Podcasts about mercenaries

League of War: Mercenaries - Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

Bringing The Darkness To The Light with Catherine Nadal From Operation Babylift to Rock Stages: Guest, Tyson Leslie on Vixen, Collaboration, Nashville, and a Life in Music Catherine Nadal Opens Bringing the Darkness to the Light In this episode of Bringing the Darkness to the Light, host Catherine Nadal welcomes musician Tyson Leslie, a keyboardist, guitarist, bassist, vocalist, songwriter, and performer known for his work with multiple bands, including Vixen. Catherine explains that she met Tyson about a year earlier at M3 through her friend Jack Frost, and she opens the interview by noting how impressed she was after learning more about Tyson's wide-ranging music career and ongoing projects. Operation Babylift and Growing Up in Colorado Tyson shares that he came to the United States through Operation Babylift after the Vietnam War. He explains that, after the war ended, many orphaned babies were flown out of Vietnam on cargo planes and Pan Am planes, sometimes in difficult and unusual conditions. Tyson was brought to the United States, placed in the Midwest, and adopted by a Caucasian family in Greeley, Colorado. He says he is grateful for that outcome because he knows his life would likely have been very different otherwise. Discovering Music as a Child Catherine asks when Tyson first became involved with music, and Tyson says his mother remembers him playing piano at about age three, picking out simple melodies like “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” His father did not play music, but often gave him toy instruments, including small organs, drums, and guitars. Tyson later took classical piano lessons, then became inspired by bands and artists he saw on MTV, including Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Prince, and Michael Jackson. After winning a talent contest and earning $100, he bought his first guitar from a pawn shop and taught himself to play. Learning Instruments by Necessity Tyson explains that much of his musicianship came from necessity. If a band lost a bass player, he learned bass. When he worked at the piano bar Howl at the Moon in Kansas City, he had to jump between instruments and became a better drummer by playing regularly. He listened to drummers such as Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, and jazz-fusion players, while also exploring many different styles. Although he is known as a rock musician in Nashville, he says he plays country, R&B, hip hop, classical, fusion, and whatever else he is hired to perform. Corey Taylor, Vixen, and Major Career Moments Tyson identifies Corey Taylor from Slipknot as the first major artist he worked with, in a project that later connected to Corey's CMFT material. He then discusses moving to Nashville in 2015, briefly playing country music with Tracy Lawrence, and eventually joining the Vixen camp. Tyson also recalls Eddie Trunk's 40th anniversary show as one of the most surreal moments of his career because he shared the stage with artists he grew up admiring, including Alice Cooper, Sammy Hagar, Kevin Cronin, and others. He also mentions playing before an enormous crowd with Bret Michaels at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Life with Vixen and the Fan Experience Catherine asks about Tyson's role in Vixen, and he explains that although the band's brand is built around being an all-female hard rock band, male keyboard players have been part of the live setup in different ways over the years. Tyson says he was originally asked to remain somewhat invisible in photos and videos, which he understood, but that his role has evolved and he is now included more openly in certain moments, such as end-of-show bows. Catherine and Tyson also talk about how bands from the 1980s still transport fans back to earlier times through songs that carry memory, identity, and nostalgia. Tyson's Original Music and “Little Green Honda” The interview turns to Tyson's solo work, beginning with “Little Green Honda.” Tyson explains that the song was inspired by a female singer in an early-2000s band whose worn-out Honda Civic could not go in reverse, had a cracked windshield, and had to be pushed out of parking spots after gigs. He wrote the song as a tongue-in-cheek, high-energy power-pop track influenced by Butch Walker and Marvelous 3. Tyson says the album was his first solo record, and he produced it, wrote it, and played most of the instruments, with friends contributing drums, guitars, and backup vocals. Collaboration, “Burning Time,” and the Mercenaries Concept Catherine then highlights “Burning Time,” which Tyson released under the concept name Mercenaries. Tyson explains that he chose that name because the idea was to bring in “badass” hired musicians to execute the job. The track features major players including Billy Sheehan on bass, Roxy Petrucci from Vixen on drums, Jimmy Bell on guitar, and Todd La Torre from Queensrÿche on vocals and co-writing. Tyson says Todd rearranged the song and elevated it beyond what Tyson had originally imagined, reinforcing Tyson's belief that collaboration often makes music stronger. Rock Cruises, Nashville, and Musical Community Catherine asks about rock cruises such as Monsters of Rock and the '80s Cruise, and Tyson describes them as uniquely fun because musicians and fans are all together on the ship, with nowhere else to go. Artists watch each other's shows, run into fans in cafeterias, sign memorabilia, and sometimes join unexpected late-night moments such as karaoke. Tyson also describes Nashville's Broadway scene as sensory overload, with multiple floors of live music, constant requests, country and rock bands, and musicians moving quickly between venues. He explains that his own schedule is driven by a busy calendar of piano shows, downtown Nashville gigs, Vixen dates, travel, and special events. “Cradle to the Grave” and Closing Thoughts The show closes with Tyson discussing “Cradle to the Grave.” Catherine says the track felt country to her, while Tyson explains that his influence was more T. Rex, with big vocals, a big sound, and a fun party energy. He says he wrote lyrics while stopped at traffic lights, then developed the song with collaborators who added drums, backing vocals, and guitar. Tyson describes the song as playful and somewhat nonsensical, with the feeling of going as hard as possible and having fun as if it were the end of the world. He directs listeners to find him by searching Tyson Leslie on social media, YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Music, and other platforms before the episode ends with the song.

Marcus Aurelius Anderson sits down with bestselling author and creative legend Steven Pressfield in Santa Monica for a wide-ranging conversation centered on Pressfield's new historical fiction novel, The Arcadian. The two explore the novel's ancient mercenary protagonist Telamon, the philosophy of resistance, the role of vulnerability in transformation, and what it means to keep doing the work — even after losing everything in a wildfire. Episode Highlights: 9:55 — The Magical Horse and the Hope of ReleasePressfield unpacks the inciting incident of The Arcadian — Telamon spotting a horse he recognizes from the year 70 AD bearing the brand of the 10th Roman Legion. The horse, appearing 1,400 years later, becomes a symbol of potential redemption and drives the entire story forward. 10:35 — Westerns, Vulnerable Characters, and Human TransformationPressfield reveals that The Arcadian is structurally a Western — like Unforgiven or Shane — and explains why the genre's conventions (a man of violence, a lawless landscape, a vulnerable character) are the perfect vehicle for stories about overcoming emotional isolation and finding humanity. 28:38 — Resistance, the LA Fires, and the Work That Saves You Pressfield opens up about losing his home in the 2025 LA wildfires, including a 40-year-old handwritten copy of the Empedocles quote. He reflects on how devotion to the work — and an acorn from Thermopylae returned by a Special Forces friend — helped hold him together. Steven Pressfield is one of the most influential American authors of the past three decades. Best known for The War of Art, Gates of Fire, and The Legend of Bagger Vance, Pressfield has built a body of work that spans historical fiction, nonfiction on creativity, and screenwriting. A former Marine and advertising copywriter, he spent years living in a Chevy van before finally breaking through as a writer. His concept of "Resistance" — the internal force that blocks creative work — has become a touchstone for artists, entrepreneurs, and warriors worldwide. His newest novel, The Arcadian, was released May 26, 2025. He publishes a weekly blog, Writing Wednesdays, at StevenPressfield.com. Learn more about the gift of Adversity and my mission to help my fellow humans create a better world by heading to www.marcusaureliusanderson.com. There you can take action by joining my ANV inner circle to get exclusive content and information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In dieser Folge sprechen wir über aktuelle Neuigkeiten aus dem BattleTech-Universum, darunter das neue DLC Chaos Reign für MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries sowie neue BattleTech-Boxen und ein überarbeitetes Regelwerk mit Änderungen an mehreren Regeln. Dabei gehen wir auch auf neue Einheiten, Box-Inhalte und die vorgestellten Produkte ein. Außerdem setzen wir unsere Reihe zu den Geheimdiensten der Inneren Sphäre fort und behandeln zuerst Mimir aus der Freien Republik Rasalhaq mit seiner Struktur aus militärischen und zivilen Teilen sowie seinen Aufgaben in Aufklärung und Gegenaufklärung. Danach sprechen wir über den LIC des Lyran Commonwealth, seine Entstehung, seine Abteilungen und seine Rolle in verschiedenen Konflikten. Wir sind jetzt auf Patreon und Steady https://steadyhq.com/de/derdickepreusse https://www.patreon.com/derdickepreusse

In dieser Folge sprechen wir über aktuelle Neuigkeiten aus dem BattleTech-Universum, darunter das neue DLC Chaos Reign für MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries sowie neue BattleTech-Boxen und ein überarbeitetes Regelwerk mit Änderungen an mehreren Regeln. Dabei gehen wir auch auf neue Einheiten, Box-Inhalte und die vorgestellten Produkte ein. Außerdem setzen wir unsere Reihe zu den Geheimdiensten der Inneren Sphäre fort und behandeln zuerst Mimir aus der Freien Republik Rasalhaq mit seiner Struktur aus militärischen und zivilen Teilen sowie seinen Aufgaben in Aufklärung und Gegenaufklärung. Danach sprechen wir über den LIC des Lyran Commonwealth, seine Entstehung, seine Abteilungen und seine Rolle in verschiedenen Konflikten. Wir sind jetzt auf Patreon und Steady https://steadyhq.com/de/derdickepreusse https://www.patreon.com/derdickepreusse

Wir springen in dieser Folge ins Jahr 1438. Die norditalienische Stadt Brescia wird von Streitkräften Mailands belagert, und der einzige Ausweg: Entsatzung durch Venedig, dem sich Brescia in den 1420er Jahren unterworfen hat. Das Problem: der einzig sinnvolle Weg für Venedig das zu tun führt über den Gardasee, der allerdings im Süden, genau dort, wo venezianische Schiffe Zugang hätten, von Mailand kontrolliert wird. Also wird beschlossen, einen anderen Weg zu gehen: über die Berge! Wir sprechen über diesen Plan, über Venedig als Landmacht und vor allem über die mächtigen Söldnerführer jener Zeit, die Condottieri. // Erwähnte Folgen - GAG389: Spieglein, Spieglein an der Wand – https://gadg.fm/389 - GAG429: Der Eimerkrieg – https://gadg.fm/429 - GAG467: Das Leben der Lucrezia Borgia – https://gadg.fm/467 - GAG67: Palladio, der erfolgreichste Architekt aller Zeiten – https://gadg.fm/67 - GAG447: Christina, Hans und Heinrich oder Wie ein Gemälde entsteht – https://gadg.fm/447 - GAG342: Das Stockholmer Blutbad – https://gadg.fm/342 // Literatur - La battaglia di Desenzano del 1439 e la Val Lagarina (Galeas per montes), ‚Quaderni del Borgoantico‘, 17, 2016, pp. 59-61“. - Andenna, Giancarlo. Il contesto politico-sociale dell'assedio del 1438-1439. Brescia tra i Visconti e Venezia. ITA, 2019. - Capulli, Massimo. „The Venetian Warships of Lake Garda. News of the Benacus Project: What If Fresh Water Is No Longer Protective?“ Heritage 6, Nr. 2 (2023): 1594–604. - Law, John E. „The Venetian Mainland State in the Fifteenth Century“. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society 2 (Dezember 1992): 153–74. - M. E. Mallett. The Military Organisation of a Renaissance State. 2010 - Michael Mallett. Mercenaries and Their Masters. Pen & Sword, 2019 - Romano, Dennis, 1951-. The Likeness of Venice : A Life of Doge Francesco Foscari, 1373-1457. 2023 - Zenobi, Luca. Venice's Terraferma Expansion and the Negotiation of Territories in Late Medieval Italy. 15. September 2020. Das Episodenbild zeigt einen Ausschnitt einer Darstellung der Unternehmung aus dem 19. Jh. //Aus unserer Werbung Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/GeschichtenausderGeschichte //Geschichten aus der Geschichte jetzt auch als Brettspiel! Werkelt mit uns am Flickerlteppich! Gibt es dort, wo es auch Becher, T-Shirts oder Hoodies zu kaufen gibt: https://geschichte.shop // Wir sind jetzt auch bei CampfireFM! Wer direkt in Folgen kommentieren will, Zusatzmaterial und Blicke hinter die Kulissen sehen will: einfach die App installieren und unserer Community beitreten: https://www.joincampfire.fm/podcasts/22 //Wir haben auch ein Buch geschrieben: Wer es erwerben will, es ist überall im Handel, aber auch direkt über den Verlag zu erwerben: https://www.piper.de/buecher/geschichten-aus-der-geschichte-isbn-978-3-492-06363-0 Wer unsere Folgen lieber ohne Werbung anhören will, kann das über eine kleine Unterstützung auf Steady oder ein Abo des GeschichteFM-Plus Kanals auf Apple Podcasts tun. Wir freuen uns, wenn ihr den Podcast bei Apple Podcasts oder wo auch immer dies möglich ist rezensiert oder bewertet. Wir freuen uns auch immer, wenn ihr euren Freundinnen und Freunden, Kolleginnen und Kollegen oder sogar Nachbarinnen und Nachbarn von uns erzählt! Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio: https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we start a new series on 2005's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. We set it in its time, talk about the Clancy of it all, and then get into the play and presentation. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The first level or two Issues covered: missing a week, games from 2005 and UbiSoft, stealth games and how we feel about them, what it borrows from its forebears, Tim's history and love of military themes, grounding the series in real places, hard milspec, the spectrum of more or less video-gamey, Brett's history with Clancy, offputting tone and writing, the weird nationalistic lens, the military melodrama, when you can mess up the formula, black and white and the icks, systems thinking in the game vs not the narrative, finding ways to maintain the black and white, the tutorial videos, seeing the mechanics against the real missions, controlling Sam's movement speed, other interface choices, alt-fire modes, shooting everyone in the head, having multiple kill moves, having mission objectives that get canceled, whether there's an alternate version, a number associated with your performance, the weirdness of speaking to your handler directly behind a target, your advisors, informing the choice of loadout, how different games reinforce the loadout, a review, Tim's Twitch drop. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Star Wars (series), God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Resident Evil 4, Psychonauts, Guild Wars, Civ IV, FEAR, The Undying, AC: Wild World, Guitar Hero, Mercenaries, Battlefront II, KotOR II, Lego Star Wars, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Peter Molyneux, Clint Hocking, Far Cry 2, Thief, Metal Gear Solid (series), Looking Glass, Dishonored (series), Hideo Kojima, The Division (series), Rainbow Six (novel), No One Lives Forever, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, Doubleday (book publisher), Day of the Jackal, Tolkien, Project: Hail Mary, Ghost Recon (series), Rainbow Six (series), John Krasinski, Ben Affleck, Jack Reacher (series), Lee Child, Tom Cruise, Mark Greaney, The Gray Man, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rambo (series), Jon Bernthal, Call of Duty (series), Hitman (series), Shadowlord-72, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: more TC's SC:CT! Errata: It was The Cardinal of the Kremlin. We regret the error.  Twitch: timlongojr and twinsunscorp YouTube Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com 

Any quick net search for the term “cyber mercenary” will result in dozens, if not hundreds of entries. These concerns largely focus on the effect these persons or entities have on personal freedoms, economic activity, and the ability of hackers and States can work together to undermine human rights. What about cyber mercenaries and warfare? Can – or do – real mercenaries of the cyber domain of warfare actively participate in combat? If so, how can they disrupt armed conflict or undermine whatever humanitarian principles still exist in warfare? It took the international community years to catch up on the use of private military and security companies in armed conflict and we are still struggling with State-run quasi-mercenary organizations. We need to get ahead of cyberwarfare domain mercenaries now, while the genie is still peeking out from the bottle.   References: Convention (IV) respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land and its annex: Regulations concerning the Laws and Customs of War on Land. The Hague, 18 October 1907 International Committee of the Red Cross (2008) The Montreux Document On pertinent international legal obligations and good practices for States related to operations of private military and security companies during armed conflict. Geneve: International Committee of the Red Cross / Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Melzer, Nils, Interpretive Guidance on the Notion of Direct Participation in Hostilities under International Humanitarian Law, International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva, 2009. Music: Kiilstofte, P. Mercenaries, Machinamasound (Licensed)

Rob Anspach interviews Marketing Mercenary Ron Lynch on patterns & systems, Joe Sugarman, being original, 40 rules, and being a TV writer. The post Ep 395 – The Marketing Mercenary first appeared on Rob Anspach's E-Heroes.

Send us Fan Mail Momentous Struggle: A Star Wars Shatterpoint PodcastEpisode 152: Mercenaries For A New EraSummary: Aubrey and Todd discuss Baylon, Shin Hati, and The HK-87 Assassin Droids.Discord: https://discord.gg/5EGmeXQNw9Patreon: https://patreon.com/MomentousStruggle427 

IN THIS EPISODE– Rob Clark (“The Lone Gunman Podcast”) and Doug Campbell (“The Dallas Action Podcast”) are BACK with another fascinating marathon discussion. Among the many topics we will touch upon:A discussion of the timing of Lee Harvey Oswald's movements after leaving the Texas School Book Depository, as seen through the prism of a September of 1977 “field trip” to Dallas and Oak Cliff undertaken by members and staff of The House Select Committee On Assassinations, as recounted in a declassified report; Was Oswald trying to get to Jack Ruby's apartment?; Mae Brussell meets New Orleans DA Jim Garrison's Investigatory Staff; Why in the world would DPD Officer JD Tippit's pal Carl Mather be offered Immunity by the HSCA?; Who exactly were American mercenaries embedded in the Secret Cuban War loyal to, in the end?; The decades-long endeavor of INTERPEN & INTERPEN-adjacent individuals to implicate each other in The Hit, and– was Notorious Cuban Exile Elladio Del Valle mxxdered to keep him from talking to Jim Garrison, or because he DID actually talk to Garrison?PLUS– More creepy creepiness that proves David Ferrie was indeed creepy, the lawsuit against The Federal Government by the heirs of Orville Nix, Jr. continues to gain steam, and Peter Tork monkeys around with hippie chicks.JOIN US!Written & Hosted by Rob Clark & Doug Campbell.Recorded and Engineered by Momo Scaranucci, Jr. for Drop-D Podcast Productions.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/quick-hits-the-jfk-assassination--3682240/support.

Topics: Beau looks like Tay, Stassi and Scheana debacle, the best character on The Valley, Michelle Saniei is dating Dr. Dre, Saron was once an Amanda apologist, Saron's DMs with Kyle Cooke, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's settlement explainedSponsorsRevolve: Shop at REVOLVE.com/TAYLOR and use code TAYLOR for 15% off your first order. #REVOLVEpartnerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's the William Montgomery Show with guest Trey Campbell!

In this Episode, Pete talks with another Aussie, Mark, about the Vikks and the Mercenary Keyword. In this episode they talk about both titles, the best models in the keyword, and how to use them on the table. They even go through some of the best strats and schemes this keyword loves to take. Support us on patreon.com/ragequitwire https://discord.gg/tZrjadfDb3 Giveusyourmoneypleasethankyou-wyrd.com/ragequitwire 

Recently, Deloitte and Zoom announced they are slashing parental leave, PTO, and pension accruals. At the same time, Meta and Zuckerberg are implementing aggressive AI surveillance to "harvest" employee patterns and train their AI models. All the while, they preach human-centricity, but their actions tell a very different story.In this week's episode, I'm continuing the series on Fortifying Organizational Fragility. Last week, we declassified the "Rat's Nest" of our technical infrastructure. This week, we are looking at what appears to be the final severance of the social contract. We are moving into a dangerous era where employers ask for loyalty they haven't earned, and employees are incentivized to become "Intellectual Mercenaries" as they fend for themselves while their core cognitive skills begin to atrophy.The Declassification: The Dual Spiral of Human CapitalI break down two parallel journeys that have led us to this point of no return:​From Partner to Training Set: We've evolved from lifetime employment to career mobility, and now into the Mercenary and Mining Era. We are treating talent as a service while simultaneously mining them for the data that will eventually be used to replace them.​The Cognitive Decay Spiral: As the half-life of skills shrinks, many have reached a "Why Bother?" phase, believing any new skill will be vaporized by AI before it can be mastered. This leads to offloading 100% of our thinking to tools, causing our durable skills to atrophy.The "Now What": 3 Surgical Moves to Reclaim the FoundationUnfortunately, this entire trajectory is a ruse, a Ponzi scheme built on the impossible idea of a "lights-out" office that requires no human judgment. To survive the coming "Digital Tornado," you must take action today:​Close the "Say/Do" Gap: Stop participating in the drift toward treating employees as disposable line items. Re-establish agency by being open and honest with your teams about the environment you are in, rather than pretending the status quo is fine.​The Durable Skill Audit: You must deeply understand what work actually happens in your organization. Separate the "Perishable" tasks that AI can handle from the Durable Skills that are actually exploding in value.​Establish a Trust Anchor: You cannot "Ctrl+Z" shattered trust, but you can start building a new social contract based on mutual resilience. Work with your people to maximize the current environment, investing in them as individuals so they are anchored by purpose rather than just a paycheck.By the end of this episode, I hope to challenge you to hit the brakes on this corrosive trajectory. The future we're headed toward doesn't have to be tragic, but it will be if we continue to ignore the atrophy happening right under our noses.⸻If this conversation helps you think more clearly about the future we're building, make sure to like, share, and subscribe. You can also support the show by buying me a coffee at buymeacoffee.com/christopherlindAnd if your organization is wrestling with how to lead responsibly in the AI era, balancing performance, technology, and people, that's the work I do every day through my consulting and coaching. Learn more at christopherlind.co⸻Chapters00:00 – Benefit Cuts & AI Surveillance: The New Social Contract03:00 – The Journey of Human Capital: From Partner to Mercenary09:40 – The Cognitive Decay Spiral: The "Why Bother?" Phase15:50 – The Fallout: Shattering Trust Beyond Repair18:50 – The Ruse: Why the "Lights Out" Office is a Ponzi Scheme20:45 – Why You Can't "Ctrl+Z" This Culture23:00 – Step 1: Closing the "Say/Do" Gap25:00 – Step 2: The Durable Skill Audit27:45 – Step 3: Establishing the Trust Anchor31:00 – Conclusion: Fortifying the Foundation#FutureFocused #Leadership #HumanCapital #CognitiveAtrophy #FutureOfWork #AI #OrganizationalFragility #ChristopherLind #DurableSkills #TrustEconomy

"He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation." In this episode, we examine one of the most important first-person accounts of the War for Independence, Johann Ewald's American War Diaries. Ewald was an elite Hessian Officer who spent 8 long years in North America fighting against the Patriots on behalf of King George. Topics include the following: -the history of mercenaries or subsidy troops in Germanic states in the 18th century -Ewald's childhood and early military career in the Seven Years' War -Ewald's first treatise on petite guerre or irregular warfare -The impact of Colonial frontiersmen--or irregular troops--on the Seven Years' War in North America -The development of British Light Infantry and Hessian Jägers, whose role it was to counteract opposing irregular forces -Ewald's deployment with his troops to New York City in October 1776 shortly after the Battle of Long Island -His role in the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776 -His assessment of the Continental Army and the American officer corps -His subsequent influence on military theory, partisan warfare, and irregular warfare

It's the William Montgomery Show with guest CJ Landry!

Carton and McMonigle analyze the New York Mets' ongoing collapse, describing the roster as a collection of mercenaries that has lost all connection with the fan base. They question Carlos Mendoza's managerial competence and debate whether high payrolls are becoming a liability in modern baseball. 01:32 - Feral Hog Debate 05:12 - JPMorgan Chase Scandal 10:42 - Mets Managerial Failures 14:52 - Hiring Alex Cora 20:00 - MLB Trade Landscape 24:15 - Knicks And Gifts 28:45 - Mets Fan Disconnect 34:40 - Smartphone Muscle Memory

The second of two interviews with game designer Ken St. Andre, this time focusing on his video game design history (see part one for discussion around his tabletop RPG design). Games discussed in this episode: Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan, Adventure Construction Set, Wasteland (without which there would be no Fallout), and Wasteland 2. Ken's favorite Christopher Reeve Superman movie. One of Shane's pet peeves with current superhero comic book stories (especially DC). The origins of storytelling. Did the Empire from Star Wars have a good side? What happened when Ken and Roberta Williams of Sierra On-Line offered Ken a job? What two classic 80s action flicks helped inspire Wasteland (one is sort of obvious, one might not be), and what does Daffy Duck have to do with it all? What does the Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes RPG have to do with Tunnels & Trolls, and what do they both have to do with Wasteland? Ken's thoughts on being involved with Wasteland 2. Ken's never-released superhero game version of Tunnels & Trolls called Power Trip. The most important rule in Tunnels & Trolls (as opposed to the most important principle). Watch out for snollygosters. Ken's thoughts on power scale in superhero RPGs (think Batman and Superman in the same fight). Q&A with Ken based on questions submitted by Matt Barton of Matt Chat. Ken's advice for game designers. What would Ken have done differently in his career? Cockroach population analysis. How Ken made it into the Hall of Fame.  Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode #290 - 4/30/2026 Like what you hear? Support Shane Plays Geek Talk on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/shaneplays Listen to the Shane Plays Geek Talk podcast on YouTube, SoundCloud, iTunes, Google Play Music, Amazon Music, Podbean and Stitcher (and other fine, fine podcast directories). Hey, you! Yeah, you! Buy cool stuff, support Shane Plays Geek Talk with these affiliate links! Humble Bundle https://www.humblebundle.com?partner=shaneplays DriveThruRPG.com https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?affiliate_id=488512 SHOW NOTES Ken St. Andre Part 1 – Shane Plays Geek Talk Episode 288 – 3/8/2026 https://shaneplays.com/rpg-designer-ken-st-andre-part-1-podcast/  Ken St. Andre on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_St._Andre  Trollgodfather Press (Ken's Publishing Company) https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/publisher/9559/trollgodfather-press  Wasteland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasteland_(video_game)  Wasteland 2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasteland_2  Tunnels & Trolls: Crusaders of Khazan https://mobygames.com/game/3398/tunnels-trolls-crusaders-of-khazan/ Adventure Construction Set https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_Construction_Set  Dungeons and Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games 2nd Edition Shane's book! Co-authored with Matt Barton of Matt Chat https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Desktops-History-Computer-Role-Playing/dp/1138574643/  

On this week's episode of PS This is Awesome!, we're diving headfirst into a stacked lineup of PlayStation news and rumors. Resident Evil Requiem continues its monster success story, hitting an incredible 7 million copies sold in just two months, while Capcom teases a new mini-game mode arriving soon—possibly something action-packed in the spirit of Mercenaries. On top of that, a brand-new single-player story expansion has officially entered full production.We also break down growing concerns over a newly discovered PS5 digital ownership issue, where some recently purchased games may require periodic online DRM checks to launch. If true, it raises serious questions about long-term preservation and access for digital libraries.Meanwhile, Insomniac Games says more Wolverine news is still coming this spring, adding fuel to rumors of a possible May State of Play showcase. Could Logan finally be ready to step into the spotlight?Elsewhere, fresh interviews continue to reveal behind-the-scenes drama at Naughty Dog, including reports that Uncharted 4 was nearly canceled during its troubled development. We also discuss comments from former devs praising the canceled The Last of Us Online, calling it one of the best multiplayer games they'd ever worked on.Plus: a first teaser for the next Alien: Isolation, Mina: The Hollower goes gold but still lacks a release date, and Troy Baker may be stepping into game development himself. Big stories, bold speculation, and plenty of PlayStation hype—this week on PS This is Awesome!Visit www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome to support the show and help us continue producing the content you love!Please, if you enjoyed the content — or even if you didn't quite enjoy this one — come back. We try to offer something for everybody. Share with your friends and help us grow our awesome PlayStation community!As always you can support our show at our Patreon Page. Thanks for listening.http://www.patreon.com/psthisisawesome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Brand Herald, Landon sits down with Todd Krise, founder of MercenaryMarketing.ai, a Louisville-based AI consulting firm helping businesses and solopreneurs harness artificial intelligence without the hype, the headaches, or the fear. What starts as a conversation about a Louisville Business First article quickly becomes one of the most grounded, practical discussions about AI and brand that The Brand Herald has hosted yet.Todd's path to founding Mercenary wasn't linear. Sports journalism, publishing, agency life, and a front-row seat to social media's rise all built the foundation. But it was watching AI emerge on the horizon that made him go out on his own. The core idea behind Mercenary is deceptively simple: most businesses already have the tools, the data, and the people, they just need someone to connect the dots. Todd's platform serves as an aggregator, pulling together a client's existing CRM, email marketing, content tools, and social channels into a centralized system powered by AI. The result is a smarter version of you, working while you're in the field.The conversation turns toward the harder, more human questions: What does brand even mean in an AI-saturated world? Brand, in Todd's view, is the knowledge base, it's everything your AI agents know about how you speak, what you stand for, and how you serve customers. It's not a logo or a color palette. It's the totality of how people experience you, whether they're talking to you in person or to your AI persona at 11:30 at night. What makes this episode stick is Todd's conviction that as technology gets more powerful, authenticity gets more valuable. Humans can smell fake and the businesses that will win in an AI-first world are the ones that use AI to amplify what's real about them, not to manufacture something that isn't. For anyone wondering where to start, Todd's parting advice is to go to mercenarymarketing.ai/resources, pick a low-risk tool, and dip your toe in. The mercenary isn't here to replace you. He's here to make you unstoppable.Chapters:00:02: Landon opens with a Louisville Business First article covering Todd's AI consulting startup. 00:36: Todd introduces himself, journalist, MBA, and self-described PhD in "butt kissing." 01:51: Todd's career path from sports journalism to agency work to spotting the AI wave early. 04:49: The origin of the Mercenary name 05:54: How the business evolved from C-suite content creation to a full AI platform09:32: Real client use case, how a three-business solopreneur uses AI to prospect, communicate, and monitor leads while he's in the field. 12:46: The knowledge base explained why cloning a client's voice and expertise is the key to AI content that actually sounds like them. 19:41: How Todd defines a brand in an AI world. It's not your logo, it's your knowledge base. 25:03: Why hyper-local, in-person relationships are becoming more valuable as AI scales.31:15: Practical advice for every AI readiness level and where to find low-risk starting points at mercenarymarketing.ai/resources.Resources:Todd Krise LinkedIn   MercenaryMarketing.ai LinkedIn   MercenaryMarketing.aiMercenaryMarketing.ai/resources

OPINION: Believed by morons, spread by Marcos congressmen and media mercenaries | Apr. 27, 2026Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net Follow us: Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital Check out our Podcasts: Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer Stitcher: https://tmt.ph/stitcher Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein #TheManilaTimes #KeepUpWithTheTimes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to another edition of the UK's number one and only Memphis wrestling related podcast, Memphis Continental Wrestling Cast. On this week's show we cover April 25th 1987 Memphis Wrestling where we will see:- The Hunter (with Bambi) vs. David Haskins. The Mercenaries (with Paul E. Dangerly) vs. Jerry Garmen/Bennie Trailer Steve Keirn/Mark Starr/Alan West vs. The Thunderbird/Rough and Ready (with Boss Winters) Jeff Jarrett/Billy Travis/John Paul vs. Mr. Shima/Mr. Helo/Tojo Yamamoto Paul Diamond/Pat Tanaka vs. Jim Jamison/Ron Nations Chic Donovan/Jack Hart (with Dangerly) vs. Ed Mattox/Randy Bryant Follow the show on facebook Memphis Continental Wrestling Cast (facebook.com/memphiscast) Visit our brand new tshirt store at https://www.unforgettablevision.com/roster/old-bakery-productions Check out Youtube.com/@memphiscast & patreon.com/memphiscast for videos You can watch the show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N2zPrVYuI0&list=PLgi8coP8E7nrdCH_13yt9qXVpmAXBgR9-&index=20

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — visit https://betterhelp.com/WMS It's the William Montgomery Show with guest Gary Faust!

The adventure continues.   Iorlas takes Drustan the Mercenary to Bree to face justice, but underestimates the extent of his resources. When Iorlas beseeches the folk of Bree to help him search for the escaped man, he must convince them before it's too late. In the end, he moves on, refusing to let evil men spread.   Learn more about The One Ring 2e by Free League Publishing.   ----more---- Join the DMs After Dark Discord channel!   I made a Ko-Fi if you feel absurdly generous and want to help cover podcast hosting costs & all the upkeep. I'm still working on whether I want to offer anything special over there or just give my extreme gratitude (maybe some stickers or something in the mail) to those who donate, but no pressure whatsoever :)   Where to Follow Rene Plays Games: LinkTree |  BlueSky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook | DMs After Dark Rene's Games: MECH | MECH Cities 2 | One Last Quest | I Know I Know You, But I Don't Know How... email: RenePlaysGamesPod@gmail.com   Music in the Episode (in order of appearance): Aldrassil by Monument Studios Hybrid Ambience by Monument Studios Viking Village by Tabletop Audio Cutpurse Pursuit by Tabletop Audio Privy Council by Tabletop Audio Arrow Target Practice B by Monument Studios Forgotten Forest by Tabletop Audio Rene Plays Games Theme written & produced by Dan Pomfret | @danfrombothbands

Strap in. The anime world did not come to play this week. Let's talk about it.Bigtime updates on Witch and Mercenary, the Japanese government targeting massive growth via global anime domination, Ascendence of a Bookworm AI controversy, and MAPPA x Honkai: Star Rail.If you enjoy the show, please rate, review, like, and subscribe to Sakura Society | An Anime Appreciation Podcast — and any other podcasts you love. It takes seconds, costs nothing, and means everything to us creators. (The algorithm only accepts 5 stars, just so you know.)Stay up to date with Brendan on Bluesky | Instagram | TikTok | TwitterJoin our Discord — a community full of anime and culture fans just like youFollow our Spotify playlistOur amazing sponsors:Audio-Technica — the best in audio equipmentIced Tea Aesthetics — anime streetwear done right (use code SAKURASOCIETY5 at checkout to save $5)Japan Crate — Japanese snacks and treats delivered to your door (use code ATEBIT15 at checkout to save 15% + get free shipping)

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — visit https://betterhelp.com/WMS It's the William Montgomery Show with guest David Jolly!

In this week's episode, I answer questions I receive whenever I mention that STARFIELD is my favorite game of the 2020s. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Half-Orc Paladin, Book #3 in the Half-Elven Thief series, (as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward) at my Payhip store: HECTOR50 The coupon code is valid through April 20th, 2026. TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 298 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is April 10th, 2026. Today I'm doing an FAQ about my experiences with Starfield, which is my favorite game of the 2020s. Before that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. So let's start off with Coupon of the Week. This week's Coupon Code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Half-Orc Paladin, Book #3 in the Half-Elven Thief series (as excellently narrated by Leanne Woodward), at my Payhip store. That coupon code will be HECTOR50. And as always, the coupon code and the link to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. And this coupon code will be valid through April 20th, 2026. So if you need a new audiobook for this spring, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. As of this recording, I am done with the first pass of editing through Blade of Wraiths and then starting on the second. It's taken a bit longer than I've wanted because I've had a lot of Real Life Stuff to do, but if all goes well, I'm hoping to have the book out in the second half of April, so hopefully not too much longer now. I'm also 19,000 words into Dragon-Mage, which will be the sixth book in the Rivah Half-Elven Thief series. Hopefully that will be out in May, if all goes well. No, that might slip to June, but I'm really hoping to get that one out in May. In audiobook news, Hollis McCarthy has started work on Cloak of Illusion, so hopefully if all goes well, we'll have that out to you in May sometime. In fact, I'm hoping that will come out concurrently with Dragon-Mage, because it's always nice when I can stack an ebook and an older audiobook in the series like that together. So that is where we're at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:01:46 Main Topic: Starfield Now onto our main topic. This is ostensibly a podcast about writing and the business of writing, but I like video games, so we're going to talk about a video game this week. The reason for that is whenever I post about Starfield or share a screenshot from it, I frequently get a number of questions. I think it's because Starfield was an oddly divisive game when it came out. People have strong opinions about it and then have strong opinions about other people's strong opinions and I do not have these strong opinions myself. While I enjoy the game a great deal, if you don't like it, that's fine. There are lots and lots and lots of legitimate reasons to criticize Microsoft, which is the ultimate owner of Starfield. It's possible for two things to be simultaneously true that Microsoft has done a lot of sketchy things, and that Starfield is a good game that I enjoyed. I suspect it's a bit like enjoying a football game while at the same time knowing that the NFL is an unscrupulous cartel that could benefit from some thorough reforms. Despite that, I have to admit that I don't think it's super healthy to make gaming opinions, whether video games or sports games, a core part of your identity. A game in the end is just a fancy toy for amusement and idle moments. If God descended tomorrow and told me that Starfield would vanish from the face of the earth, I'd be rather disappointed, but my dinner would still taste just as good and my house would be just as warm. That said, I did enjoy the game quite a bit. Everybody needs a hobby and even I can't work every hour of every day. I wrote like a hundred novels in the last 10 years. Everyone has their own stresses in life, of course, but we seem to live in particularly stressful time these days, so a harmless hobby is a nice break from real life. The game's newest expansion came out a couple days ago on April 7th. And so with that in mind, I thought I would answer the most common questions I get whenever I post or talk about Starfield. Question: Did Starfield influence your Silent Order Science fiction series at all? No. But I'm always pleased when I get this question because it's easily answered. The final book of Silent Order came out on September the 4th, 2023, and Starfield came out on September 6th, 2023. I tried Starfield like the day after it came out, but I didn't actually start playing it in earnest until April of 2024, like I didn't actually finish the starter dungeon until April of 2024. So no, Starfield was not an influence on Silent Order. It would be fair to say that Silent Order was more influenced by James Bond, some H.P. Lovecraft, and Wing Commander: Privateer, which is actually our next question. Question: What initially drew your interest to Starfield? Part of the game reminded me a lot of Wing Commander: Privateer from the '90s, which was one of my favorite games back in the day. If you're not familiar with it, Wing Commander: Privateer was what's now called a "space trading sim" set in the Wing Commander universe. In all the previous Wing Commander games, you played as a Starfighter pilot fighting in the humans' war against the cat-like Kilrathi invaders. Your missions were assigned to you along with the specific ship you would fly for that mission. But in Privateer, you played a freelance captain with a rundown freighter. You can carry cargo, go bounty hunting, do mercenary work, trading, and just wander around the map following infinite procedurally generated missions from the Mission Board, the Merchants' Guild, and the Mercenaries' Guild. Eventually, you would have enough cash to upgrade your rundown ship to something better and configure it however you liked. There's a main plot, but you can totally ignore it and do whatever you want. I loved Privateer and I finished both it and the expansion. And of course, spent a lot of time doing the infinite procedurally generated quests. Starfield does the same thing, but with 30 years' worth of advancement of game design and technology improvements. In grand Bethesda game tradition, you don't even have to do any of the main plot lines. You can just wander around doing procedurally generated quests. It's like Privateer, but better and with ground-based quests as well. You can get out of your ship and walk around in a way you couldn't in Privateer. In Starfield, you can land at some random science outpost or industrial outpost and the inhabitants will have a quest for you. I've heard Starfield described as a "cozy game", since quite a few people enjoy just building their outposts and their ships and then decorating them like the science fiction version of Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. In another sense, I suppose Starfield could be described as "cozy adventure". Granted, that might be a strange thing to say about missions where you machine gun space pirates, blow up their base, and then loot all their stuff, but Starfield is an excellent game for just puttering around. It's fun after a long day to play for an hour, take out some space pirates, upgrade your ship a little, maybe tinker with your outpost. And I do like, I have to admit, the main plot line and the various faction quests. Question: So the procedural generation stuff doesn't bother you? No. Procedural generation has been part of gaming forever and long before the civilizational blight that is modern LLM systems. Certainly there are points where the procedural generation of Starfield could be improved and it has been improved with patches, but I enjoy the randomness of it. Question: If you think Starfield is good, why did it have such mixed reviews? It did have some rough points at launch, like the lack of surface vehicles, the lack of city maps, and some weird choices for inventory management (among some other issues, though those were later patched or upgraded). I honestly think the game is better than the mixed reviews would indicate, and I also think the mixed reviews were a combination of different converging social factors, specifically, people's expectations of what they imagined the game would be versus what it actually was, its Xbox and PC exclusivity, and the unfortunate addiction to outrage culture in social media. As I mentioned before, I think it's obvious that we live in stressful times and for a variety of reasons that are beyond the scope of this episode, I think people are overall angrier and eager to lash out when a target presents itself, especially online. Additionally, I suspect a big part of the mixed reviews is that Microsoft has built up a lot of ill will since the launch of Windows 11 and Copilot, and Starfield is a convenient outlet for that. Like Outlook and Teams are widely hated software tools, probably some of the most hated software tools in the world, but your job forces you to use them and you can't do anything about it. It's more effective to criticize a consumer-facing business like video games than it is Outlook and Teams, since those tend to be sold in blocks of thousands of licenses to large institutional customers that don't particularly care what their employees think about Outlook or Teams. In fact, fun fact, while I was writing this episode, Outlook was causing problems on Artemis II, NASA's first manned mission to the moon in over 50 years. So there is yet another historical milestone for Outlook. Question: You've said repeatedly that you don't like multiverse stuff, yet Starfield's main plot revolves heavily around the multiverse. That's true. I don't really like multiverse stuff in fiction because it's hard to execute well without making the story pointless. If there are a billion parallel universes and somebody dies in one of them, so what? Just hop over one universe and find a new version of the dead guy. Multiverse and parallel universe plot lines are a bit like homemade lasagna or homemade spaghetti carbonara. It needs to be done by someone who really, really knows what they're doing, otherwise the end result is sad and unpleasant, indigestible, or outright disgusting. That said, multiverse as a game mechanic is actually the clever idea. Like we all know that if you really like a game, you're going to play it more than once. How many times have you replayed Skyrim? How many uncounted quintillions of times has the original Super Mario Brothers been replayed? Starfield rather cleverly builds that replaying into the game. You can start over in a new universe and play the game again, but this time your character has in- game foreknowledge of everything that's going to happen and that can affect the gameplay in fun ways. Question: Did you really lose 40 pounds while playing Starfield? Yes. Of course, the main factor was some lifestyle changes in terms of exercise and diet, but I did lose 40 pounds since starting to seriously play Starfield in April of 2024. The game was an excellent distraction instead of late night snacking, so I suppose I sublimated the snacking urge into blowing up space pirates. Question: Aren't you worried Starfield will influence or slow down your writing? Well, writers and other creatives draw inspiration from all sorts of places, but no, I'm not worried about that because Starfield draws so heavily on multiverse tropes and as I've mentioned a few times before, I don't really like multiverse stuff in fiction. In terms of productivity, I published a million new words in 2024 and again in 2025. Though in full disclosure, I will be surprised if I hit a million words in 2026 due to the amount of Real Life Stuff I will have to do this year, but admittedly that is Real Life Stuff unconnected to gaming or recreation and it's only April, so who can say how the rest of the year will play out? Question: Did playing Starfield so much take time away from reading? Probably not. In 2025, I read 69 books and by the end of March in 2026, I have read 15. Lots of people read more than I do, but 69 books in a year is still significantly higher than the American national average. In all honesty, I both read less and play fewer video games now than I did like 20, 25 years ago when I had way fewer responsibilities. Question: The expansion pack Shattered Space got mixed reviews, but you really enjoyed it. Why? I thought the concept was intriguing. "Religious leader builds machine to contact his conception of God and accidentally blows up half his capital city and creates a space time rift" is an interesting concept for both a game and for fiction. I also liked how the expansion pack went in depth into the crazy space cultists' home planet, which was a fun environment to play. Shattered Space is definitely Starfield on hard mode though. The game recommends it for Level 35 characters, but I think 50 might be better, if I'm honest. Question: If Starfield was a commercial failure, why do you play it? Well, "commercial success" and "I enjoyed this" don't necessarily overlap on the Venn Diagram, do they? Just because something is popular doesn't mean it is good and just because something is unpopular doesn't mean it is bad. That said, I don't think it's objectively correct to say Starfield is a commercial failure, regardless of one's opinion of the game. Microsoft is a ruthless corporate empire that has absolutely no qualms about cutting things that are liabilities, especially as more and more of its resources go into Copilot and LLM slop (though there are some indications that its AI focus is starting to loosen as reality begins to impose itself on the grand delusion of the AI powered future). Considering that in the two and a half years since Starfield came out, it's received a lot of patches, a lot of new free content, and two paid expansions, it's clear that the Lidless Eye of Microsoft has not turned towards Starfield in fiery wrath, especially since Microsoft laid off lots of people and shut down a bunch of its game studios during that time. People tend to focus on Steam rankings, but that's only a segment (if a very large segment) of the market. Various Starfield devs in interviews have said that the game is in the top 10 for played hours on Xbox Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass is really important to Microsoft, probably more important than the physical Xbox itself. So I don't think it's objectively true that Starfield is a commercial failure, though it definitely wasn't as successful as Skyrim or Fallout 4. Question: Baldur's Gate 3 (BG3) came out at about the same time as Starfield. Did you like Starfield better than Baldur's Gate 3? Yes. Question: What? Why? Everyone knows Baldur's Gate 3 is the better game. Baldur's Gate 3 is an excellent game. Well written, well designed, excellent voice acting, the works. That said, I also think Starfield is an excellent game and I just enjoyed it more. It's a matter of taste, I think, which is not quantifiable. BG3 is a big Larian/BioWare-style narrative RPG, which is kind of its own genre in the same way that a Bethesda RPG is also its own genre. I mentioned above that I enjoy the puttering around aspect of Starfield a great deal and BG3 doesn't offer as much space for that kind of puttering, some but not nearly as much. I have enjoyed that style of narrative RPG in the past. Dragon Age: Origins and Knights of the Old Republic were both excellent games I played back to back in 2009 or maybe 2008, back when I had more time for that kind of thing and I think they qualify as direct predecessors to Baldur's Gate 3. But these days, I like the freedom of puttering more, even if a game like BG3 offers an excellent interactive narrative. Additionally, I admit I got frustrated a lot with BG3 in a way I didn't with Starfield. In BG3, I kept frequently running into Total Party Kill situations, which is exasperating after you've sunk 20 or 30 minutes into a complicated combat encounter. So I think it's objectively and quantifiably true to say that Baldur's Gate 3 is significantly more popular than Starfield, but on the subjective level, I just enjoy Starfield more. Question: Do you like the soundtrack of Starfield? Oh yeah. It's some of my favorite writing music. For fun, go search on YouTube and watch the London Symphony Orchestra's concert of the Starfield soundtrack. The composer Inon Zur gets to conduct some of it. I'd say my favorite tracks are Into the Starfield, New Atlantis, The Safety of the Citizens, Freestar, The New Old Frontier (I think that plays in the Trackers' Alliance headquarters), Cydonia, Sublevels, Neon, and In Silent Orbit. The battle of music when you fight the Star Born is pretty great as well. I think it's called "Stars and Sacrifice", but I'm not 100% sure. I also quite liked the soundtrack for Baldur's Gate 3 as well, to return to an earlier question. Andrew Wincott totally deserved the BAFTA for "Raphael's Final Act." Question: If a Switch 2 port comes along of Starfield, will you buy it? I would wait for reviews, but honestly, I would be amazed if there was a Switch 2 port of Starfield. The Switch 2 is more powerful than its predecessor, but there's no denying that Starfield is a chunky, chunky game. Then again, I wouldn't have thought it was possible to get Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, or Fallout 4 on the Switch, and apparently those are good ports, so I guess we'll see. Question: Favorite Quest in Starfield? The Mantis, Groundpounder, and the entire thing with the Terrormorphs. Also the whole freaky quest with the Crucible and the clones, that was some great '70s-style science fiction stuff. I enjoy any of the quests with Walter Stroud because he's a fun character, and also voiced by the actor who played Quark in Deep Space Nine in the '90s, back when I was playing Privateer. (Full circle moment!) Also fighting The Hunter for the last time is pretty great since he's such a smug Nietzschean jerk. One of the greatest moments in the game is how The Hunter is just chilling in a Spaceport bar and willing to have amiable conversations with you at the start of the game since he's killed alternate versions of you thousands of times before and isn't expecting trouble, so no reason not to have a civil chat over a drink. I also played through the new Trackers' Alliance plotline. If you get the premium edition of Starfield and its bonus 1,000 Creation Credits, I highly recommend you use them on the Trackers' Alliance expansion. It is a lot of fun. Question: Favorite ship in the game? The Razor Leaf and the Ecliptic Claymore. Also, this is a new addition, but I really like the Orchid you pick up from the fake Mantis Quest in the Trackers' Alliance Quest line. I think my favorite overall ship is the Shieldbreaker that you can buy on New Atlantis, but if you're going to buy a ship instead of stealing it, I think Walter's company Stroud-Ecklund (see above) has the best ships. Honestly, one of my favorite activities in Starfield is stealing ships from space pirates. It's always so much fun. Question: Favorite gun? The Magstorm hands down. Peace through superior firepower. The Magstorm is what I used for the final battle with The Hunter and then again for the final mission of Shattered Space. For stealth, the Hard Target with a suppressor and a scope. I've taken out entire pirate bases with the Hard Target and stealth mode. The one Starborn lady who sells stuff to you in New Universes has a really excellent stealth optimized version of the Hard Target in her inventory. I also really like the Urban Eagle pistol you get early in the Vanguard plotline, since it's usually the best gun in the game I found at that point. Conclusion I hope that explains why I enjoy Starfield and answers some of the questions people always seem to have whenever I mention it. I doubt anyone involved with Starfield will ever listen to this, but I would like to thank everyone who has worked on the game in any capacity: devs, artists, writers, composers, Q&A people, everyone. Thank you for all your hard work, which has given me a lot of enjoyment and mental escape during some very stressful times. So that's it for this week. I promise we will go back to writing related topics next week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your view on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy, and we'll see you all next week.  

William is joined this week by his buddy Roozie Tehranian to chat rugs, bongs, tats and rats! It's the William Montgomery Show!

Rob and Kelvin tell us if the Michigan Fab Five will be remembered more fondly than the Michigan ‘mercenaries’ who just won the national championship, explain why they love how petty the Los Angeles Dodgers are being, and take a trip out to Shekel City for Rob's nightly bets. Plus, former NFL offensive lineman and FOX Sports Radio Weekend host Ephraim Salaam swings by to discuss the legacy of the Fab Five, the evolution of college sports as a whole, and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James (Jim) Webb : Why Should US Troops be Mercenaries for Israel?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

William is joined this week by Heath Cordes. It's the William Montgomery Show!

William and Grant cover everything from paranoia and viral clips to dog injuries, statins, allergies, and trying to stay healthy. They're also joined by live callers from across the country—Colorado, Phoenix, Nashville—and even Japan. It's the William Montgomery Show!

In Episode 385 (Rebroadcast of EP 178), one of our most popular guests, Shawn Swanson, joins us. He talks about his new project, BattleLab.us, and his book series, To My Son. He talks about mindset, parallels between the Ukraine insurgency and a possible American one. He also answers Patreons' questions for him in the After Show, available exclusively to Patreon supporters. Please support our sponsors US Law Shield,  EMP Shield, Numanna Foods, Backwoods Home Magazine, CATI Armor, Jared Savik - Montana Realtor, Minutemen Coffee, and My Kind CBD. We are now part of the Firearms Radio Network. Learn more about our podcast at Prepping 2-0.com.

In Episode 385 (Rebroadcast of EP 178), one of our most popular guests, Shawn Swanson, joins us. He talks about his new project, BattleLab.us, and his book series, To My Son. He talks about mindset, parallels between the Ukraine insurgency and a possible American one. He also answers Patreons' questions for him in the After Show, available exclusively to Patreon supporters. Please support our sponsors US Law Shield,  EMP Shield, Numanna Foods, Backwoods Home Magazine, CATI Armor, Jared Savik - Montana Realtor, Minutemen Coffee, and My Kind CBD. We are now part of the Firearms Radio Network. Learn more about our podcast at Prepping 2-0.com.

4. Mercenaries, War Elephants, and the Seeds of Dynastic Decay The Ptolemies maintained their vast empire through wealth-funded mercenary armies and a unique arms race involving battle elephants. While their rivals, the Seleucids, used Indian elephants, the Ptolemies relied on harder-to-train African species. Despite military successes like the Battle of Raphia, the dynasty eventually began to decline due to the staggering costs of constant warfare and high taxation on Egyptian farmers. This economic strain, coupled with the rise of child kings and internal court factionalism, destabilized the government and left the kingdom vulnerable to its rivals and the emerging power of Rome. (4)CRETE

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — Get 10% off your first month at https://betterhelp.com/wms This episode is sponsored by Brooklyn Bedding — Go to https://www.brooklynbedding.com and use code WMS for 30% off. William is joined this week by Dedrick Flynn to talk about the pressure of Kill Tony, building stand-up material under pressure, life on the road, music, comedy influences, and wild stories from touring and growing up in the South. It's the William Montgomery Show!

William Hockey is the co-founder of Plaid and the founder and CEO of Column, a software company that owns a bank and powers Ramp, Wise, Bilt, Mercury, and others. He funded Column by borrowing against his Plaid shares and has never raised outside capital.  William talks about what owning 100% of his company allows him to do that other venture-backed founder cannot and the personal risk he took to do so. He shares how Silicon Valley's consensus culture produces consensus founders, and why becoming a founder has become too safe. He believes the best builders are specialists and explains with unusual clarity what it takes to become the best in the world at one specific thing. William also spends a lot of time in emerging markets which has given him a unique perspective of the power of the US dollar. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  ----- Become a Colossus member to get our quarterly print magazine and private audio experience, including exclusive profiles and early access to select episodes. Subscribe at ⁠colossus.com/subscribe⁠. ----- ⁠Ramp's⁠ mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ramp.com/invest⁠⁠ to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- Trusted by thousands of businesses, ⁠Vanta⁠ continuously monitors your security posture and streamlines audits so you can win enterprise deals and build customer trust without the traditional overhead. Visit ⁠vanta.com/invest⁠.  ----- ⁠WorkOS⁠ is a developer platform that enables SaaS companies to quickly add enterprise features to their applications. Visit⁠⁠ ⁠WorkOS.com⁠⁠⁠ to transform your application into an enterprise-ready solution in minutes, not months. ----- ⁠Rogo⁠ is an AI-powered platform that automates accounts payable workflows, enabling finance teams to process invoices faster and with greater accuracy. Learn more at ⁠Rogo.ai/invest⁠. ----- ⁠Ridgeline⁠ has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Visit⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgeline.ai⁠. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Timestamps: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like the Best (00:02:43) Intro: William Hockey (00:03:49) Column: A Software Company That Owns a Bank (00:06:46) Finding Ideas in Emerging Markets (00:11:58) Why Constrained Societies Are More Innovative (00:16:02) What's Wrong With Silicon Valley (00:19:28) Building a Business Without Raising Money (00:22:48) What Venture-Backed Companies Can't Do (00:28:39) Getting Margin Called (00:31:41) Starting Companies Has Become Too Safe (00:34:23) Why Employees Take More Risks Than Founders (00:37:09) A Maniacal Commitment to Research (00:39:09) Finding Boring Problems to Solve (00:41:45) Why Building a Second Company is Easier (00:42:36) Missionary vs. Mercenary (00:45:49) Funding a Company with Cash Flows (00:50:04) Perspective on the Venture Ecosystem (00:52:48) The Dominance of the US Dollar (00:58:37) The Future of Financial Services (01:02:06) Why Big, Inefficient Brands Win From AI (01:06:29) The Opportunity for Non-Consensus Founders (01:08:03) The Kindest Thing

This episode is sponsored by Nic Nacs — Go to https://www.nicnac.com/william and use code WILLIAM for 20% off, or use the store locator to find Nic Nacs near you.Wiulliam is joined this week by Martin Phillips to dive into the nitty gritty details of sex robots, March Madness, best ways to drown and more. It's the William Montgomery Show!

One of Machiavelli's most important insights centers on the need for a ruler to have total control over the instruments of violence. In our continued examination of "The Prince," we will take a look at the role of mercenaries in warfare and why the political theorist warned so adamantly against them. We will also delve more deeply into Machiavelli's thoughts on the power of the Catholic Church.  Follow on: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-auron-macintyre-show/id1657770114 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3S6z4LBs8Fi7COupy7YYuM?si=4d9662cb34d148af Substack: https://auronmacintyre.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuronMacintyre Gab: https://gab.com/AuronMacIntyre YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/c/AuronMacIntyre Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-390155 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@AuronMacIntyre:f Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auronmacintyre/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why are the Swiss called the Swiss? After all, Schwyz in only of 26 cantons, and not one of the largest ones. How did the proud and prosperous citizens of Zurich or Berne, mighty city states in their own right, decide they wanted to be named after a mountainous region largely inhabited by peasants tending to their gorgeous brown cattle, the Braunvieh. They even called their national airline Swissair, until my former colleagues at McKinsey let the air out of that one.So, why Swiss? The answer goes back to today's topic, a war that the Swiss call the Schwabenkreig or Swabian War. This war played a massive role in Swiss historiography, and its main battles at the Caven and at Dornach was mentioned in the same breath as Morgarten and Sempach. It was seen as the moment when Switzerland de facto exited the Holy Roman Empire and began ploughing its own furrow in European history. Meanwhile in Germany, this war that we called the Schweizerkreig or Swiss War is largely forgotten amongst the hundreds of other military conflicts.It was also the first of many contests between the two formidable fighting forces of the Renaissance, the Swiss Reisläufer and the German Landsknechte. These soldiers of fortune have percolated the national consciousness on both sides, their fanciful dress depicted in art on both sides of the Rhine and still providing one of Rome's most instagrammable photo opportunities.That on top of the usual incompetence and skullduggery should be incentive enough to listen to this episode.The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire 1250-1356The Reformation before the Reformation

William chats about Reddit rabbit holes, meditation walnuts, scary video games, freight shipping disasters, puzzle competitions, Nashville landscaping, casino trips in Tunica. It's The William Montgomery Show!

1 hour and 35 minutes The Sponsors Thank you to Underground Printing for making this all possible. Rishi and Ryan have been our biggest supporters from the beginning. Check out their wide selection of officially licensed Michigan fan gear at their 3 store locations in Ann Arbor or learn about their custom apparel business at undergroundshirts.com. Our associate sponsors are: Peak Wealth Management, Matt Demorest - Realtor and Lender, Ann Arbor Elder Law, Michigan Law Grad, Human Element, Sharon's Heating & Air Conditioning, The Sklars Brothers, Champions Circle, Winewood Organics, Community Pest Solutions, Venue by 4M where record this, and Introducing this season: Radecki Oral Surgery, and Long Road Distillers. 1. Men's Basketball vs Illinois Starts at 0:51 Hail to the Big Ten champions... before March! Dusty in year two has won at Mackey, Breslin, and whatever Illinois' arena is nicknamed. This was supposed to be a scary game and it wasn't even close, the players loved the energy. The major bummer is that LJ Cason is out for the year with an ACL injury. Can Yaxel check a top five draft point guard? Yes. No turnovers for Cadeau! But he probably has to go from 26 minutes per game to 35 and needs to be much more careful about foul trouble now. It just felt like Illinois had to work so hard to get anything in the second half and they weren't used to that. Illinois played their much better defender for only 10 minutes. Shot volume was similar for both teams but Michigan was able to win from 2-point shots. 2. Men's Basketball vs Minnesota Starts at 25:20 Minnesota comes in with basically no basketball team, they're down on their luck. But they played zone better than a lot of teams on Michigan's schedule. In the first half Michigan had trouble getting to the rim so they kicked it out for open threes. Parts of it felt bad. This game felt like playing Maryland the week before Ohio State. Niko Medved did a great job with what he had, Brian is still high on him. Early in the season Iowa seemed like it would be a really tough game, now Iowa is tailspinning a little bit. Iowa's defense is improved from Fran but not in a way that will stop Michigan. Michigan is still probably a #1 seed if they lose out. They should raise the banner in Michigan State's face at pre-game.  3. Hot Takes and Hockey vs Minnesota Starts at 43:34 Takes hotter than Morez Johnson sitting in front of that crowd and being like "I don't care, I'm gonna be the Kenpom MVP in a 20 point win spiritually because I'm Morez Johnson and nothing phases me at all!" Michigan splits against Minnesota, which almost didn't matter until Michigan State only got two points against Ohio State. This team is a little too Jekyll & Hyde. Starting the Thursday game 1-9 in shots isn't great. Powerplays used to be more whizz-bang and they've been lacking lately. Michigan's defense is like Nebraska running the triple option - they always need to have a 5'2" puck wizard defenseman. MSU's coach tried to chase down an official on the ice which is a silly thing to attempt. Michigan is up two points in the standings but Michigan State has two more games. Time for another year of complaining about the NCAA hockey tournament format. 4. Stickball and Gimmicky Top Five Starts at 1:15:10 Baseball - good Softball - not good Gimmicky Top Five Things You'd Change in the Winter Olympics. Normal guy Olympics. Mountaineering should include getting a kid into ski gear. We don't talk about ski injuries. Winter beach volleyball?    MUSIC: "Don't Fight It"—Kenny Loggins and Steve Perry "Better Way"—Motenko "Take My Heart"—The Teskey Brothers “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra   

You stumbled into a show of some kind… and this is your official Johnny Spoiler movie reaction to Night Game (1989) — the forgotten serial killer baseball thriller starring Roy Scheider.This week on the podcast, Johnny dives into the sultry saxophone-soaked crime procedural where a detective investigates a string of murders tied to a local baseball team's winning streak. The cast is stacked: Karen Young, Lane Smith, Paul Gleason, and more. We break down the killer's pattern, the police work (pre-Law & Order era), and that tense final showdown at the historic Balinese Room in Galveston.Plus in Home Video Headlines:Johnny reacts to Scream 7 and what went wrong with Sidney Prescott's return.Thoughts on celebrity mental health, creative chaos, and honoring the late Robert Carradine.Is Jim Carrey okay? Let's talk.Bonus Physical Media Pick: We spotlight Vampires directed by John Carpenter — now in Limited Edition 4K Steelbook. Mercenary vampire slayers, practical effects, and peak ‘90s grit. Starring James Woods and Thomas Ian Griffith.Staff Pick: 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag — a chaotic crime comedy with Joe Pesci and David Spade that might be too zany for its own good.Rating System: Is Night Game a Binge Now, Binge Later, or Never? Johnny gives it a surprising BINGE NOW — better than expected and way more suspenseful than it has any right to be.If you love movie reactions, 80s thrillers, horror, baseball crime dramas, 4K collector talk, and a little sentimental chaos — stick around.I'm Johnny Spoiler… and I only spoil the movies I love.Vampires Limited Edition 4Khttps://amzn.to/40EuEUk 

Luke Bischoff drops by to join William for a chat about New York winters, Austin open mics, UCB glory days, fake tour websites, statins, glyphosate, and chimp attack movies. It's The William Montgomery Show!

On today's episode, Andy sits down with Jonathan Pullen, Assistant Chief of Operations for the South Central Region of the DEA. They discuss the logistics of the modern drug trade, the international supply chain of fentanyl precursor chemicals, and cartel operations along both the northern and southern U.S. borders. Chapters: (00:00) Cold Open & Introduction  (01:16) What is the DEA's True Role? (03:05) China's Involvement in the Fentanyl Crisis (08:15) Smuggling Rings Beyond the Major Cartels  (11:31) The Northern Border Threat & Montana Pipelines  (17:02) How Drugs Move Across the U.S. (The Denver Hub)  (20:32) Cartel Smuggling Tactics & Forced Labor  (24:43) Money Laundering: Cash, Crypto, & MSBs  (29:07) The Epidemic on Native American Reservations  (34:59) Why Fentanyl is Deadlier Than Previous Drug Crises  (42:05)  Raiding an Underground TdA Nightclub in Denver  (50:49)  The DEA's Biggest Hurdle Right Now  (55:03)  A Final Warning to Parents Sponsors: Firecracker Farm Use code IRONCLAD to get 15% off your first order at https://firecracker.farm/ GHOSTBED: Go to https://www.GhostBed.com/IRONCLAD and use code IRONCLAD for an extra 15% off sitewide. Norwood Sawmills: Learn more about Norwood Sawmills and how you can start milling your own lumber at https://norwoodsawmills.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by Nic Nacs — Go to https://www.nicnac.com/william and use code WILLIAM for 20% off, or use the store locator to find Nic Nacs near you. Drew Nickens drops by to join William for a chat about Blippi, toys, cinnamon rolls, flirting to converting and more. It's the William Montgomery Show!

Tyler and Mike talk about Gearbox before Borderlands. They discuss Gearbox's work on the Half-Life Expansions, 007 Nightfire's PC port, and Halo: Combat Evolved's PC port. The theme music is by RoccoW. The logo was created by Dani Dodge.

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — visit https://betterhelp.com/WMS to get 10% off your first month. Tai Nguyen joins William for a conversation about crowd work psychology, mental hospitals starting comedy shows, gamer brain fog, Valentine's Day pressure. It's the William Montgomery Show!