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Bradt guidebook author Joshua Zukas, who focuses exclusively on Vietnam, shares why he enjoys challenging misconceptions about his adopted home. And a writer who has spent his life captivated by the mighty Mississippi River takes us on a virtual tour of America's great waterway, from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.
When Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a kid growing up in Guadalajara, Mexico, he would draw monsters all day. His deeply Catholic grandmother even had him exorcised because of it. But when del Toro saw the 1931 film ‘Frankenstein,' his life changed. "I realized I understood my faith or my dogmas better through Frankenstein than through Sunday mass." His adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic book is nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Del Toro spoke with Terry Gross about getting over his fear of death, the design of Frankenstein's creature, and his opinion on generative AI.Also, John Powers reviews the noirish drama ‘Islands.' Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Rob Has a Podcast | Survivor / Big Brother / Amazing Race - RHAP
Joe Hunter & Ozzy Lusth Survivor 50 Preseason Interviews Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) is here to chat to the cast of Survivor 50! Join us to hear from your favorite returning Survivor players! Survivor 50's preseason buzz gets even hotter as Mike Bloom returns for the Survivor 50 Preseason Interview series, welcoming fan favorites Joe Hunter and Ozzy Lusth. It’s “boys night” as Mike sits down for deeply personal, strategic conversations with two stars from different eras, Joe representing the new school and Ozzy stepping back into the game after nearly a decade away. The episode zeroes in on what it takes to evolve as a player and to face the jury with renewed purpose after a crushing loss. Mike Bloom kicks things off by recapping Joe's journey through Survivor 48, where he was viewed as the season's front runner only to be blindsided at the final vote. Joe reflects on balancing gratitude for playing with the pain of not winning, sharing how reliving his loss just weeks before heading back out for Survivor 50 has shaped his approach. The conversation shifts to strategy as Joe lays out his plan to “read the room” and build trust with the right people, rather than leading with loyalty alone. Ozzy's segment dives into changes both on and off the island, he's retired the “Jungle Boy” persona for a more mature game as “Oscar,” eager to build deep alliances and showcase personal growth. – Joe's candid talk about learning from defeat and going beyond simply “playing the same game” – Ozzy's take on why challenge dominance alone can't win Survivor 50—and how building trust is the new meta – The “Friend or Foe” game reveals who they see as allies, threats, and wildcards—plus, how old school vs. new era vibes may split the tribe – Joe's insight on how loyalty and trust are currency, but knowing when and with whom to spend it is everything – Ozzy shares how real-life challenges (opening a restaurant in Mexico, identity growth) prepare him for new Survivor obstacles As Joe and Ozzy gear up for another shot at the title, the big question looms: Will playing with heart and maturity finally land one of them the million-dollar prize, or is a new twist waiting at Tribal Council? Will alliances built on trust survive, or is a flip inevitable? Chapter: 0:00 Intros 6:00 Joe Reflects On Jury Loss 12:00 Trust And Loyalty Game Shift 18:00 Friend Or Foe Cast Judgments 25:50 Family And Purpose Behind Play 28:22 Ozzy's Return And Transformation 32:32 Survivor Strategy: Trust Versus Challenges 38:00 Old School Versus New Alliances 42:17 Ozzy Weighs New Era Rivals 47:31 Targeting Challenge Threats And Winners 51:23 Ideal Castmates For Survivor 50 53:09 Loved Ones: Captain Planet Choice 54:49 New Ozzy: Playing As Oscar Never miss a minute of RHAP's extensive Survivor coverage! LISTEN: Subscribe to the Survivor podcast feed WATCH: Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!
Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan details the biological cause of the famine: Phytophthora infestans, a water mold that originated in Mexico. He explains that because Irish potatoes were genetically identical clones grown from cuttings, they had zero resistance to the pathogen, which destroyed both growing crops and stored food, leaving the population with no buffer against starvation.
SHOW SCHEDULE1-29-20261942 LANCASTER PA, ARMISTICE DAY IN WARTIME Guest: Anatol Lieven. Lieven of the Quincy Institute discusses breaking news that Vladimir Putin has agreed to a one-week ceasefire on Ukrainian cities following a request from Donald Trump. Lieven views this as a significant positive signal of Putin's desire to maintain good standing with the incoming administration, though he notes that major territorial disagreements remain unresolved. Guest: Anatol Lieven. The conversation turns to the $300 billion in suspended Russian assets. Lieven outlines Russia's proposal to use these funds for reconstruction or a joint investment fund to avoid confiscation, suggesting that suspending rather than lifting sanctions could be a political compromise to secure U.S. Senate approval. Guest: Chris Riegel. Riegel, CEO of Stratology, analyzes Elon Musk's pivot to manufacturing "Optimus" androids, arguing that California's restrictive tax and labor costs are driving the need for automation. He suggests that major retailers like Walmart are poised to replace significant portions of their workforce with robotics to maintain profitability amid rising economic pressures. Guest: Mariam Wahba. Wahba from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies reports on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria by jihadists and Fulani militants. She details a newly established White House working group designed to help the Nigerian government fix security gaps and enforce laws against the perpetrators of this religiously motivated violence. Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady. O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal critiques the Trump administration's engagement with Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez. O'Grady warns that while Rodriguez is cooperating on oil exports, she remains a "vice dictator" managing rival factions to ensure the regime's survival while stalling on the release of political prisoners. Guest: Veronique de Rugy. De Rugy of the Mercatus Center examines the failure of Georgia's film tax credits, noting that productions eventually moved to cheaper locations despite billions in subsidies. She compares this to federal industrial policies like tariffs and Intel subsidies, arguing that government attempts to "pick winners" rarely produce sustainable economic results. Guest: Michael Toth. Toth of the Civitas Institute warns against new "climate superfund" legislation in states like New York, which seeks to retroactively tax fossil fuel companies for global warming. He characterizes these funds as unconstitutional attempts to regulate global emissions at the state level, arguing they will function as slush funds that drive up energy costs. Guest: Michael Toth. The segment focuses on California's strategy to empower the Attorney General to sue fossil fuel companies for rising insurance premiums. Toth argues these lawsuits are politically motivated and legally weak, noting that even insurance companies refuse to sue because attributing specific damages or deaths to corporate emissions is factually difficult. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis of the U.S. Army War College reports that Cuba is facing a catastrophic energy collapse, with only days of oil remaining after Mexico and Venezuela cut supplies. He predicts this crisis will likely trigger a massive wave of migration as the island's power grid and economy face a near-total shutdown. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis discusses the Costa Rican election, where center-right candidate Laura Fernandez holds a commanding lead. He describes her as a technocrat focused on combating drug-fueled crime and continuing pro-business policies, noting she is on track to potentially win the presidency in the first round. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis evaluates Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, praising her pragmatic management of relations with the U.S. despite her leftist ideology. He notes she has navigated threats of tariffs and military intervention by cooperating on border security and extradition, while maintaining political dominance through her predecessor's powerful movement. Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis describes the unstable power dynamics in Venezuela, where the Rodriguezfaction cooperates with the U.S. on oil to prevent economic collapse. He warns that rival criminal factions, including the ELN and military figures, may sabotage this arrangement if they fear being betrayed or marginalized by the current leadership. Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan, author of Rot, introduces the history of the Irish Famine by recounting a folk story about Queen Victoria visiting the devastated village of Skibbereen. He sets the context by explaining how the pre-famine Irish economy relied entirely on the high-yield potato, which allowed landlords to pay incredibly low wages to a capital-poor population. Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan discusses the structure of Irish land ownership, using Shirley Castle as an example of the disconnect between landlords and tenants. He explains that while the landscape looked ancient, landlords were actually modern, sophisticated merchants who extracted rent from a tenant class living on small, unimproved plots known as "conacres." Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan explains the Victorian view of the famine through the lens of economist Thomas Malthus, who believed the "generous" potato encouraged overpopulation. He notes that Britishpolicymakers viewed the famine as a natural, inevitable correction and feared that providing aid would discourage the Irish poor from developing a "civilized" work ethic. Guest: Padraic Scanlan. Scanlan details the biological cause of the famine: Phytophthora infestans, a water mold that originated in Mexico. He explains that because Irish potatoes were genetically identical clones grown from cuttings, they had zero resistance to the pathogen, which destroyed both growing crops and stored food, leaving the population with no buffer against starvation.
Guest: Professor Evan Ellis. Ellis of the U.S. Army War College reports that Cuba is facing a catastrophic energy collapse, with only days of oil remaining after Mexico and Venezuela cut supplies. He predicts this crisis will likely trigger a massive wave of migration as the island's power grid and economy face a near-total shutdown.1900 GARCIA'S TOMB, HAVANA
Joe Hunter & Ozzy Lusth Survivor 50 Preseason Interviews Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) is here to chat to the cast of Survivor 50! Join us to hear from your favorite returning Survivor players! Survivor 50's preseason buzz gets even hotter as Mike Bloom returns for the Survivor 50 Preseason Interview series, welcoming fan favorites Joe Hunter and Ozzy Lusth. It’s “boys night” as Mike sits down for deeply personal, strategic conversations with two stars from different eras, Joe representing the new school and Ozzy stepping back into the game after nearly a decade away. The episode zeroes in on what it takes to evolve as a player and to face the jury with renewed purpose after a crushing loss. Mike Bloom kicks things off by recapping Joe's journey through Survivor 48, where he was viewed as the season's front runner only to be blindsided at the final vote. Joe reflects on balancing gratitude for playing with the pain of not winning, sharing how reliving his loss just weeks before heading back out for Survivor 50 has shaped his approach. The conversation shifts to strategy as Joe lays out his plan to “read the room” and build trust with the right people, rather than leading with loyalty alone. Ozzy's segment dives into changes both on and off the island, he's retired the “Jungle Boy” persona for a more mature game as “Oscar,” eager to build deep alliances and showcase personal growth. – Joe's candid talk about learning from defeat and going beyond simply “playing the same game” – Ozzy's take on why challenge dominance alone can't win Survivor 50—and how building trust is the new meta – The “Friend or Foe” game reveals who they see as allies, threats, and wildcards—plus, how old school vs. new era vibes may split the tribe – Joe's insight on how loyalty and trust are currency, but knowing when and with whom to spend it is everything – Ozzy shares how real-life challenges (opening a restaurant in Mexico, identity growth) prepare him for new Survivor obstacles As Joe and Ozzy gear up for another shot at the title, the big question looms: Will playing with heart and maturity finally land one of them the million-dollar prize, or is a new twist waiting at Tribal Council? Will alliances built on trust survive, or is a flip inevitable? Chapter: 0:00 Intros 6:00 Joe Reflects On Jury Loss 12:00 Trust And Loyalty Game Shift 18:00 Friend Or Foe Cast Judgments 25:50 Family And Purpose Behind Play 28:22 Ozzy's Return And Transformation 32:32 Survivor Strategy: Trust Versus Challenges 38:00 Old School Versus New Alliances 42:17 Ozzy Weighs New Era Rivals 47:31 Targeting Challenge Threats And Winners 51:23 Ideal Castmates For Survivor 50 53:09 Loved Ones: Captain Planet Choice 54:49 New Ozzy: Playing As Oscar Never miss a minute of RHAP's extensive Survivor coverage! LISTEN: Subscribe to the Survivor podcast feed WATCH: Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!
Started the week off with some brazen Mexico cartel killings, then talked about an important truce between the new Syrian government and a Kurdish militia. Plus another Minneapolis Fed shooting, Philippines ferry crash, Russia/Ukraine casualty updates, China's leader purges military, and a Canadian guy is caught on security cameras banging several horses. Music: Worakis/"Bleu"
The Scuffed Soccer Podcast | USMNT, Yanks Abroad, MLS, futbol in America
Bushnell, who writes for the Athletic, joined to talk about the high prices of World Cup tickets, Cindy Parlow Cone's expansive and thus far largely trouble-free tenure as USSF president, why Weston McKennie's spot on the field under Poch is such an important matter, Alex Freeman's move to Villareal, and lots more, even Richie Ledezma's switch to Mexico.Join us on our Germany trip: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI4Cp1VpS2eCphsNjf6QHdaRDq86Tf-FeUhJ2tQ0RzkbxQhw/viewform Skip the ads! Subscribe to Scuffed on Patreon and get all episodes ad-free, plus any bonus episodes. Patrons at $5 a month or more also get access to Clip Notes, a video of key moments on the field we discuss on the show, plus all patrons get access to our private Discord server, live call-in shows, and the full catalog of historic recaps we've made: https://www.patreon.com/scuffedAlso, check out Boots on the Ground, our USWNT-focused spinoff podcast headed up by Tara and Vince. They are cooking over there, you can listen here: https://boots-on-the-ground.simplecast.comAnd check out our MERCH, baby. We have better stuff than you might think: https://www.scuffedhq.com/store Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Doug welcomes back returning guest Jim Babka for a libertarian Christian deep dive into Donald Trump's “second first year” in office. They walk through key events from 2025–26 and ask what they reveal about power, symbolism, and the state.Topics include:Why Trump's second term feels so different from his first, and how anger and “getting even” seem to shape his decisionsThe Iran bunker‑busting strike and what it says about the myth of Trump as a “peace president”The push to buy Greenland, the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, and how Trump uses symbolism and deal‑making theatricsICE's shocking tactics as “terror theater” to drive self‑deportation and deter migrationWhy Jim argues the Epstein files are thedefining story of 2025:How Congress slow‑walked and then quietly passed the disclosure lawHow the administration has violated it with redactions and delaysWhat the limited releases already reveal about Epstein's roles in intelligence, arms, and under‑the‑table influenceHow the Epstein issue is uniquely damaging Trump in the pollsAlong the way, Doug and Jim connect these developments to memetic theory, the deep state, Zionist influence, and the fragility of American faith in both church and state.Audio Production by Podsworth Media - https://podsworth.com Use code LCI50 for 50% off your first order at Podsworth.com to clean up your voice recordings and also support LCI!Full Podsworth Ad Read BEFORE & AFTER processing:https://youtu.be/vbsOEODpQGs ★ Support this podcast ★
This week, MSD pivots a bit and airs the latest episode of the Oil Groundup Podcast, where host Rory Johnston welcomes Ronald Smith, a consultant with 25 years of experience analyzing the Russian oil and gas sector. The discussion delves into why Russia's industry is far more complex than other OPEC+ members due to its vast refining sector and extensive pipeline networks that crisscross continental Asia. Smith explains the geographic evolution of production, highlighting West Siberia as the current "anchor" while exploring the future potential of Arctic and East Siberian greenfields._____TerraHutton empowers junior mining companies to secure investment with immersive, interactive, and visually striking storytelling. Learn more about the TerraHutton platform HERE______This episode of Mining Stock Daily is brought to you by... Revival Gold is one of the largest pure gold mine developer operating in the United States. The Company is advancing the Mercur Gold Project in Utah and mine permitting preparations and ongoing exploration at the Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project located in Idaho. Revival Gold is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol “RVG” and trades on the OTCQX Market under the ticker symbol “RVLGF”. Learn more about the company at revival-dash-gold.comVizsla Silver is focused on becoming one of the world's largest single-asset silver producers through the exploration and development of the 100% owned Panuco-Copala silver-gold district in Sinaloa, Mexico. The company consolidated this historic district in 2019 and has now completed over 325,000 meters of drilling. The company has the world's largest, undeveloped high-grade silver resource. Learn more at https://vizslasilvercorp.com/Equinox has recently completed the business combination with Calibre Mining to create an Americas-focused diversified gold producer with a portfolio of mines in five countries, anchored by two high-profile, long-life Canadian gold mines, Greenstone and Valentine. Learn more about the business and its operations at equinoxgold.com Integra Resources is a growing precious metals producer in the Great Basin of the Western United States. Integra is focused on demonstrating profitability and operational excellence at its principal operating asset, the Florida Canyon Mine, located in Nevada. In addition, Integra is committed to advancing its flagship development-stage heap leach projects: the past producing DeLamar Project located in southwestern Idaho, and the Nevada North Project located in western Nevada. Learn more about the business and their high industry standards over at integraresources.com
Jordan links up with the Bean Daddies—Adrian, Jose, and Alan—for a completely unhinged, hilarious, and surprisingly thoughtful hang. Naturally, things spiral into chaos: haunted neighborhoods, ghost stories, floating lamps, creepy houses in Mexico, desert screams, horror-movie debates, and the very real terror of cockroaches, mice infestations, and landscaping disasters. Add in brutally embarrassing life stories—disastrous first dates, crashing parties, blackout birthdays, puking in new cars, church accidents, OnlyFans interview debates, jealous partners, pajama arguments, hangover nightmares, and shower confessions.
We are nearly there! Martyn is joined again by the author Aidan Williams to round up the rest of the qualifiers - from Argentina to Iraq - and to take a look at the contemporaneous previews on the eve of the tournament. There were big concerns about the impact of the midday sun on the quality of football, most agreed that there was no outstanding favourite and Diego Maradona had far from convinced everyone that he was about to take the world by storm. If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, join our Nessun Dorma community chat, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support the podcast, then head over to patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast where you can subscribe for only $3.99 a month (less than 75p a week!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
They actually did need a bigger boat! The best vacation ever, just got a lot boatier. Emo's Not Dead invited Sappenin' Podcast to record Episode 375, while setting sail on the E.N.D Cruise 2026, from Miami to Costa Maya, as the event's official podcast partners. During four days at sea, we embraced our wildest emo dreams, interacted with a list of scene legends and got ourselves into situations you'd never believe, if we hadn't documented them. Listen to conversation on the ocean with Anberlin (Matty Mullins & Nate Young), Story Of The Year (Dan Marsala & Adam Russell), Daisy Grenade (Dani Nigro & Keaton Whittaker), Saves The Day (Chris Conley), Escape The Fate (Craig Mabbit) and more! Also, find out what happened when we spent a romantic day in Mexico, celebrated a landmark birthday, sang with our icons, escaped swingers, got hurt in a mosh pit, eat too much at a buffet, missed our flight back home and brought back some classic band trends! Turn it up and join Sean and Morgan to find out Sappenin' this week!Follow us on Social Media:Twitter: @sappeninpodInstagram: @sappeninpodSpecial thank you to our Sappenin' Podcast Patreons:Join the Sappenin' Podcast Community: Patreon.com/Sappenin.Kylie Wheeler, Janelle Caston, Paul Hirschfield, Tony Michael, Scarlet Charlton, Dilly Grimwood, Mitch Perry, Jonathan Gutierrez, Jahana, Marc Spector, Molly Molloy, James Bowerbank, Amee Louise, Kat Bessant, Amy Hogg, Chris Howard, Ian Gent, Jenni Robinson, Stuart McNaught, Jenni Munster, Keighley Mepham, Carl Pendlebury, Matt Roberts, Louis Cook, James Mcnaught, Martina McManus, Jason Heredia, Danny Eaton, Ollie Amesbury, Dan Peregreen, Emily Perry, Kalila Keane, Adam Parslow, Josh Crisp, Sofija Žuravska, Steve Howard, Connor Lewins, Kyle Smith, Em Evans Roberts, George Evans, Sinead O'Halloran, Kael braham, Jordan Harris, Georgie Hopkinson, John Wilson, Ayla Shelly, Kelly Young, David Winchurch, Justine Baddeley, Scott Evans, Andrew Simpson, Shaun Croucher, Grazyna McGroarty, Murray Grimwood, Joshua Ehrensperger-Lewis, Chris Harris, Erin Howard, Lucy Neill, Robert Fitton, Jessie Hellier, Robert Pike, Craig Harris, Anthony Matthews, Owen Davies, JessieGx, Samantha Bowen, Ruby Price, Lewis Sluman, Kieran Lewis, Samantha Neville, Evan, Andy, Michael Long, Natalie Wallace, Frances, Emma Musgrave, Ria Joy, Patrick Floyd, Sarah Maher, Ceris Clift, Hannah, Hayley Taylor, Gareth Desmond, Cheri, Loz, Jamie Snailham, Gemma Graham, Torky, Billy Parmiter, Meg, Eva B, Jack Wright, Emma Barber, Lloyd Pinder, Helen Macbeth, Katie Lyons, Dan Johnson, Mustard Mittthat, Ceri Craddock, Madeleine Inez, Robert Byrne, Christopher Goldring, Lesley Dargie-Walker. Beth Gayler, Chris Lincoln, Hannah Rachael, Kerry Beckett, Naomi Falgate, Leanne Gerrard, Ieuan Wheeler, Tom Hylands, Andrew Keech, Nuala Clark.Diolch and Thank You x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
AP correspondent Ben Thomas reports President Trump is threatening sanctions over Cuba, while reopening Venezuelan airspace.
Live from Coues deer camp in the rugged mountains of Sonora, Mexico, Josh Dahlke joins a special crew to shine light on a divine piece of ground and the diminutive whitetails that call it home: Rancho Mababi. FOLLOW JOSH & WILL: Josh: https://www.instagram.com/josh.j.dahlke/ Will: https://www.instagram.com/willtcooper/ DOWNLOAD HUNTSTAND https://www.huntstand.com/subscriptions/ HUNTSTAND FIELD NOTES https://www.huntstand.com/fieldnotes/ GET SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntstand/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntStand TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@huntstandofficial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The American people are growing their wealth again. Trump admin are reversing everything the [CB] has done. Trump is 5 steps ahead of the [CB]/[DS] players, he is allowing the younger generation to start at an early age building their wealth. The Federal Reserve Note is weakening, we are in the process of taking back economic control. The [DS]/D’s are now trapped, they thought they would stall and get the people on their side, but it is backfiring. Ilhan Omar money laundering system is being exposed, did she stage an event to distract? The D’s are now saying the quiet part out loud. Illegals, antifa and criminals will be creating chaos during the midterms. Trump and team have begun the process of exposing the election fraud in 2020, the FBI raided the GA elections. It’s about to fall apart for the D’s. Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2016488930518921261?s=20 (VIDEO) Trump Announces John Deere is Building $70 MILLION Factory in North Carolina – “This is Going to be the Only Excavator Entirely Made in the United States of America” President Trump announced on Tuesday that agriculture and construction machinery manufacturer John Deere is building a $70 million factory in North Carolina, moving its construction of excavators from Japan to the United States. John Deere is also building a distribution center in Hebron, Indiana, according to a press release from the company. “In keeping with our strong tradition of building America, we are excited to announce plans to open two new U.S.-based facilities: a state-of-the-art distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, and a cutting-edge excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina, both set to open in the next year,” the company said. Each project is expected to employ 150 Americans. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2016546217237369225?s=20 Bank of America to match $1,000 government deposits for Trump accounts The 100% match is available to all eligible Bank of America employees in the United States Bank of America announced Wednesday that it will be contributing funds to the proposed “Trump accounts” for eligible employees. The bank said it will match the government's $1,000 contribution to the newly established accounts for children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028 for all 165,000 U.S. employees. Additionally, the bank will enable its employees with children under age 18 to make pretax contributions to Trump accounts through payroll deductions. According to the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Analysis, a fully funded Trump account could be worth as much as $1.9 million by age 28, with lower-end returns approaching $600,000 over the same period. Treasury estimates the savings account would rise to between $3,000 and $13,800 over 18 years without contributions beyond the federal government's initial $1,000 deposit. Source: foxnews.com https://twitter.com/SteaknShake/status/2016521248088477733?s=20 https://twitter.com/GordonGekko/status/2016457976761266259?s=20 TRILLION debt inflated away China/EU competitive advantage destroyed Strong dollar = America buys cheap foreign goods Weak dollar = World buys American goods Trump isn’t losing. He’s winning a game you aren’t even aware is being played. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2016368889588810171?s=20 https://twitter.com/NewsTreason/status/2016437444669772102?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheGreatLander/status/2016596027751715064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016596027751715064%7Ctwgr%5E39d637d875750db480861c1ca4ea03cd3df6bd53%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fwardclark%2F2026%2F01%2F28%2Ffed-holds-rates-steady-in-january-2026-key-decision-details-n2198607 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016287802632106145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016287802632106145%7Ctwgr%5E2ab81191000b8625268417e79ce0ffc79deee62c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fturnto10.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-world%2Ftrump-promises-rate-cuts-with-new-fed-chair-pick-as-powell-defends-cautious-approach-federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell-interest-economy-job-market-mortgages-borrowing-costs President Donald Trump, as the sitting president in January 2026, can nominate a successor to Jerome Powell as Chair of the Federal Reserve in advance of the term’s expiration. However, the actual replacement can only occur once Powell’s current term as Chair ends on May 15, 2026. Political/Rights Geopolitical Spain's Socialist Government Moves to Legalize Up to 500,000 Illegal Migrants in Sweeping Decree Spain's entrenched leftist political class is once again moving to normalize illegality, this time through an extraordinary mass regularization that could grant legal status to more than 500,000 illegal immigrants. The deal, announced Monday by far-left Podemos and the Socialist government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, represents one of the most sweeping amnesties in modern Spanish history, La Gaceta reports. According to party sources and reports from Cadena SER, the measure will be approved by royal decree at Tuesday's Council of Ministers. It bypasses ordinary parliamentary scrutiny and fast-tracks a policy that will undoubtedly have catastrophic, long-term demographic, economic, and security consequences. Under the plan, illegal immigrants who can demonstrate as little as five months of residence in Spain will be eligible for legal status. The regularization applies regardless of how they entered the country or whether they previously violated immigration or labor laws. The cutoff date for eligibility is December 31, 2025, meaning anyone already residing illegally in Spain before that date may qualify. Government estimates suggest more than half a million people could benefit, making this not an isolated humanitarian measure but a structural transformation of Spain's migration policy. Source: thegatewaypundit.com President of European Parliament Bans EU Nations from Purchasing Russian Gas Without Paying Commission to Third Party the European Union is now banning the EU countries from purchasing discounted Russian oil and gas directly. Instead, the EU will force their assembly to purchase Russian oil and gas from India at a premium. The EU is still buying Russian oil and gas; however, paying more, they believe, will work out better for them in the long-term. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola made the announcement via X: [SOURCE] The actual target of this oil and gas ban is the nation of Hungary, who as a landlocked nation is dependent on the gas from Russia. The EU ban expressly hurts the position of Hungary because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has refused to kneel to the dictates of Brussels. Prime Minister Orban has vowed to sue the European Parliament over the ban. The lawsuit will likely be supported by other EU countries who understand the stupidity of paying India for what amounts to a brokerage fee to deliver the same oil and gas. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/SnowflakeSlayr1/status/2016495583419130320?s=20 https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2016259110048829789?s=20 mentioned. Even more striking, the United States is constantly accused of insufficient zeal for Ukraine, yet it is the only country actually willing to confront China and India over their support for Russia. The whole thing is completely insane. https://twitter.com/Rob_Roos/status/2016423309622059098?s=20 short-sighted leaders this continent has ever seen. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2016345497787892018?s=20 supplies drying up, and Mexico’s support now under threat. https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2016563107397591404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016563107397591404%7Ctwgr%5Efb0a706a2ffe3303cdd5433ec1a2ccc7032b01f9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fnick-arama%2F2026%2F01%2F28%2Frubio-lights-dems-up-during-hearing-on-venezuela-protester-also-goes-down-to-a-brutal-defeat-n2198605 Rubio pointed out how the Helms-Burton Act has codified that we’re trying to promote a different form of government in Cuba. That’s the purpose of the boycott we’ve had for decades. So Rubio can’t commit to not doing what we’ve been doing for years, and that’s required by the Act. Then there was this truly funny moment when a protester stood up with a sign and didn’t even last fifteen seconds. Committee Chair Jim Risch (ID) delivered a great response. You can see Rubio grinning. War/Peace Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn't, and there was “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don't make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP Ali Khamenei out as Supreme Leader? Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/RickyLaFleurRX7/status/2016218369507152259?s=20 https://twitter.com/BuckSexton/status/2016379291060052426?s=20 https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/2016616967067537667?s=20 https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/2016369871483781293?s=20 Who Attacked Ilhan Omar? What We Know So Far We reported Tuesday evening about the bizarre attack on the far-left Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) in Minneapolis. As RedState's Susie Moore wrote, Omar was “speaking at a town hall event there when a man approached her and appeared to spray an unknown substance at her while pointing and yelling at her.” The man was quickly taken down by what appeared to be a security guard, and an apparently unharmed Omar initially moved toward the assailant and yelled angrily at him. https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2016375584331354404?s=20 Kazmierczak, a 55-year-old Minneapolis resident, was arrested on January 27, 2026, for third-degree assault after spraying Omar with an unknown substance (reported to smell like vinegar) during a town hall event she hosted in Minneapolis. He shouted demands for her to resign, claiming she was “tearing Minnesota apart,” amid tensions over federal immigration enforcement in the area. . Public records indicate Kazmierczak has been unemployed since at least 2017 (when he was receiving disability payments), has filed for bankruptcy, and has a history of two DUI convictions but no prior violent crimes. He has been married and divorced twice, but there are no verified links between his ex-wives and Omar. Some social media speculation has suggested connections—such as claims that he worked for Omar’s husband’s business partners or that an ex-wife supported Omar—but these appear unsubstantiated, with no supporting evidence in news reports or public records. Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/mymomcare/status/2016495436018733441?s=20 President Trump Weighs In With a Highly Provocative Take Regarding the Spray Attack on Ilhan Omar Shortly following the attack, Trump was asked by ABC's Rachel Scott regarding whether he had seen the video. https://twitter.com/rachelvscott/status/2016365247817257360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016365247817257360%7Ctwgr%5E18f7c1027a366f0d59a4aaa3f423ebe67276fc1e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fpresident-trump-weighs-highly-provocative-take-regarding-spray%2F Source: thegatewaypundit.com How do we know it was staged 1. sprayed unknown liquid, keyword unknown 2. was it poison, was it a virus, etc. 3. why wasn’t everyone evacuated or contained in this location 4. why wasn’t poison control called, no hazmat suit people coming 5. why did she decided to continue with the townhall if she doesn’t know what the liquid was, she doesn’t want to be checked out. Forensic investigators determined the substance was apple cider vinegar https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2016410811024216116?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016482991220851124?s=20 Soros-backed Philadelphia DA vows to ‘hunt’ down ICE agents: ‘We will find you’ https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/2016501035414466807?s=20 President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2016585424840339831?s=20 https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/2016241048209518736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016299403230036327%7Ctwgr%5Ee97929c3cc41b95d49cf21728478f8315dc83629%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fx22report.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D28444action%3Dedit They were stalling/lying. Surrender is not a feasible option for them. Their only hope is chaos. https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2016269118693847148?s=20 the Dems just made it worse on themselves. Now they have to deal with Homan, and the more the Dems resist, the closer they get to Trump sending active duty military who are on standby. Trump would later go on to say that he is not retreating, he says it's “the opposite”. The show goes on. https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/2016288343789539487?s=20 you don’t see is that we have hundreds of accountants and from all of the different people. We have hundreds of accountants going over everything that’s happening.” “And we’re finding fraud on top of fraud on top of fraud. And I think that they don’t want that to happen. You’re talking about $19 billion. Probably that’s a minimal number.” “If they think it’s $19 billion, triple it or quadruple it. And if we catch a lot of this fraud, and I felt it for a long time, but now we know what’s happening.” “And the answer is, yeah, there will be accountability!” https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/2016378613042446355?s=20 2416 Q !!mG7VJxZNCI No.405 Nov 4 2018 17:33:58 (EST) [PANIC IN DC] If you witness members of ANTIFA or any other people or organizations stationed at ‘key’ voter locations making threats or attempting to use scare tactics [voter intimidation] please contact local authorities immediately and report the incident(s). Internal comms suggest preparations are being made and organized to conduct a 29+ location push [battleground locations]. See Something Say Something Uniformed and Non-Uniformed personnel will be stationed across the country in an effort to safeguard the public. If you witness anything out of the ordinary with regards to staff, officials, machinery & equipment failures and/or malfunctions, unusual ‘grouping’ [buses dropping off people w/ guide and/or instructor], voter prevention [blocking], or other suspicious activity please contact local authorities immediately and report the incident(s). See Something Say Something [take a picture and/or video only when safe to do so] Q https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/2016501286292865280?s=20 Virginia Judge SHUTS DOWN Democrats' Power-Grab Redistricting Scheme — Rules Map CANNOT Go to Referendum Until After 2027 Election In a stunning victory for election integrity and a humiliating defeat for the Virginia Democrat establishment, a circuit court judge has officially deadlocked the Left's desperate attempt to rig the state's congressional maps. On Tuesday, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. issued a blistering ruling that effectively dismantles the Democrats' partisan redistricting scheme, declaring their process unconstitutional and blocking any referendum on the matter until after the 2027 House of Delegates election. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2016273639398588734?s=20 https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/2016569917668053396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016569917668053396%7Ctwgr%5Eb5cf3202d5098a19625a7ace645f34ff34541c9d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Ffbi-is-executing-search-warrant-fulton-county-reportedly%2F https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/2016526106950517128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016526106950517128%7Ctwgr%5E40a229b9865812f6b3f2a7723f6eb6ffe7ce3e40%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Ffbi-is-executing-search-warrant-fulton-county-reportedly%2F They knew it, and they covered it up. https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/2016341798730313735?s=20 https://twitter.com/RealAbs1776/status/2016363642090815500?s=20 (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");
In this episode of I.E. In Friends, the crew dives headfirst into one of the most intense and divided weeks in recent memory. We discuss ICE raids, nationwide student walkouts, growing political tension in the U.S., and whether America is reaching a breaking point.We also react to Kanye West's public apology, unpack the psychology behind it, and debate whether accountability still matters in today's culture. From protests and immigration policy to viral TikTok controversies, Champions League chaos, and a shocking 1,400-year-old Zapotec tomb discovery in Mexico, this episode covers it all. Sign up for Robinhood with my link and we'll both pick our own gift stock
Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! Hundreds of years before European contact, the biggest city in North America was located along the Mississippi River. At its peak, perhaps 15,000 people lived there—and over 30,000 in the surrounding suburbs. Today, we call it Cahokia. Nobody knows what the original name of this city was. But there was a time when everybody knew its name—from the Great Lakes to the Eastern Seaboard, and from the Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. What was that name, and why was it lost to time and memory? That's just one of the many mysteries of Cahokia. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
After more than a decade living in the U.S. without permanent legal status, Alix Dick calculated the cost of her survival: $1.9 million. That figure includes everything from wage theft and underpayment to complex PTSD and under-the-table medical visits. Alix talks about those things with Anita as she discusses her new book “The Cost of Being Undocumented,” co-written with Stanford University professor Antero Garcia. Alix traces her personal story from growing up in Sinaloa, Mexico to fleeing to the U.S. with her younger brother when she was 20. She and Antero discuss misconceptions about undocumented workers, describe the challenges of telling Alix's story, and talk about the many costs that didn't make the tally sheet — like lost dreams.Meet the guests:- Alix Dick, activist, writer, filmmaker and co-author of "The Cost of Being Undocumented"- Antero Garcia, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford and co-author of "The Cost of Being Undocumented"Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platformFollow Embodied on Instagram Leave a message for Embodied
Retirement isn't just a financial equation—it's an identity shift. In this recap, Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell reflect on the conversation with wealth advisor and researcher Gregg Lunceford, who challenges the traditional retirement model by focusing on identity, purpose, and emotional readiness. They explore why longer lifespans have reshaped retirement entirely and why high performers often struggle most when their job no longer defines them. Whether listeners are 25 or 65, this conversation reframes what freedom after work can truly look like. If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How increased longevity has made traditional pension models obsolete.The reality of the 20-year life bonus after your career ends.Why high achievers struggle to uncover a non-work identity.How intentional communities support mental and emotional well-being.The importance of creating a shared retirement vision as a couple.Episode References/Links:Agency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsPOT in London - https://xxll.co/potSpring Training: How To Get Overhead - https://opc.me/eventsSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questionsThe Seeing Eye - https://seeingeye.orgMesirow Wealth Management - https://www.mesirow.comGregg Lunceford on LinkedIn - https://beitpod.com/greggluncefordExit From Work - https://a.co/d/fR25gH2 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Brad Crowell 0:01 He was talking about football players, and he was talking about people who have, you know, high performance people who make a shitload of money, and then they retire and they, he said, they burn through a lot of money trying to figure out who they are.Lesley Logan 0:17 Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Brad Crowell 1:01 Take it away. Lesley Logan 1:03 Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the trailblazing, trail, trailblazing. Brad Crowell 1:12 Wanna try that again?Lesley Logan 1:16 Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, don't laugh at me. I don't want to start again. Brad Crowell 1:22 No. The Welcome back was perfect. It was amazing. Lesley Logan 1:25 Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the trailblazing convo I have with Gregg Lunceford in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, you fucked up. It's so good. Brad Crowell 1:41 It's a great interview. Lesley Logan 1:42 He's a great educator. He blew my mind.Brad Crowell 1:46 So inspirational. Lesley Logan 1:47 Yeah.Brad Crowell 1:48 You actually, literally said my internal dialog out loud to him towards the end of the interview, because you were like, yeah, after listening to you, I'm so excited for this next chapter of my life. And I was like me too. It was amazing.Lesley Logan 2:06 I know, I know, I, your parents need to listen to this stat. Brad Crowell 2:10 Yeah, he's a badass. Lesley Logan 2:11 So anyways, they won't even be out, and they're making decisions right now, maybe we have to get them an episode early. Okay, so you can come back and listen to it later. You can finish this and you can listen to that one, or I gotta finish the script. You can listen to this one, or you can listen to that one first, whichever you want to do. But just you gotta listen.Brad Crowell 2:28 You did not have to finish the script. You can just let it go. Lesley Logan 2:32 I could also just close the loop on that. Brad Crowell 2:35 That was the only loop that you know. Lesley Logan 2:37 Well, you know what, Sir. Brad Crowell 2:40 Today is January 29th.Lesley Logan 2:42 It's just after my birthday. You can still wish me a happy birthday. It's the anniversary to celebrate Seeing Eye Guide Dogs. So the Seeing Eye Guide Dog Anniversary is an appreciation for all the dogs who act as their owners' eyes and ears. The devotion and taught abilities of these particular canines keep them safe and enable them to operate as a fully functional persons. The day is meant to recognize a school that educates them. Seeing eye dogs go through extensive training to be able to, say, safely traverse the environment and all of its hazards for their person. That's why they're so worthy of this recognition. Okay, so I don't have a seeing eye dog. Obviously, we don't know anyone who in our life who has a seeing eye dog, but I have watched the dog who could tell a girl was about to have a seizure before she had it, and then opened the fridge and pulled out her medicine and gave it to her while she was having this like seizure. Brad Crowell 3:37 That's crazy. Lesley Logan 3:38 Crazy. And I have met people with dogs who can sense if they're about to have, like, an insulin situation, because they have some, like, a type of insulin diabetes where, like, it can change really drastically. I have definitely seen people with seeing eye dogs, and I'm so impressed. And so really, the rest of the days sucked. And this is the best one of all the choices. Brad Crowell 4:00 I like this one, though. Lesley Logan 4:01 I really like this one, because here's the deal. Brad Crowell 4:03 So the organization is actually called The Seeing Eye. Lesley Logan 4:06 Oh. Brad Crowell 4:07 Yeah. And I, I'm just realizing that as well. Lesley Logan 4:10 Okay, well, they got up, they didn't pay for the sponsorship, because they're doing great work out there for people who need it. Brad Crowell 4:14 It's a guide dog school. Lesley Logan 4:16 And I am just kind of obsessed with this. And so if this inspired you in any way you should go donate money to your local no kill animal shelter, because while those dogs won't be a seeing eye dog or a service dog, they certainly need your help. This is really or you could donate to your seeing eye dog school if they need the money like you never know. You might your life could change. You might need a dog that's a service animal. So I just was, you know, anything to help raise money and thoughts about, please don't buy a puppy. Go get go adopt an animal. They have puppies too. Brad Crowell 4:48 You know what is amazing. I'm reading about the school, and I think that my elementary school teacher went to the school, because when we were in school, she somehow lost her vision, and I remember she.Lesley Logan 5:07 You were taught by someone who couldn't see?Brad Crowell 5:10 No, when I was taught by her, she could. But then, like in a year or two later, when I was like, in fourth or fifth grade, we we found out that she lost her vision, and I remember her going to Braille school. And I'm pretty sure she went to seeing eye dog school. Lesley Logan 5:25 That's so cool. Brad Crowell 5:26 Because think about it, if you're like, you know, 5060, years old, and you've never worked with a dog before like that, how would you even know how?Lesley Logan 5:34 Yeah, no, you have to get trained. Okay? But now this opens up a whole thing. So then she couldn't do the thing that she loved to do. She couldn't teach anymore. Brad Crowell 5:41 I'm pretty sure she retired. Lesley Logan 5:43 Oh, that's such a. So wait, this sucks. If you're blind, what are your jobs? You could be a phone sex operator.Brad Crowell 5:52 Yes, you could be a phone sex operator. That's not what I was gonna go, but yeah, you could do that, but.Lesley Logan 5:56 But you can make a lot of money doing this. You could do you could be a 900 psychic.Brad Crowell 6:01 You could be a 900 psychic, or you could just talk on the phone, too.Lesley Logan 6:05 Yeah, yeah. With technology today, I think they probably have more options, but I just realized, like, that would suck, like, all of a sudden she can't teach anymore. What if she couldn't even retire?Brad Crowell 6:15 No, it's, it's very traumatic, you know? I mean, we have a close friend of ours whose husband was, he has a, like a degenerative disease that didn't strike until he was in his, you know, midlife.Lesley Logan 6:31 We do? Brad Crowell 6:32 We do. Lesley Logan 6:33 Oh, is it blind, is he going blind? Brad Crowell 6:35 No, but, but the idea of being able, of being an abled body and then all of a sudden, everything that was quote, unquote normal for you is no longer an option. And that scares, that scares me.Lesley Logan 6:49 Scares the hell out of me. But, okay, Dark tangent, dark comedy tangent. Okay, I think it was the French, it was a European commercial. Do you remember this thing? It came through at my Instagram, and this, like, got this woman and this guy, like, wake up on a couch. They like, had, you know, obviously had sex last night, and like, they woke on the couch, and he's like, no, I gotta go. She's like, you could stay. And then, like, he is, like, getting up, and he like, puts himself in his wheelchair. And then this guy opens up the door to the apartment, and he's like, what's going on here? And so clearly, the woman was cheating on her partner, and the whole thing was like, what, like, you know, just maybe think before you park in someone else's spot, or like using the bathroom, or like using the handicap parking and using the handicapped bathroom, and it I died laughing. I cried laughing because, like, what a great way to get people to go. Oh, I'm fucking using that restroom, or I've never parked in those spots because in LA, one of my girlfriends was just parked there to take a phone call and she got a ticket. Don't do it, guys, they don't care if you don't leave the car. Don't do it. It's for someone else. It is someone else's spot. But just made me laugh. I know this is all about seeing eye dogs, and I thought it was a great advertisement for not being a dickhead.Brad Crowell 8:08 Well, what a fun turn this took. Lesley Logan 8:10 Okay. Well, everyone, look, you, your life could change in an instant. So if there is a charity in your area that is helping people get service animals into the hands of people that need it, this is their I'm sponsoring an ad for them. Go give them some money. Give them some time. Brad Crowell 8:27 Participate. Lesley Logan 8:27 Yeah, you never know. Maybe you could become a really good trainer for one of these dogs. You don't know. You know, they people in prison are training some of these dogs so there's great work going out there. So everyone needs a hobby. This could be yours. Brad Crowell 8:39 I love it. Lesley Logan 8:40 All right, you guys, we are home. Brad Crowell 8:43 Yeah, we are, we are. Lesley Logan 8:44 I know where we are in the world. We are home. Brad Crowell 8:47 We are officially home. And last week was Lesley's birthday. Lesley Logan 8:52 Was fabulous. Brad Crowell 8:52 It was fabuloso.Lesley Logan 8:53 It was so fun. I think it's my new theme every year. I don't know. I'll probably change it next time. I'm an Aquarius, who knows, whatever. But it was great. 43 it's looking good, and we're getting ready for Agency Mini, which is next month. Lesley Logan 9:06 Yes, February. Agency Mini, in fact, it's a good chance it's on early bird right now, to be honest. Brad Crowell 9:11 Could be, could be, yeah. Lesley Logan 9:13 Yeah, possible. prfit.biz/mini is where you're gonna go. It's for Pilates instructors or studio owners who work for themselves or want to work for themselves.Brad Crowell 9:21 Yeah, that's profit without the O dot biz slash mini, prfit.biz/mini.Lesley Logan 9:26 And we are getting ready. Brad has never been to Poland. Brad Crowell 9:30 First time. Lesley Logan 9:31 And we have never been to Brussels. And we'll be with Karen Frischmann. And then we're gonna do a second honeymoon, because why not? And then we're going to be in London. So if you want to see us in Europe, it's the only time in 2026 we're going to be in Europe. xxll.co/poland gets you the Poland information xxll.co/brussels gets you Brussels information, and xxll.co/pot will take you to the London information and. Brad Crowell 10:00 Yeah, come hang out. It'd be so fun to meet in person. Lesley Logan 10:02 Oh my gosh. It'd be so fun. And as of right now, our 2027 calendar does not have anything in it, and it may stay that way. We don't know yet. I don't know. So if you want to see us in Europe, this is it.Brad Crowell 10:16 Sounds good to me. I was gonna say maybe Greece, but we're not sure.Lesley Logan 10:19 We're waiting. We're still at the moment of this recording, which is November of 2025 we think we have an invitation to Greece, and we're just waiting for the dates.Brad Crowell 10:30 We shall see. Anyway, in May, for all of those who aren't in Europe, join us virtually, we're going to do another spring training event with onlinepilatesclasses.com. If you were with us last year, two years ago, we did a summer, summer camp. Last year, we did a spring training we loved the spring training vibes, so we're doing that one again. We're going to do that event again, but the topic is going to be totally different. We're going to do how to get overhead. So it's going to include all of those kinds of exercises where you're upside down and, you know, breaking it down for you, making it feel a little more accessible and safe and all those kinds of things. To get on the wait list for that and get the more information as it as we start releasing it, go to opc.me/events, opc.me/events, and you'll be able to stay in the loop. Oh yeah. Brad Crowell 11:18 So today, we had a question, except we're going to change up our question. Normally, we, we get, we get tons and tons of questions. If they're a business question, we usually answer them in our coaching group, Agency. It's from Profitable Pilates, our coaching group, and but this time, what we thought we would do is just ask a few of the questions so you can kind of see if any of these are resonating with you, and see you know, like, how do we tackle, like, how is it that we support the studio owners and teachers that are inside of Agency? So for, for example, we have, we have a recent one that just got submitted. It said, hey, how much notice should I give that client give my clients about my rate increase?Lesley Logan 12:02 No more than 30 days. You can go as low as three days, but no more than 30 days. I've had Mini people do two weeks. It really kind of depends on, you know, if you're doing a $2 rate increase, you can do that next week. You know, it's not a big deal. Doing a $25 rate increase per session. You might want to give them 30 days notice. But we actually also have a course that tells you exactly how to raise those rates and how to actually how to give the people the notice you're going to give so you don't get you're going to have people who have no filter, and they don't realize what they're saying out loud to you can feel personal. It's not, but yeah, but yeah, that's what I would say.Brad Crowell 12:38 I mean. We've got a lot of different tools to support specifically, like, how much should you be raising rates and why? Why are we doing it this way, instead of it just being a random number out there. So if you're ever wondering, like, am I charging enough? That's why people join Agency, we get to dig into these questions with you. Kind of break down some numbers, think about it, logically, all that kind of stuff. Another question for you is, I'm thinking of changing my currently, I sell packages. I'm thinking to change to an auto renew subscription. So instead of selling a 10 pack, you get 10 classes a month or something. I'm assuming that's what it is. Lesley Logan 13:15 Yeah. I don't mind if it's a limited Okay. Brad Crowell 13:17 Yeah but how do I do this without being too wordy? How do I communicate the change to my clients?Lesley Logan 13:21 You're gonna have to have a contract. First and foremost, you, this is a auto renew, and the FCC, I believe, put some stuff in place recently. Look, it could have changed. Brad Crowell 13:32 They took it away. Lesley Logan 13:33 They might have taken it away. Brad Crowell 13:34 Click to click to cancel, or it's already it's already trashed. Yeah, they did. Lesley Logan 13:38 Fuck those people. Anyways, okay, so guess what? No one's fucking regulating. You can do what you want, but reviews still stand. And so if you would like to what I always believe is go back to your values. We have a course on your values. But I have, I have, if this was an office hours call, I could ask a couple of follow up questions about the person, because I have some reasons for not doing an auto renew. Meaning, if you are a solo teacher, I'm going to say no auto renew for you. What happens if you get sick? What about your vacations? There are ways to set packages up so they almost feel like an auto renew, but you actually don't owe people anything if you get sick or if you go on vacation, if you do an auto renew, you actually owe them whatever the contract states.Brad Crowell 14:16 Right, because, what if you're out of town for two weeks and they're like, well, I didn't get my 10 classes, what do we do then?Lesley Logan 14:21 And then they were out they were out of town the other two weeks. And then you also have to figure out with your scheduling tool, can it handle this? Can it handle this feature you want to change it to? If it does handle it, how easily is it to stop it and start it? Some people want to have 90-day contracts on these auto renews and then a 30-day notice. These are all things you have to talk about with a lawyer, but we can actually talk about that together in Agency, our office hours or coaching call to really make sure what's going to work best for you. And then, and then, if you are a studio with multiple teachers, what are the breaks you want to have? And then, why are you doing this? So the other question like, how do you communicate it? It kind of depends on what your values are and what the benefit are that you're trying to say, for example, if you're trying to say that our auto renew is great ease and consistency, plus our number one priority, which is community, then you would actually make it really easy for people to be on auto renew and really hard to be on a package, right? Because packages are more convenient for the person who owns a package, because they can decide when and if they want to use it and auto renew, they have to use it. And then what you need to understand about auto renews is it's another way of saying membership and once you have memberships, you have churn, and you will actually, you might be surprised how much churn you have with auto renews versus people with packages. Because I don't love to be on auto renews with places, because I travel so much, so I might not choose a place that forced me on auto renew or charges me more to be on a package. Now I might not be your client, so it doesn't matter. I don't want to scare you, but these are the things you have to think about. And where, in Agency, we actually coach you on it, because we don't do templates. What works for Brad's studio for auto renews is not going to work for Katie's or Georgia's, right? Like, we have to actually look at like, how many people are on the team? What is the goal of the studio? What are you what are the services under that? Because don't, don't get me started when I see I have to have a membership for mat and I have to have membership for a reformer, and I get mad about that.Brad Crowell 16:18 Now, that's too many options. People don't know what to do. Lesley Logan 16:20 And then they have to think about it. Brad Crowell 16:21 Well then, they just do nothing.Lesley Logan 16:22 Yeah, and so you just have to know, like, yes, it looks like that's how businesses are making money right now with all these auto renews. I'm telling you right now that bubble is popping. We are watching class-based studios lose clients who are middle class a lot faster than you think. And so there's reasons to explore what the options are. What's your purpose for running this change? Like, what? How is this easier for you? Do you think it's to have predictable income? What's in it for them? And then that's how we sell it to them? We have to sell it to them on how it's in it for them, they don't give a fuck about what's in it for you. I mean, they don't not give a fuck but they don't.Brad Crowell 16:57 You're right, like, really, that's not their concern, and it shouldn't be, right? No, so well anyway. So this is the kind of conversations that we get to have over at, in Agency, our fitness business coaching. So whether you're doing yoga or pilates or, I mean, we've had people in there who are we've had a chiropractor in there. We've had a doula in there. We've had bar boxing, whatever. So obviously the majority of our audience is Pilates. So that's primarily what we're discussing over there. But in the service-based industry, we we love doing this. We've been doing it for eight years now. So yeah, if you're interested in more information about that, just reach out to us or go to profitablepilates.com, and you can find out about the coaching over there, but. Lesley Logan 17:37 Join Mini. Do the Mini thing. Brad Crowell 17:38 Oh, join Agency Mini, yeah, go to prfit.biz/mini prfit.biz/mini.Lesley Logan 17:45 If you can sign up right now, it's $25 if it's on early bird, it's $65 if it's not, oh my God, for three days of coaching, change your life. Brad Crowell 17:52 Yeah. 100%. I love it. Well, thanks for joining us down that. If you have a question for the pod or question for Lesley or me, just text us, 310-905-5534, or submit a question at beitpod.com/questions and you can leave us both a win where we'll we'll probably weave that into our Fuck Yeah Friday episodes or you can submit a question, which we can do on our Thursdays. So stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into this amazing convo that Lesley had with Gregg Lunceford. Brad Crowell 18:21 Okay, let's talk about Gregg Lunceford. Gregg Lunceford spent more than three decades in financial services as a wealth advisor at Mesirow in Chicago. I'm sure I'm saying that wrong. He said it twice, and I was I wasn't sure. But anyway, alongside his advisory work, he's an academic researcher whose PhD studies at Case Western Reserve University, focused on the social, emotional and financial realities of today's retirement transition. And this was so interesting to me, y'all.Lesley Logan 18:50 Fascinating, fascinating. So.Brad Crowell 18:53 His curiosity about why even high, highly successful professionals hesitate to retire led him to explore how identity, purpose and well being shape this stage of our lives. And he's like part historian too, right? So he's also the author of Exit From Work, and he writes about his journey and insights into retirement. So, but I, I really enjoyed him breaking down just the different stages of our lives. And also, like, he's comparing generations. Lesley Logan 19:24 Oh, yeah. Brad Crowell 19:25 And like, how they got to where they are, and like, retirement package stuff that is not even an option for us. Lesley Logan 19:32 Let's just talk about, like, let's get more specific what the episode is about, just in case I haven't heard it. So we were talking about retirement attitude, in a sense, like in that, you know, the way my grandparents retired. I to this day, I'm shocked they retired. I didn't know they had money to retire. They didn't look like they saved anything, but like they're, you know, one, one side saved everything. It came out of the Depression. The other side could have been their children. So very different life. They're very young, and so they, like I, I have one set of grandparents who were retired when I was born, and I had another set of grandparents that worked the whole for a while when I was alive, right? And then they all had a pension, and then they just and then they just retired and got paid to be not working, right?Brad Crowell 20:18 What I think, what I think is amazing is Gregg's analysis, and I'm sure this is well documented now, but, but his analysis of life expectancy shot everything in the foot. Lesley Logan 20:30 Right. Brad Crowell 20:30 He said our grandparents' generation, and to some extent, maybe our parents' generation, the pension game, the reality is that people weren't living to be 70, 80, 90 years old. They were only living 60, 70, years and so if you're working until you're 55 and then they have to pay you out for a decade more before you're done, then. Lesley Logan 20:55 It's not that much money. Brad Crowell 20:55 Wasn't that big of a deal but when you're living till you're 80, all of a sudden the companies were like, this is a massive burden for us. We can't, we can't do this. And so then what? The retirement age got older, the pension packages started getting slimmer, all that kind of stuff. So like, when we look at our grandparents and they had just like, you said, how was it possible that they could even retire? It didn't make any sense.Lesley Logan 21:17 They always they had actually had money to give when they died. I was like, what? They had, they had money? So, so the thing that was really fun with Gregg is that, like he, you know, we got into this more deeply in the episode. It's worth listening to. But like during the 2008 recession, companies were trying to just fire everybody. And so they were trying to go, here's the money. All I do is take this amazing package, and people weren't doing it, and it's because it was emotional, like it wasn't just knowing the number, which is like, what the ads would say. It was like, who am I if I'm not doing this? And like, you know some, I worry about, like, like, your parents have worked, your dad's worked for a company for 40 something years. Brad Crowell 22:02 41 or 42 years, yeah. Lesley Logan 22:04 Well, you're 43. So, so and so he's gonna retire, right? And it's like, does he know what to do? Does he know what he's gonna do? Brad Crowell 22:13 It's so funny because, and also, he probably could have retired. No, no, he they could have, I think financially, they could have retired a while back. But again, I think you're right on the money. It's not, it's actually an identity, right. It's a it's the way that you see. It's how you define who you are.Lesley Logan 22:32 Well, and he's so, so, so Gregg, our genius that we interviewed, he said, you we now have a 20 year life bonus, where you get to define who and what you want to be, because you have your first 20 years getting 20-ish years getting educated. Then you have 20 something, well, Andrew advocates 40 something years that you're working, but then you probably have another 20 plus years to be anything you want. Brad Crowell 22:58 Yeah, because he was talking about the bucket list where people are, like, I'm old and decrepit, but I want to go see Niagara Falls, right? And basically, now today, because the quality of life is so much better, you're still active and able to do life normally, you know, well into your 70s and maybe even 80s, until you're willing to slow down so at that point. But like, so, so then your bucket list is a bit different, because, like, okay, you can probably travel, travel, travel, travel for five or 10 years. I mean, my grandparents did this. They bought a they bought an RV, yeah, and for a decade, they drove around the United States, for a decade, but they eventually got bored of it, and then they came home and they still lived for another 20 years, you know? So it's like, okay, so the bucket list thing, if that, if, if people aren't looking at the end of life as like, I gotta finally have a good time. Now, what Gregg is saying is, like, you could flip this on its head entirely.Lesley Logan 23:55 Yeah. Well, he, he emphasized that today's retirees have more personal freedom than previous generations. And you're probably like, Lesley, why are we talking about retiring? We're still going to be it until we see it. Because be it till you see it changes. It changes all the time. And also, if you are not considering what you want to do on the other side of whatever it is you're doing, I don't care how much you love it. I fucking love what I do, and I dream of exiting stage left all the time. And it's not because.Brad Crowell 24:19 She, this is what I hear around our house. I can't wait to be the person that people go who is she again and and she's like, something to do with Pilates, I don't know.Lesley Logan 24:31 Yeah, like, so there's a line in Notting Hill where Julia Roberts' character says, like, she, she says it in like, not a, not the nicest way about herself, but like, people are gonna look at her, like, as this person who was once famous for a while. And I see it as, like, a complete amazing thing where it's just like, someday it'll be like that, oh, that's that person who she was kind of known in her industry for a little bit, and it's like, yeah, she's not like, I like, I was once famous for a little bit in a small part of the world, and now I can move like, because why not? It doesn't mean I don't love what I do. And by the way, like, please don't freak out. No one freak out. Your memberships are fine. I'm not going anywhere. You got to tell people this, Brad, you got to make sure they know. We are currently creating two other things right now so no one I'm not going anywhere, but I do constantly think about I want to be able to retire when I have my faculties, to travel the world, to go to Antarctica, to do different things, I don't want to be in my 70s going, okay, now I'm hanging my hat up. No, I want to know who you and I are on the other side of working together like I there's these other things. And so I wanted to have Gregg on because when he told me what he did, I was like, fuck yeah. It doesn't matter how old you are listening to this, you can take some time to think about what is the freedom I want to have in this extra bonus of life I get. Your grandparents didn't get it. None of mine did. They all died young so. Brad Crowell 25:58 Yeah, the the I think it's, I think it's, I think it's just really interesting to look at the the shift of things, right? There's so many factors that that made the Baby Boomer, Boomer generation, like, pretty epic.Lesley Logan 26:12 Man, they don't know how good a ride they had. Brad Crowell 26:14 Yeah, and the wealth that they were able to build without, like, realizing it, and all that stuff has, that whole flow has shifted completely, you know, and so it's interesting, though, because life expectancy is longer, and I just, I just love that. So I think that really shifts into what I what I loved about he was talking about, he said something that I found intriguing. He was talking about football players, and he was talking about people who have high performance people, or make a shitload of money, and then they retire, and they, he said, they burn through a lot of money trying to figure out who they are.Lesley Logan 26:54 Yeah, this blew my mind too, because it's like, oh, hold on you. You have the money, but you don't know what you're gonna do with it yet.Brad Crowell 27:01 Well, or it's not. Lesley Logan 27:03 Or who you are with it. Brad Crowell 27:04 That's what I was gonna say. It's not even, it's not even what they're gonna do with it yet. It's they're trying to find themselves because they've been defining themselves.Lesley Logan 27:12 They weren't listening to this podcast. Every single person tells people to get to know who they are. Brad Crowell 27:16 Yeah, but they've been defining themselves by their job for 40 years. So then what happens when you're no longer able to define yourself? I know what this is like, because when I moved to Los Angeles, I was there to do music, and after two years, only two years of being there, so I'm like, 25 right? I am die hard into this band. We are doing everything and anything we can to make this band go and then the singer of the band is like, I'm going to grad school. And he quit. And he was like, my partner in this band. And I was like, what the hell man? Like, why did I come all the way out to Los Angeles to do this. What, to do what? What am I gonna do?Lesley Logan 27:55 Because you're gonna meet me. But that's okay. You didn't know that yet. Brad Crowell 27:58 No, I did not know that yet. It was down the road. So, so I was really I was depressed, I was angry, I was confused. I didn't really know how to I didn't know what I was going to go do. I still knew I wanted to do music, but I but what ended up happening was I really got into motorcycles, like really got into motorcycles, and that became kind of how I defined myself. It was how I I changed the way I dressed. I literally rode a motorcycle every day. I joined a motorcycle club. I would ride all over Southern California, you know. And so suddenly that became my identity. And it wasn't until I was networking and met some more people in music that I began to shift back into the music kind of things. But like, yeah, for sure, I can understand how people would be like, well, I used to be blah, blah, blah, whatever, and now I'm no longer so what am I?Lesley Logan 28:46 It's so easy to blow through money to figure out who you are. There's people who join Pilates training programs at 60 because they're like, oh, I think I want to do this, but it's like, eight grand, right? Well, what if you don't? Then people feel like, oh, I just wasted all that money. And then they do something they don't want to do with it, or, or they just keep trying out different things. And like, now they've got this now. They bought a kayak, then they bought the ski doo, and then they bought the boat, and they're trying to be retired first. And so, yeah, I think so, I think it's really easy because they don't know who they are. And that's Gregg's whole thing. They you have to know who you want to be.Brad Crowell 29:19 Yeah, he said many people who spent life meeting obligations are now suddenly confronted with, who do I actually want to be? Right? Who do I actually want to be? And he said, if you go into that blindly, you start chasing quick hits to replace the accolades of a job. You know, the team mentality, the psychological part of success, when you achieve a goal, you know, and basically it can feel very scattered. And he said, so what we should be doing is preparing what he calls a retirement identity. A retirement identity. And he said, instead of trying to figure it out when you get there, what if you started processing that now? And I thought, man, that's really interesting, because that's always been a question for me. You know, like, I asked your dad one time, what's it like to be retired? And he goes, I don't know. man, I've been retired since my 50s.Lesley Logan 30:16 Yeah. He's been retired for a long time. So, like, we're gonna live in Mexico and become tequila smallies. I've already figured this out. Brad Crowell 30:22 I love it. I love everything about that. I think that's brilliant, but, but also, he said there was other he said there was other options too. What did he call it the barista? Oh, no, no, that was the last week barista retired, where she was talking about, you know, getting a part time job. She called it barista retired. I think? Lesley Logan 30:41 Oh, I think so, but I. Brad Crowell 30:43 You know, like, and that's what your dad's doing now. And why is he doing that now? Because he doesn't want to sit around and watch a television all day. He wants to get up and be active. Lesley Logan 30:50 Yeah, there's, there's great. There's, he's a, he's a, he's a crossing guard now, he fucking loves that.Brad Crowell 30:57 Gregg was talking about, like he works with these clients who are looking towards retirement, and he helps them sculpt these packages, which are really clever, right? Because it shifts your focus of purpose in the job. If your job has been to manage a team of 50 people, now you might be training your replacement person for a year or two before you shift into part time. And you just do it, because you can do it from wherever you need to be and whatever. You know, lots of options.Lesley Logan 31:24 I am obsessed I'm obsessed with this whole thing because, like, everyone wants to know, like, how much money do you need to live off of? Like, that we even our lovely wealth people were like, how much money do you want to live off of when you retire? And we were like, we don't want to worry about money. That was our answer. Because I want to live in an Airstream sipping tequila. And, you know, coming back home here when the weather is good, and then, I don't know, we have a house in Cambodia, there's a I want to see the world. So we had that, but we no one was like, what is your retirement persona? Brad Crowell 31:54 Yeah, how do you, how do you imagine spending your time participating in the world, you know, as a retired person? Lesley Logan 32:02 I mean exactly. Brad Crowell 32:03 Is your goal to watch every movie in the last blockbuster? Maybe you shouldn't do that.Lesley Logan 32:09 We might have to talk about having different lives. Visit you. Brad Crowell 32:17 Actually, it's funny that you say that. He said, a lot of couples don't talk about this, and they see, I, you know, they see themselves retiring in different ways. It's not something that they've actually discussed. Interesting.Lesley Logan 32:28 Well, and you know what? Maybe I have to if there's an expert listening who does graduated marriages, I would love to have you on because that's what they're called. They're called graduated marriages, where you love the person you're married to. You don't want to cheat on them. You don't want to be married to someone else, but you would like to have some people just do a separate room. Some people have a separate house, like they live in a different place because they want to live over there. Clearly, that doesn't work for us, because I would get lost, but. Brad Crowell 32:57 Fascinating. Lesley Logan 32:58 It's fascinating, you know, like, I mean, you know, there's this one podcast I listened to, and she is been working. She still has her company. She's working. She works like a dog. She's got a really successful podcast, and she wants to travel with that podcast, and her current successful company is something that she can travel with, and her husband can't, and she's like, I love you, and you can visit me. I want to live for this many months in this state. I've never lived there. I want to live there. I want to feel what it's like. And so she got an apartment, and he is visiting her every other weekend. That's cool. And, you know what, maybe it spices things up. I'm not saying that, but that's the thing. But like, I do think that if you're in a relationship and you haven't thought about retirement together, may this be your assignment, you should contact Gregg and or.Brad Crowell 33:42 Or have a conversation with your partner. Lesley Logan 33:43 And if you're solo, yeah, yeah. And if you're solo, then if you haven't thought about this, you should, because otherwise you're just focusing on dollars. And that's where I think people get obsessed about what the stock market is doing, because you're not actually thinking of how it affects the person you want to be. And you get a little weird about it. And we have an episode with Wealth with Tess coming back on when it comes to, like, the stock and our numbers and all that stuff, and this uncertain time. But I just think that this is a way cooler.Brad Crowell 34:08 You're totally, you're totally right, because it does just become about like this, like, mad, mad. Like, focus on stashing cash, kind of the markets or whatever.Lesley Logan 34:18 Well, and there's much fear around that. And then it's like, but then who are you right? Like, I'm just obsessed. Brad Crowell 34:22 Exactly that doesn't actually address anything that Gregg is talking about here with your retirement identity. Lesley Logan 34:28 I can tell you right now.Brad Crowell 34:29 Your retirement identity is not a bank account number.Lesley Logan 34:31 He is the only person talking about this. I haven't heard anyone else talk about this. I haven't had anyone else to talk about this. And I am like, this is the stand still, like, number one retirement episode we'll ever have like I'm saying here today.Brad Crowell 34:43 Yeah, it's great. It's awesome. Well, love it. Stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna dig into some Be It Action Items that we got from Gregg Lunceford. Brad Crowell 34:55 All right, so finally, welcome back. Let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your conversation with Mr. Gregg Lunceford. Lesley Logan 35:07 You go first. Brad Crowell 35:10 All right. He said in the planning process of your ideal self, this retirement identity that we've been talking about, he said, what you also have to learn how to do is to replace kinship with friendships, kinship with friendships, which I think is kind of cool. He said today we don't have kinship the way we once did, because families are smaller and they are spread out, right? And also we're not necessarily going into the office to have. Lesley Logan 35:39 Oh, we talked about the Golden Girls. Brad Crowell 35:40 Yeah, you did. Lesley Logan 35:41 Okay,so. Brad Crowell 35:42 Talked about the Golden Girls.Lesley Logan 35:42 Yeah, Sue, just so, you know, Brad, we're on a compound already with Steven Sue and I and a few other people. We're taking applications.Brad Crowell 35:49 We're taking applications. Yeah. So what's really funny, though, is he brought up the Golden Girls and we've talked about this for like, years.Lesley Logan 35:58 Yeah, and I was, like, a wealth manager co signed the idea, I'm in.Brad Crowell 36:04 So he said retirees, retirees must create for themselves on their own, a living setup that supports financial stability and mental well being, and that's where the Golden Girls concept comes in. So it has to include intentional socialization and finding things that create psychological success. So here's an example. He said. It's called an ABRC. It's an academically based retirement community. Or there's another one called a URC, which is a university based retirement community. And basically what he's saying is, if you worked in a field for a really long time, and you connect with other people who worked in the same or similar field, you will have a lot of things to talk about that are the same. Then you'll be able to have those conversations. So that's where the academically based retirement community comes in. Versus a university based retirement community would probably be like, Hey, we're all from the same alma mater, Alma Mater. I may be a year or two before you or after you, whatever.Lesley Logan 36:59 So here's my criteria for ours. Ours is going to be people. Everyone has to who, after Sue Steven, you and I. Everyone has to tell us what young person in their life who is strong on Strapping, who can help move heavy things, because you and Steven aren't going to like, stop doing projects. So we're gonna need help there. And then we just need, we need people who have children to, you know, to help take care of it, because we don't have any. We're not bringing that to this. We're bringing the project management to the community. But we don't have, we're facilitating. We don't have the young person, right? So, so, so sue and Steven have a three nieces on their side. So that's good.Brad Crowell 37:40 Okay, okay, okay. So we, I think we have a couple on our side too.Lesley Logan 37:44 We have, we are, I am the favorite aunt to our only niece, so there's that. But you know what? She might we need extra, just in case. We need to have extras. You gotta have, like, it's like having retirement. You gotta have backup. Brad Crowell 37:57 I remember my grandfather, who recently passed away. He was 94 I think, when he passed away, he moved out of his house at like, 88 or 87 years old into a retirement community. And he did it in, like a snap whim moment, because one of his longest friends for 50 years was like, hey, I just got an apartment at this place down the road. You should come, you should join us there. And he was like, absolutely, hell yeah, literally, called our whole family was like, I'm moving. And everyone's like, what? You're 87 what are you talking about? Lesley Logan 38:34 No, we're gonna find a mid century motel.Brad Crowell 38:36 But the, well, the goal for him here was community. Right? Where he went had, it was a it was like one of those communities that had live on your own, but they're still around, get partial help, and then eventually get full help. So it had three different facilities in one place. And so he moved into that I can do everything by myself, part of the community, and would walk down the hall and go play pool every night with the guys you know. And he did this for many, many years. And the belonging, that communal element that changed the game for him, because he was sitting alone in a house before, and he was like, this sucks. I gotta, I gotta get out of here.Lesley Logan 39:12 Well, I like our compound idea. It's a little culty, but not too much. And I only want the people that we want to be around on this. Like, I like what your grandfather did for himself, it's eally great. But there's also, like, a bunch of people involved that I didn't like, you don't get to choose them. So this is. Brad Crowell 39:30 But he found, like, love late in life too. You know, so there's that.Lesley Logan 39:33 He lived his best life. It's fine. I'm saying it's not ours. And that leads into my Be It Action Item that I'm talking about, which is, like, it's critical that this is a shared vision, yeah, so you gotta create a vision, the shared vision. I understand that I'm telling Brad about this vision a lot. Don't worry. I know what he likes.Brad Crowell 39:49 No, I'm very on board. I love me some tequila. So sign me up. Lesley Logan 39:53 I just think we have our great friends. We have a bunch of DINCs in our life off, but we get all the DINCs together, dual income, no children, all the DINCs together, we can have a cool kick ass compound with, first of all, just the just the red light therapy alone, we're like, already golden, so I'm just so in on this. But okay, so back to what Gregg said to do. Gregg said, create a vision. It's critical that it becomes a shared vision. And he actually said that research shows approximately 40% of couples do not even discuss retirement savings, which is bad, like whole no wonder so many divorces happen. People just don't talk about shit. Like, what is happening? Gonna start talking about your goals. Engage a professional like Gregg, to help you see how you can align your financial wherewithal with those visions. Probably Gregg, because he's the only person who studied this. He's the only, everyone else just wants to know what your fucking number is. He cares about what you want to do. And then, he said you have he wants you to think differently. He wants you to think about being your best self at this stage, not being someone whose society just says it's just time for you to leave. He wants you to, like, really think about who your best self is and take ownership of that, because you're kind of a badass, like people don't realize, like you have so much knowledge that is acquired from the time that you've spent so own that. And he said, in his words, you have more value to offer a lot of people than you think. And I think that that's true. There's like, so many different ways you can prepare, like you can be a big brother or a friend or a, you know, a leader of some kind in some capacity, with all this knowledge you have, you could, you can, you can, you can support people around you who need it. So there's just so much more live 20 bonus years. Plus, you know the way things are going, we'll see how we'll see how this ages by February, considering they're trying to get rid of nursing degrees and stuff like that in July. So we'll see. But I'm just saying there's a lot you can do. And I just really want people, I want people to have all the information. I don't. I don't like that some people have to work until they're 80, or because they either because they need the money or because they don't know what to do other than that, like that makes me sad, both of those. So hopefully this helps you. I'm Lesley Logan. Lesley Logan 41:57 And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 41:58 Thanks so much for listening. How are you going to retire? We want to retire? We want to know what that vision What's your retirement persona? Tell Gregg. Tell the Be It Pod, and until next time, Be It Till You See It. Brad Crowell 42:07 Bye for now. Lesley Logan 42:08 That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 42:51 It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 42:56 It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 43:00 Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 43:07 Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 43:11 Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
What if the key to better decisions isn't just willpower—it's how we support our daily performance? I just interviewed James Schmachtenberger, co-founder of Neurohacker Collective and creator of Qualia, who went from severe adrenal failure at 21 to pioneering a new approach to human optimization. After a life-changing experimental IV therapy in Mexico transformed his brain function, James asked himself a powerful question: 'Could we make cutting-edge cognitive enhancement accessible to everyone—not just those who can afford $250K/year in precision medicine?' The answer led to a complete reimagining of supplement science, using complex systems modeling rather than the standard "one problem, one pill" approach. James found that when he started exploring nootropics during his burnout period, they helped give him the foundation to start making better choices in exercise, nutrition, and other areas of life—creating powerful compounding effects. If you've ever felt like you're capable of more but can't consistently access that potential, this conversation will give you a completely new framework The show notes, including the transcript and checklist to this episode, are at getyourselfoptimized.com/550.
This week, I talk with Tiago Forte about far more than productivity systems or note-taking. This one is about what happens after success—when the systems that once fueled your growth start working against you. We talk about burnout, anger, embodiment, and how listening to the body can become a doorway to deeper clarity and determination. Tiago shares the personal journey that shaped Building a Second Brain, why he made the difficult decision to wind down a wildly successful business, and what he's learned by redesigning his life around alignment rather than optimization. We also explore the changing value of audience, community, and creativity in the age of AI, and why real connection—both locally and globally—matters more than ever. This conversation is about the inner work required to build a life, not just a career, that actually fits. Let's get to it! In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (00:54) - Tiago on " highly fit, middle-aged dads" (03:29) – Moving beyond intellect into emotional and somatic awareness (05:37) – How physical pain forced Tiago to listen differently (08:46) – The books, thinkers, and experiences that reshaped Tiago's understanding of healing (13:43) – What changed when Tiago learned to express anger instead of repressing it (17:03) – How a healing system unexpectedly became Building a Second Brain (20:57) – Knowing when success no longer fits (24:27) – Facing the “now what?” phase after shutting down a successful business (28:46) – Why audience size doesn't mean what it used to (30:32) – Balancing lived fulfillment with the need to stay profitable (32:29) – The psychological transition that comes with midlife (34:41) – How Tiago is organizing work in this next chapter (37:20) – The decision that led Tiago and his family from LA to Mexico (42:11) – How changing environments reshaped Tiago's family relationships (45:22) – Rediscovering cultural identity through place and presence (47:39) – Why where you live may matter more than the goals you set (54:33) – Holding joy and slowness alongside AI-driven productivity (01:00:15) – Using AI as leverage without losing meaning or direction (01:05:08) – What AI is revealing about the future of “good work” (01:07:31) – Creating in a world where value is rapidly shifting (01:10:53) – How AI is changing the way Tiago writes—and edits—his next book (01:15:34) – Navigating local and global communities at the same time (01:18:48) – Creating spaces for real connection and intimacy (01:21:17) – The deeper principles behind Tiago's masterminds (01:23:46) – The loneliness that sparked a desire to bring people together (01:26:09) – The practices that consistently create the deepest bonds (01:30:10) – How Tiago is working to make the future more beautiful (01:31:45) – Who Tiago is becoming Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com. Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.
Today we sit down with amiga, Piper, to hear about her adventure in Central America; the three-year long van trip with her partner allowed her to practice autonomy and effective communication in relationships, learn to let go and trust the process. From surfing in Mexico to making friends with locals in El Salvador, Piper's story serves as a good reminder to fully commit to new experiences and surrender to change.
Mexico’s president insists that halting oil to Cuba is a “sovereign” decision. Then: US military builds up in the Gulf as President Trump tells Iran that time is “running out”. Plus: A look inside Monocle’s February issue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this week's episode, we welcome Juda Avila, a bilingual therapist and postpartum coach who's doing incredible work with first-gen Latina moms. As someone who experienced postpartum depression twice and grew up witnessing the silent sacrifices of Marianismo, Juda brings both professional expertise and lived experience to this conversation. We dive deep into the cultural expectations that keep us silent about our struggles, the identity loss that comes with motherhood, and most importantly, how we can redefine what it means to be a "good mom" without erasing ourselves in the process.For detailed show notes, visit vivalamami.com/episode148What You'll Hear:What "silent grief" really means for professional Latina moms and why we struggle to voice our losses.How Marianismo shapes our motherhood experience, creating the cultural expectation that we must sacrifice everything.Matrescence explained, and why it's critically under-supported in our communities.The Self-Care Menu framework - a practical approach to filling your cup daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly without the mom guilt.Why there's no such thing as perfect balance, and how to embrace the "beautiful dance" of prioritizing different parts of your life at different times.Building community and finding support systems beyond your partner, especially when cultural barriers make it hard to ask for help.Resources Mentioned:Postpartum Support International (PSI) - Free resources in EnglishPSI en Español - Spanish-language support and communityDr. Alexandra Sacks' TED Talk on MatrescenceConnect with Juda: Instagram: @jjpostpartumwellnessTikTok: @judapsicycoachWebsite: bio.site/jjwellnesscoachingSupport the showSHOP MY NEWEST PRODUCTS - "How to Get Dual Citizenship in Mexico" E-Guide & Digital Course
“Drum circles were created to build inclusivity, equity, and diversity.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Andrew Ecker to explore the cultural significance of drumming, particularly within indigenous communities, and highlights the historical context of drum circles as a means of fostering inclusivity and diversity and healing from trauma and addiction. What to listen for: Drumming and sound healing, overall, can positively impact our mental well-being The historical context of drumming reflects a blend of various cultural influences Drumming fosters community and shared experiences Addiction is based in shame and can often be spurred on by our early experiences Embracing our calling heals ourselves and others “All of us are connected to the earth. All of us are indigenous. All of us have the air, the water, the fire, and the earth flowing through us.” Identity goes deeper than culture or job titles; it's rooted in our relationship to the earth and life itself Separation from nature often fuels disconnection, anxiety, and burnout The elements are a reminder that we're not isolated individuals; we're part of a living system Reclaiming earth-based identity can be deeply grounding and healing “Do something for people — and you'll discover the truest truth of who you are.” Service often reveals purpose more clearly than self-reflection alone Helping others pulls us out of isolation and into meaningful connection You don't need to be “healed” or perfect to make a difference Showing up for others strengthens self-trust and self-worth About Andrew Ecker Andrew is a speaker, author, and creator of the Drumming Sounds Protocol, an evidence-based wellness intervention that blends ancient rhythm traditions with modern neuroscience to improve mental health, recovery, and community connection. With over 25 years of experience facilitating more than 5,000 drumming and sound-based programs, Andrew has worked with hospitals, treatment centers, universities, and tribal nations across the country. His book, The Sacred 7, explores identity, ancestry, and the transformative power of ceremony—a topic that resonates deeply with audiences seeking meaning, resilience, and personal empowerment. As a former youth outreach leader and recovery coach with over two decades in sobriety, Andrew brings a powerful, real-world perspective to conversations about trauma, healing, and spirituality. His ability to blend science, story, and spirit makes him a compelling guest for podcasts focused on wellness, recovery, leadership, and conscious living. https://www.drummingsounds.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-ecker-sacred7/ https://www.facebook.com/andrew.ecker1/ For our audience, please enjoy a free copy of Andrew's book, “The Sacred 7” — it's available for download at http://thesacredseven.com/ Resources: Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/ Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:02.959)Hello and welcome to the Mindset Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show, we have Andrew Ecker. Andrew, what’s going on? Andrew Ecker (00:13.602)How’s it going, Nick? Nick McGowan (00:15.649)It’s good. I’m glad that you’re here. I’m excited for us to talk about music and drum circles and sound healing and all the things that relate to all of that. And we were gonna have a call maybe like a year and a half ago or so. And there’ve been some people that have like backed out of the show and I’ve been like, that’s fine. You can do whatever you want to do. But you were one of the people I was like, I hope he comes back. So I’m glad that you’re here. I’m glad that people are gonna be able to hear this conversation. And why don’t you get us started? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre. Andrew Ecker (00:48.769)Awesome. So before we do that, I’d like to just take a moment and honor myself in the space by introducing myself formally in traditional language of my ancestors. This is a language called Nde Baza, which basically means the people’s tongue. So Dago Tse, Tse Nde, Andirector Yenise, Adon Dae Nshinigye, Nde Nshe, Irish Pashachin, Nde Dasha Tshe, German Dasha Nali, Kote Goe Itshliye, Portland, Oregon, Enishe. Shama’e, Kathy Lindsay Woye, Shaza’e Del Eccorale. So my name is Andrew Eccor, my mother Kathy Lindsay, my father Del Eccor, my mother’s mother Elva Gallegos, Apache woman from New Mexico. She grew up in a little town called Capitan right outside the Mescalero reservation. Although my ancestral lines go back to the Madera Valley of Texas and Chihuahua, Mexico. The Apaches from this area are called La Pond Band Apache. My father’s mother Evelyn Beatty, an Irish woman from Pennsylvania. She actually was very proud that our ancestor William Beatty fought in the Revolutionary War to establish this country. So I do consider myself a son of the revolution on that side of my family. My mother’s father Leroy Lindsay, a Korean and Vietnam War veteran, and my father’s father Wayne Ecker, a World War II veteran. I have a daughter Bailey, son Peyton, a beloved fiancee named Monica. I was born in the ancestral land of the Multnomah Clackamas of Malamit in Portland, Oregon. although I currently reside in the ancestral land of the Akmal, Atom, the Peaposh and the Hohokam in Phoenix, Arizona. And very grateful to be here with you. So the thing that I do primarily is I work in healthcare and I’m a drum circle facilitator and sound medicine practitioner and also a peer support specialist, recovery coach. Most of the work that I do is in variety of different healthcare settings. So everything from psychiatric lockdowns to memory care, skilled nursing, prisons, jails, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, I facilitated about 5,000 wellness-based events with a protocol I’ve developed called Drumming Sounds. So Drumming Sounds is a step-by-step process of creating outcomes that are wellness-based. So reducing stress, increasing immunity, lowering blood pressure, Andrew Ecker (03:13.865)helping people connect through music and really creating a safe, sacred space for people to come into group drumming. So group drumming is a really powerful wellness intervention and so it’s a small group of studies done on it and it’s pretty amazing what the science community has found. So yeah, so that’s what I do and also do some coaching stuff, of course, help people out. Something unique about me, that a lot of people don’t know. You know, I grew up in a home where both my parents were addicted to drugs and my mom died of a cocaine overdose and my father died of cirrhosis of liver caused by hepatitis C. So growing up in that environment, I was around a lot of really intense experiences. And I think something that a lot of people don’t know about me is that because of that, My relationship with PTSD as a child was something really intense and my first suicide attempt I was seven years old. I remember attempting to hang myself at seven and thankfully, you know, I didn’t succeed. But from the time of that first attempt till really probably my late 20s, I was dealing with suicidal ideation and a severe relationship to other mental health concerns, including situational schizophrenia, depression, anxiety. These are all things I live in relationship with today. Nick McGowan (05:01.261)So, where do I go from here? know, way to drop everything on us. I first off want to thank you and appreciate how you started this and being able to show back to your ancestors and being able to talk from your original language. I think we can sometimes forget about where we come from. Our genetics do not. our generational trauma does not. There’s so many things that, like you dealt with so much with your parents. I’m sure we could just tackle through all of that, but what your parents dealt with, that then they transferred along to you and what their parents dealt with, et cetera, et cetera, and how all of that was tossed to us. Most people I don’t think really think about that because they just think, well, my parents are assholes, so I’m trying to do better or whatever. It’s like, well, let’s actually take steps back generations before that. and before that, before that. And I think we can sometimes also forget about where you actually came from. Like you rattled off a lot of family members. And as I was thinking about it, I was like, I’m making me, I maybe go like two layers deep. People beyond that, I don’t really know. And I don’t really know if they’re still around or what the hell’s going on or whatever, because of the way that I was raised. And it’s interesting to think about how we should. actually get back to more community-based things, but there’s a lot of unlearning to do with all of that. And I’ve read through the stuff you’ve sent. I’ve seen the different things you’ve done. I’ve known about you for a little bit, but I wouldn’t have even been able to know about the things that you’ve just rattled off. And really, mean, shit, where do you want to start with this? and thinking about from a mental health and a mindset and overall transformation, self mastery. I’m not trying to just throw out buzzwords, but like there are categorical things we can talk about here, you know? Andrew Ecker (06:59.456)Yeah. Andrew Ecker (07:03.264)Yeah, for sure. And that’s really why I’d like to share that traditional introduction because it does give us an opportunity to understand what healthy communities have looked at as self-identity, really the foundation of creating a healthy person. We’re talking about tens of thousands of years of this idea that we are our parents, we are our grandparents, we are from someplace and we live someplace. You know, these principles of self-identity. And just like you were sharing, know, remembering that is very important because we live in a time where our earth-based identity has been systematically erased from our mindset. And this is done through systematic organization of space, you know, ideas like the patriarchy, manoralism and feudalism. You know, these really predominant institutions systematically created a separation from us being our family and being from the earth. Yet all of us are connected to the earth. All of us are indigenous. All of us have the air, the water, the fire, the earth flowing through us. And the more that we can remember that, the more that we can validate that we are valuable just as a person. The contemporary culture has created this idea that we’re a job. And that’s our identity, that’s our value. And that idea was really created around feudalism and manalism historically because these were the only… Well, everyone in those systems was a job-based identity other than the landlords. And the landlords were the ones who were able to have an earth-based identity. If you weren’t have land and land title, You were a smith, a parson, a knight, a sewer, all of these behavioral based ideas of identity. And as we begin to really look at these constructs, you can see that the devaluing of the human condition is a purposeful and an intentional plot to really create what we’re faced with today. And what we’re faced with today is a lot of people Andrew Ecker (09:26.423)wandering around feeling valueless, hopeless, and really in a condition that promotes the use of destructive behaviors such as substances. know, myself, growing up in an environment where I remember the D.A.R.E. program coming into my school, and you know, during D.A.R.E., a lot of people don’t remember, but the D.A.R.E. police were getting children to turn in their parents for using cannabis. and for using substances. And I remember my mom was really scared that this was going to happen. So she kind of cornered me one day and said to me, you know, if they come into your school, you can’t tell them that we use this. And it was really weird to me, because like those were the best times I remember. You know, my job as a little boy was to clean the stems and the seeds out of the cannabis. You know, back when cannabis had stems and seeds. You know, and people rolled a joint. It wasn’t a free roll. You know, but my family used to sit around and smoke and that was when they were social. You know, nobody was drunk fighting. Nobody was in the bathroom or in the bedroom with the door shut. You know, doing intravenous drugs, they were social. And I just couldn’t understand that as a kid. But yet I remember them coming into my school and they had flags and Nick McGowan (10:24.073)You Andrew Ecker (10:51.996)guns and these were great big intimidating police officers. And I remember my heart racing and my palms getting sweaty. And thankfully they didn’t interrogate me. But what they did was they said to this group of children, if you have one drug addict parent, you’re 50 % more likely to become a drug addict. Now I’m not saying that they did this intentionally to give children this idea that they’re genetically flawed. They were trying to impart to these kids. that, you know, don’t use drugs. That’s what, you know, is the big thing. You know, just say no, all this stuff. But what it did for me is it told me, well, 50 and 50, that’s 100. That must be who I am. And this was the first time in my life that anyone told me I was genetically flawed. You know, and the extension of eugenics isn’t something that is merely a part of, you know, the Nazi regime. Nick McGowan (11:35.326)Hmm. Andrew Ecker (11:47.256)You know, eugenics enters into childhood ideas in these sorts of systematic ways. You know, now, you know, fast forward, we’ve come to a place of understanding that it’s not just eugenics, but it’s epigenetics and really looking at how we can create environments that create successful human beings. And that’s what I’m able to do with the drum circle. You know, the drum circle is really an environment that creates a healthy human being. as to where the destructive forces of incarceration, imprisonment and devaluing people because they have a mental health concern created those behaviors that were a part of my parents’ lives and unfortunately a part of my life. know, it wasn’t that moment that I became a drug addict when the Derikoff said that to me. But later on, as I would grow older, that seed started to take root. And when I was a teenager, I ended up in the spoon with my dad, meaning I was using heroin with my father. You know, my mom used to use me to shoplift. I was in and out of drug houses. I mean, it was, I was exposed to things as a little boy that only makes sense today in my path of service. You know, as I’ve learned to manage these things and as I’ve learned to show up and help people reconnect to who they are, it’s all made perfect sense to me. But as a little boy, man, I didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I just wanted the pain to end. know, and, you know, thankfully I found heroin because heroin helped me through my suicidal ideation. Because I don’t know if I would be alive today if it wasn’t for heroin. You know, things got real bad for me when I was, you know, 17, 18 years old. Nick McGowan (13:41.68)I gotta be honest, I never thought I would hear anybody else say that thankfully I had heroin because that changed things. I overdosed on heroin when I was 19. And the people that were there in the room, I’m thankful that they wanted to save their own lives and one person like beat the shit out of me so I threw everything up. But I remember walking home smoking a cigarette after that being like, what the fuck just happened? All right. And looking up being like, all right, I guess there’s some reason why I’m here. And I think back to that. But that wasn’t like that one moment, just like the moment that you were talking about or any of those other little moments were just a bag of moments in a sense. All these things, like even as a little kid, you don’t really know. Like, and I totally understand where you’re coming from with the parents hanging around, smoking joints, all of that. I was in parts of some of that. My mom and dad were never together and it was like totally separate ways of being and all of that. living in and out of bars, basically, like being the kid eating a maraschino cherries and all that shit, and everyone just smoking cigarettes like a pack at a time and out around your face. There are people that don’t understand those things. Even like the dare stuff. I’ve had conversations with people kind of recently, like within the past handful of months, where some people were like, dare scared the shit out of me. And I didn’t want to touch like caffeine or anything else. Other people were like, I learned there were drugs out there. So was like, great, can I have some? And then other people went through stuff like you where they’re like, well, you’re telling me this is how it is. I think it’s interesting how we can suspect that, let’s just say, dare wasn’t trying to brainwash. know, let’s just say that their thing was like, we want to help and we want to make sure that you have the statistics. But these are also adults that are like, well, 50 % of you become addicts. So why don’t we just tell the kids that you take it as one way. Some other kid takes it a different way. And there’s no repercussion to that at all to then like, that wasn’t a thing that you then brought up the next day in school. It like, know what? Yesterday, I learned this thing and now I feel like the rest of my life is gonna change. That just started to grow bit by bit by bit. And then you already had the genes of being addicted. Nick McGowan (16:02.023)I know I have to come back to some fucking question basically. And my question at all times with that sort of stuff is like, how do we stop that from happening? Because even with the DARE stuff, it’s like, yeah, cool, thanks. Now I know there are other drugs out there and also know what the end is and I’ll fall back to marijuana because like, why the fuck? It’s a fucking plan. But all things in moderation and like all those different aspects to it. But what do we do? You know, like you move to music. And as a musician and creative myself, I moved toward that too, but I often think of the times of smoking a joint and playing music and like those are happy moments. but to some people that might be destructive and all of that, but you moved closer into music. So I think music sometimes can be part of our addiction, you know, like I’m addicted to sound. but being able to turn that into a healing thing. So I don’t want to just jump past everything you went through. Andrew Ecker (16:57.041)Thank Nick McGowan (16:59.844)with your parents because that made you who you are. But being able to look back at some of those moments to go, now with the work that you do, the way that you were raised, what are some of those bridge points that you can look at and go, man, I was really looking for community. I was looking for ways to do this and do that. You know what I mean? Andrew Ecker (17:18.16)Yeah, exactly. I really believe that all addiction for me is based around relationship and filling the void of the absence of relationship with the substance. And I remember the first time that this really happened to me, me and my mom were out shoplifting all day. I was just a little guy. I was, you know, probably eight, nine, I don’t know, somewhere around there. I remember being all bundled up and maybe even younger. I was you know, elementary school age. And she takes me to the park and she left me there at the park with a bucket of chicken. And I remember her saying, I’ll be right back and her driving off and me eating that chicken to fill the void and the fear of my mom not coming back for me. Being left at the park and knowing in my childhood mind that she was going to a dope house and there could have been something that happened. It was just the anxiety of that entire situation I was feeling with the warmth of that chicken. And then later on, you know, as I started to grow in my own personal self mastery, I started to look back at the patterns of loneliness and grief and isolation and how every time that I found myself using, really, it was that idea. It was about creating camaraderie at first, community. finding a judgment free zone. You know, I grew up being bounced around family member to family member. So definitely had home insecurity and really wasn’t, you know, in a place where I felt like I had a home. So I didn’t feel that sense of security that maybe most people grow up with. So when I found the security of friends that would accept me, you know, just if I got high with them, that’s all I needed. It wasn’t like I needed to be smart, it wasn’t like I needed to be funny, it wasn’t like I needed to be athletic, you know, it wasn’t like I needed to be a great musician, any of those things. I just needed to show up and get high and you know and have money to get high or be able to hustle and that was really my first support system was the community of people that I was using with and what happens for most people that are in the struggle of substance use disorder Andrew Ecker (19:43.015)is that they focus on what not to do. And they never really understand what the drugs and alcohol gave to them. You know, asking myself, what was it that heroin gave to me? What was it that alcohol gave to me? And how can I effectively create a way of meeting that need? Because we all have human needs. Every single one of us is going through something. And you know, it’s a lot easier when we go through it together and building that foundation of community. is so important in me being able to have functional behaviors today. So I’m constantly evolving in the way that I’m able to show up in community. I have my drum circle community. I have the people that I serve in the institutions and healthcare and the schools. And then I also have other activities like doing poetry or playing pickleball, going to the gym. You know, these are ways that I definitely look at creating community where I’m at. There was a time when church was a really big part of my life. You know, now I go to sweat lodge and I have a spiritual community there. Uh, you know, I’m not opposed to going to meetings, but I, know, I don’t go to a lot now, but definitely going to 12 step meetings and all of these things are a great way that we can build a supportive community. And when you ask, you know, Like when we think about children that have been affected by the mental health crisis, you know, how do we help them navigate? How do we help the youth navigate? And I think it’s really about creating a fortified sense of community. And, you know, when we think about drumming, oftentimes we go to this idea that drumming is this exclusive experience for indigenous communities, that it’s something that really is ceremonial and ritualistic and yes there is definitely ritual and ceremony but drum circles began as creating a culture of inclusivity, equity and really diversity because the drum circle of North America originated in the 1700s in New Orleans and under French colonial occupation Native Americans, Africans, Europeans, people from all over the world Andrew Ecker (22:09.146)were able to gather with the common language of group drumming. And that group drumming created a foundation for jazz, blues, R &B, gospel, and eventually rock and roll. So when I go in and I facilitate a drum circle, it’s from the American experience of group drumming that has always been about creating a culture of diversity, has always been about creating a space of connection. through diverse groups. And when we have that sacred space, we can know that something good is gonna happen. And we as Americans, we don’t know that the only truly American instrument is the drum kit. The jazz drum kit is really the only truly American instrument. So we have this vast history of drumming together that is hundreds of years old, literally as old as the concept of of America, yet for some reason this sort of stuff isn’t taught in school. And it’s not taught to us about the richness of creating a culture of diversity, of inclusion, of equity, and what the brilliance of that looks like in an artistic sense. And I think today we’re threatened by a voice that is coming from a group of people that says that diversity, inclusion, and equity is something to fear. And I’m like people, that’s the very greatest gifts that we’ve given to the world has come from us coming together as a people. And it feels good. You know, it feels good to give yourself an opportunity to be around people in an activity that you normally wouldn’t be around. And I think that that’s the power of our journey and the wellness and the brilliance of our community. Nick McGowan (23:58.594)Hmm. Andrew Ecker (24:04.405)And when we can get back to teaching each other that, when we can get back to fortifying the space of that concept of what that America looks like, we’ll have the brilliance of being the shining city on the hillside that calls the weary, that calls the hurting, that calls the desperate. And you know, the struggle that my parents went through, the pain that they were going through, and the ostracization of being criminalized for having a mental health issue. You know, that’s what this country has done very effectively. You know, 90 % of people in our prison system have a mental health issue. And that is sad that we have done this to the most vulnerable people in our population. And we have more people in prison than any industrialized nation in the world. But if you counted the people that were in psychiatric lockdowns, memory care, skilled nursing, and other forms of institutionalization, that number would be astronomical. And these are the people that I have spent the past 20 years working with, helping, desperately giving to, because in that space, I feel fulfilled as a human being, but I also get to see some of the most brilliant experiences and miraculous experiences in my life, Nick. I mean, we’ll go into these memory care facilities where we have late stage Alzheimer’s patients that are nonverbal and we’ll set the drum down in front of them. The nurses sometimes will come over and say, they won’t play, don’t even bother. I mean, this is our healthcare workers and we’ll say, no, just keep it there. And next thing you know, you see them tapping their foot. And before you know it, they’re playing and they’re singing and You know, it’s just miraculous to know that the tens of thousands of years of evidence-based practice of utilizing group drumming has not been wasted and that it’s still relevant to the healthcare conversation and it still is meaningful and it still helps people. Nick McGowan (26:15.97)Why don’t see how it can’t not continue that way, you know? Like, I think everybody that will listen to this will have heard at least one time, music is the universal language. And for us to be able to actually feel music, there are people that don’t really understand music. They don’t feel it the same way musicians do, let’s say. Like there are sometimes I’ll share things with people and I’m like, listen to how this happens with this and my God. then it just does things to you. You feel that at different times. Other people don’t know that. That’s just not part of their being. Yet still, they can feel the frequencies. If we really break it down into quantum level, we are all waves and frequencies anyway. And all of this ties into everything. man, I’m sitting here like I got chills even as you’re talking about, because I’m visualizing that older person who the healthcare workers are basically like, we see them every day. They don’t do anything because we also don’t do anything different. Andrew Ecker (26:48.163)yes. Nick McGowan (27:15.083)And we’re kind of jaded and overworked and fuck, I could really use a vacation. Like they have their own problems. And then they’re just like, no, don’t worry about them. They’re not going to do it. But that frequency will still get in there. So I could imagine it’s got to be a, that’s probably one of those things like drum circles per se is one of those things that people probably won’t go to on the top list of 30 things that they’re going to do to work on themselves at first. You know, so even Like if somebody were to say, you’re having these problems, you have some addiction, you have anything and they go, well, go to a drum circle. I would imagine most people would look at somebody like a dog would like, what the fuck does that, what do you mean? so what would you say to those people that haven’t even thought of that? This is one of those things where like, wow, I’ve talked to somebody, I went to a doctor and I’m doing these and we’re doing blah, blah, blah. What advice do you give to those people that this has been one of those things that. was probably not even deep, deep in their mind, even as a musician, to think about how drum circles and drumming could help them. Andrew Ecker (28:19.943)Well, I definitely feel that a lot of that has been because of the cultural stereotypes about drumming and this idea of, you know, the witch doctor or voodoo or, you know, something along these lines. you know, it just is, it’s crazy to really unpack when you have communities that have thrived with a relationship to the earth, lived functionally for tens of thousands of years. And at the heart of those communities, is group drumming, dancing and singing. I mean, this is literally the oldest wellness based event that we have as human beings. And somehow, you know, through the lens of religion and not even really, I would say because I was a pastor for three and half years that I can tell you that there’s a lot of reference in the Bible even of sound medicine. I mean, David, you know, played the leader for Saul who had like mental health concerns. And it’s, mean, there’s references to the women of Israel coming out playing the drum. So it isn’t like an educated Judeo-Christian bias. It’s an uneducated Judeo-Christian bias that creates this narrative that, those brown and black people are the people, those savages, that drum. And it’s really unfortunate because even Nick McGowan (29:21.642)Mm-hmm. Andrew Ecker (29:48.061)in the very progressive world of integrative medicine, there still is a void around drumming. I am a presenter at some of the most prestigious healthcare conferences in the United States. And I remember confronting a doctor that was talking about mindfulness and he had, he was a keynote and he had this tree of mindfulness and all of these branches led to different aspects of mindfulness. One of them, of course, went to yoga, Tai Chi, but there wasn’t a branch that went to drumming and dance. And I confronted him in front of the entire group of doctors, 500 doctors. And I said, why isn’t there a branch to drumming? And he was very apologetic. And he said, there needs to be a branch on that tree to drumming. And I said, yes, we’re working on making that happen. But it is overlooked. Nick McGowan (30:37.513)Hmm. Andrew Ecker (30:46.148)And you know, I can tell you that I am a part of a community of people that have the more that they drum, they may have come to a drum circle and been drinking and smoking. But by the time, you know, a couple of years go by and they get around people like myself that are completely abstinent from substance use and I’m drumming and having a great time and dancing, the more that they start to question, well, do I really need this? And then it’s just Nick McGowan (31:13.566)Hmm. Andrew Ecker (31:13.911)a matter of them just being in that environment. And I have friends come up to me and say, Hey, you know what? I didn’t tell anybody about this, but I haven’t drank in, you know, six months. And I’m like, right on, you know, and friends come up and say, I haven’t smoked in a year and I just kind of went away because drumming as well as you know, Nick, music gives us that feeling of community connection. I mean, there is no deeper connection. that you can experience, then when you hit a note or when you play a rhythm and everybody ends together and nobody said stop, or the thing just fades away into the brilliance of the experience and you’re just like, holy crap. This, mean, as a musician, and if you talk to musicians, they can tell you precisely when that happened in their life, because it’s one of those memories. Nick McGowan (31:51.954)Mm-hmm. Andrew Ecker (32:09.966)that is embedded into you on a cellular level. It is literally like you’re touching God. I mean, it is so powerful. And every person, we have communities where that was literally the entire community experience. I was fortunate enough to go to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and meet with the Havasupai. And I did three suicide prevention programs down there. This is the most remote Native American tribe in the continental United States. Nick McGowan (32:13.95)Mm-hmm. Nick McGowan (32:26.279)you Andrew Ecker (32:39.159)There’s no roads to their nation. There’s no airstrips. It’s only horseback helicopter or foot. That’s the only way you can get down there. And I met with an elder named Tiny Haunan. And Tiny was playing the drum and singing. And he said, when I was a little boy, we used to drum, dance and sing for a week straight. He said the people would fall asleep on the ground, wake up, start singing and dancing again. And they would drum literally for an entire week. Now the frequency of that, the cellular alliance, the reconfiguration of the energetic meridians in the body, like there is no place for depression in that environment. There’s no place for anxiety in that environment. I mean, you’re literally rewiring your nervous system and coming into our harmonic connection with the earth. And this is really what it means to be an earthling. You know, the music that we play, Nick McGowan (33:21.758)you Andrew Ecker (33:38.14)is something that we practice to play at the level that we can play at. But everybody knows that there’s a point where the instrument is playing you. And when you’re in that mystery, man, when you are in that mystery, like every single person deserves to experience that in their lives. Every single person deserves to be in the brilliance of that experience because it solves the issues, man. It solves it. Nick McGowan (33:50.055)Mm-hmm. Andrew Ecker (34:06.196)And when you taste that, you’re hungry for it forever. And I’ll go to, you know, like I facilitate drum circles and that really doesn’t happen in a drum circle. But a taste of that does happen. Like a place of connection to the feeling of support and the intricacy of music and even the freedom that you can experience in that space, it will happen. And You know, it does take a level of mastery to experience the depths of that. And hopefully people will be able to go on their journey with music to that place. like that is, dude, I mean, there’s nothing better than that right there. I mean, if you could take and put that into a bottle, people would spend their lives wanting to… And that’s why musicians do what they do, They will… Nick McGowan (35:02.119)Mm-hmm. Andrew Ecker (35:02.624)They will literally sleep on the couch of their best friend to go experience that. They will literally not go to work to go experience that. They will do whatever they possibly can to experience that. you know, unfortunately, in a world that doesn’t value music like our ancestors did, you know, for tens of thousands of years, and even today, you know, you go to India, they have ceremonies that are a month. where it’s just people drumming, dancing and singing for a month straight. You you go to Hopi right here in the United States on the Hopi reservation. They’re doing that same idea because the practice of living in integration with the earth promotes the quality of the earthling condition. So where you’re not worried, you go sleep in a mud house rather than go try to make a billion dollars so that you have a big old fancy house. if you get that experience of community. You know, and that experience of community solves everything, man. And we got to get it in our schools. We got to get it in our our our health care facilities. We’re trying our best. We train 350 people now in the drumming sounds protocol. We’re out there doing it every day, you know, and just trying to live our best lives. So is it the solution? I think that we have, like I said, thousands, literally people, thousands of years. Nick McGowan (36:17.638)Hmm. Andrew Ecker (36:30.459)of evidence-based practice out there. Like, wake up, people, wake up. Like, yeah, we need drumming. You know? Nick McGowan (36:39.836)Yeah, I mean, even just the community level of that, but the music and the frequency level of all of it and everything that ties into it. I love the work that you’re doing. I really do. I think it’s crazy that the arts and music especially is being taken out of different schools and everything’s being really like commodified almost, even when you think of music. For the most part, pop music. It’s an ABA, CAB sort of situation. It’s the same thing. There was even a thing like 10, 15 years ago where somebody played a Nickelback song forward and layered over another Nickelback song backwards and it was the same. And it was like, that is crazy. But that’s what is being pushed to us instead of feeling through all of this and allowing yourself to actually get into it. I’m really glad that you got to the point where you were saying that the music is playing you. Because any musician that’s really been in, I don’t know, in any sort of jam session or in a live band or something, even if you’ve remotely tasted that little bit, you know that that’s a real thing. And that’s a whole different level. And you’re right, that is divine. Like you are literally in it. I’d played guitar in worship bands for the better part of a decade. And if it weren’t for music, I wouldn’t have been there. Andrew Ecker (37:54.712)Dude, it’s fast, yeah. Andrew Ecker (38:03.5)Yeah. Nick McGowan (38:03.961)I wouldn’t have ended up having a relationship with God. And I also now at this point, no, he’s not some bearded dude on a fucking chair somewhere. Like it’s much bigger than that. But being able to feel that, like there are things where you couldn’t manufacture this feeling. So I’m glad he pointed out, like if we could bottle it, that would be great. But at the same time, the rest of the world is trying to bottle fucking everything else. So I’m glad that we can’t because you need to experience that, you know? Andrew Ecker (38:12.974)Yeah Andrew Ecker (38:20.322)Yeah. Andrew Ecker (38:28.202)I know, I know. You do, Nick McGowan (38:33.743)What a cool thing, man. And I really love the work that you’re doing. I appreciate you being on with us today. For the people that are on their path towards self-mastery, what’s your advice to those people that are walking toward that? Andrew Ecker (38:45.772)You know, I think first just be gentle with yourself and just understand that, you know, loving yourself is the simplest thing. I was doing my best and you know, we man, life is rough, man. I mean, we, we lose people. go through all kinds of stuff and people used to tell me all the time, you know, Andrew, you need to love yourself, especially when I was little, you know, they would tell me this and I, I’d be like, you know, I felt like I was doing something wrong, you know, like What does that mean? And you know, it really is as simple as just saying, I was doing my best through everything, you know, through the alcoholism, through the drugs, but look at what’s going on in your life. And if it isn’t working for you, change, you know, like don’t be stuck in a pattern that is something destructive. You know, being in a place where you can manage your thoughts is a very important aspect to living your successful life. allowing for the thoughts that don’t serve you to simply fade away and sometimes to be confrontational with those thoughts. You know, I remember reading God is love and I thought if I just focus on love, maybe all these thoughts of suicide would would leave me. So every time any anxiety came into my life, I would just simply start screaming love in my mind and take control of my mind. You know, sometimes we just have to overpower those thoughts that aren’t serving us. And, you know, I think that for me, the greatest act of my own self mastery is the place of service. Being of service to others has brought me to a place where I feel the best, Andrew. And sometimes, you know, showing up isn’t easy. Sometimes it’s hard, but I think about the people that I drum with in the institutions and You know, just to give everybody a really brief story before we kind of close this up. For 10 years, I went to this skilled nursing hospital. And for 10 years, this man would come out and he was in a bed and his hands were atrophied. And I’d have to pry his fingers open and put a maraca in his hand. And he would shake the maraca and say, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. You know, and he had this great big smile on his face. Andrew Ecker (41:11.164)And this man’s name that I’m mentioning today is Vance Gribbins. And one day I came to the hospital and I said, Where’s my buddy Vance? And they told me he went home to heaven. I was like, good for him. You know, I said, How long did he live in this hospital? I’ve been coming here for 10 years. And they said he lived in that hospital for 28 years. And for 28 years, man, he lived in a body that that he couldn’t feed himself, you know, and 28 years he was in a hospital bed. But every single time he had an opportunity to show up for drum circle or sing along or balloon toss or bingo, he was there. And you know, today we have people that have everything in their lives. They have money, they have beautiful homes, cars, all this stuff. And to get them to go out to, you know, an art display or to go and show up at an open mic or a drum circle. You know, it’s like the end of the world. They would rather sit in front of their TV and watch Judge Judy need potato chips. And I’m just calling people on their bullshit. You know, if we want to have a good world, we got to get out of our house. We got to connect with our neighbors. We got to say hi to people. We can’t just look down at our phone every time we see a homeless person and try to escape eye contact. You know, we need to engage with people and be the brilliance that we are. You know, the medicine that you have inside of you is a medicine that we need as a community. And that’s what this world needs right now. We need love. We need togetherness. You know, I stopped giving money to people when they would ask me for money on the street. But I immediately will say to a person, hey, can I pray for you? You know, and sometimes people will say, you know, hell no, I don’t want that. And sometimes people will say, you know what? I appreciate that. Please pray for me. And I remember one time me and Monica were in my my fiancee. We were in Salt Lake. And this guy had chains, gold chains on and he just put out a joint. I could tell he smelled like cannabis and everything. He’s like, hey, man, you got any money? I was like, no, but I could say a prayer for you. And I’m saying a prayer for this guy. And he’s like, that’s the good shit. That’s what he was saying. And you just never know how you’re going to impact somebody’s life if you make yourself available. So Nick McGowan (43:34.615)Yeah. Andrew Ecker (43:35.493)You know, want to be in the place of self mastery, be available for community. You know, get out there and do something that is just to be available. Volunteer, you know, go show up at the homeless shelter. Develop a podcast that’s giving to the community. Do something for people. You know, do something for people. And you know, you’re to find the truest truth of the truth that you are. And you’re going to make a difference in the lives of people. Nick McGowan (44:02.656)It’s hard to not clap right now and like really fucking root, you know what I mean? So thank you, dude. I appreciate that. I’ve been refraining back from the like, fuck yeah, yeah. You know, so I really appreciate it. And how that was also one of those. and by the way, one more fucking thing. Here it is. Man, that’s awesome. I think there are small things that we can do. Andrew Ecker (44:13.013)Yeah! Andrew Ecker (44:23.581)Yeah. Nick McGowan (44:32.002)to really help us be able to start down that path? Because you’re talking about a lot of things and to some people, and I try to break stuff down to like, what could anybody be thinking about being super analytical or whatever of like, man, that’s a lot of shit. And there’s like a lot of things that are going on. I’m having really hard time with this one little thing in my life right now. So taking those smaller steps, like even saying get out and do community, do community in the way that feels right for you to do. Like there are people that will go to church on Sunday and that’s my community time. And as soon as they walk out, they’re yelling at their kids, they’re hating on everybody. it’s like, you’re not really doing community at that point. And community can look different to everybody. And sometimes it’s just showing up literally in the neighborhood. And like you’re saying, and dude, I think we all do it. There are people around, look down at your phone. I do that at times where I’m lost in my own head and I’m thinking about things. I’m just… going through my phone, because I’m like, don’t want to have an interaction with somebody else. And as soon as I’m aware of that, I’m like, fucking, I gotta put my phone away. Hi, you know, like, just taking that step to get out there a little bit. You obviously love what you’re doing. And this is part of your calling and a deep purpose of yours. And I think the big thing for all of us to be able to take away from that is whatever that looks like for us, just lean into it. Just get into it a little bit more and enjoy that. And I… I love that you were talking about the amount of music and the things that go into that, like the feelings that we can get from all of that and how that opens people that haven’t been open for years and years and sometimes decades. So, Andrew, I appreciate you being on here. It’s been a pleasure having you on, man. I really appreciate it. Before I let you go, where can people find you and where can they connect with you? Andrew Ecker (46:16.065)so yeah, drumming sounds is pretty much the easiest way there. you know, if you Google drumming sounds, it’ll pull me up, but I’d like to give everybody a free copy of my book based on the traditional introduction of my ancestors, but applicable to any sort of person. it’s just a system of self identity and you can get that at the sacred seven.com. It’ll also put you into my email list and you can find out events we’re doing music festivals, trainings, drum circles, all that stuff. Nick McGowan (46:51.511)Again, man, it’s been pleasure having you on. Thank you for your time. Andrew Ecker (46:54.273)Thank you, Nick.
On June 30th, 2005, a fishing boat called the Freedom left the San Pedro marina for an overnight trip off the coast of Southern California. When it returned, one man never came back. Patrick McDermott - a cameraman, a father, and the former partner of Olivia Newton-John. His car was found parked near the dock. His wallet, passport, and keys were left behind on the boat. But Patrick himself had vanished.The Coast Guard would later say he was likely lost at sea. Yet no body was ever recovered - and over the years, rumors of financial trouble, a possible staged disappearance, and alleged sightings in Mexico have kept this case alive.Listen as we dive into California, the case of Patrick McDermott, and how to stay alive on vacation.Do you have a story to share? Send your email to lasttrippodcast@gmail.comWe're on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLastTripPodcastFollow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelasttripcrimepod/And join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheLastTripPodcastTheme Music by Roger Allen DexterSources:https://people.com/patrick-mcdermott-mystery-of-olivia-newton-john-boyfriend-lost-at-sea-11816699https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/7545751/Olivia-Newton-Johns-former-boyfriend-found.htmlhttps://www.thedailybeast.com/why-olivia-newton-johns-ex-patrick-mcdermott-and-the-stories-about-him-just-wont-die/https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/missing/olivia-newton-johns-ex-who-faked-his-own-death-found-in-mexicohttps://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/7c5hje/patrick_mcdermott_ex_boyfriend_of_olivia_newton/https://www.businessinsider.com/olivia-newton-john-ex-boyfriend-reportedly-found-mexico-2017-11https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/celebrity-news/olivia-newton-johns-missing-lover-found-24120/https://medium.com/@yvettenipar_19165/olivia-newton-john-is-she-really-who-you-thought-she-was-359b4e1fdd0chttps://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna28844965https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11414209/Shock-twist-disappearance-Olivia-Newton-Johns-ex-boyfriend-Patrick-McDermott.htmlhttps://www.nickiswift.com/957163/the-disappearance-of-olivia-newton-johns-ex-patrick-mcdermott-explained/https://entertainmentnow.com/news/patrick-mcdermott-olivia-newton-john-missing-boyfriend/https://www.businessinsider.com/olivia-newton-john-ex-boyfriend-reportedly-found-mexico-2017-11
When you're a vegan but you find yourself in a situation where someone has cooked a whole goat in your honor, do you eat the goat? When Marissa and I start talking rural Mexico, you can never be sure where the conversation will go. This time, it went to the conflict between our dietary restrictions and the diets of Mexico. Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Marissa Paragano of The Tequiladies and Tequila That Cares.Episode NotesMarissa is also a board member of Tequila That Cares, a philanthropic organization bringing positive change to the agave spirits industry!Shout outs this episode to mezcalero Ildefonso Macedas Ginez, mezcal con gusano, Tide pods, Chava Periban, Chava Rosales of Tequila Cascahuin, and Ronnie Kaplan!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
For decades, we've told ourselves that manufacturing is something advanced economies naturally outgrow. That once you move into services, data, and software, heavy industry becomes optional, nice to have, but not essential. But from a national and economic security perspective, America can't afford to treat industrial capacity as a legacy asset it can outsource and revisit later—especially now. Hollowing out manufacturing doesn't just weaken supply chains. It introduces risk into systems that depend on precision, reliability, and readiness. The question isn't whether the U.S. can still build complex things; it's whether we've kept the muscle memory to do it at scale, in volume, and fast enough when demand shows up all at once. And the problem doesn't live in one place. It shows up across the workforce, the factory floor, and the balance sheet. A generation was steered away from the trades. Production systems were optimized for low-volume, high-complexity output instead of sustained throughput. Capital flowed toward financial efficiency rather than reinvestment in plants, tooling, and people. On paper, the industrial base still exists. In practice, it's been stretched thin by decades of offshoring, underinvestment, and policy drift. So how do you refocus a country after decades of offshoring? Chips, ships, pharma, manufacturing, defense programs, and aerospace production, and data centers are all pulling on the same constrained supply chains, the same limited pool of skilled labor, and the same aging infrastructure. Meeting that moment will take coordinated industrial policy, sustained capital investment, and a clear demand signal strong enough to justify rebuilding capacity at scale. So what does that actually look like, and how is the government trying to close the gap? In this episode, I sit down with Alex Krutz, CEO of Patriot Industrial Partners, who recently returned to industry after serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing. We talk about what he saw moving through global industrial hubs, why the industrial renaissance is real—but fragile—and what actually has to change if capacity, resilience, and readiness are going to be rebuilt rather than debated. You'll also learn; Why moving “past” manufacturing creates economic and national security vulnerabilities The overlooked gap between high-tech capability and true industrial scale How workforce decline became a cultural problem, not just a skills shortage Why volume manufacturing—not innovation—is the hardest muscle to rebuild The role of government as a demand signal, not a market dictator When government equity stakes make sense—and when they don't Why shipbuilding, nuclear energy, and industrial gas turbines are resurfacing together How data centers and AI are quietly reshaping energy and manufacturing demand The coming collision between aerospace, energy, and MRO capacity Why reinvestment in tools, training, and facilities matters more than incentives alone A provocative idea to pull millions into manufacturing: tax holidays, paid training, and real upside What CEOs are actually worried about beneath the workforce headlines About the Guest Alex Krutz is the Managing Director of Patriot Industrial Partners and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing at the U.S. Department of Commerce. With more than two decades in aerospace and defense, Alex is known for leading complex manufacturing and supply-chain turnarounds across the industrial base—earning him the industry nickname “The Factory Doctor.” His work spans global performance-improvement engagements in the United States, Mexico, Canada, the UK, Italy, France, South Africa, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan. Before his role in government, Alex founded Patriot Industrial Partners, a boutique advisory firm focused on value creation, operational excellence, and supply-chain resilience in aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing. In public service, he helped shape manufacturing and industrial policy at a national level, working closely with industry leaders across sectors including aerospace, energy, shipbuilding, and semiconductors. Alex's insights have been featured in publications such as Aviation Week, Forbes, and FlightGlobal, and he's been cited by outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and CNBC. He's also spoken at and contributed to conferences and executive forums hosted by institutions like Bank of America, JP Morgan, and Morgan Stanley. Connect with Alex on LinkedIn and send an email to alex.krutz@patriotindustrialpartners.com. About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years' experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women's Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.
Traffic doesn't make you impatient—you were already impatient. Your circumstances don't determine your spirit; your spirit determines how you experience your life.#FULLTANKwithBroBo #FULLTANKwithBroBo2026 #BoSanchez #Patience #InnerPeace #MindsetShift #FaithInAction #Mark4 #SpiritualGrowth #MeasureOfMercy #CleanWindows #LightOfTheWorld--- P.S. If your spirit has been whispering for a break, listen. Join me on a transformative journey: The "Mary's Comfort" Pilgrimage to Guadalupe, Mexico from March 16 to 25, 2026. The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is not just a destination; it is a spiritual home. It is where Mary made her tender promise to care for all her children. Just click here to learn more: bosanchez.ph/pilgrims/guadalupeSupport this podcast. Help me reach others by supporting this podcast.To support my mission work, click this link now! http://BuyMeACoffee.com/brotherbosanchez
New research from Mexico and the UK is shining a light on how spider monkeys work together to let each other know where the best food in their habitat is and when it'll ripen. We hear from Gabriel Ramos Fernandez at the National Autonomous University of Mexico about what humans can learn from this behaviour.
Helen's friends take Suzy Miller to safety and vow revenge against Alistair Fister. In Mexico, a shocking revelation turns to opportunity for Helen, Henry and a newfound ally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week on Do You A Favor Thursday, Lamont got a call from a listener named Marcus who recently had a trip in Mexico, while there he hooked up with Belinda, now he wants help asking her to move in with him. Listen to The Lamont Show Monday through Friday, 6-10am, on 107.7 The Bone. For more of 107.7 The Bone go to: 1077thebone.com Connect with 107.7 The Bone on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok. Connect with 107.7 The Bone on Apple, Spotify or Amazon Music.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tread Perilously returns to the Ballad of John D. Cort for its antepenultimate stanza: an episode of Baywatch called "Baja Run." When Cort -- still suffering from a degenerative eye condition -- makes his way back to Baywatch HQ, it's to convince Mitch to join him on the Baja Run. The Mexican dune buggy race is something both men have always wanted to win. While Mitch begrudgingly agrees, C.J. realizes it might finally be time to cut Cort loose. And with Matt's relationship with Caroline disintegrating, C.J. may even have a rebound in mind. Will Cort care or do his concerns center on something he buried in Mexico? Erik and Justin can't get over the fact Cort lives in a cave! Justin immediately notes how much the show finally feels like the Baywatch of the popular imagination. The presence of Yasmine Bleeth has a lot to do with it. Pamela Anderson, meanwhile, seems poised for her exit. Erik spots Baywatch's hatred of Australians as new character Logan proves to be the scummiest Aussie in '90s syndicated TV. Cort and Mitch finally share a storyline! C.C. DeVille ends up the hair metal MVP even if Erik can't recall which band he was in. Justin notes the missing cast members and learns why he recognizes a certain guest actor.
Valentine’s Day candy in 2026 says a lot about love and cost-conscious living—so Lou digs into what we’re really buying (and why). He breaks down Mexico’s strict no-vaping rules, compares Mexican and Italian culture, and drops a travel pro-tip you need before your next trip. Then it gets real: Lou crosses with George Noory, reacts to Bruce Springsteen’s fiery new protest song inspired by the Minneapolis shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and the backlash against ICE agents, and asks what that all means for America today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Osiel Cárdenas, head of the Gulf Cartel, has eyes like the devil, former DEA Agent Mike Chavarria says, describing when he debriefed him after his extradition. “Looking in his eyes was like looking into a dark abyss,” he says. Osiel's rival Armando “Maradona” Valencia, meanwhile, is an intellectual. He was always looking slick when Mike met the narco in safe locations and he began negotiations for a potential surrender. Azul is widely believed to be dead but Mike has heard info he could have escaped to the Seychelles. I have talked to many current and former DEA agents over the years but Mike is one of the most fascinating. He was not only at the center of a dozen crazy cases, especially in a violent crazy period in Mexico, but he joins the dots to chronicle the bloody cartel history and has been using this knowledge to pen books, including “Junior: A Son of the Gulf Cartel,” which you can find here. On this episode of the CrashOut Podcast, Mike breaks down how he went undercover to bust dope, his secret meetings with narcos, suspecting Mexican security chief Genaro García Luna before his conviction for cocaine trafficking, and Trump's new war on drugs. It's a nuts ride through a painful era. Support the show
The citizenship interview is the final stage of becoming a U.S. citizen. It is when the U.S. government determines your eligibility to become an American based on all the information and documentation you've provided up to this point. During the citizenship interview, a USCIS officer will ask questions about your naturalization application (Form N-400) and questions you're required to study for the citizenship test, which takes place during the interview.
In this episode of AUA News Inside Tract, Dr. Mark Gonzalgo, professor of urology at the University of Miami and Chair of the AUA Office of Education, speaks with Dr. Rigoberto Pallares-Mendez, attending urologist at Hospital General Tijuana and Hospital Ángeles Tijuana, about his experience as an AUA Exchange Scholar. Dr. Pallares-Mendez shares his path into urology, his passion for robotic surgery, and insights gained from training in Miami. Together, they explore differences between U.S. and Mexican healthcare systems, the importance of mentorship and systems-based practice, and how global exchange programs help elevate patient care across borders.
Help Persecuted Christians TODAY: https://csi-usa.org/ Christian Solidarity International On today's Quick Start podcast: NEWS: The Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady amid internal dissent and growing political pressure on Chair Jerome Powell — plus what the pause signals for inflation, housing, and Fed independence. FOCUS: Internet evangelist Bryce Crawford shares how a literal dream sparked his now-viral ministry, leading him to boldly share the Gospel with strangers across social media. MAIN THING: A Protestant pastor in Mexico is detained, bound, publicly shamed, and ultimately exiled from his community after refusing to participate in prayers to saints. Pablo Vargas of Christian Solidarity Worldwide breaks down the disturbing case of Pastor Mariano Martinez and what it reveals about rising religious persecution in Latin America. LAST THING: Proverbs 3:13–14 — “Blessed are those who find wisdom… for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.” PRAY WITH US! Faithwire.substack.com SHOW LINKS Faith in Culture: https://cbn.com/news/faith-culture Heaven Meets Earth PODCAST: https://cbn.com/lp/heaven-meets-earth NEWSMAKERS POD: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newsmakers/id1724061454 Navigating Trump 2.0: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-trump-2-0/id1691121630
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureTrump started to put all the pieces together starting back in 2017. He was setting the stage to remove NAFTA but he was not able to because congress put roadblocks into the legislation, so he transitioned it into the USMCA and now he has trapped Canada in it. Trade deals are power of the US, the US has the leverage and the [CB] knows it. The [DS] along with Biden, Obama and Clinton are pushing the insurgency in this country. Walz believes he has the upper hand making a deal with Trump but this is going to backfire on him and Frey. The people in MN are already upset. The D’s believe they can shutdown the government and use the DHS funding to do it. But the OBBB is funding ICE so this is going to fail. Trump has the leverage and he weakening the [DS] every step of the way. The root cause is being exposed to the country. Economy Big Picture: President Trump and Trade Using the Art of the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Canada and the EU take trade and economic positions seemingly against U.S. interests. Simultaneously Mexico modifies all their trade positions to come into alignment with the USA. Yesterday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Mexico will no longer ship oil to Cuba. When President Trump was asked about Prime Minister Mark Carney creating a new trade agreement with China, President Trump responded that he didn't care – it was irrelevant to him. Yet, simultaneously inside the USMCA President Trump has the power to veto any trade agreement between Mexico or Canada and a non-member nation. So, why didn't President Trump care? Easy, because in President Trump's mind there's not going to be a USMCA; so, he really doesn't care if Canada runs to violate it. In real terms, Canada doing bilateral deals with other countries, especially deals potentially detrimental to the USA, only strengthens his position on dissolving the USMCA. If Canada violates the terms and spirit of the USMCA, it makes dispatch of the unliked trade agreement even easier. Canada is helping President Trump remove the congressional justification they could use to block him. If Canada is violating the USMCA (CUSMA), Congress is kneecapped from interference. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/Geiger_Capital/status/2015924180160594345?s=20 https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2015949123648909631?s=20 more than officially reported. Furthermore, China officially bought an additional 0.9 tonnes in December, pushing the total gold reserves to a record 2,306 tonnes. This also marked the 14th consecutive monthly purchase. In 2025, China's total reported gold purchases reached +27 tonnes. Assuming official purchases were 10% of what China is actually buying, this suggests China acquired +270 tonnes of physical gold in 2025. China is stockpiling gold like we are in a major crisis. 2025. Why hasn’t the Korean Legislature approved it? Because the Korean Legislature hasn’t enacted our Historic Trade Agreement, which is their prerogative, I am hereby increasing South Korean TARIFFS on Autos, Lumber, Pharma, and all other Reciprocal TARIFFS, from 15% to 25%. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Political/Rights DOGE https://twitter.com/alx/status/2015969948674203731?s=20 Geopolitical War/Peace Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/VASenateGOP/status/2015208669336813823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2015208669336813823%7Ctwgr%5E5081d9eb1b9220fa690d082571ec929c4f0248cc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fvirginia-democrats-now-seeking-double-their-own-pay%2F pocket to line their own. TOTAL CON JOB! True. The Department of Justice did withdraw its request for arrest warrants against Don Lemon and four other individuals involved in the disruption of a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota, following a federal magistrate judge’s refusal to approve the related criminal complaints and an appeals court’s rejection of the DOJ’s emergency bid to compel the warrants. While prosecutors could potentially pursue charges through alternative means, such as a grand jury, the specific action of withdrawing the warrant request aligns with the reported events https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/2016208255677067439?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricBrakey/status/2015578832070123856?s=20 https://twitter.com/JayTownAlabama/status/2015584436230717786?s=20 According to recent data from the Giffords Law Center, the following 16 jurisdictions (15 states plus the District of Columbia) have explicit prohibitions on carrying firearms at demonstrations, protests, or licensed public gatherings. These restrictions vary by state, with some banning both concealed and open carry, while others target only one or apply under specific conditions (e.g., only for participants or permitted events). Note that laws can change, and some states have exceptions like for enhanced permit holders. State/Jurisdiction Concealed Carry Prohibited? Open Carry Prohibited? Notes Alabama Yes Yes Arkansas Yes No Applies only to participants in permitted demonstrations; enhanced CCW permittees are allowed. California No Yes Open carry banned generally. Connecticut No Yes Open carry banned generally. District of Columbia Yes Yes Florida No Yes Open carry banned generally. Hawaii Yes Yes Illinois Yes Yes Louisiana Yes No Applies to permitted demonstrations or parades. Maryland Yes Yes Mississippi Yes No Applies to permitted demonstrations or parades. Nebraska Yes No Applies at “political rallies” and fundraisers. New Jersey Yes Yes New York Yes Yes North Carolina Yes Yes Washington No Yes https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2015928285436203305?s=20 https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2016211395273011469?s=20 gets disarmed… then shot. DHS is already tracking violent agitators who assault or obstruct officers (you know, felonies). Tom Homan pushing to make these interferers “famous” via database – names, faces, employers notified. The same crowd screaming “police state” will ignore he already assaulted officers once and walked https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/2016235731602067586?s=20 https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/2016177515845283911?s=20 nation that tramples the 4th Amendment and tolerates our neighbors being terrorized. The people of Minnesota have stood strong — helping community members in unimaginable circumstances, speaking out against injustice when they see it, and holding our government accountable to the people. Minnesotans have reminded us all what it is to be American, and they have suffered enough at the hands of this Administration. Violence and terror have no place in the United States of America, especially when it's our own government targeting American citizens. No single person can destroy what America stands for and believes in, not even a President, if we — all of America — stand up and speak out. We know who we are. It’s time to show the world. More importantly, it’s time to show ourselves. Now, justice requires full, fair, and transparent investigations into the deaths of the two Americans who lost their lives in the city they called home. Jill and I are sending strength to the families and communities who love Alex Pretti and Renee Good as we all mourn their senseless deaths. https://twitter.com/RyanSaavedra/status/2015985227798139267?s=20 https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/2015918587609772148?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2015971665906110549?s=20 https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/2016220055973855403?s=20 https://twitter.com/Recon1_ZA/status/2015778411650732184?s=20 It’s a rapid, involuntary reaction mediated by the brainstem, involving muscle tension, elevated heart rate, and adrenaline release. That repetitive exposure from them fatigues neural pathways but sustains heightened arousal, diverting cognitive resources from higher-order tasks to basic threat monitoring. It is an acute stressor, activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system, which releases cortisol and adrenaline. Long exposure to this stuff impairs prefrontal cortex function critical for decision making. Pair this with the sheer annoyance, these tactics are a low-tech escalation of protest disruption, rooted in documented physiological responses to noise. In layman’s terms, they’re putting these officers on edge and triggering them to act. Pretti and Good was exactly what they wanted. It’s usually someone else who ends up dying and not the instigator. This is a great example. Watch the guy at the rear strike an officer against the head with an object. These officers, already on edge, are very likely to react to something like that. When someone ends up getting hurt, they’re all innocent. These events aren’t random. These are organised tactics. 80% of the people protesting aren’t aware that they’re being used by their own team as cannon fodder to generate outrage. https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/2015620564787105892?s=20 Tending the Soil on Chuffed. More about Tending the Soil later. What to know: the campaign is hosted by Chuffed and the first donation came from Jonny Soppotiuk, a Canada-based community organizer who is part of Chuffed leadership and specializes in fundraising. He is most likely a central figure in raising money. So, yeah. Starting to look like foreigners are playing a key role in all of this. That’s not all. I’ve put together a spreadsheet of 4000+ donors and their possible identities. https://twitter.com/davidson_f14299/status/2015874164679442499?s=20 Machine that's been running this country for decades. She's tied into the donors, the nonprofits, the consultants, the media networks — all the gears that keep the Machine turning. And look at what she just did. She tweeted out that webpage directing people to donate through a foreign‑operated platform. That's not some innocent little share. That's the Machine signaling to its own network — money pipelines, global partners, and political messaging all moving in sync. She knows exactly what she's amplifying and who benefits from it. And this isn't new for her. Look back at Russiagate. Her campaign funded the Steele dossier — the spark that set off years of investigations, headlines, and division. Even after the whole thing fell apart under scrutiny, the chaos it created was already locked in. That's how the Machine works: it doesn't need accuracy, it just needs momentum. And she's been one of the people who knows how to generate that momentum better than anyone. So where does she sit in the Machine? Right in the core. Not elected. Not accountable. Still pulling levers through the same networks she helped build. She's not operating inside the Machine — she's one of the people who designed the damn thing. And that's why her name keeps showing up. Not because she holds office. But because the Machine still runs on the structures she put in place — and every time she boosts a link, a cause, or a narrative, you can see those old gears turning all over again. https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/2015963638096429102?s=20 https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2015941282237972649?s=20 President Trump's Plan And we back you WHOLEHEARTEDLY in making it happen https://twitter.com/TriciaOhio/status/2015939758858371393?s=20 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2015858856430055491?s=20 professional. He will continue to lead Customs and Border Patrol throughout and across the country — Mr. Homan will be the main point of contact on the ground in Minneapolis.” Hakeem Jeffries Backs Impeachment Push Against Kristi Noem House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his leadership team voiced support Tuesday for impeaching Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. Nearly 150 House Democrats have sponsored articles of impeachment against Noem, first unveiled by Democratic Illinois Rep. Robin Kelly on Jan. 14, but Jeffries had not previously backed the impeachment push. Jeffries vowed Tuesday that House Democrats will launch impeachment proceedings against Noem if President Donald Trump does not fire her. Source: dailycaller.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2016203259900317988?s=20 https://twitter.com/amuse/status/2016218361844174956?s=20 Minnesota State Patrol has now been activated. They could have done this the whole time, but it wasn't until after the call between Walz and Trump, and the discovery of the Signal groups involving Minnesota government officials, that this happened. https://twitter.com/CynicalPublius/status/2015868419187544417?s=20 https://twitter.com/derrickvanorden/status/2015808200495312963?s=20 Counterinsurgency may be defined as ‘comprehensive civilian and military efforts taken to simultaneously defeat and contain insurgency and address its root causes'. Defeat refers to actively dismantling the insurgent group’s capabilities—through kinetic operations (e.g., raids, airstrikes) to kill or capture leaders, disrupt supply lines, and degrade their fighting strength. Contain means preventing the insurgency from spreading or escalating. This could involve securing borders, isolating insurgent areas, or using psychological operations (psyops) to undermine their recruitment and propaganda. The “simultaneously” part stresses that these aren’t sequential steps; they happen in parallel. You can’t just “contain” without addressing threats, nor can you defeat an insurgency if it keeps regenerating in new areas. Key challenge: Insurgents often blend into the civilian population, making it hard to target them without collateral damage, which can create more enemies. 3. Address Its Root Causes Insurgencies don’t arise in a vacuum; they’re often driven by underlying issues like political exclusion, economic inequality, corruption, ethnic tensions, or lack of basic services. The definition insists that long-term success requires tackling these “root causes” to prevent resurgence. This might include reforms such as land redistribution, anti-corruption drives, inclusive governance, or economic development programs. Without this, military victories are temporary. For instance, historical cases like the Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) succeeded partly because British forces combined military action with resettlement programs and political concessions that addressed Malay grievances against colonial rule. Broader Context and Principles Population-Centric Approach: Modern COIN doctrine, influenced by thinkers like David Galula or modern adaptations, views the local population as the “center of gravity.” The goal is to protect civilians, gain their trust, and separate them from insurgents—often summarized as “clear, hold, build” (clear insurgents from an area, hold it securely, and build sustainable institutions). Challenges and Criticisms: COIN is resource-intensive, time-consuming, and politically fraught. It can lead to prolonged conflicts, human rights abuses, or mission creep. Critics argue it sometimes ignores cultural contexts or over-relies on foreign intervention, as seen in Vietnam or Iraq. Success Factors: Effective COIN requires unity of effort (coordination between allies), intelligence-driven operations, and adaptability. Metrics for success go beyond body counts to include governance improvements and reduced violence. In essence, this definition portrays counterinsurgency as a balanced, enduring campaign that blends force with reform to not just suppress rebellion but eliminate the conditions that sustain it. https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2015886441063055779?s=20 patriots need all the support they can get! Background on the “Big Beautiful Bill” and ICE Funding In 2025, Republicans passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (often referred to by President Trump as the “Big Beautiful Bill”), which allocated approximately $75 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over four years. This funding was separate from annual appropriations and effectively tripled ICE’s budget, providing a multi-year “slush fund” for immigration enforcement, including deportations. This bill was part of Trump’s broader immigration agenda and bypassed traditional yearly funding processes, allowing ICE to operate independently of short-term congressional battles. Current Shutdown Threat and Democrats’ Strategy Democrats, led by figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sens. Patty Murray, Chris Murphy, and others, have vowed to block the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill in the Senate. This bill includes $64.4 billion for DHS overall, with about $10 billion specifically for ICE in the current fiscal year. Why the Shutdown Won’t Defund ICE Even prominent Democrats like Sen. Murray acknowledge that a shutdown or continuing resolution (short-term funding patch) won’t restrain ICE. The agency can draw from the $75 billion already secured via the Big Beautiful Bill, allowing operations to continue uninterrupted under Trump’s “law-and-order” immigration crackdown. A shutdown would primarily affect non-ICE parts of DHS (e.g., TSA, FEMA, Coast Guard) and other bundled departments, forcing some federal workers to go without pay while ICE remains funded and operational. Republican Position and “Upper Hand” The White House and GOP leaders like Speaker Mike Johnson are not yielding, insisting on passing the full package without decoupling DHS funding. They view Democratic threats as ineffective since ICE’s core operations are protected by the prior bill. The House has already passed the DHS bill with some Democratic support, putting pressure on the Senate. Republicans are framing this as Democrats prioritizing protests over essential services, giving the GOP leverage in negotiations. https://twitter.com/AwakenedOutlaw/status/2015946190219837842?s=20 themselves, and engage in thoughtful discourse and/or express outrage against the wholesale ridiculousness of not allowing the government to do its job and protect us…and they do so for months on matters that most would never have otherwise engaged in AND would otherwise slip out of the news cycle quickly. The Supreme Court ends up taking the case and rules (correctly) in favor of his administration. Piece by piece through this process, legal precedence is secured. Which, as it turns out, was deemed necessary to help secure the future of our Republic writ large. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. This implies that we are directly involved in an educational process, if you will, as we all progress through the realignment. Advantage: America’s future https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2015932965528764622?s=20 violent agitators. The DOJ went to court. We got a temporary stay. NOW, the 8th Circuit has fully agreed that this reckless attempt to undermine law enforcement cannot stand. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals rules in favor of Trump admin allowing ICE agents to arrest, detain, pepper-spray or retaliate against violent anti-ICE rioters, in Minneapolis, without probable cause (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");
INTRO (00:24): Kathleen opens the show drinking a L'il Smack IPA from Chandeleur Island Brewing Company. She reviews her show in Chattanooga and the chaos that resulted in Nashville from Winter Storm Fern. TOUR NEWS: See Kathleen live on her “Day Drinking Tour.” TASTING MENU (8:02): Kathleen samples French's Creamy Dill Pickle Mustard, Tostito's Mexican Street Corn chips, and Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Ranch Crackers. COURT NEWS (22:49): Kathleen shares news involving Martha Stewart's personal snowplow and her new Connecticut restaurant “The Bedford,” and Chappell Roan accepts the Harmonizer Award from Nancy Wilson. UPDATES (40:55) : Kathleen shares updates on the evasive St. Louis monkeys, Maine's lobster lady Virginia Oliver passes at 105 years, and Canadian drug kingpin fugitive Ryan Wedding is arrested in Mexico. FRONT PAGE PUB NEWS (56:15): Kathleen shares articles on the definition of a frost quake, a few Vegas resorts are taking the Canadian dollar at par to lure back visitors, Alex Honnold free climbs Taipei 101, the
A brilliant, bitter writer vanishes into revolutionary Mexico. Follow Ambrose Bierce's extraordinary life, savage wit, and the many theories behind one of literature's greatest unsolved disappearances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On today's 1.28.26 show we talked about the gross thing a man did while getting arrested, analog bags, woman plans to swim from Oregon to Mexico, Kanye claims his apology is genuine, updates on the mountain lion that was in San Francisco, the cost of attending the big game, babysitting is beneficial for grandparents, one woman is addicted to eating this strange crafting item and more!
It's Wednesday, January 28th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Mexican authorities expelled Protestant pastor Authorities in southern Mexico expelled a Protestant pastor from their community this month. The issue began after Pastor Velásquez Martínez refused to participate in a Roman Catholic ritual due to his religious beliefs. Local authorities detained him for five days without charge before expelling him and his family. Evangelical families can face arrest, fines, and expulsion in parts of Mexico for their faith. Mexico is ranked 30th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most oppressive countries to be a Christian. Catholicism declining in Latin America Analysis by Pew Research found that Catholicism has declined in Latin America over the past decade. Catholicism remains the largest religion across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. However, it has declined in the region by at least nine percent over the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the religiously unaffiliated have grown rapidly in Latin America. Protestantism has also grown in the region but only by a slight margin. United States withdrew from World Health Organization The United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization last Thursday. This comes a year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to initiate the process. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated, “This decision was driven by profound failures in the WHO's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic originating in Wuhan, China.” The withdrawal ends U.S. funding for the World Health Organization. The group is also known for its support of abortion and sexually perverted lifestyles. Thousands of California pro-lifers march Tens of thousands of pro-lifers joined the 22nd Annual Walk for Life West Coast in California on Saturday. Participants filled the streets of San Francisco in the financial district for more than a mile. Rally co-chair Eva Muntean said, “After 22 years I still find it hard to believe how blessed we are. When I see the enormous crowd that we had today—especially so many young people standing up with love and hope for women and children. I am filled with gratitude and hope. You can't come to the Walk without seeing the promise of a better world!” Psalm 27:13-14 says, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!” Washington man stabbed for being a Christian Sadly, a man suffered an attack over his religion on Sunday morning in Washington state. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office reports they found the man in serious condition. The victim said a stranger approached him and asked what religion he was. He said something about being a Christian. In response, the stranger attacked and stabbed the victim and his dog. The perpetrator died after a confrontation with police. The Christian Post reports that the victim has been released from a local hospital. U.S. population down as Trump expels illegals The U.S. population growth rate is slowing as the Trump administration cracks down on illegal immigration. New data from the U.S. Census Bureau found the population reached nearly 342 million people last year. The 2025 growth rate was half a percent, down from almost one percent in 2024. Christine Hartley with the Census Bureau said, “With births and deaths remaining relatively stable compared to the prior year, the sharp decline in net international migration is the main reason for the slower growth rate we see today.” Geopolitical and economic uncertainly drives gold up. As The Worldview reported yesterday, the price for spot gold reached $5,100 an ounce, a record. That's up 18% so far this year. Ryan McIntyre, president at Sprott Inc., told Reuters, “Gold prices continue to be supported by elevated geopolitical and economic uncertainty. Central banks remain strong buyers as they diversify foreign exchange reserves and reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar.” 100-year-old great grandfather speaks at kindergarten class And finally, CBS News reports that a kindergartener in Georgia recently brought her 100-year-old great-grandfather to class. This was to celebrate K.J. Schmansky's 100th day of school this year at Saint Thomas More School in Decatur. Her great-grandfather, Sonny Ragan, was born on October 8, 1925. He got to share 100 years of wisdom with the young class. When asked what keeps him going, Ragan said it's faith and family. 1 Peter 3:10-11 says, “He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, January 28th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
In 1905, Mexican journalist Ricardo Flores Magón escaped the Porfiriato dictatorship and settled in St. Louis, where he launched the newspaper Regeneración. With 20,000 readers throughout Mexico and the U.S., the leftist publication raised awareness of growing wealth inequality, labor exploitation and political corruption in both countries. Historian Francisco Perez shares how Flores Magón connected the struggles of the American working class with that of the Mexican working class, how St. Louis' labor movement shaped Flores Magón's worldview, and why, more than a century later, the activist's politics still resonate.
In this episode of the Tudor Dixon Podcast, Tudor sits down with author and investigative journalist Peter Schweizer to examine the growing crisis of weaponized migration and its impact on America’s future. They break down the role of foreign actors like China and Mexico, the rise of birth tourism, and the political manipulation of birthright citizenship. Schweizer explains how these forces intersect with national security, demographics, and identity — and why the consequences could reshape the country for generations to come. Purchase Peter's NEW Book HERESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Inside, they explore: → The profound realization that stopped her body from conceiving: "I'm terrified to be a mother like my mother had been"→ How following intuitive nudges (even when they don't make logical sense) changed the entire trajectory of her life→ Why premarital coaching at 23 was the catalyst for decades of transformative personal growth→ The sacred travel experience in Ireland that unlocked this truth: "You are a woman whether you have a child or not"→ How our bodies hold stress and old stories—and what it takes to release them→ The biggest code to dismantle: "To be a good mom means you put your children first, then your spouse, then work—and you're last"→ Why there's no "one right way" to mother (and how liberating that truth can be)→ What self-mothering actually looks like (hint: it doesn't always require money or time—it requires permission)→ How generational wiring convinces us we don't deserve rest, help, or prioritizing ourselves→ The travel soccer story: what one mom's "no" taught about triggers, choices, and rewriting family values→ Why mothering is a process we can all cultivate—whether we're raising children, building businesses, or nurturing creative work→ How the nervous system shapes the way we show up in relationships (and why regulating it matters)→ The power of choosing yourself—even when it feels selfish, even when it's uncomfortableDr. Lyons also opens up about her own regret for "leaving herself out" during her daughters' teenage years, the doctoral work that led to her book, and why she now leads immersive retreats in Mexico and Ireland to help women flex their self-mothering muscles.This conversation will make you pause, reflect, and breathe a little deeper. It's for anyone who's ever felt torn between caring for others and caring for themselves—and ready to rewrite the code. Resources & Links: Connect with Dr. Gertrude Lyons:→ Website: www.drgertrudelyons.com→ Instagram: @rewritethemothercode→ Instagram: @drgertrudelyons→ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/rewritethemothercode→ Book: Decoding the Mother Code (available wherever books are sold, including audiobook)→ TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ9ZF8JKIDY→ Substack: Rewrite the Mother Code (https://gertrudelyons.substack.com/) → Podcast: Rewrite the Mother Code (https://www.drgertrudelyons.com/podcast) → Oprah Daily Article by Kristen McGinnis: https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/wholeness/a68888423/self-mothering-reparenting/→ Complimentary 30-Minute Coaching Discovery Call (for listeners): https://calendly.com/drgertrudelyons/complimentary-free-coaching-session Mentioned in This Episode:→ Nicole Sachs's work on nervous system regulation and pain→ Dr. Lyons's immersive experiences and retreats in Mexico and Ireland Connect with Albiona:→ Book a Free Discovery Call (1:1 Coaching) - https://www.theparentingreframe.com/coaching→ Follow Albiona on Instagram - @theparentingreframe→ Join Albiona's Paid Substack Community - https://theparentingreframe.substack.com Loved this episode? Please rate, review, and share it with a mom who's struggling to prioritize herself, a woman who's questioning her choices, or anyone learning to mother themselves first. We're all unlearning the codes we inherited and discovering what it means to truly care for ourselves—so we can show up whole for everything and everyone we love. Until next time,Albiona
Israel says that it will reopen the key border crossing with Egypt after nearly two years. Then: we look into the details of the landmark free-trade agreement between India and the EU. Plus: the latest from Mozambique as the country suffers ongoing floods. And: K-pop soft power in Mexico.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.