Podcasts about merchants

Join David, Michael, and Jesse as they review the reprinted Merchants of Andromeda from Allplay, the games they have been playing recently, and all the trash David has been playing.Games discussed: Merchants of Andromeda, Creature Caravan, Crusaders: Thy Will Be Done, Spark Trees, Wooden Cat Balancing GameJoin our Discord Server at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠THIS LINK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠THIS LINK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This episode is titled: The Story of Sack Wine in Early Modern Europe.Imagine walking into the lively taverns and candlelit theaters of early modern Europe, where one drink stood out among both the fashionable and the literary: sack. Think of Sir John Falstaff, the unforgettable character from Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part II, delivering his famous speech. With great enthusiasm, he says that if he had a thousand sons, the first lesson he would teach—the most important of all—would be to avoid weak, watery drinks and instead dedicate themselves to sack.Falstaff's love for sack was not just a joke; it reflected a real trend that spread through England and beyond in the 16th and 17th centuries. Sack was a fortified white wine—rich, strong, and often sweet—similar to what we now call sherry or white port. The origin of the name “sack” is still debated. According to several dictionaries cited by Wikipedia, some believe it comes from the French word “sec,” meaning “dry,” though this explanation has certain linguistic uncertainties.Others suggest it may derive from the Spanish word “sacar,” which means “to withdraw,” referring to the process of drawing wine from a solera. Some historians suggest that the name “sack” comes from the Spanish verb “sacar,” which means “to withdraw,” possibly in reference to drawing wine from barrels for export. The wine itself was traditionally produced in the vineyards of Spain and Portugal. In Spain, the Canary Islands became a major producer after colonization in the 1400s, and regions such as Málaga, Jerez, and Andalusia also produced well-known types. Portugal also played a part, with wines from the north and center of the country, and especially from Madeira. Merchants labeled their shipments by where they came from—” Canary sack,” “Malaga sack,” “Madeira,” or “Jerez”—and these names appeared in trade records from London to Dublin.The trade was massive, especially to the British Isles. According to Jerez-Xeres-Sherry, in 1517, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, Don Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, granted extended privileges to English merchants operating in Sanlúcar, many of whom were facing difficulties with the Inquisition. Later, in the 1530s, English merchants formed the Spanish Company to facilitate trade, exporting cloth and importing sack wine. So intertwined were the goods that some wines earned the cheeky nickname “bastard”—a nod to the English cloth measure and the back. Even war did not stop people from wanting to sack. During the Anglo-Spanish conflict from 1585 to 1604, smugglers risked crossing the Channel to keep the wine coming when official trade was blocked. Official trade faltered.One of the most memorable moments was Sir Francis Drake's bold raid on Cádiz in 1587, when he set out to “singe the King of Spain's beard.” During the attack, Drake's men took about 2,900 pipes, or butts, of sack, with each holding around 600 liters. This added up to more than a million liters of wine taken as loot. Back in England, drinking this captured wine became a patriotic gesture, a playful way to celebrate victory while enjoying the spoils.Sack became a big part of English culture. On the London stage, it was often mentioned. Ben Jonson praised “a pure rich cup of Canary wine” in his poetry, and later writers, such as John Dryden, who was appointed poet laureate in 1670, according to Samuel Johnson, even accepted barrels of sack as payment. But Shakespeare was its biggest fan. Falstaff talks about the amazing effects of sack: it clears the mind, sharpens wit, warms the blood, and gives courage. “Skill in the weapon is nothing without sack,” he says, and his friends joke about how much he loves it. Audiences in the late 1590s would have recognized sack everywhere, seeing it as a symbol of English energy.Read the full textMore Podcasts

In this episode the lads discuss:00:00 Intro 04:18 FA Cup recap 14:55 PSG v Chelsea preview 22:10 Real Madrid v Man City26:56 Barcelona v Newcastle 32:05 Galatasaray v Liverpool 35:28 Bayern Munich v Atalanta 37:07 BBC Sport top 10 strikers of 21 century41:53 Merchants of the Week Stay TAPPED IN with us by liking, commenting, subscribing and turn those notifications on! #TTIMhttps://linktr.ee/tapinmerchants#football #arsenal #liverpool #manutd #chelsea

We are releasing today on our Consumer Finance Monitor podcast our host Alan Kaplinsky's discussion with Marisa Calderon, President and CEO of Prosperity Now, about two high-profile policy proposals raised or embraced by President Trump as part of a broader populist affordability agenda: 1.         A nationwide 10% cap on credit card interest rates for one year. 2.         The Credit Card Competition Act (CCCA), long championed by Senator Dick Durbin which would require large credit card issuers to enable at least two unaffiliated payment networks (only one of which could be MasterCard or VISA) on their cards. Each proposal is framed as pro-consumer. Each has generated significant pushback from banks, card issuers, and trade associations. However, even consumer advocacy groups have raised serious questions about the wisdom of such initiatives. Prosperity Now is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing economic mobility, with a focus on those facing economic barriers. Each raises fundamental questions about how to balance affordability and access in the consumer credit market. Our discussion focused on a central theme: affordability is a real and pressing concern, but policy design matters enormously. Credit Card APRs: A Real Affordability Pressure As Calderon emphasized, policymakers are not wrong to focus on credit card interest rates. Average credit card APRs now hover around 22%, up sharply from roughly 13% a decade ago. Approximately half of cardholders carry a balance, and many rely on credit cards not for discretionary spending, but as liquidity bridges, covering emergency medical bills, car repairs, groceries, and other essentials. For lower and moderate-income households, credit cards are often the only readily available, regulated source of short-term liquidity. That makes rising APRs particularly painful. Calderon's formulation is apt: policymakers have identified the right problem. The harder question is whether they have identified the right solution. The 10% Interest Rate Cap: Lessons from History The proposal to impose a flat 10% nationwide cap on credit card interest rates for one year would represent an unprecedented federal intervention into unsecured revolving credit markets. Credit cards are unsecured and priced for risk. Interest margins help issuers cover expected charge-offs, volatility, and operational costs. If pricing flexibility is removed, lenders cannot simply absorb the loss, they adjust. Historically, those adjustments take predictable forms: •                 Tighter underwriting standards •                 Higher minimum credit scores •                 Lower credit limits •                 Reduced rewards programs •                 Increased non-interest fees •                 Exit from higher-risk market segments The likely result, as Calderon noted, is credit contraction, particularly affecting marginal and lower-income borrowers. The most relevant historical example may be the 1980 credit controls imposed during the Carter Administration, which were rescinded within months after causing severe market disruption. A more targeted example is the 36% APR cap under the Military Lending Act, which illustrates both the importance of bipartisan legislative design and the reality that even well-intentioned caps can reduce access at the margins. Recent Federal Reserve research on state usury caps reinforces this concern: when interest rate ceilings are imposed, credit to higher-risk borrowers contracts, credit to lower-risk borrowers expands, and delinquency rates do not meaningfully improve. In other words, credit is reallocated, not necessarily improved. Even a "temporary" cap may have durable consequences. Issuers that exit certain segments or reduce credit lines are not obligated, and may not be economically inclined, to restore them once the cap expires. Credit score impacts and reduced access can linger well beyond the formal life of the policy. As Calderon put it, blunt price controls are a chainsaw when what is needed is a scalpel. Affordability in Context: What Drives Household Budgets? An additional consideration is scale. Research recently highlighted by the Consumer Bankers Association shows that the fastest-growing household expenses from 2013–2024 were healthcare, shelter, food, and vehicles. Credit card interest represents a relatively small share of average household expenditures. This does not minimize the pain of high APRs, especially for households carrying persistent balances, but it does raise an important structural question: can credit card rate caps meaningfully solve broader affordability challenges rooted in housing, medical costs, food inflation, and transportation? Credit cards are often the mechanism households use to cope with those rising costs. Constraining access to that liquidity may exacerbate, rather than relieve, financial stress. The Credit Card Competition Act: Structural Reform or Indirect Price Control? The second proposal we discussed, the Credit Card Competition Act (the "CCCA"), takes a different approach. Rather than capping interest rates, the CCCA would require large issuers to offer merchants at least two unaffiliated network routing options (only one of which could be Visa or Mastercard). The theory is that routing competition would reduce interchange fees ("swipe fees"), lowering merchant costs and ultimately consumer prices. Merchants have generally supported the proposal. Banks and card issuers have strongly opposed it. The consumer-facing promise is straightforward: lower merchant fees should translate into lower retail prices, but history complicates that assumption. The Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act imposed caps on debit card interchange fees for large issuers and included routing requirements. While interchange revenue declined, Calderon pointed out that empirical evidence suggests that cost savings were not consistently passed through to consumers in the form of lower prices. At the same time, banks offset lost revenue through higher account fees and reduced benefits. A similar dynamic could unfold in the credit card market. Interchange revenue helps fund: •           Rewards programs •           Fraud detection and prevention •           Customer service infrastructure •           Risk management If that revenue is compressed, issuers may respond with tighter underwriting, reduced rewards, or new fee structures. As Calderon observed, although the CCCA operates through indirect price pressure rather than a direct APR ceiling, downstream effects could look similar. Distinguishing Populist Framing From Durable Reform Both the rate cap and the CCCA are framed as pro-consumer, populist reforms. The political appeal is clear, but distinguishing headline appeal from durable consumer benefit requires careful analysis. Calderon suggested several guideposts policymakers should consider: •                 Access – Does the reform preserve or expand access for low- and moderate-income borrowers? •                 Incidence – Who actually captures the gains? Consumers, merchants, intermediaries, or some combination? •                 Substitution effects – Does the policy push consumers toward higher-cost, less-regulated alternatives such as payday or fringe products? •                 Durability – What happens after implementation? Do markets rebound, or do credit line reductions and underwriting changes persist? These questions are not ideological. They are structural. Affordability and access are not opposing values. The policy challenge is designing reforms that alleviate financial strain without narrowing the regulated credit tools families rely on when emergencies arise. The Bottom Line Affordability concerns are real. Rising APRs are real. Financial stress among many households is real. But blunt price caps may reduce rates on paper while reducing access in practice. Structural competition mandates may promise savings that do not materialize at the checkout counter. Durable consumer protection requires careful calibration — the scalpel, not the chainsaw. For industry participants, policymakers, and advocates alike, the takeaway is straightforward: evidence and market mechanics matter. Populist framing may win headlines, but long-term financial stability depends on policy design that accounts for how credit markets actually function. As always, we will continue to monitor these proposals and their evolution in Congress and the Administration.  It may be noteworthy that President Trump did not mention either proposal during his almost two-hour State of the Union Address on January 24th. Consumer Finance Monitor is hosted by Alan Kaplinsky, Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, and the founder and former chair of the firm's Consumer Financial Services Group. We encourage listeners to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform for weekly insights into developments in the consumer finance industry.

In this episode, we discuss… What science really is, both as body of knowledge and a constantly evolving process  Why one study is never enough and the importance of multiple methods, reproducibility, and scientific consensus over time When "gold standard" research falls short and why fields like nutrition require more flexible, creative approaches Science's built-in caution and how new ideas face a high bar of proof, slowing acceptance but strengthening reliability How doubt is manufactured, from the tobacco era to climate science, using fringe voices to challenge strong consensus The role of ideology, and how "freedom" narratives can shape public resistance to scientific evidence Acting without certainty and why we must make public health decisions even when data isn't 100% complete AI and misinformation and the promise and risk of tools like OpenAI in shaping how we consume science Naomi Oreskes Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences ON LEAVE SPRING 2026 emailoreskes@fas.harvard.edu Faculty Assistant: Yaz Alfata Primary Areas of Research: Agnotology; the Political Economy of Scientific Knowledge; History and Philosophy of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Science and Technology Studies (STS); the History of Climate Change Disinformation Secondary Areas of Interest: Science Policy, Science and Religion, Women and Gender Studies   Naomi Oreskes is Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard University. A world-renowned earth scientist, historian and public speaker, she is the author of the best-selling book, Merchants of Doubt (2010) and a leading voice on the role of science in society, the reality of anthropogenic climate change, and the role of disinformation in blocking climate action. Oreskes is author or co-author of 9 books, and over 150 articles, essays and opinion pieces, including Merchants of Doubt (Bloomsbury, 2010), The Collapse of Western Civilization (Columbia University Press, 2014), Discerning Experts (University Chicago Press, 2019), Why Trust Science? (Princeton University Press, 2019), and Science on a Mission: American Oceanography from the Cold War to Climate Change, (University of Chicago Press, 2021). Merchants of Doubt, co-authored with Erik Conway, was the subject of a documentary film of the same name produced by participant Media and distributed by SONY Pictures Classics, and has been translated into nine languages. A new edition of Merchants of Doubt, with an introduction by Al Gore, was published in 2020. Her latest book, with Erik Conway, is The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market, which has been translated to French and Italian. Oreskes wrote the Introduction to the Melville House edition of the Papal Encyclical on Climate Change and Inequality, Laudato Si, and her essays and opinion pieces on climate change have appeared in leading newspapers around the globe, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, the Times (London), and Frankfurter Allegemeine. Her numerous awards and prizes include the 2019 Geological Society of American Mary C. Rabbitt Award, the 2016 Stephen Schneider Award for outstanding Climate Science Communication, the 2015 Public Service Award of the Geological Society of America, the 2015 Herbert Feis Prize of the American Historical Association for her contributions to public history, and the 2014 American Geophysical Union Presidential Citation for Science and Society. She is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society. In 2018, she was named a Guggenheim Fellow, and in 2019 she was awarded the British Academy Medal. In 2024, she was awarded the Nonino Foundation "Maestro del Nostro Tempo" award. And in 2025, she was awarded the Volvo Environment Prize for her contributions in "shaping our understanding of how scientific knowledge is collectively constructed and addressing the challenges of misinformation in public discourse."  Curriculum Vitae   Select Publications The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loath Government and Love the Free Market, 2023 (Bloomsbury Press) Science on a Mission, 2021 (University of Chicago Press) Why Trust Science?, 2019 (Princeton University Press) Science and Technology in the Global Cold War, 2014 (MIT Press) The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future, 2014 (Columbia University Press)   Collapse of Western Civilization Home Page Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, 2010. (New York: Bloomsbury Press.) Merchants of Doubt Home Page Merchants of Doubt at the 52nd New York Film Festival, October 8, 2014 Models in Environmental Regulatory Decision Making, Whipple, Chris et al. (fourteen additional authors), 2007. (Washington DC: National Academy of Sciences National Research Council, Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology), 287 pp. The Rejection of Continental Drift: Theory and Method in American Earth Science, 1999. (New York: Oxford University Press) In the Media Testimony Before the US Senate Budget Committee, Twitter, June 22, 2023 Science Isn't Always Perfect - But We Should Still Trust It, TIME, October 2019 Climate Change Will Cost Us Even More Than We Think, New York Times, October 2019 Escaping Extinction, World Economic Forum, January 2019 Yes, ExxonMobil Misled the Public, LA Times, September 2017 What Exxon Mobil Didn't Say About Climate Change, The New York Times, August 2017 Assessing ExxonMobil's Climate Change Communications (177-2014), Environment Research Letters, August 2017 Scientists Dive Into the Political Fray, PBS Newshour, April 2017 How to Break the Climate Deadlock, Scientific American, November 2015 What Did Exxon Know?, On The Media, November 2015 The Pope and the Planet, The Open Mind, November 2015 Exxon's Climate Concealment, New York Times, October 2015 Naomi Oreskes, a Lightning Rod in a Changing Climate, New York Times, June 2015 A Chronicler of Warnings Denied, New York Times, October 2014 Merchants of Doubt, Documentary from Sony Pictures Classics, 2014 "Why We Should Trust Scientists," TED Talk, June 2014 The 2014 Vatican Environmental Summit: Can a Pope Help Sustain Humanity and Ecology?, New York Times Interview for Cosmologics Magazine Prof. Oreskes discusses her book, "The Collapse of Western Civilization..."  Naomi Oreskes - The Collapse of Western Civilization, Inquiring Minds Podcast "A View From the Climate Change Future," National Public Radio via Boston's WBUR Edited Volumes Oreskes, Naomi, ed., with Homer E. Le Grand, 2001.  Plate Tectonics: An Insider's History of the Modern Theory of the Earth (Boulder: Westview Press), paperback edition February 2003. Edited Journal Volumes Oreskes, Naomi and James R. Fleming, eds. 2000.  "Perspectives on Geophysics," Special Issue of   Studies in the History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 31B, September 2000.

Alex Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of Cyclops, joins the show. In this episode: Alex's background running The Giving Block and the company's acquisition by Shift4 Difficulty in enabling stablecoin solutions when utilizing existing providers while inside of Shift4 Backgrounds of the founding team at Cyclops Regulatory strategy for Cyclops Products: Pay with Crypto (POS, E-Com), Stablecoin Settlement (for Merchants vs. Wire or ACH), Stablecoin Payouts (Payroll, Contractor Payments, Remittance) Key features for building specifically for payments companies See more at cyclops.io

Catch “The Drive with Spence Checketts” from 2 pm to 6 pm weekdays on ESPN 700 & 92.1 FM. Produced by Porter Larsen. The latest on the Utah Jazz, Real Salt Lake, Utes, BYU + more sports storylines.

What if checkout was the growth engine instead of an add-on? We sit down with Ismael Wrixen, CEO of ThriveCart, to explore how a payments-first platform can power the modern creator economy from a $99 template to a $10,000 mastermind without locking you into a brittle tech stack. Ismael breaks down how ThriveCart layers affiliates, an LMS, and marketing automation on top of payments, then uses smart funnels to turn checkout into predictable revenue.The conversation gets especially interesting around financing. As ticket sizes rise, traditional BNPL hits limits on geography and amount. Enter Thrive Pay Installments: interest-free plans using a customer's existing card limit, delivered globally in USD, CAD, GBP, EUR, and AUD. Early data shows 3.3x higher average order values, approvals jumping from ~40% to ~85%, and checkout time collapsing to five seconds. Merchants still get paid up front; buyers spread payments over three, six, or twelve months with no new loan application, no extra friction.We also zoom out to the bigger picture of the creator economy and AI. Demand for reskilling surges as companies retool, and creators step in with specialized courses and coaching across finance, business, wellness, and AI. Ismael shares why flexibility is non-negotiable—keep your payment funnel, swap your LMS, integrate with 50+ tools, and sell globally with automated taxes and e-invoicing support coming online. We discuss where LLM commerce is heading, why human-in-the-loop purchasing still matters, and how adaptive pricing and localized experiences unlock international growth.If you care about conversion, funding bigger baskets, and building a stack that won't trap you as AI reshapes the landscape, this is your roadmap. 

This week on Heavy Metal Tones – Episode 265, we descend once more into the shadows with Canada's rising doom force Sundecay.I'm joined by founding members Richard Pauptit and Brian Scott for an in-depth conversation about their brand-new and absolutely brilliant third album. We talk about the evolution of their sound, the weight and atmosphere that defines modern doom, and how this latest release pushes their creativity into darker, heavier, and more progressive territory.From crushing riffs to introspective lyricism, this episode goes beyond the music and into the mindset behind it — the writing process, studio stories, and what it means to carry the doom torch in 2026.If you love immersive, slow-burning heaviness with substance and soul, this is an episode you don't want to miss.Turn it loud. Let it breathe. Stay heavy.Support the band by clicking the links below.https://sundecay.bandcamp.com/https://www.facebook.com/sundecay/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of The Way Forward, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.Save $50 on your InPower Membership: Access the NoL Creator, guided webinars, and a community dedicated to reclaiming authority. Did you know your signature is being used to generate money?In this episode, I sit down with Cal Washington to trace the unexpected path that pulled him from an ordinary life into a relentless investigation of the family court system, common law, and what he believes is a massive financial structure operating beneath the surface. We dive into his deep study of the Motor Vehicle Act, his $300 million story, the hidden signature system, and a confrontation with provincial authorities that led to outcomes few would expect.This conversation moves through philosophy, legal sovereignty, and the growing tension between citizens and institutions. If you've ever felt there was more happening behind the curtain of the legal system, this one will give you a lot to sit with.You'll Learn:[00:00] Introduction [01:49] How a corrupt divorce exposed the trillion-dollar divorce industry[08:18] Driving without insurance, and self-bonding under the Motor Vehicle Act[25:17] How Cal filed a $300 million promissory note inside a courtroom[46:28] The idea behind the $300 million[59:25] How a piece of notarized paper sent 16 politicians into retirement [01:28:54] The mechanism that holds executives personally liable [01:37:59] Merchants, birth certificates, and the enrollment of the entire human race[01:54:56] The blank page, the mortgage, the credit card: how your signature has been creating money you never saw[02:14:17] The internal factions, the IRS angle, and the queen who swore she'd never abdicate[02:30:52] Who is running the world right now?[02:45:00] Why voting and protesting reinforce the systemRelated The Way Forward Episodes: Christ's Millennial Reign & Satan's Little Season with Paul Stobbs | YouTubeResources Mentioned:InPower Movement - Meet Lex Dove | YouTubeThe Nephilim Looked Like Clowns by Paul Stobbs | BookFind more from Cal:InPower | WebsiteInPower | YouTubeFind more from Alec:Alec Zeck | InstagramAlec Zeck | XThe Way Forward | InstagramThe Way Forward is Sponsored By:Paleovalley is 100% Grass-Fed Bone Broth Protein is a nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest source of collagen and essential amino acids. Sourced from grass-fed cows, this protein powder provides the building blocks for healthy joints, skin, and gut function—without fillers or artificial ingredients. Support the show and claim 15% off your PaleoValley order!Designed for deep focus and well-being. 100% blue light and flicker free. For $50 off your Daylight Computer, use discount code: TWF50New Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground UpExperience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more. Use code THEWAYFORWARD (case sensitive) for $50 off activation.The Way Forward members get the $150 fee waived

In this episode the lads discuss:00:00 Intro04:09 Arsenal v Chelsea 8:03 Chelsea disciplinary issues? 20:07 Performance or win most important for Arsenal? 27:00 Cole palmer worry?39:40 Leeds v Man City 44:30 Liverpool v West Ham 48:40 Man United v Crystal Palace 53:36 Joao Pedro, Ekitike, Sesko debate56:00 Merchants of the Week Follow Tsemz:Tiktok: t_talksballTiktok: t_talksballStay TAPPED IN with us by liking, commenting, subscribing and turn those notifications on! #TTIMhttps://linktr.ee/tapinmerchants#football #arsenal #liverpool #manutd #chelsea

We're live and poolside at the close of eTail Palm Springs. This year's conference brought less theory and more proof, from agentic platforms doing actual operational work to the quiet rise of go-to-market tooling among merchants. One thing is clear: AI stopped talking and started shipping. Brian and Phillip break down the sessions, hallway conversations, and briefings that mattered most, and dive into their marathon week of discussions with companies including CommerceIQ, Attentive, Resolve AI, Decile, Modem, and more. The Year AI Stopped Talking and Started Working Key takeaways: Agentic AI is operational now. Platforms like CommerceIQ are replacing FTE-style workflows, running around the clock, and proactively surfacing insights. Context is everything… and most native AI tools don't have it. In-tool AI using synthetic or siloed data is producing unreliable outputs. The winning stack integrates across all data sources. CRM is mainstream; go-to-market tooling is emerging. Merchants are now using tools like Clay, a tool built for B2B sales prospecting, to find creators, influencers, and strategic partners. Clienteling looks different when repurchase cycles are a decade long. Brands like Ernesta (custom rugs) and GHD (hairstyling tools) are rethinking loyalty and relationship-building without the luxury of frequent transactions. "Consolidation is power." Whoever consolidates information, tasks, and systems the best will hold the advantage, both in business and in AI. Quotes: [00:20:15] "The marketing agent is looking for a segmentation issue... high CAC and low LTV. Those are things that, as an organization, you'd have to surface, invest in, create segments, create a dashboard — and then bother to look at." — Phillip [00:37:38] "The job of the RFP responder is the same as the code developer. They become a shepherd and a reviewer rather than a writer." — Brian  [00:48:03] "What do we lose when we eliminate the mundane?" — Brian  [00:51:09] "In the next six months, AI is going to own entire workflows without any human intervention." — George Davis, CMO of Cozy Earth (as quoted by Phillip) In-Show Mentions: Listen to Kristin Flor Perret's episode on Future Commerce Get on the list for our ShopTalk Spring After Party Associated Links: Check out Future Commerce on YouTube Check out Future Commerce Plus for exclusive content and save on merch and print Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world Listen to our other episodes of Future Commerce Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Comedy on a TuesdayFirst, a look at the events of the day.Then, The Lux Radio Theater, originally broadcast February 24, 1941, 85 years ago, The Whole Town's Talking starring Fibber McGee and Molly.  Jim Jordan, er,  Fibber McGee, takes the role played by Edward G. Robinson from the 1935 motion picture.  Fibber is a mild-mannered clerk who bears a striking resemblance to an escaped convict.  Followed by The Danny Kaye Show,  originally broadcast February 24, 1945, 81 years ago, The Murdered Meatball.  The cast of "The Danny Kaye Playhouse" presents Inspector H. I. J. Kaye in "The Case Of The Murdered Meatball." Then, The CBS Radio Workshop,  originally broadcast February 24, 1957, 69 years ago, The Space Merchants Part 2 starring Staats Cotsworth.  The science fiction classic of the future in the grip of "Madison Avenue." How to "sell" the colonization of Venus.  Finally, Claudia, originally broadcast February 24, 1948, 78 years ago, A Little Something for the House.  Claudia and her mother visit a department store.  Kathryn Bard and Paul Crabtree star.   Thanks to Debbie B. for supporting our podcast by using the Buy Me a Coffee function at http://classicradio.streamCheck out Professor Bees Digestive Aid at profbees.com and use my promo code WYATT to save 10% when you order! If you like what we do here, visit our friend Jay at http://radio.macinmind.com for great old-time radio shows 24 hours a day

In this episode the lads ft Karel discuss:Intro 00:00Arsenal v Spurs 03:37Man City v Newcastle 16:52Most important City player? 19:00 Chelsea v Burnley 26:27Chelsea red card problems 38:00Forest v Liverpool 43:53 Arsenal v Chelsea 47:05Who is a good player? 50:15 PFA POTY nominees 51:06 Fave player watched this season? 01:04:10Vini/Mourinho/ reaction 01:10:50 Merchants of the Week 01:21:00 Follow KarelTiktok: karelprinceTwitter: karelprince_Instagram: karelprvStay TAPPED IN with us by liking, commenting, subscribing and turn those notifications on! #TTIMhttps://linktr.ee/tapinmerchants#football #arsenal #liverpool #manutd #chelsea

Shopify Payments ≠ Shopify. If Shopify Payments isn't right for your business, you don't have to rebuild your store. You can keep your Shopify storefront and connect your own 3rd party payment gateway to take payments your way.In this video, Maria busts the myths: Shopify Payments isn't the only option, and it's not built for every business. Whether you're selling subscriptions, running a creator business, dropshipping, or just want more flexibility, she shows how to add a 3rd party payment gateway to your Shopify store—so you can stay in control, avoid limits, and keep scaling.From understanding why Shopify alternatives matter, to actionable steps for setting up your own gateway within Shopify, this video gives you everything you need to continue selling smoothly, protect your revenue, and keep your online store thriving.____________________________________________

Movies on a Tuesday First,  a look at this day in History.Then, Screen Directors Playhouse,  originally broadcast February 17, 1950, 76 years ago, It's In The Bag starring Fred Allen.   A flea circus operator searches for a hidden fortune within a Louis XIV chair. An adaptation of Allen's 1945 film. Followed by Theater Guild on the Air, originally broadcast February 17, 1946, 80 years ago, On Borrowed Time starring Walter Huston.  An adaptation of the 1939 film that starred Lionel Barrymore.  A cantankerous old man takes in his beloved, orphaned grandson, whom he must protect at all costs with the help of an agent of Death and a magical apple tree.  Then, The CBS Radio Workshop, originally broadcast February 17, 1957, 69 years ago, Space Merchants Part 1 starring Staats Cotsworth.  The science fiction classic of the future in the grip of "Madison Avenue." How to "sell" the colonization of Venus. Finally,  Claudia,  originally broadcast February 17, 1948, 78 years ago, Planning the Renovation.  Redesigning the farm...by committee.  Kathryn Bard and Paul Crabtree star.  Thanks to Richard G for supporting our podcast by using the Buy Me a Coffee function at http://classicradio.streamCheck out Professor Bees Digestive Aid at profbees.com and use my promo code WYATT to save 10% when you order! 

Jack Prandelli of The Merchants News Substack stopped by, and we had a blast visiting about huge changes in the oil and gas markets. At the end of the podcast, we also discuss how we should restructure electricity prices for consumers. 1. China's efforts to reduce its reliance on the US dollar:  - China is shorting US Treasuries and buying gold to try to reduce its dependence on the US dollar in global trade, especially for commodities like oil.  - However, China still relies heavily on importing oil and gas, which is priced in US dollars through the petrodollar system.2. The growth of US LNG exports to Europe:  - The US is rapidly expanding its LNG export capacity, which is helping Europe replace Russian gas.  - A key company, OneOk, owns a large portion of the pipeline infrastructure market supporting US LNG exports.3. The performance and strategies of major oil and gas companies:  - Integrated companies like Exxon and Chevron are performing better than more specialized companies like Occidental.  - European oil majors like BP and Total are struggling more, with BP considering asset sales.4. OPEC's challenges in managing oil production and pricing:  - OPEC has struggled to meet its own production targets, leading it to consider changes to its pricing mechanisms.  - There are geopolitical tensions, like the US trying to influence OPEC members like Venezuela and Iran.5. The role of natural gas, renewables, and nuclear power in the energy transition:  - The guests discuss the pros and cons of different energy sources, arguing for a balanced approach that ensures reliable and affordable energy.  - There are concerns about the ability of renewables alone to provide reliable power without fossil fuel or nuclear backup.Stu and Jack cover a wide range of topics related to the global energy markets, geopolitics, and the energy transition, with a focus on oil, gas, and LNG. Based on the transcript analysis, here are the main topics discussed:**1. China's De-Dollarization Strategy**China is actively working to reduce its dependence on the US dollar by shorting US Treasuries and accumulating gold. However, this effort faces a fundamental constraint: China's massive need for imported oil and gas, which are priced in US dollars through the petrodollar system, keeps it tethered to dollar-denominated trade.**2. US LNG Export Expansion**The US is rapidly scaling up its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, playing a crucial role in helping Europe transition away from Russian gas supplies. One Oak, a significant player, controls a large portion of the pipeline infrastructure that supports these exports.**3. Oil and Gas Company Performance**The discussion compares how different energy companies are faring:- Integrated majors like Exxon and Chevron are outperforming more specialized companies like Occidental- European oil majors (BP, Total) are struggling more significantly, with some considering asset sales**4. OPEC Production and Pricing Challenges**OPEC faces difficulties meeting its own production targets and is considering adjustments to its pricing mechanisms. Geopolitical tensions also play a role, with the US attempting to influence OPEC members like Venezuela and Iran.**5. Energy Transition and Power Sources**We debate the role of natural gas, renewables, and nuclear power in the energy transition, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that maintains reliable and affordable energy while questioning whether renewables alone can provide consistent power without fossil fuel or nuclear backup.Connect with Jack on his LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prandelligiacomo/Check out the Merchant News Substack: https://themerchantsnews.substack.com/Thank you To Steve Reese and Reese Energy Consulting for sponsoring the podcast:https://reeseenergyconsulting.com/Check out the Energy News Beat Substack: https://theenergynewsbeat.substack.com/Check out The Energy News Beat Website: https://energynewsbeat.co/Questions on Investing in Oil: https://sandstoneassetmgmt.com/invest-in-oil-and-gas/

Get an understanding behind what the 1767 Townshend Acts aimed to accomplish including those specific items which were greatly affected. Learn who had been serving as Commander In Chief of British Forces in North America since 1763. Go behind the scenes and discover what unraveled on October 1,1768. Discover who replaces Massachusetts Royal Governor Francis Bernard come July 31,1769. Learn if Governor Bernard's replacement is no stranger to mob violence. Explore what had been pursued by more than 60 Merchants come August 1768, one year prior to Governor Bernard stepping down from his post. Get introduced to Ebenezer Richardson & Theophilus Lillie including where both men stood regarding the 1768 Boston Non Importation Agreement. Learn what unfolded on February 22, 1770 involving Richardson, Lillie, and hard core radicals. Agree if it's fair to say that what occurred on February 22, 1770 played a contributing factor behind the evening of March 5,1770. Receive an in depth analysis behind what occurred on March 5,1770 involving Boston's Townspeople and British Troops from 29th Regiment of Foot. Learn how Dr. Benjamin Church was involved following the aftermath of what happened on March 5. Determine if Dr. Church had served on a committee which issued request seeking troop withdrawal from town of Boston. Figure out which Forefather chose to defend the accused British Soldiers from 29th Regiment of Foot including his personal reasons for having done so. Discover whether the jury found all 8 soldiers accused of murder to have been guilty for those charges brought against them including their lead commanding officer. Learn who Parliament was trying to save from total financial ruin a few years after the infamous Boston Massacre Incident. Discover what unraveled on December 16,1773 including the fallout that followed three months later. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Merchants at the Chinatown Cultural Plaza are preparing for Chinese New Year festivities beginning Friday night, but the neglected Honolulu landmark continues to deteriorate. Plus, more than 13,000 customers in Windward Oahu got their power back Friday evening.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The boys kick off a new series examining the Foxcatcher murder and the dynasty behind it. The Du Pont family didn't just produce a killer... they helped design modern America. War profiteering, political manipulation, and industrial death are baked right into their legacy. This is what privilege without limits really looks like. For Live Shows, Merch, and More Visit: www.LastPodcastOnTheLeft.comKevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Last Podcast on the Left ad-free, plus get Friday episodes a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Bashar Wali, founder and CEO of Practice Hospitality and This Assembly, shares why staying culturally relevant is your responsibility. Read more from Bashar: The Merchants of Cool™Hospitality Daily is brought to you with support from Mews, the operating system for hospitality that replaces fragmented systems with one connected way to manage reservations, payments, revenue, and guest service. Listen to my recent conversation with Mews founder Richard Valtr for a deep dive on what's happening with AI and hotel tech today. A few more resources: If you're new to Hospitality Daily, start here. You can send me a message here with questions, comments, or guest suggestions If you want to get my summary and actionable insights from each episode delivered to your inbox each day, subscribe here for free. Follow Hospitality Daily and join the conversation on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. If you want to advertise on Hospitality Daily, here are the ways we can work together. If you found this episode interesting or helpful, send it to someone on your team so you can turn the ideas into action and benefit your business and the people you serve! Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands

Imagine that you’re so angry about a business deal gone wrong that you grab a chisel, find a slab of stone, and spend hours carving your complaint. That’s exactly what a Mesopotamian merchant did in 1750 and made sales history.  The merchant was furious because he’d been promised high-grade copper, but the final product was subpar. That angry customer complaint is now sitting in the British Museum, 4,000 years later. The tablet reads: “What do you take me for? That you treat someone like me with such contempt?” If you think dealing with issues in the sales process is a modern problem, you’re off by about four millennia. Sales Hustle Is Ancient We talk about sales like it’s a modern corporate invention. CRMs and automated sequences are new, but the art of the deal and dealing with angry customers? That's been around since humans started trading. The copper merchant in 1750 BCE wasn’t just selling copper. He was managing client expectations, handling logistics, and clearly failing at quality control. The core practices of B2B sales—promise, delivery, and relationship management—haven’t changed. 1600s: Sales Becomes a Profession Fast forward to 1600, and you see the founding of the East India Trading Companies. They were some of the first corporations that allowed people to buy shares in a business. One of the East India Trading Companies was owned by “the 17 gentlemen”—a group of wealthy investors who funded global trade expeditions. They kept spices like nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon flowing across continents. The spices were so valuable that they were practically currency. This was B2B sales at scale. Shareholders’ expected returns. Merchants negotiated deals across continents. The stakes were massive, and so were the profits. This era established something critical to modern sellers: the separation between ownership and operation. The 17 gentlemen didn’t sail the ships or negotiate every spice deal. They hired people to do it. Sales stopped being a personal trade and became a repeatable profession with accountability structures built in. 1851: Visibility and Competition Arrive The Great Exhibition in London in 1851 was the world’s first massive B2B trade show in sales history. Thousands of exhibitors. Hundreds of thousands of attendees. A giant glass building called the Crystal Palace. Nearly 200 years later, sales pros still pack convention centers, set up booths, and fight to stand out in a sea of competitors. This is where B2B sales became visible. You weren’t just competing against one or two local merchants anymore. You were standing next to dozens of alternatives, all promising similar value. Differentiation became mandatory. Following up meant writing a letter and waiting weeks for a response. Today, if you’re not following up within 24 hours, you’re losing to competitors who are. 1957: Reach and Leverage Scale Up The first inside sales team was formed at a company called Dial America in 1957. Before that, if you wanted to sell, you hit the road. Door-to-door, city-to-city, face-to-face. Every single deal required physical presence. The telephone changed everything. Suddenly, salespeople could work virtually, reach more prospects, and close deals without leaving the office. One seller could now have 20 conversations in a day instead of three. The math of sales productivity fundamentally shifted. Fast forward to today, and inside sales is the dominant model. The tools have evolved—Zoom calls, screen shares, digital demos—but the core principle remains: you don’t need to be in the same room to build trust and close deals. From Stone Tablets to Instant Messages: Why Speed Matters Now Think about the effort that the merchant put into carving his complaint into stone. He didn’t fire off a quick email. He didn’t leave a one-star Google review. He created a permanent record that would outlive both him and the seller by thousands of years. Today, complaints are easy. Maybe too easy. A customer can blast you on LinkedIn, tank your review scores, or CC your entire executive team on an email thread—all before lunch.  Every major shift in B2B sales increased speed. Trade shows multiplied visibility. Telephones let sellers reach 20 prospects a day instead of three. Email collapsed follow-up from weeks to hours. Social media made reputation instant and permanent. In 1750 BCE, you had time to respond. Now, you have hours—maybe minutes. Each acceleration rewarded the sellers who could execute fast without sacrificing quality. The ones who couldn’t keep up disappeared. Why This Timeline Matters More Than You Think We're in another massive shift in sales history. AI, automation, predictive analytics—the pace is relentless. It's easy to think everything has changed. Zoom out 4,000 years, and the pattern emerges: speed accelerates, but the core practices stay the same. So the next time you get a harsh email from a customer, remember that stone tablet. You don't have to worry about your failure being displayed in a museum 4,000 years from now. But you do have to worry about your reputation spreading across the internet in hours. The tools change, the pace accelerates, but the rule is simple: earn trust, deliver value, and handle problems before they handle you. You just saw how history teaches that speed and execution have always mattered — and now AI is the biggest shift we've seen yet. If you want to turn the disruption into an advantage, download The FREE AI Edge Book Club Guide. 

Imagine that you're so angry about a business deal gone wrong that you grab a chisel, find a slab of stone, and spend hours carving your complaint. That's exactly what a Mesopotamian merchant did in 1750 and made sales history.  The merchant was furious because he'd been promised high-grade copper, but the final product was subpar. That angry customer complaint is now sitting in the British Museum, 4,000 years later. The tablet reads: "What do you take me for? That you treat someone like me with such contempt?" If you think dealing with issues in the sales process is a modern problem, you're off by about four millennia. Sales Hustle Is Ancient We talk about sales like it's a modern corporate invention. CRMs and automated sequences are new, but the art of the deal and dealing with angry customers? That's been around since humans started trading. The copper merchant in 1750 BCE wasn't just selling copper. He was managing client expectations, handling logistics, and clearly failing at quality control. The core practices of B2B sales—promise, delivery, and relationship management—haven't changed. 1600s: Sales Becomes a Profession Fast forward to 1600, and you see the founding of the East India Trading Companies. They were some of the first corporations that allowed people to buy shares in a business. One of the East India Trading Companies was owned by "the 17 gentlemen"—a group of wealthy investors who funded global trade expeditions. They kept spices like nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon flowing across continents. The spices were so valuable that they were practically currency. This was B2B sales at scale. Shareholders' expected returns. Merchants negotiated deals across continents. The stakes were massive, and so were the profits. This era established something critical to modern sellers: the separation between ownership and operation. The 17 gentlemen didn't sail the ships or negotiate every spice deal. They hired people to do it. Sales stopped being a personal trade and became a repeatable profession with accountability structures built in. 1851: Visibility and Competition Arrive The Great Exhibition in London in 1851 was the world's first massive B2B trade show in sales history. Thousands of exhibitors. Hundreds of thousands of attendees. A giant glass building called the Crystal Palace. Nearly 200 years later, sales pros still pack convention centers, set up booths, and fight to stand out in a sea of competitors. This is where B2B sales became visible. You weren't just competing against one or two local merchants anymore. You were standing next to dozens of alternatives, all promising similar value. Differentiation became mandatory. Following up meant writing a letter and waiting weeks for a response. Today, if you're not following up within 24 hours, you're losing to competitors who are. 1957: Reach and Leverage Scale Up The first inside sales team was formed at a company called Dial America in 1957. Before that, if you wanted to sell, you hit the road. Door-to-door, city-to-city, face-to-face. Every single deal required physical presence. The telephone changed everything. Suddenly, salespeople could work virtually, reach more prospects, and close deals without leaving the office. One seller could now have 20 conversations in a day instead of three. The math of sales productivity fundamentally shifted. Fast forward to today, and inside sales is the dominant model. The tools have evolved—Zoom calls, screen shares, digital demos—but the core principle remains: you don't need to be in the same room to build trust and close deals. From Stone Tablets to Instant Messages: Why Speed Matters Now Think about the effort that the merchant put into carving his complaint into stone. He didn't fire off a quick email. He didn't leave a one-star Google review. He created a permanent record that would outlive both him and the seller by thousands of years. Today, complaints are easy. Maybe too easy. A customer can blast you on LinkedIn, tank your review scores, or CC your entire executive team on an email thread—all before lunch.  Every major shift in B2B sales increased speed. Trade shows multiplied visibility. Telephones let sellers reach 20 prospects a day instead of three. Email collapsed follow-up from weeks to hours. Social media made reputation instant and permanent. In 1750 BCE, you had time to respond. Now, you have hours—maybe minutes. Each acceleration rewarded the sellers who could execute fast without sacrificing quality. The ones who couldn't keep up disappeared. Why This Timeline Matters More Than You Think We're in another massive shift in sales history. AI, automation, predictive analytics—the pace is relentless. It's easy to think everything has changed. Zoom out 4,000 years, and the pattern emerges: speed accelerates, but the core practices stay the same. So the next time you get a harsh email from a customer, remember that stone tablet. You don't have to worry about your failure being displayed in a museum 4,000 years from now. But you do have to worry about your reputation spreading across the internet in hours. The tools change, the pace accelerates, but the rule is simple: earn trust, deliver value, and handle problems before they handle you. You just saw how history teaches that speed and execution have always mattered — and now AI is the biggest shift we've seen yet. If you want to turn the disruption into an advantage, download The FREE AI Edge Book Club Guide.

Jan Vermeulen – Editor, MyBroadband SAfm Market Update - Podcasts and live stream

In this episode, we explore everything from missing teaspoons and land acknowledgments to capital punishment and medieval economic thinking. We examine what everyday shortages reveal about prices and incentives, debate China's use of executions for online scams, and unpack why symbolic gestures like mandatory land acknowledgments often collapse under scrutiny. We're also joined by Andrew Heaton, host of The Political Orphanage podcast, to discuss zero-sum thinking, inequality versus poverty, and why so many economic intuitions still haven't escaped the Dark Ages. Along the way, we look at profit caps, price controls, and the persistent temptation to treat economics like theology rather than systems thinking. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:28 Land Acknowledgment 01:30 The Curious Case of the Disappearing Teaspoons 03:31 What Teaspoons Teach Us About Prices and Resources 06:04 China Executes Online Scammers 08:21 When Capital Punishment Expands Too Far 09:51 Foolishness of the Week: Mandatory Land Acknowledgments 13:13 Free Speech, Property Theory, and a Faculty Lawsuit 18:32 Andrew Heaton Joins the Show 21:12 Economics Thinking That Never Escaped the Dark Ages 24:42 Zero-Sum Thinking and the Origins of Envy 27:37 Why Humans Think in Proportions, Not Absolutes 29:53 Inequality vs. Poverty 34:59 Greed, Merchants, and Medieval Economics 37:20 Why Price Controls Never Work 41:08 Theology vs. Economics 42:43 Why Profit Caps Backfire 48:09 Supply and Demand Is Not Optional 51:48 Systems Thinking vs. Witch Hunts 55:01 Why Bad Incentives Create Bad Outcomes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Talk Commerce, Brent Peterson interviews Hristo Arakliev from Hyperzon, discussing the significance of Amazon in the e-commerce landscape, the integration of AI in marketing strategies, and common pitfalls that merchants encounter when navigating multiple sales channels. Hristo emphasizes the importance of visibility and marketing over product quality alone, the need for strategic traffic management, and the necessity of optimizing for both Amazon and emerging AI-driven search engines. As the holiday season approaches, he provides insights on preparing for increased sales and advertising strategies.TakeawaysAmazon is the largest marketplace in e-commerce.Visibility is crucial for brand trust and sales.Great marketing can make mediocre products succeed.AI can streamline tasks and enhance strategy.Merchants should focus on one channel at a time.Driving traffic to D2C can benefit Amazon sales.Amazon PPC is not the only solution; organic strategies matter.Optimizing for AI search engines is becoming essential.Preparing for holiday sales requires early product shipping.Brand popularity influences advertising strategies.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Hyperzone and Extreme Sports01:37 The Importance of Amazon for DTC Brands04:15 Leveraging AI in E-commerce06:53 Common Mistakes by Merchants on Amazon08:35 Advertising Strategies for Amazon10:30 Optimizing for Search Engines and LLMs12:48 Preparing for Holiday Sales on Amazon

Fresh off of the firewand heist, our circle seeks to know Origin and those in it better.   Part 1 of session 4 of our Ruby and Fire actual-play using the Exalted game engine  from Onyx Path (Drive-Thru link).    The Cast:     GM/Storyteller: Decurion     Firamar Saelen : Jen     Finn Breakwater: Dave/Sarcastic     Pale Nimbus 'Nim' : Logan (of The Story Told podcast)     Mofid Parviz : (Young) Steve     Wonderous Cyclone : Old Steve   Dec's Reference list -- https://docs.google.com/document/d/14fjSZhwmTiv0N-3zAG5oOQuzswN5ScKR9cRBX0dQFmw/edit?usp=sharing   Also, check out Logan on The Story Told RPG Podcast! -- https://thestorytold.libsyn.com/   *We have an affiliate link with Drive-Thru RPG.  All this does, is give us a small percentage of your purchase cost on Drive-Thru as a "referral bonus".  It does not cost you, as a consumer, anything extra.*   We greatly appreciate the donations of our Patreon supporters: Eric Witman, Jeff McKinney, Joshua Gopal-Boyd, Dave Smith, Brett Bowen, Nate Doverspike, and Dec!  Y'all make keeping this going possible!   As always folks, have fun, be kind to each other, and go play some rpgs!   Additional audio and background sound sourced from Tabletop Audio -- https://tabletopaudio.com/   Join the conversation on our Discord! Me And Steve RPG Discord  https://discord.gg/5wWNcYW You can reach us at meandsteverpg@gmail.com On Facebook as Me and Steve RPG Podcast On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpps0vVXLSGrOdM8i4ntFiQ On BlueSky @meandsteverpg.bsky.social Our Drive-Thru RPG affiliate link https://www.drivethrurpg.com/?affiliate_id=2018399 Support us on Patreon:  https://www.patreon.com/MeandSteveTalkRPGs We are proud members of the d20 Radio Network! d20 Radio Discord Server:  https://discord.gg/aj3JdFtSM8 #ttrpg #tabletoproleplaying #exalted

TCP's inaugural episode features Suraj Yengde and Anupama Rao, two scholars whose academic work and activism have helped to set the parameters of the contemporary debate on caste. In our conversation, we addressed the challenge of defining caste, their individual pathways into researching and writing on the caste question, and the virtues and limitations of comparing caste and race as two enduring forms of social stratification. We ended with a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the runaway bestseller that made caste and its relationship to race a topic of mainstream debate in the United States. Guests: Suraj Yengde: scholar, public intellectual, and anti-caste activist. Anupama Rao: Professor of History and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University Mentioned in the episode: B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste IITs: the Indian Institutes of Technology IIMs: the Indian Institutes of Management Reserved candidates: beneficiaries of India's system of affirmative action B.R. Ambedkar, “Castes in India” Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Anupama Rao, The Caste Question Suraj Yengde, Caste Matters Suraj Yengde, Caste: A Global Story Shaadi.com: an Indian matrimonial website Phule: Jyotirao Phule was an anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. Periyar: E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, commonly known as Periyar, was a writer, social revolutionary, and politician who was one of the principal ideologues of the Self-Respect Movement. Begumpura, or “city without sorrow” expresses the notion of a casteless, classless utopia and was first formulated by Sant Ravidas (c. 1450-1520). Dalit Panthers was a revolutionary, anti-caste organization founded in 1972. It was based in Maharashtra and drew inspiration from the American Black Panther Party. Oliver Cox, Caste, Class, and Race: A Study in Social Dynamics (1948) Divya Cherian, Merchants of Virtue Meet the Savarnas: 2025 book by Ravikant Kisana Ramesh Bairy, Being Brahmin, Being Modern Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus Daniel Immerwahr, “Caste of Colony?” Nico Slate, Colored Cosmopolitanism W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction Ajantha Subramanian is Professor of Anthropology at CUNY Graduate Center and host of The Caste Pod. 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

TCP's inaugural episode features Suraj Yengde and Anupama Rao, two scholars whose academic work and activism have helped to set the parameters of the contemporary debate on caste. In our conversation, we addressed the challenge of defining caste, their individual pathways into researching and writing on the caste question, and the virtues and limitations of comparing caste and race as two enduring forms of social stratification. We ended with a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the runaway bestseller that made caste and its relationship to race a topic of mainstream debate in the United States. Guests: Suraj Yengde: scholar, public intellectual, and anti-caste activist. Anupama Rao: Professor of History and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University Mentioned in the episode: B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste IITs: the Indian Institutes of Technology IIMs: the Indian Institutes of Management Reserved candidates: beneficiaries of India's system of affirmative action B.R. Ambedkar, “Castes in India” Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Anupama Rao, The Caste Question Suraj Yengde, Caste Matters Suraj Yengde, Caste: A Global Story Shaadi.com: an Indian matrimonial website Phule: Jyotirao Phule was an anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. Periyar: E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, commonly known as Periyar, was a writer, social revolutionary, and politician who was one of the principal ideologues of the Self-Respect Movement. Begumpura, or “city without sorrow” expresses the notion of a casteless, classless utopia and was first formulated by Sant Ravidas (c. 1450-1520). Dalit Panthers was a revolutionary, anti-caste organization founded in 1972. It was based in Maharashtra and drew inspiration from the American Black Panther Party. Oliver Cox, Caste, Class, and Race: A Study in Social Dynamics (1948) Divya Cherian, Merchants of Virtue Meet the Savarnas: 2025 book by Ravikant Kisana Ramesh Bairy, Being Brahmin, Being Modern Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus Daniel Immerwahr, “Caste of Colony?” Nico Slate, Colored Cosmopolitanism W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction Ajantha Subramanian is Professor of Anthropology at CUNY Graduate Center and host of The Caste Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

TCP's inaugural episode features Suraj Yengde and Anupama Rao, two scholars whose academic work and activism have helped to set the parameters of the contemporary debate on caste. In our conversation, we addressed the challenge of defining caste, their individual pathways into researching and writing on the caste question, and the virtues and limitations of comparing caste and race as two enduring forms of social stratification. We ended with a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the runaway bestseller that made caste and its relationship to race a topic of mainstream debate in the United States. Guests: Suraj Yengde: scholar, public intellectual, and anti-caste activist. Anupama Rao: Professor of History and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University Mentioned in the episode: B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste IITs: the Indian Institutes of Technology IIMs: the Indian Institutes of Management Reserved candidates: beneficiaries of India's system of affirmative action B.R. Ambedkar, “Castes in India” Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Anupama Rao, The Caste Question Suraj Yengde, Caste Matters Suraj Yengde, Caste: A Global Story Shaadi.com: an Indian matrimonial website Phule: Jyotirao Phule was an anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. Periyar: E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, commonly known as Periyar, was a writer, social revolutionary, and politician who was one of the principal ideologues of the Self-Respect Movement. Begumpura, or “city without sorrow” expresses the notion of a casteless, classless utopia and was first formulated by Sant Ravidas (c. 1450-1520). Dalit Panthers was a revolutionary, anti-caste organization founded in 1972. It was based in Maharashtra and drew inspiration from the American Black Panther Party. Oliver Cox, Caste, Class, and Race: A Study in Social Dynamics (1948) Divya Cherian, Merchants of Virtue Meet the Savarnas: 2025 book by Ravikant Kisana Ramesh Bairy, Being Brahmin, Being Modern Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus Daniel Immerwahr, “Caste of Colony?” Nico Slate, Colored Cosmopolitanism W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction Ajantha Subramanian is Professor of Anthropology at CUNY Graduate Center and host of The Caste Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology

TCP's inaugural episode features Suraj Yengde and Anupama Rao, two scholars whose academic work and activism have helped to set the parameters of the contemporary debate on caste. In our conversation, we addressed the challenge of defining caste, their individual pathways into researching and writing on the caste question, and the virtues and limitations of comparing caste and race as two enduring forms of social stratification. We ended with a discussion of Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, the runaway bestseller that made caste and its relationship to race a topic of mainstream debate in the United States. Guests: Suraj Yengde: scholar, public intellectual, and anti-caste activist. Anupama Rao: Professor of History and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies, Columbia University Mentioned in the episode: B.R. Ambedkar, Annihilation of Caste IITs: the Indian Institutes of Technology IIMs: the Indian Institutes of Management Reserved candidates: beneficiaries of India's system of affirmative action B.R. Ambedkar, “Castes in India” Isabel Wilkerson, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Anupama Rao, The Caste Question Suraj Yengde, Caste Matters Suraj Yengde, Caste: A Global Story Shaadi.com: an Indian matrimonial website Phule: Jyotirao Phule was an anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra. Periyar: E.V. Ramasamy Naicker, commonly known as Periyar, was a writer, social revolutionary, and politician who was one of the principal ideologues of the Self-Respect Movement. Begumpura, or “city without sorrow” expresses the notion of a casteless, classless utopia and was first formulated by Sant Ravidas (c. 1450-1520). Dalit Panthers was a revolutionary, anti-caste organization founded in 1972. It was based in Maharashtra and drew inspiration from the American Black Panther Party. Oliver Cox, Caste, Class, and Race: A Study in Social Dynamics (1948) Divya Cherian, Merchants of Virtue Meet the Savarnas: 2025 book by Ravikant Kisana Ramesh Bairy, Being Brahmin, Being Modern Dumont, Homo Hierarchicus Daniel Immerwahr, “Caste of Colony?” Nico Slate, Colored Cosmopolitanism W.E.B. Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk W.E.B. Du Bois, Black Reconstruction Ajantha Subramanian is Professor of Anthropology at CUNY Graduate Center and host of The Caste Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Stewart Alsop interviews Tomas Yu, CEO and founder of Turn-On Financial Technologies, on this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast. They explore how Yu's company is revolutionizing the closed-loop payment ecosystem by creating a universal float system that allows gift card credits to be used across multiple merchants rather than being locked to a single business like Starbucks. The conversation covers the complexities of fintech regulation, the differences between open and closed loop payment systems, and Yu's unique background that combines Korean martial arts discipline with Mexican polo culture. They also dive into Yu's passion for polo, discussing the intimate relationship between rider and horse, the sport's elitist tendencies in different regions, and his efforts to build polo communities from El Paso to New Mexico. Find Tomas on LinkedIn under Tommy (TJ) Alvarez.Timestamps00:00 Introduction to TurnOn Technologies02:45 Understanding Float and Its Implications05:45 Decentralized Gift Card System08:39 Navigating the FinTech Landscape11:19 The Role of Merchants and Consumers14:15 Challenges in the Gift Card Market17:26 The Future of Payment Systems23:12 Understanding Payment Systems: Stripe and POS26:47 Regulatory Landscape: KYC and AML in Payments27:55 The Impact of Economic Conditions on Financial Systems36:39 Transitioning from Industrial to Information Age Finance38:18 Curiosity and Resourcefulness in the Information Age45:09 Social Media and the Dynamics of Attention46:26 From Restaurant to Polo: A Journey of Mentorship49:50 The Thrill of Polo: Learning and Obsession54:53 Building a Team: Breaking Elitism in Polo01:00:29 The Unique Bond: Understanding the Horse-Rider Relationship01:05:21 Polo Horses: Choosing the Right Breed for the GameKey Insights1. Turn-On Technologies is revolutionizing payment systems through behavioral finance by creating a decentralized "float" system. Unlike traditional gift cards that lock customers into single merchants like Starbucks, Turn-On allows universal credit that works across their entire merchant ecosystem. This addresses the massive gift card market where companies like Starbucks hold billions in customer funds that can only be used at their locations.2. The financial industry operates on an exclusionary "closed loop" versus "open loop" system that creates significant friction and fees. Closed loop systems keep money within specific ecosystems without conversion to cash, while open loop systems allow cash withdrawal but trigger heavy regulation. Every transaction through traditional payment processors like Stripe can cost merchants 3-8% in fees, representing a massive burden on businesses.3. Point-of-sale systems function as the financial bloodstream and credit scoring mechanism for businesses. These systems track all card transactions and serve as the primary data source for merchant lending decisions. The gap between POS records and bank deposits reveals cash transactions that businesses may not be reporting, making POS data crucial for assessing business creditworthiness and loan risk.4. Traditional FinTech professionals often miss obvious opportunities due to ego and institutional thinking. Yu encountered resistance from established FinTech experts who initially dismissed his gift card-focused approach, despite the trillion-dollar market size. The financial industry's complexity is sometimes artificially maintained to exclude outsiders rather than serve genuine regulatory purposes.5. The information age is creating a fundamental divide between curious, resourceful individuals and those stuck in credentialist systems. With AI and LLMs amplifying human capability, people who ask the right questions and maintain curiosity will become exponentially more effective. Meanwhile, those relying on traditional credentials without underlying curiosity will fall further behind, creating unprecedented economic and social divergence.6. Polo serves as a powerful business metaphor and relationship-building tool that mirrors modern entrepreneurial challenges. Like mixed martial arts evolved from testing individual disciplines, business success now requires being competent across multiple areas rather than excelling in just one specialty. The sport also creates unique networking opportunities and teaches valuable lessons about partnership between human and animal.7. International financial systems reveal how governments use complexity and capital controls to maintain power over citizens. Yu's observations about Argentina's financial restrictions and the prevalence of cash economies in Latin America illustrate how regulatory complexity often serves political rather than protective purposes, creating opportunities for alternative financial systems that provide genuine value to users.

GLP-1 reshaping center store. In-store media becoming the third leg. Agentic commerce hitting a reality wall. Private brand opportunity widening but execution lagging. Shelf intelligence moving from edge to table stakes. Five major themes. More interviews than I can count. These were my lessons learned from FMI Midwinter 2026.Hosted by Chris Walton, former Target executive and co-host of the Omnii Talk Retail Fast Five Podcast. New episodes of Walton's Weekly Wramblings drop every Friday.Brought to you with the help and support of Grocery Dealz and MiraklSubscribe now and be careful out there - the retail landscape is changing faster than ever.

DOLLAR DOOMSDAY - 01.28.2026 - #911 BestPodcastintheMetaverse.com Canary Cry News Talk #911 - 01.28.2026 - Recorded Live to 1s and 0s Deconstructing World Events from a Biblical Worldview Declaring Jesus as Lord amidst the Fifth Generation War! CageRattlerCoffee.com SD/TC email Ike for discount https://CanaryCry.Support   Send address and shirt size updates to canarycrysupplydrop@gmail.com Join the Canary Cry Roundtable This Episode was Produced By:   Executive Producers Sir Jamey Not the Lanister*** Sir LX Protocol Baron of the Berrean Protocol*** Arnold W***   Producers of TREASURE (CanaryCry.Support) Malik, Cage Rattler Coffee, Mrs Tinfoilhatman, Veronica D, Sir Scott Knight of Truth, Sir Casey the Shield Knight   Producers of TIME Timestampers: Jade Bouncerson, Morgan E Clankoniphius Links: JAM   SHOW NOTES:   ARMAGEDDON 7:26 Clip: Doomsday Clock hits 85 seconds to midnight (CBS) →→ US/Russia nuclear treaty to expire next week, Trump "if it expires, it expires" (Reuters)   TRUMP 34:37 Clip: "I've made a lot of people rich" Trump says value of the dollar is 'great', currency hits 4-year low (Reuters)   MONEY/BLACKROCK 48:00 BlackRock says investors can no longer rely on bonds for portfolio safety (CNBC)   AI/BLOCKCHAIN/BIBLICAL 1:03:46 Clip: CEO of Citadel says we need an "AI Savior" (X) Claude reply causing concern for sentient AI and humanity (X)  Note: Essay from CEO Anthropic, says his focus on biology > cyber atm (Dario Modei) ERC-8004 to launch on Ethereum for AI Agents   ENCHANTED/NEW WORLD ORDER 1:27:38 Musk Considers Timing SpaceX IPO With Planetary Alignment, FT Reports (X)  Dev creates astrology-powered CPU scheduler for Linux, makes decisions based on planetary positions and zodiac signs (Tom's Hardware) Clip: Guy uses Numerology and made 8 figures on ZCash (X)   TRANSHUMAN  Clip: Yale prof., survive the next 10 years, we're going to revers aging (X)    ADS 1:45:04 Google agrees to fork over $68MN to settle claims that its Assistant was SECRETLY recording your convos WITHOUT 'Hey Google' & feeding them straight to targeted ads (BBC)     EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS 1:56:52 TALENT/TIME END 2:22:48

Today - A tale of two retail experiences. Merchants are getting eaten up by the cost of returns and stiff new policies are reflecting that, with strict deadlines and fees as high as $45 to process mailed items. By contrast, Costco continues to lead with customer-friendly policies, including a little-known "price drop" perk.  Also - The ABLE (529A) program has undergone significant expansion, with millions more people now eligible. Clark breaks down everything you need to know, including a NEVER NEVER rule to protect your wallet.  Many Unhappy Returns: Segment 1 Ask Clark: Segment 2 The Updated 529A: Segment 3 Ask Clark: Segment 4 Mentioned on the show: Costco Home Insurance: 5 Things To Know Before You Buy It Costco Car Insurance: 5 Things To Know Before You Get a Policy Travel Alert: New Requirement for UK Travelers European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) What Is an ABLE Account? 10 Clark Howard 'Never, Not Ever' Rules To Protect Your Money Clark.com resources: Episode transcripts Community.Clark.com  /  Ask Clark Clark.com daily money newsletter Consumer Action Center Free Helpline: 636-492-5275 Learn more about your ad choices: megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As China heads into the Year of the Horse, consumer demand is being released earlier than usual, propelled by the country's longest Spring Festival holiday on record and a coordinated policy push aimed at turning seasonal spending into sustained economic momentum.随着中国迎来马年，消费需求释放时间较往年提前。这得益于创纪录的长春节假期，以及旨在将季节性消费转化为持续经济动能的协同政策推动。The 2026 Spring Festival holiday will run from Feb 15 to 23, spanning nine consecutive days. The extended break—longer than in previous years—is not only reshaping travel and spending plans, but also amplifying the effects of policies designed to unlock consumption potential, particularly in services, travel and experience-driven spending.2026年春节假期将从2月15日持续至23日，共计九天连休。较往年更长的假期不仅重塑了出行与消费计划，更放大了解锁消费潜力的政策效应，尤其在服务、旅游及体验型消费领域。From bustling shopping streets in Beijing to small factories in Zhejiang's Yiwu operating extra production lines, and from reunion dinners booked weeks ahead of Chinese New Year's Eve to a sharp rise in two-way travel, signs of renewed consumption activity are emerging well before the holiday officially begins.从北京熙熙攘攘的商业街，到浙江义乌加开生产线的中小工厂；从数周前就预订好的除夕团圆饭，到双向出行量的显著增长——在春节正式到来之前，消费活动复苏的迹象已然显现。On Beijing's Wangfujing pedestrian street, winter temperatures have done little to slow foot traffic. Flagship stores are drawing a steady stream of overseas visitors, many taking advantage of expanded visa-free access and increasingly seamless digital payment options.北京王府井步行街上，寒冬的低温并未减缓人流脚步。旗舰店吸引着络绎不绝的海外游客，许多人正享受着扩大免签政策带来的便利，以及日益便捷的数字支付方式。Daniel Chan, a tourist from Los Angeles, stepped out of an electronics store with a newly purchased DJI Osmo Nano camera.来自洛杉矶的游客陈丹尼尔（音译）从一家电子产品商店走出，手里拿着刚买到的DJI Osmo Nano相机。"I've wanted this model for months. It's almost impossible to find stock back home, yet here it was available, and the price was very friendly,"Chan said. "It's not just a souvenir—it's cutting-edge technology."陈丹尼尔（音译）说道：“我渴望拥有这款相机已有数月之久。在美国几乎找不到现货，而这里不仅有货，价格还非常实惠。这不仅是件纪念品，更是尖端科技的结晶。”He said he had already started using the camera on the day of purchase. "I haven't explored all its functions yet, but the magnetic design and image quality are quite good," he added.他表示购买当天就已开始使用这台相机。他补充道：“虽然还没完全摸清所有功能，但磁吸设计和成像质量都相当不错。”What impressed him most during his China trip, Chan said, was the speed and convenience of food delivery services. "It's incredibly fast and efficient—almost unbelievable," he said. Dining in restaurants was equally striking, with some offering dish countdown timers and guaranteed serving speeds. "I've hardly ever experienced service like this in the United States."陈丹尼尔（音译）表示，此次中国之行最令他印象深刻的是外卖服务的快捷便利。他说：“速度快得惊人，效率极高——简直难以置信。”餐厅用餐体验同样令人震撼，部分餐厅设有菜品倒计时器并承诺上菜速度。“在美国几乎从未体验过如此服务。”Such experiences are precisely what policymakers hope to encourage.此类经历正是政策制定者希望鼓励的。The "Shopping in China" campaign, first launched in April 2025, aims to create a more internationally friendly consumption ecosystem while stimulating domestic demand through higher-quality supply.“中国购物”活动于2025年4月首次启动，旨在打造更具国际友善度的消费生态系统，同时通过更高品质的供给来刺激国内需求。At the launch of the 2026 "Shopping in China" and New Year Consumption Season in Shanghai on Jan 3, Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said the initiative would focus on goods consumption, services consumption and the development of new consumption scenarios. A series of nationwide events, including apremium consumption month and an international consumption season, will be rolled out, alongside locally tailored programs in 15 pilot cities.1月3日，2026“中国购物季”暨新年消费季在上海启动。商务部部长王文涛表示，本次活动将聚焦商品消费、服务消费及新型消费场景发展。全国将推出高端消费月、国际消费季等系列活动，同时15个试点城市将推出本土化特色项目。With the nine-day Spring Festival approaching, Wang said the Ministry of Commerce, together with other central departments and local governments, will host a "happy shopping for the Spring Festival" campaign as a flagship component of the "Shopping in China" series. The campaign will span food, accommodation, transport, travel, shopping and entertainment, aiming to create an inclusive, festive consumption experience for families at home and travelers on the move.随着为期九天的春节临近，王文涛表示商务部将联合中央各部门和地方政府，推出“欢乐春节·购物中国”系列活动的旗舰项目“欢乐春节·购物中国”。活动将覆盖餐饮、住宿、交通、旅游、购物、娱乐等领域，旨在为居家过节的家庭和外出游玩的旅客创造包容、喜庆的消费体验。More than 1,200 kilometers south of Beijing, Yiwu—the world's largest small-commodities hub—offers a ground-level view of how festive demand is being converted into real orders.距离北京以南1200多公里处，全球最大的小商品集散中心义乌正展现着节日需求如何转化为实际订单的生动图景。In the plush toy section of Yiwu International Trade Market, one horse-themed product has become an unexpected viral hit. Originally launched in mid-October under the name "Mashang Youqian", meaning "immediate prosperity", the toy initially sold about 400 units a day—steady but far from a bestseller.在义乌国际商贸城毛绒玩具区，一款以马为主题的产品意外走红。这款名为“马上有钱”的玩具于十月中旬上市，最初日销量约400件——虽保持稳定但远非畅销品。Its breakout moment came in January, after a minor production-line error resulted in the toy's mouth being stitched incorrectly, giving it a seemingly "tearful" expression. Buyers who received the flawed version posted photos and chat records online while requesting exchanges. The images struck a chord with netizens, who found humor and resonance in the toy's "wronged" look, quickly propelling it to the top of social media trending lists.这款玩具的爆红时刻出现在今年1月，当时因生产线的小失误导致玩具嘴巴缝制错误，呈现出仿佛“泪眼汪汪”的表情。收到瑕疵品的买家纷纷在网上晒出照片和聊天记录要求换货。这些照片意外引发网友共鸣，大家在玩具“委屈”的表情中发现了幽默感，迅速将其推上了社交媒体热搜榜首。Dubbed the "crying horse", the toy was soon labeled the first cultural "dark horse" of the New Year. As demand surged, the factory expanded production lines from two to more than a dozen, lifting daily output to around 15,000 units. The merchant has since applied for a design patent.这款被称为“哭哭马”的玩具，很快被冠以新年首个文化“黑马”的称号。随着需求激增，工厂将生产线从两条扩充至十余条，日产量提升至约1.5万只。该商家已就此申请了外观设计专利。Behind the viral moment, the success mirrors quality and Yiwu merchants' deeply ingrained ability to respond quickly to market signals, from identifying trends to making swift decisions and scaling production with minimal delay.这场病毒式传播的背后，其成功既彰显了商品品质，更折射出义乌商人深植于骨髓的敏锐市场触觉。从洞察趋势到果断决策，再到以最小延迟实现规模化生产，他们总能迅速响应市场信号。Across the toy sector, creative interpretations of the Year of the Horse are proliferating. Products range from zodiac photo frames to blind boxes and decorative figurines.玩具行业正涌现出大量以马年为主题的创意设计，产品涵盖生肖相框、盲盒以及装饰摆件等。Some bestselling items now sell between 40,000 and 60,000 units a day. For popular designs, factories are producing between 50,000 and 100,000 units daily. To maintain speed and creativity, some merchants require their design teams to develop as many as five new styles each day.部分畅销商品目前日销量在4万至6万件之间。对于热门款式，工厂日产量可达5万至10万件。为保持生产速度和设计创新力，部分商家要求设计团队每日开发多达五款新产品。Merchants say interest from foreign buyers has risen, particularly after Spring Festival was added to UNESCO's Representative List of theIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.商户表示，外国买家的兴趣有所提升，尤其是在2024年12月春节被列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录之后。Consumption momentum is also visible in the catering sector, where Chinese New Year's Eve reunion dinners—a core element of Spring Festival culture—are being booked out well in advance.餐饮业的消费势头同样明显，作为春节文化核心元素的除夕团圆饭，早已被提前预订一空。In Beijing, several restaurant chains report that all private rooms across multiple branches are already fully booked, with only limited lunchtime slots remaining. Prices largely match regular menus, though advance reservations and deposits are typically required.在北京，多家连锁餐厅表示其旗下各分店的包间已全部订满，仅剩少量午间时段可预约。价格基本与常规菜单持平，但通常需要提前预约并支付定金。To cope with demand, many restaurants have introducedstaggered dining slots on Chinese New Year's Eve, offering discounts for later sittings. Others have expanded takeaway services, allowing families to enjoy freshly prepared reunion meals at home.为应对需求，许多餐厅在除夕夜推出了错峰用餐时段，晚间时段还提供折扣优惠。另有餐厅扩大了外卖服务范围，让家庭能在家中享用现做的团圆饭。One restaurant in Beijing's Guomao area has launched two takeaway packages priced at 1,988 yuan ($286) for eight to 10 people and 999 yuan for four to six people, with free delivery within the city's Fifth Ring Road. Customers can also order a la carte, providing greater flexibility.北京国贸区某餐厅推出两款外卖套餐：8-10人份售价1988元（约合286美元），4-6人份售价999元，市内五环路内免费配送。顾客也可单点菜品，提供更灵活的选择。An emerging trend is the shift toward county towns and rural venues. In Yinjiang town of Ningbo, Zhejiang province, a countryside resort that opened reservations three months ago, has already sold out large private rooms for the first two days of the holiday, attracting families traveling from neighboring Shanghai, and Jiangsu province.新兴趋势向县城和乡村场所转移。在浙江省宁波市鄞江镇，一家三个月前开放预订的乡村度假村，其大型包间在假期前两天的预订已全部售罄，吸引了来自邻近上海和江苏的家庭游客。Traditional restaurant brands are also moving into rural markets. Managers say demand for reunion dinners and banquets in these areas remains strong, while the supply of mid—to high-end dining options is relatively limited—creating new opportunities for expansion.传统餐饮品牌也正进军农村市场。经营者表示，这些地区对团圆饭和宴会的需求依然旺盛，而中高端餐饮选择的供应相对有限，这为扩张创造了新机遇。The nine-day break is also reshaping travel patterns, triggering a surge in both outbound and inbound tourism.为期九天的假期也在重塑旅游模式，引发出境游和入境游的双双激增。Major travel platforms report that Spring Festival bookings for 2026 have surpassed last year's levels across the board. According to data from Flight Master, as of Jan 16, bookings for domestic flights during the holiday exceeded 4.13 million, up about 21 percent year-on-year. Outbound and inbound flight bookings both climbed to around 700,000.主要旅游平台数据显示，2026年春节期间的预订量全面超越去年同期水平。据飞航大师平台统计，截至1月16日，春节期间国内航班预订量已突破413万次，同比增长约21%。出境及入境航班预订量均攀升至约70万次。Airbnb data show searches by Chinese travelers for overseas accommodation around the Spring Festival period have roughly doubled year-on-year. Many travelers are choosing to stagger trips before or after the official holiday to secure better prices and less crowded itineraries.爱彼迎（Airbnb）数据显示，春节期间中国游客搜索海外住宿的数量同比翻了一番。许多游客选择在法定假期前后错峰出行，以获得更优惠的价格和更宽松的行程安排。Travel agencies are embedding New Year elements into overseas tour products, allowing travelers to retain a sense of festivity even while abroad.旅行社正将新年元素融入海外旅游产品，让游客即使身处异国也能保持节日氛围。Li Mengran, marketing manager of Beijing-based travel agency Utour, said the company has continued its long-standing practices in European tour products. These include customized reunion dinners and dumpling-making activities, alongside wine tastings and interactive prize draws.北京众信旅游集团媒介公关经理李梦然表示，公司在欧洲旅游产品中延续了多年来的传统项目，包括定制团圆晚宴和包饺子活动，同时安排品酒会和互动抽奖环节。"For family travelers, we also prepare red-envelope gifts for children under 16 to enhance the sense of ritual and warmth during the journey,"Li said.李梦然表示：“针对家庭游客，我们还为16岁以下儿童准备了红包礼物，以增强旅途中的仪式感与温馨氛围。”Domestically, culturally rich "intangible heritage towns" are emerging as popular destinations. Data from Qunar show that cities such as Huangshan in Anhui, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, Quanzhou in Fujian, Foshan in Guangdong and Zigong in Sichuan—all offering immersive intangible cultural heritage experiences—have seen particularly strong hotel booking growth during the winter holiday and Spring Festival period.在国内，文化底蕴深厚的“非物质文化遗产小镇”正成为热门旅游目的地。去哪儿网数据显示，安徽黄山、江西景德镇、福建泉州、广东佛山、四川自贡等提供沉浸式非物质文化遗产体验的城市，在寒假和春节期间酒店预订量增长尤为显著。Inbound tourism is also gaining momentum.入境旅游业也正蓬勃发展。Qunar data show that bookings for domestic flights made using non-Chinese passports during the Spring Festival holiday are up more than 20 percent year-on-year, underscoring the holiday's growing role as a window for international visitors to experience Chinese culture.去哪儿网数据显示，春节期间持非中国护照预订的国内航班量同比增长逾20%，凸显出春节作为国际游客体验中华文化的窗口正发挥着日益重要的作用。This rebound reflects sustained policy support. By the first three quarters of 2025, visa-free inbound visits reached 20.89 million, up more than 50 percent year-on-year. Since the introduction of the 240-hour transit visa-free policy, inbound arrivals across ports have risen 27.2 percent.这一回升态势反映出政策支持的持续性。截至2025年前三季度，免签入境人次达2089万，同比增长逾50%。自实施240小时过境免签政策以来，各口岸入境人次增长27.2%。The World Travel & Tourism Council forecasts that China's tourism sector will grow at an average annual rate of 7 percent over the next decade, with the country on track to become the world's largest tourism market by 2031, surpassing the United States.世界旅游业理事会预测，未来十年中国旅游业将保持年均7%的增长率，预计到2031年将超越美国，成为全球最大的旅游市场。Economists say the early consumption surge reflects the combined effects of policy support, longer holidays and evolving consumer preferences.经济学家表示，消费的早期激增反映了政策支持、假期延长以及消费者偏好变化的综合影响。The Central Economic Work Conference held in December placed expanding domestic demand as the top priority of China's economic policy in 2026, with multiple consumption-supporting policies already rolled out or in the pipeline.去年12月召开的中央经济工作会议将扩大内需确立为2026年中国经济政策的重中之重，多项支持消费的政策已陆续出台或正在酝酿中。Su Jian, a professor at Peking University's School of Economics, said consumption growth has been most visible in services and fast-evolving consumer electronics, including tourism, cultural products, sports and entertainment. Rapid upgrade cycles, he added, continue to support demand for electronics.北京大学经济学院教授苏剑表示，消费增长在服务业和快速发展的消费电子产品领域最为显著，包括旅游、文化产品、体育和娱乐等。他补充道，快速的升级周期持续支撑着电子产品需求。Since last year, targeted consumption-boosting campaigns have delivered tangible results. In 2025, trade-in-related sales exceeded 2.6 trillion yuan, benefiting more than 360 million consumer transactions. Optimized trade-in programs introduced in 2026 are now translating into concrete market activity across regions.自去年以来，定向消费提振举措成效显著。2025年，以旧换新相关销售额突破2.6万亿元，惠及逾3.6亿笔消费交易。2026年推出的优化换购方案，正逐步转化为各地市场的实际行动。International observers have also noted structural changes underway. In its latest flagship annual report, global consultancy Roland Berger said China has entered the "consumption 4.0" era, characterized by resilience.国际观察人士也注意到正在发生的结构性变化。全球咨询公司罗兰贝格企业管理有限公司在其最新旗舰年度报告中指出，中国已进入以韧性为特征的“消费4.0”时代。China's consumption structure is shifting rapidly from survival-oriented spending toward development—and experience-oriented demand, the report noted. By elevating domestic demand expansion to a strategic priority, and encouraging a move from quantitative satisfaction to qualitative enrichment, policymakers are using consumption upgrading to drive supply-side innovation and support high-quality growth.报告指出，中国消费结构正从生存型消费向发展型消费、从物质型需求向体验型需求快速转变。通过将扩大内需提升为战略重点，引导消费从数量满足转向质量提升，决策者正以消费升级为引擎，推动供给侧创新，助力高质量发展。Boosting consumption, policymakers emphasize, is not a short-term fix, but a long-term strategy.政策制定者强调，提振消费并非短期对策，而是长远之策。A State Council executive meeting held on Jan 16 reviewed progress in the consumption-boosting campaign and outlined further steps to cultivate new growth points in service consumption.2026年1月16日召开的国务院常务会议审议了提振消费行动的进展情况，并规划了培育服务消费新增长点的后续措施。The meeting called for improving long-term mechanisms for promoting consumption, raising urban and rural household incomes, implementing the paid leave system and removing unreasonable restrictive measures for consumption.会议要求完善促进消费的长效机制，提高城乡居民收入水平，落实带薪休假制度，取消限制消费的不合理措施。premium consumption/ˈpriː.mi.əm/高端消费staggered dining slots错峰用餐时段intangible/ɪnˈtæn.dʒə.bəl/adj.非物质的

What did medieval authors know about their world? Were they parochial and focused on just their monastery, town, or kingdom? Or were they aware of the broader, medieval Europe that modern historians write about?  Christian Raffensperger's edited volume Authorship, Worldview, and Identity in Medieval Europe (Routledge, 2022) brings the focus back to medieval authors to see how they describe their world. While we see in these essays that each author certainly had their own biases, the vast majority of them did not view the world as constrained to their small piece of it. Instead, they talked about the wider world, and often they had informants or textual sources that informed them about the world, even if they did not visit those distant places themselves. This volume shows that they also used similar ideas to create space and identity – whether talking about the desert, the holy land, or food practices in their texts. By examining medieval authors and their own perceptions of their world, this collection offers a framework for discussions of medieval Europe in the 21st century. In this conversation we talk about how this volume goes about broadening both the geographical scope and methodological approaches to reading medieval sources. Erika Monahan is the author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia (Cornell UP, 2016) and a 2023-2024 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow 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

What did medieval authors know about their world? Were they parochial and focused on just their monastery, town, or kingdom? Or were they aware of the broader, medieval Europe that modern historians write about?  Christian Raffensperger's edited volume Authorship, Worldview, and Identity in Medieval Europe (Routledge, 2022) brings the focus back to medieval authors to see how they describe their world. While we see in these essays that each author certainly had their own biases, the vast majority of them did not view the world as constrained to their small piece of it. Instead, they talked about the wider world, and often they had informants or textual sources that informed them about the world, even if they did not visit those distant places themselves. This volume shows that they also used similar ideas to create space and identity – whether talking about the desert, the holy land, or food practices in their texts. By examining medieval authors and their own perceptions of their world, this collection offers a framework for discussions of medieval Europe in the 21st century. In this conversation we talk about how this volume goes about broadening both the geographical scope and methodological approaches to reading medieval sources. Erika Monahan is the author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia (Cornell UP, 2016) and a 2023-2024 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

What did medieval authors know about their world? Were they parochial and focused on just their monastery, town, or kingdom? Or were they aware of the broader, medieval Europe that modern historians write about?  Christian Raffensperger's edited volume Authorship, Worldview, and Identity in Medieval Europe (Routledge, 2022) brings the focus back to medieval authors to see how they describe their world. While we see in these essays that each author certainly had their own biases, the vast majority of them did not view the world as constrained to their small piece of it. Instead, they talked about the wider world, and often they had informants or textual sources that informed them about the world, even if they did not visit those distant places themselves. This volume shows that they also used similar ideas to create space and identity – whether talking about the desert, the holy land, or food practices in their texts. By examining medieval authors and their own perceptions of their world, this collection offers a framework for discussions of medieval Europe in the 21st century. In this conversation we talk about how this volume goes about broadening both the geographical scope and methodological approaches to reading medieval sources. Erika Monahan is the author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia (Cornell UP, 2016) and a 2023-2024 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

What did medieval authors know about their world? Were they parochial and focused on just their monastery, town, or kingdom? Or were they aware of the broader, medieval Europe that modern historians write about?  Christian Raffensperger's edited volume Authorship, Worldview, and Identity in Medieval Europe (Routledge, 2022) brings the focus back to medieval authors to see how they describe their world. While we see in these essays that each author certainly had their own biases, the vast majority of them did not view the world as constrained to their small piece of it. Instead, they talked about the wider world, and often they had informants or textual sources that informed them about the world, even if they did not visit those distant places themselves. This volume shows that they also used similar ideas to create space and identity – whether talking about the desert, the holy land, or food practices in their texts. By examining medieval authors and their own perceptions of their world, this collection offers a framework for discussions of medieval Europe in the 21st century. In this conversation we talk about how this volume goes about broadening both the geographical scope and methodological approaches to reading medieval sources. Erika Monahan is the author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia (Cornell UP, 2016) and a 2023-2024 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Michael Germi is a former Muslim that was born in Iran into a Shia Muslim family. In this setting he learned to practice Islam by praying 5 times a day toward Mecca. He fasted during Ramadan. He practiced self-mutilation for the cause of Allah. He migrated to Australia in 2006 and in 2009 placed his trust in Jesus Christ. He later moved to the States where he now proclaims the Gospel to Islamic nations. He has written several Farsi Christian books and desires to plant churches around the world where Persians are scattered. Iran is in upheaval. Since December 28th millions of people have been protesting against the regime. Merchants have taken to the streets, and the elderly who have been going with no salary are joining them as well as nurses, teachers, women, teenagers and many others. They have called out for the return of the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pavlavi. They have shouted, "This is the final battle; Pahlavi will return." and "This year is the year of blood; Ayatollah will fall." The Ayatollah has gone to great efforts to keep the rest of the world from knowing what has taken place. There are reports that the leadership of Iran has used snipers, the revolutionary guard and even chemical weapons to quell the unrest. News accounts have reported the massacre of many. There have been calls for new leadership in Iran as clerics demand executions. Recently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared, "We broke the back of the rioters. The day of the successful crackdown will be remembered as a day of celebration for years to come." Our guest today is from Iran and knows all too well the authoritarian power of the Ayatollah and the threat of this Islamic regime.

Michael Germi is a former Muslim that was born in Iran into a Shia Muslim family. In this setting he learned to practice Islam by praying 5 times a day toward Mecca. He fasted during Ramadan. He practiced self-mutilation for the cause of Allah. He migrated to Australia in 2006 and in 2009 placed his trust in Jesus Christ. He later moved to the States where he now proclaims the Gospel to Islamic nations. He has written several Farsi Christian books and desires to plant churches around the world where Persians are scattered. Iran is in upheaval. Since December 28th millions of people have been protesting against the regime. Merchants have taken to the streets, and the elderly who have been going with no salary are joining them as well as nurses, teachers, women, teenagers and many others. They have called out for the return of the Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pavlavi. They have shouted, "This is the final battle; Pahlavi will return." and "This year is the year of blood; Ayatollah will fall." The Ayatollah has gone to great efforts to keep the rest of the world from knowing what has taken place. There are reports that the leadership of Iran has used snipers, the revolutionary guard and even chemical weapons to quell the unrest. News accounts have reported the massacre of many. There have been calls for new leadership in Iran as clerics demand executions. Recently Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared, "We broke the back of the rioters. The day of the successful crackdown will be remembered as a day of celebration for years to come." Our guest today is from Iran and knows all too well the authoritarian power of the Ayatollah and the threat of this Islamic regime.

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Brett Deal.Can you imagine what it must have been like in Jerusalem when the wise men showed up? Children fetching water. Merchants selling in the market. Scribes dutifully copying the biblical scrolls for synagogues near and far. Priests serving in the Temple. Meanwhile, King Herod, is looking over his shoulder to see what family member he needs to kill next. Like a neurotic groundhog, whenever Herod saw his shadow, someone suspiciously drowned, was strangled, or ended up in a vat of honey. Maybe that day started out like any other…that is until these foreign wise men rolled into town seeking a royal audience, searching for the new king of the Jews. This sent Herod—the current king of the Jews—into a rage, and everybody in Jerusalem felt it (Matthew 2.3)!Upsetting news like this required a general assembly of the religious elites. Herod called for the chief priests and scribes to reveal through their scrolls where this Messiah was to be born (2.4). Steeped in Scripture, they unveiled the answer from Micah the prophet (Micah 5.2). They knew the promise of the Messiah, foretold to David who would reign over God's people forever (2 Samuel 7.14). He would be a Shepherd King (2 Samuel 5.2), born in Bethlehem, the little hamlet of David's own birth.How unnerving it must have been to tell the temperamental Herod the answer to his question! The stark contrast must have been unsettling to share. According to Leslie Allen, “It is within this drab frame of royal misfortune that Micah sets a glorious picture of royal majesty. The figure of failure of verse one stands as a foil to his radiant counterpart here.” The Lord was bringing a true king for His people, a Shepherd King for His sheep in Israel and among all nations (Micah 7.14-15; John 10.16). If you're Herod, or someone benefiting from his governance, this news spells disaster. But, if you are poor, seeking relief, oppressed in search of solace, if you are wise men from the East following a star, this is absolutely good news! The Advent of the Messiah is the promise of a Shepherd who cares, who brings healing with His touch and peace in His reign (Malachi 4.2; Matthew 11.28-30).

In this conversation, Dr. Padraig Corcoran discusses his research on Bitcoin as a medium of exchange, focusing on the use of spatial data from OpenStreetMap and BTC Map. He explores the dynamics of merchant adoption, the role of community initiatives, and the implications for policymakers. The conversation highlights the importance of grassroots movements in promoting Bitcoin usage and the potential for growth in merchant acceptance as technology improves.Takeaways:

Clare Griffin's book Mixing Medicines: The Global Drug Trade and Early Modern Russia (McGill-Queen's UP, 2022) introduces the reader to the dynamic and complex world of early modern Russian medical drugs, from the enthusiasm for newly imported American botanicals to the disgust at Western European medicines made from human corpses. Based on a unique set of previously unused sources, this book is the first study of how the Russian Empire took part in the early modern global trade in medical drugs. The extensive and detailed records kept by the Moscow court show how ingredients produced elsewhere and passed through the massive, long-distance trade network of the early modern world were finally consumed. Looking at medicine as materia medica gives us a different perspective than when looking at practitioners, texts, and ideas. Erika Monahan is the author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia (Cornell UP, 2016) and a 2023-2024 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow 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

Clare Griffin's book Mixing Medicines: The Global Drug Trade and Early Modern Russia (McGill-Queen's UP, 2022) introduces the reader to the dynamic and complex world of early modern Russian medical drugs, from the enthusiasm for newly imported American botanicals to the disgust at Western European medicines made from human corpses. Based on a unique set of previously unused sources, this book is the first study of how the Russian Empire took part in the early modern global trade in medical drugs. The extensive and detailed records kept by the Moscow court show how ingredients produced elsewhere and passed through the massive, long-distance trade network of the early modern world were finally consumed. Looking at medicine as materia medica gives us a different perspective than when looking at practitioners, texts, and ideas. Erika Monahan is the author of The Merchants of Siberia: Trade in Early Modern Eurasia (Cornell UP, 2016) and a 2023-2024 Alexander von Humboldt Fellow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Summing up the Holidays. Merchants of Joy, Xmas tree sellers documentary.  Marty Supreme. World's Largest Apron Museum.  Phyllis Lee Levin. Redwing Boots.  Remembering Annette, the last of the Dionne Quintuplets. Credits: Talent:  Tamsen Granger and Dan Abuhoff Engineer: Elizabeth Easton Aziz Art:  Zeke Abuhoff

Danny McCabe, Co-founder and CEO of Flexa, joined me to discuss how the firm is helping crypto become accepted as a form of payment at every point of sale.Topics: - Flexa's crypto payment solutions - Crypto payment trends - retail and institutions - Rise of stablecoins in payments versus BTC and other crypto assets- Future of crypto payments Brought to you by ✅ VeChain is a versatile enterprise-grade L1 smart contract platform https://www.vechain.org/

We're back and hoping you haven't forgotten our existence! For our triumphant(?) return after a couple of choatic weeks, we're discussing the shops and businesses of Harry Potter's magical world. Which shops do we wish we could actually visit? What are the real-world store parallels we see? And, perhaps most importantly, which of these illustrious storefronts are almost certainly galleon-laundering operations?Support the showSupport FFH on Patreon: patreon.com/thefoxandthefoxhoundFollow us!IG: @thefoxandthefoxhoundTikTok: @thefoxandthefoxhound

The Swellians have been given a healthy stake in the Stab Awards this year. Smivvy and Deadly debate who should take home one of surfing's most prestigious gongs and who should drown their sorrows in an abundantly packed Golden Cone Piece. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.