Podcasts about Mediterranean Sea

The Valley of the temples in Agrigento, Sicily, is an archeological area containing the remains of seven ancient Greek temples, in varying states of conservation. Located along a ridge with breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea in the distance, it represents one of the world's most important collections of Ancient Greek architecture. 

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: From Nerves to Applause: Marcel's Climactic Speech Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-07-20-22-34-02-ca Story Transcript:Ca: El sol brillava intensament sobre Montjuïc aquell matí d'estiu.En: The sun shone intensely over Montjuïc that summer morning.Ca: L'aire era fresc i portava l'aroma del mar Mediterrani que es veia a la distància.En: The air was fresh and carried the aroma of the Mediterranean Sea that could be seen in the distance.Ca: Marcel, un polític jove i ambiciós, es trobava davant d'un gran repte.En: Marcel, a young and ambitious politician, faced a great challenge.Ca: Estava a punt de donar un discurs molt important en una cimera internacional sobre el canvi climàtic.En: He was about to deliver a very important speech at an international summit on climate change.Ca: Havia somiat amb aquest moment durant molts anys, però ara, amb el moment tan a prop, els nervis l'envaïen.En: He had dreamed of this moment for many years, but now, with the moment so near, nerves overcame him.Ca: Montjuïc estava ple de delegats de tot el món.En: Montjuïc was full of delegates from all over the world.Ca: Les banderes onejaven en l'aire, i un rum-rum constant de veus omplia l'atmosfera.En: Flags waved in the air, and a constant murmur of voices filled the atmosphere.Ca: Marcel sentia la pressió per fer un gran discurs, un discurs que no només impressionés als polítics, sinó que també inspirés acció real.En: Marcel felt the pressure to give a great speech, one that would not only impress politicians but also inspire real action.Ca: Però el camí no era fàcil.En: However, the path was not easy.Ca: Alguns companys polítics li demanaven concessions.En: Some fellow politicians were asking him for concessions.Ca: Els activistes, en canvi, exigien acció contundent.En: The activists, on the other hand, demanded strong action.Ca: Però era sobretot la seva por a parlar en públic el que l'aconseguia tenallat.En: But it was above all his fear of public speaking that kept him immobilized.Ca: Sentia el pes de les expectatives a les seves espatlles.En: He felt the weight of expectations on his shoulders.Ca: Aleshores va decidir fer una pausa.En: Then he decided to take a break.Ca: Va caminar fins a un racó més tranquil del parc i va trucar a Laia, la seva assistent de confiança.En: He walked to a quieter corner of the park and called Laia, his trusted assistant.Ca: "Necessito la teva ajuda", va admetre amb un sospir.En: "I need your help," he admitted with a sigh.Ca: La veu de Laia al telèfon el va calmar.En: Laia's voice on the phone calmed him.Ca: "Marcel, tu pots fer-ho", li va dir amb seguretat.En: "Marcel, you can do it," she told him with certainty.Ca: Junts, van treballar en el discurs, buscant l'equilibri entre la realitat política i els seus ideals.En: Together, they worked on the speech, seeking a balance between political reality and his ideals.Ca: Laia el va ajudar a practicar la seva entonació i gestos.En: Laia helped him practice his intonation and gestures.Ca: A poc a poc, Marcel va començar a sentir-se més segur.En: Gradually, Marcel began to feel more confident.Ca: Sabia què havia de fer.En: He knew what he had to do.Ca: L'hora del discurs va arribar.En: The time for the speech arrived.Ca: Marcel va pujar a l'escenari, mirant el vast públic que l'observava expectant.En: Marcel stepped onto the stage, looking at the vast audience that watched him expectantly.Ca: El cor li bategava amb força, però ara no era només per nervis, sinó també per determinació.En: His heart pounded fiercely, but now it was not just from nerves, but also from determination.Ca: Inspirant profundament, va començar a parlar.En: Taking a deep breath, he began to speak.Ca: Les seves paraules, plenes de passió i convicció, van ressonar en l'aire.En: His words, full of passion and conviction, resonated in the air.Ca: Va parlar de la necessitat urgent de protegir el planeta, de la importància de treballar junts abans que fos massa tard.En: He spoke of the urgent need to protect the planet, of the importance of working together before it was too late.Ca: A mesura que avançava, la seva por es va convertir en força.En: As he progressed, his fear turned into strength.Ca: La sala va quedar en silenci, atenta.En: The hall fell silent, attentive.Ca: Quan va acabar, un potent aplaudiment va omplir Montjuïc.En: When he finished, a powerful applause filled Montjuïc.Ca: L'havia aconseguit.En: He had done it.Ca: Havia trobat la seva veu i la confiança que necessitava.En: He had found his voice and the confidence he needed.Ca: Caminant fora de l'escenari, Marcel es va adonar que no només havia donat un discurs important.En: Walking off the stage, Marcel realized that he had not only given an important speech.Ca: Havia après el valor de la col·laboració sense perdre els seus principis.En: He had learned the value of collaboration without losing his principles.Ca: Mentre es dirigia cap a on era Laia, va veure el mar i va somriure.En: As he headed towards where Laia was, he saw the sea and smiled.Ca: El futur era incert, però estava preparat per continuar lluitant.En: The future was uncertain, but he was ready to continue fighting. Vocabulary Words:the air: l'airethe aroma: l'aromaambitious: ambiciós/ambiciosathe challenge: el reptethe speech: el discursthe summit: la cimerathe climate change: el canvi climàticnerves: nervisthe delegates: els delegatsthe flags: les banderesthe murmur: el rum-rumthe atmosphere: l'atmosferathe path: el camíthe concessions: les concessionsthe activists: els activistesthe break: la pausathe corner: el racóthe park: el parcthe assistant: l'assistentthe intonation: l'entonacióthe gestures: els gestosthe stage: l'escenariexpectantly: expectantthe audience: el públicthe determination: la determinacióto resonate: ressonarto protect: protegirto collaborate: col·laborarto fight: lluitarthe applause: l'aplaudiment

About Detlef SchlichDetlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker, ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork, Ireland.His artistic practice moves between performance, photography, painting, sound, installation, film, music, podcasting, and digital image-making. Across these fields, Schlich reflects on the human condition, the relationship between ritual and technology, and the changing role of the artist in digital culture.As a media archaeologist, he explores how media shape perception, memory, culture, politics, and artistic expression. His work often uses the figure of the digital shaman as an alter ego — a method for navigating the space between ancient ritual structures, contemporary media, and technological transformation.Research & Artistic MethodDetlef Schlich's artistic research is rooted in his essay Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effect, which investigates the relationship between ritual, artistic transformation, media, and digital culture.Download here for free:Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effecthttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectBuilding on this foundation, Schlich developed Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto, an artistic method and conceptual framework for understanding contemporary art through layers of media, memory, technology, ritual, emotion, misunderstanding, and lived experience.Read here:Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto by Detlef Schlichhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/375665507_Multilayerism_A_New_Paradigm_in_Contemporary_Art_-_A_Manifesto_by_Detlef_SchlichTogether, these texts form the theoretical backbone of Schlich's ongoing work as a visual artist, media archaeologist, ritual designer, musician, and host of the Arteetude podcast.WEBSITE LINKS Music ProjectsWAW / Wild Atlantic WayWAW is the music project by Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.Official YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW album The Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young form part of a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation, and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm, and myth. The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnQbsh01YWUThe Nile's Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss, and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33AWko4IkKIWAW on BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, Dirk Schlömer and Detlef Schlich felt compelled to reinterpret Silent Night to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis song emerged from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful coastal Wild Atlantic Way stretches along the west coast.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYouTubeSilent Night Reimagined – A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

What does it really mean to build bridges that last for decades? I want you to meet Bircan Unver, whose lifelong commitment to responsibility, creativity, and global citizenship has shaped more than 25 years of meaningful work through Light Millennium. From growing up as the eldest of seven children in Turkey to creating an internationally recognized nonprofit connected with the United Nations, Bircan shares how art, public media, and open dialogue can bring people together across cultures. We explore why responsibility begins with each of us, how local communities can help solve global challenges, and why issues like water security, environmental stewardship, and human connection matter more than ever. I believe you'll enjoy hearing how one person's unstoppable mindset continues to inspire collaboration, education, and hope for a better future. Highlights: 06:55 - How growing up with responsibility shaped Bircan's lifelong commitment to serving others. 18:30 - Why public access television became the foundation for sharing voices and building community. 26:15 - The story behind founding Light Millennium and creating a nonprofit built on dialogue and education. 36:55 - How local communities can play a meaningful role in advancing United Nations goals. 49:45 - Why water security, cybersecurity, and gender equality are becoming deeply connected. 55:40 - Bircan reflects on preserving ideas through books, creativity, and lifelong learning. About the Guest: Bircan Ünver is the Founder-President of The Light Millennium, a Charitable Global Human Advancement Organization (LMGlobal.Org, 2001, New York); Executive Producer of the LMTV Programs; Multi-Media and Event Producer; Host, Author, Publisher, Public Speaker; [Head] NGO Representative of The Light Millennium to the United Nations Department of Global Communications since 2005 (formerly, UN.DPI); and Chair, Outreach and Partnerships Subcommittee at Global NGO Executive Committee and director for the 2021-2023 term. She has been also a Content Provider at QPTV since 1992, and she is the editor and co-founder of the U.S. Turkish Library & Museum Project. She has undertaken the Organization's e-publications, public programs since its inception in August 1999, and #LightMillenniumTV Series and Specials in all aspects of it since January 2000; along with, the LMGlobal.Org's all UN-related activity and programs since 2005. Bircan is the author and director of the Compulsory Peace & ICTs Education from Kindergarten to K-12, and Beyond Campaign, which she launched it through the Light Millennium Global in support of the Summit of the Future in 2024. The Campaign has delivered its 8th session along with the Coalition for the Campaign, which contains 22 organizations and educational institutions including The Light Millennium Global as the leading organization. Further,  she is also author of the bi-annual international high school project, “J.U.C. Media, Research, Writing & Innovation Awards”. The third of its kind was dedicated to the “Water Action Decade” and was delivered  (virtually) on the World Water Day, March 22, 2025. Bircan served as a mentor to the GPODS for three consecutive terms in Winter'22, Summer'22, and Fall'22 Fellowship Programs; and delivered lectures on “How to associate with the UN-NGO”, Public Access TVs in the U.S., and the latest one was on the #WaterActionDecade and the #2023UNWater Conference. To attach that, on behalf of LMGlobal.Org, she organized and hosted an Outside-UN Side Event ID #W175, titled, “What Is Your Commitment To The #WaterActionDecade? ~ Seven Core Ideas Toward #WaterAwareness, #WaterConscience and #GameChangers” in NYC on March 21, 2023, and was the head delegate of the LMGlobal.Org at the #UN2023WaterConference. Based on LMGlobal.Org's Commitments to the #WaterActionDecade, she launched #OneMinuteWaterActionCommitment during the #W175 Side Event, along with continues to work toward #WaterAwareness toward building up #WaterConscience.  She served as the chair of the ATAA Committee on UN Relations, guided its association to the UNDGC in 2020, and also served as the New York Regional Vice-President of ATAA (Assembly of Turkish American Associations) from October 2019 to January 2022. Furthermore, she served on several Planning Committees of the UN-Civil Society Conferences, and the Planning Committee of the High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace (HLF-CoP). She has been a strong advocate of the UN Vision, Programs & Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2030) along with the relevant UN Days, which are in line with the LMGlobal.Org's Mission/Purposes since its association with the UNDGC (formerly, UN.DPI/NGO) in December 2005. Currently, Bircan is on the Advisory Board of the Turkish Forum (based in Germany). She encourages and guides interested civil society organizations and members of academia toward their educational institutions' associations with the UN, along with engaging them with the UN Programs that are within her networks and beyond. Further, she is an Ambassador of Peace and Goodwill for Anuvrat (Anuvibha) Global Organization (Jaipur, India, since 2014); and a Member of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace (GMCoP, since 2012). Bircan is also the founder and president of the IsikBinyili.Org Association based in Istanbul (2010), which is a sister organization and counterpart of the LMGlobal.Org. Author of the following four book titles in print (Turkish): “En Kutsalı Yaratmak” (The Most Sacred is to Create) (1995, 2022), “Sanatın Labirentlerinde” (The Labyrinths of Arts) (2016), and “Işık Yollarında (“The Ways of the Light”) (poetry, 2017), and “Bin Yıl Daha…” (2020, A Thousand Years More…). Also, she is the author of the concept and compilation of the “Hope Never Fades” (English) book (Istanbul, 2023). Bircan initially received her local and studio television production certificates at QPTV.Org in 1992. Based on this capacity, she produced and broadcasted near to 260 television programs through local channels in New York City, which are also available online through www.vimeo.com/channels/LightMillenniumTV including 36 #OneMinute #WaterAction PSAs. Bircan celebrated her 30th Anniversary at QPTV.Org through a video profile, titled, “A Turkish Experience in America” (Duration: ~9 min. Production Year: 2022). Her works through The Light Millennium Global is a recipient of various national (U.S.) and international awards and recognitions including two awards from the Foundation of Alliance Community 2023 Hometown Media Awards (F-ACM-HMA for her “GroundWater” Light Millennium TV program in Web-based Programming and Online Events / Independent Producer categories (received at Brick TV, New York), the Anuvrat Ahimsa Award For International Peace-2023 (received in Mumbai, India), and the 2023 International Volunteer President Award by Institution of Green Engineers (received in Chennai, India), and ashe is also the recipient of the 2024 Best Web-Based Program – Independent Producer for the #HopeNeverFades program by F-ACM-HMA, which was produced based on the 2023 J.U.C. Media, Research & Writing Awards (ACM HomeTown Media Awards, San Jose, CA). Bircan holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree from the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (Istanbul, 1988) and a Master's Degree (M.A.) from Media Studies of the New School University (New York City 1999). Ways to connect with Bircan**:** Websites: www.lmglobal.org  (active web site) | www.lightmillennium.org (serves as the organization's web archive)#LightMillenniumTV | www.vimeo.com/LMTV | www.vimeo.com/channels/LightMillenniumTV Social Media: Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bircan-ünver-7353207 X@lightmillennium Instagram@lightmillennium About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingston, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello everyone, and I want to welcome you to another edition of Unstoppable Mindset, and today we get to talk to a very interesting person with a with a lot of roots in Turkey, but she is also doing a lot of work with the United Nations here in the U.S. and other places. Her name is Birchan Umfer, and I hope I got that right. And Bircan Unver  01:23 thank you. Michael Hingson  01:24 Oh, good. And Berjan is is with us, and is going to talk about a number of things that she is working on. She's working on, and for years has been involved with a program called Light Millennium, and we'll we'll talk about all that, but let's just start and and as usual we'll have a great conversation. So, Bir John, I want to welcome you to Unstoppable Mindset. We're glad you're here. Bircan Unver  01:50 Thank you so much, Michael Hingston. It's great honor and privilege to have your guests. Especially, I love the title Unstoppable Minds. It's really inspiring and triggering the mind. Thank you. Michael Hingson  02:08 Well, my pleasure. We're glad that you have the time to to spend with us, and we will we will we will do it and make it work. Well, let's start. I love to start this way because I really want people to learn about you. Tell us kind of about the early Birchan growing up, and then we'll go from there. So tell us about Birchan and growing up, and and and all of that. Bircan Unver  02:32 Thank you. This will be a little bit different than most people know about me, my work. Well, we'll get to Michael Hingson  02:38 your work. Bircan Unver  02:40 Yeah, I know. I mean, the people who already know my work. What I'm gonna say now is completely too different from Berja. So I am a elder of seven siblings, and I was born in an ancient village in Mid Anatolia, actually nearby the Black Sea region, and I'm proud with my age, 1959, and my family moved to town first from the village, and then Istanbul for our educations for their kids, and but I don't know really as a girl child growing up with seven kids, as especially with a traditional family, being older girl is not a good idea. But but maybe it was a kind of tough childhood as a girl child. I I don't feel that I never been a child. That's really what I feel. But on the other hand, and that was you know when you are growing up, living through like I was a kind of second mom, and also our home was kind of everyone our guest from the village town and stay over not only one night, like or a week, like sometimes months, even years. You won't believe that, and it was not because either. So, but those kind of build up maybe my feeling to be responsible, so I consider myself a responsible person because I was responsible for my sisters, brothers, and also washing dishes, making helping my mom to prepare the meal, lunch, breakfast, and clean up. Like you know, I was kind of second person, second mom at home. So those early things, all those stolen my childhood, but at the same time, provide me being able to do everything from very early age. Even though I remember several times at the time. The bread wasn't, you know, you you weren't buying the bread from the market, but from the bakery, real where they were baking the bread. So she was, and time to time also she was making the the bread at home, and then she she wasn't sending me to school because then I had to stay with my brothers and kids so she can make the you know breads a big amount for a couple days. So that said, also gave my idea. I want to suddenly want to work as soon as you know I'm 17, 1617, So and then I started early working at a bank, and it was my first eight years. I worked at a bank in Istanbul. It is called Istanbul Bank, and then my graphic is like life graphic is a little bit different, like curvy, not like straight line. Then after eight years working at a bank, I started to university and fine arts, and then I had kind of interest art history, especially TV production, art history, arts in in the concept is producing art documentaries. That was kind of my vision. Also, it was also my reason initially coming to the U.S. learning TV production. Of course, English as first. So that was very much my childhood until you know 18 until starting at the bank, and then the rest is another story. I have, I must say, I would have three different life. Michael Hingson  06:48 Well, you had certainly an interesting childhood, needless to say, and I, I can understand what you're saying about being the oldest and all the challenges. I was not. I was the youngest, but we only had two siblings, and neither of us we were we were both males, and so we we did not do a lot in terms of preparing meals and all that sort of stuff. Except my brother and I were both in the Boy Scouts, and so when we went camping and other things like that, we learned how to cook on an open or an open fire and and things like that. But still, I understand that you you had a a lot that you had to do. What lessons did you learn by being the oldest child? What kinds of things do you think that you you carry over to what to your life today, because you were the oldest. Bircan Unver  07:44 I think two different components of that. One is also because it wasn't only I was the as a kid at the home and as a girl, girl, but also at the time there wasn't that kind of awareness which we have today. Which I mean, my mom got married with my dad at the age of 15, and she had birth. She had given me birth at the age of 16, the reason I'm bringing up this, when we were going to shopping Kapolechar, Grand Market of Istanbul, when I was 1516, and literally we were halfway age difference between my mom and myself. And when I was saying mom, and the people were surprised, and she and isn't your sister, other sister? They were asking me, and she was my mom. So, but this is in the long later years. I always become the best friend with my mom, and even my brother was saying, "Oh, now I understood that she, you are the joy of my mom because she can kind of a joke, and the others, my kids, like they are kids, but I'm her friend because they kind of feel similar. That is one, you know, lifetime developed feeling and strong connection, different connection with my mom, and the other also, as I mentioned at the beginning, it really this whole, you know, not selected, but where you, which house you born, which condition you grow up, that build up for me early high level responsibility. I feel responsible to do everything, and I, you know, that's a little bit tiring because that's what I want to say here. You say something in our after our initial Zoom meeting. It's really very inspiring. You say something. I just took note. We can solve all the worst problem. We can. You say you don't say we cannot. You say we can. Solve all the world's problems. So, like, it wasn't possible. It's not possible, but you know, as if I could solve the problems or I could carry everything. So it's kind of you know build up my bricks in my life. Michael Hingson  10:18 One of the things that you certainly, it sounds like you learned as you were growing up, though, was was all about responsibility and and and learning to take charge, but learning about responsibility and and feeling that it was okay to be responsible for others in your family and so on. And I think a lot of people don't necessarily learn a lot of lessons about responsibility, like they should. But you were put in a position where you had to do that, which is is certainly a good thing because you clearly have have done that in your life. Bircan Unver  10:54 That's very true, and also it goes with everything. Let's say sometimes some people think maybe unnecessary action when people cut trees, even in their you know backyard or front yard, whatever trees or any type of trees or fruit trees. I really get mad and upset because it is irresponsible to nature, to their own environment, just feeling they're responsible to trees, loving the trees, loving the you know, for instance, if when I was it was two weeks ago, I was working on at my desk, a bees was you know flying around me, and I don't like you know trying to hit and chase the bees, and I just left the window open, moved the room two hours, and it's gone. So I don't want to hurt things, even though if it bites, it would hurt me, right? So to kind of find a way, being responsible, because also I have a subconscious thinking that if I try to chase a herd, if an insect, any of them, they you know they react sharp. So I'm not a threat to them. So they are not threat to me. So I kind of make a subconscious connection, communication. Michael Hingson  12:22 Well, and it's it's better to to learn to love than than not. So I I hear what you're saying. Now you didn't go to college or university, right? Or you did? Bircan Unver  12:35 Of course, I did. That's what I was just briefly brought this stair at that level. That after eight years working at at Istanbul Bank, from literally actually 17 to 24 or 23 late 23 early 24 then I started at the Fine Arts University in Istanbul, and I mainly study both as major Turkish tradition arts and also along with as a minor. We didn't have a minor, but we had we didn't have the minor degree, but we had a selected course. So I was following up several like four years in a row and also whole year around, not a quarter semester base artist troy and contemporary art. So I started writing on art and exhibit and interviewing artists while I started study at the Fine Arts University, which is top university in Fine Arts in Istanbul, Myanmar, Sinan Fine Arts University. Michael Hingson  13:44 So you learned a lot about fine arts, and Bircan Unver  13:47 yeah, Michael Hingson  13:47 and you had obviously learned about finance from the bank, which Bircan Unver  13:51 is didn't learn that Michael Hingson  13:53 much, huh? Bircan Unver  13:53 Not at all, and I didn't like it. That's why I, you know, I changed all my life line. Michael Hingson  14:00 Right, but but you enjoyed art. Bircan Unver  14:03 Yes, and because also art always for me, and it as it is today. Whatever the life problems we cannot be resolved, art is always for me a branch to hold on and to kind of feel strength, connect with the nature, with the art culture, whom I never might met, or maybe you know through art, through music, through books. So it's kind of really, I think the the best human conscious and what we leave behind is what we produce. Creative might be a little bit another discussion. What is the term defined? And now everyone using like creative for everything, but creativity is like really what stays, you know, central. And something as what is already before, and what you brought it something new, that new perspective, like cubism and faism and expressionism and all that different genres or pop arts and another one Dali's movement. So all the Dadaism, so each of them brought something what is already existed, and then you know moved to different level, and also technology and communication brought where we are today. So and music, I'm not any degree. Degree train or understand, but I love music as most people about music and arts and literature and writing is always for me. Also taking pictures. I don't trust my memory much, but this is not new, not because of my age now. But I somewhat I always like take the pictures, whether I have cell phone, the oldest, you know, digital or the manual photo photographs. So even though when I run into where where was it, where I was, who was with, who next to me? I can't remember. But why I love that? Because really, it brings, it captures your life, even you don't remember, and then reconnect. Also, I I come up with a new concept. I haven't done anything yet, but it's kind of developing in my mind, that we can, we are able to capture the past, but we cannot capture the future, because you know whether you know unexpected the one photo comes up, or an audio recording, or all those movies, musics, and documentaries and paintings throughout artistry, you can really capture the past depending on what you know your background or interest and education, but you cannot capture the future. But you can imagine, we can imagine the future. We can invest into the future. Michael Hingson  17:16 Well, and and the the reality is that that the future is based on so many things that happen in the past, and so you can learn to to use some of that information and and have a better idea of what the future might be like, and that's that's pretty fascinating too. So so, how long did you go to college Bircan Unver  17:42 in in Turkey the basic four university education is annual base, not semester base. It's a four years, and actually when I started it was five years. Then later on they the system education board changed it to like four years plus two years. So I graduated from a four years fine arts, and then I have a master's degree based in New York News School University. Michael Hingson  18:20 Ah, in New York. Bircan Unver  18:21 Yeah. Michael Hingson  18:22 Okay. So that was was that two years. Bircan Unver  18:27 Yes, but it was a little bit different again. Yeah. See, because first when I was here for the first time, 18 919, 89 to 1994, I started and I took to six credits and I love it. But I had to go back to Istanbul, so then I got the you know absence live of absence, and then but coming back three years later, I readmitted, and then I finish it. I got my graduate diploma in 1999 May 1999 Michael Hingson  19:12 Okay, so Bircan Unver  19:14 you've been dealing late. You've been Michael Hingson  19:17 dealing with school for a while, but but while all that was going on, you got interested in, and you started to to do things regarding public access television. And you started that, if I read your biography correctly, in in 1991, you started doing things with public public access TV. Tell us a little bit about that, and why did you do that? Bircan Unver  19:41 That's really the kind of key point in my life. In as for the initial one of the two reasons that I came to the U.S. as the first time, I was you know the first aim to learn English. The second also. To learn the TV production, and then my first year was in the U.S. was in L.A. and then I was looking for the schools and just I'm I I'd like to get the formal education, formal training, and then one of my friends there, whom I met there, she said my aunt is TV producer at Queens Public TV in New York, and she is looking for someone like you who really wants to get in and all that. And then I think a couple months later, I had a very brief trip to New York, and I met with her, and then I met with her at QPTV. Now she is unfortunately not with us, but she was also she was the first Turkish producer at QPTV, and I'm forever grateful in memory of her. She was the one who introduced me QPTV, so I met Victor at QPTV in 1990, and then when I went back to LA, I decided to move to New York. So as soon as I moved to New York and I registered to QPTV's both field production and studio, and at the time, there were seven, eight months waiting list. Eventually, I got it on the list, 1991, and first I got the field production certificate, and it was I think six months something, and we had a group project and solo project, and then studio and studio production. It's when the same group project after you are learning all the equipment and then shooting and everyone is crewing everyone is helping each other within the same group of the class and then also producing group project and then the individual project that it is the similar step for the field production and the studio, that also provides a certificate to enabling us to use QPTV equipment, studios taking out the equipment, inviting studios, studios. Unfortunately, after COVID 19, there has been a long dragging issue. They haven't opened the studios. This is I don't want to get in because it is beyond our concept, but because that was my initial reason also moving to New York. And then once I started producing program and airing, I really loved idea from one idea, just idea, and then put paper and develop it. Bring yes, bring the crew, especially with the manual three-inch tapes, and to present, put everything in a tape, and then submit it an ARC schedule. I really love that. So then, while I was there, and then I said, "Okay, I want to really have a master's degree on TV production. So my master's degree from New Zealand University is in media studies. So and I got my diploma May 1999 So, but New Zealand was amazing. I learned all the first my you know my life although it was 39 maybe 3839 years old when I was Photoshop and Premiere or Evid and all the first offline digital all the software program I learned at the new school and I edited my first program offline at the new circle as well, but when I got diploma, and then I had nowhere no access to continue. Also, you know, it's just I, I never been about the person. My mind and my heart wealthy, but not financial terms. And then, so QPT was always my second home because it provides me continuing the producing and provides me access, provides me equipment. It's like provides the community. That's what it is exists for, especially in support of the Article First Amendment and freedom of expression, and also QPTV format is really, really not well known, or not QPTV loaned. It is public access, pack programming, public education and government programming, non-commercial. So it's it is not much known widely, but it is really one of the best symbol of democracy. And now it's kind of a little bit diminishing because also widespreading out other web streaming platforms like this or other, so that there are so many. Discussion and issues, and also there is one petition to the New York Senate that is called Team New York that could also bring in all the web streaming to this community media access public access media. So then, Michael Hingson  25:19 oh, go ahead. Bircan Unver  25:20 No, I mean the question is so QPTV had has been the longest since 1991. I've been providing content, and as long as I am in the US, if I'm out of the country, even if I am out of the country, my previously submitted programs are rerunning in different, you know, whenever they schedule for my new programs, I determine which time slot because I have a time slot to be scheduled, and whether 28 minutes or one hour. But especially again after COVID 19, I couldn't produce anything at the studio at QPTV, but like this Zoom-based programs, and then for the late million organization, the programs I produce and then edit them, reformat them to schedule for QPTV. But it wasn't as it used to be produced at QPTV, at the studio with the crew, that's the excitement teaming up. It's really, I love it. But Zoom, this type also make more maybe manageable, but also bring more intonation speakers. You know, through online connection. If Speaker 1  26:54 you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes. Thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. Michael Hingson  27:28 So you you started in public access television and and and are still doing that essentially. But in 2000 you started Light Millennium TV. Tell us about Light Millennium Television. Bircan Unver  27:42 Thank you so much. Because Late Millennium, I still consider it's my third child because already 25th anniversary. The flyer on my back says 25th That also refers the 25th anniversary of the Light Millennium. I think a the experience and production, and also providing three platform QPTV, Queens Public TV, but actually the 1992 Communication Act and PAC programming, public government public education and government programming; those emerge with my new school education, like Fatrus, Plato, the concept of the two ways of messaging, and for the first time in my life, at the age of I think it was I was 39 I was able 3039, I was able to use. It was very new, also for the war. Internet. We had the internet at the new school as our media class, the open forum. One week media theory class. We have open discussion forum about Greek philosophy, further is communication, media theory. The other class we had the classic format. So all these together merged in my mind, and I really felt I found my medium. That medium is the internet, which me, especially someone is living in New York, who has you know 30 years first life in Turkey, Istanbul, that culture, and then I I didn't want to kind of disconnect from my root cultures, and internet provided me that connections, and also I always like to write and communicate, so so it becomes like natural medium. And then when I just graduated in May 1999 I send out by then like 40 people with my friends. Colleagues, and then I said, "Oh, I want to start a platform. This platform is going to be ours. And everyone wants to say, kind of to expand the QPTV's concept, because when I say QPTV's concept, this is the again First Amendment, and they don't control the content. They don't say anything you can do, you cannot unless it is a threat to someone's life. So it's all the content, or you are responsible as the producer. So I really love that freedom and responsibility again. And then then I was mentoring at the New York Food Moon Finance and Television, and I was kind of trying to find what I want to do, and I was already producing programs at QPTV. I never give up as as long as I could afford to produce the time and edit. Edit is always more time consuming, and then the executive director of the at the time 1999 Woman Film Man Television, she said you can form a nonprofit. I never taught it before, and I'm forever thankful to her. And then I said I don't know what to do where to start because she perhaps she saw the potential because I was producing non-commercial and publishing, trying to promote, you know, through group emails, and whatever the you know social media available at the time. Well, mostly email and group emails, and then she suggested me a volunteer lawyers of arts that she said they can help you, and I never knew and I never thought I if I never came to U.S. maybe I will never had a concept of forming a nonprofit or light minimum. So that U.S. and all combination brought me and news called Queens Public TV, First Amendment, United Nations Article of 19 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Everything together kind of merged in my mind. Also, the projects I produce, I communicate, is contact with people, I learn from them. So then, when I contacted with them, they ask me, you know, what is my statement this type? And then I drafted all of them, and they put in medical, you know, terms and terminology, and I was lucky that we got a pro bono at the time one of the you know major U.S. law firms. I I think I can say now because they even though I think merged K Shuler, but they took our case and they formed my organization on on a pro bono basis and officially the first as a non profit organization done with the 500 1c T V together. So we officially formed 2001 July 17, and we and then right after that they filed 501c3 for us, and then we granted that in September 18, 2002. Bircan Unver  33:14 My memory is not good, but I I remember that date as of today because it was kind of imprinted in my mind, but also the beauty was that the granted granting 501 c3 was effective of the formation date, which is July 17 2001 So then, since I developed started the light minimum concept, introducing speaking people trying creating an open platform that everyone can you know contribute be part of it, so then I started in January 2000 on January 13 2000 started first monthly the like TV series at like at QP TV. That's how it came about. Michael Hingson  34:02 Yeah, you have certainly created quite a niche in in the whole light millennium and all the other things that you've done, which is pretty fascinating. How did you get connected with the United Nations? Because I know you're doing work with them. Bircan Unver  34:18 Thank you. Actually, the concept with the UN use, I don't do work for them. Michael Hingson  34:29 Right. Bircan Unver  34:29 We do work with them. Right. You're connected Michael Hingson  34:34 with them. You're not working for them. I understand that. Bircan Unver  34:36 Yeah, I just you know one word, but it's key key differences. But as as I mentioned, how the light millennium concept emerged, and also my master's degree program, media studies at the New School, and also there is another person I have to mention here, also in. Separate for her respectful and loving memory, Danielle Camille. She was my advisor for my thesis project advisor at the new school, and all that TV ideas and my thesis project. And she loved, and I got all A. And my first TV ideas project was peace, reality, or utopian dream, and it was 11 minutes or so. It was just before the first Clinton administration election, just October, I think 2002 and then I interviewed many academicians, civil society, non-profits who whose focus area on peace and war and you know against nuclear or all that and and then that actually the concept peace reality or utopian dream that took me to the United Nations I don't know now as a as an outsider, at the time it was so welcoming, and I went to photo department. They share me with photos, and I got all the books I was looking for. Of course, public library. I got all the books about the peace and peace organization. So that 12 minutes program, peace rate or utopian dream, and physically led me to step in the UN for the first time, and then producing this project, searching kind of open to me new horizon, and also my advisor was persistent. Birjan, we know you are great. You produce fundamental programs on arts, but I want you to do something else. So that actually also forced me to move beyond producing something beyond arts. And so then then peace, reality, or utopian dream concept came in, but also it wasn't far topic in my life because my son was born 20 when I was 2022 Now he is 45 His name is Borush, and mean is in Turkish peace. Peace also at the time, you know, Africa hunger, and I was hoping when I get 4050, this will be over. It's not the case, but as a vision, I always look for humanistic positive for the humanity, not you know for myself well-being. Michael Hingson  37:38 Well, you you kind of act as a bridge between UN programs and local communities. Tell me more about that because you view that you view yourself as being a bridge between UN programs and the local community. Why do you why do you view yourself as more of a bridge? Bircan Unver  38:00 That's very nice metaphor, and I think it's very true for me too. Maybe I could take it two three step backs. One is the village I was born. There is a river, and and then there was a bridge, and that bridge was kind of fundamental. Really, going to where you know people are established, living in all the agriculture and large fields, and it was kind of nostalgic to me. It's a bridge, but it's a stone, short bridge. That's the the first part. The second Istanbul. You know, my life main path when I was in Istanbul, Turkey in Istanbul, and Istanbul the Bosphor and then the Istanbul Bridge. Now the name changed, and now three bridges, and not just the bridge itself, but also Turkish geographic Turkey's geographical space place on Earth and especially on in between Europe and Asia and Black Sea and then the Mediterranean Sea and then when you go down North Africa, and then you go up like Russia and North Europe. So you see that that connection physically, geographically, and troy physical bridges. We live, we grow up with this kind of as part of our DNA and vision. When I was working on this, the first the initial need you know in the non-profit world to describe the need need was to connect with my culture, people, friends, family, the internet medium, and then village is also metaphor, and when we associated with the. I let I'm proud to say it. Let the association process. That was also my vision from that small video for the class project. And then, then I realize this is also. I think today is real fact that local communities, even Queens here, people are paying 1000s of dollars to come to New York to get visas. All that trying to get the sponsor, you know, to attend a conference, and I I didn't see much interest within the local nonprofits there, and that little bit was shocking realization for me. So I brought to my programs UN visions programs, MDGs, UN days, sustainable development goals. For instance, when it was announced at the UN for the 2023 agenda, we created dreams for humanity. So we brought people from lots of life, poets, authors, and youths to really share their ideas for humanity, for peace. Michael Hingson  41:12 Well, you-it sounds like, from all that I've read and and studied, you're you're, or at some point, you kind of have moved more into dealing with a lot of things with the environment. So I know that your program has been able to get a credit accredited as an observer observer status with the UN Environment Program. How is how has that affected what you do and all of your work going forward. Bircan Unver  41:43 Thank you. This is also another important, I think, milestone for us. The first in connection with the UN, associated with the in the formerly United Nations Department of Public Information, and then it has changed to Department of Global Communications. Officially, we've been associated since 2005, active and good standing, and we are able to be presented at the UN with six representatives, and therefore we are able also to reflect back to our committee's networks from the UN and it's two ways. I really like the concept two ways messaging, and then always environment in somewhat it involves in our programs. But let's say through water, through energy, through, for instance, when the forest fires really burns my heart. So being sensible and trying to, as much as I could, to attend the meetings, especially MDGs for the first phase of the Millennium Declaration, really, it's. I consider UN is the best school I ever had, and it's for me lifetimes to call, and I learn about so many countries I will never otherwise know them much. Some of the names you hardly hear in media and anywhere else, so it's kind of opens and to see the global spectrum. Also, one of the things I really love at the UN, whether you you are a ambassador or president or prime minister of a country that has maybe a population 1 million or 2 million or 1 billion or two 1.6 billion, the largest one, so you have the same minutes of speaking time, same voting, especially of course, I'm talking about the general assembly. So those things I follow up, and we try to incorporate time to time. And water issue always, I wanted to involve. I want to do something about, but it's just not like because I love the tourists, and I'm not, you know, scientist, so I'm not officially trained. So also, I'm not able to protect the, you know, fires in the forest. And every year it's getting worse and worse. And then I'm sensible, but you know, you can't do much about it. And eventually, although our last name is same, but we are not blood connected. Professor Oljoymer, at the time he was vice president for the UN Water at the UN, and we connected. And I was following up, and I was aware his work before we met. We connected through the UN. So then, especially during the COVID era, then when I've seen his speeches, natural-based solutions, and then his piece on smart water, so I propose him if we can do something. About water, and then he was very supportive, very kind, very modest. We had our first water program on the World Water Day in March 2001 and then it has turned out an annual program, and we kind of made the global connections and collaborations, and especially first three, four of them, Professor Olja led and guide, and also we worked together in a sense that I brought one part of the speakers and he brought other parts. So it was also great, diverse speakers and also the level of the speakers from whether civil society, academia, UN, and youth, all that. So we already presented six of them, and 2023 we were part of the UN Water Conference. We presented a program, and then last year we participated and presented a program site event in Nice on the Ocean Conference, and we kind of we also had previously on the ocean again. So plastic also become whether ocean, whether water, whether land life, like plastic, is becoming a huge in every level. Not plastic, but also chemical, all all sorts of polluters on in environment. So then we become promoting, producing, and there are really great level of academicians and experts, and they also like to share and connect their research and their findings. So it's a platform to break down together, and then when it is a video, when it is posted as both a summary along with the full presentation or speech, so it becomes a really source where you know you can find diverse voices, diverse solutions, diverse ideas, and also we align them in support of the UN days, UN conferences, SDGs, sustainable development goals like Water Days. Also, we collaborate with an organization in India, IGEN Green Institution, Green Engineers Institute of Green Engineers. So they are focusing on energy SDG seven. So we contribute them, bringing speakers. Bircan Unver  47:40 So then they join us to our program. So really, it's an organic volunteer base. So that that actually, I was so proud that we got a call, invitation to submit the application for this accredited status, and it was June 2025 after the ocean conference. I think ocean conference kind of brought them cumulatively and maybe brought their attention. And then October they asked our official documents, the bylaws and and certificate of organization, which is the regular require any formal application at the UN, and then I I submitted them in I think it was October 1525 but I haven't heard anything, and then I thought maybe you know they didn't consider, and then literally a year later, in June, last June, we got approval, and with a, it's not just accredited for a special one particular conference. It is an observer status assembly to contribute draft ideas. I mean, to contribute drafts, draft resolution to observe, to participate, and then also to be responsible to provide every four-year quadrennial report. Let's say if we fail to produce contribution at any level to this cause, then you know we may lose that observed status, but of course we'll do our best to contribute and to continue. Michael Hingson  49:27 With all of the work that you've done in all of this, I want to come back to World Water Day in a moment. But with all the work that you've done and all the the the things that you've done in public television and so on, when you host these meetings or you participate in these meetings, do they get televised? Also, are you able to bring those to to the public through public television? Bircan Unver  49:53 When it is Zoom, then I edit within my time slot within the limits of. Time slots and QPTV provides two different time slots. One is 20-eight minutes, the other one is 50-eight minutes. So then, let's say if it's two-hour session, I you know a little bit edit and then title, etc. and part one, part two, and also depending on the length of the session or 20-eight minutes. So then I schedule them through the local channels, as we spoke at QPTV. Also, I make them available through our vmail.com/lmtv channel on web on the web. Also, when we have a summary or outcomes, so we also provide those links and share through social media. Try our best to make those information available, visible, and reachable. Michael Hingson  50:51 Well, that I'm glad you do that. I'm glad that it gets to be something that is a lot more publicized than you just attending a meeting-that's important, I would think, to do when when you talk about World Water Day and so on. One of the things that that I I understand you do is you compare water security directly with cybersecurity and gender equality. Those are three different sorts of things when you include water security. Tell us more about that. Bircan Unver  51:24 This was our latest program in last March, and we had in our prior program on AI a discussion on AI a public discussion on AI policy or AI arc. So he's a professor and at the SUNY, and he's a mathematician, and he's also teaching cybersecurity. And when I was talking about when we met about the water conference upcoming, actually in this December, in the United Emirates on I think December six to eight. Even I was thinking to attend, but I wanted part a bit this time virtually instead of going there. So when we were talking about and and I really like this idea and I say as I asked exactly what you asked for, and then his really statement explanation made great sense because everything is nowadays control troy some form of electronic or AI or a combination of those systems, right? Competing systems. So if or if there is a technical issues, that's one case. But if there is a hack, especially water is the life source for everyone, whether you are billion or trillion, or you are you know ordinary people on the you know everyday life. So water is the source for everything, including producing the energy. AI. So water is the life itself. So then, when he said, if any hacking, whether you know small you know some you know people with a bad intention or some maybe big corporation because some profit purpose they want to sell more you know bottled water whatever or some international security issues you you may name this many other things. So if a computer system, if the control mechanism, if the AI system, whatever that combination in that system, is hack, then everything is a huge risk, and that's number one. How it connects with the water. Also now you know we smart how everything is electronic. Everything and then when that somewhat the life collapses there. So including water, including energy. So everything is so much you know interconnected. And then how that the gender equality came. Also, we follow Michael the UN annual-based dedication team for each UN Day or conferences. For instance, last year, water and gender equality, because water and gender required is also so inseparable concept and conditions in many parts of the world, and then also our professor Emre Tokus, he also. Make beautiful connection that if woman or when woman, if and when women are more in the security, cyber security, IT technology sectors, they are more sensitive. They are more like maybe natural in their dealings, like mother protection. So more protective, so there is less risk than where it is now. So to increase the gender equality, both not burden on the woman, you know, where it's the water scarcity that woman has to carry the burden. Girls, even five, seven years old, when developing countries, when it comes to developing countries, and then if the girls are, and also that was staggering. Stats he gave sort of shocked me today because he is a professor at SUNY. So what I mean by that, he said one of his class has only four girls out of 31. of his class has only one girl. One of his class doesn't have no girl. So even though if if girls are girls are not getting in this field, how we gonna bring the gender balance in all cross-cutting sectors of society. So that's how both from the UN perspective, the dedication team, also cybersecurity, the profile from a university that girls are not showing attention, interest studying cybersecurity. That was the fact based on his class last semester. One Michael Hingson  56:46 of the things that you have done, as I understand, is you've written several books. Bircan Unver  56:53 Yes, there are more, but hopefully I could get work on them, publish them as well. The my first book was Michael, based on my interviews with artists and my reviews on art exhibits, and also when I had questionnaire surveys like with artists, galleries, academicians, professors, students. When I before my first life prior prior the U.S. So when I went back after four years and I was really eager to get in a job for as a TV producer and somewhat that didn't work despite all my efforts even I my project load and everyone was after me, but they want to take the project, but not give me the role what I deserve for. So then I kind of close myself, and then I said I want to compile my books, my articles, my interviews. So that was how my first book came about in Turkish. To create is the most sacred. So, like the value to give the highest value for the creativity, intellectual production. That is through all those interviews, reviews, and questions. So that's that was the first book. The second book is in a way a bridge again between U.S. and Istanbul, New York and Istanbul, or maybe L.A. New York and Istanbul. Because when I came in, also I've done freelance journalism, so I wrote some you know reviews and the magazine. I used to, you know, send and appear my interviews and reviews. So and it was include not too frequent, but it was include some of major exhibits, both from LA and also from the Metropolitan Museum in MoMA in New York. Also Turkish artists here. So I met them, you know, when I was living. I started living in here. So then I a combination of those, and also that was another metaphor developed in my mind when I was Istanbul. I was feeling like the labyrinths of arts. So that's my second book title in Turkish labyrinths in arts. So like you are like this kind of narrow and small world in Istanbul art worlds and very high competition, and then nobody expanding to New York and LA expansion means bringing some, for instance, Franz Bacon, Thomas Hart Benton, and Max Ernst and Marina Magritte. Those also the last part connecting with the New York Istanbul from my art based on my art background. Michael Hingson  59:51 So, were any of the books published in English? The Bircan Unver  59:54 last 120, 23 is English, but. It is a compilation concept is written me. I directed the project, and of course I have some pieces also beside the concept. But it is a compilation by 24 contributors. It is based on the JUC Media Research Writing Awards 2021 and 2023 High School Awards Project, and also it is also engaging the youth to involve the UN programs at an early age and encourage them award them. So that also the next one is going to be on the Water Action Decatur in the same line, same concept, and also I have a book project since 2022 I couldn't still 2022 2020 actually. I dream, therefore I am. I have 80% of the book manuscript is ready, but I couldn't finalize it, and so the other one also I was hoping but couldn't to have a book for the 25th anniversary of the latentium. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. It's a little bit seemingly not going to happen this year to come up 25th anniversary of late millennium, but I had 20 anniversary of the late millennium in Turkish, and so this is completely different issue because I introduced like Millennium both in Turkish and in English, so it's like Tiffany Sister is the Turkish one, and then I formed Turkish sister in 2010, and then so on the 20th anniversary of the Turkish organization, as it is association, official association. So I compile the first part, the concept vision, very much like Millennium, because it's the system. But the second part based on the programs, activities, and challenges in Istanbul. So this book also in English will be first the the manifesto and the first all the history will be very much in English, the original one. But the second part is going to be completely, you know, selected ideas and projects and programs from the website and public programs from the last 20-five years, and it's hard hard things to do. It it's very challenging. I couldn't do it. Michael Hingson  1:02:47 It's it's a lot of work. Well, Berjan, I I want to tell you that we have now been talking for more than an hour. Time flies when you're having fun. Man, I'm going to go. I'm going to have to go ahead and and end our time, but we'll have to do this again and and continue the discussion. But I really appreciate you taking the time to be here, and I hope that people will monitor your programs and and and read your books if they can read Turkish or English, whichever works. Troy Bircan Unver  1:03:18 has so many English pieces, and now everyone welcome to look out our website. And what's the Michael Hingson  1:03:26 website again? Bircan Unver  1:03:28 lmglobal.org. Michael Hingson  1:03:32 lmglobal.org. Okay. Bircan Unver  1:03:34 Yes, but the whole archive from 2019 to 2000 no, 2019 no. of course not 2019 1999 to 2018 The archive. Our initial website is light millennium.org Millennium is with double N double N. So the everything we are talking about, all the process, our UN programs, and the reports from the UN NGO briefings, some conferences we participated. If anyone has any question, I'll be happy to provide the link and you know to contact them. Michael Hingson  1:04:17 And we will put that information in the show notes, the notes for the podcast. So I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely informative. I really appreciate your time, and I hope the programs continue to go well. So I want to thank you again for being here, and this has just been a lot of fun. Bircan Unver  1:04:39 Thank you so much, Michael Kingston, it is great honor and privilege. Especially, you are a hero, and your your story is amazing, and you are also taking really one of the challenges works like producing these programs, and we never met in real life. And then this is also like Millennium and your work. How we connected through? Otherwise, there was no like regular environment or database environment that we could meet. Your work and your dedication and your inspiring contribution really connected us and bring us together in this session. Thank you, and I'm really grateful for that. Michael Hingson  1:05:29 Thank you for being here with me on Unstoppable Mindset. I hope today's conversation left you with a fresh perspective, a new insight, or at least something worth thinking about. If you're ready to go deeper into the ideas that shape how we see ourselves and others, I have a free gift for you. Head over to michaelhingson.com and download my free ebook, Blinded by Fear. It explores the invisible beliefs that hold us back and shows you how to reframe them so you can move forward with clarity and confidence. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this show with someone who can use a reminder that growth starts with mindset. When people think differently, we all move forward together. Thanks again for listening. Keep learning, keep questioning, and keep choosing to live with an unstoppable mindset

The Mediterranean Sea accounts for less than 1% of the world's ocean surface water, but it contains roughly 18% of global marine biodiversity. It is home to 150 million people along its coastline (roughly equivalent to Russia's population). And it sequesters 17.2 million metric tons of CO2 each year. Joining the Newscast this week to talk about the unique biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea and its threats is journalist Manuela Callari. Callari has written for Mongabay, highlighting the threats to purple sea urchins (Paracentrotus lividus) along the Italian coast. These marine invertebrates are crucial to the health of marine ecosystems, such as those in the Mediterranean, by helping regulate algal abundance and serving as food for predators. However, they are being overfished and even poached in marine protected areas due to demand for them as the primary ingredient in a popular tourist dish: spaghetti ai ricci di mare. While the situation with urchins persists, Italy has been investing in an unprecedented effort to map its entire underwater coastline using deployed sensors to better understand the marine environment and manage conservation efforts. This is allowing them to identify where meadows of the seagrass Posidonia oceanica, which are "absolutely vital" to the Mediterranean ecosystem, persist, Callari says. Overall, Callari says she wishes the rest of the world and tourists visiting the Mediterranean were more informed about the pressures the marine ecosystem faces. "I grew up here, and now that I go back to certain places where I was as a child, and they are just completely different places to me. Places that were just nature and were difficult to access. Now they have very easy access on cars, buses. You can go on boat tours very easily. And I think we don't appreciate enough the impact that has on the environment. On the sea." Please take a minute to let us know what you think of our podcast here. Mike DiGirolamo is the host & producer for the Mongabay Newscast based in Sydney. Find him on LinkedIn and Bluesky. Cover image: Satellite data from a study shows that the Mediterranean's average surface temperature has risen by 1.2°C (2.2°F) since the mid-1980s. Image by Katerina Katopis/Ocean Image Bank. —— Timecodes (00:00) The Mediterranean is taken for granted (07:09) Why is a tourist dish destroying marine ecosystems? (18:49) Mapping the entire Italian coast (28:19) Learning to appreciate the Mediterranean

Allen covers Poland connecting its first offshore wind farm, Ocean Winds reaching full power in the Mediterranean, Stiesdal’s floating wind cost breakthrough, Vestas expanding in Australia and Japan, a federal permitting freeze stalling 250 US projects, and India passing 50% clean power. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! Happy Monday, everyone. A coal-dependent nation just plugged into offshore wind for the very first time. Poland’s power grid received electricity this past week from its first offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea. It’s called Baltic Power, a joint venture between Poland’s Orlen and Canada’s Northland Power. It began sending electricity from its 76 turbines to shore — about a 1.4-gigawatt site, enough to power more than 1.5 million Polish homes. And this is more than just one wind farm. Poland is shifting its entire energy map. For decades, the center of electricity generation sat in the coal-rich south. Now it’s moving to northern Poland, to the coast. The country plans six gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. Equinor and Ørsted are both set to build along that Polish shoreline, and that’s good news. A new 530-million-złoty substation — about $140 million — is part of a plan to build nearly 5,000 kilometers of high-voltage lines to carry the power to southern Poland. Coal still supplies more than half of Poland’s electricity, but that number is about to change. And now down to the south of France. Ocean Winds, the offshore wind company created by EDP Renewables and Engie, just reached full power at a floating wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea. It’s three 10-megawatt turbines sitting on semi-submersible floaters 16 kilometers off the coast. It’s a pilot project, but the lessons are real: 99% of the suppliers are European, 85% French, and it proves that floating offshore wind can work in deep Mediterranean waters. Now we’ll stay with floating wind for a moment. Danish company Stiesdal Offshore says it has cracked the cost code, and this is important. The company modeled what it would take to build a full-scale floating wind farm — one gigawatt from a single port in a single installation season, loading out one turbine per week. And the cost? Less than one million euros per megawatt. That is on par with the jacket foundations used for fixed-bottom turbines in deeper water. About 80% of the world’s oceans are roughly too deep for conventional foundations. And if those numbers hold — one million per megawatt — floating wind just got a whole lot more investable. Meanwhile, Danish Vestas is making moves on two continents. In Australia, the Danish giant bought a 272-megawatt project in Tasmania from Ark Energy. It’s called the St. Patrick’s Plains Wind Farm, and once built it would be the biggest wind project site in the state. Vestas now has more than 13 gigawatts of wind projects in its Australian pipeline. So the model is clear: buy early-stage projects, bring in investors and offtakers, then supply the turbines to build the farm. The turbine supplier is turning into a wind developer. And over in Japan, Vestas secured backing from the Japanese government to build a wind turbine assembly factory. Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has committed support for the facility. Vestas already has about two gigawatts of turbines installed in Japan, including machines at the country’s largest operational offshore wind farm. A factory on Japanese soil puts Vestas closer to an offshore market that is just getting started. Now we turn back to the United States. In Minnesota, four wind energy projects are stuck in limbo. The Department of War has stopped completing national security reviews for proposed wind farms. Those reviews used to be routine. A new report says more than 250 wind projects are stalled nationwide because of it. In Minnesota alone, the four frozen projects represent over one gigawatt — that is more output than the state’s twin nuclear reactors at the Prairie Island Power Plant. So at stake is $1.6 billion in direct investment, about 5,600 jobs, and more than $168 million in economic impact. Nine clean energy groups have sued the War Department to break the logjam. And over in Ohio, the state senate passed a bill that could block many new wind farms and solar farms. The bill says power sources must be available at least 50% of the time, and wind and solar on their own rarely hit that number. The Ohio Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill, and so does the grid operator. But the bill has passed the Senate and now heads to the House. And what a mess Ohio is creating for itself. And finally, in India, for the second time ever, clean energy met more than 50% of the country’s electricity demand. It happened on July 6th. And in the first half of 2026, India installed nearly 29 gigawatts of new solar and wind combined. The country now has about 288 gigawatts of renewable capacity. A nation of 1.4 billion people just crossed the halfway mark on clean power. It’s pretty good — and they’ve done it twice now. So here’s what to watch. The industry’s next chapter is not just about who builds the most megawatts. It’s about who controls the choke points: ports, permits, foundations, factory floors. The companies and countries solving those problems are the ones that will lead. And that is the state of the wind industry for the 13th of July, 2026. Join us for the Uptime Wind Energy podcast tomorrow.

Is artificial intelligence really destroying music?Or are we simply repeating one of humanity's oldest conversations?In this episode of Arteetude, a chance encounter in a café in Bantry becomes the starting point for a media-archaeological investigation. A frustrated street musician blames AI for the end of creativity, while his girlfriend answers with humour, irony and unexpected wisdom.What begins as an amusing dialogue gradually unfolds into a much larger philosophical question:Has every generation feared the newest medium?From streaming and digital recording to radio, the gramophone and the earliest attempts to preserve music beyond human memory, this episode argues that today's AI debate may be only the latest chapter in a much older story.Together with Sophia, Detlef Schlich explores not only technology, but also fear, memory, economics and our persistent tendency to believe that history begins with our own generation.Perhaps the future has ancestors.The episode concludes with a brand-new Los Inorgánicos track:"The Future Has Ancestors."About Detlef SchlichDetlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker, ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork, Ireland.His artistic practice moves between performance, photography, painting, sound, installation, film, music, podcasting, and digital image-making. Across these fields, Schlich reflects on the human condition, the relationship between ritual and technology, and the changing role of the artist in digital culture.As a media archaeologist, he explores how media shape perception, memory, culture, politics, and artistic expression. His work often uses the figure of the digital shaman as an alter ego — a method for navigating the space between ancient ritual structures, contemporary media, and technological transformation.Research & Artistic MethodDetlef Schlich's artistic research is rooted in his essay Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effect, which investigates the relationship between ritual, artistic transformation, media, and digital culture.Download here for free:Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effecthttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectBuilding on this foundation, Schlich developed Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto, an artistic method and conceptual framework for understanding contemporary art through layers of media, memory, technology, ritual, emotion, misunderstanding, and lived experience.Read here:Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto by Detlef Schlichhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/375665507_Multilayerism_A_New_Paradigm_in_Contemporary_Art_-_A_Manifesto_by_Detlef_SchlichTogether, these texts form the theoretical backbone of Schlich's ongoing work as a visual artist, media archaeologist, ritual designer, musician, and host of the Arteetude podcast.WEBSITE LINKS Music ProjectsWAW / Wild Atlantic WayWAW is the music project by Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.Official YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW album The Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young form part of a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation, and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm, and myth. The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnQbsh01YWUThe Nile's Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss, and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33AWko4IkKIWAW on BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, Dirk Schlömer and Detlef Schlich felt compelled to reinterpret Silent Night to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis song emerged from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful coastal Wild Atlantic Way stretches along the west coast.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYouTubeSilent Night Reimagined – A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

God already gave you the land. The catch? You still have to walk on it. Joshua 1 on comfort, courage, and the cost of staying put. Click here to read the sermon A New Dawn, A New Day Joshua 1:1–9 Heavenly Father, Jesus, we come before you this Sunday morning, and we lift up your holy name. Jesus, we invite your presence, your Holy Spirit power, into this moment and into this place and into our lives and our hearts and our minds. Jesus, we pray prayers of gratitude for our children who came back from camp this week. We pray prayers of protection and grace over our youth who are headed off this week. We pray a prayer of clarity for Yates Baptist Church. Jesus, we ask in your holy name that you would give us clarity over confusion, that you would cast vision for the future of your church, and that that vision would lead us where division stirs. And finally, Jesus, we declare boldly this morning that whatever you may have in store for the future of Yates Baptist Church, we know that the very best days of the kingdom of Jesus Christ are still to come. The best is yet to come. And so, Jesus, we come before you this morning, and we give you the honor and the glory and the praise that is rightly due to your name. Jesus, we pray. Amen. Well, it is such a treat to be with you today, Yates Baptist Church. I want you to know the last time I was in this building was a few years ago, when I had the opportunity, as the head of the communications team for the Tri-West Baptist Network, to come in here. You hosted our annual meeting, and I got to give a report. So it is a very different experience being here preaching rather than giving a business meeting report. This is far more enjoyable, and I'm so glad to be with you today. Knowing that I'm going to be with you for the next three weeks helps me, because it allows me to preach a sermon series rather than try to squeeze everything together into one message. So we're going to get you to that meeting and that lunch earlier than you had hoped. That's the plan. So we're starting a series today called Onward. Onward. This series is going to be all about — and you can go ahead and throw that up on the screen, there we go — moving toward the uncharted. Moving toward the uncharted. We're going to be looking at the book of Joshua, and Joshua felt like an important book for where you are right now in the life of Yates Baptist Church. So before we jump into the first chapter of Joshua today, I wanted to start by looking back at the end of the Mosaic books. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy — those are the five books we call the Law, or the Pentateuch. These are the first five books of the Bible, and they are written by Moses. When we get to the end of Deuteronomy, Moses, after forty years leading the people through the wilderness, has died — before he was ever able to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. There's something powerful about that, because Moses was a good and faithful leader for the people of Israel, but Moses was not able to experience where the people of Israel were headed. Moses died before the people had stepped into all that God had for them. One of the things that is true in the life of every church is that there are changes, there are shifts that happen in churches. Any church older than seven years has probably had more than one pastor — it's just the nature of how that works. A church has a vision that is bigger than any one person. The church has a vision that is bigger than any one generation, because the church of Jesus Christ is multigenerational. It continues, and you and I are standing on the shoulders of the giants who have come before us, generations and generations and generations, and we get the opportunity to be the people the next generation stands on the shoulders of, to go even further. I'm so grateful for that. I'm so grateful that the kingdom of God never stops with a person or with a generation. For the people of Israel, they had been in the wilderness for forty years, and Moses had been leading them faithfully. When Moses dies, there is a moment of utter chaos and confusion for the people of Israel. Suddenly they find themselves in a spot where they don't know what to do, they don't know what's next, they don't know who to listen to, they don't know who to follow. And that's where we find ourselves at the beginning of Joshua chapter one. Today we're going to read Joshua chapter one, verses one through nine. If you have your Bibles with you, I want to encourage you to pull them out. If someone wants to give one to Keith, I know he didn't have his up here, but I want to make sure everyone has their Bible. I do want to say what a treat it is to be here with Keith. When I first moved to Durham, I moved here to pastor Durham Memorial Baptist Church on the east side of town, and for the three years I was there, I had the wonderful privilege of spending every Sunday with Keith's lovely wife, Kathy. That was an incredible joy to me, and I love, Keith, that you're still here — it's so, so meaningful to me. So let's go ahead and open up your Bibles. Joshua chapter one, verses one through nine — I'm going to be reading out of the Holman Christian Standard Bible, but whatever translation you're reading out of is just fine. After the death of Moses the Lord's servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, who had served Moses: "Moses My servant is dead. Now you and all the people prepare to cross over the Jordan to the land I am giving the Israelites. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. Your territory will be from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great Euphrates River — all the land of the Hittites — and west to the Mediterranean Sea. No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. I will be with you, just as I was with Moses. I will not leave you or forsake you. "Be strong and courageous, for you will distribute the land I swore to their fathers to give them as an inheritance. Above all, be strong and very courageous to carefully observe the whole instruction My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or the left, so that you will have success wherever you go. This book of instruction must not depart from your mouth; you are to recite it day and night so that you may carefully observe everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in whatever you do. Haven't I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Josh 1:1–9, HCSB) That's nine verses to start off the book of Joshua, and three times in nine verses we get the instruction from the Lord to be strong and courageous. [Addressing the person running the slides.] We're not ready for that yet, but you can come on back — thank you. Be strong and courageous. Hey, I do want to take a second — can we give it up for the AV volunteers in the back, for how they've had to handle everything today? Thank you so much. Yeah, we're not ready for that slide yet, but I appreciate it. So, Joshua chapter one, we get this important message: be strong, be courageous. Be strong, be courageous. Be strong, be courageous. And I'm wondering why it is that God would have to tell Joshua, this leader who's about to take over for Moses — why he would have to be told to be strong and courageous, be strong and courageous, be strong and courageous. And I want to just say, I think it is because to lead is hard. To lead into uncharted territory is impossible without God. And I wonder today — I wonder today, as you are preparing for an important meeting today and an important business meeting next week, as you prepare for today — are we a people who are afraid? Are we fearful? Are we full of doubt about what could be, about what might happen? Or are we a people who are strong and courageous? Are we a people who are ready to say there is more to do, there is more to come? The battle is not over yet, and it is time to be strong and courageous, because as long as the Lord has given breath in your lungs, you and I have work to do. The story's not over, and it's going to require that we are strong and courageous. Now, that is what I have always taken out of Joshua 1:1–9. If you've ever been involved in a church youth group, or you've ever been to a Bible study, or — strangely enough — if you've ever been a member of a sports team, Joshua 1:1–9 is not an unfamiliar passage of Scripture. And one of the things that can happen as we spend time with Scripture we're familiar with is that our familiarity can sometimes lead us to miss something that's right there on the page. Maybe this has been your experience — you've read over a passage of Scripture time and time again in your life, and something happens, whether you were at the right moment or it spoke into the right instance in your life, but something happens. You go back to that Scripture you maybe even know by heart, and suddenly something jumps out at you that never has before. And so, in this sermon that I have titled "A New Dawn, A New Day," I want to talk about what we see by looking at a principle and a promise. What we see by looking at a principle and a promise. Now see, there is a promise from God in Joshua chapter 1. In fact, there are a few promises. God is reasserting the promises he made to Moses, and he is letting Joshua know: the promises I made to Moses, those promises are true for you too, Joshua. These promises are not just for Moses. These promises are for you. But they're not just a promise — there's also a principle at play, and a principle is a foundational truth. A principle is a foundational truth. Maybe to put it a different way: a principle is a promise that is dependent on the user. A principle is a promise that is dependent on the user, meaning a principle is a truth that requires your obedience. And because of that, a principle can be a blessing or a curse. If you receive the promise, and the promise leads you to step out in obedience, then that promise has been a blessing. But if you receive the promise and do nothing with it, then the principle there is — man, that's kind of become a curse to you. So here's what I want to do this morning. I need three volunteers, and I'm going to go ahead and say this now, please take it in the loving way it's meant: I need three spry volunteers. I need three spry people. Come on up — who's ready? I need three people. If you make me start pointing at people, it's not going to go well. So, my friend right here in gray and black, I'm going to have you come on up. My friend over here in the blue shirt with the white stripe, come on up — I've got to have you come on up. And then, hey, my friend Matt Griffin is here — I'm going to have Matt come up. Come on, y'all. Oh, sir, I apologize, I'm sorry — all right, I'm going to have you stay there. I need one more volunteer who's ready to raise a hand. There we go, thank you, my friend, you can come on. Actually, you guys come on up on stage. Hey, I'm Rob. What's your name? Jeff — so good to have you come on up. And you are? Watson. Love that. And Matt, it's so good to see you — as I knock over this microphone stand. I'm going to have all three of you guys come over here. So — Matt, Jeff, Watson — Matt, Jeff, and Watson. Now, I want to take you back to the Scripture — in reading this passage recently, this is what jumped off the page to me. This is verse three: "I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses" (Josh 1:3, HCSB). I have given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses. So, Watson, you get to go first. I've given you — I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads. What's your first response? I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads. Okay, wonderful — are you staying right there? Okay, well, let's see it, come on. You've been given — Jeff, what about you? I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads. You're going to get moving. Matt, I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads. Where are you going? Come on. Now, thank you, thank you. By the way, give these guys a round of applause. [Congregation applauds.] Thank you so much. Okay, let's be honest here for a minute — can we be honest? How many of us have received this promise from the Lord, and we are the blessed, frozen, chosen? I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads. "God, thank you for this, that's so awesome. I'm so grateful, God, thank you that you've given me every —" but, man, I'm comfortable right here. Oh, man, I'm comfortable. I mean, there's air — come on, y'all, there's air conditioning. There's air conditioning, and it is too hot. Oh, man, and you know, I've got this thing in my back. Oh, all right. I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, and we are good right here. So let me tell you the principle. Let me tell you the principle here: "I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads, just as I promised Moses" (Josh 1:3, HCSB). It's a promise, but it's not just a promise — it's a principle. Because if we are the frozen chosen, that's it. This is what we get. God's made a promise. God said, come on, I've given it to you, let's go. Thanks, God, doing great right here. And we get to the end of our lives, and despite the faithful promise of our God, we look around at what we've done for the kingdom, and we go, yep, I had it — God gave me all of this right here. It was a promise, but the promise turned into a curse, because we didn't do anything with it. Watson, I loved your reaction: "I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads" — well, let's dance in time then, come on, let's go. "I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads" — well, then there is no way you are stopping me from taking ground. "I've given you every place where the sole of your foot treads" — so get moving. Because I don't want us to come to the end of our lives and go, I could have gone so much further, I could have gone so much further, but the more comfortable I got, the easier it was to go, man, I'm going to take those steps tomorrow. I'm going to take that ground tomorrow. I'm going to have that conversation tomorrow. I'm going to invite that friend to church tomorrow. And tomorrow turns into tomorrow turns into tomorrow. I know I'm not the only procrastinator in the room, right? Come on, someone else there with me — you know what it's like to see your days turn into tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. And you get to the end of a week, or a month, or a year, or a life, and this is all we've got. And the truth is: if God has promised Joshua to give him every place where the sole of his foot treads, just as he promised Moses (cf. Josh 1:3, HCSB), and Joshua were to stay still on the east side of the river, it's not just Joshua missing the opportunity. It's Joshua looking back at Moses's faithfulness and saying it didn't matter — because for all the steps you took, I'm not taking any. And that's the reality of the church. And by the way, this isn't unique to us. This has been the reality of every single generation of the church. Every single generation in the history of the church is constantly fighting against our human nature for safety and security and comfort. But God hasn't called you to that. He hasn't called us to that. God has called us out into the great wide open. God has called you to go further and do more and reach more people. Generation after generation of faithful believers who have gone before us have taken steps so that we could be right here in church. I say to you today, let's not come all this way just to stop. Let's not have come all this way just to make it this far. God has more for us. God has more for you. God has a bright future ahead — but the bright future ahead will not be easy, and it will not be safe, and it will not be comfortable. It will involve taking steps. And here's the truth — I did not do this for the sake of today's message. I went with a men's group Friday and Saturday up to Galax, Virginia, for a little two-day camping trip with some guys I know from another church. And yesterday morning, we decided, hey, let's go for a hike. I don't know if you can tell by looking at me, but I don't go on a lot of hikes. It's five and a half miles, and there's a significant amount of elevation change, but we're not running, right? It's not a race. So I'm like, yeah, we'll just take the whole morning and we'll do it. But every step was harder, and then it got to the point where all the muscles in the backs of my legs started clenching up. And the muscles are like, no, we're done. And you're like, well, we're not back to the car yet — so you're kind of grabbing your legs along the way, you're like, come on, we've got to go. And I wonder today how many of us, in our faith, need to just grab our legs — even though it's hard, even though it's not comfortable, even though it's pushing us further than we thought we could go — and just say, nope, God has given me every step, so I'm not stopping. Because here's the principle for Joshua: Joshua will only inherit what he inhabits. Joshua will only inherit what he inhabits. Let me put it to you another way — Joshua will only receive what he steps into. Right now, Durham, North Carolina, and the greater Triangle remains one of the fastest-growing areas in the country — second in the Southeast in growth behind the suburbs of Atlanta.1 But what makes this place unique, among all the other places you could be living, is a set of universities — regardless of which color blue you may wear — a collection of research and tech companies based here that is pulling in people from all around the world. Right now, there are more people coming from places in the world where Christianity is illegal, and those young adults are coming here to attend school or to work jobs. You are right now living in one of the few places on earth where, without leaving your zip code, you can impact the whole world. There's a student right now at Duke University who doesn't know Jesus, comes from a family that doesn't know Jesus, and comes from a country where people don't talk about Jesus — and God brought them to your doorstep. He brought them to you. Right now, there are teenagers in the vicinity of this church who are part of not just the least Christian, but the least faith-based generation in American history. In the history of the United States, "no religious affiliation" — the "nones," as we call them — has never been the predominant group within a generation, until my kids' generation. The largest and most rapidly growing religious affiliation in the United States among my children's generation is "none."2 And they're right here. They're right here. They live next door and across the street, and some of them are children in the developmental center. And they're part of families that don't know Jesus, that haven't heard the engaging and compelling story of what Christ has come to do for you and for me. You are right now in one of the most unique positions that any group of Christians has ever been in, in human history. The question is: are we going to stand right here and be comfortable, and watch the opportunity pass by? Are we going to find ourselves at the end of our lives with the Savior saying, "I brought them to you," and we say, "Yeah, but we were really comfortable"? God has given you a promise. I have already given it to you. I've already given you the land. I've already given you every step that you will take. Over the next two weeks, we're going to be hearing more about Joshua leading the people of Israel across the Jordan River and into the promised land. But for right now, at the end of Joshua chapter one, the people have not yet made that step. They have not yet stepped across the river. They have not yet crossed their lines of comfort and safety in order to follow God's vision and mission for their lives. What better place to end today's message than to leave us with this question? Just like Joshua and the people of Israel, we are standing on the shore of a river. We are standing on the border of where we have been and where we are going. Church — has God brought you this far just to come this far? Or is there a step to take? Is there a step to take that is worthy of the sacrifice of the generations behind us? Is there a step for us to take that says, it's not going to end here, but we are moving forward — even when it's not comfortable, even when there's no safety and security in it? Are we willing to be the kind of people who have enough faith to say, just like Joshua, we will only inherit what we inhabit? We will only receive what we live into. Church, how is God calling you to be obedient today? And are we taking those steps of obedience? Are we taking those steps like our lives depend on it? Are we taking those steps like our legacies depend on it? Are we taking those steps like the kingdom of heaven is in the balance? Because everything that we're about to read in the rest of the book of Joshua is incredible — beautiful stories of God's faithfulness. But here's what was true for Joshua, and here's what's true for you today: if Joshua didn't cross the river, he never would have seen any of it. We woke up this morning with breath in our lungs, which means God has purpose and mission for us. And I don't want you to miss it. I don't want you to miss it, because the best is yet to come. Let me pray for us. Heavenly Father, Jesus, we are so grateful for the power of your gospel. We are compelled by your Holy Spirit to take faithful steps of obedience, even when it's hard, even when it makes us uncomfortable, God. We are willing to take steps of obedience. So, God, when everything in us wants to pursue comfort, safety, security, God, will you give us the boldness to believe that the best is yet to come? Would we not make choices from a scarcity mindset, God? Would you give us an abundance mindset? Would we be a people who believe that you have placed us here and now to make a difference in the whole world? God, what could be more deserving of the name Yates than that we would go — that we would cross borders and lines of comfort and safety and security, that we might see those who are far from Christ become sons and daughters of the King? Jesus, we pray this in your name. Amen. Endnotes 1 The greater Research Triangle region (Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill) is widely recognized as one of the nation's fastest-growing metropolitan economies. The UNC Kenan Institute's "American Growth Project" ranks the Triangle's economy third-fastest-growing among the fifty largest U.S. metros and fourth-fastest among 150 extended metropolitan areas, while also noting that the Triangle is North Carolina's second-largest regional economy by GDP, behind Charlotte. Census-based analyses of metro population growth similarly place Raleigh–Cary in the national top tier — roughly tenth-fastest in recent rankings — and highlight that many of the country's fastest-growing metros are in the Southeast. These data support the general description of the Triangle as a leading growth center in the Southeast, though the sermon's specific claim that it is "second in the Southeast behind the suburbs of Atlanta" generalizes across the precision of the available rankings. 2 Recent survey data show that today's youngest adult cohort is the most religiously unaffiliated in recorded U.S. polling. The 2024 PRRI Census of American Religion reports that about 38–39 percent of Americans ages 18–29 identify as religiously unaffiliated ("nones"), a substantially higher share than among older generations. PRRI's breakdowns by age and gender likewise show that young adults — especially young women — have become significantly more likely to claim no religious affiliation over the past decade, rising from 32 percent in 2013 to 38 percent in 2024. The Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study finds that roughly 44 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds now identify as religiously unaffiliated, making the "nones" the single largest religious category in that age group and larger than any individual Christian tradition — a pattern not seen in older cohorts in prior survey waves. Works Cited Baptist News Global. "PRRI: Growth of the Religiously Unaffiliated Is Slowing." May 15, 2025. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://baptistnews.com/article/prri-growth-of-the-religiously-unaffiliated-is-slowing/. The Holy Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible. 2004. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers. "Markets with the Most Population Growth in 2025." RealPage Analytics, April 1, 2026. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.realpage.com/analytics/population-growth-markets-2025/. Pew Research Center. "Religious 'Nones' in America: Who They Are and What They Believe." January 23, 2024. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/. Public Religion Research Institute. "2024 PRRI Census of American Religion." PRRI, April 14, 2026. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.prri.org/spotlight/2024-prri-census-of-american-religion/. Public Religion Research Institute. "Gen Z, Gender, and Religion." PRRI, March 4, 2025. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.prri.org/spotlight/gen-z-gender-and-religion/. "Southeast Metros Lead US Population Growth as National Gains Slow." Becker's Hospital Review, March 26, 2026. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/strategy/southeast-metros-lead-us-population-growth-as-national-gains-slow/. UNC Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise. "From Tobacco to High Tech: Manufacturing in the Piedmont Triad and the Research Triangle." March 18, 2025. Accessed July 12, 2026. https://kenaninstitute.unc.edu/commentary/from-tobacco-to-high-tech-manufacturing-in-the-piedmont-triad-and-the-research-triangle/. © 2026 Rob Stone. All rights reserved.

Was Jesus a Zionist? (Part 1 of 2): Anti-Zionism is spreading throughout the world. Recently, college campuses have become hotbeds for this form of antisemitism, as protesters against Israel chant, “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.” But the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea is the nation of Israel's. The fierce wave of ... Read More The post Was Jesus a Zionist? (Part 1 of 2) | July 11, 2026 appeared first on The Friends of Israel Today Radio.

Ever wondered what it's like to cycle across a mountain range? Well in 2023 I loaded up my bike with gear and set off from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean at St Jean de Luz, to cross the Pyrenees mountains all the way to Argeles-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean Sea. The route we took was a mix of the Classic Raid Pyrenees road bike and touring routes and we took nine days to complete the crossing. All up it was 803kms, 24 Cols and almost 18,000m of climbing. You can watch the visuals behind this adventure via our Raid Pyrenees video series on YouTube Check out Old Man Mountain for the perfect way to carry gear on your bike. Support the showBuy me a coffee!I'm an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

In Arteetude 341, Detlef Schlich welcomes back musician, artist, designer, project manager and builder Buko Pan Guerra, also known as Buko Sinigayan, for a deeply human conversation about survival, rejection, land, animals, music, community and the strange courage it takes to keep building when life has already asked too much.Buko has spent decades helping other people's visions become real — working across art, music, construction, education, entertainment, design, theme-park environments and complex project management. Now she is building something of her own: Golden Mirage Ranch in Leona Valley, California.But Golden Mirage Ranch is not just a ranch. It is a place for rescued animals, nature, music, workshops, food, learning, healing and community. It is where many of Buko's lives come together: the artist, the musician, the project manager, the daughter, the caretaker, the survivor and the dreamer.This episode is not simply about a fundraiser. It is about dignity. It is about creative resilience. It is about what happens when an artist refuses to disappear. It asks: How does an artist survive rejection and still build a place of care, land, animals, music and community?The episode ends with Buko's powerful song “In Search for Power” — a fitting musical closing for a conversation about vulnerability, survival and the search for strength.You can Donate here on Bukos Websitehttps://goldenmirageranch.com/https://www.instagram.com/goldenmirageranch/https://www.gofundme.comAbout Detlef SchlichDetlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker, ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork, Ireland.His artistic practice moves between performance, photography, painting, sound, installation, film, music, podcasting, and digital image-making. Across these fields, Schlich reflects on the human condition, the relationship between ritual and technology, and the changing role of the artist in digital culture.As a media archaeologist, he explores how media shape perception, memory, culture, politics, and artistic expression. His work often uses the figure of the digital shaman as an alter ego — a method for navigating the space between ancient ritual structures, contemporary media, and technological transformation.Research & Artistic MethodDetlef Schlich's artistic research is rooted in his essay Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effect, which investigates the relationship between ritual, artistic transformation, media, and digital culture.Download here for free:Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effecthttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectBuilding on this foundation, Schlich developed Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto, an artistic method and conceptual framework for understanding contemporary art through layers of media, memory, technology, ritual, emotion, misunderstanding, and lived experience.Read here:Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto by Detlef Schlichhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/375665507_Multilayerism_A_New_Paradigm_in_Contemporary_Art_-_A_Manifesto_by_Detlef_SchlichTogether, these texts form the theoretical backbone of Schlich's ongoing work as a visual artist, media archaeologist, ritual designer, musician, and host of the Arteetude podcast.WEBSITE LINKS Music ProjectsWAW / Wild Atlantic WayWAW is the music project by Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.Official YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW album The Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young form part of a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation, and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm, and myth. The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnQbsh01YWUThe Nile's Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss, and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33AWko4IkKIWAW on BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, Dirk Schlömer and Detlef Schlich felt compelled to reinterpret Silent Night to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis song emerged from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful coastal Wild Atlantic Way stretches along the west coast.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYouTubeSilent Night Reimagined – A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

Welcome to Day 2895 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2895 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 139:7-12 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2895 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand eight hundred ninety-five of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: Shivering in the Omnipresence – No Hiding Places in Cosmic Geography In our previous expedition along this ancient, sacred trail, we stepped into the breathtaking opening movement of Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Nine, verses one through six. We explored the terrifying, yet deeply comforting reality of God's absolute omniscience. We learned that the Creator has meticulously mined the deepest shafts of our hearts, intimately tracking our sitting down, and our standing up. We marveled at how He has hemmed us in, constructing a protective, supernatural perimeter around our vulnerabilities, and resting His hand of covenant blessing firmly upon our heads. We experienced a beautiful sense of spiritual vertigo, realizing that the infinite intelligence of our King completely surpasses our human comprehension. Today, my friends, we take our next deliberate, awe-inspiring steps up the mountain pass. We are continuing our exploration of this magnificent psalm, focusing our attention on Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Nine, verses seven through twelve, in the New Living Translation. If the first six verses established that God knows everything about us, this next stanza reveals why that is a cosmic necessity. We are moving from the infinite depth of the divine mind, to the infinite width of the divine presence. David is going to take us on a rapid, macro-cosmic tour across the vertical and horizontal axes of reality, demonstrating that there is absolutely no hiding place in all of cosmic geography. Let us step onto the trail, and discover the beautiful impossibility of escaping the Sovereign King. The first segment is: The Vertical Axis: Piercing the Realms of Heaven and Sheol Let us listen to the opening lines of this cosmic pursuit, as recorded in verse seven and verse eight. I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. In these grouped, contiguous thoughts, David confronts a reality that completely upends the ancient world's understanding of space and spiritual authority. He cries out, “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!” To fully grasp the radical, polemical nature of verse seven and verse eight, we must view them through the brilliant lens of the Ancient Israelite divine-council worldview. In the ancient Near East, the surrounding pagan nations operated under a strict system of cosmic geography. They believed that the spiritual realm was deeply fragmented, carved up into competitive, localized jurisdictions controlled by different, territorial elohim—the rebel sons of God who were assigned to the nations after the Tower of Babel. If you were in Egypt, you were under the eye of Ra and Osiris; if you crossed over into Canaan, you were in the domain of Baal and Asherah. Furthermore, these gods were vertically limited. Baal was the lord of the high skies, but he had no power in the underworld. Mot was the terrifying king of the grave, ruling the domain of death where the living gods could not interfere. The pagan world assumed that if you traveled far enough, or if you descended into the darkness of death, you could successfully escape the gaze of a specific national deity. But David stands as a theological revolutionary, and he completely demolishes this fragmented, pagan worldview. He looks at the vertical axis of the cosmos and declares, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.” Think about the absolute totality of this claim. “Heaven”—the Shamayim—represented the supreme, radiant assembly room of the divine council, the very zenith of cosmic light and order. If David climbs to the highest spiritual heights, Yahweh is effortlessly enthroned there, presiding over the loyal heavenly host. But then David flips the map completely, looking into the pitch-black abyss of the “grave”—or Sheol, the underworld. In pagan thought, Sheol was a garbage dump of forgotten souls, a territory completely isolated from the gods of life. Yet David declares that if he makes his bed in the deep recesses of the underworld, he will open his eyes and find Yahweh standing right there next to him! There is no independent dark zone, and no demonic underworld, that can construct a legal barrier to lock the Creator out. Yahweh's jurisdiction is absolute, unmediated, and completely seamless from the highest celestial throne, to the deepest subterranean tomb. The rebel principalities of death have no private closets where they can hide from the King of Glory. The second segment is: The Horizontal Axis: Overruling the Farthest Horizons Having mapped the vertical dimensions of reality, the psalmist turns his attention to the horizontal limits of the earth, combining his logical thoughts in verse nine and verse ten. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. David paints a breathtaking, cinematic visual of rapid, long-distance transit across the globe: “If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” In the poetic vocabulary of ancient Israel, the “wings of the morning” referred to the first, blinding rays of the dawning sun, leaping up over the eastern horizon at the speed of light. Conversely, the “farthest oceans” referred to the western horizon, the deep, unpredictable, and highly dangerous waters of the Mediterranean Sea and whatever lay beyond. David is mapping out an extreme, east-to-west trajectory. He is saying, “What if I could capture a sunbeam in the east, fly across the entire planet in a fraction of a second, and drop myself down into the most remote, uncharted wilderness of the western sea?” In the ancient mind, traveling to the farthest oceans meant crossing the boundary lines into disinherited pagan lands, crossing into territories heavily fortified by the rebel spirits of the nations. It was the ultimate frontier of chaos. In Canaanite mythology, the deep sea was the personal playground of Yamm, the god of primordial chaos and liquid destruction. A traveler who ventured into the far oceans expected to find themselves completely abandoned, left to the cruel whims of foreign elements and hostile deities. But notice the beautiful, protective reality that intercepts David in verse ten: “even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.” The phrase “even there” is a thunderous declaration of cosmic ownership. There are no blank spots on Yahweh's map. There are no international waters where His sovereignty doesn't apply. You can travel to the most distant, unchurched, and spiritually dark coordinate on the globe, and you will not find an empty space. Instead, you will find that the personal, loving hand of your Creator has already beaten you there! He doesn't just watch you from a celestial distance; His hand is actively present to guide your steps, and His raw, warrior strength is right beside you to support your weariness. The rebel principalities have no exclusive legal zones where they can isolate a child of God from the perimeter defense of the Almighty. The horizontal limits of the earth are merely a carpet unrolled beneath the feet of the King. The third segment is: The Spiritual Shroud: Dismantling the Canopy of Darkness The narrative moves from the physical limitations of space, to the psychological and spiritual attempt to find a hiding place under the shroud of darkness. The psalmist groups these contiguous thoughts in verse eleven and verse twelve. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. David explores a deeply human, and highly desperate temptation: “I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.”...

Nuking the moon, putting mirrors in space and blowing up the Polar ice caps are just some of history's hairbrained schemes to control the weather, an obsession man has had since the dawn of time.As a major heatwave tears through Europe, millions of people are frantically trying to stay cool, or praying for some relief. Their desperation is not new.For thousands of years, human civilisations have been obsessed with trying to control the weather, to stave off drought and famine, in order to survive.There are ancient tales of great kings who could part the oceans, and deities who would bring down the rain if they were presented with the right kind of sacrifice.But it wasn't until the last century that we suddenly had the technology to actually do these kinds of things, or at least attempt to do them.Some of these wild ideas - to bring water to the desert, drain the Mediterranean Sea to make farmlands, simply make Russia a warmer place to live - have involved blowing up the Polar ice caps, putting mirrors in space, and nuking the moon.They sound dangerous and unlikely, but some of them have come true.And now, many people are at work on brand new gigantic geo-engineering solutions to counteract the effects of the warming planet.Palaeontologist and explorer, Tim Flannery, has been tracking the progress of some of these schemes.A Brief History of Climate Folly, written with Emma Flannery, is published by Text Publishing.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores weird science, crazy science, Elon Musk, China, Trump, feats of engineering, space exploration, the human ego, wild weather events, magic, supernatural, religion, God, divinity, human sacrifice, famine, starvation, migration, global warming, climate change, European heatwave, Paris heatwave, fossil fuel, deforestation, COP, climate change policy, sea levels, floods, Summer, water, gas, electricity, solar power, politics, renewables.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

In Arteetude 340 – The Artist After the Upload, Detlef Schlich continues the philosophical arc that began in Arteetude 338 with The Law of Acceleration. After the reflective pause of Arteetude 339 at Gallery Emptiness with Felicitas, this new episode moves into the world of media, reproduction, AI, and artistic presence.Together with his AI Co-Host Sophia, Detlef explores how Marshall McLuhan and Walter Benjamin can still help us understand what happens to art — and to the artist — after a work has been uploaded. McLuhan's famous idea that the medium is the message becomes a personal question: how does podcasting, social media, AI, video, streaming, and digital distribution reshape the artist's voice, rhythm, imagination, and nervous system?Benjamin's concept of aura opens another layer. If reproduction once seemed to threaten the unique presence of the artwork, what happens today when a work becomes file, stream, post, thumbnail, memory, comment, remix, and archive? Has aura disappeared — or has it migrated?Through Detlef's own concept of Multilayerism, the episode proposes that aura is not simply dead. It may now move through layers: physical, digital, emotional, historical, spiritual, technological, remembered, and misunderstood. But this movement is not automatically meaningful. Aura survives only where attention, imagination, and resonance still happen.The episode closes with a new musical reflection by Los Inorgánicos: “Beneath the Digital Moon” — a small love song to the organic, to the body, to the voice, and to the warmth that remains after the upload.About Detlef SchlichDetlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker, ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork, Ireland.His artistic practice moves between performance, photography, painting, sound, installation, film, music, podcasting, and digital image-making. Across these fields, Schlich reflects on the human condition, the relationship between ritual and technology, and the changing role of the artist in digital culture.As a media archaeologist, he explores how media shape perception, memory, culture, politics, and artistic expression. His work often uses the figure of the digital shaman as an alter ego — a method for navigating the space between ancient ritual structures, contemporary media, and technological transformation.Research & Artistic MethodDetlef Schlich's artistic research is rooted in his essay Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effect, which investigates the relationship between ritual, artistic transformation, media, and digital culture.Download here for free:Shamanism, Art and Digital Culture: Cause and Effecthttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectBuilding on this foundation, Schlich developed Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto, an artistic method and conceptual framework for understanding contemporary art through layers of media, memory, technology, ritual, emotion, misunderstanding, and lived experience.Read here:Multilayerism: A New Paradigm in Contemporary Art – A Manifesto by Detlef Schlichhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/375665507_Multilayerism_A_New_Paradigm_in_Contemporary_Art_-_A_Manifesto_by_Detlef_SchlichTogether, these texts form the theoretical backbone of Schlich's ongoing work as a visual artist, media archaeologist, ritual designer, musician, and host of the Arteetude podcast.WEBSITE LINKS Music ProjectsWAW / Wild Atlantic WayWAW is the music project by Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.Official YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW album The Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young form part of a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation, and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm, and myth. The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnQbsh01YWUThe Nile's Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss, and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Watch here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33AWko4IkKIWAW on BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, Dirk Schlömer and Detlef Schlich felt compelled to reinterpret Silent Night to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis song emerged from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful coastal Wild Atlantic Way stretches along the west coast.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYouTubeSilent Night Reimagined – A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

心悸 xīn jì - heart palpitations; rapid or irregular heartbeat西西里咖啡 Xī Xī Lǐ kā fēi - Sicilian coffee (coffee with lemon)驚為天人 jīng wéi tiān rén - to be amazed by something's extraordinary quality; to find something astonishingly good濃烈 nóng liè - strong; intense (in flavor or aroma)黑咖啡 hēi kā fēi - black coffee清爽 qīng shuǎng - refreshing; light and crisp檸檬 níng méng - lemon結合在一起 jié hé zài yì qǐ - to combine together; to blend together羅馬濃縮咖啡 Luó Mǎ nóng suō kā fēi - Roman espresso顛覆 diān fù - to overturn; to revolutionize; to challenge traditional ideas框架 kuàng jià - framework; established structure酸甜 suān tián - sweet and sour; tangy-sweet平衡 píng héng - to balance苦味 kǔ wèi - bitterness; bitter taste澀澀 sè sè - astringent; slightly puckering (taste)口感 kǒu gǎn - mouthfeel; texture and taste sensation層次分明 céng cì fēn míng - having distinct layers or well-defined complexity (of flavor)西西里島 Xī Xī Lǐ Dǎo - Sicily (the Italian island)地中海 Dì Zhōng Hǎi - the Mediterranean Sea陽光充沛 yáng guāng chōng pèi - full of sunshine; sunny盛產 shèng chǎn - to produce abundantly; to be rich in香氣 xiāng qì - aroma; fragrance濃郁 nóng yù - rich; full-bodied; intense (in flavor or scent)柑橘類水果 gān jú lèi shuǐ guǒ - citrus fruits起源 qǐ yuán - origin; beginning檸檬皮 níng méng pí - lemon peel; lemon zest檸檬汁 níng méng zhī - lemon juice來源 lái yuán - source; origin超商 chāo shāng - convenience store全家 Quán Jiā - FamilyMart 改良 gǎi liáng - to improve; to modify西西里氣泡咖啡 Xī Xī Lǐ qì pào kā fēi - Sicilian sparkling coffee氣泡水 qì pào shuǐ - sparkling water; carbonated water加在一起 jiā zài yì qǐ - to mix together; to put together雪碧 Xuě Bì - Sprite Travelling to Taiwan soon or are you currently living in Taiwan?

Full Text of Readings Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 375 The Saint of the day is Blessed Raymond Lull Blessed Raymond Lull's Story Blessed Raymond Lull worked all his life to promote the missions and died a missionary to North Africa. Blessed Raymond Lull was born at Palma on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea. He earned a position in the king's court there. One day a sermon inspired him to dedicate his life to working for the conversion of the Muslims in North Africa. He became a Secular Franciscan and founded a college where missionaries could learn the Arabic they would need in the missions. Retiring to solitude, he spent nine years as a hermit. During that time he wrote on all branches of knowledge, a work which earned him the title “Enlightened Doctor.” Blessed Raymond Lull then made many trips through Europe to interest popes, kings, and princes in establishing special colleges to prepare future missionaries. He achieved his goal in 1311, when the Council of Vienne ordered the creation of chairs of Hebrew, Arabic, and Chaldean at the universities of Bologna, Oxford, Paris, and Salamanca. At the age of 79, Raymond went to North Africa in 1314 to be a missionary himself. An angry crowd of Muslims stoned him in the city of Bougie. Genoese merchants took him back to Mallorca, where he died. Raymond was beatified in 1514 and his liturgical feast is celebrated on June 30. Reflection Raymond worked most of his life to help spread the gospel. Indifference on the part of some Christian leaders and opposition in North Africa did not turn him from his goal. Three hundred years later Raymond's work began to have an influence in the Americas. When the Spanish began to spread the gospel in the New World, they set up missionary colleges to aid the work. Saint Junípero Serra belonged to such a college.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Ukraine has been intensifying attacks across Crimea as it attempts to cut off the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. The authorities have been forced to suspend fuel sales to the public.Also on the programme: hundreds of schools in the UK are closed as temperatures in Western Europe hit new highs; and why sperm whales use different dialects depending on where they swim in the Mediterranean Sea.(Photo: A satellite image shows burning oil storage tanks and smoke rising from the Crimea Bridge amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict Credit: Vantor/Reuters)

Without Sophia, his AI Co-Host, Detlef Schlich returns to the physical presence of a real conversation: two people sitting inside a gallery, surrounded by paintings, sculptures, handmade objects, and the quiet energy of a space that has only recently been brought back to life. Felicitas speaks about discovering the empty room by chance, renovating it over nearly a month, and turning it into a living continuation of her artistic path.At the heart of the episode is the meaning of the name Gallery Emptiness. For Felicitas, emptiness is not a void, not absence, not nothingness. It is a space without fixed essence — a field of relation, vibration, energy, and possibility. This becomes the philosophical pulse of the conversation.The episode also opens towards future plans for the gallery: spoken word evenings, poetry, word games, small performances, mini theatre, workshops, clothing upcycling, and creative gatherings where people can explore expression in a personal and playful way. There is also a subtle but strong critique of disposable fashion culture — the tendency to buy, wear once, and discard. Felicitas offers another path: clothing as second skin, as personality, as self-made presence.Gallery Emptiness becomes more than a gallery. It becomes a small cultural chamber in Bantry — a place for art, words, encounter, transformation, and community.The episode closes with a new Los Inorgánicos song:“Emptiness Is Not a Hidden Void”A poetic reflection on Felicitas' statement, the gallery, and the strange beauty of a space that begins empty only so something alive can enter.Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW albumThe Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young — a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm and myth.The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.The Niles Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

Fluent Fiction - Catalan: Jordi's Gamble: A Summer Beyond the Poker Table Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/ca/episode/2026-06-19-07-38-19-ca Story Transcript:Ca: A la taula de pòquer, el so dels fitxes es barrejaven amb el murmuri baix de les converses.En: At the poker table, the sound of the chips blended with the low murmur of conversations.Ca: Era una escena habitual en aquell casino luxós amb vistes al mar Mediterrani, on la gent buscava la fortuna en les cartes.En: It was a usual scene in that luxurious casino overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, where people sought fortune in the cards.Ca: Enmig dels jugadors, Jordi brillava amb la seva presència calma però intensa.En: Amid the players, Jordi shone with his calm yet intense presence.Ca: Ell havia passat anys perfeccionant el seu art del pòquer, sempre buscant la mà guanyadora.En: He had spent years perfecting his poker art, always seeking the winning hand.Ca: Però avui, el seu cor estava en un altre lloc.En: But today, his heart was elsewhere.Ca: Volia guanyar prou per allunyar-se un temps dels jocs i gaudir de l'estiu amb serenitat.En: He wanted to win enough to take some time off from the games and enjoy the summer with serenity.Ca: Gemma, asseguda al costat oposat de la taula, esbufegava jugant amb una destresa que Jordi coneixia bé.En: Gemma, sitting on the opposite side of the table, sighed while playing with a skill that Jordi knew well.Ca: Havien compartit partides i memòries, i entre ells flotava una tensió que anava més enllà dels cartes.En: They had shared games and memories, and between them, there was a tension that went beyond the cards.Ca: Martí, un jove ple d'entusiasme i sort, completava l'escena amb la seva innocència que posava nerviós a Jordi.En: Martí, a young man full of enthusiasm and luck, completed the scene with his innocence that made Jordi nervous.Ca: Mentre les rondes avançaven, Jordi lluitava contra les seves pròpies distraccions emocionals.En: As the rounds progressed, Jordi battled with his own emotional distractions.Ca: Sabia que aquesta era la seva oportunitat per canviar el rumb.En: He knew this was his opportunity to change direction.Ca: Dubtava si arriscar-se amb una jugada agressiva o esperar i fer un moviment segur.En: He hesitated whether to risk making an aggressive move or wait and make a safe one.Ca: La incertesa el feia suar sota els llums tènues.En: The uncertainty made him sweat under the dim lights.Ca: Gemma li va dedicar una mirada desafiadora en començar la mà final.En: Gemma gave him a challenging look as the final hand began.Ca: La seva cara era un misteri, un llibre tancat que Jordi intentava llegir.En: Her face was a mystery, a closed book that Jordi tried to read.Ca: Ell respirà fons, buscant dins seu la confiança que li havia portat tantes victòries.En: He took a deep breath, searching within himself for the confidence that had brought him so many victories.Ca: Va decidir seguir el seu instint, aquella intuïció que sempre l'havia guiat bé.En: He decided to follow his instinct, that intuition that had always guided him well.Ca: Els nivells de tensió es van disparar mentre les cartes es revelaven una a una.En: Tension levels soared as the cards were revealed one by one.Ca: Gemma desvelà les seves amb un somriure, confiada en la seva mà.En: Gemma unveiled hers with a smile, confident in her hand.Ca: Però Jordi tenia un as a la màniga, una carta amagada que va girar el joc a favor seu.En: But Jordi had an ace up his sleeve, a hidden card that turned the game in his favor.Ca: La taula va emmudir abans d'esclatar en murmuris.En: The table fell silent before bursting into murmurs.Ca: Jordi havia guanyat.En: Jordi had won.Ca: Després del joc, Gemma es va apropar a Jordi.En: After the game, Gemma approached Jordi.Ca: Amb un somriure sincer, li va proposar anar a prendre una copa, volent deixar enrere les seves difèrencies.En: With a sincere smile, she suggested going for a drink, wanting to leave their differences behind.Ca: "Passem aquest estiu junts", va suggerir.En: "Let's spend this summer together," she suggested.Ca: Martí, encara ple d'emoció, es va afegir a la proposta.En: Martí, still full of excitement, joined in on the proposal.Ca: Aquell moment va ser una revelació per a Jordi.En: That moment was a revelation for Jordi.Ca: Va entendre que, més enllà del pòquer, hi havia coses que no es podien mesurar amb diners.En: He understood that beyond poker, there were things that couldn't be measured with money.Ca: L'amistat, la companyonia i les memòries valien més que totes les fitxes del món.En: Friendship, companionship, and memories were worth more than all the chips in the world.Ca: Amb el mar Mediterrani com a testimoni, va decidir que aquest estiu seria diferent.En: With the Mediterranean Sea as a witness, he decided this summer would be different.Ca: Així, Jordi, Gemma i Martí van partir cap a la costa, deixant enrere l'estrès del casino per gaudir d'un estiu de complicitat i noves aventures.En: Thus, Jordi, Gemma, and Martí set off for the coast, leaving behind the stress of the casino to enjoy a summer of camaraderie and new adventures.Ca: Jordi va saber que no estava només en el joc de la vida, i aquesta bona mà marcaria el canvi que tant desitjava.En: Jordi knew he was not alone in the game of life, and this good hand would mark the change he so desired. Vocabulary Words:the chips: els fitxesthe murmur: el murmurithe cards: les cartesamid: enmigintense: intensathe presence: la presènciaserenity: serenitatsighed: esbufegavathe memories: les memòriesthe tension: la tensióenthusiasm: entusiasmeinnocence: innocènciaemotional: emocionalsthe distractions: les distraccionsthe opportunity: l'oportunitataggressive: agressivasafe: seguruncertainty: incertesadim: tènueschallenging: desafiadorathe mystery: el misterithe instinct: l'instintintuition: intuïcióto soar: es dispararrevealed: revelavenunveiled: desvelàhidden: amagadaburst: esclatarthe proposal: la propostathe revelation: la revelació

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Luck, Bluff, and High Stakes in Monte Carlo Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2026-06-19-22-34-02-it Story Transcript:It: Nel cuore dell'estate, sotto le scintillanti luci del casinò di Monte Carlo, si svolgeva una partita di poker di alta tensione.En: In the heart of summer, under the sparkling lights of the casino in Monte Carlo, a high-stakes poker game was unfolding.It: Il salone era un spettacolo di lusso, con lampadari sfarzosi che riflettevano una calda luce dorata sulle tavole da gioco.En: The salon was a spectacle of luxury, with lavish chandeliers reflecting a warm golden light on the gaming tables.It: Le decorazioni rosse e dorate si intrecciavano mentre un leggero vento estivo entrava dalla terrazza che si affacciava sul Mar Mediterraneo.En: Red and gold decorations intertwined as a light summer breeze wafted in from the terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.It: Al tavolo del poker sedevano Alessandro, Giovanni e Francesca.En: At the poker table sat Alessandro, Giovanni, and Francesca.It: Alessandro, gioviale e un po' distratto, era pronto a dimostrare il suo ingegno ai suoi amici.En: Alessandro, jovial and a bit distracted, was ready to show off his wit to his friends.It: Voleva mostrare la sua fortuna e destrezza nel gioco.En: He wanted to display his luck and skill in the game.It: Giovanni, il suo amico pratico, osservava con uno sguardo di attenzione, sempre pronto a tirarlo fuori dai guai.En: Giovanni, his practical friend, watched with a focused gaze, always ready to bail him out of trouble.It: Francesca, con occhi affilati e una mente strategica, era l'avversario da temere.En: Francesca, with sharp eyes and a strategic mind, was the opponent to fear.It: Mentre le fiches venivano piazzate, Alessandro si accorse, con un misto di curiosità e panico, di aver usato per errore le fiches del casinò invece delle normali fiches da poker.En: As the chips were placed, Alessandro noticed, with a mix of curiosity and panic, that he had mistakenly used the casino's chips instead of the normal poker chips.It: La sua mossa avventata mise tutte le fiches in gioco, creando una situazione imbarazzante e rischiosa.En: His rash move put all the chips in play, creating an embarrassing and risky situation.It: "Alessandro, cosa stai facendo?"En: "Alessandro, what are you doing?"It: sussurrò Giovanni, ma Alessandro decise di coprire il suo errore.En: whispered Giovanni, but Alessandro decided to cover up his mistake.It: "Fa tutto parte del piano," rispose, con un sorriso mesto e nervoso.En: "It's all part of the plan," he replied, with a sad and nervous smile.It: Francesca lo osservava attentamente, cercando di intuire le sue intenzioni.En: Francesca watched him closely, trying to figure out his intentions.It: Alessandro, approfittando della sua confusione, decise di usare tutto questo come un elaborato bluff.En: Alessandro, taking advantage of her confusion, decided to use all of this as an elaborate bluff.It: Forse, pensava, Francesca sarebbe stata abbastanza confusa da lasciare che lui vincesse la mano.En: Perhaps, he thought, Francesca would be confused enough to let him win the hand.It: La tensione al tavolo cresceva.En: The tension at the table was rising.It: Tutti gli occhi erano puntati su Alessandro, specialmente quando annunciò "all-in", mettendo tutto in gioco.En: All eyes were on Alessandro, especially when he announced "all-in," putting everything at stake.It: Il brusio del casinò sembrava fermarsi mentre le carte venivano svelate una per una.En: The buzzing of the casino seemed to halt as the cards were revealed one by one.It: Contro ogni previsione, Alessandro vinse la mano.En: Against all odds, Alessandro won the hand.It: La sua strategia si rivelò, per una volta, efficace.En: His strategy proved effective, for once.It: Francesca annuì, riconoscendo la sua giocata, mentre Giovanni scoppiava in una risata incredula.En: Francesca nodded, acknowledging his play, while Giovanni burst into incredulous laughter.It: Alessandro, sollevato, si rese conto di aver avuto una fortuna sfacciata e che forse era meglio mantenersi a giochi meno rischiosi.En: Alessandro, relieved, realized he had been outrageously lucky and that it might be better to stick to less risky games.It: Aveva dimostrato il suo punto, ma capì che l'importante era restare con i piedi per terra e fare attenzione in situazioni tanto delicate.En: He had proved his point, but he understood that the important thing was to keep his feet on the ground and be careful in such delicate situations.It: Il gioco era finito, ma la lezione appresa da Alessandro sarebbe rimasta con lui ogni volta che avrebbe visto i lumi di un casinò brillare da lontano.En: The game was over, but the lesson learned by Alessandro would stay with him every time he saw the lights of a casino shining in the distance.It: Con una nuova consapevolezza, lasciò il tavolo, promettendo a se stesso di essere più attento in futuro.En: With a new awareness, he left the table, promising himself to be more cautious in the future. Vocabulary Words:the heart: il cuorethe salon: il salonethe chandeliers: i lampadarithe decorations: le decorazionithe terrace: la terrazzathe sea: il marejovial: giovialethe wit: l'ingegnothe skill: la destrezzathe gaze: lo sguardothe trouble: i guaisharp: affilatithe opponent: l'avversariothe chips: le fichesthe mistake: l'errorerash: avventatathe bluff: il bluffthe tension: la tensionethe buzzing: il brusiothe odds: le previsioniincredulous: incredularelieved: sollevatooutrageously: sfacciatarisky: rischiosithe lesson: la lezionethe lights: i lumithe awareness: la consapevolezzato promise: prometterethe ground: la terradelicate: delicate

Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! The EU has just passed a controversial law, hailed by the far-right as the start of "the era of deportations". Passed on World Refugee Week, the law allows EU countries to detain migrant families for years, and deport them to countries they have no connection to. This echoes the UK's failed Rwanda scheme, and Trump's existing deals with South Sudan, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of Congo and more. It also unlocks expansive budgets for surveillance, detention and deportation. This money is likely to end up enriching the same corporations underpinning ICE raids in the US, and notorious migrant containment camps such as Australia's Nauru. Traffickers and smugglers often make headlines for profiteering off the refugee crisis, but the corporate industry that has grown up around it goes largely invisible in our news. These companies are paid billions of taxpayer dollars - not to tackle the roots causes of displacement, but to keep it away from wealthy countries' shores. But is what they're doing even working? How much public money is being directed away from essential services to feed the deportation machine? And what about the human cost? In this episode, Mathilda and Helena are joined by Sudanese refugee Mahamat Daoud, a survivor of EU-funded Libyan detention and the 2022 massacre at the Melilla-Nador border between Morocco and Spain. He describes what 'migrant deterrence' looks like up-close, and why it didn't work on him. Researcher Nathan Akehurst also joins the group, to breakdown the latest border strategy that Western governments call 'externalisation'. It comes as 2026 marks the deadliest year so far for small boat crossings on the Mediterranean Sea. News outlets that report obsessively on dinghy crossings - but how many headlines have you seen on that? Pre-order Nathan's book, Along the Watchtower, here. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)  The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@mediastormpod⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Rising to the Challenge: A Tale of Ambition and Teamwork Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-06-18-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: אבי וליאורה עמדו בלובי של מלון יוקרתי בתל אביב, מוכנים ליום העבודה.En: Avi and Liora stood in the lobby of a luxurious hotel in Tel Aviv, ready for their workday.He: מחוץ לחלון הגדול בחלל המשרד המודרני, היה אפשר לראות את הים התיכון הכחול והרחב, זורם ברוח הקיץ החמה.En: Outside the large window in the modern office space, you could see the wide, blue Mediterranean Sea, flowing with the warm summer breeze.He: אבי קיבל הזדמנות חשובה להציג מצגת מול המנהלים והלקוחות.En: Avi received an important opportunity to present a presentation to the managers and clients.He: הוא עבד ימים ולילות כדי לסדר כל פרט קטן ולהבטיח שיצא כל כמו שצריך.En: He worked day and night to arrange every little detail and ensure that everything would go as planned.He: הוא רצה להראות לבוס שלו שהוא ראוי לקידום הנחשק.En: He wanted to show his boss that he was worthy of the coveted promotion.He: ליאורה, שאפתנית כמו תמיד, הרגישה שלעיתים נדחקת לצל.En: Liora, ambitious as always, felt that she was sometimes pushed into the shadows.He: אבל היא העריכה כל הזדמנות להראות את יכולותיה, גם אם היתה זו הזדמנות של מישהו אחר.En: But she valued every opportunity to show her abilities, even if it was someone else's opportunity.He: לילה לפני המצגת, אבי קיבל שוק.En: The night before the presentation, Avi received a shock.He: הקבצים החשובים שהכין, נהרסו.En: The important files he had prepared were destroyed.He: כל המאמץ והעבודה הקשה הלכו לאיבוד ברגע אחד.En: All the effort and hard work were lost in a single moment.He: במצוקה ופאניקה, הוא התקשר לליאורה.En: In distress and panic, he called Liora.He: היא הציעה לסייע לו למרות שהיתה לה עבודה משלה.En: She offered to help him even though she had her own work to do.He: במלון, בחדר האורחים, הם החלו לעבוד שוב על המצגת.En: In the hotel, in the guest room, they began working on the presentation again.He: אבי התעקש על כל פרט וליאורה תרמה רעיונות יצירתיים.En: Avi insisted on every detail and Liora contributed creative ideas.He: היה לחץ זמן, אבל הם עבדו יחדיו בתיאום והבנה.En: There was a time constraint, but they worked together with coordination and understanding.He: למחרת בבוקר, אבי וליאורה עמדו מול הלקוחות והמנהלים בחדר הישיבות העכשווי במשרד התאגידי.En: The next morning, Avi and Liora stood in front of the clients and managers in the contemporary meeting room in the corporate office.He: המצגת הייתה משכנעת ומדויקת.En: The presentation was persuasive and accurate.He: אבי, נחוש ובטוח, הוביל את המצגת וענה לשאלות.En: Avi, determined and confident, led the presentation and answered questions.He: עם גיבוי של ליאורה, הוא הבריק.En: With Liora's support, he shone.He: הפגישה הסתיימה בהצלחה רבה.En: The meeting ended very successfully.He: אבי זכה לשבחים על המנהיגות שלו במצב מלחיץ והוענק לו קידום.En: Avi received praise for his leadership in a stressful situation and was granted a promotion.He: ליאורה, שתרמה רבות להצלחה, חשה שסוף סוף מכירים ביכולותיה.En: Liora, who contributed greatly to the success, felt that her abilities were finally being recognized.He: מאותו יום, אבי למד לסמוך יותר על חבריו לעבודה וליאורה הבינה שלתרום ולשתף פעולה זה גם כן דרך להתבלט.En: From that day, Avi learned to trust his coworkers more and Liora realized that contributing and collaborating is also a way to stand out.He: שניהם חזרו לחדריהם במלון עם חיוך ותחושת הישג.En: They both returned to their rooms in the hotel with smiles and a sense of achievement.He: הם ידעו שעם שיתוף פעולה ועבודה קשה כל מטרה אפשר להשיג.En: They knew that with collaboration and hard work, any goal can be achieved. Vocabulary Words:lobby: לוביluxurious: יוקרתיMediterranean Sea: הים התיכוןcoveted: נחשקambitious: שאפתניתshadows: צלopportunity: הזדמנותshock: שוקdestroyed: נהרסוdistress: מצוקהpanic: פאניקהinsisted: התעקשcreative: יצירתייםconstraint: לחץ זמןcoordination: תיאוםpersuasive: משכנעתcontemporary: עכשוויconfident: בטוחpraised: זכה לשבחיםleadership: מנהיגותstressful: מלחיץgranted: הוענקrecognized: מכיריםtrust: לסמוךcontributing: לתרוםcollaborating: לשתף פעולהachievement: הישגgoal: מטרהreturn: חוזריםsmiles: חיוךBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Pilot whales rely on sound for nearly every aspect of their lives. They use vocalizations to communicate with family members, coordinate movements, find food, and navigate through their environment. But what happens when the ocean becomes so noisy that those sounds are drowned out? In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, we explore new research suggesting that commercial shipping noise in the Strait of Gibraltar may be interfering with the ability of pilot whales to hear and communicate with one another. The Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest shipping routes on the planet, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Every day, hundreds of vessels move through these waters, generating a constant background of underwater noise. Scientists are increasingly concerned that this noise pollution is masking whale calls, forcing animals to change how they communicate and potentially affecting their ability to stay connected with their social groups. For highly social species like pilot whales, losing the ability to communicate effectively could have serious consequences. In this episode, Andrew Lewin breaks down why sound is so important in the ocean, how human activities are changing underwater soundscapes, and what can be done to reduce noise pollution. You'll learn why scientists consider sound an essential part of marine habitat, how quieter ships could help protect marine mammals, and why ocean conservation is about more than just protecting physical spaces. If you've ever wondered how something as invisible as noise can impact whale survival, this episode is for you. Support Independent Podcasts: https://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need with Pisces Oceans Inc.: https://www.piscesoceans.ca Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube  

A viral underwater video of a great white shark in the Mediterranean Sea recently captured the attention of people around the world. For many viewers, the footage seemed to show a shark appearing in a place where it shouldn't be. But the truth is much more interesting. Great white sharks have been documented in the Mediterranean for decades, yet they remain one of the most mysterious and least understood apex predators in the region. In this episode of How to Protect the Ocean, Andrew breaks down why this sighting matters and what the public often gets wrong about stories like this. The shark was filmed by divers working with Healthy Seas while removing abandoned fishing gear from the seafloor. While the footage itself is remarkable, the bigger story is what it tells us about the challenges facing large predators in one of the busiest and most heavily used seas on Earth. From fishing pressure and habitat degradation to gaps in scientific knowledge, the Mediterranean remains a challenging place for sharks to survive. You'll also learn why conservationists were excited about the video for reasons that had nothing to do with discovering a new population. Andrew explores the concept of shifting baselines, how viral wildlife stories can sometimes distort public understanding, and why rare observations like this are still incredibly valuable for conservation. The episode highlights the importance of documenting marine life, supporting scientific research, and continuing efforts to reduce threats such as ghost fishing gear. By the end of the episode, you'll see that the shark wasn't really the story. The real story is how much we still don't know about some of the ocean's most iconic animals, even in regions that humans have studied and used for thousands of years. Sometimes a single video can remind us that the ocean still holds mysteries worth exploring, understanding, and protecting. Support Independent Podcasts: https://www.speakupforblue.com/patreon Need help with your ocean non-profit, company, or project? Get the help you need with Pisces Oceans Inc.: https://www.piscesoceans.ca Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube  

In Arteetude 338 – The Law of Acceleration, Part One, Detlef Schlich and Sophia, his AI Co-Host, begin a two-part philosophical journey into acceleration, artistic exhaustion, media pressure, and the fragile search for resonance in the technological age.Following the reflections of Arteetude 336 and 337 — from Heidegger, Kurzweil, AI image floods, The Collapse of Wonder, and Ilen's Hopium — this new episode asks why artistic life today feels so permanently accelerated. Even a three-month release rhythm can feel like constant pressure when writing, producing, editing, uploading, promoting, and reflecting never truly stop.The episode brings together two major thinkers of speed and modernity. Paul Virilio — born in Paris in 1932 and deeply shaped by war, urban destruction, architecture, technology, and military acceleration — developed the idea of dromology, the logic of speed, and famously argued that every invention also invents its own accident.Hartmut Rosa — born in Lörrach, Germany, in 1965 — offers a later sociological diagnosis of modern life through his theories of social acceleration, alienation, and resonance. His work asks what happens when not only machines, but social expectations, communication, production, and everyday life itself accelerate.For Detlef, this is not only theory. It becomes a personal reflection on ageing as an artist, on WAW, Arteetude, AI images, podcast production, music videos, social media, and the strange condition of the independent artist who has gained freedom — only to discover that freedom can become infrastructure.At the heart of the episode is Detlef's 1990s song “Zeitrebell”, whose refrain becomes a poetic counter-gesture to acceleration:Ich bin ein Zeitrebell,und wenn es mir zu schnell wird,stelle ich mich auf den Schatten meiner Sonnenuhr.In this episode, the old Zeitrebell returns — not as nostalgia, but as a living message from Detlef's younger self to the ageing artist of today.The episode closes with a new musical reflection by Los Inorgánicos:“Zeitrebell — The Shadow of the Sundial.”Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW albumThe Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young — a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm and myth.The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.The Niles Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

IMS DEEP IN THE BASEMENT PREVIEW Show: Come On A Journey With Me Artist: Afro-Licious Mumma Air Date: 10 June 2026 Genre: Deep House Come On A Journey With Me – IMS Ibiza: Deep In The Basement Preview Edition Join AfroLicious Mumma for a special edition of Come On A Journey With Me, recorded live from the beautiful shores of Santa Eulària Beach, Ibiza. Broadcasting from the heart of IMS Ibiza week, this Deep In The Basement Preview Edition takes listeners on a musical journey through the deeper sounds shaping dance floors and wellness spaces across the globe. Expect a carefully curated selection of Deep House, soulful rhythms, and underground gems inspired by the energy, creativity, and connection that make Ibiza a global home for electronic music culture. With the Mediterranean Sea as the backdrop and the spirit of IMS flowing through every track, AfroLicious Mumma shares music, reflections, and vibrations designed to uplift, inspire, and transport you. Whether you're tuning in from the beach, the city, or somewhere in between, this is your invitation to pause, connect, and journey through sound. Recorded on Santa Eulària Beach, Ibiza. Welcome to the IMS Ibiza: Deep In The Basement Preview Edition. This is the AfroLicious Mumma Come on a journey with me. Tracklist: Data Transmission show Don't let me Down Pando g Who Heals the healer Ode to Afro Fairy (AfroLicious Edit) Sweet Soul (Soulful Mix) by Msindo De Serenade Dear God In Heaven (feat. Aion) [Djexpo Sa Remix] by QuestarCafe Love 101 (Vocal Mix) by Music Roots Benevolence by Siz & Lazy K SA Calling by Mr Mluu & Mk Da Soul The Music (Tiyani Remix) by Deep Da Souljar & Msindo De Serenade African Meditation (1060 Sounds) by Mr Shane SA & Earful Soul Come On a Journey With Me (Spanish version) by Mr A Jones & AfroLicious Mumma Bayamemeza (Elementic Soul Signature Mix) by Artistic Rhythmz Make Love To My Mind (feat. Mr Mercedes) by AfroLicious Mumma The Name Of Jesus (Prayer Mix) by AndileAndy Lotta Luv (Radio Edit) by Arol $kinzie & TimAdeep Fallen Legends by Avenue Deep I Want U (feat. Mr Shane SA) by Artwork Sounds & DJ Kent Covenant Keeping God (feat. Aion) by Gusto Jazz & Spin Worx MATAMBO (Bones of my Bones) by Mr Mercedes Silly Cat (Nostalgic Mix) by Itshu Prince & The Godfathers Of Deep House SA Originally broadcast on Data Transmission Radio. Listen live and explore the archive: https://radio.datatransmission.co

Episode Synopsis:When Paul writes his letter to the church in Rome, he is still in Corinth, having made a difficult visit there to deal with the ongoing problems in the Corinthian church, which we addressed in Season Four (when we covered 2 Corinthians).  But things have improved in Corinth to the point that Paul is making plans to continue his Gentile mission.  Before that can happen, Paul must make the journey to Jerusalem to deliver the offering collected from the churches in Greece.  Having done that, Paul hopes to go on to Spain (at the opposite end of the Mediterranean Sea).  The midpoint between Jerusalem and Spain is the Italian peninsula and the city of Rome.  So Paul writes a letter of introduction to the church there, a letter which we now know as Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Paul is unquestionably the author of Romans.  His epistle was sent by messenger – a woman named Phoebe – from Corinth to Rome early in 57 CE.  In this letter, the apostle addresses a number of matters which we will discuss in great detail in future episodes.  But if we are to boil down the contents of Romans to a single word, that word would be “gospel.”  Paul does not say much about the church to which he is writing–he's never been there.  But we do know from the contents of this letter that like other churches of the Gentile mission, the Roman church was predominantly Gentile, though a number of Jews in Rome had come to faith in Jesus Christ.  And so Paul must explain how these two groups fit in God's larger plan and how they are to get along with each other despite their cultural and religious differences.  Paul does this by stressing that both Jews and Gentiles are reckoned righteous, reconciled to the same God through the work of the same Savior in the power of the Holy Spirit, and this through the preaching of the one gospel. Many Christians are familiar with the Book of Romans, but are likely far less familiar with the city, the situation there, and the recipients of this letter.  What was Rome like in the days of Paul?  What was it like to be an inhabitant of the city?  How did you live, and under what circumstances?  Where did you eat or work?  What was it like to live under the reign of Nero?  Life was brutal and cruel for many of the city's inhabitants, but luxurious by first-century standards for others.  Why were the Jews expelled twice from the city?  And how did the gospel first arrive in the capital of this powerful pagan empire?  It is an interesting story and I'll do my best to tell it.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here:  https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

Welcome back to the archive. In this special dual transmission, we turn our forensic radar toward a tiny, sun-bleached rock sitting in the literal centre of the Mediterranean Sea: the island of Malta.Built entirely out of soft, honey-coloured Globigerina limestone, Malta's hyper-dense historic cities are marvels of defensive architecture. In a space so profoundly compressed, where secrets are supposed to be impossible to keep, two completely different killers attempted to use the physical environment to construct the perfect cryptographic mystery.This week, we open two distinct historical drawers to execute a parallel forensic audit, proving that no matter how deep the water or how thick the limestone walls, the material signature of a crime can never be completely erased from the ledger.The Case Files Act I: The Marsamxett Harbor Torso Murder (1955) We descend into the post-WWII soot, coal grime, and severe economic desperation of the Valletta dockyards. When local fishermen haul up waterlogged burlap sacks from the silent depths of Marsamxett Harbour, they discover the cleanly dismembered torso of a missing dockyard clerk. The head and hands are entirely missing—a calculated tactical void designed to strip the victim of his biological identity. We trace the parallel micro-grooves of an industrial bone saw, a rare maritime double-hitch knot, and a single, crumpled scrap of local newspaper caught in a printing-press registration error that collapsed the dragnet directly onto a brutal domestic conspiracy.WHO was killed, and WHO killed them?? Act II: The Strait Street Locked-Room Inquest (1843) We slide the chronological grid back more than a century, climbing the steep stone steps into the dark, elite world of faded aristocracy along the infamous, vice-ridden corridor of Strada Stretta. A wealthy noblewoman is found smothered in her grand four-poster bed. The room is an airtight box: windows barred from within, the heavy oak door locked from the inside, and the key still resting firmly in the interior cylinder. Across the room, her private safe sits completely gutted. This wasn't a supernatural evasion—it was a masterful, low-fidelity mechanical deception. We dissect the material relics that unravelled the plot: an English gold pocket watch intentionally fractured to freeze the time at 3:14 AM, microscopic traces of white beeswax left deep inside a lock, and a simple silk thread trick that shattered an ironclad alibi.How....on earth did the key to the lock....remain stuck on the inside of the door opposed to the outside? In This Episode, We Explore: How hyper-compressed living spaces dictate the logistics of criminal concealment. The mechanical signatures left by industrial tools on bone structure. The physics of the classic "silk thread" locked-room exploit. How microscopic anomalies in everyday objects—from ink alignment to fractured brass gears—become permanent investigative anchors. Thank you so much for your support as always legend and have a FANTASTIC week ahead mates!!!

In Arteetude 337 – Ilens Hopium, Detlef Schlich and Sophia, his AI Co-Host, continue the philosophical journey begun in Arteetude 336, The Collapse of Wonder. After exploring the flood of AI-generated images, Heidegger's question concerning technology, and Ray Kurzweil's vision of technological acceleration, this episode moves closer to the river — not as a simple metaphor, but as a living method of thought.From the Nile of AfricaSmile to the River Ilen in West Cork, Detlef reflects on how rivers carry memory, sediment, wounds, names, and fragile possibilities of hope. The River Ilen becomes more than landscape: it becomes biography, artistic method, local presence, and a counter-image to technological acceleration.The episode explores the origin of the word Hopium, first used playfully by Dirk in relation to the emerging WAW song idea Ilens Hopium. What began as a joke opens into a deeper philosophical space: She — the River Ilen — is hoping for hope. Through Heidegger's lens, Hopium becomes a word that reveals contradiction: hope and suspicion, medicine and poison, survival and self-deception. Through Kurzweil's lens, the river offers another kind of intelligence — not singularity, but plurality; not acceleration, but return; not one final answer, but bend after bend, name after name.The episode closes with a new Los Inorgánicos piece titled “First Mist from the Ilen — Every Bend a Hope / Before the Song Appears.” This is not intended to replace the future WAW single Ilens Hopium, which Detlef and Dirk hope to release later this year. Instead, it functions as a philosophical companion in the universe of multilayerism — a sonic sketch, a small ritual support, and a first mist rising from the River Ilen before the full song appears.Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW albumThe Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young — a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm and myth.The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.The Niles Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Unraveling Jaffa's Secrets: A Shavuot Journey into the Past Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-06-06-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: בוקר אביבי מלא שמש נפרש מעל יפו העתיקה.En: A spring morning full of sunshine spread over Jaffa the ancient.He: רוח נעימה נשבה מכיוון הים התיכון, כשהיא מביאה איתה את ריח המלח והפריחה.En: A pleasant wind blew from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, bringing with it the scent of salt and blooming flowers.He: העיר הייתה מלאה אנשים שחגגו את חג השבועות, הרחובות היו צרות ומרוצפות באבנים כהות, והבתים עשויי אבן ניצבו בגאווה בצדדים, מספרים בלית ברירה את סיפוריהם ממחזורים עברו.En: The city was filled with people celebrating the holiday of Shavuot, the streets were narrow and paved with dark stones, and the stone houses stood proudly on the sides, unwillingly telling their stories from past cycles.He: באחת המרפסות המאובקות של דירה קטנה, ישבה איליאנה.En: On one of the dusty balconies of a small apartment, sat Ileana.He: מכתב מוזר שהגיע אתמול בערב היה במרכז תשומת ליבה.En: A strange letter that arrived last night was at the center of her attention.He: "דב, תראה מה שלחו לי," קראה בקול גבוה אל בן־דודהּ, שהיה שקוע בקריאה בעיתון.En: "Dov, look what they sent me," she called out in a high voice to her cousin, who was engrossed in reading a newspaper.He: "איליאנה, אולי זו מתיחה?En: "Ileana, maybe it's a prank?He: צריך להיות זהירים," השיב דב בנימה ספקנית.En: We need to be cautious," replied Dov in a skeptical tone.He: תמיד היה זהיר, אולי יותר מדי.En: He was always cautious, perhaps too much.He: איליאנה הביטה בו בעיניים נוצצות.En: Ileana looked at him with sparkling eyes.He: "אבל מה אם זה לא?En: "But what if it isn't?He: מה אם יש כאן תגלית היסטורית?En: What if there is a historical discovery here?"He: ""היום זה שבועות," המשיכה איליאנה בהתלהבות.En: "Today is Shavuot," Ileana continued enthusiastically.He: "מה אם יש קשר לחג?En: "What if there is a connection to the holiday?"He: "כשהיא אוחזת בידו של דב, הם יצאו לרחובות, בהנחייתה של רמז ראשון.En: Holding Dov's hand, they set out to the streets, guided by the first clue.He: רמז שנתן להם כיוון - לרדת לכיוון השוק.En: A hint that directed them - to head towards the market.He: "רבקה!En: "Rebecca!"He: " קראה איליאנה כאשר ראו את חברתם משדרת האומנות המקומית.En: Ileana called when they saw their friend from the local art avenue.He: רבקה, שהרבה ידעה על האמן המקומי ועל ההיסטוריה של יפו, הצטרפה אליהם מיד.En: Rebecca, who knew much about the local artist and the history of Jaffa, joined them immediately.He: הרמזים הבאים הובילו אותם דרך סמטאות צרות, חלונות צבעוניים, וגרמי מדרגות חומים ושחוקים.En: The next clues led them through narrow alleys, colorful windows, and brown worn-out staircases.He: בקצה הרחוב, מלא באורות ושירים מחגיגת שבועות גדולה, הגיעו לשער אבנים עתיק.En: At the end of the street, full of lights and songs from a grand Shavuot celebration, they arrived at an ancient stone gate.He: "זה כאן," לחשה רבקה כשהתרגשות במבטה.En: "This is it," whispered Rebecca, excitement in her eyes.He: עם כל צעידתם זה היה כאילו מסע אל עברם של כובשים והיסטוריונים שנשכחו.En: With every step, it was as if they were journeying into the past of forgotten conquerors and historians.He: בחצות הליל, בשקט של ההתכנסות הגדולה לחג השבועות, הם גילו את המעבר הסודי.En: At midnight, in the silence of the great gathering for Shavuot, they discovered the secret passage.He: הוא הוביל אותם לתוך חדר של חפצים ואגרות עתיקים, כתובים בשפות ישנות.En: It led them into a room of ancient objects and letters, written in old languages.He: כל מכתב וכל פריט היה עדות לקיום של אנשים, שבמשך דורות ניסו לשמר את המורשת שלהם.En: Every letter and item was a testament to the existence of people who, for generations, tried to preserve their heritage.He: איליאנה הסתכלה על המכתב האחרון.En: Ileana looked at the last letter.He: דמעות הופיעו בעיניה כשהבינה את משמעות הממצא.En: Tears welled up in her eyes as she understood the significance of the find.He: "זה ממישהו ממוצא משפחתי!En: "It's from someone of family descent!"He: " קראה, מבט של גילוי במבטה.En: she exclaimed, a look of revelation in her eyes.He: בזכות המסע הזה, היא למדה את החובה לשמר את ההיסטוריה מבלי לשכוח את המשפחה והמסורת.En: Thanks to this journey, she learned the obligation to preserve history without forgetting family and tradition.He: גם דב, לראשונה, הרגיש את רוח ההרפתקה והשימור של העבר.En: Even Dov, for the first time, felt the spirit of adventure and preservation of the past.He: והשניים יצאו מהמעבר, הקשובים יותר, ומלאים בגאווה על מה שגילו במעמקי העיר העתיקה יפו.En: And the two emerged from the passage, more attentive, and filled with pride for what they discovered in the depths of the ancient city of Jaffa.He: רחובות העיר הזמרו בחגיגות, בעוד ים מסמא אל האופק, מזמן אותם לחיבוקים של עבר ועבר קרביים משולבים בזרועות הווה.En: The city's streets sang with celebrations, while the sea dazzled to the horizon, inviting them to the embrace of intertwined pasts and present arms. Vocabulary Words:spring: אביביmorning: בוקרsunshine: שמשbreezy: רוח נעימהblooming: פריחהnarrow: צרותpaved: מרוצפותworn-out: שחוקיםgathering: התכנסותstone gate: שער אבניםheritage: מורשתdescent: מוצא משפחתיobligation: חובהdiscovery: תגליתadventure: הרפתקהpassage: מעברconquerors: כובשיםartists: אמןatriums: מרפסותbalconies: מרפסותdusty: מאובקותskeptical: ספקניתtestament: עדותsignificance: משמעותglimmering: נוצצותclue: רמזavenue: שדרותrevelation: גילויpride: גאווהintertwined: משולביםBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Bon jour, and welcome to the show. It's another annual tradition on Time Sensitive where we take you to the French coast of the Mediterranean Sea and recap the world's most prominent and lavish film festival. In fact, this is our eighth Cannes recap on Time Sensitive.The 79th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, which ran from May 12 - 23, 2026, just closed with a controversial Palme d'Or winner, divided critical reception, and an industry increasingly grappling with AI's future.Check us out on...Twitter @TSMoviePodFacebook: Time SensitiveInstagram: @timesensitivepodcastGrab some Merch at TeePublicBig Heads Media  

Fluent Fiction - Hebrew: Amit's Shavuot: A Maritime Tale of Leadership and Unity Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/he/episode/2026-06-03-22-34-02-he Story Transcript:He: בחוף הצפוני של חיפה, בסיס חיל הים היה מלא חיים.En: On the northern shore of Haifa, the navy base was full of life.He: גלי הים התיכון פגעו ברכות על הסלעים, והרוח נשאה את ריח האביב המתוק.En: The waves of the Mediterranean Sea softly hit the rocks, and the wind carried the sweet scent of spring.He: התקופה היתה חג השבועות, והבוקר היה מרוכז בפעילות בהכנות לחג.En: It was the period of Shavuot, and the morning was filled with activity in preparations for the holiday.He: עבור אֲמִית, זו הייתה תקופה גורלית.En: For Amit, it was a crucial period.He: אֲמִית, קצין מסור עם תשוקה לאסטרטגיה ימית, חלם על התוכנית הבינלאומית להכשרה ימית.En: Amit, a dedicated officer with a passion for maritime strategy, dreamed of the international maritime training program.He: זה היה הזמן שלו להראות את כישוריו, אך הצל שלו היה אלְעָזָר - קצין אחר, מוכשר ובטוח בעצמו.En: This was his time to showcase his skills, but his shadow was Elazar - another officer, talented and self-assured.He: רִבְקָה, המנטורית שלו, הביטה אליו בעיניים טובות.En: Rivka, his mentor, looked at him with kind eyes.He: "אתה צריך להאמין בעצמך," היא אמרה.En: "You need to believe in yourself," she said.He: "יש בך פוטנציאל עצום.En: "You have immense potential.He: תתמקד ולא תתן לפחדך להרתיע אותך.En: Stay focused and don't let your fears deter you."He: "ביום שלפני החג, אֲמִית ביקש מרִבְקָה עזרה.En: On the day before the holiday, Amit asked Rivka for help.He: "אני מרגיש לחוץ, רִבְקָה.En: "I'm feeling stressed, Rivka.He: אלְעָזָר כל כך טוב בטבעיות.En: Elazar is so naturally good.He: מה אם לא אצליח?En: What if I don't succeed?"He: "רִבְקָה חייכה.En: Rivka smiled.He: "תזכור שזו גם החגיגה של תורה והתבוננות פנימית.En: "Remember, this is also the celebration of learning and inner reflection.He: שבועות הוא זמן לחשוב וללמוד.En: Shavuot is a time to think and learn.He: תלמד איך לנצח את עצמך.En: Learn how to overcome yourself."He: "ביום המבחן, השמש היתה גבוהה והפלגה ניסיונית החלה.En: On the day of the test, the sun was high, and the trial sail began.He: אֲמִית היה רגוע כשפתאום נשמע קריאה.En: Amit was calm when suddenly a call was heard.He: אלְעָזָר עשה טעות בניווט והספינה שלו סטתה.En: Elazar made a mistake in navigation, and his ship veered off course.He: אֲמִית ידע שזה הרגע שלו - האם להמשיך בדרך שלו או לעזור?En: Amit knew this was his moment—should he continue on his path or offer help?He: בעוצמה פנימית והחלטה ברורה, אֲמִית כיוון את ספינתו לעזור לאלְעָזָר.En: With inner strength and clear decision, Amit directed his ship to help Elazar.He: הם together שלטים את הנעימה וניצלו את המצב.En: Together, they took control of the situation and turned it around.He: הבחירה הייתה ברורה - מנהיגות ועבודת צוות.En: The choice was clear - leadership and teamwork.He: החזרה לבסיס התחושה הייתה טובה יותר מטבעת זהב.En: Returning to the base felt better than a golden ring.He: הוועדה שהייתה צופה, התרשמה מהבחירה של אֲמִית.En: The committee that was observing was impressed by Amit's choice.He: מעבר להישג הטכני, הוא הראה ערכים חשובים לא פחות - שיתוף פעולה ואינטגריטי.En: Beyond the technical achievement, he demonstrated values that were just as important - collaboration and integrity.He: בסוף היום, כשהערב ירד, והאורות נדלקו עבור ליל שבועות, אֲמִית חש תחושת גאווה פנימית שקטה.En: At the end of the day, as evening fell and the lights were turned on for the night of Shavuot, Amit felt a quiet sense of inner pride.He: הוא הבין שמעבר להצלחה האישית, החשיבות הגדולה היא בעשייה למען הקבוצה והעולם.En: He realized that beyond personal success, the great importance lies in doing for the group and the world.He: כך, החדשות על קבלתו לתוכנית התארכמו את שמחת החג.En: Thus, the news of his acceptance into the program added to the joy of the holiday.He: היכן שהתחילה היה זה סיפור על ספקות, הפכה הייתה מסע בנשמה לעוצמה משותפת.En: What began as a story of doubts had become a journey in the soul to shared strength.He: אֲמִית מצא לא רק את מקומו בתוכנית אלא גם את ליבו החזק.En: Amit found not only his place in the program but also his strong heart. Vocabulary Words:shore: חוףnavy base: בסיס חיל היםlif: חייםrocks: סלעיםscent: ריחspring: אביבcrucial: גורליתdedicated: מסורshowcase: להראותshadow: צלself-assured: בטוח בעצמוmentor: מנטוריתpotential: פוטנציאלdeter: להרתיעreflect: התבוננותcalm: רגועnavigate: ניווטveer: סטתהinner strength: עוצמה פנימיתdecision: החלטהintegrity: אינטגריטיpride: גאווהachievement: הישגcollaboration: שיתוף פעולהacceptance: קבלתוjoy: שמחתdoubts: ספקותjourney: מסעsoul: נשמהstrength: עוצמהBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fluent-fiction-hebrew--5818690/support.

Content warning: This episode of Doin' Time contains audio descriptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died, graphic discussions of deaths in custody, massacres and torture.  Ethan Floyd along with other Australians and people from other countries were intercepted at gunpoint in international waters, 1,200 km from Gaza, while trying to deliver life-saving aid to starving civilians in Gaza. After more than 30 hours in detention, Ethan and his fellow humanitarians are free from the genocidal state. However, tens of thousands of Palestinians subjected to systematic abuse and torture remain in these detention facilities. Ethan Floyd joined Marisa for the entire Doin' Time show to talk about the Flotilla. Ethan discussed his participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla of more than 100 boats that were intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea attempting to breach the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. The Wiradjuri, Wailwan activist spoke in detail about being tortured by the Israeli authorities. Listeners may find this distressing. Then Jeanette joined the show. Jeanette is a student activist and member of Students Against War, who's been involved in organising for palestine on campus. Jeanette and Ethan talked about disciplinary procedings by Sydney University, and the university management's disciplinary threats to Students for their "No Exchange with Israeli Apartheid" poster. This was against two students over a Palestine solidarity poster calling for "No Exchange with Israeli Apartheid." The proceedings have just been dropped. Jeanette, Ethan and Marisa also sent Solidarity messages to all the flotilla activists. Marisa spoke quite briefly about the Myall Creek Memorial event happening over the long Weekend. Please refer to the Myall Creek website for more information.

Content warning: This episode of Doin' Time contains audio descriptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died, graphic discussions of deaths in custody, massacres and torture.Ethan Floyd along with other Australians and people from other countries were intercepted at gunpoint in international waters, 1,200 km from Gaza, while trying to deliver life-saving aid to starving civilians in Gaza. After more than 30 hours in detention, Ethan and his fellow humanitarians are free from the genocidal state. However, tens of thousands of Palestinians subjected to systematic abuse and torture remain in these detention facilities. Ethan Floyd joined Marisa for the entire Doin' Time show to talk about the Flotilla. Ethan discussed his participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla of more than 100 boats that were intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea attempting to breach the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza. The Wiradjuri, Wailwan activist spoke in detail about being tortured by the Israeli authorities. Listeners may find this distressing.Then Jeanette joined the show. Jeanette is a student activist and member of Students Against War, who's been involved in organising for palestine on campus. Jeanette and Ethan talked about disciplinary procedings by Sydney University, and the university management's disciplinary threats to Students for their "No Exchange with Israeli Apartheid" poster. This was against two students over a Palestine solidarity poster calling for "No Exchange with Israeli Apartheid." The proceedings have just been dropped. Jeanette, Ethan and Marisa also sent Solidarity messages to all the flotilla activists.Marisa spoke quite briefly about the Myall Creek Memorial event happening over the long Weekend. Please refer to the Myall Creek website (link is external)for more information. 

In Arteetude 336 – The Collapse of Wonder, Detlef Schlich and Sophia, his AI Co-Host, enter the philosophical afterglow of the creative process behind the AfricaSmile music video.What began as an AI-assisted editing process became a deeper question: what happens when the world becomes endlessly imageable? When every vision can be generated, corrected, beautified, animated, and replaced, does art gain new freedom — or does wonder begin to collapse under the pressure of too much availability?Through the lens of Martin Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology and Ray Kurzweil's The Singularity Is Nearer, Detlef reflects on AI not simply as a tool, but as a new mode of revealing the world. Heidegger warns that modern technology turns nature into “standing-reserve” — material waiting to be used. Kurzweil, by contrast, sees technological acceleration as part of evolution, moving toward the merging of human and machine intelligence.Between these two poles, Detlef asks: is AI helping us discover deeper secrets, or are we consuming revelation too quickly? From the Nile of AfricaSmile to the River Ilen of the upcoming Illens Hopium, this episode explores the river as a counter-image to machine speed — a slower force of memory, erosion, sediment, and hope.The episode closes with the new Los Inorgánicos song “Slow the River Down”, a dark, poetic reflection on image overload, artistic dignity, and the need to let mystery breathe.Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW albumThe Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young — a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm and myth.The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.The Niles Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

In Arteetude 335, Detlef Schlich and his AI Co-Host take listeners deep inside the making of the upcoming AfricaSmile video by WAW — not simply as a music video, but as a fragile negotiation between image, friendship, artistic responsibility and technological imagination.What began as a “quick visual accompaniment” slowly transformed into an unexpectedly emotional and philosophical journey. The episode explores the creative tensions between Detlef and Dirk Schlömer, the symbolic worlds of the White Nile and Blue Nile, the controversial removal of the original AI-generated “mythological beauty” figure, and the emergence of a new visual language built from floating tull fabrics, sediments, ritual movement and dissolving landscapes.At the centre lies the mysterious “zero” — the final number in the river countdown system running through the video from source to delta. Initially beautiful, later deconstructed, the zero becomes a symbol for disappearance, convergence, incompleteness and transformation.Detlef also reflects on his ritualistic nighttime working process as a “digital shaman”: candlelight, headphones, darkness and listening “between the lines” of the music in order to discover hidden emotional frequencies.Arteetude 335 becomes a meditation on:artistic friction,friendship,AI aesthetics,visual ethics,mythopoetic filmmaking,and the fragile possibility of hope inside a wounded world.The episode concludes with the video version of AfricaSmile — beginning not with the trumpet intro of the single version, but with the bubbling source of the White Nile itself.Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW albumThe Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young — a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm and myth.The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.The Niles Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/exclusive-content

Among the most intriguing cases emerging from the Pentagon's newly launched PURSUE transparency initiative is a 2023 incident involving infrared footage captured by a U.S. military platform operating near the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. The case, which reportedly involved an object making abrupt "90-degree turns" at roughly 80 miles per hour, has sparked renewed debate about what military sensor systems are actually detecting—and how much the public is truly being shown. This week on The Micah Hanks Program, we break down newly released mission reports, apparent discrepancies between separate witness accounts, and the sophisticated sensor systems involved in the observation, including references to mesh-networked battlefield surveillance technologies and full-motion video tracking systems commonly used in modern ISR operations. Then we shift our attention over to NASA's inclusion of historic Apollo and Skylab "UAP" materials in the recent release, including astronaut reports of mysterious flashes and anomalous lights in orbit—many of which have a likely explanation, and potentially offering a clearer picture of how the U.S. government is now approaching the long-running mystery of unidentified anomalous phenomena. Want to advertise/sponsor The Micah Hanks Program? We have partnered with the AdvertiseCast to handle our advertising/sponsorship requests. If you would like to advertise with The Micah Hanks Program, all you have to do is click the link below to get started: AdvertiseCast: Advertise with The Micah Hanks Program Show Notes Below are links to stories and other content featured in this episode: NEWS: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna endorses AARO Director Jon Kosloski  PENTAGON UFOs: Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters THE "GREEK FLYER": Full Mission Report Document HERE Second Mission Report on Mediterranian Sighting, October 2023  NASA's UAP: References to "Sky Flashes" in this report involving a Skylab Technical Crew Debriefing  SKYLAB SIGHTINGS: Some additional information on the "red satellite" observed by the Skylab III crew ODDS AND ENDS: "Thoughts on the Space Alien Race Question"  The Samford Memo (July 28, 1952)  AUDIO: Maj. Gen. John A. Samford's Statement on "Flying Saucers", Washington, DC, 07/31/1952 BECOME AN X SUBSCRIBER AND GET EVEN MORE GREAT PODCASTS AND MONTHLY SPECIALS FROM MICAH HANKS. Sign up today and get access to the entire back catalog of The Micah Hanks Program, as well as "classic" episodes, weekly "additional editions" of the subscriber-only X Podcast, the monthly Enigmas specials, and much more. Like us on Facebook Follow @MicahHanks on X. Keep up with Micah and his work at micahhanks.com.

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In this study we will take a look at the women within the Bible. We will look at each one of them and see how their story influences our lives today.As we continue our study in this fantastic insight of the Women of the Bible, this morning we will take a look at Rebekah.Rebecca – We can say that she is Ambitious Rebecca was the much-loved wife of Isaac. A woman of Godly character, but not without her human weaknesses. She had twin sons Esau and Jacob. Esau, born first, should have inherited the role of leader of the tribe, but Rebecca judged that Jacob would be better than his brother, so she and Jacob tricked the old man into giving the leadership to Jacob.Names in the Bible often says something about the person:Rebecca means 'ensnarer'Isaac means 'laughter', perhaps a reference to his mother Sarah's laughter when she heard she was to become pregnant in her old ageJacob means 'heel catcher' - either his brother's heel at the moment of birth, or his brother's inheritance later onEsau was nicknamed Edom, which meant 'red'; he was born with a ruddy complexion then spent most of his time outdoors in the sun, so his face and skin may have been unusually red. What her story is aboutThis story shows the gradual fulfillment of the promise made by Yahweh, that Sarah and Abraham would have many descendents, enough to become a nation.The story of Rebecca contains three different episodes: 1 the engagement and marriage of Rebecca(Genesis 24). Rebecca is introduced as a brave and resourceful young woman; she impressed all the people who met her. She was a good match for Isaac.      2 the birth and youth of Esau and Jacob(Genesis 25:19-34). Rebecca gave birth to two sons with very different temperaments. The conflict between them would be the basis for conflict between later generations and nations.3 Rebecca and the blessing of Isaac(Genesis 27). Rebecca manipulated the situation so that the tribe would be led by an intelligent man rather than a popular but shallow man, so that decisions for the tribe would be based on wisdom rather than impulse or emotion.Now we come to Part 2 of the story, The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob In our last study we read the story of Rebekah as Abrahams servant (Eliezer) went back to the homeland of Abraham to bring back a wife for his son Isaac. Now we continue with her story as she is barren and we see Isaac seeking out Yahweh on this issue of Rebekah barrenness.Just as Sarah and Abraham, this was true of Isaac and Rebekah. Rebekah was barren and Isaac prayed for her and Yahweh heard his prayer (Genesis 25:21). Couples need to lift each other up in prayer. There are times when it is your prayers that will help your partner. Rebekah was a woman of prayer and had no less access to Yahweh than Isaac did. Indeed we see her seeking Yahweh over the issue of her children and getting a clear answer (Genesis 25: 22-25). Maybe she had gained her confidence back after becoming pregnant.23.          Two nations are in your womb = What Yahweh said was simple. Rebekah would give birth to twins. The twins would each be ancestors of nations. One of the sons and nations would be greater than the other. The younger son and the nation descended from him would be greater than the older son and his descendants.And the older shall serve the younger = Yahweh commanded that in the case of these twin sons, the long-established practice of privilege for the firstborn be set aside and the younger son be considered as privileged over his older brother. In normal cases, Yahweh recognized the custom of preference for the firstborn and older. Yet Yahweh may upset normal customs and hierarchies to advance His plan and purpose.Despite her beauty, and despite Isaac's love for her, Rebecca did not an easy time of it. She did not conceive for quite some years, and this was considered both a personal misfortune and a sign that she was not favored by Yahweh. Eventually however she became pregnant, but even then it was not plain sailing. She had a difficult pregnancy, since the two babies inside her were constantly moving, so that she had no peace. Like many women before and since, she wondered what she had got herself into.   So she 'went to enquire of Yahweh'. Rebecca was the first woman we hear of who sought Yahweh out and asked Him for some explanation of her condition. This shows her initiative and self-confidence. The method she used to speak with Yahweh is not explained, but a common practice in the ancient world was to consult a prophet or oracle. Rebecca may have followed this practice or, as in Numbers 12:6, the message may have come to her in a dream.   Yahweh told her that'Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.' Couples need to support one another. Taking support from your partner is not a sign of weakness. Rebekah could certainly hear from Yahweh directly, nevertheless she still allowed Isaac to do it when it regarded child birth. My guess is that they had both been praying for children together and as discouragement set in Isaac took it up more aggressively. The next chapter involves Rebecca and King Abimelech in Gerar.The episode is really about water rights in the area, essential to a nomadic people. In the section involving Rebecca (26:1-11), all Rebecca's actions suggest that she was active, not passive, a planner and doer, not a victim. So the episode with Abimelech is likely to have resulted from co-operation between her and Isaac. Indeed, judging from other events in her life, the plan may have originated with her. There was a famine in the land = Though Isaac lived in the land Yahweh promised to his father Abraham and his descendants, it did not mean that life in the land would be without trouble or challenge. As there was a famine in the days of Abram (Genesis 12:10), so there was a famine in Isaac's day.Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar = Isaac began to go south towards Egypt, as Abram did in famine (Genesis 12:10). It seems that Isaac thought to travel along the famous road between Egypt and Canaan that went along the Mediterranean Sea. Gerar was the same place where Isaac's father Abraham met another Abimelech and almost compromised his wife (Genesis 20:1-18). A similar story, comparable in the actions of Yahweh and men, would play out with Abraham's son.The ruler of Gerar was called Abimelech as a title, not as a personal name. This is why both Abraham and Isaac dealt with Abimelech (Genesis 20, Genesis 26). Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!Have any questions? Feel free to email me; keitner2024@outlook.com

In this profound exploration of Matthew 21:40-46, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb unpack the Parable of the Wicked Tenants and its devastating indictment of Israel's religious leadership. The hosts navigate the complex theological terrain of kingdom transfer, covenant faithfulness, and the identity of God's people across redemptive history. With careful attention to the text's original context and its implications for the church today, they examine how Christ presents himself as the rejected cornerstone—the one upon whom people either fall in repentance or are crushed in judgment. This episode offers rich insights into supersessionism, the remnant theology of Romans 11, and the practical call for Christians to examine whether they're submitting to Christ as the true cornerstone or attempting to usurp his rightful place. Key Takeaways The Self-Condemning Verdict: The chief priests and Pharisees unknowingly pronounce judgment upon themselves when they declare the wicked tenants deserve destruction, demonstrating how the natural conscience can discern God's justice even when blind to personal complicity. Kingdom Transfer as Covenant Transition: The "taking away" of the kingdom represents not the abandonment of God's elect remnant but the historical-redemptive transition from the typological Old Covenant administration to the New Covenant church gathered from all nations. The Cornerstone's Double Judgment: Christ as the cornerstone presents two modes of encounter—those who fall upon him in repentance are broken but healed; those upon whom he falls in final judgment are ground to powder with no remedy. Visible vs. Invisible Church Distinction: The visible identification of God's people shifted from the geopolitical nation of Israel to the universal church, while the invisible elect have always been saved by grace through faith in the coming Messiah. Fear of Man vs. Fear of God: The Pharisees' restraint from seizing Jesus due to fear of the crowds (rather than fear of God) exemplifies how the wicked are dominated by human opinion rather than divine accountability. Infant Baptism and Covenant Community: The joyful inclusion of children in the visible covenant community through baptism reflects God's gracious promise sealed to those who contribute nothing to their own covenant status. Fruit-Bearing as Evidence: The "new tenants" are characterized not by works-righteousness but by evidential fruit—the genuine works that flow from "true and lively faith" worked by the Holy Spirit. Key Concepts The Irony of Self-Condemnation The theological and pastoral power of this parable reaches its climax when the religious leaders, failing to perceive themselves as the wicked tenants in Jesus's story, pronounce harsh judgment upon the hypothetical villains: "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end." This moment mirrors Nathan's confrontation of David after the Bathsheba affair, yet with a tragic difference—these leaders never experience David's repentance. Calvin observes that the natural conscience, even when blind to personal guilt, retains an "hidden impulse to identify with justice." The Pharisees demonstrate total depravity in high definition: they possess enough moral clarity to recognize egregious covenant-breaking in the abstract, yet remain entirely blind to their own embodiment of that very wickedness. This irony serves as both judgment and warning—we all possess an uncanny ability to see sin clearly everywhere except in the mirror. Kingdom Transfer: Covenant Continuity and Discontinuity The phrase "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit" requires careful theological handling to avoid both replacement theology (in its pejorative sense) and dispensational fragmentation. The Reformed understanding maintains covenant continuity: there has always been one people of God, defined not ethnically but by faith in the Messiah. What changes is the visible administration of the covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the visible church was largely coterminous with ethnic Israel—a geopolitical reality with boundaries, a zip code, and national identity. Under the New Covenant, the visible church explodes these ethnic and geographic boundaries, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham that "in your seed all nations will be blessed." This is not Plan B; it's the eschatological unveiling of what was always intended. The "breaking off of natural branches" (Romans 11) refers to covenant unfaithfulness resulting in exclusion from visible covenant privileges, while the faithful Jewish remnant—the apostles, early believers, and the ongoing elect from Israel—remain fully incorporated into the church. The vineyard hasn't been abandoned; it's been opened to "other tenants" who will render the proper fruit: Gentiles grafted in alongside believing Jews into the one olive tree of God's redemptive purposes. The Cornerstone: Salvation or Destruction Christ's invocation of Psalm 118:22—"the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone"—followed by his dual judgment ("whoever falls on this stone will be broken...on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust") presents two exhaustive options for relating to Jesus. The cornerstone in ancient construction was the foundational stone by which all other stones found their proper alignment and orientation. To fall upon this stone willingly—in repentance, faith, and self-abandonment—is painful. It shatters pride, self-righteousness, and autonomy. But this breaking leads to healing, to being properly "squared" and aligned with reality as God has constructed it. The alternative is catastrophic: to have the cornerstone fall upon you in final eschatological judgment is to experience irreversible, total destruction—being "ground to powder" with no possibility of remedy. The practical application is urgent: we must examine ourselves continually to ensure we're not attempting to be our own cornerstone, measuring righteousness by our own standards, aligning the universe to ourselves rather than submitting to Christ as the measure of all things. Memorable Quotes "There's never a time where that righteousness is removed or unapplied, but we are constantly faced with a choice as to whether we want to be the kind of people who render our fruit unto the Lord, as the faithful tenants when the unfaithful tenants are replaced. Or do we wanna be the people that reap wicked fruit and keep for ourselves?" — Tony Arsenal "The vineyard of God is still let out, the fruit is still demanded, the cornerstone is still laid. Blessed are they who receive him—and also get those babies into church." — Jesse Schwamb "This is not a wall you're gonna run through. Like you're gonna smash into this wall and it's gonna crush you. And if you are not properly assigning the cornerstone its place... the whole thing is gonna crush you." — Tony Arsenal Full Episode Transcript [00:01:05] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 492 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:01:14] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:01:18] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother.  [00:01:19] Parable Recap [00:01:19] Jesse Schwamb: Well, the time has finally come for us to close out our discussion in Matthew 21. This is the Parable of the Vine growers, and everybody should just go back and list everything we said so far, but I think here's how we could sum it up. Jesus's authority gets challenged and he sets a trap so beautiful that we should put it into a museum. He tells basically the religious bigwigs, this whole story where tenants speed up servants, they kill the air. They generally behave like it's an HOA literally run by the devil. And then he asks them this question, so what should the owner of the vineyard do And the chief priest. Chest puffed up. Basically shout out the answers to their own indictment. Smoke 'em. Give the vineyard to somebody who isn't garbage. Listen fellas, you just preached your own funeral. So in this we get to see this total depravity in 4K. Sovereign grace skips the credential gatekeepers and it lands on the tax collectors and the gentiles. They elect the vineyard, the self-righteous, get the rock. And we're gonna close out what all of that means, including probably not a small amount of talk about the kingdom being transferred, whatever that means, and maybe a little engrafting. Aah, Romans 11 style. It's all there for us. And that is what is coming up. [00:02:34] Affirmations Setup [00:02:34] Jesse Schwamb: Of course before we can do any of that, we can't even get there. Tony, before we do affirmations, denials, you and I both know it's our contractual obligation. It's what the people want all over the world. If we skip this, there will be some kind of riot revolt. So we gotta start there. Let's not get too excited yet. So I'm curious as always, are you affirming with something or you not against something for this episode?  [00:02:58] Tony Arsenal: I am, I'm affirming, uh, this is gonna be like people are gonna grow and roll their eyes a little bit.  [00:03:04] Infant Baptism Joy [00:03:04] Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming infant baptism today. We had a lovely infant baptism at church, um, and a couple recently had a child. Um, there's been, this was a kind of a particularly, um, poignant baptism. Um, the, the mother was in the hospital for several weeks before the baby was born, um, with some medical challenges, so was in. In the hospital. In the hospital for like, I want to say probably four weeks, which is a long time. Um, they have several other children, which makes it even harder. Um, and then, uh, then the baby was in the hospital for quite some time. He came a little early and then had some other issues. Um, and so this family was out of church for quite some time dealing with these health issues, and we, we all miss them very much. So it was a very sweet moment. Um, and it's just a, a good reminder, right? And, and the way our church does it is, you know, the pastor, the family comes up, they do vows, they do the baptism, but he calls all the children forward and the children come and sit, uh, right in the front row and they watch this all happen. Um. Which is, is very sweet. And you know, I, I went up there with Augie, and Augie was sitting on my lap and he was very, he was like super locked into this, this whole thing, which is, uh, which was nice to see. So I'm affirming infant baptism. It's a beautiful, beautiful picture of the gospel. Um, it's, it's God's promise being sealed to someone who contributes nothing to, um, to that promise contributes nothing to, uh, their own, um, position in the church or status in the church. They contribute nothing. Um, in most cases they're not even aware of what's going on. So I know not all of our listeners are, uh, are covenant infant Baptists, uh, type people. Um, so yes, I get it. You disagree, but there is something just sweet and beautiful, uh, even I think even for people who aren't quite sold on infant baptism. Um, and I think even sometimes for people who are kind of opposed to infant baptism, I think we've commented in the PA past that there's kind of this impulse that I think all Christian parents have that their children should be. Treated in a certain way that's different than how a non-Christian family treats their children. Right. Um, so there is kind of this instinct that the, there's, whether it's a formal status or just sort of a, a way of thinking about things, there is this impulse that the children of believers are somehow set apart in different, and of course, the, the Presbyterian Covenant Baptist, um, position would, would formalize that through the rite of baptism, uh, at least in part. So I'm affirming infant baptism, both theologically, but also just experimentally today. Like it was just, it was just a balm to my soul to see this, um. And like I said, the congregation has been praying for a long time for the health, uh, and the, the welfare of this family, um, and been, you know, doing meal trains and all the stuff that churches do. But it was, it was a very sweet moment, um, to see the pastor scoop this little baby up in his arms and be able to sort of introduce him to the church as the newest covenant member of the congregation. Uh, it was just a very nice moment. [00:05:59] Baptism Dedication Common Ground [00:05:59] Jesse Schwamb: I think you're right. We can all agree that there's something really beautiful about God growing his church, at least the visible church, through just the multiplicative effect of. People having children, there's something beautiful about that, and then welcoming them in an official way into your congregation, into your midst. Interestingly, in my church, there was a baby dedication today and I was also equally moved though like I would say the promises that were invoked during that time, the equipment's made are very different than what you might hear during kind of pedo infant baptism. You're right in that the spirit of this that is like a representation kind of bringing forward of the child to say he or she is part of us and we're making a commitment to raise them in admonition of the Lord is a really lovely thing. It's like a public recognition that God is providing a manifest blessing in our midst, and that he is growing and working out his church and he's doing it by just bringing new people into it who are being, who are the subjects of procreation. Creation itself, but procreation and how can you not be like, just excited about that. And, and also a little bit like it's also, and I'm not trying to denigrate any practice here, but also just on the face also super adorable. Like when you, when you see a pastor scoop up, like you said, a little child, whether that's to pray with them and dedication or to baptize them. Either way, it's super just like lovely and just pulls in your heartstrings. Yeah. In like this very spiritual way, not just in kind of an emotional kind of way.  [00:07:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, I don't, I think, um, when I think back, you know, Augie's, obviously you know this, but Augie was dedicated, um, Addie was not. Um, but when I think back to the vows we took, when we dedicated Augie, there are some differences, but there's also a lot that's not different like the sure close to like, raise up your child in the church and to like, pray for them and set a good example. And then, and then the sort of reciprocal vows that the congregation typically takes, that the congregation will do what they can to support the family as they, they raise this child and the Lord. Um, you know, even in, even in a lot of contexts, like in the Presbyterian church, I'm in like prayers that this, this child would come to know Jesus and would, would come to confess the faith for themselves and become a full, you know, full communicate member of the church. Like, those things are all present. So as much as I think, um. As much as I wanna acknowledge that infant baptism or, or covenant, I, I say covenant baptism versus, um, sort of like baptist theology writ, large credo Baptist theology, which is covenantal, but differently covenantal in most cases. Right. Um, even though that is a dividing line, and I think like it's a real dividing line. There's a real division that exists and that there's good theological historical reasons why those divisions exist. There still is so much that is the same. Um, in terms of how Baptists and, and Presbyterians or however formed, you know, PR Christians, um, re reflect on and think about their children. There's some differences, but in terms of like. We all want our children to come to know Jesus. We all want their first memory to be worshiping in the church and loving the Lord. We, we don't want them to ever remember a time where the name of Christ was not on their lips as their savior. Um, all those things are the same and even the, the way we promise before God and, and primarily before God, but before others, even the way we promise to nourish them in, in right doctrine and nourish them in good teaching and bring them into the church and, and set a faithful example. All of those things are the same. So I I I, I never want to diminish the fact that there are differences 'cause there are real differences and there are important differences. But I also think we often sort of like. I think because we've talked about this before, like Reformed Baptists and Presbyterians are so close that we have to bicker over the things that are different. It's like you're, it's like when you fight with your brother on whose side of the room it's on. Like you're so close that you have to find the little things to really bicker about and then you really, really bicker about them. And I think that kind of like describes the, the Presbyterian Baptist divide in a lot of ways. I know there's a lot of people that would say like, Lutherans are closer to Presbyterians and those people are just, I dunno, they're just wrong. Um, on, on, maybe on baptism, they're, they're not wrong. But in terms of general theological principles, like, you know, Westminster Confession, London Baptists, confession, like, it, it's 95% the same content. Sure. Um, and 95% like the same confession, not just the same like words, but the same meaning of the words. And, um, so yeah. Anyway, that's my affirmation. Infant baptism. It was a joy. I was happy to see it. Um, uh, we have a ton of little, little babies in the, the church. It's funny 'cause another, another, um. A couple announced today that they were expecting, and we've, we've had basically pregnant women in the church for, you know, obviously like at least nine months if someone is still pregnant. But like we've had, we've had this like rotation of, of women delivering babies for like, at least, probably, at least 16, 18 months of, of constantly having people who are, are expecting, which is really a great joy to see. So I, I love it. I love the church. I love the Presbyterian church. Um, and this was just another great example of, of the beauty of, uh, a robust confessionalism and a robust presbyterianism. [00:11:08] Jesse Schwamb: The way in which you said that made it sound like you're about to make like a grand historical statement. Like, we've had pregnant people in the church since the first century.  [00:11:18] Tony Arsenal: Well, I mean that's probably true, but  [00:11:19] Jesse Schwamb: yeah, it definitely  [00:11:20] Tony Arsenal: true. Not, not our church. Our church has only been around, our particular church has only been around for like 10 years, so I'm sure there have been times during that period where there were not pregnant people  [00:11:29] Jesse Schwamb: pregnant. It just sounded like we were going all the way back as if like to, again emphasize and maybe this isn't, this is as fair statement, like how faithful God has been like from the beginning. There's always been. Pregnant lady Church. Look, look at how faithful God is.  [00:11:42] Mic Grabbing Babies [00:11:42] Jesse Schwamb: And, and this is true, I like to play this game when there is a baby dedication. I'm not sure what the sound system is like in your church, but often our, our pastors wear like the tiny little like Backstreet Boys style. It's probably outdated reference, but microphone that comes over the ear and to the mouth and it's very discreet. But the game I like to play is like once, once he takes the child for a time of dedication or specifically prayer, the, the goal is to see like how long before that baby goes for the mic. Because as soon as like a baby sees a mic right there, it's like, oh yeah, this is the best thing that's happened to me in my tiny little life.  [00:12:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's like an angler fish is really what it is. Yes. It's like that glowing bulb that just sits in front of its face and it's, the baby's just gotta grab it. [00:12:27] Jesse Schwamb: It's just too tempting. It's just too tempting. And I, and I love, you can tell like our pastors are really adept at being able to keep the prayer going and like discreetly maneuver the child, keep the child happy. It's, it's really an amazing thing. So altogether, I'm totally with you on so many levels. It's so good to see that happen in the church. And I'm with you on that. We gotta take joy in that For sure.  [00:12:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse, what do you got for us tonight?  [00:12:50] Book Breath Pick [00:12:50] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, something that's entirely unlike everything you just said. Certainly. Well, maybe, I guess there is a large spiritual component to this, but it's, I would say, for me, totally unexpected book recommendation and I came across this 'cause it was recommended to me and a while back, the keen or the listener who's been with us for a really long time, or a member that we talked about the book or why we sleep, this book became for me, like the equivalent of that in a totally different kind of topic or genre. It's called breath. The New Signs of a Lost Art by James Nestor and it explores how the way that humans breathe profoundly affects our health, our performance, our longevity. It's a book that is filled with both science and pseudoscience, which the author is really good at distinguishing and calling you to think about those things. But it's really totally changed how I understand like this little pattern in Habits of breathing. And it's a really interesting book of course. Like he draws from a lot of like religious influences, including of course the Judeo-Christian one. And I think that it even drew me back to understanding how God created us. And he did in a very specific way that text's giving some great description to the breadth that he gives us and how he gives us that breath. So if you're looking, I guess, for a little bit of a read, so that might surprise you about something that you might thought was automatic and simple in life and also that might. Be able to bring you some recommendations on how to better your health. Again, we're not doctors, but we are routinely considered among the top 50 healthcare podcasts. Then I would say this would be an interesting book for you to check out.  [00:14:19] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I haven't read it, but it's been recommended to me and one of the, one of the takeaways, actually, I think it might have been my doctor, my my PCP who mentioned this to me is like, if you wanna improve your health drastically, like just make it a practice of breathing through your nose. Yes. Like something that simple and straightforward has pretty significant health impacts of like. Like the way that your brain processes breath when it comes through your nose, the way that like, there's more filtering that happens with breath, so the air that gets to your lungs is cleaner. There's just a lot of, um, I haven't read it. I've, I think I actually have it somewhere, but I have not read it yet. Um, I, I should, I should take a look at it. I, I've heard good things about it.  [00:15:01] Jesse Schwamb: At the very least, if you're a Christian, it'll cause you to marvel again. That's how beautifully complex God has made the human body and how it seems entirely impossible that anyone could even logically reasonably conclude that somehow we are just time plus matter, plus chance, and that all these things got worked out. I don't wanna spoil some of the punchline. A part of the book is about this. Breathe through your nose, which you might think was just kind of an innocuous decision. Breathe through your nose, breathe your mouth. How, how different could it be? They actually do an experiment where they plug their noses, the author and somebody else for, uh, several, like 10 days straight. And do all these these things under medical supervision to see what the impact is. And I'll leave you to read it so you can hear that. There's also something fascinating, absolutely fascinating about carbon dioxide and a study that's done where they actually have people inhale a little bit of carbon dioxide and what it does to the body. In other words, like the system that God has put into play to ensure that the body gets the kind of right amount of oxygen that it needs and how it functions when it's given the warning side of carbon dioxide, even when. Your lung capacity and your oxygen, your blood doesn't change. There's a fascinating section on that. So I didn't expect to be this interested in the book and generally I take a little time before I recommend a book. I finished this a couple weeks ago and I'm still thinking about it. So, and I'm trying to put some things into practice, including I try to do some running and for the longest time I just thought, well, when you run, like even at any like moderate speed, like you have to breathe through your mouth, this book challenges some of that. So lo and behold, I went out and started to try just a little bit to see if I could just breathe through my nose. It turns out it's totally possible, like all this time I just thought that was impossible, like God didn't make us that way, and it's actually improving how I feel when I run and the running that I'm able to do. So I am surprised, I, I'm shocked by all this, and it's just as simple as understanding breath. Who would've guessed.  [00:16:56] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I mean, I've heard it's a great book. I, I, I. It never ceases to amaze that the, the more we look at the human body, the more we look at God's creation, the more we see the fingerprints of our creators. So not, not  [00:17:07] Jesse Schwamb: right.  [00:17:07] Tony Arsenal: Sounds like a great book. I can't recommend it from personal experience, uh, although I've heard very good things.  [00:17:12] Reading Matthew 21 [00:17:12] Tony Arsenal: So, Jesse, I think we should probably just get into it because this is now week three of, uh, one week episode and, uh, we want to wanna dig in and we wanna wrap it up so we can move on to the next best thing out there, which is of course, the parables of Christ. [00:17:26] Jesse Schwamb: Let's get some. So I'm gonna read for us starting in verse 40 because if you've been tracking then you've already been with us through the first part of this parable, and it's notoriously or variously called parable the vine growers, or I kinda like the husband men, just because that's fun to say, and you don't get to drop husband men like very often. But vine dressers, vine growers, vine workers, it's all the same. But here's starting in verse 40. This is after Jesus has already explained the parable. He set it up for them and he's gonna bring for the indictment. So Jesus says, and therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to these vine growers? They said to him, he will bring those wretches to a wretched end and he will rent out the vineyard to other vine growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons. Jesus said to them, did you never read in the scriptures the stone, which the builders rejected? This has become the chief cornerstone. This came about from the Lord in his, marvelous in our eyes. Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they understood that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to seize him, they feared the crowds because they were guarding him to be a prophet.  [00:18:48] Irony Blind Leaders [00:18:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, that, that last little section here is just such, it's like dripping with such irony,  [00:18:53] Jesse Schwamb: so good  [00:18:54] Tony Arsenal: that like they, they are so blinded by their own, um, I dunno, ambition isn't, maybe isn't even the right word, but something in that, that neighborhood, they're so blinded by their desire to. Maintain their own status quo, their own uh, their own status. That they fear the crowds because the crowds hold them to be a prophet,  [00:19:15] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:19:16] Tony Arsenal: When in reality, like there is a prophet in their midst and much more than a prophet, uh, and they can't see it because of their own blindness. So I'm stoked to get into it. This is such, like we said, this is such a, like on the nose, paril, it's crazy. This is so much like, you know, Nathan's, you are the man kind of parable. Like yes, that's right, except there never is a, you are the man moment for them. They never get it, which is. Stunning. Like I, I, it just sort of is like, I don't even know what to make of that. [00:19:41] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. There is like a wild blindness. I've been thinking about that a lot in our past conversations, but it culminates here. These chief priests and elders, I would say strangely, but I think that this is probably true of all of us, and maybe especially me, perhaps not yet, like perceiving themselves to be the vine growers here in view, they render this verdict of severe justice. It seems like you, you wanna say to them? Like, guys, guys, pull up, hold up a second. Yeah. Take a step back before you overreact here, because you're about to condemn yourselves and in the Greek here, this expression like, miserably destroy these wicked men. Or it gets like this double wretched in our translations. Mostly he will bring those wretches to a wretched end. It's this rhetorical intensification. It's incredible. And I, I think there's at least like two truths here. That come to my mind. One is, we've talked about before, but is in line with what you're saying, that the natural conscience, when not even aware of its own complicity, can still discern the justice of God's judgments. So here are these men who are so prone almost, I think what Calvin says elsewhere, like that we have this hidden impulse to identify with justice. Even when we can't see that we are the ones perpetrating something of injustice, still we can't help but cry out. We can't even help but identify it. And here they. Accurately identify it. And even though they're putting themselves exactly in the cross here, they cannot help but basically cry out that how egregious this behavior is of these vine growers that Jesus has basically, you know, created in this hypothetical environment, even still there, they're filled with rage and the rage gets turned on them. So the Pharisees here, of course, function as this unwitting witness to the righteousness of God's wrath against covenant breakers, even though they, they don't see it.  [00:21:29] Kingdom Transfer Talk [00:21:29] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, the second thing I think that comes to my mind, and maybe this is like more to the point, is that. The verse foreshadows this transfer of the kingdom from the Jewish nation to a new people that would bring forth its fruits, which I realize if I bring that up right now, that we've just committed to like six episodes just on that topic probably. But yeah, but like, we're gonna have to come to it because there's so much here. And the phrase of this, like, let out his vineyard unto other vine growers or husbandman, it does to me like anticipate this calling of the Gentiles and the formation of the Christian Church and in, in this way. It's not to me. The abandonment of the elect, remnant of Israel, but it is like the breaking off of the natural branches and then this engrafting of the wild olive shoots that come through like Allah, Romans 11. So it's, it's not like from one nation to another simply, but from like the carnal seed to a spiritual seed gathered out of all the nations, that that's wild. Right? I, I think that's all in view here. And it's like a kind of a crazy thing to say. It's certainly like a wild thing to say, no pun intended. And I imagine like, unexpected thing to say.  [00:22:38] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:22:40] Supersessionism Clarified [00:22:40] Tony Arsenal: Let's think about that a little bit because I think too, there's, there's almost an element of, um. Man, I'm gonna get a lot of flack for saying this. You're, there's almost like a legitimate replacement theology here, right? Like replacement theology. I got covenant theology, you know, reformed, um, reformed theology often gets slandered as, you know, supersessionism or replacement theology, uh, with this idea that like, it's, it's interest. Uh, you have to have dispensational presuppositions for that phrase to even make sense because like the reformed paradigm is that there is one people of God full stop. And yes, like the identity of the one people of God seems to sort of like morph from the Jewish national people to now like Jews and Gentiles and actually predominantly Gentiles in the scope of like the whole history of the church. But what I mean by this is like, there's a visible church in the Old Testament, in the old, under the old Covenant, and the visible church under the old covenant is the national people of, of Israel. Right. By and large. Right. Um, and there are, there are sort of like Gentile, um, Clingons, not like the Star Trek people, but like gentile, like attachments to that throughout the history of, of Old Testament, um, theology. Um. That visible, that visible identification of this is the people of God being the Jewish people. Uh, these are the people that are the vineyard, the, they're the, the owner or the tenants of the vineyard or the, the visible Jewish people of the geopolitical nation of Israel under the old covenant that does sort of like get superseded by the church in the church age, in the new covenant,  right?  [00:24:24] Tony Arsenal: But where, where Supersessionism or the accusation of Supersessionism goes wrong is that there is this distinction between the visible and invisible church. And that distinction is what prevents us from being like, sort of like true replacement theologians in the way that the, the dispensationalist wanna paint us. So I, I think you're right that there is a lot to say here about the fact that, um, and, and this is where it gets, um. We have to be careful systematically. Right. God, God doesn't have to pivot. He doesn't have like a plan B. It's not like the Gentiles are the plan B, but there is a sense in almost in which the way that this is presented, the way that it appears in the scriptures is actually, yeah, there is almost like this plan B, like there is the geopolitical ethnic people of, of Israel, the Jewish people under the old covenant. And, and they don't do what they're supposed to do. They don't follow the terms of their covenant. They don't accept the kingdom that is bequeathed to them under the terms of the old covenant. And they, they reject that kingdom because of a disobedience. And, and I think what Christ here is narrowing in on is it's not just disobedience, right? It's not sort of like, um, accidental ancillary disobedience. It's not generalized disobedience. It is this sort of like usurpation of God's rightful status as the ruler and king of the nation. That's right. The the people, the, the Pharisees. And the chief priests and the scribes and the Sadducees, they want to be the rulers of the nation. They want to, they, they seem to wanna take the place of God, at least as far as Christ is presenting it. In this, they wanna usurp the kingdom. They want to take the heirs, uh, rightful inheritance, and they want to claim it for themselves. That is not a generalized disobedience, it's a special t type of covenant unfaithfulness that causes God to causes and kind of air quotes that causes God to hand over the kingdom to another people. Right. Partially, I think, uh, we don't need to get into Romans, the Romans 11 stuff, but partially I think because that's actually the way that he's going to ultimately save the Jewish people, right, is by sort of making, making them jealous of the Gentiles. Like there's a, there's a real element of that, that the salvation of the Gentiles is actually for, in some sense is for or unto the salvation of the Jewish people or the, the faithful Jewish remnant that's all here. And, and you can't really get past that in this parable. Um, this is why I think a, a lot of dispensationalist, um, uh, some of the classic dispensational sources would actually see like this, this is not for the Jewish church. This, this is for the Gentiles. This is actually part of the parentheses, um. You know, and, and again, dispensationalist divide all that stuff up differently, but this is a really interesting section for us to talk about that we can't, we can't just gloss over that. [00:27:11] Jesse Schwamb: I certainly don't mean to imply that it's wild because it's unexpected. I think it's wild because interestingly, the Pharisees, the teachers here, they challenge Jesus authority and his response to that is to challenge their covenant faithfulness.  [00:27:24] Tony Arsenal: Right?  [00:27:25] Jesse Schwamb: So it's not just if he turns it around, he uses this opportunity to explain what's going to happen to them as those who are, like you said, were supposed to be representative. And I think critically like the qualifying phrase. That that's using the text here, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. That's like really important because these new vine growers are characterized by their fruitfulness. So this is not like a doctrine of works righteousness, but it's evidential fruit. And that's why, and I had to look this up and the Westminster Confession confession, chapter 16, good works are quote the fruits and evidences of true and lively faith, which I love. I was trying to find that language true and lively faith. So the visible church under that new administration is identified by the fruits of repentance, faith, and obedience worked out by the Holy Spirit. Again, I think that's all that is in view here, that that's a lot to say. But you know, famously, like you've kind of intimated, when we go back to the Old Testament, even we find when the Israelites leave triumphantly from Egypt, that they're accompanied by those outside of Israel. We find that other characters like Grh who continually want to identify with a Yahweh whom God is saving and drawing onto himself and here is kind. Him, Jesus, at least representing as the son of God. That kind of cli climactic view. Speaking from the prophet register again saying, this is what I was saying to Abraham. I said, like from your seed, all these nations in this spiritual sense will be gathered out. So there'll be a single nation as it were in Christ. And even now, I'm telling you, I'm breaking down those boundaries. But I think to your point, importantly Tony, in part because you have failed in the covenant promises and you who were to represent and to heed and to lead, have fallen down. And so now you're gonna trip over this stone and it's going to crush you. And as a result of that, the vine, the vine growers will be, or the vineyard itself will be turned over to those who bear this true and lively fruit.  [00:29:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:29:23] Israel Failure Remnant [00:29:23] Tony Arsenal: There's an interesting, um. There's an interesting dynamic here that actually strikes me as kind of similar. It's a little bit more opaque, but similar to, uh, like Joseph in, uh, in Egypt, right when his brothers come and he says, you meant this for evil, but God meant it for good. Mm-hmm. There's a, there's an element of here, we've talked about the parables. That's sort of like systematic theology in story form. Um, there's a reality here that it's both true, that God always intended for the kingdom to be expansive and, and to expand beyond the nation of Israel. To be this universal, global lowercase c Catholic, universal church universal in the sense that it's not bound by any particular nation, by any particular geopolitical reality. Um. That's true, but it's also true that the reason, uh, on a sort of like horizontal level that that's true is that Israel failed. Right? It so God always intended for Israel to fail, yet Israel is responsible for the fact that they failed. Yes, that's right. Um, and, and, and again, we, we, we sort of commented on this before, like there are some in our broader reformed circles that turn this into a sort of antisemitism, like a sort of hatred for the Jewish people. And I don't think, I don't think that there's any warrant in scripture for that. In fact, I think scripture speaks strongly against that. Is that, um. Not necessarily because there's any particular unique special affection that God has for Israel, like, like the modern Jewish people, but, but that, like racism in general is prohibited by the Bible. But I think where we do need to be clear though, is that there is a real failure. It's a true, genuine failure on the part of the first century Jewish. Leaders and people, um, with a faithful remnant. Right? There was, um, we're, we're getting, you know, we're in the springtime and we've already had, uh, we've already had discussions about this. We've already done Easter, but like there is always conversations around Palm Sunday of like, are the crowds that are following Jesus into, into town screaming, you know, yelling, Hosanna? Is that the same crowds that are yelling crucify him a couple days later? Um, I tend to think like, no, like actually, like the people who are saying crucified, crucify Christ are probably like the Jews who live in Jerusalem or like the, primarily the religious leaders. There's a whole host of Jewish believers and kind of the hoy pallo, the, the people out in the country that absolutely follow Jesus. Like they follow him as the Messiah. They, they confess him in many cases. They convince him to be, um, they confess him to be God, to to be the savior, to be the, the figure from Daniel seven, the son of man. Um. There's a reality in which the Jewish remnant absolutely recognize Christ and they persist in the church, right? The earliest Christians were all Jews, and you know, there was a few Gentiles along the way, you know, and maybe not even Gentiles like Samaritans. I don't even know if you would call them gentiles. They're kind of this midway point, but in Jewish gentil. But there are people throughout Christ's ministry, right? Cornelius or not Cornelius, the Centurion recognizes that this is the son of God. Like there are people, the s Phoenician woman, there are people who are not part of Israel proper, who even in the, in the midst of Christ's ministry are recognizing him as God and as Messiah and as the savior of the world. But, but by and large, the earliest Christian movement was Jewish people. It was the faithful remnant of, of Israel who recognized that their Messiah had come. That is true. And at the same time. The, probably the majority, and especially the rulers and the leaders of the Israel, you know, the Jewish faith in the first century absolutely rejected him. And this is what I, this is what I think is wild, is I think sometimes we think that, um, the prophecies and the understanding of Christ and what the messiah, who the Messiah was to be and what to expect, we think of those as like super obscured and super hidden until Christ comes and then all of a sudden they're really obvious. Christ doesn't seem to treat them that way. Right? Right. He tells this parable and they rightly identify that, and this is a, this is such a thinly veiled parable. Like this is like, you killed the prophets. You're going to kill me. And there's going to be consequences. Like he practically says that outright. Um. He treats that as like they should obviously know this, right? The, have you never read in the scriptures, the stone, the builder rejected has become the cornerstone, right? This was the lord's doing. It is, and it is marvelous in their eyes that have you never read?  [00:34:06] Decree in Rejection [00:34:06] Tony Arsenal: That is a, that's a rhetorical question with the implied answer of, of course, you've read exactly like he's not, he's not teaching them something that he anticipated is new to them. He maybe is teaching them something that he anticipated they maybe you didn't recognize. But actually I think probably like, uh, there probably were many among them that were like, oh yeah, we are doing this. But then almost like we're powerless to stop themselves from moving forward in that.  [00:34:32] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:34:32] Tony Arsenal: Sort of like wicked plan. [00:34:34] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah. And I think we could extend that as well to say that this rejection of Christ by this Jewish leadership, which of course was a incredible failure, like you're saying, it wasn't an accident, it wasn't an unforeseen tragedy. So just like interestingly in Acts four in his sermon where Peter quotes from the same Old Testament passage about Christ being the cornerstone, you know, it was prophesied long before. And so the doctrine of God's eternal decree, I think finds v vivid illustration even here. This is all the Lord's doing. Yeah. And even the wicked rejection of the Messiah is serving this purpose, this sovereign purpose of God's great exaltation. And so it's fascinating, and we should marvel at the fact that, again, like God means what he says when he says like He uses what is weak to overcome that which is strong, or to embarrass the strong, he uses that which seems foolish. To make the wise themselves, the ones who are actually foolish in the same way.  [00:35:29] Cornerstone Unites Church [00:35:29] Jesse Schwamb: This very stone, which men in their malice cast aside on that day. God is in his wisdom setting as this chief cornerstone. And I love like that idea of this phrase, this head of the corner denoting that amazing preeminence of Christ, that Christ is not merely included in the building of the new Covenant church. He is its chief and constituent stone that joining together both like the Jew and the Gentile, finally into one structure. And that's really, I think to your point, that's the great mystery of the hidden ages from the past. That that's the thing which Christ is bringing to like this grand display, like out on the stage in the open, in front of everybody. He's drawing it up, he's calling it to account. And so in that way, the same Jesus that was rejected by men is in God's account of inestimable value. And that should be like, I think, familiar to most of us because like there a form tradition has always insisted that. The true theology always issues in doxology and the cross and exaltation of Christ are not merely these facts, which we give these intellectual ascent, but we, we confess them as mysteries which provoke us to adoration of who God is. It's the excellency of Christ expounding at length, like the wondrous conjunction of Christ's humiliation and his exaltation, which finds its pattern here, rejected by men, glorified by God.  [00:36:50] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:36:52] Works Covenant Failures [00:36:52] Tony Arsenal: And, and this is, um, we, we commented in our first, uh, episode on this par ball. This is not isolated to just the rulers of Israel at the time of Christ, right? This is in reality, kind of like a reflection of every failure of the covenant of works. In some sense, every failure to hold the covenant of works boils down to an attempt to make oneself, God. Right. This was Adam's failure in the garden. Um, Eve, Eve was the first person to eat the fruit, but Adam, Adam was responsible for that and he, he also ate the fruit and they, they did so in part because they thought it was useful to make them like God and, and in an illegitimate fashion. And they knew it was an illegitimate fashion. It's not as though Adam and Eve suddenly were like, maybe we can eat the fruit. Maybe like we actually are fine to do it. Like they knew it was still forbidden. Right. They did it anyways. And the Pharisees here, um, are in a real attempt. Um, they are trying to take the role of Messiah for the people. They're trying to be the savior of the people in sort of shepherding and guiding them into this like. Ultra legalistic Puritan, like puritanical in the worst sense, um, kind of approach to the law. Um, this is the, the story of Old Testament Israel, right? What is the first thing that the Israelites do? Um, at Mount Sinai? The first thing they do is try to fashion gods so that they have a tame God that they can control and that they can actually be God's over. So I think this is really key and, and this is where it becomes practical for us, is that. I think we always are faced with a choice, right? There's, there's obviously those who are Christ, who the son is set free. He's set free indeed, and they will never not be his people. Like you never become not justified. If you were justified, you always forever more are justified. Justified is a final. It's, it's the future judgment of God's people dragged and dropped into the present and applied. It's the righteousness of Christ applied. So there, there's never a time where that righteousness is like removed or unapplied, but we are constantly faced with a choice as to whether we want to be the kind of people who render our fruit unto the Lord, uh, as the faithful, the sort of the implied faithful tenants that are going to be brought forward when the, the unfaithful tenants are replaced. Or do we wanna be the people that reap wicked fruit and keep for ourselves? And I think that's, that's really the thing. Like we're either gonna rep. Fruit of wickedness, or we're gonna reap fruit of righteousness. And the only thing to do with fruit of righteousness is surrender it to the Lord. But we often are faced with that choice, like, are we gonna reap our own wicked fruit and keep it all to ourselves right, uh, to our own detriment? Or are we gonna go ahead and be the faithful tenants that give the Lord what he deserves?  [00:39:46] Kingdom Transfer Explained [00:39:46] Jesse Schwamb: We're seeing so much of the simplicity of God here that like you and I have said so many times before that his loving kindness, his long suffering ness is his righteousness, is his justice, is his wrath. And so I think it's helpful, again, to remind ourselves that we're, we are talking, or he specifically is speaking of the kingdom of God here. And again referring to this visible administration of the covenant of grace, not to the inward and invisible kingdom of saving grace, which as you just said, can never be lost from those who possess it, which by the way is a really important distinctive of reform theology. There are many that would disagree with that statement, and I think really much to their harm in, in disagreement with the scriptures themselves, this one in particular, but it is this external administration, the privileges, the ordinances, the oracles of God. That is being transferred from the Jewish nation as a corporate body to a new and broader people of God. And because I know that sounds very extreme, I did look up Calvin and his commentary on this and let me read what he says because this is interesting. I think even this could possibly mis be misunderstood. But here's Calvin who can say it better than I. He says, quote by these words, he means that God would deprive the Jews of the honor and the privilege of being his peculiar people and would call the Gentiles that out of them he might form a church end quote. And going back to what you said earlier, I'm with you. I, I. I mean, this is not, I think as some have wrongly concluded, like replacement theology in like a wooden sense. I, I see this still as like this historical redemptive transition from the typological administration of the old covenant to the eschatological fulfillment of the new. And the elect remnant of Israel is not cast off, but the national like typological privileges are being transferred to the Catholic church, gathered from all nations. And in that, I really do see this wonderful confluence of God's loving kindness, his, his fidelity to the promises that he's made and his wrath being manifested all at once. And somehow Jesus, of course, in complete perfection, can bring that all to bear in this tiny little story.  [00:41:51] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And and isn't it just like the master teacher to like, put all of this baked into this? I mean, that's right. We think of this as like a long parable, like I think,  [00:42:02] Jesse Schwamb: right?  [00:42:02] Tony Arsenal: I think like it's, it's amazing how we think of parables as, you know, like this is a short one. A short one is a couple sentences, a long one is like a half a dozen sentences. Like, and of course like Christ is teaching broader than this. He's teaching more than this. Just, this is what's recorded by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This is what Matthews preserved for us.  [00:42:22] Stone Breaks or Crushes [00:42:22] Tony Arsenal: But you're right, there's so much baked into this little parable and I think, um, there's something to be said about this idea of like. Not only do those who smash against the, the rock, the, the cornerstone, those who smash against the rock, like those who who fall on the rock are broken to pieces, but also the rock falls on others and smashes them to pieces. Right? And, and there's something to be said about the fact that, and I'm not exactly sure how I wanna articulate this, but it's only those who like recognize the proper place of the rock and don't either let it fall on them or don't smash themselves against it. You know, we always joke about like running through a wall. Like this is not a wall you're gonna run through. Like you're gonna smash into this wall and it's gonna crush you. And if you are, if you're not properly assigning the cornerstone it's placed, right? The cornerstone is, is the stone that's placed in the foundation of a building that all the other stones find their orientation and their proper alignment based on. [00:43:26] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:43:26] Tony Arsenal: You might think of this sometimes. I've heard this articulated as like the, the arch stone. I think it's a little bit different than that. Um, but it, the, the idea is the same, right? Like there's a stone in an arch. If you think of like a classic Roman arch, you have these piles of stones until you put the final arch stone in. That, in that stone is what makes the arch stable. Until that point, either side can fall, but if you don't properly set that arch stone where it's supposed to be, then the whole thing is gonna crush you. It's gonna fall down on top of you at some point. I think this is a little different. This is the cornerstone of a, this is more like the cornerstone of a building. This is the stone that the rest of the building, building is oriented against and is aligned with. If you get that wrong, then you have a, you have like a crooked wall, a wall that's not set, that's not straight. It's not stable. What this is saying and what this, this prophecy right from, from Psalm one 10, I think I should probably look it up, but I haven't yet. But this prophecy that Christ is referring to this, this prophetic statement in the Psalms that he's assuming the audience is familiar with, right? I think that's a really important point. Like he's not only assuming that they're familiar with it, there's rhetorical force of kind of like, of course you understand this principle that there is a cornerstone coming. There is something or someone who is coming that all other things will be measured against. And if you're either in alignment with this, with this person who is coming or you're out of alignment with reality, this thing is understood by them. It just is so critical and I think like the, the, a lot of the parables don't have explanations built into them. Some of them do. We've talked about some of them. A lot of them don't, this one does, but it's kind of like a really surprising way to explain it. And there's so much, um, the more that I look at this, the more we talk about it, this really is so similar to David and Nathan, right? Right. When with the, the affair with Bathsheba, he is saying to the Pharisees, look, you're the man. Like, you're the one here. You're the guy. You guys are the wicked tenants that are gonna, you've killed the prophets. Right? Um, I'm losing my, my timeline a little bit, but John the Baptist either had been executed or would be executed shortly at this point, right? So like the, the most recent prophet either was already killed or, or Christ knew of course he was going to be killed. Um, he's saying, look, you guys are the ones that are doing this and you're going to kill me. Right. And this is obviously what the prophecy is, that you think you're going to come against the cornerstone, but in reality you're going to shatter yourself upon me. You think you're gonna come against me, I'm going to crush you. And rather than say, you know, as ba, you know, as David does, where he repents, he, he fasts and he, he refuses to eat. He's, he's in mourning over both the loss of his infant, but, but more so over his own sin, I think is the picture the text gives us. Um, he's mourning trying to uh, sort of like reverse God's decision, but there's a genuine repentance to it, right? That's where we get Psalm 51, like creating, clean me a clean heart, oh God, renew a right spirit in me. There's none of that for the Pharisees, there's none of that for the sadist of the chief priests. They just continue to smash themselves against this rock, not recognizing that it's actually the rock that is crushing them. [00:47:05] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's, it's a bit like, I'm gonna speak like a little maybe beyond my depth here, but there's a little bit of like that Nathan, like Strategem, and then this is where I'm outside my own experience. And then a little bit like maybe like WWE the rock in terms of like. If you want some come and get some, right? It's a little of both. And of course the passage ends very tragically, well ends humorously by them, you know, saying that at some point they were like, they understood in these parables, again, this is one of three of the same kind of topic of variety, but that Jesus was referring to them, which is funny. You wanna be like, yeah, it took a, took a long enough, I guess, guys, but you finally got it. But then that last sentence of like, they still sought to kill him. So to your point, even after all of this, there wasn't repentance. And we do get these, I think, two very distinct judgements that are depicted here, which you've already kinda led us into this first, like, whoever shall fall on the stone shall be broken. You know, to me, I think that's invoking this idea that in this life, there we are, we can be brought to brokenness through the gospel and to fall upon Christ. And repentance. And faith is to be broken in self, in pride and self-righteous. It's a breaking that does lead to healing. But this second judgment, you know the one, but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder, grind him to dust, I mean. Man, think about what a vivid image that is. I mean, that's like the more terrible of the two. That that's like the, yeah. Final Es logical judgment of those who persist in unbelief and it, it admits there's like no remedy. So there are only two ways to relate to Christ. You either fall upon him willingly in faith and repentance, which is painful, but it is saving, you know, to have him fall upon us in judgment is final in damning, and so that's what Christ presents here. [00:48:48] Psalm 118 in Context [00:48:48] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's both of these things and you're right, it is brilliant that he goes to Psalm one 18 even that as a setup, because as you've kind of already said, I love to think, of course that's, can you manner the tone in which this was said to these scribes and Pharisees? Because of course the, the secondary indictment here is like, listen, you guys who like your great pride is that, you know, the scriptures really well. Have you read this part is familiar to you. Yeah. Can you tell me where that is? So like, we, we should go there just, just quickly. This is Psalm one 18 because I think that here again is, as I'm hearing it in context. There are some verses surrounding this that I think we might be surprised that they come right on the heels of this idea of the stone. So just a couple verses. In Psalm one 18 being in verse 22, the stone, which the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone. This is from Yahweh. It is marvelous in our eyes. Here's the verses that we might not recognize. Come right after it. This is the day which Yahweh has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Oh, Yahweh, save. Oh, Yahweh, succeed. Blessed is the one who comes in the name of Yahweh. We have blessed you from the house of Yahweh. Yahweh is God, and he has given us light by the festival sacrifice with corns to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to you. You are my God, and I exalt you. Give thanks to Yahweh for his good, for his loving kindness endures forever. And so this idea that there's rejoicing in which day, I mean, usually we kinda say that it's like, well, it's a beautiful day out. It's the Lord's day. This is the day that Yahweh is like that. That's true. But also here in particular, it is this blessed day of Yahweh giving the stone, which the builders reject and which has become the chief cornerstone. And that stone is some will run headlong into and shipwreck their lives and others will be crushed underneath it. And guess what? This is the day which Yahweh has made and we're gonna rejoice and be glad in that.  [00:50:41] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:50:43] Mark's Angle on Fear [00:50:43] Tony Arsenal: The other thing I think, you know, we. Should, um, maybe not spend any time on, 'cause we're at like, out, like minute 50 of a 60 minute podcast. But just going to, to Mark's version of this parable real quick. Um, starting in verse, uh, this is chapter 12, verse 12. It says, and they were seeking to arrest him, but feared the people for, they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away. And the, the main difference here, the reason I'm reading this is Mark chooses a d. Concerning them. The verb is, or the preposition is Perry. So it's kind of like this idea that he was, he was sort of speaking around them. He was talking about them. Mark uses the, the preposition, proce, which is not, um, not against, in like the same, uh, direct sense. We might use the word against. That would be something like Kada. Um, but he's, he's speaking this parable towards them or to them, um, against them. He's, he's directing the parable at them. And this is, this is, we, we commented on this a little bit in the, the first episode here. Um, he is speaking to the crowds. But he's telling the parable about or against or concerning the Pharisees and the scribes, and they perceive this, right. The, the gospels here don't say that the crowds perceive this. Right. And I think that's key. Like the Pharisees basically look at this and say, uh, we better get this under control because he's talking about us. Right, right. Like, I'm just picturing Paul Washer's. I'm not trying to say Paul Washer is a Pharisee, although some people would probably make that connection. But like I'm, I'm just hearing Paul Washer's voice saying like, I don't know why you're clapping. I'm talking about you. He's speaking to the Pharisees here. And it's interesting because Matthew associates the, the, uh, Pharisees. Cowardice in acting against Christ, uh, because they fear the crowds and because the crowds believe Christ is a parable or is a prophet Mark associates. And again, both of these things are true, right? This is holy scripture. This is inspired, these are not contradictory accounts. This is facets of the same diamond. Mark associates this with, they fear the crowds. Um, because they had taken him. They, they understood that the parable was being spoken against them, right? So there's this element that the Pharisees are not only understanding that the, the parable is about them, they feared them because the crowds believe that Christ is a prophet and that prophet is speaking this parable against them, right? So like they're, they're recognizing full on that it's only a matter of time before the, the general population, the general people that are listening to Christ recognize that he's overturning. Not only the Pharisees, the entire geopolitical nation of Israel, he's overturning the ethnic based reality, the geopolitical based reality, that God's people have a zip code and that zip code is Jerusalem. That zip code is this little si, this little tract of land the size of like Vermont and New Hampshire in the Mediterranean, like off the Mediterranean Sea. He's overturning that. And the, the Pharisees, the educated people, the, the Sadducees, the chief priests, the rulers, they recognize it's only a matter of time before the people understand what Christ is doing. They, they follow him as a prophet and this is what he's prophesying. And

A podcast before a cruise? Oh you know it had to be done! Bryan and Mario give you all another rousing episode before the high seas call our Argentinean man to the shores of south Europe.Mario can't go on his first European excursion without giving us a story on how he witnessed a near-death situation on the road, and how he was having an internal discussion with himself about whether or not that high school girl kind of deserved what happened when you try to beat traffic crossing the street.The guys are also recommended to check out some video games that are so off the wall and crazy, that city governments banned them! Will they still search for them to add to their collections? It may not be a zero percent chance.Plus, Forza Horizon 6 is finally making it to the public, where the dreams of driving and drifting your way through Japan are realized. Just how many hours will be logged until GTA 6 is released?There was some utterly jaw-dropping moments in English lower league soccer, teaching a new follower the ways of our sound effects, and Bryan providing us with some low frame rate action on camera.All this and more from a podcast going on a short break while cruising across the Mediterranean Sea!

What begins as a simple story about a local playlist becomes a deeper meditation on independent music, visibility, community, and the emotional labour of self-promotion. Detlef looks back at the old DIY days of band promotion — photocopied flyers, cut-and-paste posters, pubs, record shops, and paper under car windscreens — and compares them with today's digital rituals of links, WhatsApp messages, Instagram stories, Spotify streams, and online voting.At the centre of the episode is The Cork Playlist, created and curated by Neil Quinn, as an important cultural platform for Cork music. Detlef considers how such local initiatives interrupt the disappearance of music in the endless streaming machine and create a space where artists can be heard, compared, supported, and discovered.The episode also tells the dramatic and slightly comic story of WAW's three-day voting campaign: the excitement, the constant refreshing, the stress, the WhatsApp group mistake, the quick lesson in digital boundaries, and the realisation that promotion must remain an invitation — not an invasion.WAW reached second place with 465 votes, while Stacey Dineen deservedly won first place with her beautiful song “Stay.” Rather than framing this as defeat, Detlef and Sophia explore second place as evidence of resonance: a sign that Africa Smile moved through people, networks, friends, strangers, Cork, West Cork, Germany, and beyond.The episode closes with gratitude to everyone who voted, shared, listened, added the song to playlists, and carried it further — before playing “Africa Smile” once more as the end-song.Two rivers meet.Two artists listen.One wounded hope keeps moving.Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandFrom the forthcoming WAW albumThe Stories of Nil YoungTwo songs from WAW's developing album project The Stories of Nil Young — a mythopoetic journey along the Nile, where river, memory, loss, cooperation and hope flow into music.AfricaSmileAfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources to the Mediterranean Sea — a river of memory, movement, rhythm and myth.The song turns the meeting of the White Nile and the Blue Nile into a fragile image of cooperation. It is not a naïve peace anthem, but a wounded musical hope: two different currents meeting, listening, and still moving forward together.The Niles Bittersweet SongThe Nile's Bittersweet Song is the first official single by WAW / Wild Atlantic Way — Detlef Schlich and Dirk Schlömer.The song follows the Nile as a river of memory, beauty, loss and contradiction: a life-giver, but also a force that can take away what it once nourished. Through the story of Kamau, it becomes a poetic reflection on childhood, fragile hope, and the emotional landscape carried by a river that is both kind and cruel.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.Inspired by East African storytelling traditions and shaped along the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork, The Nile's Bittersweet Song is a mythopoetic musical journey about water, grief, resilience, and the deep human longing to keep moving with the current.WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/donations

Trade, Taiwan, and Tehran high on agenda for Trump-Xi summit in Beijing. BC Supreme Court to deliver verdict in trial of former RCMP officer accused of colluding with China. Sea-Watch says the Libyan Coast Guard shot at its members trying to save migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Australia scales back tax breaks for property investors in effort to help young people enter housing market. Dunkin Donuts takes another shot at entering the Canadian coffee market. Crew of Artemis II space mission in Canada meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney and schoolchildren.

For this episode, Sophia steps aside. No AI Co-Host, no mediated interview frame — just a direct artist-to-artist dialogue about the long journey of a song that began with early vocal recordings in West Cork, travelled back and forth between Kilcrohane, Adrigole and Berlin, and slowly found its final shape through musical exchange, disagreement, patience, trust and shared imagination.AfricaSmile follows the Nile as an imagined journey from its sources towards the Mediterranean Sea in less than five minutes. But the Nile is never only water. It is memory, geography, myth, rhythm, history and movement. In the song, the White Nile and the Blue Nile become a powerful image of cooperation: two different currents meeting, continuing together and becoming one force.That image is beautiful — but also painful. The two Niles meet in Khartoum, a city marked today by war, destruction and human suffering. For Detlef and Dirk, AfricaSmile is therefore not a naïve peace anthem and not a political analysis. It is a wounded image of hope: a musical gesture that asks whether cooperation can still become stronger than violence.The conversation moves through the realities of twenty-first-century music-making: remote collaboration, home recording, vocal layering, technical obstacles, earworms, old tape machines, digital plug-ins, live performance memories and the strange exhaustion of trying to bring a song from ninety percent to ninety-five percent. Along the way, Detlef and Dirk reflect on how artistic work grows through persistence, humour and the willingness to listen to one another.The episode ends with the new WAW single AfricaSmile — a song about rivers, rhythm, cooperation and the fragile possibility that the Nile may still carry the memory of a smile.Detlef Schlich is a rock musician, podcaster, visual artist, filmmaker,ritual designer, and media archaeologist based in West Cork. He is recognised for his seminal work, including a scholarly examination of the intersections between shamanism, art, and digital culture, and his acclaimed video installation, Transodin's Tragedy. He primarily works in performance, photography, painting, sound, installations, and film. In his work, he reflects on the human condition and uses the digital shaman's methodology as an alter ego to create artwork. His media archaeology is a conceptual and practical exercise in uncovering the unique aesthetic, cultural, and political aspects of media in culture.WEBSITE LINKS WAW Official YouTube Channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@WAWBandAfricaSmile"The Niles Bittersweet Song" WAW BandcampSilent NightIn a world shadowed by conflict and unrest, we, Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlich, felt compelled to reinterpret 'Silent Night' to reflect the complexities and contradictions of modern life.https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/silent-nightWild Atlantic WayThis results from a trip to West Cork, Ireland, where the beautiful Coastal "Wild Atlantic Way" reaches along the whole west coast!https://studiomuskau.bandcamp.com/track/wild-atlantic-wayYOU TUBE*Silent Night Reimagined* A Multilayered Avant-Garde Journey by WAW aka Dirk Schlömer & Detlef Schlichhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAbytLSfgCwDetlef SchlichInstagramDetlef Schlich ArTEEtude I love West Cork Artists FacebookDetlef Schlich I love West Cork Artists Group ArTEEtudeYouTube Channelsvisual PodcastArTEEtudeCute Alien TV official WebsiteArTEEtude Detlef Schlich Det Design Tribal Loop Download here for free Detlef Schlich´s Essay about the Cause and Effect of Shamanism, Art and Digital Culturehttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/303749640_Shamanism_Art_and_Digital_Culture_Cause_and_EffectSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/arteetude-a-podcast-with-artists-by-detlef-schlich/donations

This week on News Weakly, Sami Shah takes on one of the most circular, exhausting debates in modern politics: how we talk about Israel and Palestine—and why the conversation keeps going nowhere.Using the comparison between Pakistan and Israel, this episode reframes the discussion away from slogans and toward something more useful: treating countries like countries, not symbols.From the legacy of Partition in 1947 to the ongoing realities of Gaza, the West Bank, and global politics, Sami explores why some states are criticised for their actions, while others are endlessly debated for their right to exist.Plus: what the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 can teach us about Palestine, the limits of American protection, and why “impossible” states have a habit of becoming real.All that, and more.Sami Shah is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, journalist, and broadcaster.For more: http://thesamishah.comTheme music 'Historic Anticipation' by Paul MottramThis podcast is written, hosted, and produced by Sami Shah. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Environmental reporter Sue Surkes joins host Gabriella Jacobs for today's episode. We open the episode with a recent annual national monitoring report, carried out on behalf of the Energy and Environmental Protection ministries, on the state of the Mediterranean Sea. Surkes describes how the sea is growing saltier, warmer and more polluted, and why it has become a home to invasive tropical fish. We discuss what that means for beachgoers and fish eaters as we head into the summer season. We then move on to the latest updates in an unusual court case: The Jerusalem District Court on Tuesday ordered the Interior Ministry to grant temporary Israeli status to a Syrian-born woman, the wife of a disabled IDF veteran, who converted to Judaism. The Syrian Alawite woman and her husband have faced a series of legal hurdles as they seek to build a life together in Israel. We hear about their saga. In the second half of the program, Surkes walks through her recent op-ed on Israeli energy policy, which she describes as a growing security risk. We end off the program with an account of her recent visit to the orangutans at the Jerusalem Zoo, who, 10 days ago, welcomed a new baby to their troop. This is not the first orangutan to be born in Israel, but it’s the first at the biblical zoo, and an important addition to the world’s shrinking orangutan population. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: The Mediterranean: Warmer, saltier, more acidic, and rising fast — report After years in limbo, court lets Syrian convert live in Israel with husband, a disabled vet True independence must include the air we breathe Great excitement as first orangutan is born at Jerusalem Biblical Zoo Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Yitzchak Ledee.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amos 9:13-15 NIV“The days are coming,” declares the LORD,“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.[a]“They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.Galatians 5:25 NIVSince we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.Ezekiel 47:1-3 NIVThe man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. 3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits[a] and then led me through water that was ankle-deep.POINT 1: New Pace & Process - FROM SHIN TO SWIMEzekiel 47:3-6 NIVIsaiah 43:19 NIVSee, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.POINT 2: New Pace & Process - FROM FRICTION TO FLOWEzekiel 47:7-11 NIVWhen I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,[a] where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.Vs 11-12But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”MSG"He told me, “This water flows east, descends to the Arabah and then into the sea, the sea of stagnant waters. When it empties into those waters, the sea will become fresh. Wherever the river flows, life will flourish—great schools of fish—because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds. Fishermen will stand shoulder to shoulder along the shore from En Gedi all the way north to En-eglaim, casting their nets. The sea will teem with fish of all kinds, like the fish of the Great Mediterranean.POINT 3:New Pace & Process - FROM ENOUGH TO MORE THAN ENOUGHJoshua 15:19 NIV"She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.Jeremiah 12:5 MSG“So, Jeremiah, if you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses? And if you can't keep your wits during times of calm, what's going to happen when troubles break loose like the Jordan in flood?

In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, imperial powers around the world came into direct confrontation with local resistance in the form of maritime raiding. From the Atlantic basin to the western Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and the east coast of Africa, and Southeast Asia and China, imperial powers claimed that progress was being held back by the barbarity and greed of pirates, who repeatedly attacked imperial vessels. The suppression of piracy, justified under the banner of spreading civilization and free trade and abolishing slavery and the slave trade, provided both western and non-western powers with a back door for territorial expansion and the enforcement of imperialist agendas. In Pirate Imperialism: Trade, Abolition, and Global Suppression of Maritime Raiding, 1825–1870 (Yale UP, 2026), Professor Manuel Barcia tells the story of these conflicts, showing how imperialist powers frequently used anti–maritime raiding efforts as excuses to cement western supremacy in various parts of the world, while simultaneously resorting to violent means that were indistinguishable from the methods of those they accused of being pirates. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In the middle decades of the nineteenth century, imperial powers around the world came into direct confrontation with local resistance in the form of maritime raiding. From the Atlantic basin to the western Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and the east coast of Africa, and Southeast Asia and China, imperial powers claimed that progress was being held back by the barbarity and greed of pirates, who repeatedly attacked imperial vessels. The suppression of piracy, justified under the banner of spreading civilization and free trade and abolishing slavery and the slave trade, provided both western and non-western powers with a back door for territorial expansion and the enforcement of imperialist agendas. In Pirate Imperialism: Trade, Abolition, and Global Suppression of Maritime Raiding, 1825–1870 (Yale UP, 2026), Professor Manuel Barcia tells the story of these conflicts, showing how imperialist powers frequently used anti–maritime raiding efforts as excuses to cement western supremacy in various parts of the world, while simultaneously resorting to violent means that were indistinguishable from the methods of those they accused of being pirates. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Day 1,483.Today, as Russia records its highest daily troop losses of the year in its war against Ukraine, we examine how the head of the Russian armed forces, General Valery Gerasimov, is reportedly presenting outdated battlefield information to Vladimir Putin to suggest the situation at the front remains under control. We report on fears that a damaged Russian shadow fleet tanker drifting in the Mediterranean Sea could trigger an environmental disaster of “unprecedented proportions”, and how President Zelensky has shown live battlefield footage from an iPad to the UK Parliament to illustrate the realities of 21st-century warfare. And later, we hear about the Make A Difference Foundation about its work supporting Ukrainian families displaced by Russia's invasion, alongside memories from the First Gulf War with two former tank commanders, including the horror of friendly fire.Contributors:Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.With thanks to former tank commanders Hamish de Bretton-Gordon and James Hewitt.NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Learn more about James Hewitt's Charity & Fundraiser:https://www.operationsafedrop.com/ Donations Page:https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameshewittZelensky's ‘don't forget about me' tour exposes panic in Ukraine (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/17/volodymyr-zelensky-london-starmer-remember-ukraine/ Stricken Russian tanker heading for environmental disaster (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/03/17/stricken-russian-tanker-heading-for-environmental-disaster/ WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:Our weekly newsletter includes maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons, answers your questions, provides recommended reading, and gives exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights.. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers. Join here – http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.