Podcasts about Painting

On this episode of Trapped Under Plastic, Scott and Jon discuss what it means to go "Full Ball Sack" in the hobby.Support the Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trappedunderplasticSupport the Show with Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/trapped-under-plasticFollow Jon: https://www.youtube.com/ninjonFollow Scott: https://www.youtube.com/miniacJoin the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395664561386239/Listen to the audio versions: http://www.trappedunderplastic.com/On patreon, we offer our patron's the ability to submit topics for us to discuss during a podcast, you get an extended version of the podcast, and you can submit miniatures for us to critique during an episode!TUP PartnersSteamforged Games:https://steamforged.com/The Army Painter:https://thearmypainter.com/Red Grass Games:redgrasscreative.comIwata:https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/Game Envy:https://gameenvy.net/Monument Hobbies:https://monhob.com/TUPhttps://www.twitch.tv/monument_hobbiesRelevant LinksMeeple-A-Thon:https://meepleathon.com/GenCon:https://www.gencon.com/Ninjon's 30 Minute Mini Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwx9qy6Iwn0Miniac Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgdTupFGGQYNinjon Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZwLrD__0o8Patreon Mini Critique - black_lab_minis:https://www.instagram.com/p/DIsv0fLy778/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3DExtended Portion LinksScott's Mini Pick - Arnau Lazaro:https://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/884321-wendyJon's Mini Pick - moses.yao.9:https://www.instagram.com/p/DaLOdK4jH5o/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&img_index=500:00 Start01:23 Preamble Ramble16:21 TUP Partners (Part One)17:37 Hobby Update32:59 Patreon Mini Critique38:25 TUP Partners (Part Two)40:16 Topic Discussion01:16:13 After PartySupport the showSupport the Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trappedunderplasticSupport the Show with Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/trapped-under-plasticFollow Jon: https://www.youtube.com/ninjonFollow Scott: https://www.youtube.com/miniacJoin the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395664561386239/Listen to the audio versions: http://www.trappedunderplastic.com/

We kick off talking about the Tacoma Open.  If it isn’t on your list to hit I highly suggest you consider it. Good times all around and Adam and Paul … Read More

Washington Wednesday on the Nixon revival, Britain's political reset, and America's 50 laboratories of democracy; World Tour looks at Cuba's communist system running on empty; and a portrait artist painting character. Plus, Albert Mohler on gender ideology in medical education, dishonor among thieves, and the Wednesday morning newsSupport The World and Everything in It today at wng.org/donateAdditional support comes from Equip by Unbound. Launching high schoolers through coaching, skills training, and interest-led projects. More at BeUnbound.us/worldFrom Ambassadors Impact Network. Christian entrepreneurs scaling their companies often struggle to find capital sources that respect, and even celebrate, their redemptive mission. Ambassadors Impact Network connects these founders with angel investors seeking both financial outcomes and spiritual fruit. If you're an investor wanting to steward your capital toward gospel-advancing companies, learn about membership at ambassadorsimpact.comAnd from Cedarville University. Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is committed to biblical faithfulness and academic excellence, preparing students to serve Christ with conviction in every profession. Every one of its 175+ undergraduate and graduate programs are grounded in a biblical worldview, equipping graduates with the knowledge, skill, and conviction to serve wherever God leads. New online undergraduate degrees through Cedarville Online offer flexible, affordable education rooted in biblical truth and designed for today's learners. Learn more at cedarville.edu, and explore online programs at cedarville.edu/online

Cathy and Todd continue their summer blockbusters series with National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978), John Landis’s frat-house classic that launched the college-comedy genre. They discuss the cast, behind-the-scenes trivia, the film’s most WTF scenes, and their own experiences in the Greek system. They also list the top 15 fraternity party songs of the early ’90s, plus the top ten things Animal House gave us that are still discussed, used, or homaged today. Subscribe to Cathy's weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy's Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week's sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World

On this episode,  Chris welcomes acclaimed American abstract artist Galen Cheney for an insightful conversation about creativity, artistic exploration, and the evolving language of contemporary abstract painting. Known for her vibrant, expressive works and fearless approach to experimentation, Galen Cheney has built a distinguished career creating paintings that balance intuition, movement, color, and emotion. Her work invites viewers into a visual dialogue where meaning emerges through process, gesture, and personal interpretation rather than representation alone. In this engaging discussion, Galen shares her artistic journey, the experiences that shaped her creative voice, and how abstraction allows her to explore ideas that cannot always be expressed through words. She discusses the role of curiosity in her studio practice, the challenges and rewards of maintaining a long-term creative career, and how embracing uncertainty often leads to artistic breakthroughs.Whether you're an artist, collector, student, or simply fascinated by the creative process, this episode offers a compelling look inside the mind of one of today's accomplished abstract painters. Galen Cheney's thoughtful reflections on creativity, artistic growth, and the pursuit of authentic expression provide inspiration for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of contemporary art. AART is the podcast where host Chris Stafford engages in meaningful conversations with artists, creators, and cultural voices from around the world, exploring the stories, challenges, and inspirations behind their work.Subscribe to AART for more conversations with leading artists, painters, photographers, sculptors, filmmakers, and creative innovators shaping today's artistic landscape. Galen's website: https://www.galencheney.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galenwcheney/ Some of Galen's favorite female artists:Joan SnyderPat SteirJulie MehretuAmy SillmanCharlene von HeylCecily BrownMarie ThiebaultTerry EkasalaKim ManfrediDeborah DancyMie YimAstrid Dick Galen's dinner party guests:Joan MitchellGrace HartiganHelen FrankenthalerLee KrasnerElaine De KoonigArtemisia GentileschiSEO Keywords:Galen Cheney, Galen Cheney artist, abstract artist, American abstract artist, contemporary abstract art, abstract painting, contemporary painter, modern art, fine art podcast, artist interview, creative process, abstract expressionism, contemporary painting, women artists, visual arts, painting techniques, studio practice, color theory, intuitive painting, expressive painting, contemporary artist interview, art podcast, AART podcast, Chris Stafford, Women Unscripted Podcast Network, abstract art inspiration, professional artist, fine art collector, modern painter, creative journey, artistic process, contemporary art conversation, American painter, visual artist, creativity and art, contemporary art world. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/aart--5814675/support.Hollowell Studios ProductionWebsite: https://hollowellstudios.com/podcastsInstagram: @theaartpodcast Email: theaartpodcast@gmail.com© Copyright: Chris Stafford | Hollowell StudiosAll Rights Reserved

Download your free Painter Growth training here: https://learn.paintergrowth.com/grow-v1?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=grow-v1If you're new here, my name is Mike Gore-Hickman. I'm the founder of Painter Growth, a coaching company that helps painting contractors build real businesses instead of just running jobs.We've worked with over 1,500 painting contractors. Our clients range from guys doing $300K a year to teams pushing past $5M. Our coaches are real painting business owners who built seven-figure companies themselves. Not theory guys.Here's how I got here.Early 20s: Running my own painting business. Couldn't close jobs. Underbidding everything. Painters showed up stoned. Spilled paint on driveways. Painted houses the wrong color. I fell off a ladder. Ended my first year with a $20,000 tax bill I couldn't pay.Still early 20s: Almost quit. Didn't. Got obsessed with systems, sales, and getting help. I hired my first business coach, fixed the chaos & hit over $200K a month in sales before I turned 24.Mid-20s: Followed my girlfriend (now wife) to a new city. Shut the painting business down. Took a job in SaaS. Spent five years helping grow a software company from scratch to nearly $10M a year. That's where I learned how to build and scale an online business.During COVID: My two worlds collided. Running a painting business plus scaling software companies. I launched a side hustle that pulled both together. It became Painter Growth.October 2021: Launched with an MVP and $10 a day in Facebook ads. No money. No clients. No connections.End of 2021: Signed my first 10 clients. Eight got massive results. That was all the proof I needed.Late 2022: Brought on Jesse, my partner and CFO. Hired our first coach and first VA. Reinvested everything back into the business.2023 and beyond: Built a team of nearly 50, including seven-figure painting business owners coaching full time.We became an official Sherwin-Williams partner and we're the exclusive coaching program referred by them.We we're named PCA 2026 Partner of the Year.You don't need to be a good painter to build a great painting business. You need to be a good business owner who hires good painters. Most contractors never make that switch. We help them make it.What I'm focused on right now: AI and systems. We're building AI-powered tools inside Painter Growth, including a bookkeeping assistant and a proposal generator. The contractors who figure this out early are going to pull ahead.I'm still building. Still figuring things out. But I'm doing it alongside 1,500 contractors who are all in the middle of their own fight to build something real.If you're in that fight, you're in the right place.Never quit,MikeGet a FREE Painting Business Growth Session. In 30 minutes, we'll build you a custom plan to grow → https://learn.paintergrowth.com/book-your-call-1?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=booking*Painter Growth content is for educational purposes only. Results vary. Individual outcomes depend on the effort, situation, and decisions of each business owner.*

Text me your thoughts or questions on this episode!To hear the full episode and see the video, subscribe here.In this guest episode, I sit down with Julia Collins, a London-based art advisor and dealer behind Collins & Green, to talk about how to actually look at a painting — no art history degree required.Julia has a real academic art background, and by her own admission, it's “in many ways irrelevant” to how she looks at a painting. The pieces she loves best aren't always the most technically accomplished — they're the ones that catch her somewhere specific: a color balance, a blank face, a detail she can't quite explain. That's the whole method, and it's one anyone can use.Subscribe to hear us walk through 10 paintings as Julia dissects each one.  Subscribe to the show to access future episodes! Going forward, we'll continue to publish 1 free episode per month.  If you'd like to have access to the other 3-4 episodes each month, please click on the subscription link, above. Take the quiz: What's Your Style DNA?

Creativity through the lens of an Artist, Author and Art Teacher,"Nature has been my greatest art teacher."Marquiss has been a professional artist, art teacher and writer in Bend, Oregon, for 34 years, and the author of Behind the Painting – An Artist's Memoir, published May 7, 2026.She developed her interest in art as a child, surrounded by the lush beauty of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Marquiss attended both the University of Oregon and UCLA, earning her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. After graduating she became the Marketing Director for the first private psychiatric hospital in Reno, Nevada, and then a product manager for HCA in Nashville, TN.When her daughter was born, she left her corporate career and returned to her art and writing. “I focused primarily on watercolor because it can be surprising and has a beautiful transparency. Painting with watercolor also teaches about control – when to take it and when to let go –as in life,” she explains. “The abstract cruciform design followed - after years of painting large format florals.”Her recent memoir holds ten of her paintings and a personal story behind each one over a thirty year period. Over time, her paintings created a circular language between her art and her life.This book takes the reader on artistic adventures in Paris and Southern France, the process of finding her artistic style and through tough challenges she faced including divorce, family suicide, a stroke and cancer.As a character voice actor, her daughter Katherine Tole joined Marquiss on the audiobook edition.Her original art and book information can be seen at www.marymarquiss.com.Send us Fan Mail

David walks through the 4 stages that took him from a broke painting business at 19 to exiting his exterior cleaning company at 36. He breaks down what actually changed at each stage, from building himself a job instead of a business in the painting years, to scaling to 5,500+ projects and 11,000 leads after getting off the truck, to building Home Service Business Coach and helping 620+ companies do the same.See where your business stands —Take the free Growth ScorecardListen to the full audiobook free — Get Off The TruckFollow HSBC Social's:Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | HSBC Accelerator | Jobber | Home Service Business Coach Email: info@homeservicebusinesscoach.com

Send us Fan MailThe Truth About Pool Coatings, Surface Preparation, and Why Failures Really HappenEveryone wants to know which pool paint is the best.Wrong question.In this episode of Talking Pools, Rudy Stankowitz takes listeners far beyond the paint can and into the science of coating failures, adhesion, compatibility, moisture, and surface preparation. Using the recent attention surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool as a jumping-off point, Rudy explains why nearly every coating failure investigation asks the same question:What happened before the paint ever touched the surface?From chlorinated rubber and acrylics to epoxy and high-build epoxy systems, this episode explores the strengths, weaknesses, and proper applications of today's most common swimming pool coating systems. More importantly, it explains why even the most expensive coating in the world can't overcome poor preparation.If you've ever wondered why one painted pool lasts fifteen years while another begins peeling after a single season, this episode connects the dots between chemistry, application, environmental conditions, and good old-fashioned craftsmanship. Along the way, Rudy shares real-world stories, practical advice, and plenty of his signature Gen X humor.Whether you're a pool service professional, contractor, facility manager, or simply fascinated by how coatings succeed—or fail—this is one of the most comprehensive discussions on swimming pool coatings ever presented on the Talking Pools Podcast. In This Episode Why asking "What's the best pool paint?" is the wrong question  The lessons every pool professional can learn from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool  Why compatibility between coating systems matters  Understanding chlorinated rubber, synthetic rubber, acrylic, epoxy, and high-build epoxy coatings  Why surface preparation determines the success or failure of almost every coating system  How to properly inspect an existing painted pool before recoating  The importance of documenting coating failures before disturbing the evidence  Mechanical adhesion vs. chemical adhesion explained in plain English  Why moisture remains one of the biggest enemies of successful coating applications  Proper cleaning, sanding, acid washing, and contamination removal  How silicone contamination, chalking, oils, and residue interfere with adhesion  Why weather, humidity, dew point, and curing conditions matter  Understanding recoat windows and why missing them creates problems  Common causes of blistering, peeling, and coating delamination  Adhesive failure vs. cohesive failure vs. substrate failure  ASTM testing methods used during professional coating failure investigations  Why coating failures should be investigated—not guessed Key Takeaways✔ The most expensive coating cannot overcome poor surface preparation.✔ Compatibility between existing and new coating systems is critical.✔ Surface contamination is often invisible but can completely prevent proper adhesion.✔ Moisture inside concrete can remain long after the surface appears dry.✔ Proper environmental conditions are just as important as choosing the right coating.✔ Good investigators document the failure before removing any evidence.✔ Most coating failures begin long before the pool is filled with water.✔ Successful coating jobs are built on preparation—not luck.Memorable Quotes"Surface preparation isn't part of the job. Surface preparation is the job.""Compatibility matters. Chemistry matters. Guessing doesn't.""Painting a pool isn't hard. Knowing when not to paint—that's what separates a guy with a roller from a pool professional."Featured SponsorsBlu-Ray XLReduce chemical usage, lower labor costs, and improve profitability with Blu-Ray XL's mineral purification technology for pool professionals. Jacks MagicProfessional stain identification, removal, and prevention products trusted throughout the pool industry. AquaStar Pool ProductsLearn about AquaStar's innovative Pipeline cartridge filters featuring NSF-tested performance and simplified maintenance. Service Industry NewsStay informed with nationwide pool and spa industry news, technical articles, and the famous Horror File. Subscribe free at Service Industry News. Listen If You... Paint or recoat swimming pools  Service painted pools  Investigate coating failures  Work with commercial aquatic facilities  Want to better understand adhesion and coating science  Enjoy deep technical discussions presented in plain English  Like your pool education served with a healthy dose of Gen X sarcasm Connect With Talking PoolsQuestions about coatings, chemistry, troubleshooting, or a future podcast topic?

www.TheMasonAndFriendsShow.com https://thejuunit.bandcamp.com/releases https://www.youtube.com/@SuperStationWJDL-TV5 A Ridiculous Fever Dream of Pro Wrestling Presented by J Dub https://www.glass-flo.com Great Pipes for Sure Pottery Painting, Crazy Lady, only a week wait, nice spot, Staring, Raising a mean Girl, Shit Parents, take ya time, who cares? driving madness, Passin, Bison Toss, crazy Folks. Electrical Sockets, wire and tape, giant spark, drive productive, freer poor, not sided, no political cap, black panthers, math teacher bitch, how to think over what. income needed, shit winter time job, the music of this episode@ https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2K5Li8qGm5KxkHyJRqzoHw?si=2b655ab94ca34e4f support the show@ www.patreon.com/MperfectEntertainment

Original Air Date: July 18, 2026 Episode Number: 468Episode SummarySome exterior surfaces are one-way doors. You can paint them -- but once you do, something changes permanently, or close enough to it that you should know what you're signing up for before you start. Dan opens with a story about a pair of jeans he turned into extremely short shorts without measuring first, and uses it to frame a conversation about five exterior surfaces where the same logic applies: brick, foundation, natural stone, decks, and vinyl siding.Timestamps[00:00] -- Points of No Return[00:56] -- Jorts Origin Story[02:31] -- Cut Once, Regret[06:06] -- Neighbor Catches You[07:30] -- Painting One-Way Doors[10:40] -- Brick Painting Reality[14:03] -- Brick Breathability and Options[15:17] -- Foundation Paint Tradeoffs[17:00] -- Moisture and Cracks Warning[18:54] -- Natural Stone Teaser[19:38] -- Natural Stone Risks[21:33] -- Updating Dated Stone[22:40] -- Resale Impact Warning[24:04] -- Why Deck Paint Fails[25:18] -- Stain vs. Paint[27:32] -- Removing Deck Paint[28:57] -- Vinyl Siding Setup[31:58] -- Color, Heat, and Warping[35:04] -- Vinyl Safe Colors[36:41] -- Best Practice Checklist[37:28] -- Get Expert Help[38:21] -- Car Show Wrap UpThe Jorts Story [00:56]Dan had a pair of blown-out jeans he decided to cut into work shorts. He eyeballed the cut instead of measuring. Part of his brain told him not to. He ignored it. The resulting shorts were dramatically too short -- Daisy Dukes, his word -- and he wore them up a ladder in the backyard because there was no other option. His neighbor appeared, smirked, and delivered the full measure-twice-cut-once speech. No photos exist.Brick [10:40]Painted brick is permanent for all practical purposes. Stripping paint off brick is expensive and usually damages the face. That means when you paint brick, you're not just picking a color -- you're becoming a painted brick house, likely forever.Two other things to keep in mind: you're creating maintenance that didn't exist before (a painted surface will need refreshing every 5-10 years), and you need the right product. Standard paint can trap moisture inside the masonry, and in Michigan winters, freeze-thaw cycles can cause spalling -- the face of the brick literally flaking off.For a better option, RepcoLite carries Roma Bio Limewash and Roma Bio Mineral Paint. Both are breathable and bond with the brick rather than sitting on top of it. They create a great old-world look and mostly sidestep the moisture problems. Still a point of no return, but a much lower-maintenance one.Foundation [15:17]Same logic as brick. Concrete block and poured concrete are porous and move moisture. Once you paint them, you're on a maintenance cycle. Before painting, address any efflorescence (white, fuzzy salt deposits), persistent peeling, or visible water intrusion -- paint won't fix those, it'll just cover the symptoms. And don't paint over foundation cracks without understanding what caused them. Ayers Basement Systems can evaluate for free in most cases.Natural Stone [19:38]What makes natural stone beautiful is the variation -- every piece is different, the light catches the texture differently, it has depth. Painting it covers all of that. The texture stays, but the richness is gone. Sometimes painted stone looks great. Sometimes it ends up looking a little fake. Worth thinking about before you open the can.If the stone is genuinely dated and you want to update it, a solid color is a reasonable fix -- but if you're planning to sell the house soon, be cautious. There's a portion of buyers who will see painted-over fieldstone as a problem. Since getting that paint back off is essentially the same story as brick, it's their problem too.Decks [24:04]A deck is one of the harshest environments on a property. Rain, snow, sun, foot traffic, patio furniture -- it's brutal on a film-forming coating like paint. When deck paint eventually fails, it chips, cracks, and peels, and refreshing it means scraping and sanding before you can recoat. It's a much harder maintenance cycle than most people expect going in.For most decks, a quality deck stain is a better answer. It wears out by fading, and when it's time to refresh, you clean and recoat. For decks in rough enough shape that you need solid coverage, look at WoodLux or RepcoLite WoodMaster -- both deliver an opaque look but form a thinner, more breathable coating than paint that handles the wood's expansion and contraction better.If you've already got paint on a deck and need to remove it, RepcoLite rents a floor sander that's built for the job. It's still not fun, but it's the best option available.Vinyl Siding [28:57]The point of no return here is color. Darker colors absorb more heat. If the new color you choose is significantly darker than the original vinyl color, the panels can absorb enough heat to expand beyond what they're designed for -- causing warping, buckling, or sagging. Once that happens, it's permanent. Repainting lighter can slow or stop it from getting worse, but won't undo what's already warped. This is not rare. Look at houses in your neighborhood and you'll find examples.Benjamin Moore has a collection of about 75 vinyl safe colors formulated with pigments that reflect more infrared heat, so a darker-looking color doesn't absorb heat the same way a standard formula would. These are a real step forward -- but they're not a blank check. The quality and thickness of your vinyl, your sun exposure, and whether you're using the right paint product all factor in. Vinyl safe colors are intended for use in Regal Select, Aura, or Element Guard specifically.Dan's checklist: check your vinyl manufacturer's repainting recommendations, use a Benjamin Moore vinyl safe color, use it in Regal Select, Aura, or Element Guard, and don't push dramatically darker than the original color if you can help it.Bottom Line [37:28]For any of these surfaces, stop into any RepcoLite before you start. Bring pictures, bring samples, bring whatever you've got. The staff can help you work through the right product, the right color, and the right approach so you're not finding out what you didn't know on the back end of a project you can't undo.EventsCar show at Lakewood RepcoLite -- July 18, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and the Corvette Club. Free admission, Hudsonville ice cream while it lasts. Some construction out front but you can get through. Dan will be there.Products MentionedRoma Bio Limewash -- Breathable masonry finish for brick; available at RepcoLiteRoma Bio Mineral Paint -- Breathable mineral-based option for brick; available at RepcoLiteAyers Basement Systems -- Foundation crack evaluation (typically free)WoodLux -- Solid color deck stain; available at RepcoLiteRepcoLite WoodMaster -- Solid color deck stain; available at RepcoLiteRepcoLite floor sander rental -- For removing deck paint; ask in storeBenjamin Moore vinyl safe color collection -- ~75 colors formulated for vinyl siding; available at RepcoLiteBenjamin Moore Regal Select, Aura, Element Guard -- Products where vinyl safe formulations are availableFind the ShowEpisodes available anytime at repcolite.com -- click the On the Radio tab.Home In Progress | RepcoLite Paints | Sponsored by Benjamin Moore

Hey Now, Cabalists! We kick off the show with an update on Chris's temporary ward, Mia the cat, while Steve comes flying out of the gate with the jokes. Then we dive into the games we've been playing, including Voidfall, Underwater Cities, Blood Rage, Nippon, Container, and feature The Gallerist, designed by Vital Lacerda. After Tony T's Tabletop Gaming News segment, the gang wraps things up by tackling a batch of listener-submitted questions. Voidfall: 00:04:23, Underwater Cities: 00:12:53, Blood Rage: 00:19:08, Container: 00:29:16, Nippon: Zaibatsu: 00:46:45, The Gallerist Review: 00:55:01, News with Tony T: 01:28:04, Short Topic Extravaganza: 02:24:53. Check out our sponsors Restoration Games at https://restorationgames.com/, Game Toppers at https://www.gametoppersllc.com/ and Prester's Painting at https://www.presterspainting.com/

Cathy and Todd discuss Back to the Future for their summer blockbuster series, Robert Zemeckis’s 1985 time-travel classic that took nearly 40 rejections to get made before Steven Spielberg got involved. They discuss how Eric Stoltz was originally cast as Marty McFly and shot for five weeks before being replaced by Michael J. Fox, who then secretly filmed the movie at night while shooting Family Ties by day. On a $19 million budget, the film grossed nearly $400 million and became a cultural touchstone, complete with an uncredited Huey Lewis cameo and a Crispin Glover lawsuit that changed how Hollywood handles an actor’s likeness. They dig into why it still resonates including the butterfly-effect plot, the idea of meeting your parents as flawed kids just like you, and Doc’s closing line — “your future hasn’t been written yet” — as the real heart of the film. Subscribe to Cathy's weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy's Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week's sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World

In this fascinating conversation, I sit down with painter, teacher, and author Jordan Wolfson to explore painting as a practice of awareness. Jordan describes how, over the years, his sense of self has become more porous and less fixed, allowing him to respond more openly to both life and the creative process.We discuss why some paintings feel profoundly alive while others, though technically accomplished, do not. Jordan shares insights drawn from artists like Cézanne, Monet, and especially Berthe Morisot, whose expressive mark-making helped shape modern painting in ways that history has often overlooked.Along the way, we explore nondual awareness, presence, emotional energy, and why truly meaningful art often emerges when we stop trying to force it. I also share how my own doodling practice, along with a simple moment making toast alone in Santa Fe, taught me that everyday acts can become gateways to presence.Although Jordan and I often use different language, we discovered we were pointing toward much the same experience: creativity not as something we manufacture, but as something we participate in.If you've ever sensed that painting is about more than paint, this conversation is for you.To purchase Jordan's book:https://www.lulu.com/shop/jordan-wolfson/power-and-presence/paperback/product-q6wm9wr.html?q=&page=1&pageSize=4For more information, visit his website https://jordanwolfson.com/Jordan Wolfson received his MFA from the Yale School of Art in 1991. An internationally exhibited painter, his work explores the relationship between perception, mark-making, and consciousness, viewing painting as both a creative practice and a path to deeper understanding. His work is included in collections around the world, and he has received numerous honors, including grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the Ingram Merrill Foundation."Painting isn't about making a picture; painting is about exploring life."Want to learn more about CJ Miller? Check out his Spiritual Artist Retreats, 1:1 Personal Coaching, and Speaking Engagements at www.spiritualartisttoday.com. His retreats are designed to help you reconnect with your Creative Intelligence and express your true artistic voice. You can also find his upcoming schedule there, and his book, The Spiritual Artist, is available on Amazon.

Download your free Painter Growth training here: https://learn.paintergrowth.com/grow-v1?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=grow-v1If you're new here, my name is Mike Gore-Hickman. I'm the founder of Painter Growth, a coaching company that helps painting contractors build real businesses instead of just running jobs.We've worked with over 1,500 painting contractors. Our clients range from guys doing $300K a year to teams pushing past $5M. Our coaches are real painting business owners who built seven-figure companies themselves. Not theory guys.Here's how I got here.Early 20s: Running my own painting business. Couldn't close jobs. Underbidding everything. Painters showed up stoned. Spilled paint on driveways. Painted houses the wrong color. I fell off a ladder. Ended my first year with a $20,000 tax bill I couldn't pay.Still early 20s: Almost quit. Didn't. Got obsessed with systems, sales, and getting help. I hired my first business coach, fixed the chaos & hit over $200K a month in sales before I turned 24.Mid-20s: Followed my girlfriend (now wife) to a new city. Shut the painting business down. Took a job in SaaS. Spent five years helping grow a software company from scratch to nearly $10M a year. That's where I learned how to build and scale an online business.During COVID: My two worlds collided. Running a painting business plus scaling software companies. I launched a side hustle that pulled both together. It became Painter Growth.October 2021: Launched with an MVP and $10 a day in Facebook ads. No money. No clients. No connections.End of 2021: Signed my first 10 clients. Eight got massive results. That was all the proof I needed.Late 2022: Brought on Jesse, my partner and CFO. Hired our first coach and first VA. Reinvested everything back into the business.2023 and beyond: Built a team of nearly 50, including seven-figure painting business owners coaching full time.We became an official Sherwin-Williams partner and we're the exclusive coaching program referred by them.We we're named PCA 2026 Partner of the Year.You don't need to be a good painter to build a great painting business. You need to be a good business owner who hires good painters. Most contractors never make that switch. We help them make it.What I'm focused on right now: AI and systems. We're building AI-powered tools inside Painter Growth, including a bookkeeping assistant and a proposal generator. The contractors who figure this out early are going to pull ahead.I'm still building. Still figuring things out. But I'm doing it alongside 1,500 contractors who are all in the middle of their own fight to build something real.If you're in that fight, you're in the right place.Never quit,MikeGet a FREE Painting Business Growth Session. In 30 minutes, we'll build you a custom plan to grow → https://learn.paintergrowth.com/book-your-call-1?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=booking*Painter Growth content is for educational purposes only. Results vary. Individual outcomes depend on the effort, situation, and decisions of each business owner.*

The government is planning legal changes that would impact Ukrainian citizens; an artwork by a Czechoslovak soldier based in England during WWII has gone back there.

Russ and Jared are serving up another listener-requested abomination! This time, they're getting back to fine indie cinema (like Clowntergeist), and tackling The Blood Painting (2016), starring Andrew Rotondi, John Leavitt, Susan Maris, James Alonardo, Michael Bergeron, and Matthew Crawley. Stay tuned for the full episode next week!

On this episode of Trapped Under Plastic, Scott and Jon discuss what matters when deciding on an Army.Support the Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trappedunderplasticSupport the Show with Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/trapped-under-plasticFollow Jon: https://www.youtube.com/ninjonFollow Scott: https://www.youtube.com/miniacJoin the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395664561386239/Listen to the audio versons: http://www.trappedunderplastic.com/On patreon, we offer our patron's the ability to submit topics for us to discuss during a podcast, you get an extended version of the podcast, and you can submit miniatures for us to critique during an episode!TUP PartnersSteamforged Games:https://steamforged.com/The Army Painter:https://thearmypainter.com/Red Grass Games:redgrasscreative.comIwata:https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/Game Envy:https://gameenvy.net/Monument Hobbies:https://monhob.com/TUPhttps://www.twitch.tv/monument_hobbiesRelevant LinksNinjon New Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9AUY9rrb9cMiniac New Video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgdTupFGGQYPatreon Mini Critique - Tim F:https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fcanadian-infantry-the-loyal-edmonton-regiment-v0-oytu6t69f9re1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D1080%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D65624f86084def6bfcfdb384e45ebe2c52eec66500:00 Start00:58 Preamble Ramble27:33 TUP Partners (Part One)29:23 Hobby Update44:59 Patreon Mini Critique50:02 TUP Partners (Part Two)51:17 Topic DiscussionSupport the showSupport the Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trappedunderplasticSupport the Show with Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/trapped-under-plasticFollow Jon: https://www.youtube.com/ninjonFollow Scott: https://www.youtube.com/miniacJoin the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395664561386239/Listen to the audio versions: http://www.trappedunderplastic.com/

Tired of fighting with low-quality subcontractors in your home service business? In this episode I break down exactly why I run my painting business with 14 W-2 employees across 4 crews — the pros, the cons, and the hiring system that keeps my best people loyal for 9+ years.I own Premium Painting, and my goal was never a $10M company — it's a $2M–$2.5M business with 47–52% gross margins that runs like a franchise I collect dividends from. W-2 employees are how I got there.But it's not all sunshine and rainbows, so I'm giving you the real trade-offs subcontractors vs employees, and the systems that make W-2 actually work.Whether you run a painting company, HVAC, roofing, landscaping, cleaning, or any home service or trades business, this is the W-2 vs subcontractor breakdown I wish I had when I started.

10 years of being a band, Mini Skirt have been pulling the thread and getting as much out of playing music as they can. Happy bricklaying or painting at home and happy enough on tour, it's a good life. Their latest album All That We Know is out now. Get in touch giles@mightymoonmedia.com Thanks The Shacklewell Arms for having us. Get yourself some top class Shure microphone gear: https://shu.re/3YhV7p2 Set up Your Band's merch store, for free at Distrokid Direct: https://distrokid.com/direct/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commercial painting quotes vary wildly based on prep, building height, and hidden costs. This episode breaks down key price drivers, how to vet contractors, and why your building's exterior matters for customers and morale. Learn more: https://paintingpros.com/commercial-painting/ The Painting Pros City: Los Gatos Address: 14960 Los Gatos Blvd. Website: https://paintingpros.com/

We talk a lot about the new starter set in the first half of the show.  It  comes with the new terrain.  The terrain is unpainted. You also get some … Read More

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: Sven's Daring Debut: How a Sneaky Painting Won the Spotlight Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2026-07-11-07-38-19-nl Story Transcript:Nl: In het Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam was de zomerzon helder en verwarmend.En: In the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the summer sun was bright and warming.Nl: Binnen waren de gangen een drukte van belang.En: Inside, the corridors were bustling with activity.Nl: Het museum bereidde zich voor op de nieuwe zomertentoonstelling.En: The museum was preparing for the new summer exhibition.Nl: Sven, een ambitieuze jonge kunstenaar, ging samen met zijn collega Joost door de grote zaal.En: Sven, an ambitious young artist, walked through the great hall with his colleague Joost.Nl: “Dit is onze kans, Joost,” zei Sven enthousiast.En: "This is our chance, Joost," Sven said enthusiastically.Nl: “Hier wil ik mijn werk zien hangen.”En: "This is where I want to see my work hanging."Nl: Sven keek naar Lisanne, de ervaren curator, die alles nauwlettend in de gaten hield.En: Sven looked at Lisanne, the experienced curator, who was watching everything closely.Nl: Ze was streng, maar vooral kritisch.En: She was strict, but above all critical.Nl: Ze geloofde niet dat een onervaren stagiair als Sven iets kon bijdragen aan de prestigieuze tentoonstelling.En: She didn't believe that an inexperienced intern like Sven could contribute anything to the prestigious exhibition.Nl: Ze schoof een paar schilderijen recht, haar blik vol concentratie.En: She straightened a few paintings, her expression full of concentration.Nl: “Maak je geen zorgen, Sven,” zei Joost vriendelijk.En: "Don't worry, Sven," Joost said kindly.Nl: “Laat je werk voor zichzelf spreken.En: "Let your work speak for itself.Nl: Maar hou het wel eerlijk, oké?”En: But keep it honest, okay?"Nl: Toch besloot Sven iets anders.En: Yet Sven decided otherwise.Nl: Hij wilde bewijzen wat hij kon.En: He wanted to prove what he could do.Nl: Terwijl niemand keek, plaatste hij een van zijn schilderijen tussen de officiële werken.En: While no one was looking, he placed one of his paintings among the official works.Nl: Het was een kleurrijk en gedurfd stuk, vol beweging en emotie.En: It was a colorful and bold piece, full of movement and emotion.Nl: Op de dag van de opening was het museum vol bezoekers.En: On the day of the opening, the museum was full of visitors.Nl: De zaal was gevuld met zachte gesprekken en voetstappen die weerklonken op de houten vloeren.En: The hall was filled with soft conversations and footsteps echoing on the wooden floors.Nl: Men bewonderde de kunst, en ontdekte toen Sven's schilderij.En: People admired the art, and then discovered Sven's painting.Nl: Het trok meteen hun aandacht.En: It immediately caught their attention.Nl: Flarden van discussies vulden de zaal – wie heeft dit gemaakt? Wat betekent het?En: Snippets of discussions filled the hall – who made this? What does it mean?Nl: Lisanne bekeek het publiek en zag de actie rond het onbekende schilderij.En: Lisanne observed the audience and saw the activity around the unknown painting.Nl: Een rimpel van nieuwsgierigheid verscheen op haar gezicht.En: A wrinkle of curiosity appeared on her face.Nl: Oudere bezoekers, jonge kunststudenten, iedereen leek gefascineerd.En: Older visitors, young art students, everyone seemed fascinated.Nl: Ze liep snel naar Sven's werk toe, en herkende de stijl.En: She quickly walked over to Sven's work and recognized the style.Nl: Na de drukte trok ze Sven opzij.En: After the excitement, she pulled Sven aside.Nl: “Is dit jouw werk, Sven?” vroeg ze streng.En: "Is this your work, Sven?" she asked sternly.Nl: Hij knikte trots, maar ook voorzichtig.En: He nodded proudly, but also cautiously.Nl: “Ik wilde laten zien wat ik kan,” gaf hij toe.En: "I wanted to show what I can do," he admitted.Nl: Ze lachte verrassend mild.En: She laughed surprisingly gently.Nl: “Het heeft indruk gemaakt.En: "It made an impression.Nl: Maar weet dat je de regels moet volgen.En: But know that you must follow the rules.Nl: Talent is niet genoeg.En: Talent is not enough.Nl: Maar je verdient een kans.”En: But you deserve a chance."Nl: Ze pauzeerde even.En: She paused for a moment.Nl: “We zullen het een paar weken laten hangen,” besloot ze.En: "We'll let it hang for a few weeks," she decided.Nl: Sven voelde een golf van opluchting en blijdschap.En: Sven felt a wave of relief and joy.Nl: Joost gaf hem een schouderklopje.En: Joost gave him a pat on the shoulder.Nl: Sven wist dat dit nog maar het begin was van zijn artistieke reis.En: Sven knew this was just the beginning of his artistic journey.Nl: Hij had geleerd dat doorzettingsvermogen en respect voor de kunstwereld cruciaal waren, maar dat zijn dromen dichterbij dan ooit waren.En: He had learned that perseverance and respect for the art world were crucial, but that his dreams were closer than ever.Nl: En zo vond Sven zijn plek in het Rijksmuseum, met een hernieuwde vastberadenheid om zijn stempel op de kunstwereld te drukken.En: And so Sven found his place in the Rijksmuseum, with a renewed determination to make his mark on the art world. Vocabulary Words:bright: heldercorridors: gangenbustling: drukte van belangambitious: ambitieuzeenthusiastically: enthousiastcurator: curatorstrict: strengcritical: kritischinexperienced: onervarenintern: stagiairprestigious: prestigieuzestraightened: rechtzettenconcentration: concentratieprove: bewijzenbold: gedurfdmovement: bewegingemotion: emotiefootsteps: voetstappenechoing: weerklonkenwrinkle: rimpelcuriosity: nieuwsgierigheidfascinated: gefacineerdsternly: strengimpression: indrukrelief: opluchtingjoy: blijdschapperseverance: doorzettingsvermogencrucial: cruciaaldetermination: vastberadenheidmark: stempel

The judge is never going to accept this...

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Rainbows and Spontaneity: A Serendipitous Day at Lodhi Garden Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2026-07-10-07-38-19-hi Story Transcript:Hi: लोधी गार्डन की हरियाली के बीच, दिल्‍ली की मानसून की हल्की फुहारें आसमान से मिलने को आतुर थीं।En: Amidst the greenery of Lodhi Garden, the light drizzle of Delhi's monsoon was eager to meet the sky.Hi: सुबह का समय था, जब जीवन में हलचल कम होती है और प्रकृति अपनी संगीतमाला गा रही होती है।En: It was morning, a time when life's hustle and bustle is minimal and nature is singing its melody.Hi: ऐसे में आरव और मीरा ने एक अचानक पिकनिक का प्लान बनाया था।En: In such a setting, Aarav and Meera made an impromptu plan for a picnic.Hi: उद्देश्य था—खिलते हुए फूलों को पकड़ना और एक सुंदर दृश्य को अपने चित्र और तस्वीरों में कैद करना।En: The goal was—to catch blooming flowers and capture a beautiful scene in their sketches and photographs.Hi: आरव हमेशा चपल और अनायास निर्णय लेने वाला था।En: Aarav was always spontaneous and made decisions on a whim.Hi: वह कैमरा लेकर हर उस क्षण को कैद करना चाहता था जो उसकी नजरों में खास होता।En: He wanted to capture every moment that seemed special to him with his camera.Hi: दूसरी ओर, मीरा थी, जो थोड़ी शांत रहती थी लेकिन उसकी आँखें जिज्ञासा से भरी रहती थीं।En: On the other hand, Meera, who was a bit calm, always had eyes filled with curiosity.Hi: उसे प्रकृति और चित्रकारी का गहरा प्यार था।En: She had a deep love for nature and painting.Hi: जब दोनों लोधी गार्डन पहुँचे, तो सूरज की रौशनी फूलों पर पड़ रही थी, और वह दृश्य किसी स्वर्ग से कम नहीं था।En: When they reached Lodhi Garden, sunlight was falling on the flowers, and the scene was no less than heaven.Hi: आरव को एक ऐसी फूल की तलाश थी जो विरल पाया जाता है।En: Aarav was on the lookout for a rare flower.Hi: उसी दौरान, मीरा ने अपने चित्रकारी के सामान को बिछाया और एक अनोखा दृश्य अपनी पेंटिंग में उतारने के लिए तैयार हो गई।En: Meanwhile, Meera spread out her painting materials and prepared to capture a unique view on her canvas.Hi: अचानक, आसमान के बादल घिर आए और हल्की बूंदे बरसने लगी।En: Suddenly, clouds gathered in the sky, and light raindrops began to fall.Hi: आरव के कैमरे में कुछ गड़बड़ी आ गई, और वह चिंतित हो गया।En: There was a problem with Aarav's camera, and he became worried.Hi: वह तेजी से अपने कैमरे को बचाने की कोशिश करने लगा।En: He quickly started trying to protect his camera.Hi: मीरा थोड़ी चिंतित हो गई कि अगर बारिश तेज हुई, तो उसकी पेंटिंग अधूरी रह जाएगी।En: Meera was a bit concerned that if the rain intensified, her painting would remain incomplete.Hi: वे दोनों बारिश से बचने का प्रयास करने लगे, तभी एक इन्द्रधनुष आसमान में चमकने लगा।En: As they both tried to evade the rain, a rainbow began to shine across the sky.Hi: आरव की चिंता अब प्रसन्नता में बदल गई; यह एक दुर्लभ क्षण था।En: Aarav's worry transformed into delight; this was a rare moment.Hi: यही तो वह खोजना चाहता था।En: This was exactly what he wanted to find.Hi: उसने तेज़ी से कैमरा भिड़ाया और उस रंगीन छवि को कैद किया।En: He quickly grabbed his camera and captured the colorful image.Hi: मीरा ने भी अपने चित्र में उस इन्द्रधनुष को शामिल किया, बारिश की बूंदों में उभरते जीवंत रंगों का चित्रण किया।En: Meera also included the rainbow in her painting, depicting the vibrant colors emerging through the raindrops.Hi: बारिश रोकने पर, उन दोनों ने एहसास किया कि उन्होंने प्रकृति के इस अभूतपूर्व दृश्य को गहराई से अनुभव किया।En: After the rain stopped, both realized they had deeply experienced this extraordinary scene of nature.Hi: आरव ने सीखा कि अनिश्चितता को अपनाने में भी एक अलग प्रकार की खुशी हो सकती है।En: Aarav learned that embracing uncertainty can bring a different kind of joy.Hi: मीरा को विश्वास हुआ कि अगर परिवर्तन को अपनाया जाए तो कला और अधिक जीवंत हो सकती है।En: Meera believed that if change was embraced, art could become even more vivid.Hi: इस तरह, वे दोनों लोधी गार्डन से एक यादगार अनुभव लेकर लौटे और उस दिन को कभी नहीं भूलने का वादा किया।En: In this way, they both returned from Lodhi Garden with a memorable experience and a promise never to forget that day.Hi: प्रकृति ने उन्हें सिखाया कि कभी-कभी पल की सुंदरता योजनाओं से परे होती है, और अनायास ही हमें अद्वितीय अनुभव दे जाती है।En: Nature taught them that sometimes the beauty of the moment goes beyond plans and spontaneously gifts us unique experiences. Vocabulary Words:greenery: हरियालीdrizzle: फुहारेंeager: आतुरhustle: हलचलspontaneous: अनायासwhim: आकस्मिकcaptivate: कैद करनाcuriosity: जिज्ञासाunique: अनोखाevade: बचनेdelight: प्रसन्नताmoment: क्षणvibrant: जीवंतextraordinary: अभूतपूर्वembracing: अपनानेuncertainty: अनिश्चितताvivid: जीवंतmemorable: यादगारexperience: अनुभवspontaneously: अनायासdecision: निर्णयcanvas: कैनवासproblem: गड़बड़ीsunlight: सूरज की रौशनीrare: विरलgathered: घिर आएrainbow: इन्द्रधनुषart: कलाbeyond: परेscenery: दृश्य

Episode TitleOriginal Air Date: 07/08/26 Episode Number: 467Episode SummaryA full episode this week. Dan picks up the smoke smell series with fabric, carpet, upholstery, and the full cigarette smoke remediation process -- including the right primer and why it's step four, not step one. Then a long segment on painting in summer heat: surface temps vs. air temps, when to start, when to quit, how to chase the cool shade, bees on ladders, and the best products for the job. He closes with a cement truck taking out his power line, his electrician son saving the day, and a case for encouraging the next generation toward the trades.In This Episode[00:00] -- Show Intro and Teaser[01:16] -- Microwave Fire Story[04:27] -- Wash Smoke Out of Fabrics[06:22] -- Carpet and Upholstery Deodorizing[09:47] -- Cigarette Smoke Reality Check[11:15] -- Deep Clean and Remove Odors[15:00] -- Prime and Repaint Correctly[18:53] -- Heat Weather Painting Setup[19:28] -- Heat Lovers and Painting Risks[21:13] -- Heat Painting Is Fine[21:39] -- Air vs. Surface Temp[23:10] -- Hot Surface Failures[24:01] -- Start Early, Plan Your Walls[25:13] -- Chase the Cool Shade[26:34] -- Infrared Thermometer Hack[27:35] -- Quit Before the Dew[28:16] -- Heat Safety and Breaks[29:11] -- Bees and Ladder Panic[32:47] -- Treat Your Crew Right[33:46] -- Best Paint for Heat[35:27] -- Power Pole Chaos Story[37:32] -- Why Trades Matter[39:41] -- Wrap Up and EventsMicrowave Fire Story [01:16]Dan circles back to the microwave fire story from a couple weeks ago. His daughter put a cherry pit heating bag -- the kind you warm up in the microwave, no cords, homemade, probably acquired at a flea market in Shipshewana -- in for 20 minutes instead of two. Flames ensued. He hauled the microwave outside in his underwear at bedtime. Kids still love that story.He covered getting the smell off hard surfaces in episode 465 (find it at repcolite.com). Today he's picking up what he didn't have time for then: getting smoke smell out of fabrics.Wash Smoke Out of Fabrics [04:27]Fabrics act like odor sponges. After any kind of kitchen fire or smoke event, the first step is getting everything washable off the walls and into the machine -- curtains, slipcovers, throw blankets, pillows, towels, rugs if possible.No special detergent required. Start with regular laundry detergent and the warmest water the fabric can handle. Don't cram everything into one load -- the fabric needs room to move so the soap and water can actually pull the smoke residue out.The important rule before the dryer: do the sniff test. If it still smells smoky, wash it again. Don't dry it yet. Dryer heat can lock odors in and make them significantly harder to remove. Once it smells clean, then dry it.Carpet and Upholstery Deodorizing [06:22]For things that can't go in the washing machine, start by vacuuming thoroughly. Smoke leaves behind particles and residue that are physically sitting in the fibers. Vacuuming first gives you a better starting point before adding anything wet.From there, baking soda -- plain, unscented -- can help absorb and reduce odors. Sprinkle it on, let it sit overnight, then vacuum it up completely. Dan is cautious about the heavily scented carpet deodorizers because they can mask the problem rather than solve it.For tougher situations, OdoBan (O-D-O-B-A-N) markets products specifically for smoke odors that can be misted onto carpet and upholstery. It neutralizes rather than masks. Follow the label carefully, test a hidden spot first, and don't soak anything.If the smoke smell is light, baking soda or a fabric-safe neutralizer may be enough. If it's strong, actual carpet or upholstery cleaning may be necessary. And if the odor has gotten into the carpet pad or foam backing, surface treatments may only mask things temporarily -- in those cases, replacement may be the only real fix.Cigarette Smoke Reality Check [09:47]Cigarette smoke is the same problem as kitchen smoke, just dramatically worse. Instead of one event, you're dealing with months or years of buildup. Nicotine and tar accumulate on walls, ceilings, in carpet, drapes, cabinets, ductwork, insulation, and unfinished wood. It yellows paint. It gets into everything. It's a big job, and it has to be treated like one.Deep Clean and Remove Odors [11:15]Step 1: Remove what you can. Old curtains, old carpet, old blinds -- anything soft that's holding the odor. If it's reasonable to just pull it out and start fresh, that's usually the easier path. Don't try to rescue things that aren't worth the effort.Step 2: Wash everything down. Everything. Walls, ceilings, trim, doors, cabinets, closets, inside drawers, light fixtures, fan blades, switch plates, outlet covers. Anywhere smoke residue could have settled over years.The choice of cleaner depends on the goal. If you're trying to preserve the existing paint and avoid repainting, start mild -- warm water with Dawn dish soap, gentle enough not to damage the finish. Don't scrub aggressively. Don't soak the walls. Test anything stronger in a hidden spot first.If the odor is coming back after a mild wash, or if you've already decided to repaint, then you're not trying to save the old paint anymore. At that point, a degreaser or TSP substitute can come in. Still: follow the label, protect nearby surfaces, rinse thoroughly, and let everything dry completely before priming. Cleaner residue can cause problems just like smoke residue.Step 3: Replace HVAC filters. If the smell is heavy, it may be worth calling a duct cleaning company and asking specifically about their process for smoke-affected systems. Some use deodorizers or neutralizers after cleaning -- worth asking about before assuming they're not needed.Prime and Repaint Correctly [15:00]This is where most people go wrong. After cleaning, they roll on new paint and it looks and smells fine -- for a week. Then the stain and odor start coming back through.For cigarette smoke and nicotine, you need a true stain-blocking or odor-blocking primer after cleaning and before painting. A shellac-based primer like BIN is a reliable choice. RepcoLite Zip Prime is an oil-based option that will block smoke stains and water stains effectively. It cleans up with mineral spirits, but it gets the job done. It's on sale this month at RepcoLite and is available in spray cans -- which makes it a handy fix if you've got a few water damage spots on a ceiling you want to seal without breaking out brushes and rollers.Dan's caution on water-based stain blockers: they can work in some situations, but with heavy cigarette smoke and persistent odor, don't cut corners. Ventilate well and use the shellac or oil-based products that are built for this kind of problem.The full sequence for cigarette smoke:Remove what's holding the odorVentilate and filter the airWash and rinse all surfacesPrime with the right productPaintPrimer is step four, not step one. A lot of people skip straight to it and wonder why the smell keeps coming back.When to call a professional: if there was an actual fire (not just a small appliance incident), if there's visible soot beyond one small area, or if smoke got deep into the HVAC system, a restoration company may be the right call rather than DIY.Heat Painting Is Fine -- With the Right Approach [21:13]People ask constantly whether they can paint outside in summer heat. The answer is yes -- with conditions. The problems come from working like it's a 75-degree day in May when it's not.Air vs. Surface Temp [21:39]The most common mistake in hot-weather painting: looking at the weather app, seeing 88 degrees, checking the paint can and seeing a range up to 100 degrees, and assuming everything is fine.The number on the app is air temperature. Paint doesn't care about just air temperature -- it cares about the surface it's going onto. A wall or siding that's been baking in direct sun can run 15 to 20 degrees hotter than the surrounding air. The app says 88, the south wall could easily be 105 or 110. That's the number that matters.Hot Surface Failures [23:10]Paint applied to an overheated surface dries almost the instant it touches. That sounds fast and convenient. It's not. You can't blend edges before they set, so you get lap marks -- visible streaks where one pass overlaps the next. The paint can bubble or blister. And the bigger problem: it doesn't get the chance to bond properly to the surface. A job that looks fine in July can start letting go within a year or two, or faster, because the adhesion was compromised from the start.Start Early, Plan Your Walls [24:01]In extreme heat, start early -- but not before the dew has burned off. A damp surface is a problem too. The rule: start early, but only after the surface is fully dry.Once you start, be strategic. If one side of the house is going to get hit by sun first, and it's still cool, that may be the place to begin --...

An active member of the Bedroom Battlefields community, Ted (AKA Oddgit's Hut) is a fantastic painter whose work would slot seamlessly into the Eavy Metal pages of any mid-90s edition of White Dwarf. On this episode, we talk about nostalgic paint schemes, painting challenges, and the Warhammer Fantasy Battles 5th Edition boxed set. This Episode is Supported ByThe Sharp End of the BrushSupport the Show on Patreon

Excited to welcome back Susan Ottaviano to chat about her newest book, Plants That Heal.Plants That Heal by Susan Ottaviano and Chris Young is an illustrated guide that beautifully intertwines practical plant wisdom with soulful reflections, offering readers accessible methods to nurture their bodies, calm their minds, and reconnect with nature. This collaboration follows their prior success with The Green Witch's Guide to Magical Plants and Flowers (Skyhorse, 2023). Plants That Heal presents simple, approachable recipes ranging from teas, tonics, and elixirs to body care, home remedies, and seasonal dishes.Eight core themes—healing the mind, body, home, soul, heart, skin, hair, sleep, and life equips readers with tools to integrate wellness practices into their daily routines. It features easy-to-follow instructions for crafting herbal infusions, soothing bath blends, and delectable dishes like lavender-infused chocolates, watermelon and mint granita, and hibiscus-poached pears. Every recipe is vegan-friendly, designed to enhance well-being, relaxation, and joy.What sets this book apart is its stunning illustrations and wellness insights, making it both art and guide. Plants That Heal is a keepsake meant for display by your bed, in your kitchen, or on your altar. You'll find: - Intentional Entertaining: Host gatherings from summer garden parties to intimate rituals, incorporating healing foods and plant-based elements such as garden goddess dips, refreshing strawberry cocktails, and vegan cakes.- World of Beauty: Create your own tincture and oils for rejuvenation, including Inner Peace Oil, Cleopatra's Seducing Oil, and Josephine's Violet Serenity Bath Salts, among others.- Eat Healthy to Heal: Enjoy salads and seasonal recipes that nourish the body, featuring delights like Blood Orange Tonic, Cherry and Oatmeal Energy Balls, and Chilled Carrot and Ginger Soup.- Real Life Plant-Based Living: Find simple, approachable ways to weave plant wisdom into daily routines for improved health and balance, with ideas like Lavender and Sage Cleansing Sticks, Pomander Balls, and Orange and Eucalyptus Cleaning Spray.Find the book and Susan:Book: https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510785380/plants-that-heal/Website: 2greenwitches.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/2greenwitchesSusan has been a groundbreaking food stylist and recipe developer for over twenty years. Her work has been featured in magazines, cookbooks, and advertisements from Bon Appétit to Grey Goose to Uber Eats.Best known as the lead singer for the pop band Book of Love, Susan and her bandmates recorded five albums for Warner Brothers Records/Sire Records. Book of Love was a fixture on the Billboard Dance Club charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with multiple hits in the top ten. The group reunited in 2016 for a sold-out world tour to mark their 30th Anniversary.Her evocative artwork, which explores food, femininity, and sexuality, has been featured in numerous gallery shows, including a Spring 2023 group show titled “Eat It” at Collar Works Arts Organization.She earned a BFA in Painting from The Philadelphia College of Art and has been awarded post-graduate certificates from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. She lives in New York's East Village.

Allan Rohan Crite dedicated his career to the rich visual imagery of African American life in 20th century urban America. Brandon Truett, head of learning and community engagement at Mellon, remembers Crite's enduring legacy through paintings, which are now on display at the Zimmerli Art Museum. Painting by Allan Rohan Crite: Sunlight and Shadow, 1941 (Courtesy of the Allan Rohan Crite Research Institute and Library) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it really mean to run a business at the highest level? In this episode, Molly sits down with NCG Senior Business Coach and Director of Operations Kathryn Freeman to break down the Nolan Consulting Group Business Excellence Certification:  a multi-faceted framework that looks beyond revenue to measure how a business performs financially, how it treats its team, and how it shows up for its customers. Kathryn walks through how the certification was built, what the review process looks like, and which metrics tend to be the hardest to hit. Plus, a well-deserved congratulations to the 2025 recipients: Kennedy Painting, Olympic Painting, River Birch Builders, and Textbook Painting

God's beautiful creation is everywhere.  Enjoy it.  Appreciate it.  But let it point to to gratitude to the one who made it in the first place.

Cathy and Todd discuss Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, the 10-episode horror-comedy that has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and an early season two renewal. They discuss its “Parks and Rec meets Stephen King” premise and its numerous horror movie homages including Carrie, The Wicker Man, The Shining, Jaws, Halloween, and more. It’s small-town bureaucracy, ancient sea-gods, a resurrected Boogeyman, and sunset cocktails all in one, and they knew they needed to discuss this one-of-a-kind show. Subscribe to Cathy's weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy's Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week's sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World

What happens when an architect's structured world collides with the freedom of art—and grief becomes the bridge between them? In episode 268, Ksenia Merck shares how illustrating Ghost Flower, the novel her late husband Bill left behind, turned heartbreak into a sweeping collaboration of love, art, and legacy. For Ksenia, the journey wasn't about letting go—it was about discovering that connection, like the cosmos she paints, simply continues.In This Episode, You Will Learn:(03:58) Ksenia's warm welcome and the story behind Ghost Flower(04:19) How she balances two worlds: architecture and art(05:29) The origin of Ghost Flower's cover and Bill's final days(09:07) Sketching the cosmos: bringing the novel's imagery to life(11:00) Creating The Ghost Flower Companion Journal(12:43) Remembering Bill: her "twin flame" and exceptional soul(17:51) Finding cosmic wonder in the night sky(19:39) Art as liberation: healing through creative freedom(22:38) Layered loss: navigating grief at her own pace(24:52) A mini life review: recording Bill's books and writing her ownKsenia J. Merck is an artist, architect, and creative storyteller whose work bridges structure, imagination, and spirit. After four decades managing airport capital programs, she turned to art after the unexpected passing of her husband, William F. Merck II, illustrating and posthumously publishing his science fiction novel, Ghost Flower, and later creating its companion journal. Drawing on her travels, marriage, and fascination with the cosmos, her work explores connection, resilience, and the continuum between life and loss. Originally from Arizona and now in Florida, she shares her story of grief, healing, and creative reinvention.In this episode, Ksenia opens up about the dual nature of her life — decades in the structured world of architecture, set against the liberating world of art. She shares how illustrating Ghost Flower became both a tribute to Bill and a path through grief, describing the immersive process of sketching the novel's imagery and how those sketches led to The Ghost Flower Companion Journal. She speaks tenderly about Bill as her "twin flame" and a compassionate leader, and about layered loss — her mother, her father, and then Bill — admitting to "blowout" days while coming to believe grief isn't an ending but a continuum she still feels connected to. She closes by sharing she's recording audiobooks of Bill's books, writing her own story, and points listeners to her website and Instagram.Connect with Ksenia J. Merck: WebsiteLinkedInInstagramFacebookGet Ksenia's books!Let's Connect:WebsiteInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us Fan MailWhat's really happening in your sales offices when you're not there? Leah Turner, national sales coach and trainer at Melinda Brody & Company, is back on the show for the 40th anniversary year of one of the most unique research studies in new home sales. In this episode, she and Anya Chrisanthon dig into the 2025 Annual Benchmark Report - and what the data reveals about where sales teams are winning and where they're still leaving sales on the table. Listen to a previous episode with Leah here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-to-successful-realtor-engagement-with-leah/id1602564768?i=1000623849874What video mystery shopping actually looks like Shoppers walk into your sales office with a hidden camera. The full interaction is recorded, scored, and sent to the sales manager. But what makes Melinda Brody & Company different is the one-on-one call before the shop - where the shopper is briefed on the specific challenges that sales manager wants to address. It's not a gotcha. It's a baseline.The builder story gap - still Only 49% of sales associates shared the builder story in 2025. Leah says the problem isn't awareness - it's the introduction. Salespeople don't know how to bring it up naturally. Her fix: start with "Have you ever built a new home before?" and let the answer lead you in. And whatever you do - say the builder's name. One associate described the warranty, the quality, and the energy efficiency for several minutes and never once said who the builder was.The model demo jump From 84% to 95% in one year. The biggest shift Leah has seen: top producers are bypassing the sales office entirely and taking buyers straight into the model. Into the kitchen. Let them walk. Join them. The forced "sit down in the sales office first" approach was raising everyone's anxiety - including the salesperson's.Closing is not a moment - it's the whole presentation Closing sits at 52%. Leah's take: salespeople treat closing like something that happens at the end, which makes it terrifying. If you ask "what's important to you in a home, a homesite, a builder, a community?" upfront - and customize everything around those answers - the close at the end is just a natural next step. You've earned the right to ask.The buyers walking in today are already qualified Buyers use technology to disqualify. If they made it through the research phase and walked into your sales office, they are interested. They are a hot lead. As Leah puts it - they're more like a B-back than a first-time visitor. Treat them that way.Follow-up jumped from 51% to 67% Technology and CRMs are helping. But Leah's warning: generic follow-up is worse than no follow-up. If your message is "thanks for coming out, call me if you have questions" - don't bother. Make it specific. Make it memorable. Reference something real from the presentation. Better yet - shoot a 30-second video of yourself.The cringiest things caught on camera Smoking cigarettes on the home site. Painting fingernails. Eating lunch. Not standing up when a prospect walks in. And the shift Leah has seen over the last ten years: top performers now ask to be video shopped. They want to see themselves. They want to improve.Connect with Leah: leah.turner@melindabrody.com Connect with Ben Marks: ben.marks@melindabrody.com Melinda Brody & Company on LinkedIn and FacebookAbout Anewgo Anewgo is an all-in-one new home sales and marketing platform. We equip builders with AI-ready homebuilder websites, interactive design tools, floorplans, sitemaps, AI Sales Assistants, and data analytics to create personalized buyer journeys. Learn more at anewgo.com or find every episode at anewgo.com/podcast.Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anewgo-of-new-home-sales/id1602564768

Osvaldo Budet: Upriver DownriverMaitland Regional Art Gallery opens July 11th 2026, opening night 24th July and 25th July a talk and Q & A with Dr Nancy Cushing from University of Newcastle.Puerto Rican Australian artist Osvaldo Budet joins Art Wank to discuss Upriver Downriver, his exhibition at Maitland Regional Art Gallery exploring one of the Hunter region's most debated public monuments: Maitland's Black Boy statue, now more commonly referred to as Jocko Graves.For more than a century, the cast iron figure has stood in the centre of Maitland's civic life. Celebrated by some as a beloved local landmark and questioned by others for its racial imagery and colonial associations, the statue has become a focal point for conversations about history, memory, race, and heritage.Budet's work is informed by his experience growing up in Borikén, Puerto Rico, a place still shaped by colonial structures and histories. In Upriver Downriver, he considers how inherited images and public monuments continue to shape contemporary understandings of identity, authority, and belonging. Rather than offering simple answers, the exhibition asks how communities engage with historical objects whose meanings shift over time.This conversation explores the power of monuments, the persistence of colonial narratives in public space, and the ways artists can help us reimagine our relationships with difficult histories.Osvaldo Budet (b. 1979) is a Puerto Rican artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans painting, drawing, photography, video, and research based projects. His work examines the physical, historical, and political dimensions of colonisation and post colonisation, exploring how systems of power shape culture, identity, and memory.Budet received a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where he studied under Grace Hartigan. Since 2008, he has lived and worked across Puerto Rico, Germany, the United States, and Australia. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, me Collectors Room Berlin, the Museum of Latin American Art, and numerous galleries and institutions throughout Europe, the Americas, and Australia.Through Upriver Downriver, Budet brings a global perspective on colonialism, representation, and historical memory to a distinctly local Australian story, inviting audiences to consider how we preserve, reinterpret, and reckon with the complex objects of our past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Paloma Vianey!About Paloma Vianey: Interdisciplinary artist from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, now based in Washington, DC. She holds an MFA from Cornell University and has created large-scale public art installations along the US-Mexico border, with work exhibited at major museums and galleries internationally. She is primarily a painter and educator, teaching at the collegiate level.In our conversation, Vianey walks through her artistic journey from beginning to paint as a teenager when Juarez was labeled "the most dangerous city in the world," using art as catharsis during years of violence. She recounts completing a groundbreaking 72-foot-wide community-funded border bridge mural in 2018, depicting a girl blowing bubbles with each bubble representing emblematic images of Juarez including a tribute to femicide victims. We dig into her signature "Chamara" paintings—labor-intensive works where she hand-sews canvas jackets with industrial zippers over oil-painted urban landscapes of Juarez, creating what she calls "portraits of the city." One painting captured a pink house she'd see every time crossing the border—until one visit when she discovered it had been painted white. "That was a little heartbreaking for me," she shares, explaining how these works archive the changing memory of her hometown through a lens of resilience and hope.She shares insights on finding community in DC after moving six times in five years, her love for the U Street corridor (particularly Taqueria Xochi for authentic Mexican food), and how DC has been generous in giving her platforms to show her work. This conversation came about after I encountered Vianey's work at Umbrella Art Fair—a chance discovery that sparked a deeper dialogue about representation, resilience, and the power of challenging negative narratives through art.Be sure to follow Paloma Vianey (@palomavianey on Instagram) and visit palomavianey.com to keep up with her work and future projects. Her exhibition "Un Mismo Cielo Entre Washington y Juarez" is on display at the Mexican Cultural Institute in Washington, DC until July 25th.Photo courtesy of subject. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi – ZMM – 7/5/26 – Celebrating July 4th by looking at the dharma teachings on interdependence, Shugen Roshi leads us through the fundamental question of how suffering is created, and our personal and collective ability to heal as we affect the reality—the whole picture—of the physical, moral and metaphysical aspects of our lives. (From the Koans of the Way of Reality.)

Paul traveled to the far away place of 10-e-C to play in the ATC this past weekend and it was amazing.  There were several events taking place and multiple team … Read More

When you think of the Revolutionary War, you may think of Philadelphia or Boston. But if you want to be where the fighting actually happened, head to New Jersey, where armies crisscrossed the state, neighbors were divided, and Washington's army turned things around. Sara Cureton, the executive director of the New Jersey State Historical Commission, and Mark Texel, the administrator of state historic sites for the NJ Dept of Environmental Protection, talk about the Garden State's rich revolutionary history and where to the landmarks and artifacts associated with it today.    Painting by John Trumbull: The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton January 3 1777 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey Now Cabalists! The gang is back from Origins Game Fair with some stories to tell, including Chris' doggie bag, alpacas running around the meetup, Flat Steve scaring the shit out of everyone, Sasquatch running amok, and more! Then we chat about a bunch of games we've been playing, including Defenders of the Realm, Feya's Swamp, Warhammer Quest: Darkwater, Raising Robots, Runebound, and our future review, Orloj: The Prague Astronomical Clock, from designers Abraham Hermida and Paloma Pascual. Then Tony T gives us the news roundup, and we discuss satisfying game endings. Do you prefer a decisive victory or a nail-biter? Defenders of the Realm: 00:22:03, Feya's Swamp: 00:30:15, Warhammer Quest Darkwater: 00:42:41, Raising Robots: 00:51:28, Runebound: 01:02:40, Orloj The Prague Astronomical Clock Review: 01:14:42, News with Tony T: 01:54:52, Decisive Victory or Nail-Biter: 02:52:45. Check out our sponsors Restoration Games at https://restorationgames.com/, Game Toppers at https://www.gametoppersllc.com/ and Prester's Painting at https://www.presterspainting.com/

Cathy, Todd, Jacey, Camryn, and Skylar draft their way through 10 movie categories: horror/thriller, rom-com, animated, 80s, since 2020, based on a book, sports, most rewatched, holiday, and honorable mention. Snake draft order, 10 rounds, everyone answers every category exactly once. Whose picks are closest to yours? Part 2 of 2. Subscribe to Cathy's weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy's Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week's sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World

This week we finally have Mitch back on to discuss his excellent new book, "Esoterika: Formulas Against The False Self". We talk about everything from how he came up with the idea for the book and the many principles within it. Youtuber @therightsideofmad described it in a review as the perfect companion piece to Mitch's "Practical Magick" and I could not agree more. A great chat with a great dude about a great book! Also, a quick art life update. Mitch's links: Order Esoterika: https://a.co/d/0ij9CsjQ Website: https://www.mitchhorowitz.com/ The Dark Art Society Podcast is produced by Chet Zar. Become an Official Member of the Dark Art Society: www.patreon.com/DarkArtSociety Chet's Patreon: www.patreon.com/ChetZar Our sponsors: The Skull Shoppe: www.SkullShoppe.com beautifulbizarreartprize.art Entries are now open for the 2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and there is over $76,000 worth of cash and prizes to win. The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize now has seven award categories that you can enter. The Sculpture, Photography, Digital Art, Drawing and Painting awards. They also have a separate Emerging Artist award – plus the new Imaginative Realism award as well! You don't need to submit a physical artwork - just enter online via their website. As well as cash and product prizes, winners will also be invited to exhibit in the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco in November 2026. Better yet - the Beautiful Bizarre team guarantee that they look at every single entry! This is a great way to get on their radar for future opportunities too. They are also sharing many entries on their social media and online blogs until entries close on 17th July 2026. For more information and to enter, go to beautifulbizarreartprize.art ----- The Dark Art Society Podcast is produced by Chet Zar. Become an Official Member of the Dark Art Society: www.patreon.com/DarkArtSociety Chet's Patreon: www.patreon.com/ChetZar The Dark Art Society Instagram: www.instagram.com/darkartsociety Official Dark Art Society Website: www.darkartsociety.com The Dark Art Society Podcast is now available in a variety of places, including the following platforms: SoundCloud: @darkartsociety iTunes: apple.co/2gMNUfM Stitcher: www.stitcher.com/s?fid=134626&refid=stpr Podbay: podbay.fm/show/1215146981 YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCrQBJayd-dfarbUOFS5m7hQ DarkArtSociety.com Copyright Chet Zar LLC 2026

Episode: 3264 David Hockney, Digital Painting, and Art's Technophobia.  Today, painting with pixels, in the hands of a master.

Cathy, Todd, Jacey, Camryn, and Skylar draft their way through 10 movie categories: horror/thriller, rom-com, animated, 80s, since 2020, based on a book, sports, most rewatched, holiday, and honorable mention. Snake draft order, 10 rounds, everyone answers every category exactly once. Whose picks are closest to yours? Part 1 of 2. Subscribe to Cathy's weekly Zen Moment and upgrade to hear a weekly Zen Moment podcast hosted by Cathy and Todd! Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy's Substack Order Restoring our Girls Links shared in this episode: For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com. This week's sponsor(s): Avid Co DuPage County Area Decorating, Painting, Remodeling by Avid Co includes kitchens, basements, bathrooms, flooring, tiling, fire and flood restoration. MenLiving – A virtual and in-person community of guys connecting deeply and living fully. No requirements, no creeds, no gurus, no judgements Todd Adams Life & Leadership Coaching for Guys Other Ways to Support Us Follow us on social media Instagram YouTube Facebook Buy and leave a review for Cathy’s Book Zen Parenting: Caring for Ourselves and Our Children in an Unpredictable World

This week we talk about air conditioners, pressure systems, and heat stress.We also discuss weather memes, climate change, and dirty grids.Recommended Book: Battle of the Linguist Mages by Scotto MooreTranscriptAn air conditioner, or AC, or maybe air con if you're in the UK, is a device that moves heat from one location to another. In doing so, it usually dehumidifies the air, as well, so it can rapidly cool a room or entire building by shifting both heat and humidity from that room or building, elsewhere—usually outside.This is basically the same technology used in refrigerators, a process called vapor compression allowing the device to circulate a substance called refrigerant using a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion valve, which—and this is a very superficial explanation of what's happening—but these components take advantage of forced circulation and a phase-change between gas and liquid to transfer heat from the room you want to cool, or the inside of the refrigerator, and move that heat outside your building, or to the back and/or bottom of the fridge.This is a far more active mode of air conditioning, of cooling and dehumidifying the air, than has been used throughout history. Most early methods relied on passive approaches, including but not limited to architectural elements, the use of plants and optimization of air flow, or creating basement areas for things that needed to stay cool.Researchers have dabbled with more active methods of conditioning air for centuries, though, and several 19th century inventions served as precursors for the first iteration of modern ACs, some of which were used to create ice, which was useful unto itself, but could also be used to cool a room, if far less effectively and efficiently than an actual, holistic AC unit.In 1894, industrial-grade ammonia compressors, powered by electricity, made this category of device suitable for urban environments; previously they just were far too bulky and difficult to power for city use. By 1896, the Hungarian engineer who came up with this new riff on the theme, István Röck, was manufacturing what he called dry air cooling apparatuses for hospitals, theaters, and other large spaces.Just five years later, in 1901, an American inventor named Willis H Carrier developed what's widely considered to be the first modern electrical AC unit, selling the first one to a lithography company in New York, before patenting the term air conditioning in 1906. The first residential version of this device was installed in 1914, and in 1915 the Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America was formed—a business that still exists today.The impact of air conditioning, and this general technology category, as again, it's also used in modern refrigeration units, cannot be overstated. This tech didn't become widespread in the US, which is where it initially took off, in large part due to Carrier and other AC businesses' presence in the States, until the mid-20th century, and before that, before the 1950s, the state of Florida was technically occupied, but only just barely because of its extreme heat and humidity and abundance of mosquitos. The population of Florida in 1950 was about 2.7 million, and today it's about 23.5 million—that influx of people began after AC units became standard in buildings across the state, and the country. We've seen similar migrations as a result of too-hot places sudden becoming a lot more pleasant.Similarly, refrigeration enabled a boggling amount of change within the food and beverage industry, the chemicals and industrial materials industries, and the healthcare and life science industries, because before the advent of the cold chain—the system of refrigerated spaces, including boxes and trucks and planes and ships that allowed medicines and foods and other substances to stay cold from their origin to their end-consumer—it simply wasn't possible to sell or create or work with many of these products and materials.The distribution of this technology is not universal or equal, however, and in some cases that inequality, that lack of access to this technology in some spaces, is the result of choice, not inaccessibility. And that's what I'd like to talk about today: the spread, or lack thereof, of AC technologies and products, and how a recent heat wave in Europe may lead to more installations of this type of product across the continent.—Beginning in late-May of 2026, a series of severe heatwaves engulfed Europe, and especially Western Europe, breaking all sorts of temperature records and leading to a bunch of heat-related deaths.A recent meme gives a good sense of just how bad this heat wave has been.Back in 2014, as part of a campaign by the World Meteorological Organization, dozens of weather presenters from around the world were invited to record fictionalized weather reports from 2050, with the intention of giving people a sense of how global climate change might impact daily life even as soon as just 36 years in the future.One of these presenters, from France, gave a report of an imagined scenario in which a heat wave descended upon Europe, showing temperatures of 40 degrees celsius, which is about 104 degrees Fahrenheit, with some areas seeing temperatures as high as 43 C or 109.4 degrees F.This was generally considered to be a baffling, maybe even sci-fi sort of prediction at the time. But this clip has resurfaced and widely shared, as, just 12 years later, not 36, this recent heat wave has not just met, but in some cases surpassed that imagined, too-crazy-to-be-real European heat wave scenario.Across much of Western Europe, those temperatures milestones were hit, and in a few locations they were beat by as much as 20 degrees F.For a few days in France, temperatures were higher than in Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona, coming within 2 degrees F of temperatures in famously too-hot Death Valley, California.All-time high temperature records were broken in Germany, and a handful of other countries are waiting to see if provisionally recorded high-temperatures they experienced hold up, to see if their own records will be broken. The UK recorded a temperature of 37.1 C (98.78 F), the Netherlands saw a top temperature of 39.4 C (nearly 103 F), Belgium hit 40 C (104 F), and Germany recorded 41.3 C (106.3 F)—all temperatures that are 5-12 C above seasonable averages, and this has led to all manner of infrastructural issues, as well.A nuclear power plant in Switzerland had to take both reactors off the grid because the temperature of the river that cools it got too hot, a Eurostar train broke down east of Brussels with about 400 people on board, and 3 people had to be taken to the hospital. A bunch of big public events were cancelled, hospitals were filled to the point of having to triage visitors, and, if these on-the-ground issues weren't enough, researchers in Switzerland have warned that almost all of the winter reserves built up on their glaciers are gone, which suggests the glaciers themselves will begin melting soon—something that usually doesn't start happening until August.This heat wave was the result of a potent heat dome, which is a pocket of high pressure that developed as a result of jet stream fluctuations that pulled hot air north, out of warmer portions of Africa. This type of high pressure pocket can then cause the heat it gathers to just sit there, unmoving, whereas typically it would be pushed around, causing it to disperse, and to thus not have such a significant impact on people and other life on the ground.Unfortunately, these sorts of disruptions to the previous climatic norm are becoming more common as the climate shifts, due to the accumulation of CO2 and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. The regulating systems we've evolved with are changing because there's more overall energy, more heat, powering these systems across the planet, and that means we're no longer able to predict them as accurately, but also that some of these systems could fundamentally change or disappear, possibly in the near future.Events like this, which are currently rare, then, could soon become common. And meteorologists in Europe have warned, during this major heat wave, that this sort of event could be a regular thing, and soon, and could even last a lot longer; not a matter of days or weeks, but possibly spanning months at a time, without reprieve.That's not great news for a continent that, until now, has generally been pretty okay with its existing heat and weather infrastructure. Unlike the US and other countries that have some incredibly hot regions, leading to the widespread installation of AC units, only about 20% of homes across Europe have AC installed. As a result, as this heat wave descended on the area, trapping heat inside buildings that were constructed with cooler weather in mind, people have been unable to remain indoors, to work, to sleep; it's been miserable. And in some cases, deadly; the combination of heat and humidity making it more difficult for peoples' bodies to regulate heat via sweat, and that's led to an increase in heat stress on their bodies—which is just a miserable thing to deal with, but it also means a lot of people, including but not limited to the very young and very old, are more likely to die, their bodies simply incapable of handling that level of persistent temperature strain.Back in the summer of 2022, during another, less intense heat wave, more than 60,000 people died across Europe due to heat stress and related ailments. The numbers are still out on this more recent heat wave, but the stats are expected to be pretty grim, as in addition to the individual strain people in these afflicted areas are suffering, infrastructure tends to collapse in unprepared areas, hospitals not functioning or not functioning well, their machines and IT systems failing due to the heat, and the medical professionals working in these places suffering alongside everyone else, their bodies under constant heat stress, not getting enough sleep, and so on. There have already been a lot of reports of children dying of heat stress after being left in cars for short periods, and people drowning in large numbers, trying to cool off un-moderated bodies of water.The conversation that tends to bubble up in the wake of such incidents is representative of the larger conversation around climate change and its impacts.Air conditioning, and lower-powered, but just as effective heating and cooling options like heat pumps, which are basically ACs that work in both directions, but which tend to consume less energy than conventional AC units, these devices are amazing short-term solutions and help people survive and thrive in even the hottest, most humid and unwelcoming environments and climates.They also require, especially in the case of conventional ACs, a whole lot of power. And across much of the world right now, that means burning fossil fuels.The sad irony is that in powering these devices that are more necessary because of climate change impacts, people and institutions are contributing more to that large-scale problem, worsening the impacts of climate change, which then necessitates more artificial, power-hungry cooling.Experts continue to remind lawmakers and others in the position to make big-picture decisions on these sorts of matters that there are a lot of opportunities to reduce ground-level temperatures in passive, non-energy-hungry ways.Painting large surfaces brighter colors so more heat is reflected rather than absorbed, planting more trees and other greenery, installing solar panels, using passive building materials and architectural techniques to improve insulation and air flow; there's a lot of low-hanging fruit for areas that are becoming warmer, and which would otherwise require a lot more energy and fossil fuel burning just to keep life tolerable and survivable.Unfortunately, many of these options aren't widespread or even well-known, and the short-term solutions, like conventional AC units, are quick and effective, and a lot easier, currently at least, to install than superior options, like heat pumps.There's a good chance, then, than the most impacted areas will become even bigger contributors to the problems they're trying to solve; until larger-scale incentives, subsidies, and policies change that status quo, at least.Show Noteshttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/24/climate/europe-fastest-warming-continent.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jun/24/europe-heatwave-live-news-updates-uk-record-breaking-temperatures-italy-red-alerthttps://arstechnica.com/science/2026/06/the-sad-inevitability-of-europes-heat-wave/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/27/climate/europe-heat-wave-nuclear-trains-infrastructure.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/weather/europe-heat-wave-temperatures.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/world/europe/europe-heat-climate-change-politics.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/world/europe/france-heat-alcohol-paris-ban.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/26/climate/europe-heat-wave-climate-change.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/world/europe/france-children-heat-cars-deaths.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/world/europe/heat-wave.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/arts/europe-museums-heat.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/weather/belgium-heat-wave-brussels.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/25/world/europe/paris-canal-swimming-heatwave-france.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/24/climate/europe-fastest-warming-continent.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_European_heatwaveshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Kingdom_heatwaveshttps://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/06/25/french-tv-presenter-once-imagined-2050-heat-wave-did-france-reach-those-levels-this-week/https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/26/climate/european-heat-wave-impossible-global-warminghttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/europe-air-conditioning-deadly-heat-waves-more-common/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/06/europe-air-conditioning/687711/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioninghttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jun/25/hospitals-nhs-england-critical-incidents-machines-it-fail-extreme-heat This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Past guest (Ep.79) Allison Moir-Smith is back to talk about a project that encourages us all to use the time we do have, to paint. The project: 20  minute portraits from life. That's start and finish, 20 minutes. And even if you don't paint portraits or want to work in this particular way, I think you'll find the conversation has great ideas to pull into your own practice especially if you have limited time. In the conversation you'll learn why Moir-Smith believes "sets and reps" are one of the fastest ways to build your skills, discover how she designed her portrait project around her own personality instead of someone else's expectations, and explore how limitations like a 20-minute timer can actually lead to more joyful, expressive paintings.Learn more about Moir-Smith here:INSTAGRAM | WORKSHOPSSupport the show

In 2025, amidst political turmoil around the United States, Brooklyn artist Izzy Barber wanted to feel more connected to her country, and decided to leave the bubble that can often take shape in New York City. She went on multiple road trips across the country, painting what she saw. The result of her travels is a new exhibit, Clay Pigeons, featuring her paintings of the diversity of American life and landscapes. The exhibit is on view through July 31, and Izzy Barber discusses her practice and inspiration for the show.  Art by Izzy Barber (Oil Field, Midland, TX (2026)): Digital photo by Max Yawney Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Trapped Under Plastic, Scott and Jon are joined once again by Vincey V! Join the trio as they discuss the somber side of the hobby.Support the Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trappedunderplasticSupport the Show with Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/trapped-under-plasticFollow Jon: https://www.youtube.com/ninjonFollow Scott: https://www.youtube.com/miniacJoin the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395664561386239/Listen to the audio versons: http://www.trappedunderplastic.com/On patreon, we offer our patron's the ability to submit topics for us to discuss during a podcast, you get an extended version of the podcast, and you can submit miniatures for us to critique during an episode!TUP PartnersCorvus Belli:https://corvusbelli.com/en/Steamforged Games:https://steamforged.com/The Army Painter:https://thearmypainter.com/Red Grass Games:redgrasscreative.comIwata:https://www.iwata-airbrush.com/Game Envy:https://gameenvy.net/Monument Hobbies:https://monhob.com/TUPRelevant LinksRepent! Ye Foolish Gods:https://www.snarlingbadger.com/repentVince Venturella Links:https://www.youtube.com/vinceventurellahttps://www.instagram.com/vincentventurella/?hl=enFireball the Gazebo:https://www.youtube.com/@fireballthegazeboPatreon Mini Critique - Tad:https://www.instagram.com/p/C-l57aOtY1P/?igsh=MXRreGU5ZWh6OTdubg%3D%3D00:00 Start01:52 Preamble Ramble31:07 TUP Partners (Part One)32:34 Hobby Update48:55 Patreon Mini Critique54:49 TUP Partners (Part Two)55:55 Topic DiscussionSupport the showSupport the Show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trappedunderplasticSupport the Show with Merch: https://teespring.com/stores/trapped-under-plasticFollow Jon: https://www.youtube.com/ninjonFollow Scott: https://www.youtube.com/miniacJoin the FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/395664561386239/Listen to the audio versions: http://www.trappedunderplastic.com/

One of the largest team events happened this past week and the pairing process just got a lot more interesting.  The Dispositions can’t be used more than once in addition … Read More