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Close the Door: Game of Thrones, A Song of Ice and Fire Podcast
Spoilers, profanity, Jaime x Brienne. Roose is on the loose, but he's suddenly a far more strategic guy than the vampire who curated the Red Wedding playlist. Poor Theon has to listen to everyone's inappropriate stories. I guess it's better than getting flayed? A Song of Ice and Fire. A Dance with Dragons - Reek III. Close The Door And Come Here - Episode 636
Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent call this week their "Red Wedding": within days, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned, Vinay Prasad was pushed out of CBER, Tracy Beth Hoeg was fired, and Senator Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana primary. The hosts argue this is not a tragedy but a long-foretold collapse — a group of physicians who built careers as COVID-era contrarian podcasters discovering that running a regulatory agency is fundamentally different from posting about one. Howard works through the wreckage: Makary's reported approval of flavored nicotine products days before his ouster, the FDA's treatment of the rare disease community, the leaked memo claiming pediatric COVID vaccine deaths that career staff refused to sign off on, and the broader pattern of "regulatory whiplash" that drove the agency into dysfunction. The episode then turns to who is still standing — Jay Bhattacharya at NIH, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at HHS — and what Kennedy is reportedly doing to vaccines from behind the scenes via Martin Kulldorff's review effort. Throughout, the hosts return to a single thesis: the skills that made Makary, Prasad, Hoeg, and Cassidy famous during COVID — opinion, tweeting, posturing — do not translate into running institutions, and the medical commentators who vouched for them (John Mandrola, Adam Cifu) have lost any remaining credibility. Key Topics Discussed Bill Cassidy's primary loss and the cost of the Kennedy confirmation vote Cassidy's earlier vote to convict Trump after January 6 followed by his decisive vote advancing RFK Jr. as HHS Secretary. Howard and Orent's view that Cassidy's promise to "keep Kennedy in line" was hollow from the start. What Cassidy's defeat signals about Trump's grip on the Republican base in Louisiana — and the hosts' read that his lame-duck status may give him cover to block the next round of HHS nominees. Marty Makary's resignation and the "worst FDA Commissioner in 25 years" framing The Stat News piece characterizing Makary's tenure, and the reporting that flavored nicotine was the precipitating issue with Trump's tobacco-industry donors. Howard's counterpoint: Makary reportedly approved a batch of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) on May 5, 2026 — the weekend before he resigned — undercutting the "principled stand" narrative. The pattern of selfie videos, public-facing performance, and what former FDA staff describe as hostile management of career scientists. Makary's pre-FDA record: the "medical error is the third leading cause of death" claim, Omicron as "nature's vaccine," "Omicold," herd immunity calls in May 2021, and the Nazi-bioweapon Lyme disease theory amplification. Vinay Prasad, regulatory whiplash, and the rare disease community How Prasad's stated preference for randomized controlled trials translated into rejection of rare disease therapies — and the disconnect between calling for RCTs on Twitter and the practical impossibility of running them for small patient populations. Right-to-try advocates, the libertarian wing of MAHA (Senator Ron Johnson), and why they turned on Prasad. Howard's point: Pfizer's halted COVID vaccine RCT in 50–65-year-olds is the case study — the trials Prasad demanded couldn't actually be enrolled. Tracy Beth Hoeg, the leaked pediatric deaths memo, and the Maryanne Demasi interview Hoeg's insistence she was fired, not resigned, and her interview with Brownstone Institute–adjacent journalist Maryanne Demasi. Her claim that the chaos at the FDA was "created by the media" rather than real. The memo alleging 10 pediatric deaths from the COVID vaccine that career FDA staff would not sign off on — and Howard's contrast with the J&J/thrombosis response, where nine deaths produced immediate, transparent action. Hoeg's role in the Denmark-style vaccine schedule rollback memo alongside Makary. The Makary–Prasad ZDoggMD clip on FDA "vindictiveness" — and the irony Audio pulled from a pre-appointment Prasad/Makary appearance describing the FDA as "erratic," "capricious," and politically pressured. Howard's read: every criticism they leveled at the Biden-era FDA describes their own tenure — political pressure from Trump, demoted career staff, inconsistent standards. The Peter Marks / Marion Gruber / Phil Krause booster episode reframed in light of what followed. John Mandrola, Adam Cifu, and the cost of vouching Mandrola's "Can We Give the New FDA's Leadership a Chance?" piece a year earlier — and the line about Prasad and Makary inducing companies to run proper RCTs, set against Pfizer's halted trial. Howard's account of an email exchange with Cifu following Cifu's visit to NYU — Howard's offer of a serious content-level conversation, and Cifu's decline. The broader "medical conservatives" project and what the hosts argue has happened to its credibility. Jay Bhattacharya, NIH, and the resignation letter from departing staff The letter from a senior NIH scientist on Bhattacharya's leadership — political termination of grants, deals institutions are making to recover funding, and Bhattacharya's silence. Howard and Orent's read on Bhattacharya's visible deterioration and his retreat into Great Barrington nostalgia. Kennedy's behind-the-scenes vaccine review and Martin Kulldorff The New York Times reporting (Christina Jewett and Sheryl Gay Stolberg) on Kennedy's vaccine inquiry being led by Kulldorff. Howard's pushback on the framing of Kulldorff as merely "a critic of restrictions and mandates" — and the 2020 record of his herd-immunity-through-infection advocacy, including his Stockholm "almost at herd immunity" claim in April 2020. The hosts' concern that the COVID amnesia project lets pandemic-era pro-infection figures re-enter regulatory power with their record sanitized. Casey Means, Surgeon General nomination withdrawal, and MAHA fracturing The withdrawn Surgeon General nomination and what it signals. The Robert Malone vs. Makary public falling-out over the unreleased pediatric deaths data. Why the MAHA coalition — held together by shared COVID grievance — is coming apart now that COVID has receded from headlines. Notable Moments On Cassidy: "He betrayed his oath as a physician, he betrayed the American people, and he's going down into the ignominious dust." — Wendy Orent On the Makary–Prasad–Hoeg trio: "The same skill sets that catapulted these guys to power — essentially being excellent podcasters — do not translate into leading a government agency of tens of thousands of employees that regulates 20 percent of the US economy." — Jonathan Howard On the legacy: "These guys are now cautionary tales for medical students. I would love to teach a course called 'Be the Opposite of Bill Cassidy, Marty Makary, Vinay Prasad, and Tracy Beth Hoeg.'" — Jonathan Howard On Bhattacharya: "His soul has been totally corrupted by the people who he teamed up with. You also see it in his face. He's not the same person that took the position." — Jonathan Howard References Mentioned in the Episode Stat News — "Why Marty Makary Was the Worst FDA Commissioner in 25 Years" Vinay Prasad's 2016 Stat News rebuttal of Makary's "medical error" claim David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine, 2016) — rebuttal of the medical-error-as-third-leading-cause-of-death claim Jonathan Howard, Science-Based Medicine — recent piece compiling Makary's COVID-era statements New York Times — Christina Jewett and Sheryl Gay Stolberg on Kennedy's vaccine inquiry Washington Post — "Ouster of RFK's Allies Tests MAHA-Trump Alliance" Ben Mazer, The Atlantic — on whether Makary and Prasad enacted lasting change Francis Lee — In COVID's Wake Alfred Crosby — America's Forgotten Pandemic Maryanne Demasi interview with Tracy Beth Hoeg MedPage Today — Makary and Prasad, "The Importance of Humility in Medicine" People Referenced Marty Makary — outgoing FDA Commissioner Vinay Prasad — former CBER Director Tracy Beth Hoeg — fired FDA official Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) — lost primary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — HHS Secretary Jay Bhattacharya — NIH Director Martin Kulldorff — leading Kennedy's vaccine review Peter Marks — former CBER Director, Operation Warp Speed Bob Kadlec — Operation Warp Speed David Kessler — former FDA Commissioner (referenced) Marion Gruber and Phil Krause — former FDA vaccine reviewers John Mandrola and Adam Cifu — "medical conservative" commentators Robert Malone — anti-vaccine activist Casey Means — withdrawn Surgeon General nominee Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) Representative Jake Auchincloss — opened FDA whistleblower line Art Caplan — bioethicist (retirement) Erica Schwartz — CDC Director nominee, unconfirmed
Pop Arthur, c'est le podcast créé pour assurer les bases indispensables de pop culture pour Arthur et vos enfants. Et leur prouver qu'il y a un monde après Super Mario Galaxy, le film !
We talk about the famous Wu Zetian, as well as Kings Munmu, Sinmun, and Hyoso in Silla. These were the rulers at the same time that Uno no Sarara was overseeing things in Yamato. Here we see a bit of tit for tat politics between Yamato and Silla. We also get a tale of personal sacrifice from veterans of the Silla-Tang war against Baekje. For more notes and references, check out our blogpost page: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-149 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua and this is episode 149: Kings, Queen, and an Empress Uno no Sarara and her son, Crown Prince Kusakabe, sat in court. The trappings of the recent mourning period had been put aside with the recent burial of Uno's husband, Ohoama, and they were now preparing for Crown Prince Kusakabe's coronation. However, the matter in front of them had nothing to do with that. Instead, they listened to an official recounting of what had transpired on the peninsula. The court had explicitly sent an envoy to Silla to inform them of Ohoama's death, but it took much longer than it should have for Norimaro and his party to return. There had even been an envoy mission from Silla while they were away. As Uno no Sarara listened intently, she found it harder and harder to keep her emotions in check. She listened as the story of the Yamato mission was told, and as she heard of how her messengers were treated—how they weren't even allowed to tell the Silla court their news all because someone in Silla had decided that they weren't appropriate ambassadors. Silla had finally come to learn of Ohoama's death, and the mission returned home, but this treatment was inexcusable. These were not just Yamato's messengers, they were carrying the royal word of Queen Uno no Sarara, head of the state and de facto ruler as they mourned the loss of her husband and predecessor. To have them kept waiting because of some invented protocol was an affront to the nation, but it was also an affront to her. This. Would. Not. Do... Greetings, everyone! Thank you once again for tuning in. As you may recall, last episode we covered the ceremonies around the death and burial of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, as well as the unceremonious death of Crown Prince Kusakabe, leading to the throne being taken by his mother, Queen Uno no Sarara, aka Jitou Tennou. One aspect of everything that was going on was the relations with the continent. This included missions from Yamato to the continent—especially those involved with communicating information about the changes in the Yamato court. So this episode I thought we could look at some of the things we see in the record and go over where things sat with regards to the continent. First things first, let's brush up on where we left off. Back in episode 140 we talked about how the Silla-Tang alliance had broken down. With Baekje and Goguryeo both defeated, the Tang had set up commanderies to oversea captured territory in both kingdoms, and even though Emperor Tang Taizong had promised Silla suzerainty over Baekje, his successor, Gaozong, had not adhered to that agreement. In response, and with the help of Goguryeo rebels, Kind Munmu of Silla had fought back against the Tang forces, eventually consolidating everything south of the Taedong river, approximating the extent of the modern country of South Korea. Meanwhile, Goguryeo rebels continued to trouble the Tang, and King Bojang set up by the Tang dynasty would eventually betray them, allying with the northern Malgal people. They would continue to fight to restore their sovereignty. With pressure from Silla and Goguryeo, the Tang commandery pulled back from Pyongyang to Liaoyang—effectively putting the mountainous regions at the head of the Korean peninsula between them and their enemies. Silla control was de facto, but would not be recognized formally by the Tang dynasty until the early 8th century. That didn't meant they were completely at odds, however. Silla would resume diplomatic mission to the Tang, despite their territorial disagreements. Silla's King Munmu, who had pushed back against the Tang, was succeed by his son, known as King Sinmun. Sinmun had been Crown Prince during the wars against Baekje and Goguryeo. Much as Ohoama and Uno no Sarara had been doing on the archipelago, he was working to centralize royal authority in Silla. In 681, as Silla was still mourning the death of King Munmu, a rebellion broke out. It was led by a high ranking Silla official, and father-in-law to Sinmun, Kim Humdol. It was quickly put down, and Kim Humdol and other officials who were implicated were executed. This was actually a golden opportunity for the new King Sinmun to help purge the court of any rivals or ministers with less than absolute dedication to his plan to centralize authority. I kind of get the feeling that, for all of the past conflicts between their nations, Sinmun, Ohoama, and Uno might have gotten along quite well. However, that didn't stop the fact that they were rulers of rival nations, and while they may have had similar concepts of leadership, they also were focused on their own rule and authority. To that end, Sinmun also reached out to the Tang court with tribute missions, and in so doing was at least recognized by the Tang court, who enfeoffed him as King of Silla. This appears to have been a bit of polite fiction, but that was how a lot of this operated, ultimately. King Sinmun would have held power in Silla regardless of the Tang court's approval, but the fiction that the court had bestowed his authority no doubt provided some diplomatic benefits, and a context within which to operate on the international stage. It also no doubt allowed for increased trade, bringing in exotic and high status items, which would have been useful for boosting approval ratings back home. King Sinmun ruled until his death in 691. He was succeeded by his son, known as King Hyoso. However, Hyoso was young—about 5 years old when he took the throne. And so his mother, Queen Sinmok, acted as regent for much of his reign—right up until her death in 700. Hyoso ended up reigning for a decade, until 702, meaning that he and his mother reigned throughout Uno no Sarara's period as sovereign in Yamato. Hyoso's reign saw continued progress towards centralization of authority, as well as improved relationships with the Tang court. Silla maintained diplomatic ties and tribute missions, and the Tang court conferred recognition on Hyoso as the King of Silla, in return. Speaking of the Tang Court, Emperor Tang Gaozong passed away before Ohoama had, departing this world in 683. However, for all that he was the emperor, he had not really been the one running things for some time. Gaozong came to the throne at roughly 21 years of age, and throughout most of his reign he had to share power with others in the court. Originally this meant high ranking minister, but there was also his wife, Wu Zhao, aka Wu Zetian. Wu had been a consort under Tang Taizong, and then continued as a consort for Gaozong as well. Then, in 655, she was officially made empress. In 660, Gaozong began to suffer from an unknown illness, characterized by headaches, dizziness, , and occasional seizures and loss of vision. Some have suggested it was a stroke or some form of hypertension. Either way, these symptoms would plague him for the rest of his reign, and so he began to delegate more and more authority to Wu Zhao, who would handle things on his behalf. Thus, Wu was effectively already running things by the time of Gaozong's death in 683. At that point, she became the Empress Dowager, and her third son became emperor Zhongzong—at least in name. Because Wu Zhao maintained all of the power and authority at court. She was, in fact, the regent, and a mere six weeks after Zhongzong took the throne he was removed by his own mother. It seems that Zhongzong, who came to the throne at the age of 28, was showing signs of being a little too much under the influence of his wife, Empress Wei. In fact, he is said to have considered giving her the Empire. And so Wu had him deposed and exiled. She then had his younger brother made Emperor Ruizong, though still under Wu Zhao's term as regent. Ruizong was about 22 when he took the throne under his mother in 684. He would continue to reign until 690, when he abdicated the throne in favor of his mother. From that point on, Wu Zhao ruled as the sovereign for another 15 years, until the year 705, declaring it a return of the ancient Zhou dynasty. In other words, for all of Uno no Sarara's reign in Yamato, another woman, Wu Zhao, sat atop the traditionally patriarchal seat of power in the Tang—and later Zhou—court. Wu Zhao is more commonly known to us, today, as Wu Zetian. This comes from her final title as reigning monarch: Zetian Dasheng Huangdi, or Heaven-following Great Holy Emperor. She is often depicted as a ruthless and politically savvy ruler who usurped the throne through her feminine wiles and violence. We see how she dethroned her own son to avoid him giving up the throne to his wife. She is also said to have had another son killed because of her ambitions, and is even accused of killing her own daughter just to blame a rival at court. She is also depicted performing plenty of other unflattering acts. Of course, it is worth noting that she was not the one to write her own history. After her reign, her epitaph was inscribed by her own political rivals. It is notable that she is the only Empress to be recognized as ruling in her own right in the entire history of China. Certainly there were others who reigned as regents, and women with tremendous power and influence, but none of them really held the throne uncontested. Given the animosity of the authors who wrote about her reign, we have to take anything we hear about Wu Zhao with a bit of salt. On the other hand, Tang dynasty imperial politics were ruthless, and you didn't get to the top because you had a charming demeanor. While there is no doubt more than a little slander written into the history books, one only has to look at the men who ruled before and after her to wonder whether she really did anything that was so much better or worse than what they did. Just keep that in mind as we go through some of what she was accused of. Now what we are told is that with her younger son, Emperor Ruizong, she was only nominally pretending to be regent. She didn't bother to hide behind a screen with him out front and we are told she openly whispered answers and commands that Ruizong would immediately parrot. Ruizong never moved into the imperial suites of the palace, which his mother maintained. Ruizong didn't even attend imperial functions, and officials were not allowed to meet with him privately. An uprising in Yang state was said to be in part because of her rule, and it was suggested that she should step aside and let her son truly rule to restore confidence, but she was having none of it and had those who suggested it arrested. Later, she would institute post boxes around government buildings for people to snitch on those around them who might be disloyal, and she instituted secret police, who investigated various rumors and false accusations with torture, leading to numerous executions. In 685 she is said to have had an affair with a Buddhst monk, Huaiyi, who was then conferred with various honors. Then, in 686, she offered to return the throne to Ruizong, but Ruizong, realizing that there was no way she would let go of power, saw it as a test of his obedience, and declined. In 688 she summoned senior members of the Li Family, the family of the Tang emperors, under the pretense of making sacrifices to the spirit of the Luo river, which flowed through the Eastern Capital of Luoyang. Several of the Princes of the Li house were worried that she was going to slaughter them all, Red Wedding style, if they showed up, in order to secure the throne to herself, and so they plotted to rebel, but coordination was not the greatest back then, and two princes rose up before the others were ready. They were crushed, and many other members of the Li family were implicated, arrested, and forced to commit suicide. In 690, she completely did away with any dissembling and declared a new dynasty—the Zhou dynasty—declaring herself Shengshen Huangdi, or Holy Divine Emperor of the Zhou dynasty. And yes, this is the same Zhou as the ancient Zhou dynasty—she was apparently claiming descent from the ancient rulers of Zhou. Her son was thus deposed and she ruled uncontested from 690 until her death in705. She would go by various names. Three years in and she would add "Jinlun", or "Golden Wheel" to her title, referring to the Buddhist concept of a Chakravartin, or Golden Wheel Turning Monarch. This latter title came in part as she is said to have elevated the foreign religion of Buddhism over the native Taoist religion. She is also said to have built numerous temples around the capital cities and elsewhere. In 692, the rising power of the secret police appeared to have been halted. One of the officials in charge, Lai Junchen, attempted to have a handful of officials executed for false accusastions. He told them that if they confessed to the accusations, their lives would be spared, and so many of them confessed to the false accusations, but Junchen conspired to have them executed anyway. One of the officials was none other than the famous Di Renjie. Renjie wrote a petition on his blanket and then hid that with the laundry that he sent to his family when it was time to change from winter to summer robes. His family found it and submitted the petition to Wu Zhao, who became suspicious of Junchen. For his part, Junchen has submitted forged petitions from the prisoners, thanking Empress Wu for preparing to execute them. Other accusations against Junchen's methods came to light, and so Empress Wu interrogated the prisoners personally. They all disavowed their confessions, and so Wu commuted their sentences from death to exile. Junchen continued to operate until 697, but there seems to have been a notable decrease in the number of executions after that point. He would eventually go too far, and planning to accuse the Li and Wu princes and princesses of treason, but they acted first and he ended up being executed. Without Lai Junchen, the secret police seem to have largely fallen apart. As for Di Renjie, he eventually worked his way back into the good graces of Wu and the court, eventually being recalled to Luoyang to serve. Di Renjie's own legend grew, and in the 18th or 19th century he was recast as a kind of Tang dynasty detective in the historical crime drama genre popular at the time. The book, "Di Gong An", or "Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee", was found by a Dutch Ambassador to China, Robert van Gulik, in a used bookstore in Tokyo, of all places. Van Gulik would go on to translate the stories and penned a number of others using the style and characters of the original. Judge Dee was cast as the "Sherlock Holmes of China" and has since become popular in both China and the West. The first novel in the series was actually set in the time of Empress Wu. Robert van Gulik also had several scholarly works, including a translation of the Tang Yin Pi Shih, a 13th century manual for magistrates with examples of cases spanning approximately 1400 years, from the Qin to Song dynasty. This work really helps to illuminate how the ancient justice system worked back then. Fictional detectives aside, Empress Wu would continue to reign over an impressive period in history. There were plenty of deadly politics, various attacks by outside forces, and more. Overall, it was a fairly prosperous time for the empires. When Wu passed away in 705, her son, Emperor Zhongzong, resumed the throne, ending the Zhou dynasty and resuming the Tang dynasty of the Li family. Still, Wu Zhao, aka Wu Zetian, would be well remembered. She was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum, near Chang'an, alongside her late husband, Emperor Gaozong. Various other members of the Royal Li family were also buried there, and many of their tombs have been opened. The paintings, statues, and artwork and funerary goods provide a tremendously detailed look at Tang court culture and society at this time. Statues outside indicate officials and ambassadors from across the Tang courts sphere of influence. There are depictions of court dress and the elaborate hairstyles, fabrics, and more, as the tombs generally include court men and women. The famous mural of the Ambassadors is shown with Korean, western, and possibly even a Japanese envoy. The murals also show architectural elements of ancient Chang'an and more. The tombs of Gaozong and Zetian clearly known, but currently have not undergone excavation. Much like with the tomb of Qin Shihuangdi, the government has put a moratorium on opening the tombs until they can be sure that everything can be properly protected as they do so. There is a huge concern that the tombs could be robbed or that priceless works could be damaged if they are opened improperly or without sufficient techniques to adequately preserve them. As noted above, although Empress Wu is often demonized by historians, we have to ask if her reign was truly so much different from others. She was certainly a woman taking power in a male-dominated system. Where a man projecting power was seen as normal, Empress Wu was seen as perverting the natural order. An emperor taking to bed numerous consorts and concubines was considered only natural. However, Empress Wu taking to bed various men for her own enjoyment was seen as licentious and indecent. The double-standard seems pretty clear. I even have to wonder about things like the secret police. While it certainly is alarming to see a government sending people out to arrest and charge people on the barest of evidence, often with little or no accountability or transparency, one should consider what justice looked like at the time, more generally. Tang dynasty justice was often harsh, and torture was considered a standard practice to elicit a confession. Once someone was accused of a crime, their guilt was assumed, and it was on them to prove their innocence. This was a tall order, as the thinking of the day was often that if you hadn't done anything wrong, why would anyone risk falsely accusing you? So clearly you had done *something* to disrupt the social order, even if it wasn't what you were actually accused of. Furthermore, there is a fine line between rooting out disloyalty to the regime and rooting out corruption. Anonymous tips can be used to call SWAT to someone's house, but it can also be a way for a whistleblower to alert those in authority that something untoward is going on. And something begun with the best of intentions, can easily be corrupted, especially in the wrong hands. And so I think we can give Empress Wu at least the benefit of the doubt that she seems to have tried to do right by the people and her country. The Tang court, by all accounts, was a nest of vipers, and I don't think she was a saint, but neither was she the devil incarnate. In fact, a lot of the accusations against Empress Wu would appear to be paralleled, years later, in the archipelago—possibly being parroted by men who were aware of the anti-Wu propaganda. Kouken Tennou—who would also reign a second time as Shoutoku Tennou, was embroiled in conflict. Like Wu, she came to power in a court embroiled in familial politics. She was known to be a supporter of Buddhism, and she was also said to have had an affair with a monk, Doukyou, upon whom she is said to have lavished power and authority. She is also said to have modeled her nengo, the auspicious names for the year, off of Empress Wu. After her death, her reign was used as a reason why there was not another regnant female sovereign on the throne until the Edo period, and she is often seen as the Last Female Sovereign, much as there was never another Empress regnant amongst the various Sinic dynasties. However, returning ourselves back to the 7th century, those histories had yet to be written. Instead, one has to wonder how much communication there was between the continent and the archipelago. Did Uno no Sarara realize that she was not the only woman taking charge at that time? Was Empress Wu considered a model for her? Or was she seen as more of a rival? Or was it neither? Did either one regard the other at all, embroiled as they were in their own, local and domestic pursuits? If they did, there isn't much, if anything, in the record. There is plenty to be said about relations with both Silla and the Tang dynasty in general, however. Most of the focus was actually on Silla, to be honest—not surprising given Silla's place in the international arena in relation to Yamato. Last episode we mentioned that an embassy was sent to Silla to announce the death of Ohoama. It was only several months after he had passed away, on the 19th day of 687. The chief and assistant envoys were Tanaka no Ason no Norimaro and Mori no Kimi no Karita. Norimaro is listed as Jikikwoshi rank—the lowest of the Jiki category, which was the 3rd of 6. This put him about 24 ranks down in the 48 rank system. Karita, on the other hand, was Tsuidaini, putting him at about 43 of 48 court ranks. Normally, I don't pay too much attention to the ranks that are given in the Chronicles, mainly for two reasons. First off is that you aren't always sure that the rank given in the Chronicle corresponds with the rank at the time of the event—sometimes we see ranks that are clearly anachronistic—typically later in their life. Since people don't typically drop in rank, unless they are demoted, this usually gives you some information, but not always. The second reason I often don't pay attention is because it usually isn't germane to the story. It is why I'll also drop the uji and the kabane, once we establish a particular person. Otherwise it feels like word salad. Every once in a while I do like to look at the ranks, however, because they do give us information about things like the individual's general position in the court hierarchy. In this case we see that, of the officials selected for this assignment, one was near the bottom of the upper half of the court, while the other was really in a much more junior position. I believe this may also be important later on, because there was a certain expectation that the person representing a sovereign in diplomatic situations would have sufficient rank to indicate some amount of pull, back home. The mission of Norimaro and Karita to Silla may have been ordered in the first month of the year, but it seems it likely took time before it actually left—or something happened. I say this because in the 9th month we see an embassy from Silla arrive, and they are apparently unaware of any changes in the archipelago. The embassy was headed by the Prince Gim Sangnim. We are also told that there were two other officials, Gim Salmo and Gim Insyul, both of Geupson rank. Then there was So Yangsin of Daesa rank. That was two of vice ministerial rank and one of lower official rank. These ranks were connected both to their office and to their family, as Silla still used a fairly rigid system based on the rank of one's family, similar to the way that the old Kabane system worked before it was reformed under Ohoama in the previous reign. The embassy from Silla also included a student-priest, Chiryu. Presumably Chiryu was from Yamato and had gone abroad to study, and was now making his way back home. It appears as though the embassy had no idea that Ohoama had passed away as we are told that they had to be informed by the Dazai—the Viceroy of Tsukushi. Once they were informed, they all put on mourning clothing, turned towards the east—towards the capital of Yamato—and they bowed three times and then cried out lamentations three times. I would note that there is another record in the first month of the following year, which states that Gim Sangnim and his colleagues were informed of Ohoama's death and lamented three times. That could just be a misplaced duplicate of the previous entry, about the embassy—possibly it got recorded multiple times and different ways and on different dates. It isn't exactly clear. Either way, it seems that this was not meant to be an official condolence envoy, but just a regular embassy bringing trade goods disguised as tribute. In fact, in the 2nd month of 688 we are told that the Viceroy of Tsukushi presented the tribute from Silla to the capital. It is said to have included gold and silver, thin silks, cloth, skins, copper, and iron. There were also images of the Buddha, all kinds of coloured fine silks, birds, and horses. Sangnim himself had presents of gold and silver, colored stuffs, and various rarieties—80 items all told. Sangnim and his crew probably didn't travel to Asuka, because we are told that as of the 10th day of the 2nd month of 688 they were being entertained in the Tsukushi government house, where they were given various gifts by the court, and then they headed out on the 29th day of that month. A year after that, in the first month of 689, Norimaro and Karita returned from Silla, suggesting that the two embassies really had just passed each other—such were the issues with international travel back in the day. Now, normally, we don't hear much about what happened during these embassies. The Nihon Shoki doesn't typically record anything, possibly because they just didn't have any records. And the records in the Samguk Sagi often don't mention anything, either. It is possible that it was just considered too routine to mention the ins and outs. However, in this instance, we may have some insight, because it is mentioned later in the narrative. You see, four months behind Norimaro and Karita came the formal Silla condolence envoy. It was headed by Gim Dona, of Geupson rank—so a vice minister instead of a prince heading up the embassy. Silla also sent student-priests Meiso, Kwanchi, and others, along with a gold-copper image of Amida Buddha and a gold-copper image of Kannon and an image of Daiseishi Boddhisatva, along with colored silks and brocades. A month after they arrived, the condolence envoy received a message from none other than Queen Uno no Sarara herself, but this was not necessarily a good thing. In fact, she appears to be dressing down the Silla envoys and the Silla court more generally, because of how things had gone with Norimaro and Karita—and this possibly also explains why it took so long for them to get to Silla and back. According to the Yamato court, Norimaro and Karita were sent to Silla to announce the death of Ohoama. However, Silla protocol stated that persons charged to deliver a royal message had always had the rank of Sopan. This appears to be equivalent to the rank of Japchan, and indicates the third rank in Silla's system. Because of this, Queen Uno's message goes on to state, Norimaro and Karita were not allowed to deliver their message about Ohoama's passing to the court. However, back when Karu—Koutoku Tennou—had passed away in 654, Kose no Inamochi went to announce the funerals dates, and he was received by Gim Shunshun listened to the report. So saying that it is someone of the third rank that is needed goes against precedent. Furthermore, when Naka no Oe passed away in 671, Silla sent Gim Salyu, who was of 7th rank, but now they send someone of 9th rank. So if precedent was to be followed, wouldn't that also be a problem? This whole thing is really fascinating in that it demonstrates the kind of delicate balance and back and forth that was going on—and I suspect that it was growing even more specific as each country was adopting more rules and laws, and compiling them into codes. It is notable that the Chronicles make sure to state the rank of each ambassador from Silla, at least in the last several reigns. That suggests that the government was tracking such things, and that it was important. The rest of the screed by the Yamato court seems a little more about setting out Yamato's position on Silla-Yamato relations. Here Yamato puts words into the mouths of former Silla officials, claiming that they always addressed Yamato's sovereign with deference. Yamato claimed Silla had promised service to Yamato since the remote royal ancestors, promising that the oars of the ships bringing tribute to the archipelago would "never become dry", and yet this time, there was only one ship that came to offer condolences. Furthermore, the Silla kings were to serve the sovereigns of Yamato faithfully, but they had now broken the faith. Therefore their tribute goods were sealed up and returned back. That said, they weren't completely breaking off communications. This was a rebuke, certainly, but they were willing to keep channels open with hopes that relations might improve in the future. My read on all of this is that the Yamato envoys to Silla had been snubbed by that court for not being of appropriate station by Silla's rules. Therefore, in a tit-for-tat move, Yamato was treating the condolence envoy similarly. That doesn't mean they didn't show them any hospitality, though. Queen Uno no Sarara had the Viceroy, Awada no Mabito no Ason, give the student-priests Meiso and Kanchi, who had just come back with the condolence envoy, 140 kin of floss silk for their teachers back in Silla, in apparent gratitude. And then a few days later they were entertaining the condolence envoys in Wogohori in Tsukushi, and giving them various presents for their trouble. This is likely the kind of "don't shoot the messenger". Sure, they were returning the tribute and sending a message to Silla, but that wasn't the fault of Gim Dona and his colleagues. And they were now taking a rather disappointing message back with them—I doubt anyone wanted to be in Gim Dona's shoes as he told the court what had transpired. Gim Dona and crew left shortly after that. From there, we don't have a lot of information on what happened. The Silla annals of the Samguk Sagi don't record Gim Dona's embassy, let alone what happened when they came back. However, Silla would send future envoys, and diplomatic relations between the two countries continued throughout the reign. The Silla embassies from that point on are largely, for our purposes, unremarkable. I may mention them if they relate to other items of note, but for the most part there is really only two other embassies of note, and they were in the year 693. The first was from Silla, led by Gim Gangnam of Sasan rank, along with Gim Yangweon of Hannama rank—so 8th and 11th rank in the Silla hierarchy, apparently. They had come to announce the death of King Sinmun, who had passed away the previous year. And so, on the 16th day of the 3rd month, an embassy was prepared to depart for Silla. It was headed up by Okinaga no Mabito no Oyu, of Jikikwoshi rank—much as Norimaro had been. He and his proposed vice envoy, Ohotomo no Sukune no Kogimi, who was Gondaini rank—27th of 48—were both given gifts prior to their election as ambassadors, and were sent as condolence envoys, themselves. Meanwhile, let's take a look at Yamato's interactions with the Tang dynasty. First of all, we see a note in the 6th month of 689 that presents of rice were given to Xu Shouyen, Sa Hungko, and others from the land of the Great Tang. So was this an embassy? Not quite. Remember that little scuffle back in the 660s on the Korean Peninsula? That special military operation by Silla and Tang forces against Baekje, where Yamato had tried to assist, only to have their navy bested by Tang forces? Well during the fighting , there had been numerous prisoners taken, on both sides. Xu Shouyen and Sa Hungko were two such prisoners. Except that "prison" in this case was largely being sent to live off the land. They were probably forced to do labor, though if they had special skills, such as reading and writing, they may have been put to work in another way. Indeed, we later see these two mentioned not as prisoners or even slaves, but as teachers of "pronunciation". They were even given rice-land and stipends of their own. Granted, this is decades after they first came to Yamato, so this wasn't exactly a smooth ride. But it wasn't just Tang prisoners in Yamato. Yamato soldiers had also been captured and taken prisoner by Tang forces. And so, in the 9th month of 690, we see three priests who had gone to the land of Tang to study returned in the company of a Silla escort envoy, and they brought back with them a soldier, Ohotomobe no Hakama, from the Upper Yame district in Tsukushi. The three priests, Chishiu, Gitoku, and Jougwan all made their way to the capital, arriving several weeks after they first made landfall in Tsukushi. At this point, Prince Kawachi was the Dazai in charge of affairs out there, and soon after the priests arrived at Naniwa and made their way to the capital, in Asuka, messengers going the other way made it out to Tsukushi with orders to give presents and gifts to the Gim Gohun, the escort envoy who had shuttled them all back from the continent. But even more impressive was the royal edict that was dated a week later for Ohotomobe no Hakama. It lays out the circumstances of his capture and what happened to him that he stayed in the land of the Tang for so long. You see, Hakama was one of many soldiers who was captured during the war to defend Baekje. But three years after that conflict, the Tang dynasty was no longer trying to keep them prisoner. This was a time when you didn't necessarily need to have buildings with walls to keep people prisoner—you just moved them to a new area where they could farm or otherwise set up a livelihood, or starve. Travel was dangerous and expensive, especially if you didn't speak the language. Nonetheless, if you did wish to return, there wasn't a lot stopping you, beyond just having the means to do so. And so this group of Wa soldiers got together and debated what to do. We are told that it was four men—Hashi no Hoto, Kohori no Oyu, Tsukuhi no Satsuyama, and Yuge no Gen Jitsuni—the last one apparently having taken a local name on the continent. Amongst themselves, they wanted to return to the archipelago not just to see their families and friends, but also to let people back home know about the changing conditions on the mainland. As you may recall, around this time, Yamato was fiercely building up forces and defenses because they were convinced that there was going to be an attack by the Tang and Silla forces at any moment. The only problem that these four had in getting back was that they had, well, nothing. They had neither the clothing nor provisions to make such a journey. What would they eat and how would they pay for passage? As such, they were unable to get back. Hearing this, Ohotomobe no Hakama spoke up. He declared that, as much as he also wished to return, he could at least help them out. He offered to be sold into slavery so that his companions could obtain money with which to buy food and clothing. And so they did. Hakama was sold, and he probably had no idea what happened to the four after that. It turns out, however, that they did make it back and were able to give the Yamato court some idea of what had happened. Meanwhile, Hakama remained in a foreign land as a slave for some 30 years, until he was finally able to make it back to Yamato, apparently with the help of the three monks. This whole story was relayed to the court, and when the Queen heard it, she decided to act. And thus the edict. Not only did she recount his story and praise him for his loyalty, but he was granted certain honors. First off, he was granted the rank of Mudaishi—the 39th rank in the court hierarchy, which gave him not a small amount of status, especially if he stayed in Tsukushi. He was also granted5 pieses of coarse silk, 10 bundles of floss silk, 30 tan of cloth, and 1000 sheaves of rice. On top of that, though, he received four chou of rice-land, which was given to him and his descendants, until at least his great-grandchildren. Finally, his parents, siblings, and children, were also exempted from having to ever provide corvee labor. Now, nobody could give him back his 30 years, but this was quite the consolation prize, at the time. To basically get rank and status, a stipend down four generations, and exemption from forced labor for him and his relatives, that was pretty incredible, if you think about it. Hakama wasn't the only one who had suffered in the country of the Great Tang and was rewarded for it. Mononobe no Kusuri, from Iyo, and Mibu no Moroshi, in Higo, were also paid out handsomely in consolation for their sufferings, though we aren't given details on their stories, or even when they came back. There are also other descriptions of Tang men, but it seems that these were individuals in a similar position to Xu Shouyen and Sa Hungko—they had been captured and were now living in Yamato. That they were integrating into Yamato society seems clear from the fact that they were given rank and similarly treated like vassals of the throne. What we don't see, however, are any further diplomatic missions. Those wouldn't start up for a while, and so even if Queen Uno no Sarara had wanted to confer with another female monarch, it would have to have been done through the auspices of Silla, who at t his point seem to have largely controlled the flow of goods, people, and thus information between the straits. And with that, I think we can close out this episode. Moving forward, we have more details about a lot of different things, and yet others are still lacking. It is my goal to try and be a little more selective about the passages we pull from the Chronicles. We don't need to go over every natural disaster or prayer to the wind-gods. We will take a look at things like the completion of the Fujiwara capital, as well as the 22 volumes of the Asuka-Kiyomihara law codes. And then there are a few persons of note that we should probably mention as well, such as the appearance of Fujiwara no Fubito. We should also talk about some of the other royal edicts that were made. All of that for later. For now, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts. If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page. You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com. Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now. Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.
Seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry and co-hosts Rob Jenners and Brandon Harper welcome CBS Sports and media personality Scoop B Robinson to episode 258 of the Big Shot Bob Podcast. The three dig into the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs — round-by-round breakdowns, trade intel, LeBron at 41, Ant Edwards off the bench, and a game of Walmart or Waffle House to close it out. Scoop B comes in hot with insider knowledge on the Giannis trade market — including which teams are serious, which ones are bluffing, and why Portland might be more in the conversation than anyone wants to admit. Rob gives his honest PSA to LeBron James. And Harp asks whether Robert Horry's Rockets would've still won those championships even if MJ never went to play baseball. (Spoiler: Rob has no doubts.) Plus: the Knicks embarrass the Hawks and the Sixers in back-to-back series, Ant Edwards earns a whole new level of respect by coming off the bench and letting a teammate cook, and the guys break down why Minnesota might be the most dangerous team left standing in the playoffs. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE: Luka Doncic injury update and Lakers' real chances vs OKC The Scoop B intel on Giannis — Portland, Brooklyn, Boston, and who's actually in play Robert Horry's Rockets without MJ — the debate settles itself Knicks run through Atlanta and then Philly in Game 1 Why the Magic fell apart and what it means for their future Anthony Edwards off the bench — is this a turning point? Timberwolves steal Game 1 in San Antonio — are they a real threat? Cavs vs Raptors Game 7 — Jarrett Allen takes over Donovan Mitchell's consistency problem OKC bench depth and why Rob is already worried for the Lakers NBA Finals predictions from all three guys Big Shot of the Week: 14-year-old cancer survivor Jude Baker Walmart or Waffle House — the game show everyone needs Subscribe to the Big Shot Bob Podcast on YouTube and hit the bell so you never miss an episode. New episodes drop weekly. Find Scoop B Robinson: YouTube: Scooby TV — New series 'The Pull Up with Scoob B' — first episode drops the 18th Twitter/Instagram/web: @ScoopB | scoopb.com 00:00 Intro & Big Shot Bob Show Open 00:55 Welcoming guest Scoop B Robinson 01:30 Luka Doncic injury — is he done for the series? 03:00 Scoop B hops on — networking at the Hawks' funeral 03:30 Trying to talk Rob off the Lakers swept ledge 04:00 Rob's prediction on Lakers vs Rockets in round one 04:50 KD and the Rockets — the mix just wasn't right this year 06:30 KD's future — running out of teams and running out of time 07:30 Scoop B drops intel — Masai Ujiri in Dallas, Kyrie and KD reuniting? 08:30 The KD problem — wants the praise, not the criticism 10:30 The 2K party story — Robert Horry's pull in LA 12:00 Back to the playoffs — Game 1s from round one wrap-up 12:30 Mitchell Robinson fine for the post-game social media post 14:00 James Dolan goes viral courtside — Scoop B was right there 15:30 The Magic collapse — dumbest half of basketball Rob's ever seen 16:30 Orlando's bigger problem — their seeding didn't match their talent 17:00 Scoop B on Orlando's conversations with Milwaukee about Giannis 18:30 Knicks roll into round two and smash the Sixers in Game 1 19:00 The Celtics losing to Philly — live by the three, die by the three 20:00 Would the Rockets have still won without MJ? Rob has zero doubt 21:00 Would Tatum have made the difference for Boston? 22:30 Giannis to Boston? Brad Stevens and the Jaylen Brown question 28:30 Why every Giannis trade probably takes three or four teams 32:30 Explain the Giannis situation in 90s NBA terms — who's the comp? 35:30 Anthony Edwards came off the bench in Game 1 — nobody saw that coming 36:30 Rob's newfound respect for Ant — let Terrance Shannon cook without flinching 38:00 Minnesota is The Undertaker — the roast that won't die 39:00 Jaden McDaniels called out the whole league and then backed it up 40:00 Spurs vs Wolves — Wemby was 0 for 7, expect a different guy in Game 2 41:30 Cavs close out Toronto in Game 7 — Jarrett Allen was the whole difference 42:30 The twin towers in Cleveland — Allen and Mobley when they lock in 43:00 Scoop B on life before and after James Harden in Cleveland 44:30 Donovan Mitchell inconsistency — strong start, faded as series went on 47:30 Detroit vs Cleveland round two — what does Detroit have left? 48:00 Lakers vs OKC — what do the Lakers actually have? 50:30 The OKC bench vs the Lakers bench — it's not close 51:00 Scoop B on OKC — they're the 2020 Lakers bubble team that got to defend 55:00 Conference Finals predictions — round the table 58:00 Scoop B signs off — ScoopB TV, The Pull Up with Scoob B launches the 18th 1:00:30 Big Shot of the Week — Jude Baker, 14-year-old cancer survivor 1:02:00 Secondary big shot — middle schoolers save the bus driver in Mississippi 1:03:00 Walmart or Waffle House — game time
We move into the penultimate round of our regional food bracket with the Final Four: New York Pizza, Maine Lobster Roll, Memphis Pulled Pork, and Kansas City Spare Ribs! Plus: Thomas describes the joys of umpiring little league baseball; the Boston Red Sox fire everyone in a "Red Wedding"-style massacre, and Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby checks himself into rehab for his gambling addiction!
Red Sox Ownership and the front office fired Alex Cora and other coaches on his staff. I discuss. I then discuss the Celtics round one of the playoffs against the 76ers so far.
Ready to reach your goals? Visit hims.com/BAKERS to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. Don't sleep on [@ultrapouches]. New customers get 15% Off with code BAKERS at takeultra.com! #UltraPouches #ad Use our code for 10% off your next SeatGeek order*: https://seatgeek.onelink.me/RrnK/JOMBOY10. Sponsored by SeatGeek. *Restrictions apply. Max $20 discount Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
The Shep gets an award and Conner gets some special tests. Anya gets invited to the Red Wedding. We're available on all of the standard podcasting platforms and can also be streamed on Spotify. Please give us a follow on Instagram and Threads @NarbosAndBroomheadsPodcast, and if you want to watch along, please send your comments to Narbosandbroomheads@gmail.com and we'll make sure to share them on future episodes. You can also join our Narbos And Broomheads Facebook group for information on live episodes being broadcast in the future. If you like the show, please shoot us a 5 star rating on i
Purple Pants Podcast: Split The Vote | Survivor 50 Episode 6 Recap | Red Wedding Under the Blood Moon Split the Vote is back breaking down Survivor 50, Episode 6, and Rob is joined by two of the sharpest strategic minds the game has to offer Bennett and Matt for a deep dive into one of the most twist-heavy episodes in modern Survivor history.We're merging at 17 (kind of), the Blood Moon Twist flips the game on its head, idols are flying, trust is temporary, and three players see their torches snuffed in a night that felt more Red Wedding than reunion feast. Tickets and updates for Brice and Wen 50 events: https://briceandwenpresent.flite.city/ You can also watch along on Brice Izyah’s YouTube channel to watch us break it all down https://youtube.com/channel/UCFlglGPPamVHaNAb0tL_s7g LISTEN: Subscribe to the Purple Pants podcast feed WATCH: Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks! Previously on the Purple Pants Podcast Feed: Purple Pants Podcast Archives
Split The Vote | Survivor 50 Episode 6 Recap | Red Wedding Under the Blood Moon Split the Vote is back breaking down Survivor 50, Episode 6, and Rob is joined by two of the sharpest strategic minds the game has to offer Bennett and Matt for a deep dive into one of the most twist-heavy episodes in modern Survivor history.We're merging at 17 (kind of), the Blood Moon Twist flips the game on its head, idols are flying, trust is temporary, and three players see their torches snuffed in a night that felt more Red Wedding than reunion feast. Tickets and updates for Brice and Wen 50 events:https://briceandwenpresent.flite.city/ You can also watch along on Brice Izyah's YouTube channel to watch us break it all down https://youtube.com/channel/UCFlglGPPamVHaNAb0tL_s7g Previously on the Purple Pants Podcast Feed:Purple Pants Podcast Archives LISTEN: Subscribe to the Purple Pants podcast feed WATCH: Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTubeSUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Wells and Dolores are getting whiplash from all of the twists this episode! What was more shocking: the merge, the three eliminations OR the idea that there’s an Applebee’s in Fiji? Dolores’ ideal reward would consist of soap, shampoo and Cirie’s eyelash tech’s info. How are those things still hanging on?! Plus, Wells wonders if Christian is actually that entertaining in real life or if it’s all a ruse for television…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Beware the Ides of March. Julius Caesar got stabbed 23 times by people he trusted — and in his honor, Dave, Cody, Paul, and Jackson are drafting their favorite betrayals in pop culture. From Brutus to the Red Wedding, from Frozen to Friends, from Planet of the Apes to a galaxy far, far away — which betrayals cut deepest, hit coldest, and hurt the most? The crew also crowns the greatest heel turn in wrestling history and drops the coldest betrayal lines ever delivered. Plus: breaking news on the WB/Paramount merger and what it could mean for James Gunn's DC universe — because apparently even podcast episodes aren't safe from a little backstabbing.https://linktr.ee/PopCulturePastorPod
In this episode, Robert breaks down the psychological trap investors fall into during tight, frustrating markets and why trying to “fix” drawdowns with bigger position sizes often makes things worse. He explains how coiled spring market environments tend to resolve, why price action matters more than headlines, and what could realistically spark the next major move in stocks. The discussion also dives into the shifting AI narrative, what Nvidia's earnings reaction may signal about expectations, and how margin expansion from AI-driven productivity could change the earnings outlook for mega-cap tech. The episode wraps with thoughts on risk management, patience, and how to stay positioned without forcing trades in a compressed market tape.
Running It Back Super Bowl XL Preview! It's Media Week 2026, and while the league builds the stage for Super Bowl XL, a coaching "Red Wedding" has left the NFL landscape looking like a chaotic game of musical chairs. In this episode, Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray break down the fallout of the massive coaching turnover and a Super Bowl matchup defined by redemption stories and "Harvard-style" job interviews. The guys dive deep into the hiring trends of the year—from the rise of the quarterback-influenced front office to the confusing lockout of the winningest coach in history from the Hall of Fame . We're also paying homage to the 11th anniversary of the 2015 Marshawn Lynch era, reminding everyone that sometimes—"We're just here so we don't get fined" . Key Takeaways:
Am I the Genius? is the show where you get real answers to questions you've always wondered but didn't think to ask. Subscribe on YouTube - youtube.com/@amithegenius?sub_confirmation=1 Am I the Jerk? on Instagram - instagram.com/amithegenius Am I the Jerk? on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0uEkxvRMpxLuuHeyPVVioF?si=b279dadfe593432b x.com/amithejerk facebook.com/amithejerk SUBMIT YOUR OWN STORIES HERE http://amithejerk.com/submit Mint Mobile - Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at MINTMOBILE.com/AITJ Quince - Keep it classic and cool — with long-lasting staples from Quince. Go to Quince.com/AITJ for free shipping on your order and three hundred and sixty-five -day returns. EveryPlate - Dig into these flavor-packed meals your household will love. New customers can enjoy this special offer of only $1.99 a meal. Go to everyplate.com/podcast and use code AITG199 to get started. Green Chef - Head to Greenchef.com/50AITJ and use code 50AITJ to get fifty percent off your first month, then twenty percent off for two months with free shipping. Lola Blankets - Get 35% off your entire order at Lolablankets.com by using code AITJ at checkout. Uncommon Goods - To get 15% off your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com/AITJ Don't miss out on this limited-time offer. Uncommon Goods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Evan, Michelle, & Courtney Cronin sift through the wreckage of the mess made by Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane at their press conference yesterday. We discuss the inside look ESPN's Baxter Holmes gave us into the innerworkings of the Lakers organization surrounding LeBron James' tenure and the Buss family's sale of the team. Also, Michelle went line dancing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Evan, Michelle, & Courtney Cronin sift through the wreckage of the mess made by Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane at their press conference yesterday. We discuss the inside look ESPN's Baxter Holmes gave us into the innerworkings of the Lakers organization surrounding LeBron James' tenure and the Buss family's sale of the team. Also, Michelle went line dancing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Evan, Michelle, & Courtney Cronin sift through the wreckage of the mess made by Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane at their press conference yesterday. We discuss the inside look ESPN's Baxter Holmes gave us into the innerworkings of the Lakers organization surrounding LeBron James' tenure and the Buss family's sale of the team. Also, Michelle went line dancing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Evan, Michelle, & Courtney Cronin sift through the wreckage of the mess made by Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane at their press conference yesterday. We discuss the inside look ESPN's Baxter Holmes gave us into the innerworkings of the Lakers organization surrounding LeBron James' tenure and the Buss family's sale of the team. Also, Michelle went line dancing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Evan, Michelle, & Courtney Cronin sift through the wreckage of the mess made by Terry Pegula and Brandon Beane at their press conference yesterday. We discuss the inside look ESPN's Baxter Holmes gave us into the innerworkings of the Lakers organization surrounding LeBron James' tenure and the Buss family's sale of the team. Also, Michelle went line dancing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
HE INFAMOUS RED WEDDING!! Game of Thrones Full Reaction Watch Along: / thereelrejects Game of Thrones 3x1 & 3x2 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 1 & 2 REA... Game of Thrones 3x3 & 3x4 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 3 & 4 REA... Game of Thrones 3x5 & 3x6 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 5 & 6 REA... Game of Thrones 3x7 & 3x8 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 7 & 8 REA... Blades Twist & Whispers Whisp as Tara & Andrew return to conclude their Game of Thrones Season 3 Reaction, Breakdown, Commentary, Analysis & Spoiler Review! Tara Erickson & Andrew Gordon react to Game of Thrones Season 3, Episodes 9 & 10 — “The Rains of Castamere” and “Mhysa,” two of the most consequential and talked-about episodes in the entire series. Adapted from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, these chapters deliver shocking tragedy, major power shifts, and the emotional fallout that reshapes Westeros forever. Follow Andrew Gordon on Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieSource Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agor711/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/Agor711 Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
HE INFAMOUS RED WEDDING!! Game of Thrones Full Reaction Watch Along: / thereelrejects Game of Thrones 3x1 & 3x2 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 1 & 2 REA... Game of Thrones 3x3 & 3x4 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 3 & 4 REA... Game of Thrones 3x5 & 3x6 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 5 & 6 REA... Game of Thrones 3x7 & 3x8 Reaction: • GAME OF THRONES SEASON 3 Episode 7 & 8 REA... Blades Twist & Whispers Whisp as Tara & Andrew return to conclude their Game of Thrones Season 3 Reaction, Breakdown, Commentary, Analysis & Spoiler Review! Tara Erickson & Andrew Gordon react to Game of Thrones Season 3, Episodes 9 & 10 — “The Rains of Castamere” and “Mhysa,” two of the most consequential and talked-about episodes in the entire series. Adapted from George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, these chapters deliver shocking tragedy, major power shifts, and the emotional fallout that reshapes Westeros forever. Follow Andrew Gordon on Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieSource Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agor711/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/Agor711 Follow Tara Erickson: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaraErickson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taraerickson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thetaraerickson Intense Suspense by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Follow Us On Socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/reelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Music Used In Ad: Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Happy Alley by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM: FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
PREMIER LEAGUE: Sudden departures of Chelsea's Maresca and United's Amorim. Did Arsenal's dismantling of Villa expose a clear gap? City may have regrets come May. Harrison Reed does Liverpool dirty. Nuno cements legend status at Wolves. HALFTIME: GKU-related weekly what if ROUND THE WORLD: AFCON check in and thoughts on Arsene Wenger's boneheaded idea for "improving" offside. STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs
A conversation with the firebrand senator.
For our 76th episode of the podcast, we welcome back Shandra (Filmforager on IG), co-host of the Fellowship of the Mic podcast. Shan, Tony, and Minwa have fun discussing the What ifs of GOT season 3. What if Catelyn kept her promise to Jon? What if Theon escaped Ramsay? We rewire Season 3 and watch Westeros bend in new directions. Hear our boldest Red Wedding rewrites and the case for Lady Stoneheart. Listen now and tell us your favorite what‑if.Support the showFollow Dancing with Dragons on Instagram Follow Tony on IG: Sirtone_Reviews Follow Minwa on IG: TheArabKhaleesihttps://dancingwithdragons.buzzsprout.comEmail us @DancewithDragons62@gmail.com
For the 74th episode of the podcast, we trace Robb Stark's rise from dutiful heir to fallen king, mapping how honor, loyalty, and love collided with power and changed the war. The story moves from early victories to political fractures, culminating in the Red Wedding and the lesson it carved into the North.Support the showFollow Dancing with Dragons on Instagram Follow Tony on IG: Sirtone_Reviews Follow Minwa on IG: TheArabKhaleesihttps://dancingwithdragons.buzzsprout.comEmail us @DancewithDragons62@gmail.com
Athens, Sparta, Thebes, and their neighbors fought a seemingly endless series of civil wars worthy of Westeros. But just like the War of Five Kings, Greece should have been more concerned with uniting against a greater threat massing to the North - one capable of conquering or enslaving them all. This is a grand story of deeds as infamous as the Red Wedding, as heroically selfless as Dunk or Brienne, and as disturbing as the worst Targaryen incest or Bolton torture.HoW Audience Survey - bit.ly/howsurveyBonus Eps & More - patreon.com/historyofwesterosShirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threadless.comwww.historyofwesteros.comIntro/Maps - klaradox.deFacebook Group - bit.ly/howfbDiscord - bit.ly/howdiscordNina - goodqueenaly.tumblr.com/
Seth and Sean discuss the Giants topping the Eagles last night, the Astros' "Red Wedding" they were anticipating happening, if the Texans could be looking at Breece Hall, and go through the day's Headlines.
Seth and Sean discuss the Giants topping the Eagles last night, the Astros' "Red Wedding" they were anticipating happening, if the Texans could be looking at Breece Hall, go through the day's Headlines, stack the card of NFL matchups for this week, give Texans fans something to be thankful for: they aren't the Dolphins, react to Deion telling Derek Carr he was hoping Shedeur would go to the Saints because he was there, dive in and assess just how good the AFC South actually is this season, lay out 5 reasons to hate Bill Belichick, talk about what DeMeco Ryans had to say earlier this week about the commitment to the running game and CJ Stroud's confidence evolving, see if any of the worst takes of the week can dethrone current champ Kendrick Perkins' take on CJ Stroud not being the guy, react to what Xavier Hutchinson said about Breece Hall, dive into if the Texans might look at bringing in more offensive weapons, stack the card for the Texans bye week based on what they'll be watching closest, and see what B-Scott and Luke's question of the day is.
Think back to the last time you heard someone talking about Jon Snow, Danerys Targaryen, or Tyrion Lannister? Binge-watching the final season with your eyebrows permanently raised and wondering if you missed a PD session on plot twists? Maybe you were dodging spoilers like arrows at the Battle of the Bastards, or rewatching the Red Wedding to confirm that, yes, it was that traumatic. Or maybe you were listening to a trio of edu-podcasters drawing some fiery parallels between Westeros and the world of professional learning. Whatever the case may be, let's hop back on the dragon and soar into all the political intrigue, power plays, and unexpected character arcs of Game of Thrones—to revisit the connections we made back in 2021.
For our review of the Season 3 Game of Thrones finale, we focus on the aftermath of the Red Wedding's devastation. Mhysa takes us through a realm forever changed by bloodshed and betrayal. The finale doesn't just wrap up storylines, it fundamentally reshapes the world we've come to know.Support the showFollow Dancing with Dragons on Instagram Follow Tony on IG: Sirtone_Reviews Follow Minwa on IG: TheArabKhaleesihttps://dancingwithdragons.buzzsprout.comEmail us @DancewithDragons62@gmail.com
In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: During the 12-day war, Israel managed to eliminate some of Iran's most heavily guarded leaders. A new report reveals the surprising weakness that opened the door. A murder mystery in Ukraine: a top politician is gunned down in broad daylight, and the assassin may have been hiding in plain sight. The U.S. takes an unprecedented step, blocking Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas from attending the upcoming UN General Assembly in New York. And in today's Back of the Brief—a U.S. appeals court delivers a blow to the Trump administration's trade agenda, ruling most of his tariffs are illegal. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief TriTails Premium Beef: Don't Settle for shrink-wrapped "steak" Visit https://trybeef.com/PDB to get the real stuff. Jacked Up Fitness: Get the all-new Shake Weight by Jacked Up Fitness at https://JackedUpShakeWeight.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How WILD is it that Fulton County's elected commissioners are being compelled - by force - to vote a certain way (why do they have a role at all if merely ceremonial?) in seating election-deniers to that county's elections board? Well, that's what a Brian Kemp-appointed judge decided earlier this week. Here we are, with Fulton County Republican clowns offering up only two appointees - both election-deniers - for Fulton commissioners to (uh) "choose" from. ------If that erosion of democratic norms and liberties isn't enough, now the same party that loathes "government overreach" from the federal bureaucracy is sending word from on high (DOT Secretary Sean Duffy) that (checks notes) rainbow crosswalks have to go "because safety." Atlanta officials say theirs are here to stay, and there's ample reason to believe they're actually good for pedestrian safety, but whatever, "woke libs!" Florida's crosswalks face a less certain fate. ------Meanwhile, the Wednesday night CDC "red wedding" would be an utter embarrassment to RFK Jr. and the Trump White House if they had any self-awareness in the first place. First, they fired that just-appointed CDC director THEY signed off on; an appointee who'd just weeks ago been voted in by the Senate. She refused to step down so naturally, Donnie J. had to take to Truth Social to make it official. LOL That's where we are now, as a country. Then, Atlanta-based Dr. Demetre Daskalakis penned a resignation letter he posted to the X platform, excoriating the "intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies ..."Just another day to be embarrassed as an American to be led by such buffonishness while our health and wellness guardrails continue to be dismantled.
For the 70th episode of Dancing with Dragons podcast, Minwa & Tony unfortunately have to revisit the penultimate episode of season 3. Arguably one of television's most shocking moments…the "The Rains of Castamere," better known as the Red Wedding episode.Support the showFollow Dancing with Dragons on Instagram Follow Tony on IG: Sirtone_Reviews Follow Minwa on IG: TheArabKhaleesihttps://dancingwithdragons.buzzsprout.comEmail us @DancewithDragons62@gmail.com
Griffith, you dastardly man, you! This week we're unpacking the two-parter that sees Griffith and Guts' ultimate collusion play out, with enough twists and turns to make your head spin. It's a pivotal moment in the storyline, so tune in as the gang unpacks it all.
We continue our Game of Thrones rewatch with Season 3 Episode 8, "Second Sons," examining royal weddings, surprising alliances, and Sam's groundbreaking discovery about White Walkers.Support the showFollow Dancing with Dragons on Instagram Follow Tony on IG: Sirtone_Reviews Follow Minwa on IG: TheArabKhaleesihttps://dancingwithdragons.buzzsprout.comEmail us @DancewithDragons62@gmail.com
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First—we'll look at how the infamous "Red Wedding" in the HBO series Game of Thrones inspired the Israeli operation that wiped out Iran's top military leadership. Later in the show—President Donald Trump threatens an extra 10 percent tariff against any countries aligning with what he calls "anti-American" BRICS policies, as the economic bloc denounces America's unilateral trade measures. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Lean: Visit https://TakeLean.com & use code pb20 for 20% off Kikoff: Build credit fast and get your first month for just a dollar at https://GetKikoff.com/miketoday. Thanks to Kikoff for sponsoring us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's the Cabbage Patch craze, replicated, updated and done all over again. Little thingees in boxes that influencers put on their bags. Why? Is this demon activation? Not hating, just not understanding. If you don't have detractors, you're not doing anything good. Some George Floyd details will shock us. All those funerals. Let's secure the elections that are coming. The Red Wedding op messed things up. Desperate coverups and hiding past evidence is what's happening. Mossad infiltrated using Fauci and stolen Covid data. Tina Peters was setup, and had to go to jail. Don't read scripts, write them. Who's a cat lady, with A.D.D.? Human beings have been cultivated to accept an altered reality. Sad, pathetic and insane. The truth doesn't need lipstick. Yes, George Floyd was involved in printing duplicate ballots. That's why they killed him. The CCP had a deal made. Strange that paper plants were catching fire around the election. Karl Rove and Ted Cruz helped steal the election. It's a circle jerk with the MSM and influencers. The greedy bastards want blood. Israel funded the VAXXX and the panic. The old order is going down hard, and the normies are going to be shocked. We should all be prepared to help.
The Supreme Court limits nationwide injunctions in birthright citizenship order. How Israel pulled off audacious ‘Red Wedding' and ‘Operation Narnia' attacks on Iran.
Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Military reporter Emanuel Fabian joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Overnight, an Israeli airstrike in Iran killed Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestine Corps in the IRGC Quds Force, who funded and armed Hamas ahead of the terror group’s October 7 onslaught as part of a multi-front plan to destroy Israel. Fabian describes who he was and how central he was in drafting Iran's ultimate strategy to eliminate Israel. Also hit last night was Iran’s Isfahan nuclear site for the second time since the start of the conflict, as Iran fired an overnight volley of five ballistic missiles at central Israel. The strike on the first day of the conflict destroyed several critical sections, including uranium conversion infrastructure and labs. Last night's strikes were intended to cause further damage to Iran’s nuclear program. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir told Israelis yesterday that they must prepare for a “prolonged campaign” against Iran to “eliminate a threat of this magnitude,” indicating that a quick end to the campaign was unlikely. We ask Fabian to decipher this cryptic message from the head of the IDF even as US President Donald Trump told reports that Israel appears to be "winning." Also yesterday, reporters were told that Israel is not running low on air defense interceptors amid its conflict with Iran, denying reporting that the IDF’s stockpile of interceptor missiles is being depleted. Fabian explains why this may still be the case. Iran is not only firing traditional ballistic missiles at Israel: At least one ballistic missile launched by Iran at Israel in a barrage on Thursday morning was carrying a cluster bomb warhead, marking a dangerous new development. We speak about this type of missile, as well as Iran's drips-and-drabs retaliation to the continued Israeli strikes. To close out, we review the stunning operation to eliminate Iran’s top military commanders early June 13 was code-named “Red Wedding” after the infamous scene in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series and “Game of Thrones” TV show, due to the almost fantastical way it was carried out. Fabian explains why. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: IRGC Palestinian division chief, an architect of Oct. 7, killed in overnight strike in Iran IDF hits Isfahan nuclear site for 2nd time; Iran fires 5 missiles in overnight barrage IDF chief warns Israelis must brace for ‘prolonged campaign’ against Iran Denying reports, IDF indicates that it’s not running low on missile interceptors Iranian missile with cluster warhead scattered bombs in central Israel, IDF says Inspired by brutal TV scene, first strikes on Iran said code-named ‘Red Wedding’ Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: Israeli soldiers and first responders check the damage caused to a building from an Iranian strike in Beit She'an on June 21, 2025. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week's Signal Hour discusses escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, reminiscent of the Iraq War, with ethical and legal concerns over Israel's strikes on Iranian civilians and scientists. The show critiques the shift from diplomacy to military action, likening it to the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones. It also covers unfulfilled political promises, the military-industrial complex's role in conflicts, and the potential for catastrophic escalation, including nuclear threats.Click Here for the Peak Prosperity Annual Summit
The Ghosts of Harrenhal: A Song of Ice and Fire Podcast (ASOIAF)
Send us a textDavos meets with Lord Wyman in front of a packed court. The Freys blame a most unlikely culprit for the Red Wedding. Davos' arguments for the Manderlys backing King Stannis fall on deaf ears, minus one. Ultimately, Lord Wyman makes his final decision; off with his head (and hands). Mackelly and Simon light a candle to the Father.Chapter Review:Davos Seaworth is brought before the Merman's Court. He'd hoped for a private audience with Lord Wyman Manderly, but the hall is packed with a host of people and a mischief of Freys. Davos makes his pitch for why the Manderlys should side with Stannis, but it doesn't go well. Wyllis Manderly (the heir) is a captive of the Lannisters and the family don't want to risk his life.The Freys spin an incredible yarn of their version of the Red Wedding: Robb Stark and his men turned into wolves and attacked everyone. Wendel Manderly died defending the Lord Walder Frey. Davos would use an exploding head emoji. Only Wyllis' daughter Wylla sides with Davos: they killed the Starks, they killed my uncle, how could we side with them?Rhaegar Frey argues that Robb abandoned the North, then abandoned the Riverlands. Lord Wyman agrees but not before a flash of disgust registers on his face. He orders that Davos be taken away and executed.Characters/Places/Names/Events:Davos Seaworth - Hand of the King to King Stannis Baratheon.Stannis Baratheon - King of the Seven Kingdoms.Wyman Manderly - Lord of White Harbor.Lady Leona Manderly - Wife of Wylis Manderly.Wylis Manderly - Heir to White Harbor, captive of the Lannisters.Wynafryd Manderly - Elder daughter of Wylis and Leona.Wylla Manderly - Younger daughter of Wylis and Leona.Rhaegar Frey - A Frey.Jared Frey - Another Frey.White Harbor - Only city in the North and its chief port.White Knife - Major river in the North that empties into the Bite at White Harbor. Support the showSupport us: Buy us a Cup of Arbor Gold, or become a sustainer and receive cool perks Donate to our cause Use our exclusive URL for a free 30-day trial of Audible Buy or gift Marriott Bonvoy points through our affiliate link Rate and review us at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, podchaser.com, and elsewhere.Find us on social media: Discord Twitter @GhostsHarrenhal Facebook Instagram YouTube All Music credits to Ross Bugden:INSTAGRAM! : https://instagram.com/rossbugden/ (rossbugden) TWITTER! : https://twitter.com/RossBugden (@rossbugden) YOUTUBE! : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kthxycmF25M
What happens when a comedian tries to fix aviation safety by staging a fake congressional hearing—with actors who don't know how to laugh?In this mind-bending and laugh-out-loud episode of The Ben and Skin Show, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray (with Ben Rogers out) dive deep into the surreal brilliance of HBO's The Rehearsal, starring the ever-deadpan Nathan Fielder. What starts as a casual mention of a documentary turns into a full-blown breakdown of one of the most bizarre and jaw-dropping episodes of television you'll ever hear about.
Send us a textIn this episode Chris and Dean are joined by Becky & Diana the hosts of The Homespun Haints podcast!Becky & Diana share their paranormal experiences growing up that got them into the paranormal! Becky details how her son saw a figure of a ghostly woman appearing from the ceiling with a rope around her neck, visiting a Northern Irish Haunted BnB that was also near a real life Red Wedding event in the 1500's! Diana shares her tale of ghostly children and more! Tune in and listen to what these spooky ladies have to say!https://homespunhaints.com/https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/homespun-haints-true-ghost-stories/id1464464952https://open.spotify.com/show/6z2RNMlMad1f5Q45hbaxXASupport the showSOCIAL MEDIATwitter: @TWRoadpodcastIG: twroadpodcastWant to be a guest or share your paranormal experiences? Email us!twroadpodcast@gmail.com
This week on Challenge Accepted, Frank and Thomas break down The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2—one of the most devastating and talked-about episodes of the series to date. From Joel's brutal fate to Abby's introduction and the fallout across Jackson, they explore how the show mirrors and diverges from the game, what it means for Ellie's arc, and how the showrunners are reshaping fan expectations. The discussion dives into the emotional weight of the storytelling, the controversy around Abby, and why this episode might define the season. Timestamps and Topics: 00:00 Intro and Spoiler Warning 00:24 Holding in the spoiler for years 01:28 Comparing Joel's moment to the Red Wedding 02:01 That golf club scene 03:04 Game vs show differences in Joel's death 04:05 Impact of Dina and Tommy being present 05:15 Ellie's choice to keep going 06:10 Joel's mindset and Ellie's last words 07:14 The emotional weight and realism 08:00 Reactions from non-gamers 09:00 The gamer/non-gamer divide 10:00 HBO's strategy with Abby and fan backlash 10:52 Ellie's new motivation and mirroring Abby's pain 11:37 Why Kaitlyn Dever works as Abby 13:04 What Abby's story sets up going forward 14:15 Fan reaction to playing Abby in the game 15:04 When media earns your emotions 15:50 The game's final song wrecks fans again 16:44 Jackson's development and vulnerability 17:27 Zombies evolving, Walking Dead comparisons 18:22 Cordyceps hive mind and thematic depth 19:25 Real-world fungus behavior influences the show 20:36 Evolution and future zombie threats 21:11 The bloater and missing loot 22:07 Dogs join the battle 22:57 Game of Thrones-style visuals 23:44 Did the infected reach the basements? 24:05 Tommy's potential trauma 25:02 Abby's future arc and cult elements 25:43 More Pedro Pascal via flashbacks 26:22 Seattle and the Wolves setting up 27:02 Frank's thoughts on The Last of Us viewership 27:50 Pedro Pascal fan reactions 28:38 Comparing Ellie and Abby to Maggie and Negan 29:25 Final thoughts on the episode's impact 30:00 Movie of the year chat and Coogler shout-out 31:00 Zombie dogs incoming, wrap-up Key Takeaways: Joel's death was both faithful and emotionally intense, echoing the game and Red Wedding alike. HBO softened Abby's introduction, aiming to create a deeper emotional understanding of her motivations. Ellie's journey is now fully personal, mirroring Abby's loss and fueling the show's core conflict. The show cleverly evolves the infected into a constant threat, avoiding the pitfalls of The Walking Dead. Kaitlyn Dever's performance brought layered complexity to Abby, winning over some skeptical fans. Jackson's siege was visually epic, with medieval tactics meeting modern warfare. The Last of Us continues to blend brutal storytelling with rich worldbuilding and deep character arcs. Quotes: “They earned your emotions. Now you have to follow that through.” – Frank “It just adds this heart-wrenching moment, but it makes it more real.” – Thomas “This is our Glenn moment. We don't know if the show survives it.” – Frank “The hatred Abby feels is now the same thing fueling Ellie—and us.” – Frank “Ellie keeps saying we'll figure it out. That weight is going to stay with her forever.” – Thomas Call to Action: If this episode hit you as hard as it hit us, let us know! Drop a review on your favorite podcast app, share your reactions using #ChallengeAcceptedPodcast, and follow us for more breakdowns and hot takes every week. Links and Resources: Stay updated with all things geeky at GeekFreaksPodcast.com Check out Frank's review of the episode on the site too! Follow Us:
Almost 6 years after its last Episode, Game of Thrones Final Season remains one of the most controversial and divisive seasons in TV history. But Dave has never watched the final season...until now. In this limited-run, seven-part, special series, Dave, PC Tunney, and DJ revisit the final season one Episode at a time (Dave for the first time) and answer the enduring question….was it really as bad as so many claimed?Here in Part 1, before diving into Season 8, the guys take some time to recap the key events, characters, and storylines from the first 7 seasons of Game of Thrones. The shocking death of Ned Stark, the unforgettable Red Wedding, stunning betrayals, surprising alliances and, of course...Zombie Dragons. The guys hit as many high points as they can here and set the stage for Season 8 by looking at a time when Game of Thrones was very great, indeed! What went wrong from there? We are about to find out (or perhaps not). Join us as we answer the question of whether and where Game of Thrones went wrong.About the Chairshot Radio NetworkLaunched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you'll find!MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)TUESDAY - 4 Corners Podcast (sports)WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)THURSDAY - POD is WARFRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling PodcastSUNDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / The Front and Center Sports PodcastCHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALSAttitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)http://TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & FriendsPatrick O'Dowd's 5X5Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/chairshot-radio-network/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Seems like everywhere you turn these days someone is telling you a layoff, reorg, or firing story - and each one seems to top the last one you heard. It's certainly not a competition, but It's probably not just Layla K and MJ who have heard some pretty crazy ways that companies perform layoffs, and they spill the tea on this episode! Be sure to follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc., to never miss an episode. Then go ahead and give it five stars! Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Drop us a comment here or let us know on on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. If you're employed, take a break from work, and if you are unemployed…well, listen in and maybe your story won't feel quite so bad… because it is definitely not just you! Show notes: Office Space (IMDB) Why I'm still traumatised by Game of Thrones' Red Wedding 10 years on (Metro UK) Stripe ruffles feathers as accidental ‘cartoon duck' sent to laid-off staffers (NY Post) The Hunger Games (Wikipedia) Music Credit: Heroism by MaxKoMusic | https://maxkomusic.com/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en_US
Scotland's late medieval period was a Game of Thrones-like environment with powerful families fighting and scheming for power. A particularly notorious event - The Black Dinner - inspired GRRM to write the Red Wedding. We'll examine all the gory details, politics, battles and intrigues plus other parallels beyond Stark, Frey and Lannister to characters like Bittersteel, Blackfish, Aenys Blackfyre and Unwin Peake. VIPHOW20 - https://magicmind.com/VIPHOW20 - 20% off for one-time purchases and subscriptions. Bonus Eps & More - www.patreon.com/historyofwesteros Shirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threadless.com www.historyofwesteros.com Intro/Maps - https://klaradox.de Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/howfb Discord: https://bit.ly/howdiscord