Podcasts about santa monica

In this episode of The Adam Carolla Show, comedian Greg Fitzsimmons joins Adam in the studio! They kick things off by sharing their thoughts on the best types of audiences for stand-up comedy and why having friends in the crowd isn't always ideal. Greg recounts a time he got into a fight at a comedy club, while Adam explores a theory on rising aggression among women. The two also react to a clip of Martha Stewart admitting to an affair and debate the etiquette of dog-walking and cleaning up after pets. Adam recalls a traffic altercation in Santa Monica, and Greg shares a nerve-wracking memory of getting a flat tire outside Yankee Stadium at 17—and being rescued by a mysterious stranger. In the news, comedian Mike Dawson joins Adam and Greg to discuss the headlines. First up is the strange case of Vice President Kamala Harris' appearance on a TikTok show called Subway Takes, where her interview was reportedly so uncomfortable and incoherent that she and the host agreed to delete it entirely. They also react to the TSA's recent announcement that it will end the long-standing rule requiring passengers to remove their shoes during airport security screenings—a move that could streamline travel but has people questioning whether it'll actually speed things up or lead to new headaches.YouTubers and ghost hunters Kris Collins and Celina Myers stop by to talk about their new film House on Eden. The conversation dives into the world of ghosts—what causes someone to become one, the cultures most fascinated by the supernatural, and the latest tech used to track paranormal activity. Kris and Celina also share their most compelling ghost encounters and what it was like making a movie for the first time. To close out, they ask Adam what he believes about the afterlife—and who he might choose to haunt if he ever became a ghost himself.Get it on.FOR MORE WITH GREG FITZSIMMONS:INSTAGRAM: @gregfitzsimmonsTWITTER: @gregfitzshowWEBSITE: www.gregfitzsimmons.comFOR MORE WITH KRIS COLLINS & CELENA MYERS:MOVIE: The House on Eden (In theaters July 25)INSTAGRAM: @kriscollinsINSTAGRAM: @celinaspookybooThank you for supporting our sponsors:BetOnlineGet $10 Off @BRUNT with code Adam at https://www.bruntworkwear.com/Adam #BRUNTpodchime.com/AdamHomes.comoreillyauto.com/ADAMPluto.tvLife insurance is never cheaper than it is today. Get the right life insurance for YOU, for LESS, and save more than fifty percent at selectquote.com/carollaSHOPIFY.COM/carollaLIVE SHOWS: July 10 - Irvine, CA (Live Podcast)July 11-12 - Covina, CA (4 shows)July 16 - Rosemont, ILJuly 17 - Plymouth, WISee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oh hey - it's a solo cast, y'all. Just you, me, and possibly my dryer in the background. I'm talking about how strength training has quite literally changed my insides - not just my body, but my breath, my thoughts, my actual sense of self. We're getting into the real stuff - how movement becomes a mirror, a portal, and sometimes a straight-up punch in the gut... in the best way. If you've ever trained through heartbreak, exhaustion, or just sheer stubbornness, you're gonna feel this one.Highlights:(02:41) You are the compass, not the noise(06:55) Training makes old versions of you die(10:08) Grief, workouts, and going full dark mode(14:33) EMDR therapy legit saved my life(19:05) Stop romanticising red light, start training(29:40) Just survive an hour, then something shiftsQualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers Audio

Send us a textThis show reflects on what it means to see the future too clearly and the cost of carrying that vision alone.A few weeks ago, America burned on the monitor behind me. Cameras rolled in Santa Monica. Steve Drobny, founder of Clocktower Group, advisor in global hedge funds, told me to sit straight, but I didn't care. We discussed the future and America's possibly undead economy.The previous night, a girl at a Venice Beach bar asked where I'm from. “The future,” I replied. She was 30, blond, beautiful blue eyes, an image I haven't shaken off. When you return from the future, you're never whole. Details are too sharp, too strange. People blink. They don't want to hear it. That's why I wear goggles. That's why they call me unhinged.Knowing what's next doesn't give control. It gives doubt. It exiles you from Main Street.I vibed on John Buchan's The Gap in the Curtain. A country house, a strange German professor, a handful of guests glimpsing a year ahead. One sees a financial headline. Distant words that unravel everything. Once you've seen what's coming, you carry it like a tumor made of light.I drew a line from that story to Saint Peter in Gethsemane. His denial wasn't betrayal; it was fear dressed as certainty. The same fear I see in markets, politics, people I've loved. We say "impossible" when scared. But the future doesn't knock. It slides in through the back door. Think of me as The Back Door Man.That's the curse, not that no one believes you, but that eventually, you stop believing yourself.Our conversation shifted between memories: Blanc Bleu, my house in St. Barts, Bitcoin, bond markets, old debates with giants like Niall Ferguson. Moments I stood and said what no one wanted to hear.Being early feels like being wrong until the chart catches up.The Curse of Knowing isn't about money, it's about myth. Trading safety for clarity. Leaving comfort to speak truths no one's ready for. It's about friends reunited, because ultimately, the only constants are those you love(d).HughSupport the show⬇️ Subscribe on Patreon or Substack for full episodes ⬇️https://www.patreon.com/HughHendryhttps://hughhendry.substack.comhttps://www.instagram.com/hughhendryofficialhttps://blancbleustbarts.comhttps://www.instagram.com/blancbleuofficial⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Leave a five star review and comment on Apple Podcasts!

How do we prepare for a world where AI agents work together, networks think for themselves, and quantum teleportation is no longer just science fiction? I recently caught up once again with Vijoy Pandey, SVP and GM of Outshift by Cisco, live at Cisco Live in San Diego, for a wide-ranging conversation about what comes next at the edge of AI and quantum innovation. We begin with Cisco's evolving quantum strategy and the recent unveiling of its Quantum Network Entanglement chip, a research prototype capable of generating 200 million entangled photons per second over standard telecom infrastructure.  Vijoy explains how this chip, along with new research at Cisco's lab in Santa Monica, brings us closer to distributed quantum computing by connecting compute nodes and scaling quantum capabilities beyond the lab. Even more interestingly, these quantum foundations are already demonstrating value in classical use cases, such as eavesdropping detection and real-time coordination. Our conversation also explores the momentum behind agentic AI. Rather than single prompts triggering single outputs, the future lies in distributed ecosystems of intelligent agents that work together to solve complex business problems.  Vijoy introduces Cisco's vision for the Internet of Agents, supported by an open-source collective called AGNTCY. It is designed to help diverse agents communicate, collaborate, and operate with trust and transparency across cloud environments and organizational boundaries. Throughout our conversation, Vijoy focuses on the practical impact rather than hype. From network automation and SRE workflows to use cases in cybersecurity and infrastructure management, he highlights how these technologies are being applied in real-world scenarios, not just theorized. His team at Outshift is building the connective tissue that brings these innovations to life inside the enterprise. So what do you think? Are quantum networking and AI agents a part of your roadmap? And what steps can businesses take today to ensure they are building on trustworthy, open, and scalable foundations? Join the conversation and share your perspective.

Noel catches up with Melanie Chartoff. She's best known for her comedy work on the ABC series Fridays and in the 1990s Fox sitcom Parker Lewis Can't Lose. She voiced both Didi Pickles and Grandma Minka on Nickelodeon's Rugrats. Melanie played George's girlfriend, Robin, on Seinfeld. Besides being an amazing actress, she's also a very talented author. Melanie's first book, Odd Woman Out: Exposure in Essays and Stories, is an entertaining listen (she does the narration). Melanie will be featured at the Santa Monica public library on July 17 for Home: Finding Our Place in the World. In August, she will be headed to Mohegan Sun for TerrifiCon on August 8-10. melaniechartoff.com charismatizing.com

He made the journey all the way from Santa Monica to celebrate the end of Pride with Meatball and Big Dipper; it's Sam Sanders! This trio really yaps it up as they talk about hosting on the radio, riding in cars with bears, and their love of Beyoncé. Follow @samsanders Listen to Sloppy Seconds Ad-Free AND One Day Early on MOM Plus⁠ Call us with your sex stories at 213-536-9180! Or e-mail us at ⁠sloppysecondspod@gmail.com⁠ ⁠FOLLOW SLOPPY SECONDS⁠ ⁠FOLLOW BIG DIPPER⁠ ⁠FOLLOW MEATBALL⁠ ⁠SLOPPY SECONDS IS A FOREVER DOG AND MOGULS OF MEDIA (M.O.M.) PODCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you see the appeal of wandering around the 3rd street promenade with drink in hand?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You got Monks'ed - Tim opens the show with Michael Monks discussing his now-trending display-model couch story, which has a new ending twist, and then they discuss the ongoing tension between the Justice Department and the leadership of Los Angeles, namely, Mayor Karen Bass. // Tim gives an update on the Inland Empire fires which seem to thankfully be dissipating. And then Conway moves on to discuss some sad changes happening in Santa Monica, including the famous Nordstrom store closing. // California Gubernatorial candidate, Stephen Cloobeck joins the show to talk about his campaign and vision for Los Angeles. // Conway shifts to discussing dating apps and warns listeners to be careful of the scams going on – people are losing their life savings – and Tim questions what goes in the con process that someone would send money to a stranger they've never met. Tim plays a news clip of a tragic story about a mother who went on a date and wound-up dead.  

Dr Andrea Cercek from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, Dr Arvind Dasari from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Dr Pashtoon Kasi from City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, California, Prof Eric Van Cutsem from University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, and Dr J Randolph Hecht from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Santa Monica, California, discuss recent updates on available and novel treatment strategies for colorectal cancer. CME information and select publications here.

Dr Andrea Cercek from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, Dr Arvind Dasari from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Dr Pashtoon Kasi from City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, California, Prof Eric Van Cutsem from University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, and Dr J Randolph Hecht from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Santa Monica, California, discuss recent updates on available and novel treatment strategies for colorectal cancer. CME information and select publications here.

Dr Andrea Cercek from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, New York, Dr Arvind Dasari from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Dr Pashtoon Kasi from City of Hope Orange County in Irvine, California, Prof Eric Van Cutsem from University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium, and Dr J Randolph Hecht from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in Santa Monica, California, discuss recent updates on available and novel treatment strategies for colorectal cancer. CME information and select publications here.

BEST OF KILBORN. The popular Fan Questions are back. Lord Kilby covers a variety of topics including the malcontents going overboard criticizing the gifted Karl Anthony Towns, a list of stellar movies Kilby has been watching, and rave reviews for a couple Santa Monica restaurants. Ohhh...The Life Gorgeous is ready for summer.  And remember, for the  world's best steak experience, enjoy Omaha Steaks. Visit OmahaSteaks.com for guaranteed-perfect gifts that deliver legendary quality. And for an extra $35 off, use Promo Code GORGEOUS at checkout. See site for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oh hey y'all. Today's episode is raw, hilarious, and full of heart - just like my guest.Jen Pastiloff is one of my dearest friends, and somehow this conversation manages to be both wildly unfiltered and deeply wise.We get into everything: her new book Proof of Life, choosing “sober-ish,” the magic of her retreats, being a deaf lip-reading unicorn, and what it really means to live without permission slips. It's messy, magical, and totally Jen.Highlights:(03:12) She's deaf, raw, hilarious, and magic(12:45) Pre-orders, panic, and doing love(22:19) Proof of Life isn't what you think(34:50) Community is where I find God(42:06) Screw happy, I want joy(49:11) Money, safety, and hustling for worthFind out more about Jen:WebsiteInstagram: @jenpastiloffFacebook: Jennifer PastiloffX: Jenlpastiloff Qualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers AudioMentioned in this episode:www.Neurohacker.com/shockandyall and use the code SHOCKANDYALL to get 15% off your first order

Is Los Angeles broken? And what will it take to fix it? We discuss that with Rick Cole on this episode of WNLA.Cole knows local government. He was elected to the Pasadena City Council in 1983, and served for 12 years, including two as Mayor. He served as City Manager of Azusa, Ventura and Santa Monica. He has served several times for the City of Los Angeles, as senior deputy to Councilmember Richard Alatorre, as deputy mayor for Budget & Innovation under Mayor Eric Garcetti, and as as deputy for City Controller Kenneth Mejia.  He left his position with Mejia last week, to focus on his role on the Pasadena City Council, a post he returned to in December after 30 years.In his farewell ceremony at City Council last week, he spoke about what ills the city and what it will take to fix it. We follow up, in an in-depth discussion.What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

In this episode I talk to Barbara Boselli about her 3-step process "What Can I Control?" that helps move leaders from being stuck-to moving with intention.  Introduction Barbara Boselli is a leadership expert, speaker, and executive coach with over 15 years of experience leading teams in Fortune 500 companies, including Google. She specializes in emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and leadership development, empowering professionals and organizations to navigate today's fast-paced world with clarity and impact. Barbara has delivered training at leading organizations such as The World Bank and Capital One, equipping leaders with the skills to foster resilience, collaboration, and growth. She holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and certifications from the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute and iPEC. Additionally, she has a degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. By integrating neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness into her coaching and workshops, Barbara helps individuals and teams unlock their full potential. Her approach is both practical and transformative, guiding leaders toward greater self-awareness, stronger relationships, and more effective decision-making in their personal and professional lives.   Resources mentioned in this episode Follow Barbara: Website: HERE LinkedIn: HERE Instagram: HERE FREE Resource-Top 10: HERE   Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing and leaving a review. Leave comment on what you enjoyed from the episode and if you have any suggestions for future episodes, I'd love to hear from you. Even better, share it with a friend or colleague and turn on the notifications so that you never miss an episode. It really helps the podcast gain more listeners so that we can grow our Lead From Within community. Thanks everyone! Keep reaching for your highest branch! Let's Connect Follow me on LinkedIn Here Visit my website Here Email: mthomson@curisconsulting.ca  Self-Care Guide on Amazon: Canada: HERE USA: HERE Leave me a voice note HERE and have it included on a future podcast! Just click on the "message" tab.  It is greatly appreciated!  

Alex Stone, there is a growing call in California for federal agents who are conducting immigration enforcement to drop masks and wear gear that looks more like traditional law enforcement.  The agents are typically covering their faces, wearing sports team baseball caps and street clothing like hoodies and jeans with vests that often only say "Police" or "Federal Agent" on them.  They drive civilian-looking cars and toss arrestees in them and drive off. // Michael Monks, Zero tolerance for illegal fireworks. Hollywood has its first public bathroom. Huntington Beach has more E-bikes than any other city. They have implemented 70-minute classes like drivers-ed.  // A possible suspect in custody in the shooting of an officer in Santa Monica  // Suspect in previous shooting fires shot at officer near Santa Monica mall  #ICERaids #LAW #IllegalFireworks #Fireworks #Hollywood #EBikes #SantaMonica 

Like a lot of you, I was moved by the passing of film director David Lynch this past January. Much more than I thought I would be, to be honest. A lot of it had to do with the timing. He was such a part of Los Angeles. He made movies set here. He did a daily weather report. He talked at length about how much he loved the light, the feeling of Old Hollywood, the smell of night-blooming jasmine, and he left as the city was on literally burning down around us. On top of that, we were four days away from a new president who is the embodiment of everything Lynch is not. It was like Dale Cooper died four days before Bob become President. Everywhere you turned on the news there was another scumbag asshole winning the lottery, and just when things could not get worse, reality said, “Wait! I got one more!” While struggling to fight the fires, with thousands of people in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena losing everything the city was now mourning its coolest resident. And if you don't live here I really cannot understate what a presence he is. There is a rotating sculpture of his head in head in Santa Monica. People gathered at the Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake where he used to go for coffee and a chocolate shake every day at 2:00 PM. The gathered at Jumbo's Clown Room, the Hollywood Boulevard strip club where he, as legend has it, he wrote Blue Velvet. Every sidewalk sandwich board in town bore a chalk drawing of his iconic quiff. So, as I began the next podcast, I figured I would dedicate the True Tales From Weirdsville segment to Mr. Lynch. But it quickly became apparent that it was way too much story for just one segment and it eventually stretched over three episodes.  And so, for your listening pleasure, we stitched ‘em together, and here they are. Enjoy. https://www.DanaGould.com

In this episode of Welcome to Cloudlandia, I reconnect with Dan Sullivan for another wide-ranging conversation that blends current events, history, technology, and human behavior. We start by reflecting on the safety and comfort of life in Canada while discussing the news of missile strikes in Israel. From there, we explore the idea that innovation often advances when entrenched leaders move on—whether in science, business, or geopolitics. Dan brings up Thomas Kuhn's idea that progress happens after the old guard exits, creating room for new ways of thinking. Our conversation shifts into the role of AI as a horizontal layer over everything—similar to electricity. We compare this shift to earlier transitions like the printing press and the rise of coffee culture. Dan shares his belief that while AI will transform systems, the core of human life will still revolve around handled needs and personal desires. We wrap by talking about convenience as the ultimate driver of progress. From automated cooking to frictionless hospitality, we recognize that people mostly want things to be “handled.” Despite how fast technology evolves, it's clear that unless something is of deep personal interest, most people will let it pass by. As always, the conversation leaves room for reflection and humor, grounded in the reality that technological change doesn't always mean personal change. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Dan and I explore the complexities of living in a "world-class" city like Toronto, discussing its cultural vibrancy against the backdrop of global geopolitical tensions. Dan delves into Toronto's significant role as a financial and technological hub, emphasizing its strategic importance in trade with the United States, where a substantial portion of Canadian exports cross the border. We discuss the transformative potential of AI in today's digital revolution, drawing parallels with historical innovations like Gutenberg's printing press, and how these advancements continuously redefine our society. We examine the evolution of Starbucks, from a unique third space with artisanal baristas to a more automated environment, and ponder the implications of this shift on quality and customer experience. The conversation shifts to the rise of independent coffee shops, highlighting how they meet the demands of discerning customers by offering premium experiences. Dean reflects on our relentless pursuit of convenience in modern urban life, where technological advancements shape our daily routines and enhance our quality of life. We conclude with a discussion on habit formation and the role of technology in reinforcing existing habits, while considering the balance between maintaining old routines and embracing new ones. Links: WelcomeToCloudlandia.com StrategicCoach.com DeanJackson.com ListingAgentLifestyle.com TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dean: Mr Sullivan, Dan: Mr Jackson, I hope the rest of your day yesterday went well. Dean: Oh, delightful, I learned stuff yesterday. That was a very nice day, beautiful, beautiful weather today. You know what, dan, if you could, as an option at the Hazleton, upgrade to include your perfect weather for $1,000, this is what you'd order, it's this kind of day. Yeah, mid-70s perfect white fluffy clouds. Yes, it's why. Dan: Living in a safe, globally unimportant country. That's exactly right. Holy cow, I don't know if you've seen, yeah, what's uh? I woke up like literally just a few minutes ago seeing all the, uh, the raining missiles on israel right now from Iran. Have you seen that this morning? Dean: Oh yeah, there's a lot of them. Most of them don't hit anything and most of them are shot down, but still it puts some excitement in your day. Dan: I mean really, yeah, these ones look like. They're something unique about these ones that they're supersonicersonic and many of them are hitting, yeah, different than what we've normally seen. Like normally, when you see it, it's the, the iron dome or whatever is, you know, intercepting them, which is always interesting, but these ones are like Direct, like you can see them hitting in inrael that's. I mean, could you imagine, dan, like you, just look at how geographically we are. You know we've won the geographic lottery in where we're positioned here, you know, just realizing that's never. Even though you can, all you know you always take precautions with the umbrella above us, over the outside. Dean: But I mean still that today. I've lived in Toronto for 54 years now, just past the anniversary, the 54th anniversary and I think that, first of all, when you have a really large city like Toronto, the center of a lot of things that go on in Canada, A world-class city like Toronto. Well, it's not a world-class city. But yeah, they have to go five years. I'm putting a new rule in for world-class cities. You have to go five years without ever saying the words. Dan: Yeah, we're a world-class city. Dean: We're a world-class city. And that takes you to stage one probation. Dan: Yeah. Dean: No, that takes you to stage two, probation, and then stage three probation is where all the people who've been saying it's a world-class city have either died or moved, and then it's sort of like science. There was a famous he wasn't a scientist, but he was a, I think, a science historian. Thomas Kuhn K-U-H-N if you ever came across that name wrote in the 1960s and he wrote a very influential book which is called the Structure of Scientific Revolutions, and he was asked many times when you have a sudden series of scientific breakthroughs and we really haven't had any for quite a long time, it's been mostly almost a century since we've had any real scientific revolutions. So all the progress we've made over the last century were for discoveries in physics and magnetism and electricity and uh, you know nuclear but they had already worked out how that was going to happen in the by the 1920s. and he said what when, all of a sudden, when you get a breakthrough, let's say, for example, they discover a new hydrogen atom and it essentially gives everybody free energy? That would be a scientific breakthrough. Do you think that I mean? Would you think? Dan: that would be. Dean: Yeah, yeah. In other words, energy just didn't cost anything anymore, you know, and the price of energy would go down. Dan: That would free up a lot of that, free up a lot of other things energy would go down that would free up a lot of that'd free up a lot of other things, and, uh, and, and he said, the single biggest cause for scientific breakthroughs is the funerals of old scientists. Oh who everybody defers to that you can't first them. Dean: Yeah, well, defers to, but they control promotion of young scientists. They control where the money goes for a scientist and then they die and their control loosens up and to the degree that control disappears. Now you get new. Dan: Yes. Dean: Yeah, so that's a long way around. But I think that in the world today there are people who are basically in control of geopolitical systems, economic systems, you know, cultural systems, and in the next 10 years, I think, a lot of the controllers are going. They'll either die or people will think they've already died. They don't have to actually die, they just have to be in a room somewhere and no one's heard, and no one's heard anything from them recently, and uh and uh, you know, and everything like that, and then things change and then things really shifted. But my sense about Toronto is that it's going to be the Geneva of the Western Hemisphere. Dan: Okay, that's interesting. Dean: Switzerland from a geopolitical standpoint really. I mean, nobody ever talks about well, what do the Swiss think about this? But lots of stuff happens in Geneva. People meet in Geneva. There's tons of money that goes through Geneva and you know, when you know people who hate each other want to talk to each other and feel safe about it, they do it in Geneva that's interesting. Dan: How did Switzerland become its neutrality known for? Is that just because of its positioning between Austria? Dean: and Germany mountains. Yeah, the uh, the germans had given some thought during the second world war to invade switzerland, and switzerland can put into the field in a very short period of time a very big army. I don't know what the numbers are. But the other thing is, uh, for the longest period I know maybe a century long they've been howling out the mountains. So they've got, you know, they've got secret bases inside the mountains, but there's also they've created lots of dams with big reservoirs and if there was ever an invasion they would just blow up the dams and they would flood the entire lowlands of. You know, people are told to the mountains, the entire lowlands of you know, people are told to the mountains, get to your bunker. You know everybody's got a bunker and they've all got guns and they do it. You know they just want to. They're in the middle of one of the most warfare inclined continents in human history. Europe is very warlike. It's always been warlike. Dan: Europe is very warlike. It's always been warlike, but they haven't wanted to be part of the wars, so they've taken the other approach. Dean: Yeah, and Canada is kind of like that, but the US is very uniquely positioned, because a lot of people don't know this. I mean, you come to Toronto and it's big skyscrapers, yeah, you know, and it's a financial center. It's very clearly a big financial center, it's a big communication center, it's a big tech center. But a lot of people don't know it's a big manufacturing center. There's the airport here. Dan: Oh yeah, All around the airport. Dean: Mile after mile of low-rise manufacturing Industrial yeah, all around the airport Mile after mile of low-rise manufacturing Industrial. Yeah Actually, sasha Kurzmer, who you'll see tomorrow, you'll see Sasha says it's the hottest real estate in Toronto right now is industrial space Really Wow, yeah. Yeah, we have enough condos for the next 10 years. I mean most of the condos we got enough. Dan: It's enough already. Yeah, that's true. That's funny right. Dean: I mean the vast number of them are empty. They're just. You know they just built them. Dan: Money lockers. Dean: Right yeah, money lockers right, yeah and uh, but a semi-truck you know like a big semi-truck loaded with industrial products can reach 100 million americans in 24 hours and that's where the wealth. That's where the wealth of toronto comes from. It comes from that distribution. Dan: Access to American market. Dean: Yeah, that's true. So you have the bridge at Buffalo, the big bridge at Buffalo. That goes across to New York and you have the big bridge at Detroit or at Windsor that goes across to Michigan and 80% of all the exports that Canada makes goes over those two bridges. Dan: Wow. Dean: Rapid-fire factoids for our listening audience. Dan: Yeah, absolutely, I mean that's. Dean: I like things like that. I like things like that. Dan: I do too. I always learn. You know, and that's kind of the you think about those as those are all mainland exports physical goods and the like but you know that doesn't. Where the real impact is is all the Cloudlandia transfers. You know, the transfer of digital stuff that goes across the border. There are no borders in Cloudlandia. That's the real exciting thing. This juxtaposition is like nothing else. I mean, you see, navigating this definite global migration to Cloudlandia. That's why I'm so fascinated by it. You know is just the implications. You know and you see. Now I saw that Jeff Bezos is back, apparently after stepping down. He's gotten so excited about AI that's bringing him back into the fold, you know. Dean: What at Amazon? Dan: Yes. Dean: Oh, I didn't know that. Dan: I saw that just yesterday, but he was talking about AI being, you know, a horizontal layer over everything, like electricity was layer over everything. Like electricity was, like the internet is, like AI is just going to be a horizontal, like over everything layer that will there's not a single thing that AI will not impact. It's going to be in everything. And so when you think about it, like electricity, like that I think I mentioned a few weeks ago that was kind of a curiosity of mine Now is seeing who were and what was the progression of electricity kind of thing, as a you know where it, how long it took for the alternate things to come aside from just lighting and now to where it's just everything we take for granted, right, like like you can't imagine a world without electricity. We just take it for granted, it's there, you plug something in and it and it works. Dean: You know, yeah, no, I, I agree, I agree, yeah, and so I wonder who I mean? Dan: do you? Uh and I think I go all the way back to you know that was where, like gutenberg, you know, like the first, the transition there, like when you could print Bibles okay, then you could print, you know, multiple copies and you know, took a vision, applied to it and made it a newspaper or a magazine. You know all the evolution things of it. Who were the organizers of all of these things? And I wonder about the timelines of them, you know? Dean: And I wonder about the timelines of them. You know Well, I do know, because I think that Gutenberg is a real, you know, it's a real watershed and I do know that in Northern Europe so Gutenberg was in Germany, that in Northern Europe, right across the you know you would take from Poland and then Germany, you would take from Poland and then Germany, and then you would take Scandinavia, then the low countries. Lux date that they give for Gutenberg is 1455. That's when you know a document that he printed. It has the year 1455, that within about a 30-year period there were 30,000 working presses in Northern Europe. How many years. That'd be about 30 years after 1455. So by the end of the—you've already surpassed 30,000 presses. Yes, but the vast majority of it wasn't things like Bibles. Dan: The vast majority of it was't things like Bibles. Dean: The vast majority of it was contracts. It was regulations. Dan: It was trade agreements. Dean: It was mostly commercial. It went commercial and so actually maps, maps became a big deal, yeah, yeah. So that made a difference and also those next 150 years were just tumultuous, I mean politically, economically I mean yeah yeah, enormous amount of warfare, enormous amount of became. Dan: Uh, I imagine that part of that was the ability for a precise idea to spread in the way it was intended to spread, like unified in its presentation, compared to an oral history of somebody saying, well, he said this and this was an actual, you know, duplicate representation of what you wanted, because it was a multiplier, really right. Dean: I mean that's, yeah, I'm. It was a bad time for monasteries yeah, exactly. Dan: They started drinking and one of them said you know what? We should start selling this beer. That's what we should be doing. Dean: We should get one of those new printing presses and print ads labels. Dan: Oh, we got to join in. Oh man, it's so funny, dan, that's so true, right? I mean every transition. It's like you know what did the buggy whip people start transitioning into? We're not strangers to entire industries being wiped out, you know, in the progress of things, yeah. Dean: Well, it wasn't until the end of the Second World War that horses really disappeared, certainly in Europe, certainly in Europe. It's. One of the big problems of the Germans during the Second World War is that most of their shipping was still by horses. Throughout the Second World War, you know they presented themselves as a super modern army military. You know they had the Air Force and everything like that, but their biggest problem is that they had terrible logistical systems, because one of the problems was that the roads weren't everywhere and the railroads were different gauges. They had a real problem, and horses are really expensive. I mean, you can't gas up a horse like you can gas up a truck, and you have to take care of them, you have to feed them. You have to use half of them to. You have to use half the horses to haul the food for the other half for all the horses. Dan: It's a self-perpetuating system. Yeah, exactly, that's so funny. Dean: Yeah, it's really an interesting thing, but then there's also a lot of other surprises that happen along the way. You know, happen with electricity and you know everything, but it's all gases and beds. Dan: Well, that's exactly it, and I think that it's clear. Dean: It'd be interesting with Bezos whether he can come back, because he had all sorts of novel ideas, but those novel ideas are standard now throughout the economy. And can he? I don't know how old he is now. Is he 50s? I guess 50s. Dan: Yeah, he might be 60-something. Dean: Yeah, well, well, there's probably some more ingenious 20 year olds that are. Dan: You know that are coming up with new stuff yeah, that were born when amazon already existed, you know I mean, it's like howard schultz with starbucks. Dean: He had the sweet spot for about 10 years, I think, probably from, I would say probably from around 90 to 2000. Starbucks really really had this sweet spot. They had this third space. You know, they had great baristas. Dan: They had. Dean: You walked in and the smell of coffee was fantastic and everything. And then they went public and it required that they put the emphasis on quantity rather than quality, and the first thing they had to do was replace the baristas with automatic machines. Okay, so you know, a personal touch went out of it. The barista would remember your drink. You know, yeah, a personal touch went out of it. The barista would remember your drink you know yeah. Dan: They were artists and they could create you know they punched the buttons and do the things, but they were not really making. Dean: Yeah, and then the other thing was that they went to sugar. They, you know, they brought in all sorts of sugar drinks and pastries and everything else. And now it wasn't the smell of coffee. When you walked in, it was the smell of sugar drinks and pastries and everything else. And now it wasn't the smell of coffee. When you walked in, it was the smell of sugar and uh and uh. So that I mean, people are used to sugar, but it's an interesting you know, and then he also, he trained his competition, you know, if you look at all the independent coffee places that could have a great barista and have freshly ground coffee. He trained all those people and then they went into competition with him. Dan: I think what really you know, the transition or the shift for Starbucks was that it was imagined in a time when the internet was still a place that you largely went to at home or at work, and the third place was a necessary, like you know, a gathering spot. But as soon as I think the downfall for that was when Wi-Fi became a thing and people started using Starbucks as their branch office. They would go and just sit there, take up all their tables all day. Dean: I'm guilty. Dan: I'm guilty, right exactly and that that kind of economically iconic urban locations, you know where you would be a nice little oasis. Yeah, it was exotically, exotically. European, I mean, he got the idea sitting in the. Dean: Grand Plaza in Venice you know that's where he got the idea for it, and yeah, so it was a period in a period in time. He had an era, period in time to take advantage and of course he did. You know he espresso drinks to. Dan: North. Dean: America. We, you know, maxwell House was coffee before Jeff Bezos, you know, and yeah, I think there's just a time. You, you know, I mean one of the things is that we talk about. We have Jeff Madoff and I are writing a book called Casting, not Hiring where we talk about bringing theater into your business and we study Starbucks and we say it's a cautionary tale and the idea that I came up with is that starbucks would create the world's greatest barista school and then you would apply to be, uh, become a barista in a starbucks and you would get a certification, okay, and then they would cream. They would always take the best baristas for their own stores and and. But then other people could buy a license to have a barista licensed, starbucks licensed barista license yes. And that he wouldn't have gone as quickly but he would have made quality brand. Yeah, but I think not grinding the coffee was the big, the big thing, because the smell of coffee and they're not as good. I mean, the starbucks drinks aren't as good as they. They were when they had the baristas, because it was just always freshly ground. You know, and yeah, that that was in the coffee and everything like that. I I haven't been. I actually haven't been to a starbucks myself in about two years that's interesting, we've got like it's very funny. Dan: But the in winter haven there's a independent you know cafe called haven cafe and they have won three out of five years the, the international competition in in Melbourne. Uh. Dean: Australia. Yeah see, that's good, that's fantastic yeah yeah yeah and Starbucks can't get back to Starbucks. Can't get back to that. You know that they're too big right, yeah, we just in winter. Dan: I haven't been yet because I've been up here, but it just opened a new Dutch Brothers coffee, which you know has been they've been more West Coast oriented, but making quite a stir. Dean: West Coast. That's where the riots are right. The riots are in the United. Dan: States. Dean: Oh man, holy cow, riot copy, riot copy. Dan: Yeah, exactly, I mean that's yeah. I can't imagine, you know, being in Los Angeles right now. That's just yeah unbelievable. Dean: Yeah, I think they're keeping it out of Santa Monica. That's all I really care about. Dan: Nothing at shutters right. Dean: Yeah, I mean Ocean Avenue and that. Have that tightly policed and keep them out of there. Dan: Yeah, exactly, it's amazing To protect the business. Yeah, I'm very interested in this whole, you know seeing, just looking back historically to see where the you know directionally what's going to happen with AI as it progresses here. Dean: Yeah, you know like learning from the platforms it's just constant discovery. I mean, you know like learning from that, it's just constant discovery. Dan: I mean uh, you know yeah yeah, I mean it's um. Dean: I had a podcast with mike kanix on tuesday and 60 days ago I thought it was going in this direction. Dan: He says now it's totally changed it and I said, well, that's probably going to be true 60 days from now yeah, I guess that's true, right, layer after layer, because we won't even know what it's going to, uh, what it's going to do. Yeah, I do just look at these uh things, though, you know, like the enabling everything, I'm really thinking more. I was telling you yesterday I was working on an email about the what if the robots really do take over? And just because everybody kind of says that with either fear or excitement, you know, and I think if you take it from. Dean: Well, what does take over mean? I mean, what does the word take over? Dan: mean, well, that's the thing, that's the word, right. That's what I mean is that people have that fear that they're going to lose control, but I think I look at it from that you get to give up control or to give control to the robot. You don't have to do anything. You know, I was thinking with with breakfast, with Chad Jenkins this morning, and we had, you and I had that delicious steak yesterday, we had one this morning and you know just thinking. You know, imagine that your house has a robot that is trained in all of the culinary, you know the very best culinary minds and you can order up anything you want prepared, exactly how it's prepared, you know, right there at your house, brought right to you by a robot. That's not, I mean, that's definitely in the realm of, of realistic here. You know, in the next, certainly, if we, if we take depending on how far a window out you take, right, like I think that things are moving so fast that that's, I think, 2030, you know, five years we're going to have a, even if just thinking about the trajectory that we've had right now yeah, my belief is that it's going to be um 90 of. Dean: It is going to be backstage and not front stage. That's going to be backstage yes, and that's got. You know I use the. Remember when google brought out their glasses, yeah, and they said this is the great breakthrough. You know all new technology does. And immediately all the bars and restaurants in San Francisco barred Google glasses. Dan: Okay, why? Dean: Well, because you can take pictures with them. Oh, I see, okay, and say you're not coming in here with those glasses and taking pictures of people who are having private meetings and private conversations. So yesterday after lunch I had some time to wander around. I wandered over to the new Hyatt. You know they completely remodeled the Hyatt. Dan: Yeah, how is? Dean: that it's very, very nice. It's 10 times better than the Four Seasons. First of all, they've got this big, massive restaurant the moment you walk into the lobby. I mean it probably has 100 seats in the restaurant. Dan: Like our kind of seats yeah. Dean: Yeah, I mean it's nice. I mean you might not like it, but you know you know, you walk into the Four Seasons and it's the most impersonal possible architecture and interior design. This is really nice. And so I just went over there and I, you know, and I just got on the internet and I was, you know, I was creating a new tool, I was actually creating a new tool and but I was thinking that AI is now part of reality. Dan: Yes. Dean: But reality is not part of AI. Dan: Say more about that. Dean: Well, it's not reality, it's artificial, oh it's artificial. Dan: It's artificial. Oh, exactly it's artificial. Dean: I mean, if you look up the definition of artificial, half of it means fake. Dan: Yes, exactly. Dean: Yeah, so part of our reality now is that there's a thing called AI, but AI is in a thing called reality, but reality is not in a thing called AI. Dan: Right. Dean: In other words, ai is continually taking pieces of reality and automating it and everything like that, and humans at the same time are creating more reality. That is not AI. Dan: AI, yeah, and that's I wonder. You know, this is kind of the thing where it's really the lines between. I'd be very interested to see, dan, in terms of the economy, like and I'll call that like a average you know family budget how much of it is spent on reality versus, you know, digital. You know mainland versus cloudlandia. Physical goods, food you know we talked about the different, you know the pillars of spending, mm-hmm and much of it you know on housing, transportation, food, health, kids. You know money and me, all of those things. Much of it is consumed in a. You know we're all everybody's competing outside of. You know, for everybody puts all this emphasis on Cloudlandia and I wonder you know what, how much of that is really? It's digital enabled. I don't know if you know. I just I don't know that. I told you yesterday. Dean: Yeah, but here, how much of it? The better question is. I mean to get a handle on this. How much of it is electricity enabled? Dan: Oh for sure, All of it. Dean: Most of it Well, not all of it, but most of it. I mean conversation, you know when you're sitting in a room with someone is I mean it's electronically enabled in the sense you like. Have it the temperature good and the lighting good and everything like that, but that's not the important thing. You would do it. Great conversations were happening before there was electricity, so yes, you know and any anything, but I think that most humans don't want to think about it. My, my sense is, you know, I don't want to have conversations about technology, except it's with someone like yourself or anything like that, but I don't spend most of my day talking about technology or electricity. The conversation we had last year about AI the conversation we're having about AI isn't much different than the conversation we're going to have about AI 10 years from now Did you? see this Next year. You're going to say did you see this new thing? And I said we were having a conversation like this 10 years ago. Yeah, yeah, that's absolutely true, I don't think it's going to change humanity at all. Dan: Yeah, I'm just going through like I'm looking at something you just said. We don't want to think about these things. Girding of that is our desire for convenience, progressively, you know, conserving energy, right. So it's that we've evolved to a point where we don't have to think about those things, like if we just take the, if we take the house or housing, shelter is is the core thing. That that has done. And our desire, you know, thousands of years ago, for shelter, even hundreds of years ago, was that it was, you know, safe and that it was gave did the job of shelter. But then, you know, when, electricity and plumbing and Wi-Fi and entertainment streaming and comfortable furniture and all these things, this progression, this ratcheting of elevations, were never. I think that's really interesting. We're never really satisfied. We're constantly have an appetite for progressing. Very few things do we ever reach a point where we say, oh, that's good enough, this is great. Like outhouses, you know, we're not as good as indoor plumbing and having, you know, having electricity is much nicer than having to chop wood and carry water. Dean: Yeah, well, I think the big thing is that efficiency and convenience and comfort, once you have them, no longer have any meaning. Dan: Right. But the ratchet is, once we've reached one level, we're ratcheted in at that level of acceptance. Dean: I mean possibly I don't know. I mean I don't know how you would measure this in relationship to everybody's after this. First of all, I don't know how you measure everybody and the big thing. I mean there are certain people who are keenly interested in this. It's more of an intellectual pleasure than it is actually. See that technology is of intellectual interest. You me, you know, you myself and everything else will be interested in talking about this, but I'm going home for a family reunion next weekend in Ohio. I bet in the four or five hours we're together none of us talks about this because it's of no intellectual interest to anyone else. Ok, so you know but it is for us. It's a, you know, and so I was reading. I'm reading a is the observation of the interest and behavior of a very small portion of the population who have freedom and money and that. And the era is defined by the interest of this very, very small portion, the rest of the people probably they're not doing things that would characterize the era. They're doing things that may have lasted for hundreds but it doesn't. It's not interesting to study, it's not interesting to write about, and you know, I mean we look at movies and we say, well, that's like America. No, that's like actors and producers and directors saying this is how we're going to describe America, but that's not how America actually lives. Dan: Yeah, that's interesting, right, movies are kind of holding up a mirror to the zeitgeist, in a way, right. Dean: Like Strategic Coast, is not a description of how the entrepreneurial world operates no, you know the yeah. Dan: The interesting thing thinking about your thinking is is transferable across all. You know it's a durable context. That's kind of the way. That's what I look about. That's what I love about the eight prophet activators. The breakthrough DNA model is very it's a durable context. It's timeless. Dean: Yes, I mean if the Romans had the eight prophet activators, and they did, but they just didn't know they did. Dan: Right. Dean: Yeah, and you go forward to the Star Wars cafe and probably the ones who are buying drinks for the whole house are the ones who know the eight prophet activators. Dan: Secretly, secretly, secretly. Who's that? Dean: weird. Who's that weird looking guy? I don't know if it's a guy. Who is it who you know? Well, I don't know, but buy him a drink oh my goodness, yeah, I'm. Dan: I think this thing that is convenience. We certainly want things to get easier. I mean, when you look at, I'm just looking down no, we want some things to get easier. What things do we not want to get easier? Dean: The things that are handled. We don't want to get easier. Dan: Oh right exactly. Dean: Yeah, for example, if there was a home robot, we would never buy one, because we've got things handled. Dan: Yeah. Dean: Yeah, I have no interest in having a home robot. I have no interest in having a home shop for a cook. I have no interest in everything because it's already handled and it's not worth the thinking it would take to introduce that into my, into our life I mean yeah, and it right like that. So it's. Dan: There are certain things that we'd like to get easier okay, and we're and we're focused on that yeah, yeah, I think about that, like that's I was thinking, you know, in terms of you know the access we have through Cloudlandia is I can get anything that is from any restaurant you know delivered to my house in 22 minutes. You know, that's from the moment I have the thought, I just push the button and so, yeah, I don't have. There's no, no thinking about that. We were talking about being here in the. You know the seamlessness of you know being here at the Hazleton and of you know I love this, uh, environment, I love being right here in this footprint and the fact that you know the hotel allows you to just like, come, I can walk right in step, you know, get all the function of the shelter and the food and being in this environment without any of the concern of it, right? No yeah, no maintenance. No, I never think about it when I leave. Yeah, it's handled. Think about that compared to when I had a house here, you know you have so much. Yeah, that's the thing, that's a good word handled. We just want things handled. You know Our desires. We want our desires handled and our desires are not really. I think our basic desires don't really. Maybe they evolve, it's just the novelty of the things, but the actual verbs of what we're doing are not really. I think you look at, if we look at the health category, you know where you are a you know you are at the apex level of consumer of health and longevity. Consumer of health and longevity. You know all the offerings that are available in terms of you know, from the physio that you're doing to the stem cells, to the work with David Hasse, all of those things. You are certainly at the leading edge and it shows you're nationally ranked, internationally ranked, as aging backwards. Dean: I'm on the chart. You're on the chart exactly, but I got on the chart without knowing it. It's just a function of one of the tests that I take. Somebody created sort of a ranking out of this and I was on it. It's just part of something that I do every quarter that shows up on some sort of chart. They ask you whether you want to be listed or not, and I thought it was good for um, because your doctor is listed on it too, and I. I did it mostly because david hoss he gets credit for it, you know he does it for yeah you know, it's good. It's good for his advertising and you know his marketing and I mean it's just good for. It's just good for his advertising and you know his marketing, I mean it's just good for his satisfaction and everything like that. But you know that's a really good thing because you know I created that. It was like two years I created a workshop called well, it's a lifetime extender, and then I changed it to age reversal future, because not a really interesting term, because it's in the future somewhere. Right but age reversal you can actually see right now it's a more meaningful comparison number and I had hundreds of people. I had hundreds of people on that and to my knowledge nobody's done anything that we talked about which kind of proves to you, unless it's a keen interest you can have the information and you can have the knowledge. But if it isn't actually something of central motivational interest to you, the knowledge and the information just passes by. The knowledge and the information just passes. Dan: Yeah, and I think it goes. If you have to disrupt your established habits, what do you always say? We don't want any habits except for the ones that we have already established. Right, except for the ones that are existing. Dean: Reinforce them, yeah, reinforce them and anyway, today I'm going to have to cut off early because I have, and so in about two minutes I'm going to have to jump, but I'm seeing you tomorrow and I'm seeing you the next day. It's a banner week. It's four days in a row. We'll be in contact, so, anyway, you know what we're doing in context, so anyway you know what we're doing. We're really developing, you know, psychological, philosophical, conceptual structures here. How do you think about this stuff? That's what I think about it a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's always pleasurable. Dan: Always, Dan, I will. I'll see you tomorrow At the party. That's right. Have an amazing day and I'll see you tomorrow night okay, thanks, bye.

Okay y'all, today's episode is personal. I'm talking with my hormone doctor, Dr. Christine Ibrahim - yes, the one who changed my actual life. She's the first person who made sense of what was going on in my body and didn't dismiss me with a “you're fine” when I clearly wasn't. We're getting into the real stuff: bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, what those blood panels actually mean, the difference between peri and menopause, and why your mental health might be taking a hit. If you've ever felt like you're doing all the “right” things and still don't feel like yourself - this one's for you.Highlights:(03:50) When bloodwork says “fine” but you feel awful(07:42) Why Dr. Christine treats people, not numbers(14:19) The IGF marker and feeling younger inside(22:06) Cortisol steal: stress messing with your hormones(28:45) 70+ symptoms of peri and menopause (yes, 70)(38:10) The truth about that scary hormone studyFind out more about Dr Christine IbrihamWebsiteInstagram: drchristineibrahimmdQualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers AudioMentioned in this episode:www.Neurohacker.com/shockandyall and use the code SHOCKANDYALL to get 15% off your first order

This episode features the running story of Mireille Siné, a marathon and ultra runner, a coach, and so much more. And intertwined into Mireille's running journey is an autoimmune condition she's been navigating since college: lupus. Since childhood, being active and participating in sports has been part of Mireille's life, and that included running. Running became a more central part of her athletic journey through college and after. Now in her mid-30s, Mireille has completed numerous half marathons, over a dozen marathons, and several trail ultras. She was also on a relay team for the Speed Project, a 340-mile event that goes from Santa Monica, CA,  to Las Vegas, NV, and she ran from Boston to New York City as part of a group of women who completed the 200-mile journey in 11 days. All to say, Mireille loves the challenge of running  long distances, and she has for years now. Throughout her running journey, Mireille has met the challenges presented by lupus. And that is the story Mireille is going to tell. How her pursuit of running and a lupus diagnosis have shaped her life and her athletic pursuits, as she continues to run far, and now coach others to go after their running goals. How to Keep Up with Mireille Siné Instagram: ⁠@heycoachmireille Website: ⁠⁠coachedbymireille.com To support WRS, please rate and review the show iTunes/Apple:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/womens-running-stories/id1495427631⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/4F8Hr2RysbV4fdwNhiMAXc?si=1c5e18155b4b44fa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Music Credits Cormac O'Regan, of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Playtoh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Coma-Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, via⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Lidérc Bell⁠⁠⁠, via ⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠aidanpinsent⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠AlexGrohl⁠, via ⁠Pixabay ⁠⁠⁠⁠RomanBelov⁠⁠⁠⁠, via⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pixabay⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PaulYudin⁠, via⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories WRS Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@womensrunningstories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ facebook.com/WomensRunningStories⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ womensrunningstories.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Women's Running Stories is a proud member of the Evergreen network:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://evergreenpodcasts.com/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former singer and actor Bobby Sherman has passed away at 81 years old. In March, it was revealed Sherman was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Born in Santa Monica and raised in Van Nuys, Sherman was a teen idol in the late '60s and early '70s. From 1968 to 1970, he starred in the ABC series “Here Come the Brides.” He later appeared on episodes of “Honey West,” “The Partridge Family,” “The Mod Squad,” “Murder She Wrote,” “The Monkees,” and more.Sherman then left show business and became a paramedic. He volunteered with the Los Angeles Police Department and instructed CPR and first aid classes. In the 1990s, he became a technical reserve officer with the LAPD, serving until 2017. In 1999, he was honored as the LAPD's Reserve Officer of the Year. He also served as a deputy sheriff with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and retired in 2010.In 2011, Sherman and Brigitte founded the Brigitte & Bobby Sherman Children's Foundation, which is a “Ghana-based center that provides local children with quality education and programs, along with meals for the entire community,” the foundation's website explains.RIP Bobby Sherman. You meant so much to so many.

For those who haven't heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” by Fairport Convention, and the intertwining careers of Joe Boyd, Sandy Denny, and Richard Thompson. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a forty-one-minute bonus episode available, on Judy Collins’ version of this song. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Erratum For about an hour this was uploaded with the wrong Elton John clip in place of “Saturday Sun”. This has now been fixed. Resources Because of the increasing problems with Mixcloud’s restrictions, I have decided to start sharing streaming playlists of the songs used in episodes instead of Mixcloud ones. This Tunemymusic link will let you listen to the playlist I created on your streaming platform of choice — however please note that not all the songs excerpted are currently available on streaming. The songs missing from the Tidal version are “Shanten Bells” by the Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” by A.L. Lloyd, two by Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, three by Elton John & Linda Peters, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow” by Sandy Denny and “You Never Know” by Charlie Drake, but the other fifty-nine are there. Other songs may be missing from other services. The main books I used on Fairport Convention as a whole were Patrick Humphries' Meet On The Ledge, Clinton Heylin's What We Did Instead of Holidays, and Kevan Furbank's Fairport Convention on Track. Rob Young's Electric Eden is the most important book on the British folk-rock movement. Information on Richard Thompson comes from Patrick Humphries' Richard Thompson: Strange Affair and Thompson's own autobiography Beeswing.  Information on Sandy Denny comes from Clinton Heylin's No More Sad Refrains and Mick Houghton's I've Always Kept a Unicorn. I also used Joe Boyd's autobiography White Bicycles and Chris Blackwell's The Islander.  And this three-CD set is the best introduction to Fairport's music currently in print. Transcript Before we begin, this episode contains reference to alcohol and cocaine abuse and medical neglect leading to death. It also starts with some discussion of the fatal car accident that ended last episode. There’s also some mention of child neglect and spousal violence. If that’s likely to upset you, you might want to skip this episode or read the transcript. One of the inspirations for this podcast when I started it back in 2018 was a project by Richard Thompson, which appears (like many things in Thompson’s life) to have started out of sheer bloody-mindedness. In 1999 Playboy magazine asked various people to list their “songs of the Millennium”, and most of them, understanding the brief, chose a handful of songs from the latter half of the twentieth century. But Thompson determined that he was going to list his favourite songs *of the millennium*. He didn’t quite manage that, but he did cover seven hundred and forty years, and when Playboy chose not to publish it, he decided to turn it into a touring show, in which he covered all his favourite songs from “Sumer Is Icumen In” from 1260: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Sumer is Icumen In”] Through numerous traditional folk songs, union songs like “Blackleg Miner”, pieces by early-modern composers, Victorian and Edwardian music hall songs, and songs by the Beatles, the Ink Spots, the Kinks, and the Who, all the way to “Oops! I Did It Again”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Oops! I Did it Again”] And to finish the show, and to show how all this music actually ties together, he would play what he described as a “medieval tune from Brittany”, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt”] We have said many times in this podcast that there is no first anything, but there’s a reason that Liege and Lief, Fairport Convention’s third album of 1969, and the album other than Unhalfbricking on which their reputation largely rests, was advertised with the slogan “The first (literally) British folk rock album ever”. Folk-rock, as the term had come to be known, and as it is still usually used today, had very little to do with traditional folk music. Rather, the records of bands like The Byrds or Simon and Garfunkel were essentially taking the sounds of British beat groups of the early sixties, particularly the Searchers, and applying those sounds to material by contemporary singer-songwriters. People like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan had come up through folk clubs, and their songs were called folk music because of that, but they weren’t what folk music had meant up to that point — songs that had been collected after being handed down through the folk process, changed by each individual singer, with no single identifiable author. They were authored songs by very idiosyncratic writers. But over their last few albums, Fairport Convention had done one or two tracks per album that weren’t like that, that were instead recordings of traditional folk songs, but arranged with rock instrumentation. They were not necessarily the first band to try traditional folk music with electric instruments — around the same time that Fairport started experimenting with the idea, so did an Irish band named Sweeney’s Men, who brought in a young electric guitarist named Henry McCullough briefly. But they do seem to have been the first to have fully embraced the idea. They had done so to an extent with “A Sailor’s Life” on Unhalfbricking, but now they were going to go much further: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves” (from about 4:30)] There had been some doubt as to whether Fairport Convention would even continue to exist — by the time Unhalfbricking, their second album of the year, was released, they had been through the terrible car accident that had killed Martin Lamble, the band’s drummer, and Jeannie Franklyn, Richard Thompson’s girlfriend. Most of the rest of the band had been seriously injured, and they had made a conscious decision not to discuss the future of the band until they were all out of hospital. Ashley Hutchings was hospitalised the longest, and Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson, and Sandy Denny, the other three surviving members of the band, flew over to LA with their producer and manager, Joe Boyd, to recuperate there and get to know the American music scene. When they came back, the group all met up in the flat belonging to Denny’s boyfriend Trevor Lucas, and decided that they were going to continue the band. They made a few decisions then — they needed a new drummer, and as well as a drummer they wanted to get in Dave Swarbrick. Swarbrick had played violin on several tracks on Unhalfbricking as a session player, and they had all been thrilled to work with him. Swarbrick was one of the most experienced musicians on the British folk circuit. He had started out in the fifties playing guitar with Beryl Marriott’s Ceilidh Band before switching to fiddle, and in 1963, long before Fairport had formed, he had already appeared on TV with the Ian Campbell Folk Group, led by Ian Campbell, the father of Ali and Robin Campbell, later of UB40: [Excerpt: The Ian Campbell Folk Group, “Shanten Bells (medley on Hullaballoo!)”] He’d sung with Ewan MacColl and A.L. Lloyd: [Excerpt: A.L. Lloyd, “Tom’s Gone to Hilo” ] And he’d formed his hugely successful duo with Martin Carthy, releasing records like “Byker Hill” which are often considered among the best British folk music of all time: [Excerpt: Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick, “Byker Hill”] By the time Fairport had invited him to play on Unhalfbricking, Swarbrick had already performed on twenty albums as a core band member, plus dozens more EPs, singles, and odd tracks on compilations. They had no reason to think they could actually get him to join their band. But they had three advantages. The first was that Swarbrick was sick of the traditional folk scene at the time, saying later “I didn’t like seven-eighths of the people involved in it, and it was extremely opportune to leave. I was suddenly presented with the possibilities of exploring the dramatic content of the songs to the full.” The second was that he was hugely excited to be playing with Richard Thompson, who was one of the most innovative guitarists of his generation, and Martin Carthy remembers him raving about Thompson after their initial sessions. (Carthy himself was and is no slouch on the guitar of course, and there was even talk of getting him to join the band at this point, though they decided against it — much to the relief of rhythm guitarist Simon Nicol, who is a perfectly fine player himself but didn’t want to be outclassed by *two* of the best guitarists in Britain at the same time). And the third was that Joe Boyd told him that Fairport were doing so well — they had a single just about to hit the charts with “Si Tu Dois Partir” — that he would only have to play a dozen gigs with Fairport in order to retire. As it turned out, Swarbrick would play with the group for a decade, and would never retire — I saw him on his last tour in 2015, only eight months before he died. The drummer the group picked was also a far more experienced musician than any of the rest, though in a very different genre. Dave Mattacks had no knowledge at all of the kind of music they played, having previously been a player in dance bands. When asked by Hutchings if he wanted to join the band, Mattacks’ response was “I don’t know anything about the music. I don’t understand it… I can’t tell one tune from another, they all sound the same… but if you want me to join the group, fine, because I really like it. I’m enjoying myself musically.” Mattacks brought a new level of professionalism to the band, thanks to his different background. Nicol said of him later “He was dilligent, clean, used to taking three white shirts to a gig… The application he could bring to his playing was amazing. With us, you only played well when you were feeling well.” This distinction applied to his playing as well. Nicol would later describe the difference between Mattacks’ drumming and Lamble’s by saying “Martin’s strength was as an imaginative drummer. DM came in with a strongly developed sense of rhythm, through keeping a big band of drunken saxophone players in order. A great time-keeper.” With this new line-up and a new sense of purpose, the group did as many of their contemporaries were doing and “got their heads together in the country”. Joe Boyd rented the group a mansion, Farley House, in Farley Chamberlayne, Hampshire, and they stayed there together for three months. At the start, the group seem to have thought that they were going to make another record like Unhalfbricking, with some originals, some songs by American songwriters, and a few traditional songs. Even after their stay in Farley Chamberlayne, in fact, they recorded a few of the American songs they’d rehearsed at the start of the process, Richard Farina’s “Quiet Joys of Brotherhood” and Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn’s “Ballad of Easy Rider”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Ballad of Easy Rider”] Indeed, the whole idea of “getting our heads together in the country” (as the cliche quickly became in the late sixties as half of the bands in Britain went through much the same kind of process as Fairport were doing — but usually for reasons more to do with drug burnout or trend following than recovering from serious life-changing trauma) seems to have been inspired by Bob Dylan and the Band getting together in Big Pink. But very quickly they decided to follow the lead of Ashley Hutchings, who had had something of a Damascene conversion to the cause of traditional English folk music. They were listening mostly to Music From Big Pink by the Band, and to the first album by Sweeney’s Men: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “The Handsome Cabin Boy”] And they decided that they were going to make something that was as English as those records were North American and Irish (though in the event there were also a few Scottish songs included on the record). Hutchings in particular was becoming something of a scholar of traditional music, regularly visiting Cecil Sharp House and having long conversations with A.L. Lloyd, discovering versions of different traditional songs he’d never encountered before. This was both amusing and bemusing Sandy Denny, who had joined a rock group in part to get away from traditional music; but she was comfortable singing the material, and knew a lot of it and could make a lot of suggestions herself. Swarbrick obviously knew the repertoire intimately, and Nicol was amenable, while Mattacks was utterly clueless about the folk tradition at this point but knew this was the music he wanted to make. Thompson knew very little about traditional music, and of all the band members except Denny he was the one who has shown the least interest in the genre in his subsequent career — but as we heard at the beginning, showing the least interest in the genre is a relative thing, and while Thompson was not hugely familiar with the genre, he *was* able to work with it, and was also more than capable of writing songs that fit in with the genre. Of the eleven songs on the album, which was titled Liege and Lief (which means, roughly, Lord and Loyalty), there were no cover versions of singer-songwriters. Eight were traditional songs, and three were originals, all written in the style of traditional songs. The album opened with “Come All Ye”, an introduction written by Denny and Hutchings (the only time the two would ever write together): [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Come All Ye”] The other two originals were songs where Thompson had written new lyrics to traditional melodies. On “Crazy Man Michael”, Swarbrick had said to Thompson that the tune to which he had set his new words was weaker than the lyrics, to which Thompson had replied that if Swarbrick felt that way he should feel free to write a new melody. He did, and it became the first of the small number of Thompson/Swarbrick collaborations: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Crazy Man Michael”] Thompson and Swarbrick would become a brief songwriting team, but as much as anything else it was down to proximity — the two respected each other as musicians, but never got on very well. In 1981 Swarbrick would say “Richard and I never got on in the early days of FC… we thought we did, but we never did. We composed some bloody good songs together, but it was purely on a basis of “you write that and I’ll write this, and we’ll put it together.” But we never sat down and had real good chats.” The third original on the album, and by far the most affecting, is another song where Thompson put lyrics to a traditional tune. In this case he thought he was putting the lyrics to the tune of “Willie O'Winsbury”, but he was basing it on a recording by Sweeney’s Men. The problem was that Sweeney’s Men had accidentally sung the lyrics of “Willie O'Winsbury'” to the tune of a totally different song, “Fause Foodrage”: [Excerpt: Sweeney’s Men, “Willie O’Winsbury”] Thompson took that melody, and set to it lyrics about loss and separation. Thompson has never been one to discuss the meanings of his lyrics in any great detail, and in the case of this one has said “I really don't know what it means. This song came out of a dream, and I pretty much wrote it as I dreamt it (it was the sixties), and didn't spend very long analyzing it. So interpret as you wish – or replace with your own lines.” But in the context of the traffic accident that had killed his tailor girlfriend and a bandmate, and injured most of his other bandmates, the lyrics about lonely travellers, the winding road, bruised and beaten sons, saying goodbye, and never cutting cloth, seem fairly self-explanatory: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Farewell, Farewell”] The rest of the album, though, was taken up by traditional tunes. There was a long medley of four different fiddle reels; a version of “Reynardine” (a song about a seductive man — or is he a fox? Or perhaps both — which had been recorded by Swarbrick and Carthy on their most recent album); a 19th century song about a deserter saved from the firing squad by Prince Albert; and a long take on “Tam Lin”, one of the most famous pieces in the Scottish folk music canon, a song that has been adapted in different ways by everyone from the experimental noise band Current 93 to the dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah to the comics writer Grant Morrison: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Tam Lin”] And “Matty Groves”, a song about a man killing his cheating wife and her lover, which actually has a surprisingly similar story to that of “1921” from another great concept album from that year, the Who’s Tommy. “Matty Groves” became an excuse for long solos and shows of instrumental virtuosity: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Matty Groves”] The album was recorded in September 1969, after their return from their break in the country and a triumphal performance at the Royal Festival Hall, headlining over fellow Witchseason artists John and Beverly Martyn and Nick Drake. It became a classic of the traditional folk genre — arguably *the* classic of the traditional folk genre. In 2007 BBC Radio 2’s Folk Music Awards gave it an award for most influential folk album of all time, and while such things are hard to measure, I doubt there’s anyone with even the most cursory knowledge of British folk and folk-rock music who would not at least consider that a reasonable claim. But once again, by the time the album came out in November, the band had changed lineups yet again. There was a fundamental split in the band – on one side were Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson, whose stance was, roughly, that Liege and Lief was a great experiment and a fun thing to do once, but really the band had two first-rate songwriters in themselves, and that they should be concentrating on their own new material, not doing these old songs, good as they were. They wanted to take the form of the traditional songs and use that form for new material — they wanted to make British folk-rock, but with the emphasis on the rock side of things. Hutchings, on the other hand, was equally sure that he wanted to make traditional music and go further down the rabbit hole of antiquity. With the zeal of the convert he had gone in a couple of years from being the leader of a band who were labelled “the British Jefferson Airplane” to becoming a serious scholar of traditional folk music. Denny was tired of touring, as well — she wanted to spend more time at home with Trevor Lucas, who was sleeping with other women when she was away and making her insecure. When the time came for the group to go on a tour of Denmark, Denny decided she couldn’t make it, and Hutchings was jubilant — he decided he was going to get A.L. Lloyd into the band in her place and become a *real* folk group. Then Denny reconsidered, and Hutchings was crushed. He realised that while he had always been the leader, he wasn’t going to be able to lead the band any further in the traditionalist direction, and quit the group — but not before he was delegated by the other band members to fire Denny. Until the publication of Richard Thompson’s autobiography in 2022, every book on the group or its members said that Denny quit the band again, which was presumably a polite fiction that the band agreed, but according to Thompson “Before we flew home, we decided to fire Sandy. I don't remember who asked her to leave – it was probably Ashley, who usually did the dirty work. She was reportedly shocked that we would take that step. She may have been fragile beneath the confident facade, but she still knew her worth.” Thompson goes on to explain that the reasons for kicking her out were that “I suppose we felt that in her mind she had already left” and that “We were probably suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, though there wasn't a name for it back then.” They had considered inviting Trevor Lucas to join the band to make Denny more comfortable, but came to the (probably correct) conclusion that while he was someone they got on well with personally, he would be another big ego in a band that already had several, and that being around Denny and Lucas’ volatile relationship would, in Thompson’s phrasing, “have not always given one a feeling of peace and stability.” Hutchings originally decided he was going to join Sweeney’s Men, but that group were falling apart, and their first rehearsal with Hutchings would also be their last as a group, with only Hutchings and guitarist and mandolin player Terry Woods left in the band. They added Woods’ wife Gay, and another couple, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior, and formed a group called Steeleye Span, a name given them by Martin Carthy. That group, like Fairport, went to “get their heads together in the country” for three months and recorded an album of electric versions of traditional songs, Hark the Village Wait, on which Mattacks and another drummer, Gerry Conway, guested as Steeleye Span didn’t at the time have their own drummer: [Excerpt: Steeleye Span, “Blackleg Miner”] Steeleye Span would go on to have a moderately successful chart career in the seventies, but by that time most of the original lineup, including Hutchings, had left — Hutchings stayed with them for a few albums, then went on to form the first of a series of bands, all called the Albion Band or variations on that name, which continue to this day. And this is something that needs to be pointed out at this point — it is impossible to follow every single individual in this narrative as they move between bands. There is enough material in the history of the British folk-rock scene that someone could do a 500 Songs-style podcast just on that, and every time someone left Fairport, or Steeleye Span, or the Albion Band, or Matthews’ Southern Comfort, or any of the other bands we have mentioned or will mention, they would go off and form another band which would then fission, and some of its members would often join one of those other bands. There was a point in the mid-1970s where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport Convention while Fairport Convention had none. So just in order to keep the narrative anything like wieldy, I’m going to keep the narrative concentrated on the two figures from Fairport — Sandy Denny and Richard Thompson — whose work outside the group has had the most influence on the wider world of rock music more broadly, and only deal with the other members when, as they often did, their careers intersected with those two. That doesn’t mean the other members are not themselves hugely important musicians, just that their importance has been primarily to the folk side of the folk-rock genre, and so somewhat outside the scope of this podcast. While Hutchings decided to form a band that would allow him to go deeper and deeper into traditional folk music, Sandy Denny’s next venture was rather different. For a long time she had been writing far more songs than she had ever played for her bandmates, like “Nothing More”, a song that many have suggested is about Thompson: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Nothing More”] When Joe Boyd heard that Denny was leaving Fairport Convention, he was at first elated. Fairport’s records were being distributed by A&M in the US at that point, but Island Records was in the process of opening up a new US subsidiary which would then release all future Fairport product — *but*, as far as A&M were concerned, Sandy Denny *was* Fairport Convention. They were only interested in her. Boyd, on the other hand, loved Denny’s work intensely, but from his point of view *Richard Thompson* was Fairport Convention. If he could get Denny signed directly to A&M as a solo artist before Island started its US operations, Witchseason could get a huge advance on her first solo record, while Fairport could continue making records for Island — he’d have two lucrative acts, on different labels. Boyd went over and spoke to A&M and got an agreement in principle that they would give Denny a forty-thousand-dollar advance on her first solo album — twice what they were paying for Fairport albums. The problem was that Denny didn’t want to be a solo act. She wanted to be the lead singer of a band. She gave many reasons for this — the one she gave to many journalists was that she had seen a Judy Collins show and been impressed, but noticed that Collins’ band were definitely a “backing group”, and as she put it “But that's all they were – a backing group. I suddenly thought, If you're playing together on a stage you might as well be TOGETHER.” Most other people in her life, though, say that the main reason for her wanting to be in a band was her desire to be with her boyfriend, Trevor Lucas. Partly this was due to a genuine desire to spend more time with someone with whom she was very much in love, partly it was a fear that he would cheat on her if she was away from him for long periods of time, and part of it seems to have been Lucas’ dislike of being *too* overshadowed by his talented girlfriend — he didn’t mind acknowledging that she was a major talent, but he wanted to be thought of as at least a minor one. So instead of going solo, Denny formed Fotheringay, named after the song she had written for Fairport. This new band consisted at first of Denny on vocals and occasional piano, Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, and Lucas’ old Eclection bandmate Gerry Conway on drums. For a lead guitarist, they asked Richard Thompson who the best guitarist in Britain was, and he told them Albert Lee. Lee in turn brought in bass player Pat Donaldson, but this lineup of the band barely survived a fortnight. Lee *was* arguably the best guitarist in Britain, certainly a reasonable candidate if you could ever have a singular best (as indeed was Thompson himself), but he was the best *country* guitarist in Britain, and his style simply didn’t fit with Fotheringay’s folk-influenced songs. He was replaced by American guitarist Jerry Donahue, who was not anything like as proficient as Lee, but who was still very good, and fit the band’s style much better. The new group rehearsed together for a few weeks, did a quick tour, and then went into the recording studio to record their debut, self-titled, album. Joe Boyd produced the album, but admitted himself that he only paid attention to those songs he considered worthwhile — the album contained one song by Lucas, “The Ballad of Ned Kelly”, and two cover versions of American singer-songwriter material with Lucas singing lead. But everyone knew that the songs that actually *mattered* were Sandy Denny’s, and Boyd was far more interested in them, particularly the songs “The Sea” and “The Pond and the Stream”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “The Pond and the Stream”] Fotheringay almost immediately hit financial problems, though. While other Witchseason acts were used to touring on the cheap, all packed together in the back of a Transit van with inexpensive equipment, Trevor Lucas had ambitions of being a rock star and wanted to put together a touring production to match, with expensive transport and equipment, including a speaker system that got nicknamed “Stonehenge” — but at the same time, Denny was unhappy being on the road, and didn’t play many gigs. As well as the band itself, the Fotheringay album also featured backing vocals from a couple of other people, including Denny’s friend Linda Peters. Peters was another singer from the folk clubs, and a good one, though less well-known than Denny — at this point she had only released a couple of singles, and those singles seemed to have been as much as anything else released as a novelty. The first of those, a version of Dylan’s “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere” had been released as by “Paul McNeill and Linda Peters”: [Excerpt: Paul McNeill and Linda Peters, “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”] But their second single, a version of John D. Loudermilk’s “You’re Taking My Bag”, was released on the tiny Page One label, owned by Larry Page, and was released under the name “Paul and Linda”, clearly with the intent of confusing particularly gullible members of the record-buying public into thinking this was the McCartneys: [Excerpt: Paul and Linda, “You’re Taking My Bag”] Peters was though more financially successful than almost anyone else in this story, as she was making a great deal of money as a session singer. She actually did another session involving most of Fotheringay around this time. Witchseason had a number of excellent songwriters on its roster, and had had some success getting covers by people like Judy Collins, but Joe Boyd thought that they might possibly do better at getting cover versions if they were performed in less idiosyncratic arrangements. Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway went into the studio to record backing tracks, and vocals were added by Peters and another session singer, who according to some sources also provided piano. They cut songs by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “You Get Brighter”] Ed Carter, formerly of The New Nadir but by this time firmly ensconced in the Beach Boys’ touring band where he would remain for the next quarter-century: [Excerpt: Linda Peters, “I Don’t Mind”] John and Beverly Martyn, and Nick Drake: [Excerpt: Elton John, “Saturday Sun”] There are different lineups of musicians credited for those sessions in different sources, but I tend to believe that it’s mostly Fotheringay for the simple reason that Donahue says it was him, Donaldson and Conway who talked Lucas and Denny into the mistake that destroyed Fotheringay because of these sessions. Fotheringay were in financial trouble already, spending far more money than they were bringing in, but their album made the top twenty and they were getting respect both from critics and from the public — in September, Sandy Denny was voted best British female singer by the readers of Melody Maker in their annual poll, which led to shocked headlines in the tabloids about how this “unknown” could have beaten such big names as Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black. Only a couple of weeks after that, they were due to headline at the Albert Hall. It should have been a triumph. But Donahue, Donaldson, and Conway had asked that singing pianist to be their support act. As Donahue said later “That was a terrible miscast. It was our fault. He asked if [he] could do it. Actually Pat, Gerry and I had to talk Sandy and Trevor into [it]… We'd done these demos and the way he was playing – he was a wonderful piano player – he was sensitive enough. We knew very little about his stage-show. We thought he'd be a really good opener for us.” Unfortunately, Elton John was rather *too* good. As Donahue continued “we had no idea what he had in mind, that he was going to do the most incredible rock & roll show ever. He pretty much blew us off the stage before we even got on the stage.” To make matters worse, Fotheringay’s set, which was mostly comprised of new material, was underrehearsed and sloppy, and from that point on no matter what they did people were counting the hours until the band split up. They struggled along for a while though, and started working on a second record, with Boyd again producing, though as Boyd later said “I probably shouldn't have been producing the record. My lack of respect for the group was clear, and couldn't have helped the atmosphere. We'd put out a record that had sold disappointingly, A&M was unhappy. Sandy's tracks on the first record are among the best things she ever did – the rest of it, who cares? And the artwork, Trevor's sister, was terrible. It would have been one thing if I'd been unhappy with it and it sold, and the group was working all the time, making money, but that wasn't the case … I knew what Sandy was capable of, and it was very upsetting to me.” The record would not be released for thirty-eight years: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “Wild Mountain Thyme”] Witchseason was going badly into debt. Given all the fissioning of bands that we’ve already been talking about, Boyd had been stretched thin — he produced sixteen albums in 1970, and almost all of them lost money for the company. And he was getting more and more disillusioned with the people he was producing. He loved Beverly Martyn’s work, but had little time for her abusive husband John, who was dominating her recording and life more and more and would soon become a solo artist while making her stay at home (and stealing her ideas without giving her songwriting credit). The Incredible String Band were great, but they had recently converted to Scientology, which Boyd found annoying, and while he was working with all sorts of exciting artists like Vashti Bunyan and Nico, he was finding himself less and less important to the artists he mentored. Fairport Convention were a good example of this. After Denny and Hutchings had left the group, they’d decided to carry on as an electric folk group, performing an equal mix of originals by the Swarbrick and Thompson songwriting team and arrangements of traditional songs. The group were now far enough away from the “British Jefferson Airplane” label that they decided they didn’t need a female vocalist — and more realistically, while they’d been able to replace Judy Dyble, nobody was going to replace Sandy Denny. Though it’s rather surprising when one considers Thompson’s subsequent career that nobody seems to have thought of bringing in Denny’s friend Linda Peters, who was dating Joe Boyd at the time (as Denny had been before she met Lucas) as Denny’s replacement. Instead, they decided that Swarbrick and Thompson were going to share the vocals between them. They did, though, need a bass player to replace Hutchings. Swarbrick wanted to bring in Dave Pegg, with whom he had played in the Ian Campbell Folk Group, but the other band members initially thought the idea was a bad one. At the time, while they respected Swarbrick as a musician, they didn’t think he fully understood rock and roll yet, and they thought the idea of getting in a folkie who had played double bass rather than an electric rock bassist ridiculous. But they auditioned him to mollify Swarbrick, and found that he was exactly what they needed. As Joe Boyd later said “All those bass lines were great, Ashley invented them all, but he never could play them that well. He thought of them, but he was technically not a terrific bass player. He was a very inventive, melodic, bass player, but not a very powerful one technically. But having had the part explained to him once, Pegg was playing it better than Ashley had ever played it… In some rock bands, I think, ultimately, the bands that sound great, you can generally trace it to the bass player… it was at that point they became a great band, when they had Pegg.” The new lineup of Fairport decided to move in together, and found a former pub called the Angel, into which all the band members moved, along with their partners and children (Thompson was the only one who was single at this point) and their roadies. The group lived together quite happily, and one gets the impression that this was the period when they were most comfortable with each other, even though by this point they were a disparate group with disparate tastes, in music as in everything else. Several people have said that the only music all the band members could agree they liked at this point was the first two albums by The Band. With the departure of Hutchings from the band, Swarbrick and Thompson, as the strongest personalities and soloists, became in effect the joint leaders of the group, and they became collaborators as songwriters, trying to write new songs that were inspired by traditional music. Thompson described the process as “let’s take one line of this reel and slow it down and move it up a minor third and see what that does to it; let’s take one line of this ballad and make a whole song out of it. Chopping up the tradition to find new things to do… like a collage.” Generally speaking, Swarbrick and Thompson would sit by the fire and Swarbrick would play a melody he’d been working on, the two would work on it for a while, and Thompson would then go away and write the lyrics. This is how the two came up with songs like the nine-minute “Sloth”, a highlight of the next album, Full House, and one that would remain in Fairport’s live set for much of their career: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth”] “Sloth” was titled that way because Thompson and Swarbrick were working on two tunes, a slow one and a fast one, and they jokingly named them “Sloth” and “Fasth”, but the latter got renamed to “Walk Awhile”, while “Sloth” kept its working title. But by this point, Boyd and Thompson were having a lot of conflict in the studio. Boyd was never the most technical of producers — he was one of those producers whose job is to gently guide the artists in the studio and create a space for the music to flourish, rather than the Joe Meek type with an intimate technical knowledge of the studio — and as the artists he was working with gained confidence in their own work they felt they had less and less need of him. During the making of the Full House album, Thompson and Boyd, according to Boyd, clashed on everything — every time Boyd thought Thompson had done a good solo, Thompson would say to erase it and let him have another go, while every time Boyd thought Thompson could do better, Thompson would say that was the take to keep. One of their biggest clashes was over Thompson’s song “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”, which was originally intended for release on the album, and is included in current reissues of it: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman”] Thompson had written that song inspired by what he thought was the unjust treatment of Alex Bramham, the driver in Fairport’s fatal car crash, by the courts — Bramham had been given a prison sentence of a few months for dangerous driving, while the group members thought he had not been at fault. Boyd thought it was one of the best things recorded for the album, but Thompson wasn’t happy with his vocal — there was one note at the top of the melody that he couldn’t quite hit — and insisted it be kept off the record, even though that meant it would be a shorter album than normal. He did this at such a late stage that early copies of the album actually had the title printed on the sleeve, but then blacked out. He now says in his autobiography “I could have persevered, double-tracked the voice, warmed up for longer – anything. It was a good track, and the record was lacking without it. When the album was re-released, the track was restored with a more confident vocal, and it has stayed there ever since.” During the sessions for Full House the group also recorded one non-album single, Thompson and Swarbrick’s “Now Be Thankful”: [Excerpt, Fairport Convention, “Now Be Thankful”] The B-side to that was a medley of two traditional tunes plus a Swarbrick original, but was given the deliberately ridiculous title “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sir B. McKenzie’s Daughter’s Lament For The 77th Mounted Lancers Retreat From The Straits Of Loch Knombe, In The Year Of Our Lord 1727, On The Occasion Of The Announcement Of Her Marriage To The Laird Of Kinleakie”] The B. McKenzie in the title was a reference to the comic-strip character Barry McKenzie, a stereotype drunk Australian created for Private Eye magazine by the comedian Barry Humphries (later to become better known for his Dame Edna Everage character) but the title was chosen for one reason only — to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the song with the longest title. Which they did, though they were later displaced by the industrial band Test Dept, and their song “Long Live British Democracy Which Flourishes and Is Constantly Perfected Under the Immaculate Guidance of the Great, Honourable, Generous and Correct Margaret Hilda Thatcher. She Is the Blue Sky in the Hearts of All Nations. Our People Pay Homage and Bow in Deep Respect and Gratitude to Her. The Milk of Human Kindness”. Full House got excellent reviews in the music press, with Rolling Stone saying “The music shows that England has finally gotten her own equivalent to The Band… By calling Fairport an English equivalent of the Band, I meant that they have soaked up enough of the tradition of their countryfolk that it begins to show all over, while they maintain their roots in rock.” Off the back of this, the group went on their first US tour, culminating in a series of shows at the Troubadour in LA, on the same bill as Rick Nelson, which were recorded and later released as a live album: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Sloth (live)”] The Troubadour was one of the hippest venues at the time, and over their residency there the group got seen by many celebrities, some of whom joined them on stage. The first was Linda Ronstadt, who initially demurred, saying she didn’t know any of their songs. On being told they knew all of hers, she joined in with a rendition of “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”. Thompson was later asked to join Ronstadt’s backing band, who would go on to become the Eagles, but he said later of this offer “I would have hated it. I’d have hated being on the road with four or five miserable Americans — they always seem miserable. And if you see them now, they still look miserable on stage — like they don’t want to be there and they don’t like each other.” The group were also joined on stage at the Troubadour on one memorable night by some former bandmates of Pegg’s. Before joining the Ian Campbell Folk Group, Pegg had played around the Birmingham beat scene, and had been in bands with John Bonham and Robert Plant, who turned up to the Troubadour with their Led Zeppelin bandmate Jimmy Page (reports differ on whether the fourth member of Zeppelin, John Paul Jones, also came along). They all got up on stage together and jammed on songs like “Hey Joe”, “Louie Louie”, and various old Elvis tunes. The show was recorded, and the tapes are apparently still in the possession of Joe Boyd, who has said he refuses to release them in case he is murdered by the ghost of Peter Grant. According to Thompson, that night ended in a three-way drinking contest between Pegg, Bonham, and Janis Joplin, and it’s testament to how strong the drinking culture is around Fairport and the British folk scene in general that Pegg outdrank both of them. According to Thompson, Bonham was found naked by a swimming pool two days later, having missed two gigs. For all their hard rock image, Led Zeppelin were admirers of a lot of the British folk and folk-rock scene, and a few months later Sandy Denny would become the only outside vocalist ever to appear on a Led Zeppelin record when she duetted with Plant on “The Battle of Evermore” on the group’s fourth album: [Excerpt: Led Zeppelin, “The Battle of Evermore”] Denny would never actually get paid for her appearance on one of the best-selling albums of all time. That was, incidentally, not the only session that Denny was involved in around this time — she also sang on the soundtrack to a soft porn film titled Swedish Fly Girls, whose soundtrack was produced by Manfred Mann: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “What Will I Do With Tomorrow?”] Shortly after Fairport’s trip to America, Joe Boyd decided he was giving up on Witchseason. The company was now losing money, and he was finding himself having to produce work for more and more acts as the various bands fissioned. The only ones he really cared about were Richard Thompson, who he was finding it more and more difficult to work with, Nick Drake, who wanted to do his next album with just an acoustic guitar anyway, Sandy Denny, who he felt was wasting her talents in Fotheringay, and Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band, who was more distant since his conversion to Scientology. Boyd did make some attempts to keep the company going. On a trip to Sweden, he negotiated an agreement with the manager and publisher of a Swedish band whose songs he’d found intriguing, the Hep Stars. Boyd was going to publish their songs in the UK, and in return that publisher, Stig Anderson, would get the rights to Witchseason’s catalogue in Scandinavia — a straight swap, with no money changing hands. But before Boyd could get round to signing the paperwork, he got a better offer from Mo Ostin of Warners — Ostin wanted Boyd to come over to LA and head up Warners’ new film music department. Boyd sold Witchseason to Island Records and moved to LA with his fiancee Linda Peters, spending the next few years working on music for films like Deliverance and A Clockwork Orange, as well as making his own documentary about Jimi Hendrix, and thus missed out on getting the UK publishing rights for ABBA, and all the income that would have brought him, for no money. And it was that decision that led to the breakup of Fotheringay. Just before Christmas 1970, Fotheringay were having a difficult session, recording the track “John the Gun”: [Excerpt: Fotheringay, “John the Gun”] Boyd got frustrated and kicked everyone out of the session, and went for a meal and several drinks with Denny. He kept insisting that she should dump the band and just go solo, and then something happened that the two of them would always describe differently. She asked him if he would continue to produce her records if she went solo, and he said he would. According to Boyd’s recollection of the events, he meant that he would fly back from California at some point to produce her records. According to Denny, he told her that if she went solo he would stay in Britain and not take the job in LA. This miscommunication was only discovered after Denny told the rest of Fotheringay after the Christmas break that she was splitting the band. Jerry Donahue has described that as the worst moment of his life, and Denny felt very guilty about breaking up a band with some of her closest friends in — and then when Boyd went over to the US anyway she felt a profound betrayal. Two days before Fotheringay’s final concert, in January 1971, Sandy Denny signed a solo deal with Island records, but her first solo album would not end up produced by Joe Boyd. Instead, The North Star Grassman and the Ravens was co-produced by Denny, John Wood — the engineer who had worked with Boyd on pretty much everything he’d produced, and Richard Thompson, who had just quit Fairport Convention, though he continued living with them at the Angel, at least until a truck crashed into the building in February 1971, destroying its entire front wall and forcing them to relocate. The songs chosen for The North Star Grassman and the Ravens reflected the kind of choices Denny would make on her future albums, and her eclectic taste in music. There was, of course, the obligatory Dylan cover, and the traditional folk ballad “Blackwaterside”, but there was also a cover version of Brenda Lee’s “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Let’s Jump the Broomstick”] Most of the album, though, was made up of originals about various people in Denny’s life, like “Next Time Around”, about her ex-boyfriend Jackson C Frank: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Next Time Around”] The album made the top forty in the UK — Denny’s only solo album to do so — and led to her once again winning the “best female singer” award in Melody Maker’s readers’ poll that year — the male singer award was won by Rod Stewart. Both Stewart and Denny appeared the next year on the London Symphony Orchestra’s all-star version of The Who’s Tommy, which had originally been intended as a vehicle for Stewart before Roger Daltrey got involved. Stewart’s role was reduced to a single song, “Pinball Wizard”, while Denny sang on “It’s a Boy”: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “It’s a Boy”] While Fotheringay had split up, all the band members play on The North Star Grassman and the Ravens. Guitarists Donahue and Lucas only play on a couple of the tracks, with Richard Thompson playing most of the guitar on the record. But Fotheringay’s rhythm section of Pat Donaldson and Gerry Conway play on almost every track. Another musician on the album, Ian Whiteman, would possibly have a profound effect on the future direction of Richard Thompson’s career and life. Whiteman was the former keyboard player for the mod band The Action, having joined them just before they became the blues-rock band Mighty Baby. But Mighty Baby had split up when all of the band except the lead singer had converted to Islam. Richard Thompson was on his own spiritual journey at this point, and became a Sufi – the same branch of Islam as Whiteman – soon after the session, though Thompson has said that his conversion was independent of Whiteman’s. The two did become very close and work together a lot in the mid-seventies though. Thompson had supposedly left Fairport because he was writing material that wasn’t suited to the band, but he spent more than a year after quitting the group working on sessions rather than doing anything with his own material, and these sessions tended to involve the same core group of musicians. One of the more unusual was a folk-rock supergroup called The Bunch, put together by Trevor Lucas. Richard Branson had recently bought a recording studio, and wanted a band to test it out before opening it up for commercial customers, so with this free studio time Lucas decided to record a set of fifties rock and roll covers. He gathered together Thompson, Denny, Whiteman, Ashley Hutchings, Dave Mattacks, Pat Donaldson, Gerry Conway, pianist Tony Cox, the horn section that would later form the core of the Average White Band, and Linda Peters, who had now split up with Joe Boyd and returned to the UK, and who had started dating Thompson. They recorded an album of covers of songs by Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, Johnny Otis and others: [Excerpt: The Bunch, “Willie and the Hand Jive”] The early seventies was a hugely productive time for this group of musicians, as they all continued playing on each other’s projects. One notable album was No Roses by Shirley Collins, which featured Thompson, Mattacks, Whiteman, Simon Nicol, Lal and Mike Waterson, and Ashley Hutchings, who was at that point married to Collins, as well as some more unusual musicians like the free jazz saxophonist Lol Coxhill: [Excerpt: Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band, “Claudy Banks”] Collins was at the time the most respected female singer in British traditional music, and already had a substantial career including a series of important records made with her sister Dolly, work with guitarists like Davey Graham, and time spent in the 1950s collecting folk songs in the Southern US with her then partner Alan Lomax – according to Collins she did much of the actual work, but Lomax only mentioned her in a single sentence in his book on this work. Some of the same group of musicians went on to work on an album of traditional Morris dancing tunes, titled Morris On, credited to “Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield”, with Collins singing lead on two tracks: [Excerpt: Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick and Barry Dransfield with Shirley Collins, “The Willow Tree”] Thompson thought that that album was the best of the various side projects he was involved in at the time, comparing it favourably to Rock On, which he thought was rather slight, saying later “Conceptually, Fairport, Ashley and myself and Sandy were developing a more fragile style of music that nobody else was particularly interested in, a British Folk Rock idea that had a logical development to it, although we all presented it our own way. Morris On was rather more true to what we were doing. Rock On was rather a retro step. I'm not sure it was lasting enough as a record but Sandy did sing really well on the Buddy Holly songs.” Hutchings used the musicians on No Roses and Morris On as the basis for his band the Albion Band, which continues to this day. Simon Nicol and Dave Mattacks both quit Fairport to join the Albion Band, though Mattacks soon returned. Nicol would not return to Fairport for several years, though, and for a long period in the mid-seventies Fairport Convention had no original members. Unfortunately, while Collins was involved in the Albion Band early on, she and Hutchings ended up divorcing, and the stress from the divorce led to Collins developing spasmodic dysphonia, a stress-related illness which makes it impossible for the sufferer to sing. She did eventually regain her vocal ability, but between 1978 and 2016 she was unable to perform at all, and lost decades of her career. Richard Thompson occasionally performed with the Albion Band early on, but he was getting stretched a little thin with all these sessions. Linda Peters said later of him “When I came back from America, he was working in Sandy’s band, and doing sessions by the score. Always with Pat Donaldson and Dave Mattacks. Richard would turn up with his guitar, one day he went along to do a session with one of those folkie lady singers — and there were Pat and DM. They all cracked. Richard smashed his amp and said “Right! No more sessions!” In 1972 he got round to releasing his first solo album, Henry the Human Fly, which featured guest appearances by Linda Peters and Sandy Denny among others: [Excerpt: Richard Thompson, “The Angels Took My Racehorse Away”] Unfortunately, while that album has later become regarded as one of the classics of its genre, at the time it was absolutely slated by the music press. The review in Melody Maker, for example, read in part “Some of Richard Thompson’s ideas sound great – which is really the saving grace of this album, because most of the music doesn’t. The tragedy is that Thompson’s “British rock music” is such an unconvincing concoction… Even the songs that do integrate rock and traditional styles of electric guitar rhythms and accordion and fiddle decoration – and also include explicit, meaningful lyrics are marred by bottle-up vocals, uninspiring guitar phrases and a general lack of conviction in performance.” Henry the Human Fly was released in the US by Warners, who had a reciprocal licensing deal with Island (and for whom Joe Boyd was working at the time, which may have had something to do with that) but according to Thompson it became the lowest-selling record that Warners ever put out (though I’ve also seen that claim made about Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle, another album that has later been rediscovered). Thompson was hugely depressed by this reaction, and blamed his own singing. Happily, though, by this point he and Linda had become a couple — they would marry in 1972 — and they started playing folk clubs as a duo, or sometimes in a trio with Simon Nicol. Thompson was also playing with Sandy Denny’s backing band at this point, and played on every track on her second solo album, Sandy. This album was meant to be her big commercial breakthrough, with a glamorous cover photo by David Bailey, and with a more American sound, including steel guitar by Sneaky Pete Kleinow of the Flying Burrito Brothers (whose overdubs were supervised in LA by Joe Boyd): [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Tomorrow is a Long Time”] The album was given a big marketing push by Island, and “Listen, Listen” was made single of the week on the Radio 1 Breakfast show: [Excerpt: Sandy Denny, “Listen, Listen”] But it did even worse than the previous album, sending her into something of a depression. Linda Thompson (as the former Linda Peters now was) said of this period “After the Sandy album, it got her down that her popularity didn't suddenly increase in leaps and bounds, and that was the start of her really fretting about the way her career was going. Things only escalated after that. People like me or Martin Carthy or Norma Waterson would think, ‘What are you on about? This is folk music.'” After Sandy’s release, Denny realised she could no longer afford to tour with a band, and so went back to performing just acoustically or on piano. The only new music to be released by either of these ex-members of Fairport Convention in 1973 was, oddly, on an album by the band they were no longer members of. After Thompson had left Fairport, the group had managed to release two whole albums with the same lineup — Swarbrick, Nicol, Pegg, and Mattacks. But then Nicol and Mattacks had both quit the band to join the Albion Band with their former bandmate Ashley Hutchings, leading to a situation where the Albion Band had two original members of Fairport plus their longtime drummer while Fairport Convention itself had no original members and was down to just Swarbrick and Pegg. Needing to fulfil their contracts, they then recruited three former members of Fotheringay — Lucas on vocals and rhythm guitar, Donahue on lead guitar, and Conway on drums. Conway was only a session player at the time, and Mattacks soon returned to the band, but Lucas and Donahue became full-time members. This new lineup of Fairport Convention released two albums in 1973, widely regarded as the group’s most inconsistent records, and on the title track of the first, “Rosie”, Richard Thompson guested on guitar, with Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson on backing vocals: [Excerpt: Fairport Convention, “Rosie”] Neither Sandy Denny nor Richard Thompson released a record themselves in 1973, but in neither case was this through the artists’ choice. The record industry was changing in the early 1970s, as we’ll see in later episodes, and was less inclined to throw good money after bad in the pursuit of art. Island Records prided itself on being a home for great artists, but it was still a business, and needed to make money. We’ll talk about the OPEC oil crisis and its effect on the music industry much more when the podcast gets to 1973, but in brief, the production of oil by the US peaked in 1970 and started to decrease, leading to them importing more and more oil from the Middle East. As a result of this, oil prices rose slowly between 1971 and 1973, then very quickly towards the end of 1973 as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict that year. As vinyl is made of oil, suddenly producing records became much more expensive, and in this period a lot of labels decided not to release already-completed albums, until what they hoped would be a brief period of shortages passed. Both Denny and Thompson recorded albums at this point that got put to one side by Island. In the case of Thompson, it was the first album by Richard and Linda as a duo, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Today, I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time, and as one of the two masterpieces that bookended Richard and Linda’s career as a duo and their marriage. But when they recorded the album, full of Richard’s dark songs, it was the opposite of commercial. Even a song that’s more or less a boy-girl song, like “Has He Got a Friend for Me?” has lyrics like “He wouldn’t notice me passing by/I could be in the gutter, or dangling down from a tree” [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “Has He got a Friend For Me?”] While something like “The Calvary Cross” is oblique and haunted, and seems to cast a pall over the entire album: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “The Calvary Cross”] The album itself had been cheap to make — it had been recorded in only a week, with Thompson bringing in musicians he knew well and had worked with a lot previously to cut the tracks as-live in only a handful of takes — but Island didn’t think it was worth releasing. The record stayed on the shelf for nearly a year after recording, until Island got a new head of A&R, Richard Williams. Williams said of the album’s release “Muff Winwood had been doing A&R, but he was more interested in production… I had a conversation with Muff as soon as I got there, and he said there are a few hangovers, some outstanding problems. And one of them was Richard Thompson. He said there’s this album we gave him the money to make — which was I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight — and nobody’s very interested in it. Henry the Human Fly had been a bit of a commercial disappointment, and although Island was altruistic and independent and known for only recording good stuff, success was important… Either a record had to do well or somebody had to believe in it a lot. And it seemed as if neither of those things were true at that point of Richard.” Williams, though, was hugely impressed when he listened to the album. He compared Richard Thompson’s guitar playing to John Coltrane’s sax, and called Thompson “the folk poet of the rainy streets”, but also said “Linda brightened it, made it more commercial. and I thought that “Bright Lights” itself seemed a really commercial song.” The rest of the management at Island got caught up in Williams’ enthusiasm, and even decided to release the title track as a single: [Excerpt: Richard and Linda Thompson, “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight”] Neither single nor album charted — indeed it would not be until 1991 that Richard Thompson would make a record that made the top forty in the UK — but the album got enough critical respect that Richard and Linda released two albums the year after. The first of these, Hokey Pokey, is a much more upbeat record than their previous one — Richard Thompson has called it “quite a music-hall influenced record” and cited the influence of George Formby and Harry Lauder. For once, the claim of music hall influence is audible in the music. Usually when a British musician is claimed to have a music ha

This episode is different. It is personal.Because for the first time, I will be sharing something I have not yet spoken about publicly.My father passed away this March. Just two days before my birthday.And in the weeks that followed, I gave myself permission to fully grieve, to feel, to remember, to process.It was a conscious act of mourning, supported by ceremony, solitude, and also by ketamine therapy, medically supervised at our clinic in Santa Monica.It helped me meet the waves of grief and let them move through me, not around me.And in that space, I kept returning to one question: Why, in our culture, is death treated as something to avoid, deny, or sanitize?Why is something so universal, so sacred, still held in so much fear?Today's guest has devoted her entire life to shifting that.Barbara Karnes is a hospice pioneer and one of the most respected voices in end-of-life education.Her booklet Gone From My Sight, known as The Little Blue Book, has sold over 40 million copies and changed how countless families understand and approach death.In this conversation, Barbara offers profound wisdom: she offers a map, a presence, a way of holding death that allows us to also hold life more fully.This is much more than a conversation about dying. It is a conversation about what it means to live without fear, and to love more openly, even at the edge of goodbye.Episode highlights:02:45 Ariana's Personal Story of Grief and Healing05:29 Understanding the Dying Process10:40 The Role of Caregivers and Cultural Myths About Dying21:51 The Emotional and Spiritual Costs of Caregiving31:36 The Role of the Witness in the Dying Process33:04 Creating a Sacred Experience Before Death34:08 Saying Goodbye and Processing Grief42:16 The Importance of Personal Choice in End-of-Life Care44:44 Cultural Perspectives on Death and Aging52:32 Rehearsing for Death Through Life's Changes54:25 Barbara's Personal Relationship with Death56:22 Understanding Grief as Part of the Dying Process01:02:39 Barbara's Legacy and ResourcesResources mentioned:https://bkbooks.com/pages/about-barbarahttps://bkbooks.com/collections/allSOCIAL MEDIALinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarakarnesrnInstagram https://www.instagram.com/barbarakarnesrnFacebook https://www.facebook.com/barbarakarnesrnYouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXVqIQdyP2OBTop8-jboRww

It's Pickleball day! After the show Klein & Ally will head to Pickle Pop in Santa Monica so Ally can eat her words and take on two 11-year old listeners with zero pickleball experience. We learned that Johnny might be on 'the 'tism' in Johnny Doesn't Know, chatted with Cheech Marin on his way to celebrate the world's first 'Cheech Marin Day' in LA, got Johnny's re-do on his Trader Joe's audio, and Ally revealed a horrible move she pulled as a Lyft driver in this week's Box of Shame. In Add news, we covered a benches-clearing brawl and manager ejections at a Dodgers game following tensions over ICE's alleged presence, new details about celebrity chef Anne Burrell's death in her shower, headstone thefts by metal scrappers in the Inland Empire, ICE reportedly appearing at more locations despite official denials, a rise in gambling and shopping addictions highlighted by Drake's $8M loss, Fat Joe being sued for sexual abuse and financial crimes, anniversaries for Brokeback Mountain and Jaws, and reports that Ozempic may be affecting men's genitals.

Dr. Jeffrey Bland discusses Longevity and Functional Medicine with Dr. Ben Weitz. [If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, so more people will find The Rational Wellness Podcast. Also check out the video version on my WeitzChiro YouTube page.] Podcast Highlights     ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dr. Jeffrey Bland is the Father of Functional Medicine. Dr. Bland has a PhD in biochemistry and he taught college biochemistry before going to work for the Nobel Laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling as the Director of Nutritional Research. Dr. Bland helped to establish science based nutrition, having worked to establish standards for evidence-based formulations, quality ingredient sourcing, and ethical manufacturing practices. Dr. Bland established the Institute of Functional Medicine as the premier educational platform to teach his science based approach to nutrition and lifestyle medicine that we call Functional Medicine.  Dr. Bland has also established the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute and Big Bold Health, which he launched in 2018 in order to advocate for the power of immune-rejuvenation to enhance immunity at a global level. The website for Big Bold Health is BigBoldHealth.com.   Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure.  Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

Is Ally pickleball-ready?? The date is set, the twins are booked. Can Ally put her paddle where her mouth is and prove she's a pickleball prodigy? An errant thought has now become a real event taking place this Friday in Santa Monica. Klein proves yet again that shrimp is a treat by presenting them to his kids at summer camp, we hear the first official tally of our 10k for LA Taco challenge, a listener's wife goes into labor, Ally's friend leaves a very suggestive butt dial message and is confronted about it live on the air, we get into part 2 of our 2025 summer draft (hello cord shorts?), hear from a couple fighting over toenail clippings in Petty Claims Court, and hear your stories of the most dangerous shit you did as a kid. In today's ADD news, we covered AtHome filing for bankruptcy and closing stores, Joel McHale joining a wave of celebrities opening up about cosmetic procedures, social media overtaking traditional outlets as America's top news source, the WNBA leaning into star power and visibility, streaming surpassing broadcast TV in viewing share, the death of celebrity chef Anne Burrell, and viral chatter about two Trader Joe's locations in Sherman Oaks.

Quaranteam – Book 1: Part 11 The girls suggest to Andy who to bring in. Based on a post by CorruptingPower, in 25 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Eric's house now stood with seven women in it, and Andy had agreed that he would try to learn all of their names eventually, just as Eric did for Andy's household, although both of them agreed that the task would definitely take some time. The two men and Phil had all planned to meet up for dinner on Thursday, as they usually did. It was good to keep a routine. Also on that Sunday, Ash had commandeered the pool house, giving each girl the chance to pitch to her twice, once in the midday and then again in the evening, allowing them to improve and refine upon their pitch. That had kept the entire house occupied, and allowed Andy to spend all of his time writing, although he did make an exception for lunch, when he'd tended to Jenny and Katie's needs. In a move that had surprised him, Jenny had insisted Katie ride his cock until he came inside of her, then sucked her share out of her partner's cunt afterwards. It had proven an excellent test, and Katie had still gotten her fix out of the experience. She'd described it to Andy as "filthy in the best possible way." Other than that, Andy went two days without engaging in any sex, a sort of chance to recharge his batteries. He suspected he might have a bit on Monday, but also acknowledged to himself that he was going to be booked wall to wall with the meetings, hearing the girls pitches, so it might even be a third day off from sex. Monday morning he awoke in bed alone, an absence he definitely noted, but it let him get his morning workout in, followed by a shower. After he got out of the shower, when he went to get dressed, he found a printed schedule of his day on top of his dresser. 10 11: Asha, Emily, Hannah, Jenny 11 12: Katie, Lauren, Nicolette, Niko 12 1: Lunch 1 2: Piper, Sarah, Sheridan, Taylor 2 3: debrief with Aisling Ash had decided to just organize the girl's pitches in alphabetical order, so that Andy wouldn't see any prejudgment on her part. On the schedule, there was also a map of the house's lower level, a room marked with an X and a note from Ash that read simply "See you there!" The house was the quietest it had ever been, even his two cats seeming a little perplexed at the lack of people moving around. Andy wandered down to the marked room at about fifteen minutes to 10, finding Aisling already in the room, which had been set up as a little conference room, a large television on the wall doubling as a computer monitor. On the screen was a black screen with the words "Project Pair Up" in friendly white lettering. "Hey love," she said to him with a smile. She was dressed in professional looking attire, the most dressed up he'd ever seen her. With the quarantine, everyone had been completely casual, and Andy suddenly felt wildly underdressed, wearing just a pair of jeans and an old, faded Jesus Jones t shirt. She saw his look and immediately grabbed his arm. "Relax. You're the one everyone's pitching to, so you're allowed to dress however you like. It's good to be the king," she giggled. "You've heard all the pitches already, Ash," he said to her, as she led him to the head of the table, making him sit down. "Anything truly shocking?" "I told you I wasn't going to make decisions for you, babe, so you'll just have to wait and see." "I wasn't asking you to make a decision, Ash," Andy laughed, "simply whether or not you thought this was a good idea or not." "Oh, aye," she nodded. "There's some truly remarkable women up on offer for you today, and I'm certain there will be some hard decisions in your future, in more ways than one. A few dodgy ones too, by my reckoning, but I'm not the final say in the matter, am I?" She moved to sit down next to him, at his right hand spot, the television screen on the wall opposite him. "There are pros and cons to all of them. But all the girls have agreed nobody will be upset at you, no matter what you decide." "And you think they're all going to hold to that?" "I told them if they couldn't then they shouldn't bother pitching anyone at all. That sort of got them in line." Andy nodded sagely. "Where are they?" "Everyone's hanging out in the pool house right now, and they'll come up when we text them, one at a time, so if anyone runs short, or needs to run long, nobody will get interrupted." "Okay then, let's get to it, I suppose." Ash nodded, and then picked up her iPhone from the table, sending Asha a text to come to the room. A few minutes later, the half Indian half French girl strolled into the room in a powder blue power suit, her hair done up in a bun, wearing bright red 1950s librarian glasses. "Thanks for letting us pitch ta ye, Andy," she said, moving to sit down on the chair at the opposite end of the table from him. "Going first is a bit of a pisser, but I s'pose I'll set the bar high for the lot of'em." She picked up the little remote from the table and clicked it, as the monitor behind her sprung to life, an image of a bright, bubbly blonde girl appearing on it. "This is Olivia Shoemaker, my bestie from me London days. Now I know what you're thinkin', that she's young, and you're nervous or whateva about bringin' too many young birds into the house. But Livvy's a doll. She's a student down at UCSD, so she could just transfer up here and go ta UCSF or Berkeley or Stanford or whateva." Asha clicked the button and the screen advanced, showing Olivia in a colorful yellow sundress, standing on the Santa Monica pier. "She's also a right big social media influencer, with half a million followers on Insta and about as many on TikTok. They were tryin' to get her to appear on Love Island back home, but she said she wanted to wait until she was a bit older for that. She's 19, she's fit and she's a babe. We've been friends since we was toddlers, an' I know she'd likely fall for you like I have." "What's she going to school for?" Andy asked. "She's undecided right now, but she's thinking she might get into international finance. Banking, stocks, that lot. She changes her mind about that all the time, though, so who knows where she'll end up. Girl's got a mind that goes a kilometer a minute, you ask me." "You think I'd be her type?" Andy asked, a touch of doubt in his voice. "I have trouble imagining someone like her being satisfied with someone older like me. I'm not particularly social media savvy, and she looks like the kind of girl who would take one look at me and think 'old man.' And that's no judgment on her,  I'm just saying, you want to make sure this is someone who you think is going to be happy here, and with me. Simply because I can request anyone I want to doesn't mean that I necessarily should." "She and I have been friends since we were wee high, so if I tell her she'll like you, she'll trust me on tha', and once she gets to know you, she'll fall for you like e'eryone does, Daddy." He still wasn't entirely comfortable with her calling him that, but he'd learned that telling Asha no just made her do the thing twice as much, so he was hoping she'd get it out of her system eventually. "And part of the pitch process was also you identifying what the challenges might be if I were to extend her an invite to our family. So what do you think those would be?" "Um," Asha said, looking down at the table a moment. "I'm not gonna lie ta ye, Andy. She can be a mite tad possessive. Her last relationship imploded because her boyfriend gave another girl a ride home after a party, and she thought he'd cheated on her." Andy winced a little bit. That struck him as more than a challenge. "So you think that's not going to be a problem here, where she has to share me with all of these other women?" "She'll get over it!" Asha pouted. "She just needs to be shown that not all men are lads, and that she doesn't have to have someone's complete attention all the time to get by in the world." "Do you know what she likes and dislikes sexually?" Ash asked her, cutting straight to the point. "Are you sure she's compatible with Andy?" "She's a bit more reserved than I am," Asha sighed. "More reserved than she oughta be, you ask me, but I don' like the idea of her just fallin' in with some bloke who won't do right by her. She deserves better'n that. The prude walls hafta come down sooner or later." "But do you think she and I would make each other happy?" Andy asked. "I'd like to think so, Andy," Asha said, "but I'm no' sure one way or the other. I'm just tryin' to look out for her." "Okay, Asha. You're the first one we've talked to today, so obviously we have a lot more pitches to hear, so we'll keep your friend in mind." Asha nodded, standing up again. "An' if you decide she's not for you, Andy, I'd understand, but, y'know, maybe pass her on to one of your friends around the town as a thought? It'd just be nice to have one of me mates around here." Andy smiled. "I'll see what I can do." Asha walked over, leaned down and gave Andy a soft kiss. "Thanks, Da. I'll see you at dinner, yeah?" Before Andy could answer, Asha was already heading out the door, closing it behind her. Aisling pushed the button and the screen moved to a simple black background with "next: Emily" in white letters on it in a classy font. He turned to look at Aisling, not entirely sure what to say, which made Ash giggle. "They're all very different, Andy, so you'll just have to decide for yourself." She sent a text message on her phone to Emily, letting her know to start heading to the conference room. "An influencer, though?" Andy said, rolling his eyes. "I still don't get how anyone can think that's a real job." He sighed, seeing the smirk on Ash's face. "I think it's more likely that I'll recommend her over to Eric or Phil, but I'll try to keep an open mind." "That's all anyone's asking, love." "Emily's pitch isn't also for a social media influencer, is it?" he asked, caution plain on his face. "Olivia was the only one, silly, so you can relax." He nodded, hearing a knock at the door. "C'mon in, Emily!" Emily entered the room, and it seemed as though all the girls were going to be in their best professional wear today. She had a modest dress than hung nearly to her ankles and a bright red silk blouse that was almost entirely buttoned up. She looked like was planning to meet the head of some movie studio more than simply talking to Andy and Aisling. She gave a warm, impish little smile and wave, then pulled the door closed behind her. "Hey love. Ash. This is so exciting!" she giggled. "How did Asha do?" Andy was about to say something when Ash put her hand on his wrist to quiet him. "He's not going to talk about any of the pitches to anyone other than me until he's heard them all, Emily, so I don't know why you're asking." The blonde Brit giggled again, flashing a little wink. "I asked because I almost got him to spill the goss." Emily moved to sit down in the pitcher's chair, and picked up the remote. "But it's fine, it's fine. Andy darling, let me present to you Summer Steele." She clicked on the remote and the screen behind her flickered and turned into an image of a woman in her late 30s sitting behind a camera, clearly on a set somewhere. Summer was fit, although not overly muscular, with hair a deep dark brown, like a freshly cut walnut tree. Her nose was slightly crooked, like it had been broken and reset at least once. Her skin had a natural tan to it. Andy suspected her heritage was either Jewish or Palestinian. She looked focused on whatever she was working on. She was certainly lovely, but also had a tough, street fighter kind of vibe to her. She was dressed in leather pants and a leather jacket over some kind of t shirt, as she peered at the camera's monitor. "Her real first name is Maya, but professionally she's been Summer Steele for nearly a decade now. I think you can call her either." Click. The image turned to show the woman on set of one of the Daggerfall Academy movies with Emily, one of the later ones clearly, judging by Emily's age in the picture. It looked as though Maya was teaching Emily some moves for an upcoming scene. "We first met when she was the stunt coordinator and 2nd AD for 'Power Taken: Daggerfall Academy IV.' We've been friends since then, but she's gone on to direct episodes of all sorts of shows: 'The Last Garrison,' 'Everyone Dies At Midnight,' 'Uprising From Below,' and even a couple for Disney+, although she obviously can't tell me about any of those." Click. The image shifted and was replaced by an image of current Hollywood it guy Scotty Jansen with his arm around her, as she sipped from a beer, probably at some afterparty in the Hollywood hills. "She was with Scott Jansen up until January of this year when they split after Scotty got drunk and put his foot in his mouth one too many times. There were lots of reasons they were never going to work out, but this was the final straw." Click. A new image appeared, with Maya in between Sarah and Emily, the three women clearly out for a night on the town, although based on the buildings behind them, Andy would've guessed they were somewhere in central Europe. "So, she knows Sarah and I rather well, and we can both vouch that under her occasionally crass veneer, she's a sweetheart with a kind spirit. Many of the things some lesser men would find turnoffs,  her tendency to drink and swear, her sometimes lacking sense of tact, her habit of acting first and thinking later,  those are all things you like in a woman, so that's delightful." "Well, as long as she isn't sloshingly drunk all the time, Emily," Andy said. "I don't want to bring in a dangerous alcoholic we're going to need to check into rehab all the time." Emily flapped a hand dismissively in his direction. "Nothing so coarse, my love. While she can attack a bottle with a gusto I've yet to see rivaled, she does keep those benders to a manageable number, and never lets them affect the rest of her life." "Alright, carry on." "She likes the same kind of sex you do, Andy,  she's a talker, and she enjoys both the softer and harder sides of it. She's very professional and you've made a point to tell all of us that if we want to continue working and chasing our dreams, we should do it, something she would very much appreciate, as she's certainly making headway. She directed her first film last year, 'The Secret In The Shadows,' and while it didn't win any awards, it came in under budget and over performed expectations by a sizable amount, so she's in talks to do another movie after the pandemic has passed." "Where's she from?" Ash asked her. Click. Andy suspected this was the most recent photo of the woman, and she'd undergone a drastic haircut. The left side of her head was shorn down to almost a buzz, while the front had a large flop of hair dyed bright green hanging over one eye, a look Andy had been told was called an undercut. She was wearing a white tanktop and he could see the woman had tattoos on each of her shoulders, epaulets of ink depicting fighting fish in a lake, done in a Japanese style. "Upstate New York. Her father was a rabbi and a jeweler, her mother ran a deli. Dad passed away last year from a heart attack, so her mom's running both businesses now. No brothers or sisters. Maya's got a few friends in the L A area, but for the most part, she's on the go so much that she really never settled anywhere. I'd like for her to settle with us." "What sort of challenges do you anticipate?" Andy questioned. He had a yellow legal pad of paper in front of him, and he'd been keeping small notes during the presentations, mostly so he could keep everything straight in his head at the end. "Two, but both I think aren't deal breakers. First, she's going to want to continue working so there may come a time when Andy might need to do a bit of travel to accommodate Maya's schedule, or Maya will simply need to ensure that most of her work as a director is done relatively local to here. I know that there have been some sound stages built in Oakland for the purpose of doing more film work here, so we will simply need to remind her of that." "And the other?" "The other is a little more of a challenge, but mostly just for you, love," Emily said to Andy, her coy smile widening a little. "Maya isn't at all bi curious. She is absolutely, positively, 100% heterosexual, meaning that you would need to tend to her needs without anyone else as company. I know this because both Sarah and I have made passes at her, only to be told that she's very much 'men only.' She would be completely aware of the rest of us, but simply wouldn't want to partake in any group activities. That also might mean you would need to share a bed with just her every once in a while, so she feels like she has as much a stake in you as everyone else, but you're clever, so I think you would do fine. Like you told me, constraints are simply gifts to creativity." "Do you think I would make her happy? Do you think she would make me happy?" Emily nodded. "It wouldn't be without minor complications, naturally, but I think you two would get along like a house on fire, and she would fit into the house much like Lauren does,  present and eager with you when she's spending time with you, and self reliant and capable when she isn't. She started as a stuntwoman before she got into directing, so she has always had an uphill climb in her life. We aren't best mates, but she'd thrive here, she'd adore you and I think she'd make you happy as well." The tiny Brit clicked the button and the screen advanced to black once more, with white letters reading "next: Hannah" in the center of it. "No matter what you decide, love," Emily said, getting up from her chair, making her way over to Andy, "I just want to say that all of the girls are thrilled you're asking us for our opinions on this, and it means the world to the lot of us that you're letting us have a say in who we want to join the family. You didn't have to ask anyone for their opinion, so the fact that you are, well, it shows even further that you're quite the good man, Andy Rook." Emily leaned in and kissed him, soft and tender, but backed with a lot of love, before she finally pulled away and gave him and Ash a little wave goodbye, slipping out of the room, closing the door behind her. Ash smirked as he looked over in her direction. "They're all probably going to say something like that, just so you know, love," she told him. "They've all been getting stories from Niko about how things are on the base, or from the girls involved in the poker game, and so they know what a weird place the world is in right now, and everyone's delighted how you're handling this." "Hell, if I was handling it my way, I'd probably just have stopped here, Ash, and not added anyone else to the family, but based on what Phil's told me, I'm going to spend the next five years hearing that I need to help usher in a new generation to save this one." The Irish girl giggled and offered him a little shrug. "It's such a hard life, isn't it, having beautiful women constantly throwing themselves at you, begging for sex." Andy scowled, although the expression was done with amusement. "Agreed, Alcatraz it ain't, but it's still quite the change from my life six months ago." "Which reminds me, you have to be sure and call Xander tomorrow and fill him on all the changes that have happened here in the last week. He texted you yesterday offering his condolences about Matty, but hell, he doesn't know about how quickly your house has exploded. Maybe we should send him a picture of you in bed, surrounded by all your women, like a modern day Hugh Heffner." Andy started laughing at that, shaking his head. "Oh god, he's gonna fucking kill me. He had quite the crush on Emily a few years back, although I think he grew out of that. Lord, I'm never going to hear the end of it." "Well, it'll be something you two can use to keep your spirits up when you talk. Are you ready for Hannah to make her pitch?" He nodded. "Sure, she's the one who got this all started. Let's see who she thinks we should bring into the house." A few minutes later, Hannah strolled into the room confidently, although Andy was surprised to see her in her cheerleading outfit again, the first time she'd worn it again since she'd shown up to the house a few days ago. Andy found the outfit choice odd, but decided not to remark on it. "Two days enough time for you to think it over, Hannah?" he asked the Asian cheerleader, who smiled and nodded. "Totes, but I didn't know I was gonna have hella competition at the end of it!" Over the past few days, the one thing Andy had determined first and foremost about Hannah was that she was always operating at 110% energy. That's simply who she was. "It's all good, though. I think you'll vibe with my candidate, even if she's not immediately your type." Hannah picked up the remote from the table and clicked it, as a picture sprung to life behind her. The minute the image popped onto the screen, Andy was taken back a bit. "I'm fairly certain that taking on an entire cheerleading team would be well over the limit of you suggesting one person, Hannah," he laughed. The image behind her must have been from the spring of this year, as it was Hannah and her entire cheerleading team over at Woodside High, where she'd graduated from in May. There were fourteen girls in the photo, in addition to the coach, and they were completely varied in terms of size, shape and race, although he couldn't deny, they all seemed lovely. It took him half a second to find Hannah as her hair lacked the blonde highlights in the photo. "Not the team, sir," she said, clicking the button again, as the screen shifted, this time the only person on the screen being the cheerleading coach. "Just the woman running it. Tabitha Jefferson." Without all the other people on the screen, Andy could focus on the woman being suggested. She was an African American woman with milk chocolate colored skin around Andy's age, although she was in far better shape than he was. In the picture, she was in black gym shorts with an orange stripe and a large orange t shirt with the word "Wildcats" in highly stylized lettering across the front of it. She had straightened hair drawn back in a short ponytail that hung to the nape of her neck, and a friendly face, although her expression was one of shouting. "Coach Jefferson has been the cheerleading coach and P.E. Teacher for Woodside High for the last five years. She's whip smart, funny and really cares about us girls. When I was kinda a troublemaker, she'd pull me aside and give me a good talking to, tell me that she thought I was super smart, and that I was capable of anything if I'd stop fucking around and quit self sabotaging my own life. And she never gave up on me, and never let me focus just on cheerleading or the petty drama and shit a bunch of wound up girls get into with each other." Hannah pushed the button and the image changed again, showing a slightly younger Tabitha with her arm around a good looking African American man with much darker skin in military fatigues. "Just before she moved to Woodside, she was an Army wife, until her husband, Nicky, was killed in action in the Middle East. They'd only been married for about two years, and only together about four, but it still broke her heart. She moved across the country to live out here, closer to her mother, only for her moms to die last year due to lung cancer." Hannah pushed the button again. The new image also had to have been taken in the spring, just before the pandemic had set in. Tabitha had her arm around Hannah, and both of them were smiling, both of them in formal wear, this time with the blonde highlight in Hannah's hair. "She was one of the chaperons for senior Prom, and when she found out I didn't have anyone to go with, she made me go on my own, and I still had a great time. She drove by my parents house to drop off my diploma and told me to call her Tabby from now on, since I wasn't a student of hers any more, and that she hoped school would start back up soon, because she was feeling a little lost." The Asian girl sighed a little, her face contracting in sadness. "She's had a really rough go of it, Andy, between losing Nicky then her mom and now her ability to teach and be around people. I don't know a thing about what she likes sexually, so I dunno what to say about any of that, but she's a good person, the best person I know, and if I can give her just one little bit of happiness, then I fucking owe that to her." Hannah looked like she was about to cry, so Aisling reached over and took the girl's hand in her own, giving it a little squeeze. "Thanks Ash, I'm okay," she said, smiling a bit as if it might help her make it more true. "The person you most reminded me of when we were first met, Andy, was Tabby. You could've just fucked my brains out and not given a fuck about my feelings, but you didn't. You talked to me first, made sure I knew what I was getting myself into, when you so didn't have to, hell, I wasn't even expecting you to. I wanted to get back at that little shit Benny so fuckin' badly, but you wouldn't let me just charge into it without us talking it out first. That's the kind of thing Tabby did for me all the time, not letting me just leap into the first idea that popped into my head, but really making me think it all out. So I want to give something back to her, and I think that something could be her hooking up with you." "This whole polyamory thing isn't for everyone, Hannah," Ash said. "You think she'll be up for sharing Andy with all of us?" Hannah laughed a little, rolling her eyes. "Her last relationship was part of a throuple, so I totally wouldn't worry about it, Ash, although this one would be a little different." "Oh yeah?" Andy asked. "How so?" "Well, she was in a relationship with two bi guys, so she was used to having cock on tap." The busty cheerleader giggled a little bit. "But I know she's into girls too, because she refused to come into the locker room when we were changing. Said it was only respectful, but I saw that glimmer in her eyes that said she desperately wanted to peek, but wasn't going to, because that's what us girls deserved." "What ended their relationship?" "The two guys decided to move to Portland, and Tabby's mother hadn't passed yet, so she refused to leave her. They were all kinda in different headspaces anyway, I think, since Tabby never said another word about them after they left, so maybe she was kinda okay with it? Maybe it was just an easier way to end it than ending it? I dunno. It was all spring of my junior year." "Challenges you foresee?" Aisling asked. "Well, I dunno how she likes to fuck, so I dunno if you two can make that work for you or not, but I think you'd be okay. And I don't know if you're her type, so I don't even know that she'll say yes. You're a little less,” Hannah trailed off, trying to find a way to phrase what she wanted to say. "Less what?" Andy asked. "Less butch, I guess," Hannah giggled. "Dom and Mike were ultra cut, and Nicky was pretty buff himself, so I guess her type is a bit more ripped than you are, but it's not like I know everything about what kinda dudes she likes to bone. But without her being able to teach until, like, at least a year from now, I wanted to make sure she's not getting stuck inside her own head too much." Hannah clicked the button and the screen behind her changed to say "next: Jenny" on it. "Anyway, if I was you, I'd totally wanna fuck Tabby. Hell, I kinda wanna fuck her myself, if she's down for that. And she's a good person, and good people deserve to have good things happen to them in the world, so that's why I think you should invite her here. Thanks for letting me tell you all this, Andy. I didn't know how much I needed to tell someone this whole story about this amazing woman who changed my life, and I'm glad it's to the man who did the same thing." She stood up, came over and gave Ash a hug, then one to Andy as well followed by a sloppy kiss, before pulling back and heading out of the room, almost skipping in her step, making the skirt flutter a little each time. "So I know I said I wasn't going to offer you any opinions on all of this, love," Aisling said, "but I do want to make two exceptions. First, I think you should invite Tabby here. It means a lot to Hannah, maybe more to her than to any of the other girls involved, and I think Tabby seems like a fine match for you, based on what Hannah's told me." Andy nodded. "She was speaking very strongly from the heart, so I don't blame you. I won't commit to 100% saying yes right now, but I'll mark her down as a very strong likely, if that's okay." "Natch love," she said, squeezing his arm. "The other exception I want to make is to set you up for Jenny's pitch, and to tell you to tread lightly. Her pitch is for a staff person, but I suspect the person being pitched might want something more than that from you, and I think you should probably give it to her, but at her own pace. Jenny's got quite the tale to tell, and her friend has had a very rough life. I think even Jenny knows that if you bring this girl on, she's going to grow from staff to family member eventually, but that's okay with me, and all the rest of the girls, so keep all that in mind when she's talking, that we all know it's unsteady waters, and we're all okay with it, awright love?" He wasn't entirely sure what to make of that, so he simply nodded, giving himself a second to get his words in order. "She's the first staff pitch I'm hearing, but if you're telling me in advance that it's going to be different than all the rest, then that's good to know, and I'll keep it in mind." Ash smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "I think you'll like who she's pitching anyway. Has a completely different tone than anyone else you're gonna hear about today, and if I'm honest, I'd love ta meet her myself." Just as she was saying that, Jenny opened the door and made her way into the conference room, moving to sit down opposite them, her warm comforting smile well set on her face. Jenny hadn't chosen to dress up more than her usual attire, looking like a plump Martha Stewart, as she folded her hands on the table, just over the remote. "Thanks for letting us do this, sir. None of us had even thought about this until you and Ash told us about it, and the fact that you're letting the staff pitch as well, gosh, that's just the sweetest thing. My story's gonna be a little bit of a rollercoaster, so I hope you don't mind, sir." Andy chuckled, leaning back in his chair a little bit. "Fire away, Jenny." Jenny picked up the remote and clicked on it, as the image behind her changed to a much younger one of her and another woman, really more of a girl at that point, what had to be at least a decade ago. Jenny was thinner then, wearing an oversize P!nk t shirt, with her arm around a Latin girl, a little less thin, with massively blown out hair, wearing a red tanktop with a sheer mesh black shirt over it. The two girls were laughing in the picture, each holding up a red Solo cup that Andy suspected held alcohol that neither was old enough to be drinking at the time of the photo. "This is me with my college roommate, Alexis Coleman, better known as Lexi. We were both freshman at UCLA when we were randomly paired together to share a dorm room together at Hendrick Hall." The image changed again, and showed the two girls playing beer pong at some Greek event. "I'd just moved out here from Cleveland, and she'd just moved here from D.C., and so we became best friends." "You didn't go to culinary school?" Andy asked. "You're such an excellent cook, I find that impossible to believe." Jenny blushed a little. "Thank you, sir, but I did, after I got my Bachelor's degree in art history. I had wanted to become an art custodian, but couldn't seem to make it work, so I went to culinary school in SF after giving up on the art world." "And Lexi?" Ash asked. "What was she majoring in?" "Criminal justice," Jenny said, clicking the button again to show an image of Lexi, a little older, in a bikini out on the Santa Monica boardwalk, on roller skates that she looked a little unsteady on. "I know she looks like a Victoria's Secret model, but she was determined to get into law enforcement during college. She also minored in political science and theory, as well as picking up several languages along the way. I know she speaks Spanish, French, German, Russian and Portuguese, and knowing her, she's probably picked up a few more since then." "All of this has to be a while ago, though, Jenny," Andy said. "What year did you two graduate?" Jenny pushed the button again to show a graduation of the two of them together, holding up their diplomas with big smiles. "2007 sir, and I realize I'm giving you a bunch of background, but I think it's very important that I do, so you understand who Lexi is, and how she's a sweet, adorable person, despite the rest of what I'm about to tell you." Andy leaned forward a little bit. "As a professional storyteller, Jenny, let me tell you that's a hell of a way to perk your audience's interest. Go on." "Yes sir," she said, clicking the button to advance the image again. This time, Lexi was a few years older, dressed in more of jungle wear,  thick pants, a heavy shirt with a vest on, and her hair pulled back tightly. The background was thick trees and dirt, with sunlight peeking through. Of more note, however, was the AK 47 slung over her shoulder. "In her last year of college, Lexi was recruited to join the CIA. My details about this period of her life are very unreliable, but I think she was training with the agency for another year or two, and then served as a combination of analyst and field agent for most of the next decade, primarily in South and Central America, until 2017." The next image took Andy a little aback, although Ash had clearly seen it before. It was relatively recent, Jenny and Lexi together, in the kitchen of some restaurant or hotel. Both of the women were older than they were in the earlier photos, and most notably, Lexi had some significant scarring along part of her neck and the bottom left part of her chin line, although it looked as though the scarring was at least a few years old. "I don't know what happened to Lexi in 2017, but it must've been particularly gruesome. She couldn't tell me how she got the scars, only that she got them in the service of her country, and that she regretted how they were keeping her out of field work, because they were too identifiable. She'd been saddled with desk duty, and in 2018, she finally quit the CIA." The image jumped again, and this time Lexi was in a dark suit with sunglasses, opening a door for some Middle Eastern shiek. "She tried her hand at personal protection for a while, but eventually gave up on that and just became a mercenary, drifting through private security firms, independent contractors who go where the money and the work is. Just before the virus set in, she'd returned to her place in Los Angeles from a six month tour as part of a PMC in Afghanistan, and she was shaken. She said she felt like her life was a mess, she didn't know what she was doing with it, and felt like she was just a giant burden on her friends and family." With another click of the button, a new image of Lexi popped on the screen, her at a gun range, the whole image practically the still from an action movie. "What I'm suggesting is this, sir. I think you should bring Lexi into the house to be your driver and personal security." Andy was about to say something when Jenny raised her hand to silence him. "I know what you're about to say, sir, and frankly it's bullcrap, pardon my French. With the small population of men remaining left in the United States, every single one of you has suddenly become a V I P, and you need to think not just of your own health, but the health of all the women who are dependent on your health for their own health. If something happens to you, you have over a dozen women right now alone who suddenly run the very real risk of dying. Being that my health is fundamentally based on yours for the time being, I know I would feel safer having Lexi watch out for you." Andy scratched his goatee for a long moment, realizing that every single thing Jenny had said to him was true, making him a little ashamed of how cavalierly he'd been treating his own health, the ramifications of it not having fully sunken in until this very moment. "You are completely justified in that thought, Jenny, and you are right, I had not been giving it the diligence it deserved." "Lexi has some heavy scars from whatever accident sidelined her at the CIA. They cover just a bit of her face, but almost a third of her neck and down to her collarbone. In spite of that, I think she's still a stunning woman, and I still wish she was bisexual, because I would do her in a heartbeat, but she only likes men. I know, because we fooled around together freshmen year, and the next morning, we woke up with very different perspectives on it. It's never gotten in the way of our friendship, though, so you don't have to worry there." "Scars only add character, they never remove it," Andy said, quoting a line from one of his books. "They're a point in her favor, not against it." Jenny's smile widened a bit more at that, as if she was proud of Andy for saying it. "That's how I feel too. She was pretty adventurous sexually in college, so I don't think there would be any deal breakers between the two of you there. The two red flags I feel obligated to bring up are these. First, she has a bit of PTSD, so she can tend to be a little jumpy from time to time, and likes to keep as much of her life as she can to routine, because it helps her feel organized about all of it. I don't worry about her having a full breakdown, but she gets stressed by firecrackers on the fourth of July, so there's clearly some strain still going on there." "I think New Eden is about as far from a warzone as you can get, Jenny." "Sure, but we won't be locked in here forever, sir. And your family already includes two women who are actresses known to love doing action films, so if you go to visit them on sets, you'll need to be aware of Lexi's elevated stress levels when you do." "That's entirely manageable," Andy said. "What's the other red flag?" Jenny frowned a little bit, looked to Ash, who nodded, then looked back to Andy. "The other red flag is that I suspect she's going to want more than a staff relationship with you at some point. I don't know that for certain, but Lexi is a diehard romantic, and when she finds out that so many men have died, it's going to hit her very hard, because she's always dreamed of having her own prince charming, someone who will love her for her, through thick and thin. I think she'll be able to get past the idea of sharing you with lots of other women, I think she'll be okay with you dividing your time or having multiple people in your bed, but I think she's going to want to forge that emotional connection with you like your partners do, and that's more than what you asked us for in terms of suggesting staff. She will absolutely be the best bodyguard you could ask for, and I don't think there's a better driver I know. But the terms Ash laid down were pretty clear,  staff should only recommend staff, not partners, and I think Lexi might well end up being both, so I'm hoping that's okay." "As I told ya when you pitched her t' me, Jenny," Ash said, "sometimes exceptions have to be made for exceptional people, and Lexi seems like a hell of an accomplished and talented woman. If Andy's okay with it, the rest of the house will be okay with it." Andy smirked a little bit. "No pressure or anything, but it's fine. And you're right, I hadn't been thinking about how much my health impacted so many people until right now, so it's important that I give that consideration. She seems like a lovely woman, and you speak of her very fondly, so while I'm not making any final decisions until I've heard from everyone, I think you wouldn't be wasting your time if you wanted to start crafting a video invite for Lexi." Jenny jumped up and ran around the table to hug Andy tightly, crying a little bit. "Thank you so much, sir. When I talked to her on the phone last week, she told me how much she wished she could meet a nice man just like you, so I just know she'll say yes. I already know she thinks you're cute." "Don't tell anyone else about this, though," Ash said. "All the staff decisions are being made independently from the family member ones, and while I know all the girls were rooting for Lexi to be brought here in some regard, not a word to anyone, not even Katie, until it's final, yeah?" Jenny pulled back and wiped the tears from her face, nodding so quickly Andy was afraid her head would roll off. "Yes. Got it. Very clear. Understood, ma'am. Sir. And thanks again." The portly girl made her way out of the room without even remembering to push the button to advance the screen to the next person, leaving Andy and Ash alone in the room. "Okay, Mr. Rook," Ash said to him, "five minute break. Stand up, walk around, stretch a bit. I'd ask if you wanted to squeeze in a quick shag, but I had me turn yesterday, so I'm good to wait a few more days. Wouldn't want to deprive some of the other girls of getting their itches scratched." Andy stood up, pulling one arm behind his head, then the other, stretching out. "Four presentations down, eight to go,” Chapter 25 After a handful of minutes stretching, Ash sent a text message for the next girl to make her way up. Andy had turned his notes over so that Aisling couldn't look at them, and he smirked a little, noticing her frowning at the back of the legal pad. "You said you didn't want to influence my decision, so I don't know why you should want to look at my notes, Ash." They had built a wonderfully natural teasing rapport with each other over the past few months, so Aisling knew he was joking with her, but was willing to roll with him. She grinned up as she reached across the table to push the button and advance the slide. "Next: Katie." The redhead moved to sit back in her chair, and shrugged in his direction. "I'm mostly just curious how you're reacting to what you've heard so far, and how your opinions differ from mine, which I'm sure they will, here and there. I've heard all these pitches a couple of times, so it'll be interesting to see how many predictions I get right." "Did you write them down?" "Well, no," Ash said. Andy grabbed his yellow legal pad and ripped out a single sheet from the bottom of it, sliding it and his pen across to her. "Alright, predictions then. Write them down now. Don't show them to me, but fold up the paper when you're done. We can have whoever's after Katie bring us an envelope to seal it up. Just around the time that Aisling was folding up the sheet of paper, Katie walked into the room, confident in her stride. Andy cocked his head to one side as she walked in the room. The Hispanic woman was, as it seemed she always was, wearing a button up shirt underneath jean overalls. "Do you own other clothes besides overalls, Katie?" he asked her. She stuck her tongue out at him, which made Ash giggle again. "I can be girly and shit, sir, but I mostly keep that for Jenny. How're the presentations going so far?" "You know the rules, Katie," Aisling politely scolded, "no talking about anyone else's pitch until the very end." Katie winked at her, shrugging a little. After Andy had settled her nerves about keeping a level of removal between him and her and her wife, Katie had relaxed massively and grown into a more comfortable relationship with the rest of the house. "Had to try. Anyway, let's get this fucking show on the road!" She grabbed the remote in her calloused hand and clicked the button as the screen behind her changed to an image of a slightly matronly looking woman in her early 40s, dark chocolate hair up in a bun, skin just slightly olive, some mix of European heritage that surely had to include either Italian or Spanish. The woman on screen wasn't overweight, but was certainly the most bulky woman that had been on the screen thus far, not fat, simply hefty. "This is Doctor Morgan Fitch. She's a general practitioner in Los Altos who also dabbles in pediatrics. In talking with everyone in the house, it's clear at some point, you are going to be in dire need of a nanny around this place, and having one who's also a damn doctor just seems like smart thinking to me. By this time in a couple of years, this house is practically gonna be a little city, so you need to make sure all the major staples are taken care of. Some of the girls will wanna be full time mommies, no doubt, but for the rest, you're going to want to have child care. If you need that anyway, why not have that person be a doctor?" "How do you know Dr. Fitch?" Andy asked. Katie blanched a little bit. "She's kinda an ex of mine." She raised her hand immediately, a sheepish smile on her face. "We didn't part on bad terms, promise! At the end of the day, she was into the whole polyamory thing, and I wasn't, so we split, but remained good friends. That was five years ago, just before I met Jenny, so it all worked out okay in the end. She's had relationships on and off since then, but nothing's stuck. She's mostly a lesbian, but doesn't mind the occasional bit of cock here and there, so I think she might be a good fit for a staff member. She once told me that she likes to fuck men, but never gets emotionally attached to them the way she does to women, and what with her being staff, she'd be okay to pursue a female partner to take care of her emotional needs." "What makes you think she'll want to join the household?" Ash queried. "Morgan loves constantly shifting problems, and this house is like nothing I've ever seen before. Even before you start spawning, you're gonna need a doctor to make sure your family is in the best condition possible. Until you're having kids, she can staff a clinic in town on a volunteer basis, so she's getting settled here in the mean time. She's bored with the people in Los Altos, and we've always been good friends, so I think knowing I'm here would make her more likely to come aboard." "Challenges you anticipate?" he said. "She'd be the oldest person in the house at 46, but I think it gives her wisdom. Also, you might find her a bit, blunt, until you get used to her." "How blunt?" Katie tried to hide a little smile, shrugging, as she pushed the button to advance the slide to a screen reading "Next: Lauren" in friendly white letters. "Subtle she ain't, sir. I have never met anyone more direct in my life. I've always been a little thankful that she wasn't my doctor, because her bedside manner is more than a bit lacking. But sometimes you need someone to just slap you upside the head. Sir. We all do. Morgan would fill that role. And if she ever gets too blunt for your liking, you can tell her, and maybe she'll dial it down a little bit, or realize that she might've once gone too far. She's direct, but she's never intentionally mean. And even if you don't think Morgan's a good fit for here, and I can completely respect that if that's what you decide, I still want to stress that you're going to be in dire need of a nanny here at some point soon, so to keep that in mind moving forward." "Point taken and noted, Katie. Anything else you wanna say?" Katie brought her finger to her lips, considering for a moment, then slowly stood up. "Just one thing. I know Jenny brought you her old roommate Lexi as a candidate, and I want to throw my weight behind that, even if it's at the cost of my own candidate. I would've not pitched someone else if I could've pitched Lexi twice, y'know what I mean? Lexi's had a shitty go of it and I desperately want her to be happy, and I really think she can be here." Andy chuckled a little. "Unorthodox, but sure, I'll keep it under advisement. Alexis did seem like an excellent candidate, so we'll see how it goes." "Thanks sir! Enjoy the rest of the cunt parade!" she laughed, heading out of the room. Ash shook her head at him with a smile. "I have no idea how you can be such a good poker player with a poker face like that." He grinned, giving her a saucy wink. "It's easier when you don't give a shit about your opponents. This is family, so I don't have to stay so stoic. Besides, I know Jenny and Katie are close, so it's okay to let them share a little secret on my behalf." "Oh we've all got our little secrets, Andy. If you're nice, maybe I'll even let you in on one eventually." He tsked her in jest, waggling a finger in her direction. "My girls are keeping secrets from me? Heaven forbid, what next?" "What's next is Lauren, and frankly, I will probably be spending this entire presentation with my hand over my mouth, desperately trying to stay quiet, and likely failing miserably." Aisling had a strange grin on her face that told Andy this next one might be a little unusual. He didn't have long to consider it, though, as the door opened and the statuesque Lauren strode into the room decked out in a workout track suit with the 49ers logo on it. "Hey Andy, Ash. Thanks for letting all of us do this. I can't tell ya if I'm presenting my candidate to you on a lark, because I think she's actually a good idea or because of the girl herself. Maybe some combination of all three. So let me just get right down to brass tacks," the Aussie said, as she moved to sit down across from them. She picked up the remote and clicked the button as the screen sprung to life. On the screen was an image of a 49ers cheerleader, a fit woman with a large blonde mane of hair like sun dried grass, bubblegum pink lipstick and a smile that was so wide Andy wondered if it hurt when she finally let her face relax. She was pretty in a sort of pageant kind of way, although he suspected she didn't look quite so forced in regular photos that weren't taken from the 49ers website. "This is Jade Dillon. She's been a cheerleader for the 49ers for about three years now, and is literally the most optimistic person I have ever met in my entire life. She is bubbly and chipper and all smiles even at the worst of times. When the pandemic set in, she sent the entire 49ers organization an email reminding them that adversity is simply opportunity in disguise. No lie, Andy, she is completely unflappable in every way possible. She's, she's like a golden retriever in a person! Peppy and enthusiastic and always full of confidence." Andy looked over and saw that Ash had, indeed, both of her hands over her mouth, trying to hold in her desire to laugh, but he could still hear tiny giggles threatening to escape. He looked back to Lauren, a slightly quizzical expression on his face. "I can't tell if you admire her for that or if it drives you crazy." "Both!" Lauren said, throwing up her hands, laughing at herself. "It's infuriating! Even when she was kneeling in protest alongside Colin Kaepernick, she was still smiling about it. I don't know what to do with her! I mean, I get it. She's a kindergarten teacher as her day job, so pennies on the dollar that's what helps her keep all that energy up, but strewth, I just don't know how she does it! I mean, she comes from money, so I imagine that's gotta help." "Oh yeah?" The tall blonde tanned Aussie nodded, pushing the button to show Jade in a more normal setting, in an evening dress standing next to an older gentleman who Andy knew he'd seen somewhere before. "Her daddy is Cormack Dillon, one of the cofounders of Bindr, that teleconferencing tool everyone's using these days, but she's sort of tried to distance herself from 'er daddy over the last few years. An', in a 'ain't it a small world' moment, Cormack Dillon was the guy Katie used to work for before she came here, so she and Jade know one another already." "I could've asked Katie about her then," Andy lamented. "Shame she was just here." Jade looked much more lovely without the pancake makeup, her blonde hair a waterfall of curls, although Andy was also taken aback for a moment, reflexively trying to estimate how much that necklace she was wearing must have cost. After a second, Andy recognized where the photo was taken “ at the prestigious Palace of Fine Arts, where every year the Silicon Valley elite held their own private high end gala. Lauren pushed the button again and the image changed to Jade in more casual clothes, sitting with a handful of other girls in some sidewalk cafe overlooking the Pacific ocean. She had to be under thirty. There was no denying she was fit and lovely, although Andy did wonder if growing up steeped in money had warped her in some way. "Well, you kin ask her before make your mind up. She might have some things to say to sway your mind one way or another, but I simply gotta tell you this one thing, because it is first and foremost the reason I want to bring her to you,” Aisling looked like she was ready to turn blue, trying to hold in her breath and her laughter, her face scrunched up, actual tears rolling down her cheeks, all to Andy's confusion. Lauren pushed the button again and the photo zoomed in, showing just Jade now, laughing and smiling. "Jade Dillion,” She pushed the button again and the image of Jade suddenly had a very large cartoon cherry resting on top of her head. "...is an honest to god twenty six year old virgin." At that, Aisling couldn't help herself, and started laughing furiously, which only made Lauren grin even wider as Andy kept looking between the two of them, wondering desperately if they were putting him on. "It's not for religious reasons, an' it's not something she goes out of her way ta advertise, hell, I doubt very many people even know that she's cherry. But I went out drinking with her and the rest of the Gold Rush girls one night after an away game, and Jade got pretty hammered so I had to help her back to her hotel room. And when I was holding her hair back while she chundered in the dunny, she told me that she'd never lost her virginity, and that boys suck, and sh

Oh hey y'all - today's guest is the brilliant Kim Shapira, and we are getting real about what wellness actually looks like. Spoiler: obsessing over every bite you eat isn't it. Kim's a registered dietitian with decades of experience, and her approach is all about peace around food, trust in your body, and getting out of the all-or-nothing mindset. We covered a lot - from why diets don't work to how your nervous system plays a role in your cravings. This one felt like a reset for me, and I think you're gonna feel that too.Highlights: (04:43) Why obsessing over health isn't actual wellness(11:32) Shopping became the first coping mechanism(18:18) Diets don't fix what's really going on(24:48) “Start with half” - the first food rule(36:02) The truth about GLP-1s and muscle loss(44:50) What real freedom with food actually feels likeFind out more about Kim:WebsiteLinkedIn: @KimShapiramethodInstagram: @KimShapiramethodTikTok: @kimshapiramethodThis Is What You're Really Hungry ForQualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers AudioMentioned in this episode:www.Neurohacker.com/shockandyall and use the code SHOCKANDYALL to get 15% off your first order

Rusheen Capital Management is a Santa Monica, CA-based private equity firm that invests in growth-stage companies in the carbon capture and utilization, low-carbon energy, and water sustainability sectors.–Prior to co-founding Rusheen, Jim started, invested in and run numerous companies. These include: US Renewables Group (Founder & Managing Partner), Stamps.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:STMP – Founder), Spoke Software, Inc. (Founder & CEO), Archive, Inc. (Founder & CEO – sold to Cyclone Commerce), NanoH2O, Inc. (Founder & Board Member – sold to LG Chemical), SolarReserve (Founder & Board Member), Fulcrum Bioenergy, Inc. (Founder & Board Member), Common Assets (Founder & Board Member – sold to NASDAQ:SCTY), SET Technology (Board Member) and OH Energy, Inc. (Founder & Board Member).–In this podcast, we talked about why investors should remain optimistic about investing in climate, how reliability trumps novelty in the energy sector every time, the need for geoengineering as today's Tylenol, how tithing and the Giving Pledge can catalyze funding from 650,000 ultra high net worth families to address climate's toughest challenges, why we need new financial structures to match the 10-20 year nature of hard tech climate solutions, and why he likes to walk in the dark in Southern California canyons to hear whispers of insights about business and life.–

Join us for this informative seminar on "Navigating the Confusing Rent Increase Laws in California," designed specifically for residential income property owners. As one of the few industries subject to price controls, understanding rent control laws is crucial for landlords. This session will demystify when and how rents can be legally increased, ensuring you stay compliant and informed. Key Topics Covered: Proper Procedure for Raising Rent: Learn about the required 30 or 90-day notices, proper service of notice, and the 5-day mailing rule with proof of mailing. Allowable Rent Increases: Understand where unlimited rent increases apply, including SFRs, townhouses, condos, and properties less than 15 years old. Statewide Rent Control: Starting August 1, 2025, with limits like 5% plus CPI and specific rates for different California regions. Local Jurisdictions: Discover specific regulations for areas like Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and Santa Monica, and the importance of following local registration rules. Dealing with Tenants Refusing Rent Increases: Explore strategies for handling partial payments and issuing a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit. Gain clarity on these complex laws and learn how to maximize your rental property's potential while complying with regulations. Don't miss out on this essential guide for California property owners!  #RentIncrease #CaliforniaRentLaws #PropertyOwners #RentControl #RealEstateInvesting #LandlordTips #ResidentialProperties #Compliance #RentalIncome

ICYMI: Hour One of ‘Later, with Mo'Kelly' Presents – Thoughts on the arrival of Marines in Westwood & their role in the ICE protest AND launch of the new “outdoor drinking” policy in in Santa Monica…PLUS – A deeper look into Mo's “bee phobia” - on KFI AM 640…Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app & YouTube @MrMoKelly

Another mind bending podcast.  In this we begin by talking about our recent appearance at Contact in the Desert. I did a guided meditation with a law enforcement person who reached out to me today to talk about something that occurred to him. He knew someone in the midst of the conflagration in downtown LA, and based on something we discussed at the convention, he did a meditation where he "asked his higher self to ask the higher selves of some of the rioters" to leave the scene.  He was surprised to later hear that they had mysteriously shifted direction and wondered if it was possible to affect change with that kind of intent.  Jennifer talked about the power of prayer, and I talked a bit about the effectiveness of meditation. Then we asked our moderator Luana Anders if anyone wanted to stop by; and Prince stopped by.  We said happy birthday to him, and I asked if he was stopping by because of a recent musician who had left the planet. He said "no."  I asked Luana if she was aware of who I was talking about even if Jennifer was not. She said she was. I started to say I had "heard this person's voice" in my kitchen yesterday saying "I'd be honored to be on your podcast." It was such a weird thing to hear, and since I've had a bad cold, I got emotional repeating the story. Apologies for getting choked up.  Then Jennifer realized who this "Brian" was.  Having been a music reviewer at Variety for some years I talked about a concert I'd reviewed, and am familiar with the documentaries (Frank Marshall's) about his life, and "Love and Mercy" with my Chicago pal John Cusack. I had many questions for Brian, including his mental issues, and he said they were related to the idea that he was "born without musical filters" and like some others we've interviewed, said "He was also hearing music since he was a child."  (See the book TUNING INTO THE AFTERLIFE) I asked him if he had a message for our mutual friend Van Dyke Parks (whom I last saw at Sally Kellerman's funeral) and when I asked him who he was surprised to see on the flipside, it was a name we've heard many times in our group; Aretha. I asked Aretha about a story I heard Cynthia Erivo tell yesterday on the BBC about Aretha coming backstage to sing to her.  It was interesting to hear Aretha downplay the event, since it was so meaningful to Cynthia.  Also Brian said he had met many others, or was in the process of meeting people, including John Lennon (He'd met the Beatles, but said he and John weren't close) but pointed out that he'd just gotten home and there were a lot of people to see. I apologized for peppering him with questions, then tried to tell him about being in a grocery store yesterday in Santa Monica, told the staff he had passed (they all reacted) I shouted to the manager "Can you put on some Beach Boys in honor of Brian?" and he did. And everyone in the store began to sing. It make me think of getting a pick up truck with massive Marshall speakers and drive around the National Guard playing the Beach Boys which they would appreciate and love as well.  The music makes people happy.  Just another mind bending half hour at the office.  Thank you Jennifer for your talents!

Interview recorded - 3rd of June, 2025On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming on Dr Komal Sri-Kumar. Dr Komal is the President, Sri-Kumar Global Strategies.During our conversation we spoke about the US Debt crisis, outlook on the economy, risk of stagflation, the bond market, what Powell should do and more. I hope you enjoy!0:00 - Introduction1:53 - Outlook on the economy3:22 - Stagflation4:36 - Dual mandate6:18 - FED creating new tools8:07 - Tight monetary situation?10:10 - Bond market13:56 - Failed bond auction?15:19 - Possible to remove deficit17:32 - Yields to continue to rise?19:31 - What should Powell do?22:48 - Global yields increasing26:20 - Yield curve control29:00 - Dollar to continue to drop?30:05 - One message to takeaway?Dr. Komal S. Sri-Kumar is President of the Santa Monica, California based Sri-Kumar Global Strategies, Inc., a macroeconomic consulting firm he formed in January 2013 to advise multinational firms and sovereign wealth funds on global risk and opportunities. Prior to founding the firm, Sri worked at the Los Angeles-based Trust Company of the West (TCW) from 1990 to 2012, serving for the last several years as the firm's Chief Global Strategist.He was the Chairman of TCW's Comprehensive Asset Allocation Committee from 1997 to 2015. The Four-Morningstar rated TCW Conservative Asset Allocation Fund that he was a manager of (TGPCX) was rated “Category King” by the Wall Street Journal for performance as of September 30, 2015. The fund was ranked First among 365 similar funds.Before his work at TCW, Sri was Senior Vice President at the Beverly Hills-based Drexel Burnham Lambert, and Executive Vice President of DBL Americas, specializing in country risk analysis.He is a Senior Fellow at the Milken Institute, and was a member of the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Alumni Board. He is a member of the Economic Club of New York. His articles and interviews have been published in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He is often interviewed on CNBC, Bloomberg Radio and TV, and Fox Business. Sri is a contributor to Bloomberg View on global macro issues and their impact on markets (www.bloombergview.com).Sri holds an M.A. in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, and M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University. His doctoral dissertation at Columbia University was supervised by Robert Mundell, Nobel Laureate in Economics (1999).Dr Komal Sri-Kumar - Website - https://srikumarglobal.com/X - https://x.com/SriKGlobalSubstack - https://srikonomics.substack.com/WTFinance -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes -https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-fatseas-761066103/Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseasThumbnail image from - https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cost-of-insuring-against-default-on-u-s-government-debt-reaches-all-time-high-according-to-s-p-global-market-intelligence-8b71b2d2

About 200 Marines are expected to be in Los Angeles on Friday to secure federal buildings. This comes as No Kings Day protests are expected this weekend. Also, we'll get an update on the Port of L.A., and beginning Friday, you can drink outdoors in Santa Monica. The L.A. Local is sponsored by the LA Car Guy family of dealerships.

Brian Wilson, whose death at the age of 82 was announced last evening, was one of the most remarkable songwriters of the 20th century. The genius behind the Beach Boys was behind revolutionary, groundbreaking pop music including the album, Pet Sounds, regarded as one of the greatest LPs of all time. In the early 1960s, Connie Turner from Tralee was in LA, enjoying life in Santa Monica and Malibu. And what was Connie listening to? Of course, the Beach Boys! He shares his memories with Jerry.

Tony Kamel, a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, clawhammer banjo and guitar player, and father to a four-year-old girl, joins the show to talk about his latest album, We're All Gonna Live, and to give us a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and real people that inspired many of his songs. Tony shares how his new-ish role as a father and his relationship with his own late father influences his music in an honest, vulnerable and inspiring interview. Listen along as the Dads commiserate with this stalwart of the bluegrass world about shared family calendars, the challenges of being a working parent, and finding hope in the stories of real people in roots and folk music. Show Notes02:05: The Story Behind We're All Gonna Live: Tony describes the creation of his latest album, how fatherhood affected the creative process, and where the theme of death and loss on the album came from.07:18: “Fight With a Smile:” Tony tells the story of how his grandmother helped him find strength and hope during difficult times and how her wisdom influenced the album's theme (and cover art).10:52: Authenticity and Tradition in Storytelling and Fatherhood: Tony shares that many of the stories in his songs are about real people and real experiences. He comments on the importance of telling authentic stories in roots and folk music and of bringing authenticity to your parenting.15:28: 90's Alt-Rock Cover Songs: Tony talks about his viral banjo cover of “Santa Monica” by Everclear and the songwriting quality of many alt-rock songs we remember from our childhoods.18:49: "We're All Gonna Live:" Tony tells the true story that inspired the title track of We're All Gonna Live.22:24: "A Father and a Daughter:" Tony shares the inspiration behind his song "A Father and a Daughter" and how he considers it to be a gift to his daughter as she grows up.26:08: The Dad Life Sound Check: Tony shares one of his dad's favorite songs, George Strait's "Love Without End, Amen." Dave talks about how Summer Dean's “Lonely Girl's Lament” reminds him to consider the single people in the “village” helping to raise his kids. And Donnie can't help but choose Tony Kamel's “The Surfer” (and he swears he's not just sucking up to the songwriter in the room).Mentioned in This Episode:Tony KamelWood and Wire"We're All Gonna Live" album cover artCountry Cutler's article in Saddle Mountain Post about 90's countryDr. BeckyReferences:Theme Music: “Dark Country Rock” by Moodmode"We're All Gonna Live" by Tony Kamel"Makin' It Work" by Tony Kamel"

California's governor sues President Trump for activating the National Guard and big footing his own state powers, but legal experts say Newsom will lose and look even more disgraced than he already does. NoKings.org is your one-stop shop for all coordinated protests as a Santa Monica man walks straight into a "mostly peaceful protest" in LA to hear from the agitators themselves. Hear that citizen journalist with a live report from LA in the second half hour.

The popular Fan Questions are back. Lord Kilby covers a variety of topics including the malcontents going overboard criticizing the gifted Karl Anthony Towns, a list of stellar movies Kilby has been watching, and rave reviews for a couple Santa Monica restaurants. Ohhh...The Life Gorgeous is ready for summer. And remember, this Father's Day, give Dad the world's best steak experience with Omaha Steaks. Visit OmahaSteaks.com for guaranteed-perfect gifts that deliver legendary quality. And for an extra $35 off, use Promo Code GORGEOUS at checkout. See site for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Y'all.This conversation with Cathy Heller felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket of truth. We talked about what it really means to live from abundance - not as something to chase, but something that's already yours. Cathy shares so beautifully about nervous system safety, trusting that the universe has you, and choosing presence over pressure. It's one of those episodes that'll land in your body as much as your mind. Highlights: (04:22) Abundance isn't earned - it already includes you(09:53) Safety is the strategy your body needs(15:08)) Let your worth lead, not your hustle(22:38) The universe only knows how to say yes(31:07) Create from peace, not pressure(38:27) Presence is the most powerful practiceFind out more about Cathy: WebsiteFacebookInstagram: @cathy.hellerhttps://linktr.ee/cathyhellerQualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers AudioMentioned in this episode:www.Neurohacker.com/shockandyall and use the code SHOCKANDYALL to get 15% off your first order

In this episode of the Glowing Older podcast, host Nancy Griffin interviews Lauren Dunning, Director of the Milken Institute Future of Aging. They discuss the importance of intergenerational connections, the role of the Milken Institute in promoting healthy aging, and the challenges of financial security and loneliness among older adults. Lauren shares insights from recent studies and reports, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and innovative solutions for aging well.About LauraLauren Dunning is a Director for the Milken Institute Future of Aging, where she develops initiatives and strategic partnerships that advance healthy longevity and financial security across the life course. In her role, Dunning leads work on integrated care solutions leveraging technology and oversees the Future of Aging Advisory Board, a group of global leaders from across sectors who provide advisement,expertise, and collaboration to maximize collective impact.Before joining the Milken Institute, Dunning served in key policy leadership roles for over 10 years at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where she was most recently the director of government affairs, working with officials at all levels to shape public health policy. She has written and presented on a variety of topics across public health, aging, and health care; held an appointment as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center; and serves in an advisory capacity to several organizations, including LeadingAge California and theAtria Research Institute.Dunning earned a JD from Georgetown University LawCenter, a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a bachelor's degree from George Washington University. She works at the Milken Institute's Santa Monica office. Key TakeawaysThe Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank with offices in the US, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East that collaborates across business, philanthropy, government, nonprofit and academia.The two domains of social connectedness are socialisolation, which is objectively having few relationships and infrequent social interaction and loneliness, which is the state of perceived isolation or inadequatesocial connections.Loneliness is a significant health risk, comparable tosmoking fifteen cigarettes a day and associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, anxiety, and depression. In a 2023 Gallup study of 142 countries, younger adultsreported greater loneliness levels than adults over 65. The rates of loneliness were 10% higher among people 19 to 29 (27 % reporting they were fairly lonely)than for older adults over 65 (17%).Children that participate in mentoring programs with older adults improved their physical and mental health and educational status. Civic engagement among college students increases when paired with older volunteers.Intergenerational relationships benefit both younger and older generations by reducing ageism and age discrimination, bridging differences, and identifying shared values.Eight in 10 older adults would like to connect across generations and 92 % of Americans believe intergenerational activities can help reduceloneliness across all ages.

Santa Monica, CA. March 16, 2008. 21-year-old Juliana Redding was found strangled to death in her bungalow apartment. When authorities arrived to the scene they smelled gas and saw a candle. Not only was Juliana murdered, but whoever was responsible had intended to blow the crime scene up.For bonus episodes and outtakes visit: patreon.com/generationwhyListen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/generationwhy.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Full Ep Here: https://www.patreon.com/slopquest This week, they reminisce about Kevin Spacey in K-Pax and an old classmate of Andy’s hilarious drama class monologue choices. O’Neill gets accused of loving golf and laments the enshittification of Las Vegas. Santa Monica passes open container laws, and it’s gonna get crazy. Andy’s buddy Burt makes an accidentally homophobic Super Hero sketch. Then the boys talk about how Los Angeles needs more “idea guys”. An amazing business idea crops up when the boys come up with a pumpkin-based children’s book for adults. Andy talks about the origin of “Jingle Bells Batman Smells”. O’Neill worries that a cartoon they are making together is too “pedestrian,” and it completely baffles Andy. Then Andy exposes O’Neill for making friends with different marginalized groups so he can do bits without worrying. O’Neill then tries to big time his nephew with a local softball bat commercial voiceover gig. Then Andy finds out about a man who spent $600 of his girlfriend’s money on a cellphone Gacha game. Then they dissect the tragic downfall of the Findom community.

How Transformational Leaders Inspire Real Growth with Executive Coach Ted WhetstoneIn this episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, host Josh Elledge speaks with Ted Whetstone, executive coach and transformational leadership expert. Ted shares how deep introspection, philosophical inquiry, and a values-based approach to coaching can empower today's leaders to move from managing tasks to inspiring real change. If you're a business leader looking to develop teams that think critically, grow independently, and lead with authenticity, this conversation offers valuable and actionable insights.Transformational Coaching Rooted in Philosophy, Nature, and ReflectionTed Whetstone isn't your average executive coach. Drawing inspiration from the lives of breakthrough thinkers like Darwin and Da Vinci, Ted weaves his passion for writing and philosophical reflection into his leadership practice. Living in Santa Monica, he finds daily clarity in nature walks—balancing introspection with strategy. This connection to self-awareness and nature forms the bedrock of his coaching philosophy.Professionally, Ted focuses on C-suite leaders and executives managing $100M+ organizations. His approach emphasizes individual one-on-one coaching to help leaders uncover blind spots and clarify thinking. He believes true leadership is about facilitating others' growth, not solving problems for them. Through empowering questions and thoughtful engagement, Ted helps leaders inspire intrinsic motivation in their teams—transforming reactive managers into proactive visionaries.He also highlights the evolving role of AI in coaching. While tools like ChatGPT can support cognitive processing, Ted emphasizes that no machine can replace the nuanced, human connection required for real transformation. His message? Use AI to assist, but never forget the power of presence.About Ted WhetstoneTed Whetstone is a transformational executive coach who specializes in working with high-level leaders across complex organizations. Drawing from decades of experience and a deep philosophical grounding, Ted empowers clients to cultivate introspection, overcome leadership plateaus, and drive meaningful impact within their teams and industries.Links Mentioned in this EpisodeTed Whetstone's WebsiteTed Whetstone on LinkedInEpisode HighlightsHow reflection and nature fuel better leadership decision-makingWhy great leaders ask questions instead of offering solutionsThe critical difference between motivation and inspirationHow to shift from management to facilitation in team developmentThe role and limits of AI in leadership coachingConclusionTed Whetstone reminds us that transformational leadership isn't about having all the answers—it's about creating the space where others can discover their own. From strategic introspection to empowering conversations, his approach helps leaders unlock sustainable growth within themselves and their teams. If you're looking to deepen your leadership impact, Ted's insights provide a compelling starting point.Apply to be a Guest on The Thoughtful Entrepreneur: https://go.upmyinfluence.com/podcast-guestMore from UpMyInfluence:We are actively booking guests for our The Thoughtful Entrepreneur.

What happens when you've only got one day in Los Angeles, a conference that demands your physical presence, and a red-eye flight back home? You grab a Metrobike and explore, of course! On this edition, it's a whirlwind bike share adventure from the hilly streets of Westwood to the iconic Venice Beach boardwalk and a race for that flight home. Los Angeles Metrobike Adventure Intro: •Location: Westwood, California •Reason: Quick trip for an AI conference •Game plan: Metrobike adventure from UCLA to Venice Beach and eventually towards LAX The Plan: •$5 Metrobike day pass – unlimited rides, 30-minute increments •The challenge: avoid overage charges by dock hopping •Route: UCLA → Santa Monica → Venice Beach → Marina Del Rey → Playa Vista The Adventure: •First leg: Downhill from UCLA, navigating LA traffic with Google Maps guidance •Observations: •Westwood's hilly terrain •Santa Monica's tight bike dock situation •Smooth greenways mixed with sketchy alley shortcuts •A visit to the Bad News Bears park and some nostalgic nods •Quick Trader Joe's stop for hydration Beach Time: •Arrival in Venice Beach—Paddle Tennis, Muscle Beach, and all the usual suspects •The surprising absence of a convenient bike dock near LAX •Decision point: Walk or hop on the #3 bus? •Marina Del Rey and the bougie vibes… plus the quest for fish tacos The Wrap-Up: •Arrival back at the Hyatt Regency by LAX •Final thoughts: A grand adventure squeezed into a single LA day •Reflections on the joy of exploring with a time crunch and a bike share pass Statistics Miles Traveled:  15 Metrobike Docks: 5 Elevation Change:  400 feet Cost of the Entire Ride: $5 Flats: Zero

Hi, It's Michele! Send me a text with who you want as a guest!This episode is sponsored by "The Grouchy Architect" Opus 2 MBE, LLCLInk to website: https://thegrouchyarchitect.com/This episode is part of a series on the Wildfire Rebuild in the Los Angeles and Altadena and EnvironsLink to the Blog for more Images and Resources:  LINK TO BLOG: https://inmawomanarchitect.blogspot.com/2025/06/interview-with-nichole-cannon-aia-of.htmlNicole Cannon, AIA, is the founder of NCA Studio Inc., bringing over twenty years of expertise in design, construction, and management to her practice. Her architectural experience spans hospitality, commercial, education, retail, broadcast, and residential sectors. Nicole is passionate about enhancing quality of life through creative problem-solving and innovative design, from initial concept to final construction. She is dedicated to creating remarkable spaces with practical, sustainable, and imaginative solutions. Before founding NCA Studio in 2013, Nicole led award-winning, multi-million dollar projects at renowned firms such as Clive Wilkinson Architects, Marmol Radziner + Associates, Pugh + Scarpa, and Osborn Architects. She honed her expertise in single-family homes, offices, restaurants, broadcast facilities, and schools, contributing to numerous high-profile projects including KCRW Radio Station at Santa Monica College, Paperfish Restaurant in Beverly Hills for the Patina Group, Maguire Partners Headquarters in Santa Monica, and Fenton Primary (K-2) Center in Pacoima, CA, as well as several high-end residential projects. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Deeply embedded in the greater Los Angeles community, Nicole has explored how spaces can bring people together and improve quality of life. Her practice and professional associations reflect her passions for sustainable design and leadership. She is a licensed California architect and an active member of AIA, International Interior Design Association, NCARB, and the Association for Women in Architecture + Design. She is also a former chair of the AIA Committee on the Environment. Nicole has spoken on Sustainable Design at Highrise Networks and the Dwell on Design Conference, received numerous architectural awards, and been nominated for the Los Angeles Business Journal's Women's Leadership Award as well as list in their Women of Influence 2025. Through her work, she continues to explore and advocate for sustainable, community-focused design that fosters connection and enhances everyday life Link to MGHarchitect: MIchele Grace Hottel, Architect website for scheduling a consultation for an architecture and design project and guest and podcast sponsorship opportunities:https://www.mgharchitect.com/

Okay y'all, I need to brace you for this one. I've got Danelle Delgado on the show, and I'm doing everything I can to keep my inner fangirl in check. This woman? She's a powerhouse - single mum, cancer survivor, business coach, author of I Choose Joy - and she somehow manages to serve up the truth with equal parts fire and heart. We talk about what it really means to have no zero days, why choosing joy isn't fluff, and how pain has a seat at the growth table. Honestly, this conversation shook me in the best way. Let's dive right in.Highlights:(04:18) No zero days - where it all began(10:42) Everyone left. That's when I heard myself(22:05) Money on my terms. Period(28:47) Tim Grover's text that floored me(40:10) You don't need a big audience(47:19) Your voice is your mic - use it wellFind out more about Danelle:WebsiteLinkedIn: Danelle DelgadoInstagram: DanelleDelgadoFacebook: DanelleBDelgadoThe Winning MembershipQualia Mind - click hereCoupon Code: SHOCKANDYALL (15% off any purchase)Visit Nicole's on demand fitness platform for live weekly classes and a recorded library of yoga, strength training, guided audio meditations and mobility (Kinstretch) classes, as well: https://www.sweatandstillness.comGrab Nicole's bestselling children's book and enter your email for A FREE GIFT: https://www.yolkedbook.comFind Nicole on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/nicolesciacca/Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thenicolesciaccaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolesciaccayoga/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1X8PPWCQa2werd4unex1eAPractice yoga with Nicole in person in Santa Monica, CA at Aviator Nation Ride. Get the App to book in: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aviator-nation-ride/id1610561929Book a discovery call or virtual assessment with Nicole here: https://www.calendly.com/nicolesciaccaThis Podcast is proudly produced by Wavemakers AudioMentioned in this episode:www.Neurohacker.com/shockandyall and use the code SHOCKANDYALL to get 15% off your first order

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features Eli Wagner, founder of Wagner Bespoke Travel.  Wagner entered the industry about three years ago, and she has seen tremendous growth since, being named Virtuoso's Rising Star last year and surpassing $1 million in sales. She's also in the process of opening up a physical office in Santa Monica, California. In this episode, Wagner details what led her to make the decision to open a physical space when so many travel advisors are moving home, and shares the benefits of working in an office with employees -- along with the financial risks involved. This episode is sponsored by The Globus Family of Brands. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Wagner Bespoke Travel Wagner Bespoke Travel's Instagram ABOUT YOUR HOST Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW TravelAge West’s award-winning podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Handel on the Law. Marginal Legal Advice.

Courtney Claghorn is the co-founder of SUGARED + BRONZED, the nation's largest sugaring and sunless tanning destination. Claghorn's journey began in 2010, out of her Santa Monica apartment, while juggling a full-time job in the fintech industry. After becoming dissatisfied with the high prices and underwhelming experiences of local spray tanning, she saw a gap in the market, and with just $1000 and encouragement from her then-boyfriend (now-husband and co-founder), she started offering her own services. Over the past 15 years, SUGARED + BRONZED has grown exponentially, now boasting over 35 locations nationwide—with 10 more in the pipeline—as well as a thriving e-commerce business.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adam and Jason “Mayhem” Miller open up the show with Adam recounting a Real ID Fiasco at a Florida airport, Variety's strange way of phrasing the headlines concerning Robert DeNiro's daughter coming out as Trans and local news in Santa Monica talking about WAYMO back up beepers.Ben Gleib then comes on the show to talk about his upcoming GLEIB OFF THE TOP! Live Zoom Comedy Show, Vaping and fat kids, Rupert Holmes vs. Jimmy Buffett, Mike August not booking Ben Gleib and sneezing violently, Adam's journey at the Groundlings, shitty improv partners and a possible moratorium on new comedians. Adam and Jason then talk about today's top news stories including Mayor Eric Adams spending 1.6 million on panic buttons to curb crimes, Jussie Smollett, and defunding of PBS and NPR. Get it on. FOR MORE WITH BEN GLEIB: WEBSITE: https://www.bengleib.com/TWITTER: @BenGleibINSTAGRAM: @bengleibFOR MORE WITH JASON “MAYHEM” MILLER:INSTAGRAM: @mayhemmillerTWITTER: @mayhemmillerThank you for supporting our sponsors:AuraFrames.com - Promo Code CAROLLABetOnlineCalderaLab.com/ADAMhttps://hometitlelock.com/adamcarollahttps://OmahaSteaks.comPluto.TvSIMPLISAFE.COM/ADAM-Go to https://hometitlelock.com/adamcarolla and use promo code ADAM to get a FREE title history report so you can find out if you're already a victim AND 14 days of protection for FREE! And make sure to check out the Million Dollar TripleLock protection details when you get there! Exclusions apply. For details visit https://hometitlelock.com/warranty-Link in Description & Pinned Comment: Go to https://OmahaSteaks.com and order the Built for the Grill Pack with 16 FREE smash burgers. Minimum purchasemay apply. See site for details. A big thanks to our advertiser, Omaha Steaks!LIVE SHOWS: May 24 - Bellflower, CAMay 30 - Tacoma, WA (2 shows)May 31 - Tacoma, WA (2 shows)June 1 - Spokane, WA (2 shows)June 13 - Salt Lake City, UT (2 shows)June 14 - Salt Lake City, UT (2 shows)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.