Podcasts about Lovely

LOSING THE WILL TO LIVE! 2 DAYS OF BURNHAM — HE'S DOING MY HEAD IN!  #AndyBurnham #PMQs #Burnham #KemiBadenoch #UKPolitics #Labour #SmallBoats #LawAndOrder #JonGaunt #JonGauntTV  FOR GOD'S SAKE, ANDY — IS THIS IT?! Two days of Andy Burnham in the Commons and I'm already losing the will to live! Britain needs BIG answers.  We're staring at serious economic problems, immigration remains one of the biggest issues in the country, public services are creaking and we've seen shocking disorder on our streets. And what does our new political messiah appear to be offering us? CHEAPER BUS FARES! Give me strength!  He talks about cutting VAT on electricity. He talks about bringing utilities back under public control. He wants more devolution. More power for councils. More money for some train drivers. Lovely! BUT WHO THE HELL IS PAYING FOR ALL OF THIS?! That's the bit I want to hear, Andy. You want utilities back under public control? Fine. HOW MUCH? WHERE'S THE MONEY? You want to give councils even more power? Have you seen the state of some of them?! Birmingham struggled to EMPTY THE BINS! Across Britain we've got roads that resemble obstacle courses because councils can't even FIX THE POTHOLES! And these are the people we're supposed to give MORE power to?! Meanwhile, what about the questions millions of people actually want answered? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT ILLEGAL MIGRATION? What are you going to do about lawlessness and serious disorder in our towns and cities? Where's the plan to get the economy moving? Where's the serious plan for growth? Where's the vision? Where's the LEADERSHIP?! I don't want another TikTok politician. I don't want another bloke telling me there's jam tomorrow while asking me to admire the label on the jar today. Britain doesn't need another PR operation. It needs somebody prepared to make difficult decisions and tell us exactly how they're going to pay for them.]  Maybe I've finally worked out Andy's masterplan. BORE US TO DEATH! Break our spirit. Wear us down. Keep talking until the entire country screams: ALL RIGHT, ANDY — WE SURRENDER! Because after only TWO DAYS, mate, you're doing a bloody good job of it!  And then there's the fundamental problem hanging over the whole thing: NO MANDATE. NO PLAN. NO VISION. NO CLUE. And surrounded by a Cabinet that has hardly set my pulse racing. Is THIS really the great new beginning we were promised? Because right now it looks suspiciously like the same old political circus — just with a different ringmaster.  Am I being too harsh after only two days? Or are YOU already asking the same question as me: IS THIS REALLY IT?! Join me LIVE AT SIX on Jon Gaunt TV, because I've got plenty to say — and I want to hear what YOU think. GOD HELP BRITAIN! Andy Burnham, Andy Burnham PMQs, Burnham PMQs, PMQs today, PMQs 2026, Prime Ministers Questions, Prime Minister's Questions, Andy Burnham first PMQs, Kemi Badenoch PMQs, Burnham vs Badenoch, Andy Burnham Commons, House of Commons, Burnham government, Burnham policies, UK politics, British politics, Labour government, UK economy, borrowing costs, government spending, cost of living, energy bills, electricity VAT, bus fares, nationalisation, devolution, illegal immigration, small boats, law and order, Westminster, Jon Gaunt, Jon Gaunt TV, JonGauntTV, Gaunty, UK news  #AndyBurnham #PMQs #PMQsToday #PrimeMinistersQuestions #Burnham #KemiBadenoch #HouseOfCommons #Westminster #UKPolitics #BritishPolitics #Labour #LabourGovernment #UKEconomy #IllegalImmigration #SmallBoats #LawAndOrder #JonGaunt #JonGauntTV #Gaunty #UKNews  This is political blogging and hard-hitting social commentary from Triple Sony Gold Award-winning talk radio legend, Jon Gaunt — former host on BBC, Talk Radio, and Sky News. On Jon Gaunt TV, we cut through the noise and say what others won't. No political correctness. No censorship. Just real conversations that matter.

Are humans like bees, and we're all meant to help each other, or do we have our own destiny's that are separate from one another ?

In this solo episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely kicks off a new season of the Not Your Mother's Menopause Podcast with a powerful conversation about the evolving landscape of menopause care. She reflects on how the conversation has shifted from merely tolerating symptoms to embracing whole-person, life-course care that values women well beyond their reproductive years. This is not just about hot flashes and fractured sleep—it's about asking what matters most to each woman and supporting her unique priorities. Dr. Fiona tackles one of the most unsettling symptoms of perimenopause: brain fog. Drawing on research from Lisa Mosconi and Roberta Brinton, she explains that while brain fog feels frightening, it is actually a sign of the brain's adaptation and resilience, not a verdict on cognitive decline. She reassures listeners that cognitive performance does not significantly decline during the transition, and that the brain often stabilizes and rebounds post-menopause. The episode also addresses the latest data on HRT, dispelling outdated fears and clarifying that informed choice is not dangerous—but dismissal is. Dr. Fiona emphasizes that there is no automatic expiration date on HRT and that continuing therapy beyond age 65 can be appropriate for persistent symptoms or quality of life concerns. Finally, she shares her excitement about the upcoming fall enrollment of the Menopause Doula Certification:  a program that trains women in Dr. Lovely's methods to support others through the transition with education, advocacy, and compassionate validation. This episode is a rallying cry for women to ask better questions, seek better care, and embrace the decades ahead with confidence and clarity.   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

Your cap wearing host Andy, Capless Ant and Dun cover off the Blackburn game, and look ahead to a double game week and a transfer window slamming shut. What's that Dun's drinking?He's double fisting with a Schaffer AND A Kool-Aid...OH YEAH!- Sound the horn- A look back on this weekend a year ago...- Does Todd Cantwell have the most punchable face in the Championship?- Morashita asks if he can play us every week. What a hit son.- Well, that didn't take long Smythy...- Jimmy Dunne done bagged himself the winner- A change will do us good. Subs sink Rovers.- Rich not in a rich vein of form- I love Lamp (tey)- 1 down? No problem for this team- We're only conceding Puskas contenders (Apart from that Millwall goal but we don't talk about that...)- Hold your dark horses Ryan...- Transfer window slams shut. Who's leaving?- Good Golly...what's happening with Rayan Kolli? Is the transfer speculation just folly? - Larkeche and Morgan are better off on loan, but is Joe Walsh?- Anyone for Tennis or Cocktails?- Absinthe makes Andy's heart grow fonder (of Milli Vanilli).- Kit Clash! Or should that be Clash Kit? Ant is COOKING right now.- An array of Errea - A Cardiff & Boro kit corner- Lovely stuff: Ant's Birthday Trip to Mystic (No pizza), School's back in session for Andy and as for Dun...- Music Round - Part 2. All we are saying is give us Pierce Charles.- Jacob's drops a verse and does the Lamptey LampDun's on double duty at the Football Factory this week. Cardiff on Wednesday, Boro on Saturday... Rate, review, comment, subscribe, download, stream, blah, blah, blah...

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 326 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included:   Off the Needles On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming From the Armchair Knitting in Passing KAL News Events On a Happy Note Quote of the Week   Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Stitched by Jessalu & Mandi's Makings   Off the Needles   Neckerchief #2 Pattern: none Yarn: Valley Yarns Huntington (75% Merino, 25% Nylon) in colorway 22 Navy Needles: US 6 (4 mm) Ravelry Project Page   On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins   Goldwing Sweater Pattern: Goldwing by Jennifer Steingass ($8 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 6 (4.0mm) for body and US 5 (3.75 mm) for rolled neck Yarn: Valley Superwash DK in Sand (MC) and handspun from Wound Up Fiber Arts for CC (Ravelry page for handspun details) Ravelry Project Page Progress: Nearly done with the ribbing now!   Log Cabin Blanket Pattern: Log Cabin Square by Julie Harrison. Free crochet pattern available on Ravelry. Video tutorial available on the Little Woollie Makes YouTube Channel Yarn: Legacy Fiber Artz Minis (mostly from Advent calendars 2023 & 2024) Hook: I (5.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page My color placement is inspired by this project/pattern available on Ravelry. Inspired to pick it back up after see Sue (from Legacy Fiber Artz)'s version on their latest podcast episode. She bordered with cream before seaming. I love it. You can see a peek in this Instagram post. Progress: 30 squares completed! I bought two skeins of Dirty Water Dyeworks Lucia DK (SW Merino Nylon blend) in colorway March sky to try to border/seam with.  I found a YouTube video to use as a guide for joining as I add the last row of moss/linen stitch.   Confetti Cannon Socks Yarn: Woolens and Nosh BFL Fingering (85% SW BFL + 15% Nylon) in the Confetti Cannon Colorway Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page New base for Woolens & Nosh that was very kindly gifted to me by Michele to try out! Thank you! I love this new base. About the Colorway: butter yellow, pink, purple, coral, tan, fuschia, aqua, lime/grass green. Mini skein: teal Progress: I am beyond heel on first sock.   Big Feelings Socks Yarn: Woolens and Nosh BFL Fingering (85% SW BFL + 15% Nylon) in the Big Feelings Colorway (2nd Quarter 2026 club colorway) Pattern: OMG Heel Socks by Megan Williams ($5 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: I am beyond heel on first sock.   Deschain Pattern: Deschain by Leila Raven ($6.50 knitting pattern available on Ravelry) Yarn: Berroco Remix in colorway 3922 Buttercup Needles: US 10 (6 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: I am only a few repeats into the front of the top.   Tray-mat Pattern: None Yarn: Lion Brand Made with Love The Cotton One in the Red Red Wine Colorway (60% Cotton/ 40% Acrylic) Aran weight yarn Hook: H (5.9 mm) Ravelry Project Page Progress: I have crocheted around 5 inches so far.   Brainstorming   Blanket options I'm considering No-Purl Ribbed Blanket by Purl Soho (free knitting pattern) Football Lovie by Alissa Clevenger $5 crochet pattern available on Ravelry   Project to bring to France Tip Top Tank Fine by Emily Bolduan- Free Ravelry knitting pattern Islander Vest by Claire Jackson- $11 knitting pattern (options for pay what you can)   From the Armchair   The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. Amazon Affiliate Link. In Her Defense by Phillippa Malicka. Amazon Affiliate Link. I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue. Amazon Affiliate Link.   Watching: Silo Series on Apple TV- season 3   Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.   Knitting in Passing David sent me photos of his Pollen Party socks at work and at Pilates!   KAL News   Pigskin Party '26 Details Event runs 9/9/26-2/15/27 Everything you need can be found in the Start Here Thread on Ravelry Sign up (must be registered to win) - opened 8/19 Rules (includes changes made for the '26 season) Finish a Project? Enter for points using the Points Tally Form Share in the End Zone Dance Ravelry thread to celebrate with friends Check your Stats on the Scoreboard Have a Question? Post it in this Ravelry Thread Sponsor List can be found here (check often for updates) Pro Shop Sponsors can create Exclusive Items which are shared in this Ravelry Thread Coupons & deals from our Sponsors can be found in this Ravelry Thread   Updates for this episode: The next Stretches for Stitchers session (from Fitness by Mara) starts Sept. 14th but participants can join at anytime or use a single class pack! Check out our Quarter 1 (October) Challenge hosted by Doolittle Yarnery. Details in this Ravelry Thread. Thanks to Ravelry user Elisewentwest for updating her worksheet for project tracking. If you want to check it out click here and then make a copy of it to edit for your own tracking purposes.   Events September 12 & 13: Boston Fiber Festival in Boston, MA (full or half day passes, or 2 day passes) September 17-20: Cape & South Shore Yarn Haul September 19 & 20: Adirondack Wool & Arts Festival in Greenwich, NY September 24-27: Greater Boston Yarn Crawl October 17 & 18: NY State Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY November 7: Fiber Festival of New England in Springfield, MA   On a Happy Note Laura's Visit- Flight Club Boston. Lolita for dinner. Sunday- breakfast at Yaz's Table, thrifting and shopping for college stuff with Riley. Megg and I saw Jagged Little Pill at Company Theatre Riley getting off to college successfully! Seeing Aila and Hattie perform in the Cabaret show Facetime tour of Riley's dorm Marta is meeting Laura and I in Colmar, France! A step challenge through my gym has me out on more walks. Lovely message from Natalie (remembrances pottery) about a stone wall she's building after seeing one on my vlogmas walks. Megg and I went to Liz's band, Safe Journey's, show at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. Check them out on Instagram. Then on Saturday, Dan, Dad and I went to an outdoor musical festival in Providence, RI where Safe Journey was playing. We had lunch and beers at the pavilion at 195 District Park. We really enjoyed the Guild Brewery beers and seltzer. Rhinoceros at ART in Cambridge wearing thirfted dress.   Quote of the Week   "Summers had a logic all their own and they always brought something out in me. Summer was supposed to be about freedom and youth and no school and possibilities and adventure and exploration. Summer was a book of hope. That's why I loved and hated summers. Because they made me want to believe."   ―Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe     No episode on 9/15. I'll be in Paris!   ------ Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Check out the Down Cellar Studio Patreon! Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Instagram: BostonJen1 YouTube: Down Cellar Studio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio Check out my Down Cellar Studio YouTube Channel Knit Picks Affiliate Link Bookshop Affiliate Link Yarnable Subscription Box Affiliate Link FearLESS Living Fund to benefit the Blind Center of Nevada Music -"Soft Orange Glow" by Josh Woodward. Free download: http://joshwoodward.com/ Note: Some links are listed as Amazon Affiliate Links. If you click those, please know that I am an Amazon Associate and I earn money from qualifying purchases.  

The crew is back- well, 2/3. Lovely and Alainta have an honest, relatable conversation about the connection among wellness, health, and personal finances. From routine checkups and preventive care to the costs of ignoring symptoms, they explore what can happen financially when we don't take our health seriously. Together, they discuss the hidden costs of poor health, unexpected medical expenses, missed work, and the long-term impact health decisions can have on financial security. It's a candid reminder that investing in your health today can be one of the smartest investments you make for your future—and your wallet. Wait, what's a Financial Griot? The Financial Griot is a play on two words (Finance + Griot) that together signify closing the wealth gap while embracing our differences. Alainta Alcin, Lovely Merdelus, and Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez share their perspectives on current events that impact your personal finances and wealth mindset. In the New York Times, Bankrate, and other publications, the hosts share the stories that others don't. Stories about growth, opportunity, and even Wars. Beyond that, we tie it back to how it reflects on your finances. Specifically, we teach you how to become financially literate, incorporate actionable steps, and ultimately build generational wealth. Can you imagine being a Millionaire in 20 years or less? Yeah, it's possible. Eighty percent of millionaires are first-generation, meaning they didn't inherit wealth. We teach you how. Join a community of subscribers who welcome a fresh take on money. So there you have it, The Financial Griot, or TFG for short. The hosts amassed over $3 million in wealth in about eight years and are on track to retire early. We will gladly share the secrets if you want them, since the opportunities are abundant and it's a Win-Win. Find the TFG Crew Hosts on Instagram: Alainta Alcin - Blogger, Travel and Money Enthusiast https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaintaalcin Lawrence Delva-Gonzalez, Financial Foodie and Travel Blogger @theneighborhoodfinanceguy Lovely Merdelus - Entrepreneur and Small Business Growth Specialist @lovelymerdelus

THIS WEEK: BAD FIRST DATE CONVERSATION STARTERS, WHITE GUY PHRASES, GIRL FLEXES WITH LOVLEY MARIA AND,....YOUR GRANDFATHER IS A MASS MURDERER.....

While many garden plants have struggled for survival this summer, one which has truly thrived is the lantana. Horticulturist David Hurrion was one of the judges of last year's lantana trial at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, and he joins us to share his takeaways of growing these eye-poppingly colourful bedding plants, and some of the standout cultivars.  Deadheading is a practice key to ensuring repeat blooms throughout the summer, and RHS Horticultural Advisor Nick Turrell shows us how to do it properly. And finally, as we enter autumn, we're kickstarting our bulb of the week series with horticulturist Gemma Burr who shares some favourite coronet tulips from another recent RHS Plant Trial. Plus answers to listener questions on bay trees, lawns from seed and Salvia 'Hot Lips'.  Host: Gareth Richards Producers: Dan Cocker, Poppy Waring Contributors: David Hurrion, Nick Turrell, Gemma Burr Links: Lantana trial results Deadheading Send your questions to podcasts@rhs.org.uk

After an extended break, the regular format has returned for the rest of 2026. Then we'll see what happens in the new year. At the very least, you'll be getting the yearly traditions regardless if the regular format changes. For the next two episodes, I needed to discuss filmmakers that bring me joy and aren't too heavy. The first is a filmmaker I've been meaning to cover for a little while since back in 2002, I became a huge fan of Nicole Holofcener. This is appropriately a short and sweet episode, much like the director's work itself. Joining me in the discussion, focused on her breakthrough film LOVELY & AMAZING and her most recent work, YOU HURT MY FEELINGS, is returning guest and friend to the show Kate Blair, making her fifth appearance and is always a delight to talk with. We also briefly sing the praises of the latest from Jane Schoenbrun during the introduction too!I am truly grateful to Patrick for his Dial P for Podcast series which will also continue till the end of the year and of course, to Kate for coming back on the show. Thanks everyone for your patience this summer and looking forward to bringing you more episodes this year.

Hour 3 of A&G features... Bingo Bango Bongo Dolly Iran war & trade Canada See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 3 of A&G features... Bingo Bango Bongo Dolly Iran war & trade Canada See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comedians and dearest pals Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell chat friendship, love, life and culture...sometimes...⁠Get Tom's novel - Common Decency - https://www.google.com/search?q=tom+allen+common+decencyOut with Suzi Ruffell podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/attitude-presents-out-with-suzi-ruffell/id1505466130Suzi's Substack - https://suziruffell.substack.com/Suzi's website (with tour listings) - https://suziruffell.com/tour/Get in touch with all your problems or if you want to give your Like Minded Friend a shout out:hello@likemindedfriendspod.comWe'll be out and in your ears wherever you get your podcasts every Wednesday morning, and if you like what you hear why not leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever it is you listen... Thanks - Tom & Suzixx

In this episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely sits down with Angelo Keely, a nutrition and protein optimization expert, for a conversation that every woman in midlife needs to hear. The topic? Why protein intake needs actually increase with age—especially during perimenopause and menopause—and how getting this right can be a game-changer for strength, metabolism, and overall vitality. Angelo breaks down the often-overlooked reality of sarcopenia, the gradual loss of muscle mass that sneaks in as women age, and explains why maintaining muscle is not just about looking toned—it's about bone health, metabolic function, and long-term independence. He shares practical strategies for hitting daily protein goals without overeating, and clarifies the important distinction between standard protein powders and essential amino acids (EAAs), explaining what the body actually absorbs and utilizes. The conversation also tackles the rise of GLP-1 medications and the risks of rapid weight loss without proper muscle support. Angelo offers straightforward guidance on how to pair these medications with resistance training and targeted amino acid support to preserve lean mass and vitality. Listeners will walk away with simple, sustainable strategies for fueling their bodies for strength and longevity—no matter their age.  Discover how to protect your muscle, protect your health, and age on your own terms.  Check out Kion and learn more at www.getkion.com   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

THIS WEEK WE TALK ABOUT PARKOUR FOR SENIORS, THE CUDDLE CLUB, SEX ADVICE WITH LOVLEY MARIA AND....FUN WITH KARENS.....

Welcome back to The Lovely Show! Kevin and Justine are reviewing the highs and lows of this years Rose of Tralee. They are also chatting problematic toys, shriveled sausages and why you send your piss to data centers.  To hear the full episode and access ad-free listening become a member of HeadStuff+. If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Thank you for supporting The Lovely Show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, their holidays were LOVELY, but the journeys??! Get in touch with Nat, buy tickets for upcoming live shows and link to Patreon, all the family's Instagrams, and more: ⁠⁠lifewithnatpod.komi.io⁠⁠ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Navigating the conversation about hormone replacement therapy can feel overwhelming, especially when there is so much conflicting information circulating. In this listener favorite episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely cuts through the noise and provides listeners with the essential tools they need to advocate for themselves when speaking with their healthcare providers about HRT. She addresses the questions that come up time and again—who is a candidate, what are the real risks and benefits, and what specific products women should be asking for. Dr. Fiona breaks down the latest research in a clear, accessible way, empowering women to move past outdated fears and have informed, productive conversations with their doctors. She also shares practical resources, including directories for finding qualified practitioners who specialize in menopause care, and highlights the importance of doing thorough research before choosing a provider or clinic. This episode is a must-listen for any woman navigating perimenopause or menopause who wants to take charge of her health and make confident decisions about hormone therapy.  Tune in to learn exactly what you need to know before your next appointment.   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

Lovely humans. Yes it's our first episode from the Epic Baseball Road Trip: CLE, DET, CHI edition. We give you the NCiB takes on Progressive Field, Comerica Park, and Wrigley Field. What are pierogi nachos, really? Yes we care that the bathrooms are just that good. No, in fact “good” beer is NOT available everywhere in the park. How far will Patti travel to execute a visual Hello Kitty/Detroit Tigers joke? Yes every single person in the entire midwest is pretty nice and the people working guest services are the people that should be working guest services. With the notable exception of JJ Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera, our current bfs were not playing or not playing well in front of your hosts. We were a day early for an historic CLE win, and a day late for Joshua Baez's historic debut, but we were there for Bradgley Rodriguez's first save.. And we apparently are a jinx (curse?) on the home teams. Wow Jake, 4 teams in 21 days? We recommend cross-training at LeBron James' Buckets restaurant in Akron, and we can't wait to get to Springfield this week to check on the HR race between Kelsie and Denae. Next week we'll report back on MIL, the WPBL, and KC. Join our Patreon for the Daily Diary.We say, “ Pottymouth layered noise-cancelling things,” “the songs you know all the words to, therefore you can't do math in your head,” and “2 for 2 on food we didn't even know would come in helmets.” Fight the man, go see some live baseball, send your game balls to Meredith, and find us on Bluesky @ncibpodcast, on Facebook @nocryinginbball, Instagram @nocryinginbball and on the Interweb at nocryinginbball.com. Please take a moment to subscribe to the show, and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to NCiB. Become a supporter at Patreon to help us keep doing what we do. We now have episode transcripts available!  They are available for free at our Patreon site. Say goodnight, Pottymouth. 

Loves_Lovely_Counterfeit

'You're trying to soak up the atmosphere while still staying sane'Dave catches up with co-host of 'The Rose of Tralee', Kathryn Thomas.

Prepare to discover a revolutionary approach to health and longevity that is transforming how we think about healing! In this  fan-favorite episode, Dr. Fiona Lovely sits down with Kyal Van Der Leest, an Australian Nutritionist and Naturopath who is at the forefront of bio-identical and peptide-based therapies. If you've heard the word "peptides" trending in wellness circles but aren't sure how they fit into your health strategy—especially through the hormonal shifts of perimenopause and menopause—this episode is your definitive, easy-to-understand roadmap. Rather than viewing peptides as synthetic additives, Kyal breaks down how these short chains of amino acids function as your body's own natural cellular messengers. Discover how targeted peptide therapies can communicate directly with your cells to spur healing, repair, and regeneration in ways traditional supplements and pharmaceuticals simply can't match. In This Episode, You'll Discover: Peptides 101: What peptides actually are and why they speak your body's exact biological language. Targeted Cellular Repair: How peptide signaling works to trigger tissue restoration, hormonal optimization, and metabolic recovery. The Gut-Brain Axis & Leaky Gut: The specific peptide mechanics that directly block zonulin—the protein responsible for gut permeability—to help seal and heal the intestinal lining. Short-Term Interventions for Long-Term Health: Why peptide therapy isn't meant to be a lifetime dependency, but rather a temporary, high-impact tool to reset your foundational health. Integrating Peptides Safely: Practical insights on using peptide therapy as part of a holistic, root-cause approach to midlife wellness.  They can be taken orally - safe and effective and legal! You can find out more about LVLUP Health and Kyal here. (You can use code LOVELY for a special discount!)   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

3:08:24 – Frank in Jersey, plus the Other Side. Topics include: The flat tire, lug nuts, garage door opener, some of the worst movies ever made, The Master of Disguise (2002), Rose Falcon, Alanis Morrissette, Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), new Strawberry Alarm Clock album Where’s One?, tiki convention, praying mantis, The Pathfinder, About The Lovely Overture, […]

  Episode: 140 Taking Charge After Stroke: Self-Determination and Recovery with Vivian Fu   In this episode you will discover: ● The Conversation Is the Intervention — A structured, facilitated conversation that centers a person's identity, hopes, and vision for their best day produces measurable improvements in quality of life and independence a year after stroke. Connection isn't soft — it's evidence-based. ● Reframe the Expert in the Room — Take Charge asks clinicians to resist offering advice, validation, or direction — and to trust that the person with stroke already holds the wisdom they need. The hardest part of the facilitator role is staying out of the way. ● Self-Determination Is Not a Luxury — When people with stroke are supported to set their own direction, outcomes improve, costs decrease, and the effects last for years. Building systems that protect that autonomy isn't idealistic — it's what the data demands.   Welcome to the Aphasia Access Aphasia Conversations Podcast. I'm Katie Strong from Central Michigan University and a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group, a community dedicated to supporting better aphasia care.   Today I'm speaking with Dr. Vivian Fu, a stroke neurologist living and working in Kelowna, British Columbia, the unceded territories of the Syilx / Okanagan people. Vivian trained in Aotearoa New Zealand, where she completed her PhD running the Taking Charge After Stroke trial. Take Charge showed that people with stroke who were supported to follow their own self-determination had much better quality of life and independence a year after their stroke. The second Take Charge RCT showed that two sessions about six weeks apart produce better outcomes than one session. Vivian strives to embed the Take Charge philosophy in her daily practice, and is focused on improving access to high quality stroke care for rural, regional, and underrepresented populations.   I have been looking forward to this conversation. What drew me to Take Charge was how it reframes the question entirely — from what does the clinician do for this person to what does this person want for their own life. That shift is deceptively simple, and as you'll hear, the evidence behind it is anything but.   Let's get into it.   Katie Strong:  Welcome, Vivian. Vivian Fu: Thank you so much for having me, Katie. I'd like to start off with my Pepeha. This is an introduction in Te Reo Māori, which is the indigenous language of the people of Aotearoa New Zealand, and I'll just translate each line. Nō Hong Kong ōku tīpuna. My ancestors come from Hong Kong. I tipu ake au ki Aotearoa. I grew up in Aotearoa, New Zealand. E noho ana au ki Ki-Low-Na. I live in Kelowna, British Columbia. Ko tēnei taku mihi ki ngā tāngata whenua o te rohe nei. I like to pay my deepest respects to the first peoples of this land. I live on the unceded territories of the Syilx and Okanagan peoples. Ko tēnei taku mihi ki ngā maunga, ki ngā awa, ki ngā roto, ki ngā Papatuānuku, o te rohe nei. I'd like to pay my deepest respects to the mountains, rivers, and the lakes, and to Mother Earth. All these important landmarks that have been here for millennia. Nō reira, tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa. Therefore, hello, hello, hello, Ko Vivian Fu tōku ingoa. Lovely to be here. Katie Strong:  Well, I'm so glad you're here. And I wanted to start off today asking about the Take Charge program that you've been working with, and talk to me about how that began. What was the origin of that? Vivian Fu:  Sure, so really this work began in probably the late 90s early 2000s when clinicians in Aotearoa New Zealand realized that there were different outcomes for people who were Māori compared with non-Māori, and I guess an important point to illustrate is that in Aotearoa society we view things in a very bicultural lens, and by that I mean Tangata Whenua, who are the people of the land, so indigenous people of the Māori and Tangata Tiriti, so everyone else are people of the treaty. It doesn't really matter where you come from, but you are a person of the treaty if you live in Aotearoa, and so it's a bicultural lens, and so we always look at things in that way, and that's how our kind of entire society is grounded upon that. And so when we look at health outcomes, what we could see back then, and unfortunately what we, in a way, still see now is that Māori were experiencing a stroke at about 20 years younger than non-Māori, and they were more likely to die from their stroke, and also more likely to be severely disabled. And so there was a difference in life expectancy, a difference in overall rehabilitation access, difference in overall outcomes, and so it started off with Professor Matire Harwood's work. She is Tangata Whenua, and in her PhD, she was looking at why there were these differences in outcomes and wanting to address them. And so that started off with the Māori and Pacific Stroke Study, which was essentially conducted in just Māori and Pacific people in Aotearoa, New Zealand, out of many different centers around the country. It was a four arm study.. It was a randomized control trial, and it looked at a conversation, which was labeled as the "Take Charge" session, but it was, it was really a connection and a conversation versus a professionally made DVD from the New Zealand Stroke Foundation about people's experiences and stories after stroke. And then the fourth arm of the trial was getting both of those interventions, and there was a control group. So there were three active groups in one control group. And what the researchers basically found was that anybody who had received this session of discussion and connection did much better a year after stroke in terms of quality of life, independence, and caregiver strain. And so that was the first sort of indication that there was something in that conversation that was really important. Unfortunately, it didn't really take off in terms of being able to be implemented, and so then Dr. Harry McNaughton, who was Dr. Harwood's supervisor wrote multiple grants and tried to get this session into much more of a bigger trial with some some type of implementation, and that's where I came along and we essentially did two things. We operationalized the intervention into something that had a bit of a framework, so with a bit of a booklet and a bit of a structure to follow. Really looking into what was it about that conversation that was so powerful and made such a difference to people, and tried to put those things into practice. Then, secondly, to conduct a second trial in New Zealand out of seven centers for people with stroke who were non-Māori and non-Pacific, because the struggle that we came across was that it was only shown to be effective in a small group of people, but not in everybody, and so we had to do things backwards. And so that was really where it all began, from these principles of self-determination, so Tino Rangatiratanga, which is a really important principle in Te Ao Māori, and in the world of Māori, but also knowing that Māori and a lot of indigenous peoples, we think of health as this concept called Te Whare Tapa Whā, for example, which is the house with four walls. So a person is never just their body and their physical health, there are other walls that keep the house upright. So mental health, spiritual health, and family health, whānau is so important, and feeling as though you have strong foundations in where you belong is also really important. So it's that really holistic look at health of an individual and how we can address all of those things in an intervention is really where it all came from. Katie Strong:  Thank you for sharing. I appreciate the backstory, and also just the idea of what you're thinking about from a holistic health standpoint. I know our listeners are probably curious, some of them might not have heard about Take Charge before, so this is the first time of them hearing about this, and so I was hoping, Vivian, you could give us an overview of what the intervention is, and then maybe walk us through what a session actually looks like in practice. Vivian Fu: Yeah, absolutely. So I'll talk you through the session in the way that it was done in the larger Take Charge trial. So this was done in 400 non-Māori, non-Pacific people with stroke, and our trial there had three arms. So there was a control group, there was a group that received just one session, and then there was a group that received two sessions six weeks apart roughly. The sessions were provided by a trained facilitator, and they were timed roughly somewhere between three to 18 weeks after stroke. So quite a large window, really, depending on when the person with stroke was ready to receive it. So the short version of what it looks like is it's based off the booklet and it's done face to face. It's a conversation and the facilitator is trained at the beginning to really try and establish a relationship…to build a relationship. There's a concept in Te Ao Māori called Whakawhanaungatanga, which is really sort of seeking another person's identity, recognizing who they are as a person, and trying to build connections. And so I guess in English, we think of that as building rapport, building trust. And so it in our trial was done face to face. We have also looked at ways of doing this via telehealth as well, which is, you can imagine, is a little bit different. But that step is really important, and we knew that it was important also in the initial Māori and Pacific trial, because the facilitators who were trained were actually ethnicity matched. So that's something where I think it came quite naturally in that trial, but in the second trial we really wanted to ensure that a relationship was built, and then there are three pages, initial pages in the booklet that look at different things. So the first page is looking at how the person has been affected by the stroke, and then asking them to think about actually who they really are as a person. It's a very simple concept, and a very sort of simple question, but for many people that's the first time they've really been asked that and have had to think about that. So anything that comes to mind that they can relate to, you know, who they are. An individual, and what it is that they love, so for example, for me, I would say, "I'm a mum, and I'm, I'm a stroke neurologist, I am a painter, I'm a poet, I'm someone who loves going for walks in hikes," and, you know, so those kinds of things, and it, and it kind of really builds on on that person's identity and who they are in the world. And so that's that sort of page one. It's really about establishing identity and sense of self. And then the second page is talking then about my hopes and fears. And that might be a tricky one, really, for a lot of people to start talking about and thinking about. They may not want to express that, they may not have been asked that. Sometimes it brings out a lot of emotion, and that's why that initial beginning part of establishing trust and in a kind of a psychological safety space is really important. And then the third page is imagining or envisioning what my best day looks like. And you can be as wild and fantastical about that as you like. When we train our facilitators, we asked them to do these exercises as well themselves, so they can get a really good sense of what that's like, and I had a lovely training session with community health workers from Tanaha First Nation in Cranbrook, BC, and one of one of the attendees in the group said she'd love to have breakfast with a Sasquatch, and so that was absolutely, you know, it was so culturally relevant, so important. Katie Strong:  That makes my Pacific Northwest roots just smile there! Vivian Fu: Exactly! Just so unique to that individual and to where they are in the world. And it's not something you can, you can pluck out of a textbook or pluck out of anything, right. It's where they are. I love that activity. It's quite magical what comes out. And then after those three pages are done, then there are some pages that are specifically related to goal setting, which may or may not be relevant to the person in front of you, things like a physical page, emotional, social, financial, health management type pages. And that really is a way to think about or encourage the person to think about, or we know what are the things that do matter to you, and and what are the things you would like to achieve in the long run, and what are some ways you might be able to break that down into achievable steps that you would personally want to do. But the session in practice can look like anything out of that. It can look from a person at session one being completely clammed up about not wanting to dig deep or not not being ready to engage in that. Or just kind of being, you know, keeping it all to themselves, and thinking about it, and ruminating about it, and then session two, looking very different after they've had that six weeks to think about it themselves. It can look like blank pages, or it could look like a person coming up with all sorts of brilliant ideas. Hopefully, you know, we always encourage if they can write the person with stroke as the one who is writing in the notebook. They keep it. They stick it on their fridge. They do whatever they like with it. They write in it in their own time, but it's completely fine to have blank pages. It's completely fine to have nothing come out of that conversation, nothing verbal, but it's just a space to an invitation to dig deep, and if there's something to say to feel heard. And I guess there was another question. I think that's quite important with regards to what the facilitator is doing, what are they not doing, and the facilitator is trained specifically to listen and ask questions and reflect the ideas that are being expressed by the person with stroke, but what they're not doing is they're not offering any advice or suggestions or pathways forward or how abouts or what abouts. They are not, and this is probably the hardest part. They're not passing any judgment, and that includes good judgment. So, by saying something like, "oh, that sounds like a really good idea", which seems like a really normal response from most people, it kind of implies that there are other ideas that are less good. Or the person with stroke might feel as though they are needing to have that kind of external validation, that external approval, and, and what we don't want is to for them to feel like they're doing this or saying this or thinking these things for the facilitator. We want them to think about it for themselves. And so all we encourage people to respond, is "oh, so you'd like to ride your bike, that's really interesting. How, how do you think you'll, you'll go about doing that?" You know, it's, it's much more neutral, but reflective way of speaking and listening, I guess. Katie Strong:  I am curious, how long is the training, or you know, what kinds of.. what we didn't talk about this, but I know people are going to want to know. So, what does it take to be trained? Vivian Fu: This is quite funny. This is a thing that sort of been on my mind ever since we've started implementation around the world, and I have this ultimate goal of operate like actually making the training have some type of qualification and fidelity, and some structure. There is structure, but it's essentially myself or Harry doing a Zoom with people, and it takes maybe say four hours. But ideally, what we'd love to do is to have sort of recorded videos, and then we'd have live sessions, and then we'd have assessments, and then you get a certificate at the end. I have neither the budget or the… Katie Strong: There's always the next step, for sure. Vivian Fu: I'd love to be for people to be able to say, "Oh, I'm Take Charge trained" and for them to be able to like "Look, I've got this qualification, I'm Take Charge trained, I know how to do this," and especially for if we were thinking about doing it in more clinical trial settings, I think that's really important, but also, you know, for people, you know, to have on their CV, if they're moving between jobs and things, I think it's so useful. But yeah, basically people get in touch with myself or Harry and say, "Hi, we'd like to be trained, can you fit us in?" And we just do it for free. Katie Strong:  Lovely, I love it. And the other question I had as you were talking was how long is a typical session or or is there is there length? Vivian Fu: So in the trial what our facilitators did was they because it was face to face and they had to drive between people's houses, they booked in the session, usually at 10:30 in the morning, and then another session, I think, if I remember correctly, either maybe it was 1:30 in the afternoon. And so you can probably surmise that for people with stroke, usually the 10:30 slot is the most popular. And you know, some people would would prefer to wake up earlier and be ready earlier, so they might ask for something like 9 o'clock and then they might usually go for about an hour and a half to two hours if it's a good going session, and they're really digging deep, and there's a lot to say. And often you know that first half an hour is, "Here's a cup of tea and a biscuit. Let's get to know each other. Tell me all about what happened with your stroke." That kind of stuff, so that listening and connecting stuff actually takes takes a while to establish, and I think people just allowed for that time. Then they'd do a second session in the afternoon again. There are lots of things, you know, cognitive problems, fatigue is a big one. So, if people felt like they couldn't keep going, the facilitator would say , "That's totally fine, we'll book in for, you know, do the rest of this another time, is that okay?" It was fine to really just, you can truncate it and break it up as much as the person really wants. Katie Strong:  Thank you. I appreciate the extra information. You had a recent publication in 2025 with some colleagues that looked at this work from a qualitative lens.  You came up with some themes about doing things my way, coming to my own wisdom, and they're just so deeply related to identity, and what struck me was the contrast participants drew between Take Charge care and standard care, where they described being put in a box receiving scripted advice that had really nothing to do with who they were as a person. And when someone gets to tell the story of who they are to a genuinely good listener, something shifts. I was just curious, if you could think about what you think is happening there, or what you found in your study. Vivian Fu: Well, I think for the most part, as a, you know, as a clinician, if we think about from the moment the person has a stroke, they disempowered from that very moment.  Something happens where they just aren't themselves, and they are brought into a merge. A bunch of things happen to them that they can't really even speak up about. You know, they're popped in a scanner. They might get thrombolised, you know, all these things are happening. And the person doesn't really know what's going on. There are a lot of important qualitative studies that have been done, looking at that element of feeling disempowered, and what somebody in New Zealand study described as feeling gut-wrenchingly emotional. You know, experiences that that aren't heard and aren't ever expressed to to anyone in the healthcare side and aren't dealt with, and so, if you think about that, just that trauma of having a stroke and then going through all of that stuff, and you know, ending up in a bed somewhere on a ward with strangers on the other side of a curtain, and it's really pretty traumatic. And so I think what was powerful with Take Charge was it's an it's an opportunity for someone to finally tell their story and feel heard and for all that stuff to just come out. And a lot of the time you know people might say, "Oh, well, you could talk to your family, you can talk to your kids, or, you know, whatever. Once you get home" but actually, a lot of people don't feel like talking to those who are closest to them about how much it affected them, and there is still an element of stigma. There's still an element of, "Oh, you know, you look great physically, you to someone we know having had a big health scare, and then kind of coming back into that. But there's there's a real dissonance between what is going on inside a person and and how other people are reacting to them coming back into "normal spaces". And so I think the ability to tell your story from the very get go. You know, all of the messiness of it. All the things that went wrong, and then to have somebody listen to that really gives meaning to it and makes it real, but it also helps that person really reestablish their sense of power to regain some power from that that they had lost. And there's a lot of power in story, and I think the kind of, you know, lovely thing about it is that sort of all indigenous cultures sort of be like, you know, First Nations, Māori, Gaelic, a lot of cultures really put a lot of value in the power of storytelling. And that is how historically things were really passed down, and so I think it's through that ability to be able to feel heard and to tell your story that then the person who is speaking can actually hear themselves say things out loud for the first time. And then understand the power and the value and the worth in their words and their experience, and that is that process of coming to my own wisdom, is "Oh, actually, you know, I do know about my body. I am, I am the expert, not these people in their white coats, or you know, with their expertise, I am the expert. I know what I need. I can plan my rehabilitation. I can go back to the things that I want to do, and this is how I'm going to do it." And it's that, that kind of reestablishment of confidence and strength and hope that is so powerful. I think. Katie Strong: I agree. I agree, Vivian. As you know, our listeners are primarily speech language pathologists working with people with aphasia. We also have people with aphasia that are listening, and researchers as well. But you know, the capacity for language being disrupted by aphasia. I was just curious, with Take Charge, as you've studied it, is you know, really a talking therapy with writing, and, and those sorts of things, and so I was just curious, you know, what would it take to extend this kind of intervention to people with aphasia, and what principles would you want to most preserve in the adaptation. Vivian Fu: Yeah, thank you. That's such an important question. We certainly, in the Take Charge trial, included people with aphasia in the trial, and the way that we sort of just included them was if they could understand or the consent form and could mark an "x" on the form, we'd be happy to to have them included, and so we had people with mild to moderate and moderate to severe aphasia in the trial. And we hadn't made any specific changes or tweaks to the intervention, the facilitator just did what they could with what we had. But I think what has come out of reviews of the implementation of Take Charge now in New Zealand is that it is really important for us to look at how we can adapt the intervention for people with aphasia. I think for the facilitators in the trial, what they did was they allowed a lot more time, so the usual two and a half hours became three and a half hours, and that was fine if the person could continue. But also I think from the report we need to look at alternative ways of how we can complete some of these activities, whether it's providing images where people can point, whether it's a lot more inclusion of their family, their whānau important people to them who can help with, you know, subtle guidance, and, and, and having sort of lived with the person now, can read their non-verbal expressions a lot better than a stranger, a facilitator can and can help with the guidance of participating. And really, while Take Charge has been translated, I think, now into seven or eight different languages, we really need to adapt Take Charge to other communication needs and other languages, but what I.. so my role.. sorry, I didn't.. I'd actually say this, but my role in the in the large trial was as the blinded outcomes assessor, so I went around at one year after stroke. I traveled around to the 400 or so different other people, participants' homes around the country, and I sat in their living rooms, and I listened to their stories again. And then I did all of their outcome instruments and got all of their outcomes done, but I did not know which group they were allocated to. And then I locked all the data, and then I'd say, "Hey, so which group did you get Take Charge or not?" And it was really, it was good. I think out of the 400 there were only two people who, when I turned up, actually had the booklet on the table, and so you know, I just ignored it, and then, but yeah, it was, it was really good in terms of sort of blinding and masking, and then sort of having a guess as I was going through and checking where things were at. It was such a privilege for me to, as a stroke doctor, I think you know people don't usually get to do this as a physician, but to, to meet so many different people with so many different stories, and a number of people who still had moderate to severe aphasia, and and were telling me about the impacts of that on their life. But we were still able to communicate a year after stroke, and so I think it is so important that we don't exclude people with cognitive and communication difficulties. We have to adapt the things that we have to make it work for them. What I'd love is to be able to have some kind of focus group with people with aphasia, and, and show them Take Charge, and realize, oh, what can we do? How would this work better for you? Katie Strong:  I love that, and well. Well, and we haven't talked about the materials yet, but I do have to say they're so accessible, or they're very accessible from a visual standpoint as well. Vivian Fu: Thank you. Yes, we are actually modifying them and making the font bigger and having better graphics. We started off with stick figures that Harry drew, and then I think we're actually making them a lot nicer in terms of the graphics, but what we do have at the moment is actually available online for free, and you can just download them as a package. It's if you Google it, it's the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, or www.mrinz.ac.nz  and then under programs, and we spell that as p r o g r a m m e s, and then under programs slash forward slash stroke, I think is where it lives, and at the bottom of the page you should be able to download, a training package and the booklet itself. Katie Strong: Yes, lovely, and we'll have the links on our show notes as well, so you can check those out, listeners, if you're interested. So, thank you. You have two randomized controlled trials that you've talked a little bit about, and a cost effectiveness analysis and qualitative work, all pointing in the same direction that the cost data suggests that Take Charge actually might save money, and that is remarkable, and lots of evidence showing that, but still, it's a challenge in implementing into standard practice, and I was curious if you could talk with us about what you think stands between what the evidence shows and what actually gets implemented. Vivian Fu: Sure, gosh, I love this question. It's it applies for so many interventions, I think, specifically for Take Charge, it's a number of things. So definitely the stuff that affects other interventions being implemented, but for Take Charge itself, it started off with a huge amount of disbelief bias, so people, you know, even after I presented the main results of the second trial at the European Stroke Conference in gosh, when was that? 2019 pre-COVID in Milan. So this is a huge international stroke conference, and this was a plenary session. People stood up and took photos of the results and went, you know, there was this collective gasp throughout the audience of 6000 odd people, but there's just this disbelief that something as simple as a conversation can make a difference to people's objective quality quantitative outcomes, like the, you know, Bartel or the FIM, what they, you know, what their physical outcomes are like at a year. And what their quality of life is like. I think for people who are stroke researchers, a lot of the focus is on that initial 24 to 48 hours after stroke. And you know, that that's kind of where that's kind of where all the funding goes, isn't it? So it's the pre-hospital stuff, and then the interventional things you can stick catheters into and thrombolysis, and you know that's, and that's all great. You know, I, as a stroke physician, I love that part of stroke as well, but to think that you could possibly do something at three to 18 weeks after stroke that could change a person's outcome by a year, and actually we've got a long-term follow-up study now that says that those those same magnitude of changes are still present at five years between the groups is, you know, kind of gobsmacking. And people just go, surely you've fudged this, or surely this can't be true. And so there's this huge disbelief bias that stopped us from being able to publish initially, and it was only after I presented the results in Milan that that we got accepted into a journal. And we'd been trying for about a year beforehand, and, and so there's, there's that disbelief. But also in the way that it has to be provided, you know, it's probably considered quite labor intensive. You know, one on one home visits, and that's why people of other researchers who do believe in Take Charge are now looking at providing take charge in different ways. Like I did a telehealth trial in Canada, in southern Alberta, when I was there as a fellow in Calgary, and there's potential other work that's being. Done in Australia with Take Charge, looking at providing it by computer avatars, by even maybe even AI, and maybe in a larger sort of telehealth format. And so you know other ways of doing it, but I think ultimately it's kind of cultural inertia, because you know, "We've never done this, this is not part of who we are. Why would we need to start something new?" There's probably kind of an established way of thinking about clinician and, and patient, rather than person with stroke, in still in how we practice, and this idea that the therapist and doctor are experts. And so I think it really challenges that dogma and challenges clinician's role, and therefore there's a resistance to accept that this is something that is useful and helpful, and actually doesn't, you know, you don't need to take it personally. You're still doing great work. Take Charge is just a tool that helps supplement everything else that's going on, and so there's a lack of time, and I think we also get quite, as practicing clinicians, we get quite tunnel visioned into this, you know, hamster wheel of go to work, treat all these people, go home. We just keep doing it. Hoping that things will get better for them, but, you know, we, it's only when we start looking at alternative interventions and alternative things that work and start trialing them and being open to that, that I think things will really start to change. We've certainly had interest from random little parts around the world. I think it's been translated into Latvian. I've got people from Sweden who are interested. A little hospital in Germany, and then parts of it's been trialed in pilot studies in the UK. And Harry and I last year trained a whole bunch of occupational therapists in Hong Kong, so you know it is, it is kind of picking up, slowly but surely. Katie Strong: Well to me, you know, most stroke survivors, or people with stroke, as you're referring to them, have chronic challenges, and so all of the early intervention, while important, doesn't necessarily help somebody navigate that longer term change. And so I love that this is just such an empowering way of putting that power back into the person's life, which it seems like it is showing up n in the results that you're sharing. Vivian Fu: Oh, absolutely. I mean, if we think about it, if we just think about thrombectomy and thrombolysis, somewhere between five to 15% of all people with stroke are eligible, and then receive the treatment. That leaves what?, 85 to 95% of people who don't get to receive that. And even after they receive the treatment, there are consequences of stroke that are beyond the physical that don't you know don't have any other thing to address them apart from our routine care, so I completely agree with you. Katie Strong: Well, thinking about what clinicians might be able to do tomorrow or you know, in the near future, for our speech-language pathologists or other practitioners who are listening today and are feeling the pull of this work, and you know, really encouraged by it, but are you know working in an embedded productivity driven impairment focused system, what's one thing that they could do differently in the very next clinical encounter that they have? Vivian Fu:  We have a paper, I think it's written. Oh gosh, where did it.. where did it get published? I think it was published in Practical Neurology. It's titled something, something intrinsic motivation. I should know better. Katie Strong: I'm going find out, and I don't think I read that one, so I'm gonna find it, and I'll put the link in the show notes for everybody. Vivian Fu: Sorry,Harry about the promo, but yeah, I'll send it to you, but essentially it's written to give some guidance on how you can embed Take Charge into your daily clinical practice. And it's written for neurologists, but honestly it applies to everybody.  One of the key things is when you have that next encounter, obviously you know therapists do this a lot better than doctors do, but they ask a lot about, you know, what's outside of the person's life and what's important to them, but maybe move away just, you know, from the very practical questions like "How many steps do you have going in and out of your house?, and How do you hang up your washing?", or whatever, but it's, you know, really much less functional, but more, "Who are you? Tell me a bit more about yourself. What do you love doing? What gets you out of bed?" You know, if I might, the one that I like to use a lot on my ward rounds is, "If you weren't in this hospital bed right now, where would you rather be? What would you rather be doing?", and I do that on my rounds, and it's incredible, because you know, I'll hear all sorts of things, "I'll, you know, be on my boat fishing out on the lake", or I think this lady was like 84 or something. "I'll be with my girlfriends, we'll be having coffee at Tim Hortons", you know, and it's just, I don't know, it's something so unique to that person that I could never, you know, they're in their hospital pajamas with a whole bunch of stuff stuck to them, and I can't envisage them doing that, and yet I'm like, I want you to imagine yourself there. Where would you rather be? Okay, so everybody, that's our goal. It's not to get her home or to get her walking again. Our goal is to get her back in Tim Hortons with her eight friends, having coffee, like that is what this person loves to do. And I think that you know that inquiry, that it shows you care, it shows you see them as an individual, and I think it completely shifts your rehab focus, and then you can ask more questions about that, and they, you know, then you have this whole conversation about about what their life is like. And I think that part of being seen, even if it's only within 60 seconds, makes such a difference to that person. So that's one thing. The second thing I'd be, you know, doing is I'm trying to involve family as much as possible, as much as the person wants, and basically, just seeing them as an individual makes a huge difference already to the way you practice, that would be what I'd focus on. Katie Strong: Agreed, agreed. Well, Vivian, is there something you wish people asked you about this work that they rarely do, something about Take Charge or stroke recovery more broadly that you think the field hasn't quite caught up to yet. Vivian Fu:  Oh gosh, this is a tricky one. I think one thing we ought to recognize is that everybody is doing the best that they can with what they have. And you know, we're not as clinicians on the ground on the front line, we're not involved with funding decisions, and what projects get funded and which ones don't. And there will be the ambitious amongst your listeners, who I really hope will be like, "Oh my gosh, I can apply for this little grant, and I'm going to pilot this, and I think we should give this a go with our people." and I think that is absolutely a great idea to have. And, and I would, myself and Harry will do everything that we possibly can to help support such projects from where we are. I think the important thing to think about is that every little bit that you do makes a difference, and to not feel as though, because you know your funding runs out, or you don't get it, or the world is such a bleak place that you know it's not worth continuing to try. Because people with stroke who see you do this work, they will be grateful for it. And also the patient partners I've met that I've spoken with, and all of the people whom I've interviewed with the qualitative work, they're also happy to be part of something like this. And so even if it's a pilot project. Even if it's, you know, something that may not last, you'd be so surprised at how much momentum you can build with a movement of people who see the value in this and then take it further and further, And that's what I've been really impressed by, and kind of stunned by in all these different locations around the world who have contacted me. I've just been like, "Wow, can't believe [this]." There's this wonderful group in Hunter Medical Research Institute down in Australia, who basically took Take Charge back to their own unique Aboriginal community, the Gamilaroi peoples of that particular area of Australia. They have, like Canada and like the States, they have 1000s of tribes and lots of different groups that all speak completely different languages, but they took it to their local group, and they broke down, take charge into little bits, and then rebuilt it into an intervention that just works for them, and it's called "Yarning Up after Stroke", because what they do is they have a yarn. They yarn, and that's the way they tell their stories. It's yarning, and so you know, I just think it's incredible. Like, they got funding for it, they did it, and now it's an ongoing project that just keeps on in the community being provided to their people, and it's fantastic. So, I think it'll evolve. I love to see how it evolves, and I certainly don't think of, you know, this isn't the kind of intervention that we go around patenting and making a ton of money out of. It's the kind of intervention that everybody makes their own, and hopefully with a lot of input by people with stroke, Katie Strong: I love it. Thank you. Thank you so much for being our guest today, and sharing about Take Charge, and your generosity in sharing about the intervention, and if people are interested in reaching out to contact you, so thank you so much, Vivian. Vivian Fu:  Thank you so much for having me. I hope I haven't spoken too long. Katie Strong: Oh no, it's perfect. Vivian Fu: I'm always happy to be contacted, and yeah, very happy to support anyone who'd like to explore this further. Katie Strong: Thanks so much. On behalf of Aphasia Access, thank you for listening. For references and resources mentioned in today's show, please see our show notes, available on our website at www.aphasiaaccess.org. There you can also become a member of our organization, browse our growing library of materials, and find out about the Aphasia Access Academy. If you have an idea for a future podcast episode, email us at info@aphasiaaccess.org. For Aphasia Access Conversations, here at Central Michigan University in the Strong Story Lab, I'm Katie Strong. Dr. Fu's Email  dr.vivianfu@gmail.com  Resources and Readings Fu, V. (2019). Taking Charge After Stroke: A novel, community-based intervention to improve the lives of people with stroke. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Taking-Charge-After-Stroke:-A-novel,-intervention-Fu/3bc1dbb271f425c72e146510088856e3aad8683e  Fu, V., Fernando, K. M., Bright, F., Riley, J., McPherson, K., & McNaughton, H. (2025). Coming to my own wisdom: A qualitative study exploring the role of the Take Charge intervention in stroke recovery. Clinical Rehabilitation, 39(3), 377–387. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155241310770 Fu, V., Weatherall, M., McPherson, K., Taylor, W., McRae, A., Thomson, T., Gommans, J., Green, G., Harwood, M., Ranta, A., Hanger, C., Riley, J., & McNaughton, H. (2020). Taking Charge after stroke: A randomized controlled trial of a person-centered, self-directed rehabilitation intervention. International Journal of Stroke, 15(9), 954–964. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747493020915144 Fu, V., Thompson, S., Kayes, N., & Bright, F. (2025). Supporting long-term meaningful outcomes in stroke rehabilitation. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 25, 17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-025-01403-z Harwood, M., Weatherall, M., Talemaitoga, A., Barber, P. A., Gommans, J., Taylor, W., McPherson, K., & McNaughton, H. (2011). Taking charge after stroke: Promoting self-directed rehabilitation to improve quality of life - a randomized controlled trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 26(6), 493-501. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215511426017  Te Ao, B., Harwood, M., Fu, V., Weatherall, M., McPherson, K., Taylor, W. J., McRae, A., Thomson, T., Gommans, J., Green, G., Ranta, A., Hanger, C., Riley, J., & McNaughton, H. (2022). Economic analysis of the 'Take Charge' intervention for people following stroke: Results from a randomised trial. Clinical Rehabilitation, 36(2), 240–250. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155211040727 McNaughton, H., & Fu, V. (2023). Intrinsic motivation. Practical Neurology, 23(6), 489-492.  https://pn.bmj.com/content/23/6/489  McNaughton, H., Gommans, J., McPherson, K., Harwood, M., & Fu, V. (2023). A cohesive, person-centric evidence-based model for successful rehabilitation after stroke and other disabling conditions. Clinical Rehabilitation, 37(7), 975-985. https://doi.org/10.1177/02692155221145433   Medical Research Institute of New Zealand. (n.d.). Take Charge rehabilitation resources. https://www.mrinz.ac.nz/take-charge-rehabilitation-resources World Stroke Organization. (n.d.). Taking Charge after stroke: A person-centred approach to life after stroke [Webinar]. https://www.world-stroke.org/what-we-do/education-and-research/education/webinars/taking-charge-after-stroke-a-person-centred-approach-to-life-after-stroke  

3:08:24 – Frank in Jersey, plus the Other Side. Topics include: The flat tire, lug nuts, garage door opener, some of the worst movies ever made, The Master of Disguise (2002), Rose Falcon, Alanis Morrissette, Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026), new Strawberry Alarm Clock album Where’s One?, tiki convention, praying mantis, The Pathfinder, About The Lovely Overture, […]

The work of K. H. Vaughan has appeared in numerous volumes of the New England Horror Writers' WICKED series, issues of Old Moon Quarterly and many other fine anthologies! And tonight he returns to THE BRIG to talk all about his fantastic new grief horror short story collection "This Is The Table Where We Wash Our Dead" and the return of the International Festival of Weird Fiction, Art, and Academia, NecronomiCon! NecronomiCon returns to Providence, RI August 13-16, 2026. Learn more here! And Pre-Order your copy of "This Is The Table Where We Wash Our Dead" by K. H. Vaughan from your local book seller or click here to support our favorite! RETRO RIDOCTOPUS is ----------------------------------- "Parasite Steve"...... AKA Steve Van Samson (read) "8-Bit Alchemy "...... AKA Tim Krikorian (listen) "Coopster Gold"...... AKA Justin Cooper (subscribe) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Show your RETROID PRIDE! Get your official GEAR right here!

Lovely Light for Living - Stephen BaumSummer Psalms | Book of PsalmsSunday, August 9, 2026 at Hoffmantown Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Last week I walked some of Britain's oldest path, the Ridgeway, which runs across south central England. It's literally a ridge, and would once have been a vitally important path when the valleys on either side might have been impenetrable marsh or forest.I walked 56 miles in 4 days, starting in Avebury and ending in Goring.Lots of amazing views of Britain's brown and pleasant land. Red kites galore. And, early on Day 1, I even saw a brown hare, something I hadn't seen for many decades. At one point it sprinted (should say galloped?) through a field alongside and past me, quite the sight, but I was so busy admiring it I didn't get the video.Lots of barrows and burial grounds. Lovely peaceful places. I was particularly taken with Wayland's SmithyThe path was pretty deserted - I only passed somebody every hour or so. Sometimes I went several hours without seeing anyone, excluding cyclists of which there were a few, especially towards Goring.So lots of time to think, and one of the things I thought about at great length was what to do with my largest position, something I'll have more on soon. Gold stocks look, by the way, as though the summer consolidation is over, and are starting to pick up. Here's to another bonanza 12 months …. But back to the matter in hand. Each evening I would walk down off the Ridgeway to one of the villages in the valley, then climb back up the hill the following morning. Lots of lovely churches and thatched cottages to be seen.One of the many landmarks on the trip is the famous Uffington White Horse, carved into the downs some 3000 years ago in the late Bronze Age. With the underlying chalk, it is bright and white, and locals have maintained it all these years. It almost looks modern: minimalist and abstract with clean, stylized lines conveying sweeping movement.But as I walked the mile or two up the hill that sunny morning, several things struck me. First, that the White Horse isn't actually very visible from the valley below.If its creators wanted people in the valley to see it, surely they would have carved it into the side of the hill. But they didn't. They carved it right on the lip.nor is visible from the Ridgeway just above. In fact, it's not that visible from land at all and better seen from the air above.That immediately made me think of the Nazca Lines in Peru (see vid below), those ancient figures carved into a plateau which too best appreciated from the air.But that doesn't quite work either. If the Uffington figure was intended to be viewed from above, why not put it on the plateau? (You can't even see it from the Ridgeway itself) Why put it on the lip?3,000 years ago, much of the valley below would have been wooded or marshy, as I say, making the figure even harder to see from below. So who was supposed to see it? And from where?The final mystery of my day was this: is it actually a horse? Look at the head. Does that look like a horse to you?It has whiskers. Horses don't have whiskers. Cats do though. Yours confused, DominicPS Here is the white horse pictured from the air. You do not get this view from the land … and there's no way that's meant to be a horse. I'm sure Jason Arday has the answers,In case you missed it, here is this week's piece, the second part of my special report into the tidal wave of takeovers sweeping the UK at the moment as we sell ourselves off. One of these, WPP, moved 35% in two days.In other news, here is my talk on gold from CPAC the other day. Nothing you don't already know, but I was pleased with the talk.And, finally, mining financier Simon Catt had me on his podcast, while I was walking the Ridgeway. Here it is on SpotifyAnd on Apple podcastsFinally, finally, here's a little two minute doc on the Nazca Lines which I narrated many moons ago - of some relevance to today's piece. It's not a bad place to spend a couple of minutes. Until next time,DominicIf you live in a third world country such as the UK, I urge you to own gold or silver. The pound will be further devalued, as will the euro and dollar. The bullion dealer I use and recommend is The Pure Gold Company. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe. More here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

https://youtu.be/Hbw3xtIiJRQ Jay Larson, Executive Coach, Facilitator, Sales Leader, and Founder of Lights On Coaching & Consulting, is driven by a mission to Turn on the Lights for Others by helping individuals unlock their potential through coaching, leadership development, and transformative experiences. By combining executive coaching, experiential learning, and decades of leadership expertise, Jay empowers leaders to build trust, embrace vulnerability, and create lasting personal and professional growth. In this conversation, Jay introduces The How to Gain Trust Framework—Be Present, Be Curious, Be Vulnerable, and Judge Not. He explains why authentic coaching begins with deep presence and genuine curiosity, how vulnerability creates psychological safety for meaningful conversations, and why withholding judgment helps leaders build trust and accountability. Jay also shares how challenging experiences, executive peer groups, and coaching conversations help leaders overcome isolation, gain confidence, and achieve breakthrough moments that transform both their businesses and their lives. — Turn on the Lights for Others with Jay Larson  Good day, listeners. The Management Blueprint podcast is here, and my guest today is Jay Larson, an experienced executive coach, facilitator, and sales leader with over 20 years of impact across industries. Jay has guided more than 400 individuals through transformative coaching, backed by 40 years of expertise in assessments, success profiles, and competency frameworks. He helped launch and leads a thriving nonprofit that’s touched over 500 lives through experiential learning and outdoor recovery programs. Welcome to the show, Jay.  Oh, thank you, Steve. Thanks for having me.  Well, you have a fascinating background and have helped a lot of people, which is obviously the biggest thing. So what would you say is your personal “Why” that you are manifesting through your practice?  Well, I think my personal “Why” is really turning the lights on for others. That solidified for me probably five or ten years ago. As I realized, through the work I was doing with Korn Ferry, the work with clients, and the work with the people who reported to me, it was never really about the money. I did like winning—winning sales and things like that. That’s always nice. But it was really more about the impact we were making. Were we making an impact? That sort of thing. So I realized pretty quickly, through my coaching training, that my “Why” was about turning the lights on, having those “aha” moments, personal growth, and seeing that happen with others and myself. That’s fascinating. So when you work with experiential learning and outdoor recovery programs, tell me a little bit about those. How do those help?  So I help lead. I’m the president of the board. A friend of mine and I got together probably 10 or 12 years ago. He had built a little nonprofit called Wild Hearts Adventures, and the basic idea was that his son was in recovery. Any time they went to the mountains or did anything outdoors—climbing, canoeing, fishing, anything like that—his son would come alive. They would connect on a different level than they normally would during that obviously trying time for a parent-child relationship, with all kinds of tough love, easy love, and all that kind of stuff.  So he noticed that connection. He wanted to take it bigger. We talked. I’d done a ton of outdoor stuff in my past, and my kids had recently grown up and were leaving home and things like that. So I had time to focus on that. We take people on all kinds of different outdoor excursions, and it really is about connection through adventure. That's what we're trying to drive—that connection. Helping people know they're cared about. Helping them know they can be their authentic selves without judgment. And that they can do really hard things.Share on X  That’s interesting. I have a friend who was also on this podcast some time ago, and he also does a lot of mountaineering, but he does it with CEOs. He goes one-on-one with a CEO, and they climb for two or three days. Obviously, there’s lots of conversation going on. What is the driver of the impact in these environments? What makes people come closer together?  Yeah, it’s interesting. What makes them come together is that sense of adventure, that sense of the unknown, and their willingness to challenge themselves. We’re very open up front with folks who join that this is going to be difficult. Most of them have never camped overnight. We’re taking them to the Rocky Mountains and getting to the top of some very, very high places.  You wouldn’t believe it once you walk to the base of those mountains and look at them. You’re like, “There’s no way we’re going to the top of that.” So that fear and all of that… I find the impact on them—the reason they come—is their willingness to be challenged. The impact is not only the connection of the team, which is important because a lot of folks, certainly in recovery and otherwise, can feel quite lonely. What they’ve done is their fault. They have to recover from it. They have to do some heavy lifting and white-knuckling. This is more about the team helping.  We're all going to carry each other's stuff as we go up. We're going to hear from each other and talk with one another while we're up there.Share on X Then seeing them at the top of the mountain, when they reach 14,000-plus feet and they’ve put in the work to get there, they realize—to a person—that they can do very hard things. Their recovery, the next step in their career—whoever we’ve taken up there—it’s always, “If I can do this, then I’m pretty sure I can face that.” Great metaphor.  Yeah. It is a great metaphor. I wonder what empowers them to actually accomplish it, because climbing a 15,000-foot mountain without being fit is no easy feat. Especially if they’re not used to having to be resilient. What empowers them to actually do it? How do they not give up? Is it the peer pressure? What is it?  Yeah, no, we’ve had people that go up and turn back. We do have it. We leave it up to them. We’re not going to force anybody to go up there. We’re not back there shouting at them or anything like that. Now, we do a lot of encouraging. They’ll say, “I’m too tired. I can’t keep going. There’s no way.” It’s like, “Listen, let’s just take a rest, then one more foot in front of the other. You can do this. I’ve done this.  I was in worse shape when I did my first one than you are now. You can do this. Come on. Just keep going. Just keep going.” So lots of encouragement, lots of coaching along the way. Very, very few people do these fourteeners. A lot of people do them, but relative to the population, very few do. So they look at this as a very, very daunting thing. What I know, having done it numerous times now, is that it’s all about how fast you want to get to the top.  It’s not whether you can get to the top. You can get there, barring an injury. It’s just that you might have to take more breaks. You might have to rest more often. You might have to go slower. You might have to swallow your pride. A lot of things like that. But if you’re willing, we’ll get you there. Yeah. It’s interesting. When my grandfather was probably 79 years old, just one year before he passed away, we somehow convinced him to climb a little mountain. I mean, it’s not a big one, but maybe 1,000 feet. Okay. He was walking with a stick, and it was very steep. He made it up there, and then there was a beautiful inner lake that became visible.  He was so happy that he did it, and he was so grateful that we kind of twisted his arm a little bit to make this trip. It completely recharged him. He was an accomplished person. He was 80. He wasn’t in great shape. He’d had a couple of heart attacks beforehand, and it was a big emotional moment for him.  Yeah. There’s a sense of accomplishment. There’s something you prove to yourself when you do that. I remember reading The Comfort Crisis. I don’t totally remember the author’s name, but it’s called The Comfort Crisis. We’re not doing hard things as often. We have a lot of the hard things done for us. It used to be that you had to build your own house, or grow your own food, or lift heavy things on the farm over certain distances, or they didn’t get moved.  Now everything’s prepared in the store. We lift the heaviness of a 12-ounce can or a grocery bag. Those are the heavy things we lift. When we set our minds to doing something very, very difficult that we don’t think we can do, we grow something in ourselves. I know it’s not just psychological or emotional. There’s a physical nature to it as well.  The mental and physical parts, the way you grow your brain and change your brain when you’re doing those things. It’s not all just, “Yay, I proved it to myself.” You come down from the mountain a different person than you were when you went up. Slightly, and sometimes massively.  Yeah. I remember when I ran my first marathon, I felt a little bit like that. A wall came down, and I felt more invincible in some ways.  Yeah. Like, “There’s nothing I can’t do.” I had a particular gentleman who went on one of the first trips we did. He had been in the gangs. He was actually an enforcer for one of the gangs. So a pretty tough dude. He’d done a lot of things. He’d lost his children, lost his marriage, all kinds of things. He’d been in prison. He’d had a tough run and made a lot of bad choices, to be honest. He went on this thinking, “I’ll do what I can. What I want to do.” That sort of thing.  He had a pretty good attitude. But at the same time, when you get up on summit day and it’s 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, and we’re waking him up and getting him going, people aren’t always in the greatest moods. People are excited, but at the same time it’s dark, I didn’t sleep well, and I was nervous. So he’s on the trek up. He’s struggling. He’s stumbling. He’s not sure he can do it. That sort of thing. But he’s a pretty quiet guy.  He wasn’t complaining or anything. When we got to the top, he just sat there for a while. We all did. We just sat looking at the view because it’s an amazing view from 14,000 feet. We were all just standing there, and he looked over at me. I looked over at him. He had this grin on his face, and he goes, “Man, if I can do this, I’m going to get my kids back. I’m going to get my kids back. I can do it. This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but now I know I can do that.” You’re just sitting there, surreal in that moment, knowing that not only has this person’s life changed, your life has been changed by this person. Perhaps, generationally, things have changed for the family. And they have since then, the family’s back together, and as far as I know, things are going great.  He’s been promoted a couple of times at work and things like that. So that’s what I mean by turning the lights on. When you have those moments where there’s this realization inside a person of what they’re capable of or what they’ve accomplished. That’s a peak kind of situation for them. A peak experience. Yeah. Lovely to be a part of it. So you just reminded me of an experience when I felt that way. It was actually when I launched my Vistage group back at the end of 2013. We had just moved here a year earlier, and Vistage reached out. I said, “Okay, I’m going to do this. I don’t know anyone in town, but that’s a great way to build a network.” It was pretty grueling work, cold-calling for three months solid.  I am aware.  Yeah. I know. That’s what I’m telling you. Yes. That was this kind of experience for me. I thought, “Wow, okay. If I can do this, then maybe I’m not a lost cause here in America.”  Yeah. Yeah. It really transfers, right? Just like you were saying, these, whatever you want to call them, mountaintop experiences for people, these moments in your life when you realize that, “I am capable.” Now, there are valley moments that we have as well. I had a gal that got… We were within 35 minutes of the peak of Mount Yale, and there’s kind of a plateau on the top. She got there, and she had a panic attack—a full-out panic attack—and would not let go of my arm. Couldn’t lead the group up to the summit.  My daughter actually—whole other story there—my daughter stepped up and led the group. Had never done it before. Just stepped up and led the group. Huge, tons of courage. But I immediately just turned this gal around, and we started going down the mountain right away because that’s the only thing you can do when somebody’s panicking up that high.  Where else are you going to go? We took the slow way down the mountain. There’s a quick way down that mountain, but that doesn’t end well. The slow way was just a slog. She was being apologetic the whole way down. She was feeling bad about herself and everything. I think since we’ve talked, Steve, since then, I got an email from her from the summit of that mountain, where she went up with somebody else and went back and did it.  She sent that to me. She said, “I miss our group. I just had to tell you that I made it.” I made the summit of this particular mountain where she failed before. I can’t tell you the joy that gives me as a human, just to see that happen with somebody else. I just love it.  Yeah. She owed it to herself to go back and do it.  Yeah. Yeah.  And not give up.  She promised. She said, “I’m going to do this. One day I’m coming back, and I’m going to do this.” It took a couple of years—a few years, actually—but she did it. So that’s fantastic.  That’s great. That’s great.  Yeah.  Jay, I’d like to switch gears here because this podcast is about frameworks. So, what is a framework that helps you create more impact with your Vistage groups, with your executive coaching clients, and the people that you climb mountains with? Do you have a framework that you can describe?  Yeah, I think let’s talk about that a little bit. I’ll tell you some of the things that I do. Perhaps I don’t know that I would call what I do a framework. I reach out to many people. I coach a lot of people through different contracts, Vistage groups, as well as my own practice. The thing that I think matters the most is gaining trust initially. Just having a natural curiosity for what’s happening with them.  Not being afraid to, as we have even on this call, do some back and forth. Like, “Yeah, I’ve seen that in my life,” or, “I’ve faced that before too. So how do you think you’ll go about it?” And having those questions. Again, it’s not pre-planned. I don’t pre-plan a whole lot for coaching sessions. I review and things like that, but I really want to go in fresh and really listen. I don’t know, Steve. You tell me. You’re the framework guy, right? You tell me. What’s my framework?  Well, what I’m hearing is being present, being curious and vulnerable because when you’re sharing your own experiences, sometimes it is, I guess you probably do that as well, that you share sometimes when you failed at something, and how you learned from it, and how you recovered from it. I do that with clients, and that allows them to be more honest, more vulnerable themselves, and be able to process things better.  Yeah. Knowing they’re not alone. Yeah. They’re not alone. Knowing they’re not alone is huge. I think another really important piece of how I approach things, that may or may not work—I guess we’ll see—is it’s not my job to make them feel good. It’s my job to get to the honest, authentic issue, or blockage, or whatever that is.  Well, I guess part of a framework that I believe in, I guess there’s been a couple from my past that I’ve knit together that have probably shaped a lot of what I do. One is I worked initially for a company called ChartHouse Learning, and they had what was called the Fish Philosophy back in the day. It’s the gentlemen out at Seattle’s Pike Place Market that throw the fish to the clients, throw the fish, come back behind the counter, and catch the fish, and things like that.  They filmed them and how they were driving engagement with the clients and each other. And four tenets of that philosophy were: be there, or be present, like you were saying, so that’s had some impact. Play, which is have some fun with it. Compete, you know, in some ways. Make a game of some things, in some sense of the word. Be there, play, make their day, which is a focus on others versus yourself, so you're there to make their day.Share on X  And then choose your attitude was the fourth. That’s all copyrighted by ChartHouse Learning, whatever. It’s not mine. But you can choose whatever attitude you really want going into the day. So regardless of what is presented to you, your reaction is yours to choose. So that’s, I think, had a big impact on how I address things, as well as spending a lot of time in leadership development.  And so many times seeing development fall flat brings up another framework of just how we actually develop as people. And that is we have to be aware that there’s something we need to change. We need to own it. We need to be responsible. Take responsibility for that gap or that change. And then we need to be willing to act on it. Willing to do something about it. So many times in pre-planned leadership development sessions, and coursework, and things like that, we can miss the mark for that individual. They may be aware of a gap. I mean, Instagram will tell you what you should be these days, right? There’s plenty of, “I can see the gap between me and that person.” Yeah. “I can see the gap between my house and theirs,” whatever that might be.  But do you own it? Are you really aware that that’s an issue that I have? And are you going to take responsibility for it? Then do something about it? Commit and be accountable. That's where coaching really struck a chord for me. I had been in corporate, selling and doing business development for a long time.Share on X  That was always great, but you never got to do the work. You got to deliver the promise, but you never got to deliver the result. Yeah. Now with coaching, I’m able to do that with individuals and teams. Walk them through that. Be honest. Really dig in. Ask the hard questions about their responsibility for the situation, et cetera. So that’s the favorite part of my work.  Yeah. This is a piece that AI is not going to disrupt because AI cannot hold someone accountable, right? It’s just an individual. Yeah. A person who has emotions, who cares about you. They can hold you accountable because you don’t want to disappoint them. But AI cannot do this. AI cannot build trust. I guess it might be able to if it gives good answers all the time.  You start to trust it. But you never know because there’s no person behind it. Who do you trust? The software program? Yeah. That doesn’t work. Yeah. So trust, accountability, and emotions are pure undisruptables, elements of what we do.  And it ends up being the part that connects us, right?  Yeah.  I mean, ironically, we connect to the computer. We connect to the internet. But we never really connect with it. You could say, to some degree, you connect with other people through different apps and things like that. But there’s something about being in person. There’s something about having the back and forth and the consistency over time. It’s not that different on the mountain trips than it is in coaching. A little more comfortable. A little more comfortable.  Sitting in a chair.  Yeah.  But if it’s too comfortable, it’s probably not as effective.  Right. So maybe it won’t. Right. It’s a different kind of uncomfortable.  Yeah.  Right? Yeah. A different kind of uncomfortable. I guess if you’re saying framework, those are kind of some of the mantras, or the credo, whatever it is, that I live by. If it’s not authentic, I don’t really want to do it. From a coaching standpoint, I know you’ve coached some people in your career, and what you’ve done with Vistage and that. There’s some times when people are just kind of mailing it in.  I haven’t gotten the courage up yet to close a call based on that. Like, “Well, you’re just kind of mailing it in, so let’s connect next month.” But it makes you feel like that, right? Like, why am I here? Why am I doing this? If we’re not producing some kind of meaning, or purpose, or moving one of us forward, then what are we doing? Why are we doing it?  Yeah. I always wondered about this because I always wondered whether I should own this. There are people who are more vulnerable, who are more coachable, who are more open, who are more willing to let you see them. And there are people who are not. But they are there, so they need something that they came to get. So whose responsibility is it? If, for them, it’s harder to get there, then should it be on me as well to make it happen? And obviously you can’t guarantee it, but I’m always wondering about it. So when people were mailing it in, I was always wondering, “What could I have done differently so that they wouldn’t do that, or that they didn’t do it, or maybe they’d make some steps?”  Yeah. I feel the exact same thing. I know exactly what you’re talking about. Yeah. I was just talking to somebody earlier about this exact situation where we had a group of 8 to 10 leaders, and one of them just didn’t engage, hadn’t scheduled the meetings, and things like that. After a number of tries to get them engaged, it’s that classic, “You can lead a horse to water,” right? Yeah. They may be full of water already. They may be waterlogged. So I don’t want to judge them for that, right?  That’s the kind of thing where I can get upset. Just my natural reaction. I can get upset that they aren’t engaging, and I can get upset at myself that I can’t get them to engage. You can go there.  Yeah.  But really, at the end of the day, I can only do what I can do.  Yeah.  Then we have to get to the point where you have the fierce conversation where you’re saying, “It doesn’t feel like you’re engaging.” “Can you help me understand why that might be?” Yeah. Then leave it there and let them answer the question. “I don’t want to.” Right? Yeah. It’s like, “Okay, well, why are we scheduling these meetings?” “Let’s just save everybody some time and money.” Or, “I don’t know how to.” Okay. I can help you with that. Those sorts of things. Or, “I don’t know why I would need to.” We can help with that, too. But I can’t change, “I don’t want to.” I can’t change it directly.  Yeah, you can’t. You know what I also experienced sometimes? There were some members, especially who were maybe older, who just wanted to be heard. They just wanted an audience. Maybe they would not get that because spouses are often sick of hearing about business stuff and things that they don’t relate to.  That person just needed someone. Sometimes people are so starved for conversation that they don’t even care whether you’re really listening. They just want to trick themselves into believing that someone is at least listening. It’s the saddest version of it.  Yeah. Yeah. When you work with Vistage, we’ll see a lot of that. Where there’s the isolation of the leader at the top of whatever business it is. What I suggest to them is, “I’m going to try and create a safe space with trust.” “I’m not saying anything to anybody else about what you share.” “So say what needs to be said.” “Be yourself.” “Let down your guard.” “We’ll get there.” Right?  It’s not like they’re just going to walk into a room with me as a stranger, just because they decided, and they’re going to let down their guard. But session by session by session, they let down their guard. You end up talking about things that they can’t mention to anybody else at work because it would shake an employee’s confidence or something. Or how do you, as the CEO of an organization, say, “I don’t know what to do”?  Here’s the place. This is what we give you. That’s why I love it because, again, that’s kind of a lights-on moment, is what I would call it. It’s their ability to take that deep breath, lean back, and just be themselves and say, “I don’t know.” You don’t have to fake it all the time around everybody that’s depending on you. So that’s a real relief for a lot of folks.  Yeah. That’s huge, to be able to unburden yourself. It is true. When you are in a responsible position, sometimes you have to absorb all the uncertainty in the business or the potential risks. You can’t talk about it because then you are amplifying that risk. Then people start worrying, and that kind of paralyzes people.  Then the business is in an even worse position. What really shocked me when I became a Vistage Chair was how few CEOs these CEOs actually knew. It wasn’t just that they were isolated inside their company. Maybe they were isolated at home because their spouse didn’t want to hear it, or they didn’t want to burden their spouse because then it would come back to them eventually with the anxiety of the spouse as a further pressure.  So they might not want to share that. But they didn’t even know other CEOs because they were so busy working in their business, they had no time to go play golf and meet other people. The only time they could do that was in the Vistage group once a month. They could rationalize that this is business. They are working on the business. That gave them permission to take the day off and fraternize with other CEOs.  Yeah. That’s such an important thing. It’s such an important thing to know that you do have a group of people that will have your back, regardless of what you come with. We had a meeting in my group not too long ago where we had some breakthroughs. It was really special to see a group that didn’t know each other, didn’t even know each other existed three or four months prior, sharing about how time is short, possibly because of some health issues. How their business is so important because it’s their legacy.  It’s what they’ll leave behind when they move on. That’s really personal, deep, meaningful conversation. When you allow space for it, it can happen. Build it, and they will come, kind of a thing. I just think that’s so important because I think CEOs who see this may be sitting there bottling that up. They’re taking that stress and trying to hold it. There’s so much energy that it takes to do that, that they wonder why their business isn’t growing, or why they can’t get past a certain amount of revenue, employee count, client service, or breaking into certain levels.  They don’t realize that the more they’re holding that in, it’s almost like they’re holding that growth captive. They just don’t have the energy. They get burned out. That’s when bad decisions start happening. They get emotional, or they just are done. You know? Yeah. They do. I’ve talked to so many people that are just, “I’m just so done with this.”  Yeah. They become unhappy. Then the people around them become unhappy. Then unhappy people don’t do well in the business. They don’t grow the business. Then the CEO feels even worse and lashes out. Yeah. Yeah. That’s huge. When you have the CEOs, and each of them shares things and becomes very vulnerable, then it becomes a safe space.  That’s what creates the trust, right? They all have skin in the game because they all share stuff that they don’t want to get out of the group. Therefore, they can trust the other person to do the same thing.  Yeah. Trust is huge. When you think about it, like this might be odd, but I think when some people think about the holidays and being around family, some people get excited for that, and some people cringe at that, right? Because I think a lot of that is, yes, you’re family, and it’s almost a forced relationship sometimes. They don’t trust. They won’t share their authentic self with that other person in the family. What should be a holiday, and restful, restoring, energizing time, becomes more of a forced situation where it’s draining.  Then you start to distance yourself even more. I think the idea of just having that safe space where other perspectives are in the room is a huge thing as well. Helping people think differently than you. Surrounding yourself with those people. Because you can’t necessarily afford to bring them on just because they think differently. Having them in a group where they will give you a different perspective, and also hold your trust, and let’s face it, just give a damn about you, and how you’re doing, and connect, and want you to succeed, it’s huge. Having people in your corner like that. Yeah. It’s not always naturally there because of timing and other things, like you were mentioning.  And then one more thing. Before I came to Vistage, I had a mastermind group. Oh, yeah. When I was a business owner, which I organized. It worked initially well until it stopped working because I didn’t have the time to invest in it. To make sure everyone showed up. To make sure everyone brought topics, to discuss issues to the table. So it fizzled out.  I think what’s special about Vistage is that there is a person who is committed to making this happen and making it a high-quality experience. Yeah. That is actually priceless because without the person, the time that those CEOs are investing is wasted. Then it’s not even worth showing up for it, right?  Yeah, exactly.  That’s a unique thing. It actually doesn’t really get copied. I don’t see other organizations that can really provide the same quality of experience without that committed Chair, who is thinking about these members all the time, spends some time with them one-on-one, and then makes sure the meeting happens, people show up, and there’s good content in the meeting. It’s very valuable.  Yeah.  So anyhow, if someone would like to learn about Vistage or connect with you, where could they do that?  Yeah. I think LinkedIn is probably the best place for that. I have a LinkedIn page that touches on my Lights On Coaching and Consulting practice, named for exactly what we’ve been talking about. It covers my Vistage group and also the nonprofit, Wild Hearts Adventures. So if anybody is struck by that, go to my LinkedIn. Let’s connect on there, and we’ll just have some conversation. I just love having conversations with new people, with fresh perspectives, regardless of whether we connect and do work together or just even keep in contact.  It’s just lovely speaking with one another, similar to what we’re doing now. Sharing that philosophy. Sharing that why. It’s just encouraging to hear that from others. So I welcome anybody to reach out to my LinkedIn. I don’t know if we can put a link in here to that page or not, but certainly we can.  Yeah. We can directly link that. We’ll put your LinkedIn URL in the show notes. You can just Google Jay Larson Vistage Chair, and he’ll pop up, and you can connect with him. So Jay, thanks for coming and sharing some wonderful stories about people who climbed the mountain, and how it changed their lives. If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure you stay tuned because I have wonderful subject matter experts, CEOs, and business owners who come and share their stories. Wonderful. So thanks for coming, and thanks for listening. Yes. Thank you. Take care. Important Links: Jay's LinkedIn Jay's website

FOLLOW UP: VW RESULTS FOR H1 OF 2026 ARE BADThe headline figures for Volkswagen Group's first half of 2026 financial results make for grim reading. There is a 11.6% drop in profits, despite revenue almost matching 2025. China was a big disappointment, but should not have been a surprise. Company claims cost savings are working already and the plans, which we are yet to know the full details, will accelerate the benefits to the company. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.Part of the plans to reduce costs, that we have heard about, include shedding jobs. Anything between 100,000 and 140,000 has been rumoured, but they are only rumours to date. Additionally, a cull of their car line ups, plus reducing the model variants which will reduce the crossover, between brands, and complexity. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more.However, the job cuts, in particular, are going to be a difficult thing to sell to workers. Already there have been protests at some plants, against any reduction in the workforce. To get an idea of what the management board are up against, click this electrive article link here.To understand how big an issue, just the employee numbers side of things is, click this Carscoops article link here and begin to understand the scale of the problem.PORSCHE APPEAR TO TURN AROUND FINANCIAL RESULTS IN H1Considering where Porsche were last year, their financial results for the first half of 2026 are remarkably good. In explaining the turn around, a lot is made of how they have prioritised less volume but more profit per vehicle. The sales of 911s is held up as a very good thing. CEO Michael Leiters will unveil the full plan in October. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.BMW SEEKS MORE JOB CUTSBMW are another company that has announced their first half yearly results for 2026. Profits fell by 29.4%, with margins being squeezed down two percentage points to 6.5%. Reports suggest the company is seeking to cut the workforce by around 8,000, hopefully through severance packages. Most of the jobs will go in Germany and be office based roles. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.STELLANTIS RESULTS IMPROVE BUT NOT IN EUROPEStellantis announced improved financial results, thanks to the US market that enabled a profit of £37.3bn. Europe, results were flat, which was part of the reason this was the only region to post a negative income margin of - 0.6%. For more on this, click this link here to read a Motor Trader article.JLR UK GETS A NEW BOSSJLR has announced that Cian O'Brien will become the managing director of JLR UK, as Patrick McGillycuddy will move to the head of the Defender brand. O'Brien is stepping up from the market and business operations director role he took on towards the beginning of the year. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.MARIA GRAZIA DAVINO JOINS FORD EUROPEMario Grazio Davino, former managing director for BYD Europe, will be joining Ford Europe on 1 October 2026 to become vice president of sales. She will be responsible for all commercial operations, which includes retail, the dealer network and distribution. Click this Motor Trader article link here, for more.If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Bentley TorcalBentley has revealed some of the details about their first EV SUV, the Torcal, which will be shown off fully at the end of September. One of the issues their engineers have been tackling is how to match the emotion the sound of a V8 gives the driver and passengers, they think they have the solution. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here and find the video, plus more details about the car.Xpeng X9The X9 is a luxury MPV, aimed at moving the wealthy around in supreme comfort. Targeting the likes of the Lexus LM, the X9 undercuts the Japanese offering by twenty odd thousand pounds. To learn more, click this EV Powered article link here.Amble OneFrom the pen of the designer who brought us the Audi R8 and the Apple Watch, Julian Hoenig in collaboration with Michael Tropper, the One is a quadracycle that will have a range of 62 miles and be capable of a top speed of 40 mph. The looks are similar but much improved on the Mini Moke and think of it doing a similar job but with off-road capability too. We like this a lot. Click this Autocar article link here for more.LUNCHTIME READ: HIGH FIDELITYHagerty are the supplier of the recommended read this week, as Brendan McAleer tells us all about the fascinating history of Yamaha. How they came about and then moved from making musical instruments, to motorbikes and things such as the Lexus LFA engine. Click this link here to find out more.LIST OF THE WEEK: 15 QUIRKY JAPANESE CARS OF THE 1990SClassic & Sports Car provide the list we are running through, this week. All about interesting Japanese cars from the 90s. Do you agree with the choices made by Alan and Andrew? Click this link to see what your options are.AND FINALLY: GO BACK TO THE FUTUREWe are pointing you towards a new Auto Diktak video, as this time he has the BMW i8 under the microscope. This podcast is a huge fan of the i8 and this video does not disappoint. Click this link to see the YouTube film and enjoy.

In this special re-airing, listeners are invited to revisit a highly requested interview from the Women Aging Powerfully 2025 Summit. The host Leah Vachani sits down with menopause medicine and functional neurology expert Dr. Fiona Lovely to pull back the curtain on Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, or MSM. Drawing on two decades of clinical experience, Dr. Lovely expertly details this underdiagnosed condition, which affects seventy-one percent of women and manifests as joint stiffness, declining muscle mass, and bone density loss. The conversation provides a comprehensive look at the body's response to estrogen loss and the protective role of contemporary Hormone Replacement Therapy. Listeners will discover how bioidentical progesterone and topical estradiol can reduce pain while preserving muscle. Furthermore, the discussion highlights the necessity of optimizing daily protein intake to stabilize blood sugar and fight sarcopenia. Resistance training is presented as non-negotiable for metabolic health, alongside practical strategies for advocating for proper medical care. Episode Highlights: Understanding MSM and its prevalence among women. The protective benefits of bioidentical progesterone and estradiol. Why optimal protein consumption is crucial for fighting sarcopenia. The importance of resistance training and balance exercises for cognitive and metabolic health. Practical tips for advocating for contemporary treatments at the doctor's office. For full access to the summit, visit https://womenagingpowerfully.com. Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

TPCCafe Radio Presents Classic Thrillers, Suspense: Love's Lovely Counterfeit. Digitally Restored by Nicholas Hans Gary

Emmy winner Jeff Hiller joins us this week to talk about one of our beloved Nicole Holofcener's earliest films. Lovely and Amazing follows a Los Angeles family of women burdened by insecurities, from the mother (Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn) opting in to liposuction to her two adult daughters who help her with a preteen adopted sister. Debuting … Continue reading "399 – Lovely And Amazing (with Jeff Hiller!)"

All of us long to BE someplace. Psalm 84 shows us the place we're meant to be is in the presence of God. So why don't we long for God's presence like we ought? And how can we awaken a deeper longing? In this sermon, we explore Psalm 84's invitation to long for God's dwelling place, and we discover how Jesus fulfills this Psalm and brings us near to God.        

Welcome back to The Lovely Show! Kevin and Justine are jumping on the Mayo celebration band wagon. This week your lovely hosts are chatting disappointed sculptors, creepy holiday home owners and the lost art of being bored. If you enjoyed this episode of The Lovely Show, please ensure to leave us a LOVELY review. Support The Lovely Show to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes at ⁠⁠https://headstuffpodcasts.com/membership/⁠⁠ - listen to your bonus episodes and ad-free feed in your favourite app! This is a HeadStuff podcast produced by Hilary Barry. Artwork by Matt Mahon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Garrison Lovely, journalist and author of Obsolete: The AI Industry's Trillion-Dollar Race to Replace Us and How to Stop It, to map the three-sided debate over AI risk and why the arguments keep talking past each other. They then turn to what cheap cognition does to surveillance that already exists: FinCEN receives roughly 4 million suspicious activity reports a year and reads almost none of them, ICE agents run about a million queries against that database annually, and every podcast ever recorded is now transcribable for approximately nothing. The conversation covers capabilities denialism, ablated open-weights models, the fraud supply chain, and why AI is also unusually good at writing the Regulation E letter that gets your bank to fix your problem.–Full transcript available here: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/cheap-cognition-and-the-end-of-practical-obscurity-with-garrison-lovely/ –Presenting Sponsors: Mercury, MongoDB & ChainguardComplex Systems is presented by Mercury—radically better banking for founders. Mercury's new feature Command brings an LLM directly into your banking interface, so checking balances, finding invoices, or sending a wire is as easy as asking. Apply online in minutes at https://mercury.com/. What's the point of building faster with AI if your database can't keep up? MongoDB's native data model mirrors the language LLMs already speak. Ship at the speed of AI while staying ACID compliant at Fortune 500 scale. Start building at https://mongodb.com/ai.If attackers are using AI to weaponize code faster than any team can review it, your scanners won't save you. Chainguard builds libraries and container images from source, verified all the way down, with near-zero CVEs and zero malware. Build safely at https://www.chainguard.dev/. –Links:Obsolete: The AI Industry's Trillion Dollar Race to Replace Us―and How to Stop It: https://www.amazon.com/Obsolete-Power-Profit-Machine-Superintelligence/dp/1682196305 –Timestamps:(00:00) Preview(00:43) Intro(01:51) The three-sided debate over AI risk(05:32) Power, politics, and the tech backlash(09:49) Capabilities denialism and AI tells(14:54) The obsoleting machine(17:09) The Turing test is dead(18:56) Languages for free, then software engineering(22:37) Sponsors: Mercury | MongoDB(25:09) How high up the stack do the models decide?(29:11) Surveillance and cheap cognition(32:38) Podcasts, FinCEN, and the end of practical obscurity(38:35) Section 702 and the data broker loophole(39:35) Sponsor: Chainguard(40:55) Section 702 and the data broker loophole (cont'd)(47:23) Institutional friction and a million ICE queries(53:29) Security through obscurity no longer works(54:54) Scams, fraud, and ablated models(1:00:20) Personal utility versus societal backlash(1:02:16) AI as a tool for redress(1:06:34) State capacity and regulating what you understand(1:12:37) Tobacco, nuclear, and AlphaFold: strangle it or steer it(1:18:37) Where to find Garrison and the book(1:20:32) Wrap

Hello, Beautiful...I'm so grateful you're here with me. Soft, comforting melodies create a soothing bedtime atmosphere perfect for relaxation and deep sleep. Designed to calm the nervous system and quiet the mind, this gentle sleep music supports stress relief and restorative rest. Let the lullaby carry you gently into peaceful dreams. Love,

This week on The Dildo Whisperer, we're joined by musician, author, award-nominated adult performer, and trans icon Blake Lovely for a candid conversation about confidence, sexuality, self-expression, and living authentically. This is part 2 of our conversation. From growing up in rural Virginia knowing she was destined to become the woman she is today, to building a successful music career, transitioning, and becoming one of the most recognized trans performers in adult entertainment, Blake shares her remarkable journey of self-discovery and empowerment. We discuss body image, attraction, dating, intimacy, the realities of working in the adult industry, and the lessons she's learned about confidence, communication, and embracing your desires without shame. Blake also opens up about her passion for music, her upcoming projects, and why authenticity is the sexiest quality anyone can possess. Whether you're curious about trans experiences, interested in the intersection of sexuality and self-expression, or simply looking for inspiration to live more boldly, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Join us for an honest, sex-positive conversation about identity, pleasure, confidence, and finding your power. Send the us your sex and relationship questions and maybe you will inspire the next episode of The Dildo Whisperer. We have two ways to reach the show. You can call into our show at 844-695-2766 or you can email us at Askthedw@gmail.com. Follow us on social media @dildowhisperer The Dildo Whisperer is produced by DNR Studios. To subscribe to this show and the rest of the DNR Network of shows including the Cookie Jar Podcast visit: www.dnrstudios.com

If you've been chalking up your exhaustion, brain fog, and irritability to "just another day in perimenopause," Dr. Fiona Lovely is here to challenge that assumption. In this loved solo episode, she shines a much-needed spotlight on iron deficiency anemia—a condition that affects billions worldwide and is disproportionately common in women, yet frequently overlooked by conventional medicine. Dr. Lovely walks listeners through the telltale signs: fatigue, mood swings, hair loss, cold intolerance, and cracked lips at the corners of the mouth. Sound familiar? These symptoms are so easily dismissed as normal menopausal woes, but they may point to something far more treatable. She explains why women in the menopause transition are particularly vulnerable—thanks to heavy menstrual bleeding—and why iron debt can persist for years even after periods stop. The episode provides a thorough breakdown of the lab work that actually matters, moving far beyond the standard CBC. Dr. Lovely lists the markers every woman should request, including ferritin, transferrin, and TIBC, and explains why many doctors miss the full picture. She also covers the best dietary sources of iron, the difference between heme and non-heme iron, and practical strategies to boost absorption—like pairing iron with vitamin C and avoiding coffee or calcium around supplement time. This is not a quick fix, but with the right testing, the right supplements, and patience, energy can be restored. As Dr. Lovely reminds listeners, if something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't. Be the squeaky wheel. Episode Highlights: The common symptoms of iron deficiency that are often mistaken for perimenopause. Why ferritin is the first marker to drop and what it reveals about your iron stores. How proton pump inhibitors and low stomach acid sabotage iron absorption. The surprising iron-rich foods that outrank beef liver, including clams and oysters. Why replenishing iron takes time—often a year or more—and which supplements are gentler on digestion. Tune in and learn why that relentless fatigue might not be "just menopause" after all—and how to finally reclaim your energy.   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

Kim Ware talks about holidaying in Bordeaux while there are wildfires in the area.

America Out Loud PULSE with Dr. Randall Bock – Scott Johnston turns elite education into sharp social satire, exposing how wealthy trustees, fearful parents, and status-driven institutions surrender merit, courage, and common sense to identity politics. Drawing on real school controversies, Tom Wolfe's influence, and emerging AI, he explores cultural decline, institutional cowardice, and the changing craft of fiction...

America Out Loud PULSE with Dr. Randall Bock – Scott Johnston turns elite education into sharp social satire, exposing how wealthy trustees, fearful parents, and status-driven institutions surrender merit, courage, and common sense to identity politics. Drawing on real school controversies, Tom Wolfe's influence, and emerging AI, he explores cultural decline, institutional cowardice, and the changing craft of fiction...

A playlist that goes from the Snug all the way to the Shannon. Blackwillow Starling brings Lughnasadh morning vibes, River Driver takes us to Donegal Bay, and Leevy delivers that Top Road energy. Plus new music from Sean Griffin to close things out. It's the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast #767.  -  -  Subscribe now at CelticMusicPodcast.com! Arise & Go, Boxing Robin, Blackwillow Starling, Tulua, Dervish featuring Cathy Jordan, Leevy, Colin Steele, CaliCeltic, The Tan and Sober Gentlemen, River Driver, Dropkick Murphys, Sean Griffin GET CELTIC MUSIC NEWS IN YOUR INBOX The Celtic Music Magazine is a quick and easy way to plug yourself into more great Celtic culture. Enjoy seven weekly news items with what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Subscribe now and get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. VOTE IN THE CELTIC TOP 20 FOR 2026 This is our way of finding the best songs and artists each year. You can vote for as many songs and tunes that inspire you in each episode. Your vote helps me create this year's Best Celtic music episode. You have just three weeks to vote this year. Vote Now! THIS WEEK IN CELTIC MUSIC 0:02 - Intro: Emily Huffman 0:10 - Arise & Go – "Munlochy Bridge / The Editor's Favourite / Portencross Castle / MacKinnon's Other Rant / Attwood O'Connor's / Dr. Alasdair MacKenzie's / The Lassie's Fashion / The Primrose Lass" from Moments of Light 5:48 - WELCOME 7:13 - Boxing Robin – "The Scots Guards Set" from Land of the Noon - Day Moon 11:17 - Blackwillow Starling – "Lughnasadh Morning" from Thornaeppel 16:33 - Tulua – "Ebb and Flow / Dawn of Dara / Scartaglen (Waltz / Jigs)" from In The Snug 21:54 - Dervish featuring Cathy Jordan – "The Broad Majestic Shannon" from The Great Irish Songbook Vol 2: Poets & Storytellers 26:04 - FEEDBACK 27:53 - Plastic Free July 30:46 - Leevy – "The Top Road Band" from Baile Mhúirne or the Soldiers March the Paps of Anú 34:45 - Colin Steele – "Elgin Laddie" from Stramash II 39:49 - CaliCeltic – "The Humours of Whiskey - Stick to the Craytur - Paddy's Panacea" from West of Shannon 44:21 - THANKS 46:11 - The Tan and Sober Gentlemen – "Waterbound" from Veracity 48:28 - River Driver – "Donegal Bay" 52:34 - Dropkick Murphys – "Chesterfields and Aftershave" from For The People (Expanded Edition) 56:59 - CLOSING 57:42 - Sean Griffin – "People Are Mad" from People Are Mad 1:00:44 - CREDITS Support for this program comes from Hank Woodward. Support for this program comes from Dr. Annie Lorkowski of Centennial Animal Hospital in Corona, California. Support for this program comes from John Sharkey White, II. Support for this program comes from International speaker, Joseph Dumond, teaching the ancient roots of the Gaelic people. Learn more about their origins at Sightedmoon.com Support for this program comes from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, Creating Transparent Borders for more than twenty five years, serving Alaska and the world. Find out more at   www.CascadiaLawAlaska.com The Irish & Celtic Music Podcast was produced by Marc Gunn, The Celtfather and our Patrons on Patreon. The show was edited by Mitchell Petersen with Graphics by Miranda Nelson Designs. Visit our website to follow the show. You'll find links to all of the artists played in this episode. Todd Wiley is the editor of the Celtic Music Magazine. Subscribe to get 34 Celtic MP3s for Free. Plus, you'll get 7 weekly news items about what's happening with Celtic music and culture online. Best of all, you will connect with your Celtic heritage. Please tell one friend about this podcast. Word of mouth is the absolute best way to support any creative endeavor. Finally, remember: plastic isn't just a waste problem, it's a climate problem. Most plastic is made from oil and gas, and producing it releases greenhouse gases at every step. This July, take part in Plastic Free July. Swap single use plastics for reusable bags, bottles, and containers. Solar and wind are now the cheapest power sources in history. Cutting plastic is another way to shrink demand for the fossil fuels behind it. Reduce your waste this month, one choice at a time. Promote Celtic culture through music at http://celticmusicpodcast.com/. WELCOME THE IRISH & CELTIC MUSIC PODCAST * Helping you celebrate Celtic culture through music. I am Marc Gunn. I'm a Celtic musician and also host of Pub Songs & Stories, where I share stories behind my songs and those of other Celtic and folk musicians. This podcast is for fans of all kinds of Celtic music. We are here to build a diverse Celtic community and help the incredible artists who so generously share their music with you. If you hear music you love, please email the artists to let them know you heard them on the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. As with all things, it is important to support our community, whether that is local or in a small niche we love like "Celtic music". Skip the big corporate businesses and bands. Instead, spend your money where it will make a difference. You can do that with each of the artists on today's show OR your favorite artists. Buy a CD, Album Pin, Shirt, Digital Download, or join their community on Patreon. You can find a link to all of the artists in the shownotes, along with show times, when you visit our website at celticmusicpodcast.com. ALBUM PINS ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HEAR CELTIC MUSIC Looking for a fresh way to support the music you love? Meet the Album Pin. Album Pins are lapel pins themed to a specific album — and each one comes with a digital download. Wear your music. All of my latest pins are wood - burned and locally produced, which means a smaller footprint and a one - of - a - kind feel you won't find anywhere else. Pick yours up at magerecords.com THANK YOU PATRONS OF THE PODCAST! Because of generous patrons like you, the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast releases new episodes nearly every single week, including this one. Your support doesn't just fund the show, it fuels a movement. It helps us share the magic of Celtic music with thousands of new listeners and grow a global community of music lovers, all while spotlighting artists like Arise & Go, Tulua, Dervish, and the rest of this week's lineup. Your contributions pay for everything behind the scenes. Audio engineering. Stunning graphics. Weekly issues of the Celtic Music Magazine. Show promotion. And most importantly, buying the music we feature from indie Celtic artists like the ones you heard today. And if you're not yet a patron? You're missing out! Patrons get: Early access to episodes Music - only editions Free MP3 downloads Exclusive stories and artist interviews A vote in the Celtic Top 20 All of this lives over at SongHenge.com. A special thanks to our newest Patron: Manuel Duarte HERE IS YOUR THREE STEP PLAN TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST Go to our Patreon page. Decide how much you want to pledge every month, $4, $12, $30. Keep listening to the Irish & Celtic Music Podcast to celebrate Celtic culture through music. You can become a generous Patron of the Podcast on Patreon at SongHenge.com. TRAVEL WITH CELTIC INVASION VACATIONS Every year, I take a small group of Celtic music fans on the relaxing adventure of a lifetime. We don't see everything. Instead, we stay in one area. We get to know the region through its culture, history, and legends. You can join us with an auditory and visual adventure through podcasts and videos. Learn more about the Celtic Invasion of Hiking the Isle of Skye in 2027 at http://celticinvasion.com/ #celticmusic #irishmusic #celticmusicpodcast I WANT YOUR FEEDBACK What are you doing today while listening to the podcast? Send me a photo. If you're in a Celtic band, send me an audio recording of you performing live. Just audio. I'll use it in a podcast episode later this year. Email me at follow@bestcelticmusic. Jonathan Dyer emailed: "Hey Marc, Thank you thank you. Lovely programme as always (I'm currently listening … as far as Dál Riata so far… whilst sending the final DDP and artwork off for the album.  So it's really finished.… and trying not to melt in the unseasonably weather that we're really not cut out for. Much love" John Mahony messaged on Patreon: "Mark, thanks and bravo for the stand on AI. It seems it's getting harder and harder to avoid, let alone the impact on the environment and people's jobs in other fields. Let's keep finding ways to support real people making real music! Slainte!" John Sharkey White, II messaged in response to the Plastic Free July PSA: "Hi Mark, I was listening to one of your latest podcasts and, as a physician, thought I could add to your discussion of plastics. I wanted to share some important health information about plastic containers. New research shows that tiny pieces of plastic — called microplastics — may be getting into our bodies more than most people realize. What Are Microplastics? Microplastics are very small plastic pieces, usually smaller than a pencil eraser. They break off from larger plastics over time. Scientists have found these particles in human blood, lungs, liver, and even in unborn babies. This means most people are already being exposed. How Do They Get Into Our Bodies? Plastic food and drink containers are one of the main sources. When plastic containers get scratched, worn out, or heated up, they can release tiny particles into your food or drink. Bottled water and packaged foods are also common sources. Plastics also contain added chemicals — like phthalates and bisphenols — that can leak into what you eat and drink. Why Does It Matter? Scientists are still learning how harmful microplastics really are, but early studies suggest they may cause inflammation, cell damage, and problems with the immune system. Some research also points to possible links with heart disease and reproductive health. Most experts agree that more studies are needed before we fully understand the risks. What Can You Do? The good news is there are simple steps you can take to lower your exposure: Switch to glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers when you can Never microwave food in plastic — heat causes plastic to release more particles and chemicals Use a reusable stainless - steel water bottle instead of single - use plastic bottles Cut back on bottled water Try to buy food with less plastic packaging Throw away old or scratched plastic containers Dust and vacuum your home regularly — microplastics can float in the air too You probably can't avoid microplastics completely, but these small changes can make a real difference while scientists continue to study the long - term effects."  

WCW Nitro - December 1st, 1997: The road to WCW Starrcade continues, as Hogan has a memorable run in with a lovely old lady.Sam Driver and Tom Campbell are travelling in their Slim Jim-Powered DeLoreon to watch every single episode of WCW Monday Nitro from the very beginning to the bitter end.WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION: Patreon.com/cultaholic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 440 of the Heart of LAFC podcast.  Join us, as we celebrate a fine victory for LAFC in Carson and prepare to host RSL.  Stay Golden LA!

In this episode of Not Your Mother's Menopause Podcast, Dr. Fiona Lovely sits down with Dr. Louann Brizendine, the renowned neuropsychiatrist and author of the groundbreaking book The Upgrade (released in 2022). Dr. Brizendine, who founded the first U.S. clinic focused on women's mood and hormone-related brain function, brings her decades of expertise to a conversation that reframes everything women have been told about life after fertility. The episode challenges the narrative that menopause marks an ending. Instead, Dr. Brizendine introduces listeners to the Upgrade—the wisdom phase that emerges after the hormonal chaos of perimenopause settles. She explains how the transition, formerly known as perimenopause, is a period of significant brain and body shifts, but what follows is a time of clarity, freedom, and renewed purpose. Women often feel joyless and irritable during the transition, but Dr. Brizendine offers hope, sharing that the happiness quotient actually increases with each decade of life. Listeners will learn practical brain and body hacks, including how to support the vagus nerve for better heart-brain communication and the importance of hormone therapy timing for brain protection. Dr. Brizendine also addresses the controversy surrounding HRT, urging women to consider estrogen not just for symptom relief but as prevention for cognitive decline. This is a conversation about reclaiming authentic selfhood, leaving behind the people-pleasing tendencies of the fertile years, and stepping into a powerful new identity. The message is clear: the good stuff is coming. Episode Highlights: Dr. Brizendine defines the transition versus the Upgrade and why the language matters. The connection between dropping estrogen and changes in mood, memory, and metabolism. How progesterone acts like natural valium—and what happens when it drops. The importance of timing hormone therapy for optimal brain protection. Practical techniques for calming the nervous system and enhancing vagal tone. Tune in to discover why the second half of life holds more freedom, joy, and possibility than women have ever been led to believe. Follow Dr. Louann Brizendine: IG | Website | Buy her book, The Upgrade   Thank you to our sponsors for this episode:

If you can afford it and love what we do, please consider supporting our show by becoming a BTT Podcast Patreon Member! Also, purchase a BTT Podcast t-shirt or two from our Pro Wrestling Tees Store!  This week's Time Stamps for our WCW Saturday Night on TBS recap from Oct 1, 1994 review are as follows (NOTE: This was recorded 7/8/2026):   HOW TO GIVE OR GIFT A PATREON MEMBERSHIP: https://www.patreon.com/BookingTheTerritory/gift   Opening Shenanigans! ( 0:01:41 )  Codora's Video Shop in Metairie. Old Man Codora and MILF Codora and Red Scorpion. ( 0:06:16 )  Crockett wants to know how Harper wore his hair before he was bald! ( 0:19:25 )  5 Star Review Shoutout? Submit a 5-star review on ApplePodcast and/or Podcast Addict and we will read it on air and give you a shoutout!  WCW Saturday Night on TBS Oct 1, 1994 recap! ( 0:24:10 ) Lovely ladies in the crowd - TALK ABOUT RASSLIN AND NOT THE LADIES! ( 0:27:11 ) WCW Saturday Night on TBS Oct 1, 1994 recap continues. ( 0:32:06 ) Schiavone says I am no STOOGE! And don't call them Booker and Stevie? ( 0:50:05 ) WCW Saturday Night on TBS Oct 1, 1994 recap continues. ( 0:54:22 ) What does he do and what does he drive? ( 1:00:08 ) WCW Saturday Night on TBS Oct 1, 1994 recap continues. ( 1:03:31 ) Flair and Sherri and none of this Hogan stuff makes sense. Oh and magic slippers too brah. ( 1:05:08 ) Steve Austin is still a star being passed over. ( 1:17:42 ) Honky Tonk Man talk. ( 1:21:03 ) Duggan vs Regal for the US Title in the main event! ( 1:25:07 ) More Bollea bull s--t! The magic slippers again! TMB! ( 1:32:30 ) If you want access to the Clashes or WCW PPVs, and over 400 Patreon show, become a patreon member at https://www.patreon.com/BookingTheTerritory or tinyurl.com/PatreonBTT! You can sign up monthly or annual. When signing up for an annual plan, you get 1 MONTH FREE!  Who gets the Rolex and/or Toot Toot award? And become a BTT Patreon member! Don't forget to become a BTT Patreon member at https://www.patreon.com/BookingTheTerritory ( 1:40:11 ) Harper lays out what it will take to do Ask Harper segments on the main show! Paypal him $5 per question. Harper's PayPal is, get your pen and paper out, cc30388cc@yahoo.com . Then email Harper ( ChrisHarper16Wildkat@gmail.com ) and Mike ( BookingTheTerritory@gmail.com ) letting them know you submitted $5 to Harper's paypal and he will answer your question on an upcoming show.  Information on Harper's Video Shoutout, Life and Relationship.  1. First things first, email Harper with the details of what you want in your video shoutout or who the shoutout is too. His email address is ChrisHarper16Wildkat@gmail.com . Also in that email tell him what your paypal address is. 2. Paypal him $20. Harper's PayPal is, get your pen and paper out, cc30388cc@yahoo.com .  3. Harper will then send you the video to the email address that you emailed him from requesting your video shoutout. That's it! Don't email the show email address. Email Harper. If you missed any of those directions, hit rewind and listen again.

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Distraction Pieces Podcast with Scroobius Pip!This week Pip is joined by frankly long overdue comic and podcaster ELIS JAMES!Elis is something of a missing piece in the Distraction Pieces puzzle, one of those guests whose appearance was only a matter of time (a long time, sure, but inevitable). It's a pleasure to have him, and as you'd expect/demand, so much ground gets covered. Silence and not stressing it, a Humble Pie album of all things, podcasting with John Robins, the nuance of performance environments and the beauty of old venues, the weird and not awesome world of early morning comedy gigs, performing standup in Welsh, opportunity and being bold, the long and surprising road to the Albert Hall, football, technology adjusted ambition, the Cymru Connection (and the New York Times discovering it), and other favourite podcasts. Oh but so much besides. Lovely stuff, enjoy!PIP'S PATREON PAGE if you're of a supporting natureONLINEMANY ELIS & JOHN LINKSEP 428 Elis & John podcastHUMBLE PIEELIS IN NEW YORK TIMESSPEECH DEVELOPMENT WEBSTOREPIP TWITCH • (music stuff)PIP INSTAGRAMPIP TWITTERPIP PATREONPIP IMDB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.