshadowed by urban centers, remain spaces where alternative identities thrive. These identities, rooted in stewardship, creativity, and resilience, offer glimpses of a world where humanity's diversity can flourish.The challenge lies in amplifying these voices, reclaiming the power of language, and reshaping the spaces we inhabit to reflect our shared values. Language shapes, landscapes mold — our shifting sense of self is an ancient story retold.CLOSING THE LOOPLooking back at these essays, a recurring theme emerges: the interplay of systems that define our lives is not a one-way street. Nature and nurture, markets and morality, language and identity are all intertwined, multi- referencial, and dynamic webs with mirroring interdependencies. Progress is not linear; it's a cycle of creation, transformation, and sometimes regression where changes to one aspect ripple through the entire system.This echoes the recurring themes explored earlier — from the evolving interplay between nature and technology to the moral balance necessary in markets and machines. Together, these cycles reveal how change, though uneven, can guide us toward resilience and renewal when approached with awareness and intention. Herein lies hope. We all possess the potential, and these systems the possibility, to recalibrate the systems we control to balance human progress with equity, efficiency with empathy, and innovation with ethics.These systems remind us that resilience lies in adaptability. Fire, when controlled, can foster growth and create fertile soil. Uncontrolled fire destroys. Water can unite by sustaining life, connect ecosystems, and enable communication and trade through rivers and oceans. But it can also erode, rot, create barriers, or flood habitats and communities.As we humans innovate and advance, we can pause to reflect on the systems we create. We can ensure they serve not just the few but the many. Like water and fire, the narratives we construct, whether through language, policy, or technology, have the power to unite or divide.Our collective task is to craft stories that inspire connection and foster growth built on shared values. As we step into a new year, what questions should we ask about the systems we create? How can we ensure they unite rather than divide? What would it take to build systems rooted in equity, empathy, and sustainability? Perhaps, most importantly, how do these systems reflect who we are—and who we aspire to be? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

On this episode of The Culture Matters Podcast, it is time for part 32 of our ongoing series where our very own Jay Doran discusses his book, Thirty Days of Thought, and goes through the process right alongside our listeners.  Jay is taking a trip through some deep waters regarding goals on a micro, macro, and meta level and some of the consequences that arise from that kind of focus.  We hope you enjoy this episode of The Culture Matters Podcast.

Welcome the most major week of all during this very historic 2024 astrology season!! Today on 11/15/24 Saturn stations direct in Pisces, and begins to move forward since Jun 26th when everything slowed down. Saturn brought some downtime this Summer helping us collectively to prepare for the end of the year transits occurring now. The Super Full Taurus Moon occurs to day at 3:26pm EST as it also connects to Uranus at 24 degrees. Besides being a full moon, it is super due to its closeness to the Earth. As an earth sign, Taurus ruled by Venus (currently in Capricorn since 11/11) represents our financial, practical, and assets that we need to survive. The economy encapsulates all of the values humans have created in order to be happy and comfortable in this lifetime. Some of those inventions from the Industrial Age have a negative affect on our environment and physical selves. This full moon is a completion of the New Taurus Moon six months ago. We are now in the rewards part of this Uranus conjunct with the Moon. Food scarcity and surplus both exist on Earth as the balance of power shifts controlling who lives and who dies. A correction will be made as Uranus continues to change the stubborn fixed Taurean Venus ' landscape to change security and greed in humans. This is an explosive issue as starvation grips the needy with war. On Saturday 11/16, the Sun in Scorpio will also make an opposition to Uranus at 25 degrees making for surprising changes collectively to core energy values and how we use it for good or bad. As the Sun shifts into Sagittarius on 11/21, it will also have an opposition for the first time to Pluto in Aquarius! Explosive energy this week can not be EMPHASIZED enough!! This energy is unstable and will last into 2026!! Venus will also be squaring the Nodes at 5.5 degrees of Aries and Libra. Venus in Cardinal Capricorn pushes our world view and how we show up in real time. With Aries North Node, we have been focused on our personal needs more while releasing with Libra in the South Node placating others! It's not about being angry and selfish as Aries can be sometimes, but rather to make ourselves love ourselves so we can move onto loving others. All is Maya with the Nodes of Fate as in January they will shift into Pisces/Virgo axis of spirituality/service - testing to see if we have learned how to truly love ourselves without guilt, but with happiness and kindness. This test is proving difficult for all since humans are intrinsically survivors encased in a cocoon of denial of the past and present events. Mercury in Sagittarius (in pre-retrograde phase) opposes Jupiter in Gemini on the 18th. They are in each other's sign of rulership making it an easy flow of energy; although, Mercury and Jupiter are weakest here making for a confusing time where facades can easily deceive. Mind words and clues for help in deciphering the current messages carefully. On 11/19, Pluto shifts into Aquarius until 2043 before entering Pisces. Most of us will not be here for the next shifts of Pluto's movements so make the most of the new innovations that will occur in this fixed air sign representing the collective groups leading the way for scientific breakthroughs. However, ideas and actions will not match as Mars is in its pre-retrograde phase as of now with Mercury to follow this week. Even though the outer planets may be moving forward , Saturn and Pluto are very slow moving working together to give support for the sudden changes that may occur with Uranus. These three main power players shape our collective outer world with emphasis on earthly matters. Neptune will soon be the star of the new moon nodal shifts into Pisces/Virgo in January 2025. As the Sagittarius Sun joins Mercury on 11/21, our minds will be filled with endless possibilities for exploring and changing what helps us in the long run. Sagittarius is a mutual fire sign that has big ideas and the fire to back it up, but again we run into Mars slowly moving in Leo! Frustrations and confusion can set in as stress and unhappiness with lack of action. Venus will also be trining Saturn at 12 degrees giving another cosmic help towards stability with Capricorn and Pisces influencing our ability to take the longer spiritual view of life on Earth. Staying grounded now is the only way to survive these next few years as chaos and war color the landscape of our lives. The Sagittarius Sun also trining Pluto in Aquarius continues to support our need for changes and use of innovative technology for food production and stable home building to withstand global warming impacting all. Mercury's slow down in Sagittarius begins on 11/22 when I will be back. Until then, stay healthy and kind towards yourselves and others. Thank you for your continued support. Enjoy this Beaver/Frost Full Super Moon by basking in its rays as it supports our continued evolution as humans on a spinning ball of fire/water/earth/wind. Please contact me via the comments.

I'm excited to announce that my new book "The Coming World Nation" is only a few weeks away from publication! It's a re-edited and expanded version of the "Secret History of the 20th Century" series I published last year. I rewrote almost the entire thing and added three new chapters, updating its contents to present day. I'm happy to share with you today the introduction to the book, which is titled "The Kali Yuga Reaches Its Grand Finale". It discusses how the world is moving into the end phase of a 5,000+ year "dark age" subcycle (the Kali Yuga) and how, as a result, the archetypal themes of this dark age are expressing themselves in a particularly concentrated way today. The overall theme is one of death and rebirth, with the architecture of modern civilization deconstructing in anticipation of its eventual rebirth in a new globalized form. The written version of the introduction that I read out in this episode is shared on my Substack (thewisdomtradition.substack.com). In the first 25 minutes of this episode, before I delve into this introduction, I go over the book's table of contents  and overview the main ideas behind each of its sections and chapters.Introduction | The Kali Yuga Reaches Its Grand FinaleI.  The Origin of American Empire1.   How Capitalism Changed America2.   World War I: A Conspiracy of Interests3.   The Industrial Age and the Politics of Energy4.   The Great Depression and the Build-Up to WWIIII.  The Birth of the Technocratic Superstate5.   The Classified Science of Nikola Tesla6.   Technocracy: Government in the Scientific Age7.   The Hidden Agenda Behind World War II8.   An Empire of Secrecy9.   The Untold Story of the Nazi “Wonder Weapons”III.  The Transition to Global Government10.  The Cold War and the Petrodollar11.  The Shadow Economy and the Black Budget12.  The UFO: An Instrument of Social Engineering13.  The Return of the Mystery Schoolswww.alexsachon.comSend us a text

Hello Interactors,We've entered fall here in the northern hemisphere, and you know what that means — pumpkin spice everything, cozy sweaters, and … economics! That's right, as the leaves change color (at least for those above 40°N latitude), it's the perfect time to explore how the changing seasons mirror shifts in human interaction, from the flow of resources to the balance of power and progress. This week, it's time to cozy up with Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and James Watt —three names you probably didn't expect to find together, but trust me, they make quite the trio. So grab your favorite fall beverage and join me on a journey through the Industrial Revolution, steam engines, and the forgotten role of moral feedback loops in economics. Let's find out why balancing wealth and well-being is harder than finding a public restroom in an old university. PURGING THE URGE FOR SYMPATHYI needed to pee. More specifically, the stretch receptors in the walls of my bladder, which monitor the volume of urine inside, became activated. That sent sensory signals to the spinal cord and brain through my pelvic nerves. The pons in the brainstem (which includes a dedicated urination control center) processed this information in coordination with my prefrontal cortex, which allowed for conscious control over my decision to urinate.It was a Sunday, and the campus was dead. Lucky for me a door was open, so I ducked in and began my search for a potty. The hallway was musty and narrow. The walls were old, but not as old as the 250-year-old structure surrounding it. There was no immediately visible sign for a restroom, but there were numerous potential doors and directions for me to attempt. As I approached one of them, the industrial grade door magically opened before I could even touch it. I cautiously inched forward half wondering if it would lock behind me.Now inside another chamber further in the interior, I was met with another set of mysterious doors. I stepped inside another narrower hallway that twisted suddenly to a sign above another door that read WC. Whatever Potter-esque ghosts had guided me here clearly had sympathy. And so did my parasympathetic nervous system. It simultaneously signaled the detrusor muscle of my bladder wall to contract and my urethral sphincter to relax. I stood there in relief wondering if I could find my way out.I was visiting the University of Glasgow, hoping to learn more about its famous figures, especially Adam Smith, whom I see as an important moral philosopher rather than just the “father of economics.” A few days later in Edinburgh, I tortured my family by leading them on a search for his gravestone. I was pleased to find it acknowledged his The Theory of Moral Sentiments, where sympathy balances self-interest, as well as his more popular The Wealth of Nations. Unsurprisingly, the nearby tourist plaque focused only on Wealth of Nations, reflecting the emphasis on economics over his broader moral philosophy.Adam Smith's moral philosophy was central to his life's work, with The Theory of Moral Sentiments being his enduring focus, while The Wealth of Nations but a brief but significant interlude. For Smith, economics was not just about market mechanics, but deeply intertwined with human nature, ethics, and the broader pursuit of communal well-being. He was more concerned with the motivations behind human actions than with the technical details of market forces, which came to dominate modern economics. Smith believed that the drive for self-betterment was not solely about personal wealth but was intrinsically linked to the well-being of communities, where self-interest was balanced by sympathy for others.In Smith's view, economic actions should be guided by moral virtues, such as prudence and justice, ensuring that individual efforts to improve one's own life would ultimately contribute to the greater good of society. His exploration of economics was always part of a larger moral framework, where community engagement and ethical behavior were essential for both individual and societal progress. Today, this broader moral context is often overlooked, but for Smith, economics was inseparable from philosophical inquiry into human behavior. He emphasized how the improvement of human life goes far beyond just the accumulation of material wealth.MORALS MEET MARKET MANIPULATIONMany conservatives today may brush this interpretation as being too ‘woke'. Well, some eventually did back then too. As the British economy was expanding in Smith's later years, he spoke in favor of capping interest rates with usury law. Usury is defined as the practice of making unethical or immoral loans that unfairly enrich the lender, often involving excessive or abusive interest rates. He believed exorbitant rates could lead to preying on the disadvantaged during a time of need resulting in growing disadvantages to the larger community.Historically, many societies including ancient Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Buddhist communities considered charging interest of any kind as wrong or illegal. Smith was rooted in elements of Christian morals, but critics claimed he was being hypocritical. They pointed to examples in his publications, often out of context, of where he suggested government can't know better than individuals about their own risks, costs, and benefits and thus should not meddle.But even in The Wealth of Nations Smith was clear about three conditions necessary for an effective economy and with each he paired moral values also found in The Theory of Moral Sentiments:* State-Justice: Smith argued, “Commerce and manufacturers…can seldom flourish long in any state which does not enjoy a regular administration of justice,” emphasizing the need for laws that ensure security and regulate excessive accumulation of wealth.* Market-Liberty: He valued the “liberty of trade…notwithstanding some restraints,” while warning that monopolies “hurt…the general interest of the country.”* Community-Benevolence: Rooted in moral sentiments, Smith believed in a shared commitment to community, where “many reputable rules…must have been laid down and approved of by common consent.”Smith's main usury critic was the philosopher Jeremy Bentham, known for developing the philosophy of utilitarianism. A letter written to Smith in 1787 stated:“Should it be my fortune to gain any advantage over you, it must be with weapons which you have taught me to wield, and with which you yourself have furnished me…I can see scarce any other way of convicting you of any error or oversight, than by judging you out of your own mouth.”Bentham is most famous for the idea of “maximizing the greatest happiness for the greatest number” which helped promote legal reforms and social progress including welfare, equal rights for women, the separation of church and state, and the decriminalization of homosexual acts. But his ultimate focus of utilitarianism was on the practical outcomes of policies going so far as to develop mathematical formulas, called felicific calculus, to determine how much pleasure or pain must be inflicted in society to achieve the most happiness for the greatest number.He was also a staunch economic expansionist, believing, as verified in his calculus, that it would expand good for most. It would be his student, John Stuart Mill, who expanded on but also critiqued Bentham's utilitarianism later in the mid 1800s.“I conceive Mr. Bentham's writings to have done and to be doing very serious evil. It is by such things that the more enthusiastic and generous minds are prejudiced against all his other speculations, and against the very attempt to make ethics and politics a subject of precise and philosophical thinking.”Mill too was an expansionist, but acknowledged utilitarian reasoning could be used to defend exploitive and immoral colonial practices, including slavery. Mill believed slavery "effectually brutifies the intellect" of both slave and the enslaver and condemned the notion that certain races were inherently inferior and required subjugation.Nevertheless, early colonizers and imperialists, as well as modern day neo-liberals weaponized elements of utilitarianism much like they did with The Wealth of Nations. They used (and continue to use) select elements to justify laissez-faire economics, deregulation, and the exploitation of labor, often prioritizing economic efficiency over moral considerations such as fairness and social equity.For example, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan both used utilitarian logic believing their policies would maximize overall economic growth and prosperity, benefiting society as a whole, even at the expense of rising inequality and social welfare. Their consequentialist approach justified market-driven reforms for a perceived greater good. Given today's historic wealth imbalances, the result of that calculus is less than convincing.Bentham also failed to convince Smith in that fateful letter, but to many it marked a notable shift in economic thinking and philosophy. Smith passed away three years after his exchange with Bentham and theoretical mathematical utilitarianism became the ultimate measure of right and wrong in governance and ethics in the UK and the US. Smith's morality, which emphasized moral virtues guiding economic actions, lost out to consequentialisms focus solely on outcomes, often justifying exploitation and suffering if it maximized societal gain and economic expansion for the expansionists — despite John Stuart Mill's, and countless others, objections.ECONOMIC ENGINES IN MORAL MACHINESDuring Adam Smith's lifetime, the Industrial Age rapidly emerged, transforming economies and wealth structures. Technological advancements, like the steam engine, fueled industrial capitalism, driving unprecedented economic growth and wealth accumulation. This focus on efficiency relied on maximizing productivity, whether through steam-powered machines, the exploitation of enslaved people, the working poor, or the displacement of Indigenous populations, prioritizing economic gain over human well-being.In 1783, while Smith and Bentham were debating economic philosophy, James Watt was at the University of Glasgow, focused on regulating unchecked power —specifically the excessive speed of steam engines which he helped to invent. To prevent mechanical failures from fluctuating steam pressure, Watt invented the centrifugal governor. This device used weighted iron balls that spun outward with centrifugal force as the engine's speed increased, raising a spindle that adjusted a valve to control steam flow. By automatically reducing steam when the engine ran too fast and increasing it when it slowed, the governor ensured safe and efficient operation. Watt's invention, introduced in 1788, was in full production by 1790, paving the way for innovations like the first steam locomotive in 1804.Watt's governor symbolized the need to impose limits on unchecked mechanical power, ensuring the engine operated within safe and efficient parameters. This technological innovation mirrored a broader theme of the Industrial Revolution — the balance between harnessing new, powerful technologies for economic growth while recognizing the risks of unregulated force, whether in machines or the rapid, unrestrained accumulation of wealth and resources in society. Watt's governor was an early acknowledgment that unchecked power, whether mechanical or economic, could lead to instability and disaster."I am never content until I have constructed a mechanical model of the subject I am studying. If I succeed in making one, I understand. Otherwise, I do not." – Lord KelvinOur brains also act as a kind of governor on the unchecked power of our kidneys, just as moral feedback loops serve as a governor on unchecked economic ambition. Like the stretch receptors in our bladder sensing when fluid volume builds, moral reasoning, as Smith envisioned, detects the social and ethical consequences of unfettered economic expansion. These signals, akin to the centrifugal force moving the governor's spindle, prompt individuals and society to regulate their actions, guiding decisions based not only on self-interest but on moral duty.In contrast, Bentham's utilitarian calculus, much like a theoretical mathematical model divorced from natural systems, ignores these ethical feedback loops. By relying solely on abstract calculations of happiness and efficiency, Bentham's approach, like a machine operating without awareness of its environment, risks distorting human and social behaviors. Where Smith's model calls for moral constraints on economic behavior, much like the body's signals to prevent overstretching, Bentham's framework lacks the necessary human safeguards, leading to potential exploitation and imbalance in pursuit of theoretical utility maximization.I do wonder what our economic systems would look like if, like our bodies, they were designed to self-regulate, ensuring that the pursuit of wealth doesn't come at the expense of human well-being? Just as our bodily functions rely on natural feedback loops to maintain equilibrium, why have we allowed our economies to run unchecked, often leading to exploitation and inequality? Adam Smith believed in moral constraints on ambition, yet today, much of our economic thinking prioritizes growth without those safeguards.As walked off campus that day, I reflected on Watt's governor regulating the steam engine and the moral feedback loops Smith envisioned. I wondered if Smith and Watt made the metaphoric connection in their encounters with one another, maybe even on their way to relieve themselves in the very building in which I found myself. Perhaps they each happened on this connection in their own thought experiments, which makes me wonder why more don't today? Surely there's a morally sound way to balance personal gain with the greater good — a bit like public restrooms. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Imagine transforming your athletic performance just by changing the way you breathe. Join us on the Bulletproof for BJJ podcast as we welcome breathwork expert Brian Lai, also known as Primal Breathwork. As a jiu-jitsu brown belt, Brian shares his profound insights on how dysfunctional breathing can affect every aspect of a grappler's life, from athletic performance to sleep and cognition. Discover the five-gear system for breathing and actionable drills specifically designed for grapplers, and learn how dietary and chewing habits since the Industrial Age have influenced our breathing and jaw development.Get Stronger & More Flexible for BJJ  with the Bulletproof For BJJ App- Start your 7 Day FREE Trial:  https://bulletproofforbjj.com/registerFix your sore and swollen fingers today! For 20% OFF Use Discount code: BULLETPROOF20 http://thegripphysio.com/Stay Hydrated with Sodii the tastiest electrolytes in the Game! Get 15% OFF: BULLETPROOF15 https://sodii.com.au/bulletproofParry Athletic - Best training gear in the game... Get 20% OFF Discount Code: BULLETPROOF20 https://parryathletics.com/collections/new-arrivals 

Johann Botha: The Pitfalls of Traditional Project Management in Software Development Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Project management struggles to deliver successful software projects because customers often don't know what they want upfront, and the world around us changes too quickly. Johann reflects on the outdated thinking rooted in the Industrial Age that hampers modern software development. How can an iterative approach help teams deliver projects on time and within budget? Johann shares insights on why traditional project management often fails in dynamic environments and discusses how concepts from books like Reinventing Organizations and The Machine That Changed the World can transform management practices.   [IMAGE HERE] Recovering from failure, or difficult moments is a critical skill for Scrum Masters. Not only because of us, but also because the teams, and stakeholders we work with will also face these moments! We need inspiring stories to help them, and ourselves! The Bungsu Story, is an inspiring story by Marcus Hammarberg which shows how a Coach can help organizations recover even from the most disastrous situations! Learn how Marcus helped The Bungsu, a hospital in Indonesia, recover from near-bankruptcy, twice! Using Lean and Agile methods to rebuild an organization and a team! An inspiring story you need to know about! Buy the book on Amazon: The Bungsu Story - How Lean and Kanban Saved a Small Hospital in Indonesia. Twice. and Can Help You Reshape Work in Your Company.   About Johann Botha Johann joins us from South Africa, helping build digital-age capabilities by developing practical skills to solve problems, grow people, and facilitate difficult change. A long-time proponent of Lean and Agile, Johann consults, coaches, speaks, and writes on the topic. He is also the chief examiner for the EXIN Agile Scrum product. You can link with Johann on LinkedIn and connect with Johann on Twitter.

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/archaeology

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Drawing together the evidence of archaeology, palaeoecology, climate history and the historical record, this first environmental history of Scotland explores the interaction of human populations with the land, waters, forests and wildlife. Where Men No More May Reap or Sow: The Little Ice Age: Scotland 1400–1850 (Birlinn, 2024) by Dr. Richard D. Oram spans 450 years that saw profound transformation in Scotland's environment. It begins in the fifteenth century, when the ‘Golden Age' of the early 1200s was but a fading folk memory in a land gripped by the gathering grimness of a ‘little ice age'. Colder, wetter, stormier weather became the new normal, interspersed with brief episodes of warmer but still moist conditions, all of which brought huge challenges to a society on the knife-edge of subsistence. Viewing the religious and political upheavals of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries against the cycles of disease and dearth that were ever-present into the later 1700s, the book explores the slow adoption and application of the ideas of ‘Improvement' and the radical disruption of Scotland's environment that ensued. Reformation, revolution and rebellion were the background noise to efforts to subsist and succeed through a hostile age, in which Scotland's environment was an adversary to be tamed, mastered and made ‘polite'. As the last, bitter decades of the ‘little ice age' were ground out in foreign wars, forced clearances and potato famines, Scotland prepared itself to embrace the Industrial Age. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose new book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

Todd Rose is the co-founder and CEO of  Populace, and founder of the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality. Todd is also a bestselling author of "Collective Illusions," "Dark Horse," and "The End of Average."  Todd explains how the abandonment of human distinctiveness during the industrial age has left a lasting impact on our potential and fulfillment. He emphasizes that true individuality is crucial for cultivating personal potential and living fulfilling lives.  He explores the tension between individualism and collectivism, asserting that individuality should not be mistaken for selfishness. He then shifts to the challenges leaders face in balancing fairness and personalization. Todd highlights the importance of autonomy in realizing individuality and cautions against the authoritarian potential of individuality without autonomy.  Todd expresses concerns about the potential for a divided education system where some students are trained as cogs in the machine while others are nurtured to develop their individuality and agency. Todd talks about his Dark Horse Project, which explores how people achieve fulfillment and excellence by following their unique paths.       Key Takeaways [03:30] Todd discussed why individuality is central to his work and the importance of human distinctiveness and its impact on potential and fulfillment. He also compared standardization to personalization in various fields.  [06:03] Todd emphasizes the impact of the Industrial Age on individuality, psychological drives for categorization versus self-expression, and a critique of Frederick Taylor's scientific management and its effects in relation to societal transformation, human identity, and labor efficiency during the industrial revolution. [07:28] He talks about the importance of personalizing leadership while maintaining fairness, the challenges of balancing individual needs with organizational goals, and the evolving expectations of employees in the workplace. [10:45] He discusses the transformation needed in education and workplace institutions, the shift from material abundance to psychological and spiritual fulfillment, and the role of leaders in navigating paradigm shifts and fostering individuality in the context of adapting to changing societal values and promoting holistic well-being in both educational and professional settings. [14:16] He shares the challenges of giving employees more autonomy while maintaining control, the comparison of bottom-up versus top-down approaches in leadership, and the importance of clear outcomes and flexible processes in modern workplaces in relation to fostering innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction within organizational structures. [26:47] Todd gives an example of personalized health utilizing the glycemic index and machine learning. He also shares his personal experience with personalized nutrition, highlighting the potential of technology to scale personalization in various fields by leveraging data-driven approaches to optimize individual health outcomes and enhance personalized experiences across different domains. [35:32] He introduces his book “The Dark Horse project and book”, emphasizing the transformation of individuality into fulfillment and excellence. He also shares his personal anecdotes, highlighting the impact of the Dark Horse mindset on Todd's family and their journey towards embracing uniqueness and achieving personal success. [41:57] Closing quote: Remember, "If a man is not faithful to his own individuality, he cannot be loyal to anything." - Claude McKay   Quotable Quotes "The biggest mistake we've made in the industrial age is the abandonment of the appreciation for human distinctiveness." "Harnessing your individuality is a pretty central element to really leading a fulfilling life." "The flaw with the industrial age is that in the past, it was sort of intuitive that we were categorized in the same way that we thought it was intuitive that the earth was flat." "Whereas like a Frederick Taylor, we led to a very paternalistic society that we've lived in for quite a while, which is in some ways antithetical to liberal democracies." "The biggest driver of a sense of meaning is pursuing a goal freely chosen." "It's very hard to transform institutions that are captured." "Innovation in terms of being left behind is really important." "We can get scale through personalization." "Individuality is a fact, and it's really important." "If a man is not faithful to his own individuality, he cannot be loyal to anything." - Claude McKay   These are the books mentioned in our discussion with Todd   Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | Sponsored by | Rafti Advisors. LLC | Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | Todd Rose LinkedIn | Todd Rose Website | Todd Rose Twitter |  

“The amount of human attention in the world is finite. We have 24 hours in the day, some of which we need to spend paying attention to eating, sleeping and meeting our other needs. The attention during the remaining hours of most people in the world is taken up by having to earn an income and by consuming goods and services, leaving relatively little time for attention to be freely allocated. A hard limit on available attention also exists for humanity as a whole—as I argued earlier, we are headed for peak population, at which point we will no longer be increasing the total amount of potentially available attention by adding more people.” Welcome back to another episode of Made You Think! In this episode, we're covering The World After Capital by Albert Wenger. We'll explore the transition from the Industrial Age to the Knowledge Age, the new scarcity of attention, and the potential for widespread societal change. Join us in this futuristic discussion as we ponder how digital technologies are reshaping our world and the future of human civilization. We cover a wide range of topics including: The shift from capital to attention as a scarce resource How we're heading into a future that's non-linear Why "everyone needs to" is not a practical solution The role AI may play in replacing jobs and technological adaptation Do we agree with the author's proposed solutions? And much more. Please enjoy, and make sure to follow Nat, Neil, and Adil on Twitter and share your thoughts on the episode. Links from the Episode: Mentioned in the Show: Duolingo (4:47) The New York Times (5:25) Codementor (29:47) Cursor (29:55) Starlink (44:43) WWDC24 (45:06) Outside the System (53:15) Tucker Carlson and Bukele (53:25) Zeekr 001 (1:01:12) Outside the System: Crypto Confidential episode (1:05:56) DeepMind (1:08:25) Inflection AI (1:09:13) Books Mentioned: The World After Capital (Adil's Book Notes) Homo Deus (0:14) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes) (Adil's Book Notes) Novacene (0:21) (Book Episode) The Beginning of Infinity (0:29) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes) The War on Normal People (0:35) (Book Episode) (Nat's Book Notes) Into the Amazon (7:52) (Book Episode) The Coming Wave (1:08:04) People Mentioned: Albert Wenger Yuval Noah Harari (0:13) Andrew Yang (0:35) (Book Episode) George R. R. Martin (18:00) John Gray (44:25) Francisco Franco (58:21) Mustafa Suleyman(1:08:25) Show Topics: (0:00) In today's episode, we're diving into The World After Capital by Albert Wenger. We kick off the episode by reflecting on previous episodes and reads we've had with books that debates what is coming after the current industrial era. What's next for human civilization?  (3:57) One of the book's strengths is its historical framing. While Wenger presents the situation well, his solutions and theories about the future were hard to fully agree with.  (8:34) Nat, Neil, and Adil explain how Wenger sets up the big picture. He argues that we're on the cusp of a major historical shift where we can no longer predict the next step due to fundamental changes. In each era, a scarcity drives human behavior. Today, Wenger contends that the finite resource is attention.  (10:55) Have we shifted the problem from capital to attention by untethering currency from a hard asset? Leading companies like Microsoft and Google are powerful not because of their capital but because they control our attention.  (14:57) Attention vs. time. Wenger refers to the "job loop" where time is exchanged for money. With the internet, you can create things with no marginal cost, selling without a major time investment. (16:42) Aside from attention, what other contenders do we have as the next scarce resource? (19:21) The book's purpose is not just to observe shifting scarcity but to highlight how each shift has led to widespread violence. Wenger aims to minimize or avoid this violence. Has the violence already started, and how might it differ this time around?  (24:52) How new inventions often replace old methods, and people adapt. AI could be the first technology in our lifetime to put many people out of work. Should we be worried? While we're used to working with people in complex organizations, AI's impact may take time to fully manifest, much like the gradual replacement of horses by cars. (32:01) Why learning how to work with AI tools can give you a future advantage.  (33:49) The world population faces fertility problems and declining birth rates. If population decline is gradual, it's manageable. But how will it play out?  (38:01) Nat, Neil, and Adil point out one major disagreement they have with the author's idea of how to find meaning in your life. (40:30) The first of Wenger's proposed solutions is mindfulness and meditation. (42:19) Wenger emphasizes information freedom with internet access for all, which is a good start. Decentralizing access ensures it can't be stopped or taken away. We also touch on the topic of universal basic income (UBI), (45:42) Do we just need to "get over" our right to privacy and scarcity thinking? We explain our disagreements with Wenger and how privacy may be incompatible with technological progress. (55:03) Transforming a place from dangerous to moderately safe is no easy feat. We examine El Salvador's turnaround under Bukele.  (1:00:17) Discussing the significant changes over the span of 20 years. We also talk about cars made in China, noting how the perception of "Made in China" has evolved from being seen as cheap to being recognized for quality. (1:03:15) If a solution requires "everyone needs to," it's likely not a practical solution. Effective solutions must work with current incentives and human behavior. We discuss the importance of having a fluid career identity and finding deeper meaning in life beyond a job. (1:07:32) That concludes this episode! Have you read The World After Capital? Let us know your thoughts! Next up, we will be reading Endurance by Alfred Lansing. Grab a copy of the book here, check out our website, and give us a follow on Instagram to stay in the loop on what's happening on the Made You Think podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, let us know by leaving a review on iTunes and tell a friend. As always, let us know if you have any book recommendations! You can say hi to us on Twitter @TheRealNeilS, @adilmajid, @nateliason and share your thoughts on this episode. You can now support Made You Think using the Value-for-Value feature of Podcasting 2.0. This means you can directly tip the co-hosts in BTC with minimal transaction fees. To get started, simply download a podcast app (like Fountain or Breez) that supports Value-for-Value and send some BTC to your in-app wallet. You can then use that to support shows who have opted-in, including Made You Think! We'll be going with this direct support model moving forward, rather than ads. Thanks for listening. See you next time!

It's rare to hear directly from a business leader who has a broad range of oil and gas experience, coupled with a personal front-line role in leading digital adoption, but today's podcast offers just that. Lewis Gillhespy is a former senior leader with Suncor, including roles as Global Chief Geologist, major asset developer, head of a major acquisition, R&D, and lastly, digital transformation leader for the subsurface areas. He describes how oil and gas companies are the children of the Industrial Age. They are reflective of the massive scale of operations that grew out of the enormous demands for energy. Their breadth and diversity of operations, international reach, technology diversity, and emphasis on innovation has created very complex organizations with customized ways of working that are in turn dependent on skilled managers with personal relationship skills to navigate. This business model has rendered them hugely profitable, but highly vulnerable to the digital revolution. Lewis highlights how the adoption of lean methods of working, that simplify complex processes that in turn allow managers to control data and technologies and systems, creates more nimble companies that can quickly embrace change. The reason is that processes tend to be more stable than IT, data or people. Tackling just the data or IT means you miss the process opportunity. The business pressure is that the case for digital is an exponential one, and is now outracing the industrial model. This exponential business case is predicated on high quality data. Driving down cost, driving out waste to achieve low cost operatorship; Producing compelling metrics, delivering analytics from data, applying AI on data, and deriving insights such as benchmarking; and, Innovating new ways of working that deliver dramatic productivity gains. This forces a need for leadership to be actively engaged in the transformation, as uncomfortable as that may be, to promote the new ways of work, and model the right behaviours. These days, Lewis works as a consultant in Geoscience, Digital Transformation, Project Management, and Commercial M&A to the Energy Industry. He holds an MSc in Petroleum Geoscience from Imperial College, a BSc. in Geological Science from Leeds University and attended the Harvard Business School Leadership Program in Boston.  Additional Tools & Resources:

Did you know there are a few very important Astrological dates coming up, including the “Luckiest Day of the Year”? Would you like to know what's in store astrologically for the remainder of 2024? Our guest today is expert astrologer Susan Miller who is an internationally known author, columnist, entrepreneur, publisher, and pioneer of the Internet.  She is the respected founder of  AstrologyZone.com. Her site is considered an authority in the field of Western astrology and is read avidly by 13 million unique readers a year. She is a highly respected Astrological “thinker” and is recognized worldwide for her astrological writings into areas of business, technology, lifestyle, culture, and the economy. Susan talks about how she launched AstrologyZone.com just as the digital world was beginning to gain popularity in 1995. She discusses the history of astrology going back to ancient Mesopotamia. The shepherds tended their flocks and started noting shifting patterns in the stars, as well as the farmers watching the full moons.  The Greeks loved astrology as well as the Romans, while the Egyptians were expert mathematicians and were also fascinated by the movement of the stars and planets. Susan explains the meaning of conjunctions when planets are perfectly aligned, and how when two planets get within 8 degrees, they start communicating. She reflects on the dark aspects of the movement of planets that was happening at the beginning of the pandemic. It was a very isolating time, which is an Aquarian trait, yet there were many changes that moved us into a digital age and masses of people working from home. Susan further discusses how Capricorn is moving into Aquarius and the looming effects of Pluto. She says we must look at the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn as well. Planets have been in Earth signs the past 200 years and signaled the start of the Industrial Age. Now it will happen in the Air signs. This will lead us further into an Age of Technology with driverless cars, robots, the rise of AI, etc., and so many things that haven't even been invented yet. Astrologically it's starting to happen. Susan's monthly forecasts published on her website and on her app, “Daily Horoscope Astrology Zone + More by Susan Miller®” on Apple App Store and Google Play are celebrated worldwide. Readers love Susan's  accuracy and comprehensive reporting of current planetary trends. Susan is the author of 12 astrology books, the ever popular “The Year Ahead” astrology calendars and writes monthly columns for six international fashion magazines. This is Part 1 of the interview. Info: AstrologyZone.com

Hello Interactors,Behind every map is intent. When it comes to making plans for a city, streets are more than mere passageways; they are the cartography of power, exacting politics and ideology for the unfolding of urbanity. Paris is the blueprint of social order and control portrayed as a symbol of beauty and progress. I wanted to unravel the threads of intent, from communal aspirations to the heavy hand of authoritarianism — a kind of narrative map of a city renowned as much for its revolutions as for its romance.Let's go.COMMON ROOTS, CONTRASTING COMMUNITIESI'll offer a word and you examine your emotional reaction to it. Communism. If you're like me, you've been trained to have negative thoughts. Maybe even stop reading. Communism has been associated with authoritarian, repressive regimes that denied basic freedoms and human rights. Ask anyone who lived under these conditions and you can see why it's been ideologically blackballed in America.Now I'll offer another word. Community. Ah, yes, good vibes. Who could possibly be against community? It's strange how two words with common origins can differ so much by changing two letters.The word Communism comes from Karl Marx and Friedrich Engel's Kommunismus as early as 1847 and is derived from the French word communisme which first appeared three years earlier in 1843. This word comes from the Old French word comun meaning "common, general, free, open, public."A group of people in common, “the common people” who are not rulers of property, clergy, or monarchy, is from the 14th century French word comunité meaning "commonness, everybody" or community.I had the experience of checking my own reaction to the word communist while reading about how communist ideals helped a politician in Paris help his community.The French Communist senator, Ian Brossat, lead housing policy in Paris for a decade. He said his “guiding philosophy is that those who produce the riches of the city must have the right to live in it.” He and the local government under Mayor Hildago are doing their best to live up to this. Over the past decade, the French Communist Party has emphasized social justice and economic equality, advocating for stronger public services, wealth redistribution, and workers' rights. They've also focused on environmental sustainability, aligning with broader movements to address climate change and social disparities.People from all over the world are drawn to Paris for its diverse array of small shops, cafes, expansive boulevards, monuments, and museums. It exudes old-world charm complete with cobblers, tailors, jewelers, and luthiers tucked in and among various neighborhoods — some more manicured than others. It's a dappled array of diverse color and verdant softscapes that when viewed from afar offers an impression of a picture-perfect pointillist painting.  Paris exists as a seemingly organic and emergent unfolding of placemaking complete with public spaces and parks for the taking — by all walks of life. For many, it's a composite of ideals that harken back to romantic images of a fashionable and stylistic ‘pick your favorite' century in Europe making it a perennial favorite destination for tourists.But surrounding the parks where healthy blossoms glow are stealthy property plots where wealthy funds grow. Amidst the green where healthy plants are planted longtime residents squirm as their neighbors are supplanted. Despite the city building or renovating “more than 82,000 apartments over the past three decades for families with children”, 2.4 million people are on the waiting list for affordable housing.(1)This isn't the first time economically disadvantaged people have been displaced from Paris. In 1853, one year after Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew Napoleon III declared himself emperor in a successful coup d'état, he wasted no time embarking on what many believe to be the biggest ‘urban renewal' project in history. It was famously led by a former prefect administrator, Georges-Eugène Haussmann. His swift and heavy hand pushed powerless Parisians to the periphery to build the Paris so many adore, only to have them return. A pattern that exists today.Napoleon III, exiled in England, was reluctant to return to a France in decline, marred by unemployment and poverty. By 1848, a massive influx of laborers had swollen Paris's population to over a million. Despite its picturesque image today, 19th-century Paris was a labyrinth of dilapidated buildings and narrow streets, lacking modern infrastructure, and grappling with increasing crime and deadly outbreaks, including a cholera epidemic that claimed 20,000 lives in 1832.The French author Honoré de Balzac wrote of Paris at the time, “'Look around you' as you ‘make your way through that huge stucco cage, that human beehive with black runnels marking its sections, and follow the ramifications of the idea which moves, stirs and ferments inside it.'”By 1848, France was besieged by societal strife as the monarchy's resurgence fueled public outrage, contrary to the Republic's ideals of liberty. Mass protests and strikes became common, culminating in a tragic clash at the Foreign Ministry where troops fired on protestors, killing 50. The slain were symbolically paraded through Paris, highlighting the oppressive turn of events. This ignited the Revolution of 1848; a diverse coalition, from students to disillusioned aristocrats, took to the streets, overwhelming the army and storming the King's palace. This mass uprising prompted the formation of a provisional government while monarchist officials, including Haussmann, fled the turmoil.In the power struggles of post-revolutionary France, neither Socialists nor Republicans could stabilize the economy or improve living conditions. As a result, calls for Napoleon III's return gained traction. He pledged to serve if elected, mirroring the American democratic elections model. He won a four-year term by a wide margin, but he did not have dominant support within the Assembly. Facing political opposition and public discontent as his term ended, Napoleon III dissolved the Assembly, fired his adversaries, and named himself emperor. A government for the people and by the people was attempted and failed. Long live the King. Authoritarianism was back to the cheers of many in the streets as Napoleon was pulled through the streets by carriage for three hours amidst roars of support.PARIS: FROM SIEGE TO CHICBy 1848, Parisians had erected numerous barricades, limiting Napoleon's access through the city. Originating in 1588 as a defense against soldiers, these barricades evolved from rudimentary stone walls into complex structures capable of withstanding cannon fire, serving both practical and symbolic roles in the city's history of civil resistance.Amidst the dawn of the Industrial Age in 1848, Napoleon III aimed to modernize Paris, differentiating it from the neo-gothic style of London's "Albertropolis." Preferring the era's new materials like iron and glass. Dismissing the gothic aesthetics, Napoleon, with Haussmann—a disciplined administrator with similar architectural sensibilities—set out to reshape Paris into a contemporary urban jewel.In the words of Hausmann reflecting in his memoir, “We ripped open the belly of old Paris, the neighborhood of revolt and barricades, and cut a large opening through the most impenetrable maze of alleys, piece by piece.”In Balzac's 1843 book Lost Illusions he captures the contrasting existence of society revealing the class Hausmann sought to favor at the expense of the other.The proletariat “live in insalubrious offices, pestilential courtrooms, small chambers with barred windows, spend their day weighed down by the weight of their affairs.” While the bourgeoisie enjoy “the great, airy, gilded salons, the mansions enclosed in gardens, the world of the rich, leisured, happy, moneyed people.”(2)Haussmann, satirically termed the "Artiste Démolisseur," enacted a policy akin to 'creative destruction' to achieve it. This is a concept Karl Marx alluded to and the Austrian Economist Joseph Schumpeter later popularized. In Marx and Friedrich Engels popular 1848 book “The Communist Manifesto” they used the term Vernichtung which describes the continuous devaluation of existing wealth to pave the way for the creation of new wealth.During the 1830s and '40s, monumental ‘devaluations' came at the expense of land and rivers paving the way for infrastructure like railroads and canals. Including other parts of the world. Americans, Indigenous and colonized, saw over 3000 miles of canals being dug by 1840 and 9,000 miles of railroad by 1850. We can all think of examples of ‘creative destruction' today — be it from bombs that fall or a wrecking ball.This 19th century period of transformation also saw France's first passenger train and the spread of a national railway network, all under Napoleon III's ambition to fortify France's economic stature. He promoted and founded new national banks to fund these transformations, fueling Marx's view that economic efficiencies could be gained through improved transportation.The rise of capitalism and the concept of 'the world market,' as Marx termed it, pushed for more efficient movement of people and goods, a task complicated by Paris's antiquated layout. Although Napoleon and Haussmann are credited with modernizing Paris, initiatives to improve urban circulation were already underway. Prior to 1833, significant canals, roads, and railways were constructed, and post-1832 cholera outbreak, efforts were made to expand the city and reduce congestion.Architectural and urban planning, including the design of the Place de la Concorde by Jacques Hittorff, aimed to push the city's boundaries. In 1843, Hippolyte Meynadier proposed major urban changes to improve air quality and circulation. Haussmann later embraced and amplified these existing plans with and without Napoleon's support. For example, Napoleon did not see the need to bringing running water to Paris, but Hausmann did it anyway.Hausmann was fond of expanding. Whereas these earlier plans were certainly grander than any in Paris, or possibly the world, Hausmann multiplied dimensions. Hittorf had drawn plans for some streets be obesely wide, even by today's standards, but Haussmann tripled the dimensions. For example, the road leading to the Arc de Triomphe, known now as the Champs-Élysées, was first drawn to be 120 feet wide. But Hausmann insisted it be 360 feet wide with an additional 40 feet of sidewalks on each side. He tripled the scale of a project that had already been tripled.What resulted was a diagonally criss-crossing web of stick straight boulevards with massive monuments strategically placed at nodes and termini. The Arc de Triomphe from above looks like a shining star with roads and boulevards as glimmering spires. Some scholars believe Hausmann, and his coconspirators, were the first to view the city as a technical problem to be solved from the top down. It was a civic product to be worked on with little regard for the people who were working within. This view of a city may have been influenced by the aerial photographer Nadar who from 1855 to 1858 perfected aerial photography in France. He patented the use of aerial photography for mapmaking and surveying in 1855. A WHOPPER OF A TRANSFORMATIONSoon after Hausmann finished the complete remaking of Paris in 1870, Friederic Engels published his 1872 book The Housing Question where he explored the housing crisis facing industrial workers of the 19th century. He criticized what became known as the Hausmannization of cities, writing,“By ‘Haussmann' I mean the practice which has now become general of making breaches in the working class quarters of our big towns, and particularly in those which are centrally situated, quite apart from whether this is done from considerations of public health and for beautifying the town, or owing to the demand for big centrally situated business premises, or owing to traffic requirements, such as the laying down of railways, streets, etc. No matter how different the reasons may be, the result is everywhere the same: the scandalous alleys and lanes disappear to the accompaniment of lavish self-praise from the bourgeoisie on account of this tremendous success, but they appear again immediately somewhere else and often in the immediate neighbourhood”Groups of people struggling to live in a city, “the common people”, those who were not rulers of property, clergy, or monarchy, began organizing as a community. Property owners spared by Hausmann's utter destruction saw their applications for building improvement permits rejected. In the years leading up to 1871, tensions were once again mounting in a city that had yet to form a municipal government.Meanwhile the Francho-Prussian War erupted in July of 1870 as France sought to assert its dominance in Europe fearing a pending alliance between Prussia and Spain. During the war, the French National Guard defended Paris. Given their proximity to growing working-class radicalism, sentiments began to be shared among soldiers.After a significant defeat of the French Army by the Germans, National Guard soldiers seized control of the city on March 18, killing two French army generals and refusing to accept the authority of the French national government. The community became a commune — common, general, free, open, and public.The commune governed Paris for two months, establishing policies that tended toward a progressive, anti-religious system of their own self-styled socialism. These policies included the separation of church and state, self-policing, the remission of rent, the abolition of child labor, and the right of employees to take over an enterprise deserted by its owner.Predictably, the Commune was ultimately suppressed by the national French Army at the end of May during "The Bloody Week” when an estimated 10-15,000 Communards were killed in battle or executed.The Commune's policies and outcome had a significant influence on the ideas of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, who described it as the first example of the dictatorship of the proletariat. Without it, it's unlikely Ian Brossat would have a Communist party fighting for fair living conditions. A modern day nod to those Communards slaughtered in 1871.Meanwhile, today's City Hall also ensures the persistence of the bucolic, romantic, idealistic — and perhaps classist — proprietors who help to sustain the manicured experience Hausmann set out to achieve nearly 200 years ago. Just as the government plays a role in controlling rent so less financially privileged can live and work there, so too does the government subsidize select city shops and restaurants that attract the well heeled. But they have their limits.The counselor in charge of managing commercial holdings said, “We don't rent to McDonald's, we don't rent to Burger King and we don't rent to Sephora.”These stores obviously exist, so clearly landlords across the city have long sold out to ‘world market' chains even Hausmann may frown upon. Even as the city take steps to ensure curated theme shops continue to exist. Hausmann may not have planned for this, but Paris did become a kind of a public theme park to the world.Given the history of radicals and conservatives toiling in a tug of war for centuries over what exactly the city should be and for whom, perhaps the conservative former housing minister now commercial developer, Benoist Apparu, put it best — “A city, if it's only made up of poor people, is a disaster. And if it's only made up of rich people, it's not much better.” (1)I, for one, was pleased to find a Burger King on the Champs-Élysées during my first trip to Paris as a teenager in 1984. After a few days of European food, I was ready for a Whopper. Of course, I was unaware of any of the socio-political or psychogeographical implications and ramifications of all this — both historically and in that moment. I was a middle-class mini-bougie white American eating comfort food while obliviously participating in the exploitive world of ‘rich, leisured, happy, and moneyed people' on a boulevard designed for it. But I was also in city that birthed liberty, the potential for revolutionary change, and the promise and struggle of egalitarian policies. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

 Would you like to know what's in store Astrologically for the remainder of 2024? Our guest today is expert astrologer Susan Miller who is an internationally known author, columnist, entrepreneur, publisher, and pioneer of the Internet.  She is the respected founder of AstrologyZone.com. Her site is considered an authority in the field of Western astrology and is read avidly by 13 million unique readers a year. She is a highly respected Astrological “thinker” and is recognized worldwide for her astrological writings into areas of business, technology, lifestyle, culture, and the economy. Susan talks about how she launched AstrologyZone.com just as the digital world was beginning to gain popularity in 1995. She discusses the history of astrology going back to ancient Mesopotamia. The shepherds tended their flocks and started noting shifting patterns in the stars, as well as the farmers watching the full moons.  The Greeks loved astrology as well as the Romans, while the Egyptians were expert mathematicians and were also fascinated by the movement of the stars and planets. Susan explains the meaning of conjunctions when planets are perfectly aligned, and how when two planets get within 8 degrees, they start communicating. She reflects on the dark aspects of the movement of planets that was happening at the beginning of the pandemic. It was a very isolating time, which is an Aquarian trait, yet there were many changes that moved us into a digital age and masses of people working from home. Susan further discusses how Capricorn is moving into Aquarius and the looming effects of Pluto. She says we must look at the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn as well. Planets have been in Earth signs the past 200 years and signaled the start of the Industrial Age. Now it will happen in the Air signs. This will lead us further into an Age of Technology with driverless cars, robots, the rise of AI, etc., and so many things that haven't even been invented yet. Astrologically, it's starting to happen. Susan's monthly forecasts published on her website and on her app, “Daily Horoscope Astrology Zone + More by Susan Miller®” on Apple App Store and Google Play are celebrated worldwide. Readers love Susan's  accuracy and comprehensive reporting of current planetary trends. Susan is the author of 12 astrology books, the ever popular “The Year Ahead” astrology calendars, and writes monthly columns for six international fashion magazines. This is Part 1 of the interview. Info: AstrologyZone.com

Jason, Rob, and Asher take a tour of New Caledonia, California's Central Valley, Bhutan, and Cuba to uncover the ins and outs of industrialism, especially as it has been applied to agriculture. Along the way they riff on how the hell we can escape from an -ism that completely engulfs us.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Tom Murphy “does the math” on declining wild mammal mass.Understanding the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary sectors of the economy.USDA graphic and statistics on the scale of family farms.Our World in Data: “Farm Size and Productivity”.Video clip from Jon Stewart on The Daily Show.Hossain, S., Jami, A.T. (2023). “Opportunities and Challenges in Sustainable Development and Governance in South Asia: Case Study of Bhutan.” In: Wu, HH., Liu, WY., Huang, M.C. (eds) Moving Toward Net-Zero Carbon Society. Springer Climate.Arch Ritter, “Can Cuba Recover from its De-Industrialization?”.Julia Wright, “The Little-Studied Success Story of Post-Crisis Food Security in Cuba: Does Lack of International Interest Signify Lack of Political Will?” International Journal of Cuban Studies, vol. 4, no. 2, 2012, pp. 130–53.Support the show

Christian came back to talk about the little orphan with a bright future. No, it's not ANOTHER Annie - Oliver! The Dickensian story of a child in poverty who is just trying to survive in the Industrial Age of London. And screaming/singing really high notes. Good times.Christian's Instagram: @bookaholic_221That Ol' Gay Classic Cinema's Instagram: @thatolgayclassiccinemaIvory Tower Boiler Room's Link: https://linktr.ee/ivorytowerboilerroomPodcast Socials -Email: butasongpod@gmail.comFacebook: @butasongpodInstagram: @butasongpodTikTok: @butasongpodTwitter: @butasongpodNext episode: White Christmas (SCT #23)!

Useful Morons ,Wokes and the new industrial Age! with Gayatri from alternate media Snakes in the Ganga - http://www.snakesintheganga.com Varna Jati Caste - http://www.varnajaticaste.com The Battle For IIT's - http://www.battleforiits.com Power of future Machines - http://www.poweroffuturemachines.com 10 heads of Ravana - http://www.tenheadsofravana.com To support Infinity Foundation's projects including the continuation of such episodes and the research we do: इनफिनिटी फ़ौंडेशन की परियोजनाओं को अनुदान देने के लिए व इस प्रकार के एपिसोड और हमारे द्वारा किये जाने वाले शोध को जारी रखने के लिए: http://infinityfoundation.com/donate-2/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rajivmalhotrapodcast/support

Ok, we are coming to the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one.  But it's not a clear transition this time.  The Middle Ages basically ended with the beginning of the Enlightenment, though of course those two periods overlap as well.  The new era we're moving into is known as the Industrial Age, which will last until our current era, the Digital age, which is also known as the age of idiots on Instagram.  But throughout the Industrial age, Enlightenment values and ideas continued to dominate the worldview of most western societies.  Website:  shortwalkthroughhistory.comemail:  shortwalkthroughhistory@gmail.com

The Industrial Revolution did not invent child labor, but it changed how people viewed it. A growing middle and upper class provided their kids with long childhoods filled with play, education, and preparation for a productive adulthood. The poorer classes sent their children to work in factories and fields where they worked long hours at dangerous jobs and learned very few skills. Girls in particular worked in textile mills, breathing in lint and climbing over whirling machinery. But girls also worked in fields to supply the factories. Reformers argued for child labor laws almost as soon as the Industrial Revolution set in, but the new laws had very little effect until after World War One. Even today, child labor remains a problem, especially in Asia and Africa, but also even in the United States. Visit the website (herhalfofhistory.com) for sources, transcripts, and pictures. Support the show on my Patreon page for bonus episodes, polls, and a general feeling of self-satisfaction. Or make a one-time donation on Buy Me a Coffee. Join Into History (intohistory.com/herhalfofhistory/) for a community of ad-free history podcasts plus bonus content. Visit Evergreen Podcasts to listen to more great shows. Follow me on Twitter (X) as @her_half. Or on Facebook or Instagram as Her Half of History.  

Jay Martin joins me to discuss the shift in global power, what drives the decline in globalization, the cycle of order and stealing, and the importance of optionality and sovereignty. Jay Martin is the host of the Jay Martin show. He is also the host of the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference. // GUEST //Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayMartinBCPodcast: https://jaymartin.club/// SPONSORS // In Wolf's Clothing: https://wolfnyc.com/NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/whatismoneyiCoin Hardware Wallet (use discount code BITCOIN23): https://www.icointechnology.com/Mind Lab Pro: https://mindlabpro.com/breedloveCrowdHealth: https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/breedloveBitcoin Apparel (use discount code BREEDLOVE): https://thebitcoinclothingcompany.com/Feel Free Tonics (use discount code BREEDLOVE): https://botanictonics.comCarnivore Bar (use discount code BREEDLOVE): https://carnivorebar.com/// OUTLINE //00:00:00 - Coming Up00:00:39 - Intro00:02:12 - Helping Lightning Startups with In Wolf's Clothing00:02:58 - Introducing Jay Martin00:03:36 - Vancouver Resource Investment Conference00:05:43 - Current Global Power Shift00:11:01 - Expansion of Money Supply and the Importance of Optionality00:15:38 - What Drives the Decline in Globalization00:21:43 - Run Your Business from Anywhere with NetSuite00:22:47 - Secure Your Bitcoin Stash with the iCoin Hardware Wallet00:23:44 - Decline of the US Empire00:28:37 - The Cycle of Order and Stealing00:33:43 - Technological Innovation and Being Patriotic00:39:28 - Optionality is the Ultimate Freedom Tool00:43:12 - From the Industrial Age into the Digital Age00:45:18 - Past Lessons and Present Applications00:49:55 - Staying Humble and Individual Sovereignty00:52:40 - Enhance Your Brain Power with Mind Lab Pro00:53:47 - Take Control of Your Healthcare with CrowdHealth00:54:49 - Jay's View on Commodities 01:04:43 - Where to Find Jay on the Internet// PODCAST // Podcast Website: https://whatismoneypodcast.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-what-is-money-show/id1541404400Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/25LPvm8EewBGyfQQ1abIsE?RSS Feed: https://feeds.simplecast.com/MLdpYXYI// SUPPORT THIS CHANNEL // Bitcoin: 3D1gfxKZKMtfWaD1bkwiR6JsDzu6e9bZQ7 Sats via Strike: https://strike.me/breedlove22Sats via Tippin.me: https://tippin.me/@Breedlove22Dollars via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/RBreedlove// WRITTEN WORK // Medium: https://breedlove22.medium.com/Substack: https://breedlove22.substack.com/// SOCIAL // Breedlove Twitter: https://twitter.com/Breedlove22WiM? Twitter: https://twitter.com/WhatisMoneyShowLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breedlove22Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breedlove_22TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@breedlove22All My Current Work: https://vida.page/breedlove22

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 781 begins with a discussion of prioritization and sequencing. These two ideas often get conflated. Work might be important but if it has predecessors and successors it will require sequencing. You can't deploy a new piece of hardware unless you have it. The acquisition of the equipment comes before deployment. Not letting teams control or have input into sequencing has consequences. Let us discuss avoiding those negative outcomes. We also have a visit from Keis Kostaqi who returns with her You Are Not Alone column. Keis and I discuss the new Scrum Master that gets thrown to the wolves. Get a coach or risk being eaten? Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 8 is titled, The Enabling Play: Connect. This Chapter begins with the story of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The disaster may have been avoided if a single button had been pushed. The button went unpushed until it was too late because the person did not have permission. Marquet states  “How is it that a person could be more afraid of pushing a button without permission, than dying in a fiery explosion?” Hierarchy above all is a power play from the Industrial Age, a play that remains entrenched in corporate life. Fear supported by steep hierarchies, distorts common sense in environments with a strong culture of control and compliance.  Previous installments of our re-read of  (buy a copy)! Week 1: –   Week 2: –   Week 3: –   Week 4: – Week 5: –    Week 6: -   Week 7: -    Week 8: -   Week 9: -     Learn to Solve IT's Dirtiest Secret! Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means no agile for you. Jeremy Willets and I have written tackling the topic that JRoss Publishing will publish in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, workshop-based course for anyone involved in deciding on what work gets completed!  This includes Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers - there are a lot of people involved and that is part of the problem! The workshop will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We're using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available.  Link to Survey!      Next SPaMCAST  Software Process and Measurement Cast 782 will feature our interview with Govind Balu. We will discuss the importance of data and how organizations are tackling data transformations.     

The Seventh Age of the Church TS Wright pt 2 The Book of the Revelation, for some, bring ominous warnings and invokes fear. For believers, the opposite is true (at least for true believers…). The hope that the soon return of Jesus is about to happen!  We can see signs from the Book of the Revelation all around us today. We are living what the Bible depicts as the “end of days.” We are living it!  Right now! As I said, for believers – we should be getting excited!  We also need to get busy! We need to be witnessing like never before! We need to sound the alarm as never before! We need to be warning everyone that the “end is near!” Now, I would not go as far as to hold up a sign that says that on a city street corner (unless that is what he Lord has told you to do) – but we should be sharing the Gospel and relating it to end time events in an effort to show the world that the Bible is true and we are about to witness something spectacular! Well, Scott Wright is back with us today. Scott has been teaching us about the different ages of the Church and significant things the Bible and history has to say about them. If you missed any of the preceding episodes where we covered the Church Ages One through Six, go back to the archives and find them. You will be amazed at the information Scott Wright has been sharing with us thus far. Amen! Scott is helping us to understand each of the different ages of the Church and why they are so significant – especially as we look at the modern day church age with all the societal problems we are facing today. Today, we are going to be looking at the Seventh Age of the Church, as depicted in Revelation Chapter Three.  This is part TWO of what turned out to be a THREE part interview! The start of the Seventh Age of the Church really started with the shift from an agrarian society to the Industrial Age and living in urban environments? Let's be clear, Jesus is not returning during this Seventh Age of the Church – but immediately AFTER? We talked about the “beginning” of the Seventh Age of the Church. What happens as it proceeds? The “Industrial Age” actually helped WWI and WWII to happen. Every time a nation creates a “new weapon,” they want to use them. WWI starts the shift from the “gentiles” back to the focus on the Jews.  The signal is the “Balfour Declaration,” which gives land back to Israel. The political destruction of the monarchies happened – to be followed by the “roaring twenties!” When political power started to shift to the people (creating “Communism” and “Fascism” instead of monarchies. That brings us to the cause of WWII. God worked to get Harry Truman into a position where God could use him to make two decisions that change the landscape forever of the world: Dropping the first atom bomb and Recognizing the Nation of Israel. With the advent of technology, the spread of the Gospel starts to rapidly go around the world. Folks, there is no doubt that we are living in what Jesus and historical Christian scholars have called, “The End Times.” We are working our way through each of the Church Ages in order to give you a more thorough understanding of...

The Seventh Age of the Church TS Wright pt 1 The Book of the Revelation, for some, bring ominous warnings and invokes fear. For believers, the opposite is true (at least for true believers…). The hope that the soon return of Jesus is about to happen!  We can see signs from the Book of the Revelation all around us today. We are living what the Bible depicts as the “end of days.” We are living it!  Right now! As I said, for believers – we should be getting excited!  We also need to get busy! We need to be witnessing like never before! We need to sound the alarm as never before! We need to be warning everyone that the “end is near!” Now, I would not go as far as to hold up a sign that says that on a city street corner (unless that is what he Lord has told you to do) – but we should be sharing the Gospel and relating it to end time events in an effort to show the world that the Bible is true and we are about to witness something spectacular! Well, Scott Wright is back with us today. Scott has been teaching us about the different ages of the Church and significant things the Bible and history has to say about them. If you missed any of the preceding episodes where we covered the Church Ages One through Six, go back to the archives and find them. You will be amazed at the information Scott Wright has been sharing with us thus far. Amen! Scott is helping us to understand each of the different ages of the Church and why they are so significant – especially as we look at the modern day church age with all the societal problems we are facing today. Today, we are going to be looking at the Seventh Age of the Church, as depicted in Revelation Chapter Three. To do this, help me welcome back to the program, Scott Wright!  Scott, it's so good to have you back on the program today, I appreciate it! OK… give us a recap of what we've talked about thus far and how it all leads up to our subject matter today…mainly, our relations to the Church of Laodicea… What brings the Sixth Age of the Church to an end and what starts the Seventh Age of the Church? Technological advances in transportation and communication and mass communication is the significant event that is in the Seventh Age of the Church? So the coronation of Queen Victoria (and her marrying Prince Albert) is a turning point of the church? Human rights become important and even results to war (the Civil War; WWI, WWII) that are all about human rights. What was the cause of the power shift from monarchy to a representative government across the world? The start of the Seventh Age of the Church really started with the shift from an agrarian society to the Industrial Age and living in urban environments? Let's be clear, Jesus is not returning during this Seventh Age of the Church – but immediately AFTER? Folks, there is no doubt that we are living in what Jesus and historical Christian scholars have called, “The End Times.” We are working our way through each of the Church Ages in order to give you a more thorough understanding of how all this fits into what we are witnessing, right  now, all around us. I urge you drop down into the show notes and click the links right there. Order

Dan Mapes is the Founder and President of Verses.AI, an advanced artificial general intelligence and spatial web company, and Founder and Director of the Spatial Web Foundation enabling the 3D Internet. He also co-authored the best-selling book, The Spatial Web. Dan explains what globally networked artificial general intelligence can do now, what will become possible soon—especially with AI-run operations—and his vision of our AI-empowered planet in 2100. Dan discusses augmented working capacities, our ongoing caterpiller-like metamorphosis, and how we can all benefit by learning about and leaning into our growing capabilities. KEY TAKEAWAYS   [02:37] Working on his PhD in AI at Berkeley, Dan clearly sees the ultimate goal of creating software that rewrites itself.   [03:36] ChatGPT is a machine rather than a self-evolving system which can learn from its mistakes.   [05:02] The ultimate software interface would be a 3-dimensional environment.   [06:04] Dan creates a lab to do R&D and work across sectors to solve intractable computer problems.   [07:14] The role of game theory in our lives and when developing artificial intelligence.   [08:23] Dan's lab develops: databases that handle game objects, early capabilities to move images over a network, digital humans.   [10:18] How biological design using an action perception modeling cycle is a game changer in a co-evolutionary process.   [14:16] There are two classes of AI now—(1) content creation (neural nets) and (2) operations.   [16:28] We are at a new inflection point—leaving the industrial age and entering an intelligent globally networked age.   [17:40] Dan shares a practical use case—his company won an EU contract to manage drones in flight.   [20:40] The new AI enabled a universal language of AI – Hyper Space Modeling Language HSML.   [22:46] Dan describes what sharing a co-evolutionary brain worldwide means with collective intelligence rising.   [27:13] How the internet developed into the World Wide Web.   [29:12] The internet was always going to evolve into the Spatial Web once bandwidth increased enough.   [30:43] What the Internet of Everything will look and feel like as the 3D Spatial Web.   [33:25] The worldwide web's three big flaws are being fixed by identity, security, and location layers.   [37:04] How everyone having self-sovereign identity improves privacy with zero knowledge proofs.   [39:16] The data exchange built into the Spatial Web allows each person to trade their personal data, if desired.   [40:12] Shopping will be a very different experience with AI-enabled mass personalization.   [41:43] The worldwide web aas a prototype—a useful 25-year experiment preparing us for what's next.   [43:24] Dan anticipates a shift of similar magnitude to when we transitioned to the Industrial Age.   [45:24] When the network IS the economy, workers are location independent nodes on the network.   [46:43] We are transitioning to a planetary civilization, thinking about key problems at a planet level.   [48:50] Transforming education outcomes when AI can assess capabilities and personalize learning.   [51:34] The caterpillar, the butterfly, and the metamorphosis we are currently cocooning through.   [56:20 Dan's vision of abundance moving beyond the Industrial Age and cooperating at global scale.   [57:09] Understanding the historical and potential trajectory of planetary wealth.   [58:59] What might be possible combining AI and quantum computing?!   [1:00:44] Evolutionary force is driving new developments—such as creating a digital neocortex to augment the human neocortex.   [1:03:57] Earth is an evolutionary planet.   [1:05:40] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To prepare and start adapting for an AI-powered future — learn more, educate more — read whitepapers, watch relevant videos and interviews — and come from a fundamental position of trust; trust with care. Feel positive about what we are evolving toward while paying attention to possible misuses.     RESOURCES   Dan Mapes on LinkedIn Verses.ai spatialwebfoundation.org     QUOTES (edited)   “We want what humans are. We don't download better brains, we learn every day, evolving an interior model of reality. A baby has a small model, a child has a larger model, and an adult has a sophisticated model, so they can make better decisions. So the same thing with software. That's been the dream of AI for a long time.”   “We are on the cusp of a new civilization that can do things we couldn't do during the Industrial Age. It looks like another inflection point. We left the Ag (Agricultural) Age and entered the Industrial Age. Now we're leaving the Industrial Age and entering an Intelligent Global Network Age. And we're the only company in the world doing this.”   “The whole era from 1970 to today is 5% of what the Spatial Web is going to do. Instead of connecting every machine or every document to each other, it's going to connect every building in the world, every car, every boat, every train, every plane, everything. It's the Internet of Everything.”   “The Spatial Web knows exactly where everything is and the AI functions as its own immune system. It knows where things are. If there's a bad actor, people report it and the ISP takes it down.”   “I'm a free person and I don't have to report who I am to everybody. Having self-sovereign identity unlocks a really interesting concept called zero-knowledge proofs.”   “You own your data in the Spatial Web. You have an identity. You're not being surveilled and sold, so you can sell your data. We built data exchange into the spatial web and we'll buy from you and sell it for you to the advertisers. But you can choose.”   “The last time we went through such a major shift was when we left the farm and moved to the cities and people had to quit farming. It used to take 80 people to run a farm and once you had mechanization of the farm, it was eight people. So, we say “Oh my God! We're losing our jobs!” No, no! You move to the city and learn to make tractors.”   “We're moving toward a planetary civilization. Our climate problems are planet-level, our weapons proliferation problems are planet-level, we think at planet-level. We're waking up.”   “An average working person [today] at median level income lives better than the King of England did 100, 200 hundred years ago. The king would trade immediately! If you got sick 200 years ago, you're probably dead. That means that the average person in 2100 may be wealthier than the wealthiest person is today.”   “The caterpillar butterfly model is such a valid model because you could never predict the butterfly from the caterpillar. It's a little fat worm crawling around on a stick, and then this thing comes out flying for 5,000 miles and has some kind of intrinsic knowledge of where it's going. So we probably have intrinsic knowledge of where we're going. The DNA of what we're about to become is already within us.”   “A turtle will lay eggs on the beach and the little baby turtles will crawl to the water when they hatch, and then they'll swim for two years in the open ocean, come back to the exact beach where they were born, and lay their eggs. I mean, that is machine intelligence, maximum.”

“Employee” is an outdated concept. (Literally, a relic of the Industrial Age.) Learn how power is shifting from employer to employee, and how this completely changes your work and life options. ***

They come in like a storm and they burn out like a bad rocket. These billionaires are the wrong guys to change the world, but they somehow think they will succeed. We consider the worldviews of these insta-billionaires churned out of the tech industry over the last 15 years. Is this a scientific experiment that's going badly wrong? Or is this a bad ego trip? Or did this get-rich-quick scheme get way out of hand? We point out profound differences between the old billionaires that developed an Industrial Age which upped the average household income ten-fold, and the new Information Age that is deconstructing our world.

They come in like a storm and they burn out like a bad rocket. These billionaires are the wrong guys to change the world, but they somehow think they will succeed.--We consider the worldviews of these insta-billionaires churned out of the tech industry over the last 15 years. Is this a scientific experiment that's going badly wrong-- Or, Is this a bad ego trip----Or, did this get-rich-quick scheme get way out of hand-- We point out profound differences between the old billionaires that developed an Industrial Age which upped the average household income 10 fold, and the new Information Age that is deconstructing our world.--This program includes---1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus -8 Worldview listeners gave -840.50, Ireland's march for life, How Pakistani Muslims blocked church construction---2. Generations with Kevin Swanson

We're doing a special series at the International Quilt Museum for the next few weeks! Today, I chatted with Carolyn Ducey, the Ardis B. James Curator of Collections. She is amazing. But we already knew that. We intervieweed her in 2019 in a two-part podcast interviews: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/18105882 and https://www.spreaker.com/episode/18849947. She is a co-editor on the American Quilts in the Industrial Age, a brilliant (and quite heavy) book, available at Amazon https://amzn.to/3IRZiRR (and yes, worth the price). She is pretty all-around awesome. We talk about the history of the IQM, about museums in general and many more things. A great introduction to the International Quilt Museum.Note: these are raw, in the field interviews and so no intro/outro music. Ironically, I think the sound quality is better than usual! Hope you enjoy it.

Angela Benavides is a High-Altitude Mountaineering and Climbing journalist for Explorers Web - https://explorersweb.com/PLEASE SUPPORT the families of Sherpa and mountain workers who have died while working in the mountains, check out this video: https://youtu.be/Htd_l89ejJYThe two Polish climbers mentioned in the video who flew in from Kathmandu to rescue Carlos Soria on Dhaulagiri are Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Pereira.As of May 18 there are over 200 summits of Mount Everest with hundreds of others still moving forward to make their attempt to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.There are eight deaths as of May 18th, including for Sherpa, an Indian woman attempting to become the first to climb Everest with a pace maker, a Moldovan climber named Victor Brinza fell ill at South Col and passed away.The weather is holding. Families around the world anxiously await news from their loved ones to hear a report from the mountain And if any of you watch my shorts, you've heard about new records Kami Rita Sherpa has summited Everst for the 27th time, he is 53 and the holder of the record for most summits of EverestAnd Kenton Cool has summited Mount Everest for his 17th time, becoming the person with the most summits for a non Nepali.And a 16 year old climber from China….The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15Thank you for visiting. Please consider becoming a Channel Member for access to perks and to become part of a growing community:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEk3e_XGyNnqwK2ZlxH7fEA/joinSupport the show

Northwestern University professor Kevin Boyle taught a class about immigration and working class life in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Innovation in clean energy is accelerating. Batteries are getting denser and cheaper; wind turbines are getting bigger and better, and new solar projects often generate the cheapest electricity in the world.  Meanwhile, cutting-edge technologies like hydrogen electrolysis and direct-air carbon capture keep improving. Most of the world's major economies – the US, EU, India, Japan, and China – are racing to capture the economic benefits of this tech innovation through deployment incentives and support of domestic manufacturing.  But bottlenecks for critical minerals, supply chain constraints from Covid, and fierce competition among countries are all potential hurdles for this new industrial age. Where is clean energy innovation advancing the fastest? And how will competition over manufacturing shake out in the decade ahead? This week host Bill Loveless talks with Timur Gül.    Timur is head of the Energy Technology Policy Division at the International Energy Agency and leads the Energy Technology Perspectives report. The flagship series serves as the world's first global guidebook for the clean technology industries of the future. The 2023 version was just released earlier this month. Timur gives us an insider's look into the report. He and Bill discuss how the key findings fit into the current geopolitical atmosphere of energy markets. They also talk about the major opportunities both globally and domestically for technology innovation.