Podcasts about Scottish

This week, I talk with Craig Easton, and the conversation embraces AI, trust in photojournalism, and how a still photograph can still hold its own. But the heart of this chat sits on a Scottish island. Picture a house at the end of a single-track road, miles from anywhere, no shop, no pub, just weather, water, and time. This is Barnhill, on the Isle of Jura, where George Orwell came to live and work while writing Nineteen Eighty-Four. Craig travelled to this fabled place to make his new book 'An Extremely Un-Get-Atable Place'. This is a conversation about place, curiosity, and paying attention.  On today's walk from the mailbag, Jade Lee discovers just how powerful it can be to swap pictures with people in other countries, Jean-Maurice Cormier shares some thoughts on travel and street photography, and Phil Ferris appears to be listening from the shower in what may or may not become a formal complaint, all while we pack coffee, biscuits, film, and a copy of 1984 into our camera bags. Read more about our photographic adventures on our photography travel website, The Journey Beyond. Links to all guests and features will be on the show page, my sincere thanks to our Extra Milers, without whom we wouldn't be walking each week and Arthelper.ai, giving photographers smart tools to plan, promote, and manage your creative projects more easily. WHY: A Sketchbook of Life is available here.

Idaho tips a glass to Scotland's beloved poet Robert Burns with a night of verse, tradition and celebration marking more than a century of local Scottish heritage.

The Cru is joined by Carolyn, aka The Whisky Type, to chat all things writing, typewriter, and whisky related. We had a great conversation about the importance of sharing your work, and the joy common to cigars, whisky, and typewriters: they're all meant to be enjoyed slowly. After you tune in, be sure to check out Carolyn's website!NB, stories begin around the 17:15 mark, and while they weren't sponsored by Lagavulin (yet!), like many a Scottish babe they owe some significant part of their inception to a dram of the golden stuff.Like this weeks episode and wish you could read as well as listen? Subscribe to our Substack for a summary of our opening discussion, a story from the episode, and a writing prompt! Be sure to follow us on Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do. Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

Darrell Castle talks about President Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland presented earlier this week and the important issues surrounding the speech including Greenland, Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, and of course Minneapolis. Transcription / Notes TRUMP SPEAKS TO THE WEF Hello, this is Darrell Castle with today's Castle Report. This is Friday the 23rd day of January in the year of our Lord 2026. I will be talking about President Trump's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland which was given on Wednesday of this week. I will also talk about some of the important issues surrounding that speech including Greenland, Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, and of course Minneapolis. Yes, President Trump traveled to Davos this week accompanied by a large U.S. delegation including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. California Governor Gavin Newscom was in attendance although not part of the US delegation. He was quick to gather a news event to question everything the President said. So, the President spoke for over an hour to the richest, most powerful, most pompous and self-important people in this world. He used the occasion to sign the Board of Peace Charter, officially launching a new international organization tasked with overseeing the peace process between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza. Trump said as he signed, “This Board is the chance to be one of the most consequential bodies ever created, and it's my enormous honor to serve as its chairman.” Founding members of the board were in attendance including Bahrain, Morocco, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Mongolia and the United Arab Emirates. Missing was Bibi Netanyahu because he has an international warrant out for him and he would most likely have been arrested. Could the Board of Peace end up replacing the United Nations? President Trump seems to think so, “I wish the United Nations could do more. I wish we didn't need a Board of Peace. The UN just hasn't been very helpful. I'm a big fan of the UN's potential but it has never lived up to its potential.” Trump, despite his criticism, didn't call for the dissolution of the UN. I suppose he left that duty to me and I have been actively calling for its dissolution since about 1990 when I became associated with the Constitution Party. Many people agree with me but find it very difficult to say so. I supported Ron Paul's presidential campaigns partly because of his end the FED rhetoric and his criticism of international bodies such as the UN. I fear that the Board of Peace will become just another bureaucracy but we will see whether it can really achieve peace in Gaza. The proposal calls for Hamas to lay down its arms which it has publicly refused to do. Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law presented a slide show detailing the architectural plans for the Gaza strip. I hope those plans include the Palestinians still alive but we will see. Perhaps they can find jobs in the fabulous hotels and resorts that are supposed to be built. In the meantime, the IDF has reportedly killed at least 466 Palestinians since the ceasefire started as well as 3 journalists one of whom worked for Bari Weiss the new head of news at CBS. When invited to speak at WEF Denmark announced that it would not be attending because of Trump's position on Greenland. Perhaps the Danes don't quite understand the art of the deal. He renounced any plans to acquire Greenland by force and worked out a deal with NATO to allow US use of Greenland and in return plans for tariffs on EU members were canceled. Trump believes, and it makes sense to me, that the US needs influence there as a hedge against long term adversaries in the Arctic like China and Russia, for example. He assured them that US acquisition of rights in Greenland was not only, not a threat to NATO but would greatly enhance the security of the alliance. He said the new agreement would involve the Danes with the Golden Dome, and mineral rights.  In case you don't know Golden Dome is a new missile defense system being built. Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, said after his meeting with Trump that the discussion about Greenland had changed. Now the discussion is about how the arctic region can be protected and secured. George Friedman is a geopolitical analyst of impeccable reputation and I have been a subscriber to his publication, Geopolitical Futures for many years. In regard to Greenland George said in his recent newsletter that he admitted for the first time he just could not explain or figure out something. He could not explain why Trump would place tariffs on NATO allies in order to acquire interest in Greenland. Now that Trump has lowered the temperature of the discussion the point may be moot but I think he does not have the same regard for the Europeans that many others have. In fact, I think this whole new Strategic Strategies Report that the administration just released is an announcement that the security agreement that has existed since World War ll has run its course and is now over. The US will consider its own hemisphere and its own defense first. In other words, this is all a continuation of the American Revolution which for 250 years has not been able to separate the American people from the European bankers. The bankers got their prize with the formation of the Federal Reserve which was formed to take control of the US financial system and keep the American people in debt slavery forever. The FED prints its own money and loans it to the US so it can be used to pay US interest on the debt that it has, thus 38 trillion debt and one trillion of interest. Take, for example, Mark Carney the Prime Minister of Canada. He is former governor of the Central Bank of England and former governor of the Central Bank of Canada and though in office, still associated with powerful banking and investment firms. That may be rambling a bit but it's still all very true. Trump went on in his speech with his usual carrot and stick approach. “Certain places in Europe are not even recognizable, frankly, anymore, they're not recognizable, and I love Europe, and I want to see Europe do good, but its not heading in the right direction.”  He mentioned his Scottish and German heritage and said the people of the United States care deeply about Europe. He used part of his time to tout what he called restoring the American dream. He mentioned his Executive Order to prevent Wall Street Corporations from buying single family homes thus driving up the cost of rent and making owning a home much more expensive. “Families live in homes, not corporations.” Well, amen to that quote Mr. President, that is exactly right. My approval of that action and the quote is not very libertarian but then I am not a libertarian. The US is not going to subsidize the whole world he told the assembled Davos men and women. Global tariffs were implemented to address the large trade deficits the US was experiencing adding that many countries were taking advantage of the United States. He went on to brag about the economic changes and success that he believes the US is experiencing. So, my conclusion is that he went to Davos to conclude a Greenland deal and to sign the Board of Peace agreement but mostly to explain himself to these people. Wars still rage in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran. The one in Iran seems to be heating up again with the Ayatollah publicly admitting to over 5000 protesters killed. Many reporters from inside Iran report more than 10,000. The Ayatollah has taken a very hard line calling the uprising sedition and blaming the United States and Israel for it and threatening full scale war. Trump has ordered his military leaders to give him strike options that could be done so something is most likely coming. US strategic bombers have been seen over the Persian Gulf region. I said I would say a few words about Minneapolis so here they are. That city seems to be the tip of the iceberg that is the massive fraud being committed against the US government but mainly against the working, taxpaying Americans. If you work and a portion of your labor and money you need to feed your family is taken from you by the IRS apparently a good deal of that is used to feed the terrorists in Somalia and to line the pockets of politicians across America. The politicians look the other way and run interference for the fraudsters and they are then rewarded with millions of fraudulently acquired dollars. It seems that California, Illinois, Massachusetts, and others may even be bigger than Minnesota. You are certainly aware that ICE is in Minnesota trying to round up, arrest and deport illegal criminals but the politicians who have been receiving millions in bribes from the illegals have been protecting them and attacking ICE agents. I suppose they believe that if they scream loud enough we the people will join the criminals, but then who will pay the taxes. This disorder went so far as to involve an attack or at least a forced disruption of Sunday Services at a Baptist church called Cities Church in St. Paul. Yes former news reporter Don Lemon led the mob into the church and disrupted people who were worshiping God on a Sunday morning. Lemon gave a lot of sanctimonious words about how protest is protected by the 1st amendment. He is really attacking Christianity and trying to eliminate the right of Christians to worship freely which is sacrosanct in the 1st amendment. It seems that in Minnesota they really love and value sanctuary except when it involves places that actually are sanctuaries. Contrast my city of Memphis with Minneapolis and notice the difference. Memphis has now had two good mayors in a row and the difference is astounding. The mayor didn't want federal authority here but he said if it's coming let's cooperate and use it to benefit the city. The guard came to help with the street patrols so the MPD could do police work. ICE was here arresting illegal criminals as they found them. Two statistics illustrate the whole thing and the difference. Car left down 70% and murders down 44% and people can walk their own streets at least better than before criminals were allowed to take over our cities. Finally, folks, wither you hate Donald Trump or love him pray for peace. Our children will appreciate it. At least that's the way I see it, Until next time folks, This is Darrell Castle, Thanks for listening.

On this episode of Scran Rosalind talks to South African Scotland rugby stars, Duhan van der Merwe and Pierre Schoeman. Outside their day job they have launched Hirundine, a 12 year old Speyside single malt which is a part of their Against the Grain whisky collection. During their chat they tell Rosalind how the business came about, the challenges they faced in getting it off the ground and the positive success it has seen to date. Duhan and Pierre have big plans and judging from this chat they will do their best to realise them. Rosalind being the Scottish rugby fan that she is, couldn't miss the opportunity to ask them about the upcoming Six Nations and whether they will be drinking their whisky from the Calcutta Cup in a few weeks! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The smuggling of illegal meat is on the rise. Farmers are worried it could bring animal diseases into the UK. Europe has seen outbreaks of both African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth, neither of which affect humans but both of which can wipe out whole farms.Average income across all farms in England rose by 49 percent in the year from March 2024 to February 2025, with increases in all farming sectors, bar specialist pig farms and horticulture. That's the headline from DEFRA's newly published Farm Business Survey. So, are English farmers laughing all the way to the bank, and how do those figures sit alongside frequent reports about tough times for farmers with high costs, uncertain markets, more extreme weather events, and low confidence in new agri-environment schemes?It's mid-winter, the hungriest time of year for livestock, so all this week we're looking at the challenges of providing winter feed, be they financial or practical. It's tough enough when farmers are able to grow or make their own forage, but in the Scottish islands, where the land's poor and the climate's wet, crofters rely on hay and straw being brought in by lorry from the mainland. We join a haulier as he drops off bales in the Isle of Lewis. His family has been supplying forage to the Western Isles and Skye for three generations.Presenter = Caz Graham Producer = Rebecca Rooney

Your hosts Barry and Julia return for the 6th season of SIMAFC to discuss Russell Mulcahy's "Highlander" (1986). This cult favorite and surprise franchise spawner stars the French Christopher Lambert as a Scottish warrior and Sean Connery as an Egyptian/Spanish mentor. It doesn't make sense and neither does the Dracula-esque story. What works? The awesome tunes of Queen, clanging sword battles and quotable dialogue. We discuss how old Connor McCloud really was when he "died," how many wives he could have had and how even men at 400 years old don't understand women. Follow the show behind the scenes on Instagram @soimarriedafilmcritic.

Gordon Duncan is joined by Hugh Keevins & Scott Allan as they react to last night's Europa League results as Celtic draw with Bologna but still have a chance to progress in the Europa League and despite Rangers victory over Ludogorets they're out of the competition. There's build up to another busy weekend of Scottish football action as there's a top of the table clash as Tynecastle and will new signing Skov Olsen make his Rangers debut against Dundee? Plus Beat The Pundit, The Full Time Teaser & The Pundit Predictor

Watch this episode as a full video interview on YouTubeLyndsey Croal is a Scottish author published in over eighty magazines and anthologies, including Apex, Analog, Weird Tales, and Mslexia's Best Women's Short Fiction. She's a Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awardee, Shirley Jackson Award and British Fantasy Award Finalist, and former Hawthornden Fellow. Her longer works include Have You Decided on Your Question (Shortwave), Limelight and Other Stories (Shortwave) The Girl With Barnacles for Eyes (Split Scream Volume Five, Tenebrous Press), and Dark Crescent (Luna Press).We had a great chat with Lyndsey in our studio, hearing about how she has written 100 published stories (!), the differences in writing short and long fiction, as well as dealing with the ups and downs of the publishing industry. We talk about dealing with rejection, changing agents and why she always like to have a dark element to her stories.Links:Buy Dark Crescent and Lyndsey's other books nowFollow Lyndsey on InstagramVisit Lyndsey's websiteSupport us on Patreon and get great benefits!: https://www.patreon.com/ukpageonePage One - The Writer's Podcast is brought to you by Write Gear, creators of Page One - the Writer's Notebook. Learn more and order yours now: https://www.writegear.co.uk/page-oneFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on BlueskyFollow us on ThreadsPage One - The Writer's Podcast is part of STET Podcasts - the one stop shop for all your writing and publishing podcast needs! Follow STET Podcasts on Instagram and Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 2000s, the death of five-year-old Danielle Reid became one of the most disturbing child murder cases in Scottish criminal history. What began as concerns around neglect in Inverness would later expose a far more troubling picture, involving repeated warnings, unanswered calls, and safeguarding failures that, in hindsight, are difficult to comprehend.Danielle was a bright, affectionate little girl who had only just started her first term at a new school. Around her were adults and institutions who believed she was safe, or at least not in immediate danger. But behind closed doors, a very different reality was unfolding. What happened to Danielle raises uncomfortable questions about responsibility, child protection, and how vulnerable children can slip through the cracks, even when concerns are raised.Read the independent review I mention within the episode below:Independent Review Into The Circumstances Surrounding The Death Of Danielle ReidExclusive content:Patreon - Ad Free, Early Access, Exclusive EpisodesFollow the show:British Murders with Stuart BluesDisclaimer:The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next stop on the Nations Pod Guide is Edinburgh. GRO teaches Chris and Tom a Max Boyce classic and explains why the trip to the Scottish capital is so special for Wales fans. After initially declaring he doesn't have much to say about the city, Tom tells us about his favourite pubs and praises the commitment of the Scottish rugby fans despite the lack of success in the Six Nations era. The guys also talk Bill McLaren, Flower of Scotland and recall some of their standout moments at Murrayfield down the years. You'll also find out why the commentary position presents plenty of challenges for broadcasters.

In the first episode of Heroes of the Holocaust, CJ Burroughs shares the true stories of three Righteous Gentiles who protected Jewish lives—ordinary teachers and caregivers who became extraordinary rescuers.The heroes we meet today were women of quiet conviction who stepped into danger to protect children the world had decided were expendable.You'll hear the story of Lois Gunden, a young Mennonite teacher who left America for Nazi-occupied France and opened a refuge for children threatened by war.You'll also meet Marie-Rose Gineste, who carried truth through occupied France on a bicycle—delivering a message that challenged a nation's conscience.And finally, we'll travel to Budapest to remember Jane Haining, a Scottish caregiver who chose to stay with the girls in her care, even when escape was possible.These stories remind us that courage takes many forms—and that faith is meant to be lived out through action.To learn more about God's people—from the days of the Bible through the present day—visit The Fellowship's Learn Center.

On today's episode of The Therapy Crouch Ask Us Anything, Abbey and Pete are spiralling over their imaginary house renovation — which is impressive, considering they haven't even bought the place yet. The staircase has already been sold, everything is painted bone and we're 3 Pinterest boards away from a nervous breakdown.Things only escalate from there: Pete talks holiday rip offs, and one listener writes in begging us to help save his marriage (no pressure).They also dive into the wild world of faux olive trees, Scottish snow gritters and give their verdict on exactly what time it is socially acceptable to crack open a cold one when on your holidays!Enjoy this week's Therapy Crouch, Ask Me Anything!Email: thetherapycrouch@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetherapycrouchpodcastTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thetherapycrouch Website: https://thetherapycrouch.com/ For more from Peterhttps://twitter.com/petercrouchFor more from Abbeyhttps://www.instagram.com/abbeyclancyOur clips channelhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZntcv96YhN8IvMAKsz4Dbg#TheTherapyCrouch #AbbeyAndPete #RelationshipAdvice #Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grant and Roger kick off 2026 in chaos—Brooks returns to the PGA, Bryson demands are eye watering, and the golf majors are now the only game that matters. Football's imploding: VAR's still broken, Chelsea's new manager's already doomed, Tottenham can't stop losing, and the MCO's circling the drain. Scottish football hires a charity worker, tennis gets weird, Luke Littler turns heel, and Walter Payton breaks hearts. Classic GOG: here for the madness. Brought to you by PEDL Labs

James I wasn't weak, stupid, or slobbering — history got lazyJames I has gone down in history as a disappointment, a fool, a drunken slob — a king wedged awkwardly between Elizabeth I and Charles I and remembered largely for what others did to him. But what if almost everything you think you know about James I is wrong?Historian and author Gareth Russell returns for a record-breaking fifth appearance to dismantle the enduring caricature of James I of England and VI of Scotland. From supposed physical deformities and “slobbering” table manners to accusations of cowardice, weakness, and religious extremism, Gareth takes aim at centuries of lazy myth-making and historical snobbery.Drawing directly on contemporary sources, Gareth explains why the image of James as a grotesque failure tells us far more about xenophobia, propaganda, and bad history than it does about the man himself.This episode explores:Why James I became the “unpopular in-between king” of British historyHow English and Scottish prejudice shaped his posthumous reputationThe truth behind claims of physical deformity and drunken incompetenceJames's surprisingly effective rule in Scotland — and why people wept when he leftHis deep commitment to peace and how he kept Britain out of the Thirty Years' WarThe complex reality of his religious views, Catholic toleration, and hatred of Puritan extremismHis dangerous but evolving obsession with witchcraft and the long shadow of DaemonologieHow and why James authorised the King James Bible — and how involved he really wasWhy his failure to unite England and Scotland politically haunted his reignThis is not an exercise in rehabilitation or hero-worship. As Gareth makes clear, James I was deeply flawed — but he was also intelligent, scholarly, peace-driven, and far more effective than history likes to admit.If you've ever repeated the myths, laughed at the caricature, or dismissed James I outright — this episode is your invitation to rage at bad history and demand better.Live Appearance Announcement

The Go Radio Football Show: 22nd of January 2026. Don't miss it, PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode! Paul Cooney, Darren O'Dea and James McPake answer your calls and dissect the biggest stories in Scottish Football today. A huge night for Scottish football as Celtic face Bologna in Europe, Rangers gear up for Ludogorets, and the Go Radio Football Show crew deliver analysis, insight, laughs, and some fiery debates. HIGHLIGHTS  Celtic's rollercoaster of a night in Bologna Early high press leads to a  Hatate goal within 5 minutes. Hatate then sees red for a second yellow — described as harsh by both pundits. Celtic dig in, defend deep, and score a huge second goal through Auston Trusty. Expert breakdown of defensive shape, set‑piece frailties, and tactical adjustments under pressure. The Martin O'Neill effect Immediate psychological lift in the squad. Winning mentality returning despite injuries and instability. Discussion on whether this could become one of O'Neill's greatest managerial achievements. Rangers' resurgence Danny Röhl's new‑look Rangers: intense pressing, clear tactical identity, squad rotation without drama. Why this European night matters massively for Scotland's coefficient — and Rangers' Champions League hopes. Transfers + Squad Building Insight Celtic linked again with Rak‑Sakyi. Why January signings rarely make an instant impact. Inside take on balancing recruitment vs immediate results during a title chase. Rangers' incomings, outgoings and the “Raskin dilemma”. Emotional + personal stories Darren and James tell brilliant dressing‑room and travelling‑to‑training stories from their Dundee days. Genuine insight into Scottish football culture, pressure, fan expectation, and what makes certain players tick. Scottish football's wild season Hearts' surprise title push. How quickly chaos can hit big clubs. Why this year feels like nothing we've seen in a decade. Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok The Go Radio Football Show, weeknights from 5pm-7pm across Scotland on DAB, YouTube, Smart Speaker - launch Go Radio - and on the Go Radio App. IOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/go-radio/id1510971202 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.thisisgo.goradio&pcampaignid=web_share In Association with Burger King. Home of the Whopper, home delivery half time or full time, exclusively on the Burger King App  https://www.burgerking.co.uk/download-bk-app. For more Podcasts from Go Studios, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD...

In today's news, Thailand's tourism boom with dozens of new hotels planned, a missing Scottish visitor in Bangkok, an arrest in a Hua Hin hotel murder, sexual assault allegations rocking the nightlife scene, a major women's FIFA event coming to Thailand, and a crocodile caught near homes. Thats all coming up on Good Morning Thailand.

The Go Radio Football Show: 21st of January 2026. Don't miss it, PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode! Paul Cooney, Andy Walker and Jamie Murphy answer your calls and dissect the biggest stories in Scottish Football today. Celtic's striker breakthrough, Rangers' European ambitions, transfer window manoeuvring, and the tightening race across the SPFL. With live reaction, ex‑player perspective, and a heavy load of breaking stories, this episode guides listeners through a crucial week in Scottish football. Key Highlights Celtic FINALLY land a striker Tomas Cvancara is in Scotland and ready to sign on loan. Celtic fans relieved after a full year without a serious Kyogo replacement. Discussion on whether Maswanhise (Motherwell) may also arrive. Rangers chasing coefficient points Ludogorets at Ibrox. Manager Danny Röhl on injuries, new signings, and tactical demands. Transfers heating up Across both clubs: Celtic still searching for a centre‑back & winger. Rangers monitoring exits and potential striker business. Danilo, Raskin, and others discussed as possible movers. Lewis Ferguson linked (speculatively) with a possible Celtic return to Scotland. Hearts rocked by major injuries Lawrence Shankland out 6–8 weeks. Cammy Devlin missing too. Massive implications ahead of the huge Hearts vs Celtic showdown. Cup shocks, controversy & weekend fixtures Stranraer–Queen's Park penalty shoot‑out chaos over an incorrectly‑registered keeper. Dunfermline shock Hibs. Focus on Motherwell's impressive season, Falkirk's rise, and Kilmarnock's struggles. Scottish stars shining abroad Bologna's use of Lewis Ferguson questioned — dropped recently despite being captain. McTominay adored in Italy. Young Scots thriving across Serie A. Raw honesty & great storytelling Andy and Jamie go deep on: Handling dressing‑room pressure. Being booed by your own fans. What it really feels like to be thrown into big games. Why Tynecastle is terrifying and brilliant in equal measure.   Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok The Go Radio Football Show, weeknights from 5pm-7pm across Scotland on DAB, YouTube, Smart Speaker - launch Go Radio - and on the Go Radio App. IOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/go-radio/id1510971202 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.thisisgo.goradio&pcampaignid=web_share In Association with Burger King. Home of the Whopper, home delivery half time or full time, exclusively on the Burger King App  https://www.burgerking.co.uk/download-bk-app. For more Podcasts from Go Studios, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD...

Elspeth never used her real name when she spoke about the house—not out of fear, but out of understanding. In her quiet Scottish town, names had weight, and some stories didn't let go once spoken.What her family lived with wasn't a single ghost, but a layered presence: a shadowy man marked by a gold wristwatch, a little girl who whispered “Mummy” in the night, animals that appeared where no living animal should be. Some of it felt sorrowful. Some of it felt protective.And some of it was watching.From a nursery that repelled infants to a baby monitor that carried a man's voice speaking calmly to a child, the house revealed something far more disturbing than a haunting. As Elspeth grew, so did the voice—isolating her, shaping her thoughts, and convincing her it was all she had.What followed was not an exorcism, but a confrontation rooted in boundaries, survival, and one word the entity could not withstand.#TrueGhostStory #HauntedHouse #IntelligentHaunting #ParanormalPodcast #RealGhostStories #DemonicAttachment #SpiritVoices #ShadowEntity #ParanormalEncounters #PsychologicalHaunting #ListenerStory Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Elspeth never used her real name when she spoke about the house—not out of fear, but out of understanding. In her quiet Scottish town, names had weight, and some stories didn't let go once spoken.What her family lived with wasn't a single ghost, but a layered presence: a shadowy man marked by a gold wristwatch, a little girl who whispered “Mummy” in the night, animals that appeared where no living animal should be. Some of it felt sorrowful. Some of it felt protective.And some of it was watching.From a nursery that repelled infants to a baby monitor that carried a man's voice speaking calmly to a child, the house revealed something far more disturbing than a haunting. As Elspeth grew, so did the voice—isolating her, shaping her thoughts, and convincing her it was all she had.What followed was not an exorcism, but a confrontation rooted in boundaries, survival, and one word the entity could not withstand.#TrueGhostStory #HauntedHouse #IntelligentHaunting #ParanormalPodcast #RealGhostStories #DemonicAttachment #SpiritVoices #ShadowEntity #ParanormalEncounters #PsychologicalHaunting #ListenerStory Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Massive news with Razor's shock sacking in New Zealand setting the tone for a wild week as Jim and Goodey break down the fallout, the rumours swirling around player power, and where Razor could land next. From there, it's onto the final round of Champions Cup pool action, with knockout draws confirmed, major upsets delivered and Scottish rugby flying high. Harlequins stun La Rochelle, Castres shock Munster, Leinster find a way, and Glasgow dismantle Saracens. The lads also dive into Six Nations injury concerns, some huge transfer rumours and plenty of other news to round things off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deep beneath the dark waters of Loch Ness, a mystery has survived for centuries. From ancient Scottish folklore and medieval chronicles to modern sonar scans and viral photographs, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster—known affectionately as Nessie—refuses to disappear.In this episode, we trace the origins of the Loch Ness Monster, examine famous sightings, scientific explanations, hoaxes, and ask the question that still divides the world: Is Nessie a living creature, a misidentified phenomenon, or the perfect urban legend?A journey into belief, mystery, and why some stories never die.Read more at http://mythlok.com/urban-legends/loch-ness-monster/Stay Curious. Stay Mythical.

Happy National Disc Jockey Day! Courtney soaked her whole wedding thanks to a sprinkler-wedding dress disaster, Brooklyn Beckham’s family drama is still peak chaos, and Meghan, McConaughey, Rihanna, and Mary J. Blige all had their own wild moments. Oh, and a Scottish seagull stole a sandwich like a proper DJ stealing the show.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your website is quietly turning people away without you ever knowing it? In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, Michael Hingson talks with Lori Osbourne, a branding strategist and web accessibility advocate whose personal health journey reshaped how she helps businesses show up online. Lori shares how unclear messaging, weak branding, and inaccessible websites block trust, visibility, and growth. Together, they unpack why accessibility is not just about compliance, but about inclusion, credibility, and better SEO, and how simple changes like clearer messaging, alt text, contrast, and video captions can transform both user experience and business results. Highlights: 00:01 – Understand why disability is often left out of diversity conversations and why that needs to change 13:56 – Learn how a life-altering health crisis forced a complete reset in career and priorities 27:10 – Discover why a website alone is not enough to establish authority or visibility 34:19 – Learn why unclear messaging is the biggest reason websites fail to convert 44:43 – Understand what website accessibility really means and who it impacts 59:42 – Learn the first step to take if your online presence feels overwhelming About the Guest: Lori Osborne, affectionately known as The Authority Amplifier, is a Brand Strategist, Website Consultant, and the founder of BizBolster Web Solutions. With over 25 years in technology and nearly a decade of experience helping coaches, consultants, authors, and speakers build a profitable online presence, Lori is the powerhouse behind The Authority Platform™, a complete done-for-you system designed to transform overwhelm into opportunity. Her signature branding process, The Authority Blueprint™, helps clients clarify their message, define their visual and verbal identity, and identify what truly sets them apart in their field. She then brings that strategy to life with an authority-building website - strategically crafted on the Duda platform to reflect credibility, connect authentically, and convert consistently - without the headaches of WordPress maintenance or tech confusion. Unlike agencies that offer cookie-cutter sites or developers who disappear after launch, Lori builds long-term relationships by delivering personalized, high-touch service. Through The Authority Platform™, she combines brand clarity, trust-building web design, lead generation funnels, SEO, accessibility, and sales systems into one cohesive, visibility-driving engine. Lori is known for her warmth, resilience, and insightfulness, and for making her clients feel fully seen and heard. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels with digital tools that don't deliver, and finally create a platform that amplifies your voice, authority, and impact, Lori is your strategic partner. Ways to connect with Lori**:** https://www.bizbolster.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/loriaosborne/ https://www.facebook.com/bizbolster https://www.instagram.com/bizbolsterlori Link to Freebie: https://www.bizbolster.com/vip-visibility-audit About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson  01:17 Well, hello everyone. Welcome to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. I am your host, Michael Hingson, or you can call me Mike, it's fine, and I gave the full title of the podcast for a very specific reason. Where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet, typically, diversity people never want to include disabilities in what they discuss or what they do. And if you ask the typical diversity people, what's diversity? They'll talk about race, gender, sexual orientation, and they don't deal with disabilities. But the reality is, and they say that disability isn't a real mindset. Well, Balderdash, it is. Just asked the 25% of America's population, according to the CDC, that has a disability, and they'll tell you that disability is a minority. But the reason I bring it all up is today, we get to talk with Lori Osborne, and she is a person who's been very deeply involved in website development, in branding and coaching, and she is very concerned about and likes to try to help deal with the issue of accessibility on websites. So we're going to have a fun time talking about all of that, much less the platform she uses, as opposed to WordPress, and I'm really curious to hear more about that, because I've my website is a WordPress website, but, but, you know, I think there are so many different ways to deal with things today. We'll, we'll have a fun time. But Lori, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here. Thank you Lori Osbourne  02:56 so much for having me. Mike, I love being here. Cannot wait to talk. Michael Hingson  03:01 Well, let's do it. Why don't we start by you telling us kind about the early Laurie growing up and all that stuff, and kind of how you got started. Okay, start at the beginning. Lori Osbourne  03:14 At the beginning. All right. I was born in San Diego. More your neck of the woods. San Diego Naval Hospital, but only got to live in California for two years, which I've always been disappointed about. My my family had my grandfather built a home in La Jolla. So you know, I was I've always been jealous of how my mom got to grow up, but I only got to spend two years there and then I got moved to Norman, Oklahoma, home of the Sooners, never watched football, never went to one football game my entire life. Michael Hingson  03:51 I've never been to a professional or college football game. My wife had, but I never got to go to a football game. I think it'd be kind of fun to do once, as long as I could still pick it up on the radio and know what's going on. Lori Osbourne  04:03 There you go. Yeah, I had zero interest in football until I met my current husband in 2011 and he doesn't miss a professional football game, an NFL game. So I have, I have come to embrace it and enjoy the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs. So there you go. Michael Hingson  04:24 So you're in Florida and you don't root for a Florida team, huh? Lori Osbourne  04:29 I don't, we won't hold it again, you know. Well, you know, I'm one of those. So I moved from Oklahoma to Colorado to Denver area. So I was a Broncos fan when I lived in Colorado, but that was the days of, oh my gosh. Now my mind is going to completely go blank. This is so embarrassing. The the Great, the greatest Broncos player who is now a general manager, John, oh my gosh. Can think of a it'll come to me. But anyway, he, you know, we. Were actually like, yes, thank you. Thank you very much. Elway. Yes, I was a guest. So we were actually, like, winning Super Bowls when I first moved there, so, you know, and then it went, kind of went. Then I became a Peyton Manning fan, and my husband's from Pennsylvania, and he's like, you can't just change your mind about who you support every time we move. And I'm like, but I can't, yeah, why not? So when we moved to Florida, I Michael Hingson  05:26 the Jaguars, jaguars, yeah, yeah, they Lori Osbourne  05:29 just haven't been a great team. And I I watched Mahoney, Mahoney play for Kansas City, and I just fell in love with how he plays and just his style and his leadership, and I just became a Kansas City fan, just because I love watching him. And last season was a little disappointing because he didn't throw as much, but, but, you know, he's, he's amazing, so that's that's my reasoning. Michael Hingson  06:03 So So you you didn't fall in love with Travis Kelsey and try to go steal him away from Taylor Swift before things got serious? Lori Osbourne  06:12 No, no, I was already in love with my current husband. Michael Hingson  06:15 So see, tell him that there are some things and some loves that do transcend location. Lori Osbourne  06:23 There you go. Yes, absolutely. Well, you know, he's so obsessed with football that we I actually included in our marriage vows that I would support him through his two fantasy football teams and a lifetime of football in my future, because I knew I was marrying football when I married him. Michael Hingson  06:46 One of the things that spoils me about sports out here, and it's not so much anymore, but it used to be the case is, I think that here in especially southern California, we had the best sports announcers in the business. We had Vin Scully doing baseball, and I think that it'll be a long, long time before anyone comes up to the caliber of Vince Scully. And there, there are things that they do now that that really messed that up. But Vinnie was a was was the best. We had Dick Enberg, who did football and and other people. And Chick Hearn did basketball. Chick hurr had talked so fast that I don't know how he was able to do it, but I learned how to listen fast because I grew up listening to Chick Hearn new basketball. I love it. So, so I got spoiled on sports, listening to those announcers. I keep up with football from a news standpoint, especially when it gets close to the Super Bowl, so I can decide who I'm going to if anybody for for in the Super Bowl when they have it. Yeah, I do kind of like the Rams, because I live out here and I've always kind of liked them, although I was mad at them when they moved to St Louis for a while, but, but still, they're the Rams. I mean, we'll see what they do this year. I think they've got a good coach, but I by no means am a football expert or anything like that. I keep up though. Lori Osbourne  08:08 Me neither. I, yeah, I kind of joke, you know, my husband will watch like, you know, eight games at once, the red zone or the whatever, and it's flipping around. And I just can't, so I just joke I'm a fourth quarter watcher. On Sunday nights, Monday nights, I'll watch the fourth quarter and because that's where you know if it's gonna happen, that's where it's gonna happen if it's gonna be worth watching. Michael Hingson  08:30 Yeah, well, I'll be interested to see what happens tomorrow, because the Chargers are playing the chiefs in Brazil. Lori Osbourne  08:41 Yes, and I don't, I don't even know if we're going to get to watch it, because, you know, the NFL spread out across all these different platforms now, and if you don't have the platform, you're out of luck. Michael Hingson  08:52 I think it's going to be on TV. It'll be watchable, but it starts at 530 Pacific Time, and I don't quite understand that. If they're doing it live, that would mean it's going to start at nine. Start at 930 in the evening in San Paulo. So I don't know how all that's going to work. We'll see. Lori Osbourne  09:07 Yeah, yeah, we shall see. Yeah, we're I don't know if we're watching tomorrow nights, but my husband's definitely watching tonight, for sure. Well, I Michael Hingson  09:15 don't think there are more games on tomorrow other than that one, so maybe he will. And maybe you actually get to focus and just see one game, Lori Osbourne  09:24 right, right? That's, that's, that's the nice part about the non Sunday games. Usually it's just, Michael Hingson  09:31 well, so you, so you grew up and you, you only lived in California for two years, and then where did you go? Lori Osbourne  09:40 I lived in Norman, that's right, until I was 29 I actually found my birth father when I was 23 and moved to Colorado to get to know him and his family. Michael Hingson  09:55 So you were a diamond. Lori Osbourne  10:00 Not really. I just, he was just never part of my life. Your mom married someone else, yeah, okay, yeah. I always had. My mom just didn't have my dad. And it's, you know, it's been an interesting experience, because, you know, being in my 20s when I met him, and my mom and I were opposite growing up, and I never understood my personality, because she was quiet and passive and wanted to work in the same job her entire life, and I was the opposite. I was vivacious and loud and aggressive and always wanted to be self employed. Then I met my dad and went, Oh, it explained it all, I'm just like him. It's crazy how the you know the genes work for sure, Michael Hingson  10:51 but you got to know him, and the relationship was a good one. Lori Osbourne  10:55 Yeah, yeah, right. We just, he's in Idaho now. We just got back a couple of weeks ago from visiting. I mean, it's been interesting, trying to enter a family, you know, in your 20s is is bizarre. I kind of, I kind of equate it to being an in law, like, I'm not quite all the way in, because I, you know, I didn't grow up with these people. They don't know me. But, yeah, it's been interesting. So where in Idaho, near Coeur d'Alene Sand Point near Michael Hingson  11:25 standpoint, I have a brother in law who lives in Ketchum, in Sun Valley, and who is an avid skier, and has been an avid skier basically his whole life. Now the real big question is, of course, where is your father when it comes to football, Lori Osbourne  11:46 my father does not sit still. Okay? That is, that is one way that we are different. He I joke that he'll probably outlive me. I mean, he lives on 14 acres. I think he just, they just sold 40 Acres. But he doesn't. He never sits still. He He's always going, going, going, working on, you know, he had, he had his business, which he sort of still does. But he works on fences or helps with the does something with the horses or the hay or the, you know, it's just it. He works his plan does not I don't think he the TV when we were there was on music the entire time. Yep. Michael Hingson  12:30 So hardly a person who tends to watch football. Well, that's okay. So you, you grew up in Norman? Did you go to college there or in the area? Lori Osbourne  12:43 I went for a year and then couldn't figure out how to keep paying for it. I honestly didn't even realize financial aid was a thing. So I started in the workforce and became a recruiter, technical recruiter, pretty early in my career. I did that for 12 years, and then started my own recruiting business and got my degree during that time. So I got a bachelor's degree in business administration, 4.0 average while working. Proud of that, but I was in my 30s, and then I got cancer right after that, had colon cancer at 36 which I blame an 18 year abusive, horrible marriage, I think really led to that, but it pushed me To get out of that horrible abuse of marriage. And then a few years later, I met my current husband, and I am the happiest I've ever been, Michael Hingson  13:51 but you also were able to, in one way or another, beat the cancer Lori Osbourne  13:58 I was, yes, it was actually stage one colon cancer. Only had surgery so that one, yeah, didn't even have to have chemo or radiation. And actually, what got me into my current business? I was a when I got divorced, I did this is kind of funny to me. I when I got divorced, I decided I no longer wanted to be straight commission, and because I had gotten a job after after the cancer, and now I'm self employed. And so why? I think I wouldn't want to be straight commission, but it's okay to be self employed, but it's a completely different mindset. You know yourself very much a different mindset. But I was in tech. I moved from recruiting into hands on technology. I did project management, software testing, I looked at websites and helped design websites from a business perspective, but I was never, never a coder, never, you know, did the visual design? Nine and in 2015 I we had just moved to the opposite side of Denver. We had just changed, I had just changed jobs, had a brand new home, and then found out I had a brain tumor. Michael Hingson  15:15 Oh, gosh, yeah, you're just an attention getting person. Lori Osbourne  15:19 That's all you. I know. That's it. I just walk around going, yep, that's it. So, yeah. So I, I ended up leaving the job because it was, it was very traumatic. I ended up having two surgeries. They couldn't remove the tumor. It's part of my carotid artery. It's a meningioma. It's benign, but it's part of my carotid artery, and it was causing my left eye to droop, so they went in to get it off the optical nerve and nicked the carotid and caused a brain bleed. And that brain bleed caused that drooping eye to become a half blind eye. So I ended up, for about a year and a half, I had double vision. I also had found out I had a stroke from it, I was having problems with words and forming, you know, the right words. And I had no tolerance for stress for a long time, so there was no way I was going back to project management in the IT world, right? This wasn't so I literally, I spent about a year recovering and just started messing around, going, Okay, well, what can I do with the talents that I have? And I started building a website on Squarespace, and it was called Health Net, like grandma. And it was just talking about my I lost my mother and my grandmother to cancer at 63 both at 63 and then I had gone through what I went through. And I just wanted to share the stories, you know, the what I've learned from a health perspective. And in doing that, went, wow. Why have I not been developing websites the last 20 years? This is what I should be doing. I love this, and I bet other business owners could really use some help doing this. And that's when my business was born. Michael Hingson  17:20 Wow. How did they discover the brain tumor? Lori Osbourne  17:26 It started with me falling asleep at my brand new job desk. Was I could not hold my eyes open. I actually thought it was an adrenal reaction to leaving a super high stress job to a very boring job, but it was not. They did all these tests. They put me on thyroid medication, which helped, and then my left eye started drooping, like literally within weeks together and and it was funny, because they they sent me to an eye doctor, and the eye doctor sent me to an eye surgeon, and they wanted to do surgery on it. And I'm like, don't you want to figure out why this is happening? Like, I don't want you to touch my eye until you know why my eye is drooping. And my doctor thought that was the craziest thing she'd ever heard. So she goes, Well, have we done an MRI yet? And I said, No, so they sent me for an MRI that day. And lo and behold, not only do you have a brain tumor, but you have had a stroke. Okay. Gosh, you know, she did not want to share that news, those news with me. She was very embarrassed. Probably, well, Michael Hingson  18:43 but you need to know, yeah, and clearly you already had demonstrated that you had an analytical mind, and it would be valuable for you to know, because it would help you in dealing with making decisions, or thinking about what decisions to make going forward, right? Yeah, so you did. So you went through the surgeries and all of that, and what, what happened to your your left eye, Lori Osbourne  19:10 it, it's still mostly blind. I have a sliver of vision that I can't control. So if I go to the eye doctor, they try to get me to look at the chart, and I can't focus it on the chart, and I get very frustrated. I blocked it for the first year. Now my eyes are so it's it's developed its own way of working, so I can't even block it anymore without causing worse headaches than I already have. Bad headaches kind of came out of all of this. So I really just live with it. I live with the headaches, and I ignore it as much as I possibly can and and hope it's improved slightly over. The last 10 years, they told me it would never improve. But, you know, our brains are amazing things, and it's it's trying, but it's still not. I just tell them make the left eye prescription the same as the right eye because it makes no difference. Yeah. Michael Hingson  20:17 Well, so with, with with all that you've you've dealt with, with, with this clearly, you figured out a way to go forward, and you've, now, I assume, used all that happened to you, and you've analyzed it in some way or another, that you have made some decisions about what you want to do with your life, which is namely the whole brand development and web development and dealing with accessibility, which is pretty cool. Lori Osbourne  20:51 Yeah, yeah, I am. Once I discovered that passion and the I honestly never realized I had the creative side of me. I knew I had the analytical I knew I had the project management and tech, but once I realized I actually have a very strong creative side, then websites were the way to go. And it's it's really I can be working on a website for four hours straight and feel no pain, and that that alone tells me I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I love it that much, and I feel like I'm that talented at it. Michael Hingson  21:30 I think you've made a very interesting observation, and one that I relate to very well, which is working commission is one thing, but working for yourself, which, in some senses, is the same, but it's totally different, and you have to have a different mindset to make it work. Lori Osbourne  21:48 Oh, absolutely, yes. I mean, I'm I'm not selling a product for someone else. I'm selling myself, and I am the product, and I have to live by my my values and my mission and my why, which is completely different than selling services for someone else, for straight commission. Michael Hingson  22:12 I have always told my the people who I hired as sales people to analyze and and think about what they do. And one of the things that I did with every person I ever hired was I would say, tell me what you're going to sell. And literally, all but one person said, Oh, we're going to sell the product. This is the product we're selling. This is what it does. But the best sales guy I ever hired, when I asked that question, Said, the only thing I have to sell is myself and my word, and I need you to back me up when I give my word about something, Michael Hingson  22:50 great answer. It was, it was the actual, it was the answer I was looking for. And I said, well, as long as we communicate, and I know what you're going to say, and that's all about trust, I'm going to back you up. And never had an issue. And in fact, he and I worked very well together, because we figured out how my talents in sales and management could augment and accentuate what he did, so that the two of us could work together. And I think that's that's so important, but you're right. The only thing any really good salesperson has to sell is themselves, and you have to be true to your own attitudes. Yes, yes, which is so Lori Osbourne  23:33 integrity is everything. I mean, if you especially as a small business owner, I mean, and I'm in a very small community, and I this. I only lived here since 2018 and it's kind of been shocking to me how how a small community works. But if you do it right, everybody knows your name. If you do it wrong, everybody knows your name. Yeah, it's you know when, every time I get a call because the chamber has referred me again. I just smile, and I'm like, Okay, I'm doing it right, you know? And it's, to me, it's all about integrity. If you, if you say you're going to do something, do it, and if you can't do it, say you can't do it, say you can't do right, or say I'm going to figure it out. Yeah, you know, I didn't. I charged very little my first few years, and I always my first few years, I told clients, I don't know what I'm doing yet, so I'm not charging you for the time that I'm learning. I'm going to charge you for the time that I'm actually accomplishing something. Michael Hingson  24:30 One of the things I always told every again, every salesperson I ever hired is for at least the first year. You're a student. No matter what you think you know and what you know about sales, when you're working with customers, you're a student, ask them questions, really learn from them, because they want you to be successful, even if you don't think they do. And the reality is that, in general, they do want you to be successful, and the more you encourage them to teach you, the better relationship you're going to develop. Lori Osbourne  24:59 Absolutely. And 100% yes. Michael Hingson  25:02 So how long ago did you end up having the brain tumor? Lori Osbourne  25:07 I was diagnosed in August of 2015 So wow, I'm, I'm at exactly 10 years. 10 years. Yeah, I didn't, oh my gosh. September 22 will be my my first surgery dates. There you go. Wow. Right at 10 years Michael Hingson  25:23 See, I'm glad we we help you remember, Lori Osbourne  25:27 I can't, I can't believe that was, like, not even on my mind. I mean, it was actually September 17. Was the first surgery, that's right, and it's the same day as my dog's birthday. And we were just talking about my dog's birthday yesterday, but I didn't even think about the tumor. So well, it's all good Michael Hingson  25:47 a week from next Wednesday. But you know, you you obviously are doing well, well, so how did your your business in the the way you do things and what you do? How did all that change after the surgery, or had you already started down the road of branding and being a branding coach and website development and accessibility? Lori Osbourne  26:10 No, all of this came as a result of all of it. So it literally just grew with me, as I, you know, transitioned into life again, and being able to function mentally and physically, I would just start, you know, working on a little bit of, you know, a couple of websites. The first website I built was from for a realtor that we worked with. We did three different deals with him in two years. He was this great Scottish guy, great personality, and his website was horrific. And I begged him to let me do it. It was a I think we ended up doing 39 pages total, and just read redid the whole thing. He loved it. A lot of it's still in place 10 years later. But I just, I just started building, and then we moved to the area we are now outside Jacksonville, and I found a local networking group and started meeting people and getting introduced to businesses and just slowly built and learned a little bit at a time, and learned a little bit more. And then it was not actually until last year I realized that I have branding skills and talent that I haven't been promoting. I was using the skills and I was building on brand websites, but I didn't say that, and I didn't recognize it as a separate talent from website development. I kind of thought everybody did that, until I realized that that's not true. So I've been doing it, and a lot of it is just, I the natural, just natural talent for color and almost like designing houses. Like I knew I was really good at designing houses, but I didn't recognize that that translated to websites. And so for last, like, year to 18 months, I've really kind of bought into the brand strategy piece of what I offer. Michael Hingson  28:19 Well, how did you develop this concept of authority platforms, and what is it? Lori Osbourne  28:27 So the authority platform is what I'm calling the full package. It kind of started when I got really frustrated with everybody telling me or everybody's an exaggeration, but so many people saying, Oh, you don't need a website. You just need landing pages. And I would try to educate people that landing pages are not enough, but I couldn't put it in the right words, and when I started really looking at it, going, well, landing pages are great, if you have the visibility to get people to the landing page, and if you've built a relationship in a different way, if it's through speaking or through a book or through other types of promotions, then yes, the landing page can help or maybe replace the website. But where that led me was a website alone is also not enough. We need full visibility. We need to be seen in a lot of different ways to establish our authority as experts. So with the authority platform, I'm looking at the brand and understanding the brand, the website, the lead magnet, the funnels, the search engine optimization, and then helping them also have a good CRM to manage all of this, hooking them up with with good speaking coaches or podcast. Opportunities and just looking at it from a full life cycle of being visible and showing that authority online. Michael Hingson  30:10 And how's that gone over? Lori Osbourne  30:14 It's, I'm still building it honestly, the website's absolutely I'm I'm really working on building the collaboration pieces for the rest of it to truly say, Yes, I have the authority platform, the branding packages that I'm offering and the branding pieces that I'm doing are making a significant difference in the quality of the websites I'm building, because I come out of it with a custom GPT that they can use, and I can use that really establishes that baseline for the brand and the bringing in their values, bringing in their communication style, and bringing in their ideal client and how to speak to that ideal client. So the GPT is built around all of that, which is perfect when we're building the content for the website. So I would say, you know, we're 75% of the way there to having my true authority platform. But I'm still building, you know, authority building websites every day. Michael Hingson  31:20 Well, I gather that you don't tend to like to use WordPress. You use Duda as a platform builder and so on. Tell me, I'm curious why and what, and I don't have any any disagreement or or really knowledge to talk intelligently about it. But tell me why you use Duda and what, what it brings. Lori Osbourne  31:44 So my my challenges with WordPress started with my first client in Florida. They there was a nonprofit. They had no idea what they were doing, and I'm like, I I'm techie. I can go in, I can figure it out, and I could not figure out WordPress, and I got very frustrated with it going, how in the world does anybody else do this? So I kind of stayed away from it for a little while, and I was building on Squarespace for a time, and then I discovered Duda. I consider Duda to be the best of Wix and Squarespace. It's very similar. But the things I don't like about Wix, I don't like about Squarespace, Duda has resolved. It's also very customer oriented and SEO oriented and accessibility oriented. So there's a lot of advantages to the platform. The reason I don't support WordPress is I've had too many, too many people come to me with broken websites. Too many WordPress people do not educate their clients that that you have to update the plugins, and they don't. They just leave them and don't offer to do that for them, and it's it's an unnecessary addition that I don't think most people need for their website. There's plenty of things that we can do and do to that we can do exactly like WordPress without the headaches of that extra tech and plugins breaking and security breaking because the plugins are breaking, and it's it just it's too unnecessary, in my opinion. I tried to support WordPress for about a year and a half, and I found that I was not helping my Duda clients because the WordPress was always so much high maintenance. And those were the websites that were going down, and those are the websites that were having issues where my due to clients, their websites were never down, they never had issues. Michael Hingson  33:51 But don't need, but don't you, from time to time need to provide any kind of updates to Duda doesn't. Aren't there as the as the whole website evolves, doesn't, don't you need to find ways to evolve what they are and what they do Lori Osbourne  34:05 on the front end, on the front end, absolutely I mean, but from the back end, from a platform perspective, Duda handles all of that. It's self contained. Got it? I don't have to worry about that. And they're also always adding new features, which is another thing I absolutely love about them there, and I have yet to find, let me rephrase that. I've probably found a couple of things that if I could not duplicate on Duda to match WordPress, it would require code, and I don't code, but I can still achieve the goal of what my clients are looking for. There's nothing that they've said I have to have this that I can't provide. And the offset of not having the worry around the tech is has always been worth it. Michael Hingson  34:55 So the creators of Duda in the background as. They make updates and changes, they go out to everybody who uses it to create their websites automatically. Is that? Is that what happens? Lori Osbourne  35:07 Okay, yeah, it's seamless. Yeah, you don't even, you have no idea that there's even updates being done. It's completely seamless. Michael Hingson  35:15 Yeah, okay, well, I understand that. That makes a lot of sense. What's the one mistake that you find that keeps business owners from really progressing and keeping their websites and them invisible? What's the biggest mistake you see? Lori Osbourne  35:36 Messaging unclear, messaging which, which really goes back to the brand. If you don't understand your brand, you don't understand your why, and you don't know how to express how you solve problems for your ideal client, let me, let me rephrase. If you don't even know your ideal client is and you're trying to speak to them, a lot of people think they sell to everyone, and when you try to sell to everyone, you sell to no one. And if you are trying to speak to the masses from your website, you're going to lose the people you really want to reach. So it comes down to that, that niching down factor and really understanding your ideal client, so that when they hit your website, they immediately know you understand my problem and you can fix it. And it really comes down to that versus I can fix, you know, I can build a website for anybody. Well, then that makes me no different than a website developer down the street. Then it comes down to a price comparison, and then we're just bidding against each other. So you've gotta, you've gotta what makes you special, and what and and your why is a big part of that. Your values are a big part of that. And speaking the right language and that messaging. Michael Hingson  37:03 Can you tell me a story of maybe one customer that you worked with where you can demonstrate exactly what you're talking about here and why it made a difference without mentioning customer names, but the story? Lori Osbourne  37:17 Oh, yeah, um, you know, it's been a while since I did that realtor, but that realtor is still just such a great example, because you the fact that he was from Scotland doesn't necessarily seem significant, but it really does, because, you Know that Scottish accent made him endearing. He was a very professional, good looking guy. And you go out to his website, and it was, I can still see it today. It was like green and this old, funky text, and it, it represented him in no way. And I remember the first thing he told me was, you know, I've got this video where I introduced myself and I went, why in the world is that not on your homepage, like what people need to hear you speak and see you and experience you. He was phenomenal. And we did three deals with him. He was phenomenal at what he did, and that what, you know, if we had just rebuilt his website and just did the video, it would have that alone would have made a huge difference in people knowing who they were working with and how he was different. And another example I can give more recently, I work with a mentor who mentors seven figure coaches on how to work harder, make more money and and do it in less, less investment of your time. And when I took over her WordPress website for for two years, I just kept repeating and rebuilding the same crap, basically. And finally, when I decided to leave WordPress, I said, you know, I really want to start all over. And I realized in that two years, you know, I had not taken the time to really get to know her brand. And when we sat down and really learned what made her special and different, and we were able to capture that in in the website, that the difference in the experience was night and day, you know, before it was just text, and, you know, a little bit of information. She never referred anybody to her website. And now it, you know, opens with a video. She's also a professional speaker. Opens with a video of her speaking. She is very she's a. Ballroom dancer on the side, she's very elite. So we, you know, pulling in things like gold and video, I have a lot of motion on the website with gold moving because it, it, it's that brand of that dancer that, you know, that eliteness of it and it, it's subtle, and it has nothing to do with the messaging side that I just mentioned, but it's still back to the brand and the representing of who you are, who she is, what we're selling, you know, we're selling ourselves. Michael Hingson  40:33 Yeah, well, websites and website developers put all sorts of things out there and that that's not necessarily a good thing. But what are some signs that a business's online presence don't necessarily match their real life expertise? Because I I believe that people see through people who just sort of talk, and I think that that all too often, you get this reaction, oh, they're just talking that isn't what they really believe or that isn't what they really know. So what are some signs that the online presence doesn't match what they really know and what they really are? Lori Osbourne  41:15 Part of it is that that genericness, if you if you can't even say who you are serving, then you're obviously the person you're looking at is obviously not clear about their ideal client. If it's not clear who they are serving, and if it's this just generic message of not in these words, but we're the best use us. You know, there's, there's no detail about what makes them different and how they specifically solve your problem. If the website is completely outdated or generic, that may or may not allude to anything but it, it definitely shows that they don't, are not using their website to show their expertise. The other huge thing, I would say, is testimonials. Every website should have reviews. I mean, what better way to sell ourselves than to have someone else say how we're different, how we operate and why we're the why we're the best. That is huge. If it's all about them, as in the person's website you're looking at, if it's not, if I'm, if I'm getting on a website and they're not even acknowledging what's in it for me and how they're going to solve my problems, then I'm not going to have any confidence that they have any idea how to solve my problems. They haven't even they haven't even talked about my problems. They haven't even mentioned my problems. They're just telling me that they're selling me something, and this is how much it costs, and this is what it's going to do. But I but do you get me? Do you know? Do you understand me? I think all those are it's really important that we are speaking to the ideal client in their language about their problem. Michael Hingson  43:10 I have heard so many times and totally agree with and work to do this myself. Michael Hingson  43:18 The whole concept of when I'm invited to speak, it's not about me. Yeah, I'm invited to speak, but my job is to enhance, to help to make life as easy as possible for the event organizer, to help the event organizer make this, the whole conference, even better than they thought it would be. And and I have to do that because it's not about me, and it should never be about me as such, right? Lori Osbourne  43:48 It's also about your audience and your audience, yeah, so that they know you want them to want to know more. Yeah, that's also the purpose of your website to make people want to know more. Michael Hingson  44:01 Yeah, very true, and it should be that way. And if you're doing it right, you'll also provide more for them to know. Right? Lori Osbourne  44:15 Absolutely. Well, that would be something else that I would say I I always encourage people to give away as much as possible on their website. It if people know that you really want to help me solve my problems, and you're willing to give me something for free that starts a relationship. And that's really, at the end of the day, that's the point of the website. It's not to sell, it's to start a relationship. It's like the first step of dating. We're not getting married yet. We're dating, and if you're if you're giving away a piece of yourself through a video or a download or even a free course. Course, that's it. That's going to endear the audience to to want to come back for more. And even blogs, great blogs will get people coming back for more. And people always go, Well, you know, if I give everything away, I'm not going to make any money. No, you give away what? What doesn't cost you time, but is giving some knowledge so that they want more, and they know that you you get them, and they can trust, you know, like and trust so they can build that, that base for a relationship. Michael Hingson  45:32 Yeah, and it, it makes perfect sense. It is all about building trust. And everything that we do is all about building trust, and the more trust you build, the more loyalty you'll create. Lori Osbourne  45:47 Absolutely, yes, absolutely. Michael Hingson  45:49 So we've talked about website accessibility. What is website accessibility and why is it something that people really should focus on? Why is it important? Lori Osbourne  45:59 That feels weird coming from you, Mike, Michael Hingson  46:03 because I know you are an expert in this, but I preach it, but I preach it all the time, so I want to hear what somebody else has to say, and I want people who are watching and listening to this hear from somebody else other than me. Okay, that's the motivation behind it. Lori Osbourne  46:18 All right. All right. Well, website accessibility is at its core. It's making the website available and usable for everyone, including those with disabilities. So whether it's blindness or inability to use a mouse or you said it earlier, dyslexic, Michael Hingson  46:40 epilepsy, any number of things, right? Lori Osbourne  46:43 So anybody, just like accessibility for a ramp into a store, it's allowing me, from my home, as as a disabled person, to be able to function on your website. And as we know, I believe the stat is 20% of people have some kind of disability. It's also an inclusion. It is a piece of I consider a piece of your marketing, because if you are excluding 20% of the people with your website, why? Why are you doing that? It also builds strong Search Engine Optimization. Because if you look at all of the guidelines for accessibility, they're very similar to the guidelines you need to have in place for good search engine optimization. Google is looking for the exact same things. Yep. So it's it's really just making your website available to everyone Michael Hingson  47:42 well, and the reality is, well, let me ask this question, rather than me just saying it beyond legal compliance. Why should accessibility be a priority in website design? You've kind of alluded to it already. Lori Osbourne  47:56 Yeah, part of what I just said, it's including everyone. It's not excluding 20% of your market, and it's building trust, inclusivity and credibility. It's, it's, and it to me, it's showing that you care. It's, it's very bothersome to me when someone says, Well, I probably won't get sued, so I'm not going to worry about it. Okay? But why do you want to not do these basic things so that everyone can access your website? Well? Michael Hingson  48:33 And also, in reality, it does get back to if you're a website owner, that is, you're a company that has a website, and you recognize that the job of your website is to help people see why you have something they need. The fact of the matter is, do you really want to not make available to 20 or 25% of the population your website, or to put it another way, don't you want to make sure that you are making your information available to everyone? And that's what the real reason for website accessibility is truly all about. The fact of the matter is that it's good business to make your website accessible. Lori Osbourne  49:24 Absolutely, yes, absolutely. Michael Hingson  49:26 What are some high impact changes that you think that website owners can make, to make their websites or to have their websites be more accessible, maybe even just some simple things? Lori Osbourne  49:38 Oh, there are so many simple things. I mean, the easiest thing that so many people miss is adding alt text to images. I mean, it's, and it's one thing I love about Duda, by the way, it they do it with AI and do it for you, and you can edit it. It's so, so wonderful. But it's, it's a simple step. It also is. Great step to even help with SEO, because you can include some keywords there, but that that alt text tells someone that's using a tool that's blind exactly what that image is, and what is the point in putting that image on your website if it's not going to provide any value to those that can't see. I mean that, in my opinion, another thing is the contrast in colors. A lot of people don't understand that contrasting colors has a lot to do with readability, and if you are putting two colors together, I mean, think about it even from a scene person, if you're looking at it and you can't read it. It's not accessible, right? So, you know, have high contrast in the colors of text on anything over it. Don't try to put something over an image that can't be read that just just, don't do it. Skip that. I was just doing this on my website today. I was trying to put an image, and I went, you know what? That's just not going to work. I'm going back to a solid color. It doesn't it's it and it, you know, that's from a business perspective as well. Because even if you're not thinking about accessibility, if someone can't read the text or can't read the button, they're not going to click it. You're not going to read it. They're not going to buy it if they can't read it. So simple little things like that. Those would be the two biggest things I would say. And then just, you know, little additional things like making sure that your website is converting properly to mobile, if it's if it's not, if things are coming off the page, because you didn't bother to look at the mobile side, which is easy to miss on many platforms that can have a huge impact on the scene and those that need the tools or need accessibility pieces that's, you know, commonplace design and very easy thing to fix. Michael Hingson  52:11 It's been a while since I looked at this website, and I think it's not quite what it used to be, but for a while, my favorite website, absolutely. My favorite website for accessibility was the website of the National Security Agency, nsa.gov, Michael Hingson  52:31 of all the websites in the entire world. The reason I liked it is that not only did they have all text on images if you were using a screen reader and you moved your cursor over an image, you suddenly got a very detailed description of that image, like you. Michael Hingson  52:55 You moved your cursor where you used your screen reader to move over the American flag. It would say the American flag on a flagpole hanging in front of the opening to the building of the National Security Agency. Yada yada yada. I mean, it's just everything was there. It was the most amazing website. I don't know that it's that way anymore. I haven't looked at it in a little while, but I was very impressed with how much they did and relative and relevantly and appropriately so to make sure that everything on that website was totally usable. And a lot of people could say, Well, why do I have to do that? And the answer is, you have to do it for the same reason that you want to make your website accessible, if you will, for people who don't happen to have a disability. The reality is, all those things that you put on the website for people who can see them and so on, like pictures and so on, if you don't make those things accessible, you're doing a disservice to a significant amount of the population. Whereas, if you do it all, then while you can look at the picture, I can hear all about it, and that's the way it ought to Lori Osbourne  54:10 be well. And there's so much I mean to me that is an opportunity to to even go further with the folks that need the screen reader. Because, I mean, when I'm and I mentioned that dude, it does it with AI, but they, they do it too generically. When I go in, I'm doing exactly what you're talking about. I want to, I want to build the presence of the picture. This is who they're doing, who it is from the business, and this is what they're doing, and this is what you know, this offer is talking about that's an extra sales opportunity right there. For those that you know, need the alt text, why not use that? Michael Hingson  54:49 And also, I'm amazed at how many people may look at pictures and so on and look at words and not really pay attention to them very well, because they just kind of skip over it. So the more you can do to attract people's attention to the right things. Is relevant too. I'm amazed at how many people just gloss over so much. Lori Osbourne  55:09 Oh, absolutely. Well, you know, this kind of become our society, yeah, short attention span for sure. You know, I want to mention two videos. I really feel like people need videos on their website, especially of themselves, because it helps people get to know you. But you need to have that closed captioning and again, dialog. Michael Hingson  55:33 You need to have dialog so that a person who can't see the video will also know what the video shows. Lori Osbourne  55:41 Explain, explain what you mean by that a little bit more. Michael Hingson  55:44 So you go to a website, and there's a video, and you click it, and you start hearing music, and that's all you hear, even though, on the screen you see a person walking down the street, walking into somebody's store, finding a product they want and buying it. But if you don't have a way to make that information audibly accessible to people who can't see the images and who don't see the videos, then what good is it you haven't made it accessible? Yes, closed captioning works for deaf or hard of hearing people, but again, there's so much more that needs to be done. Wow. Lori Osbourne  56:25 Thank you for sharing that, Mike. You just gave me more to think about on videos. Michael Hingson  56:31 One of my favorite commercials to pick on today, and for the longest time, I had no idea at all what it was about. It starts out with music, and somebody says something like, so what do people over 60s show and bring out today? And they talk about love and they talk about something else, and suddenly the sound goes dead, and all you hear for the next 20 seconds or more is this high pitched whistle sound. Ooh, yeah. And I finally got somebody. I finally was in a room with somebody when I heard the beginning of this, and I said, What is it showing? And all it was showing, and what, apparently it is, is a promotion for people getting the RSV vaccination. Lori Osbourne  57:19 Oh, right. Oh, I do know what commercial you're talking about, yes, but text just goes on the screen. Michael Hingson  57:26 RSV, RSV, RSV. But there's nothing that says what that is at all, period, Lori Osbourne  57:33 because they're trying to make the point that you're that your life shuts down when this hits. But yeah, for someone like you, that's completely worthless. Michael Hingson  57:41 Not only does my life not shut down, my life gets very active, and I want to go off and find those commercial designers and show them what true accessibility really ought to be about. But that's another story. But yeah, Lori Osbourne  57:53 yeah, exactly, wow. I mean, I think about you every time I see that commercial, those rare times I see commercials, Michael Hingson  58:05 what's one of the what's one of the myths about branding and websites that you could erase, that you really wish you could race forever? Lori Osbourne  58:18 I probably told you to ask me that question, and now I'm stumped by how I want to answer it. I think, I think I know where I wanted to go with that. Yes, a lot of people think branding is just colors and fonts, and honestly, when I first started doing it, I thought it was just colors and fonts. And I kind of go, I went into Okay, colors and fonts, and then consistency, okay, we want to make sure we got we're consistent with our colors and fonts across everything that we do that's that's branding, that's visual branding. But real branding is Our Story. Is who we are, what we stand for and who we serve. It's the package of everything around what we're selling, back to selling ourselves and really understanding this package and making that consistent across everything. And consistency is huge, in my opinion, when it comes to branding, if you have a different header image or marketing image on every single thing you do and there's no consistency in the look, then you're not going to be memorable. You. I can't help you see this, Mike, but anyone that does go out to anything of mine, I have a very consistent image that was used to build my logo, and it's on everything that I do. I also wear very bright, colorful glasses. Everything I do is very bright and colorful, and it's memorable when people see me and they see my glasses, it can be three years later and they go. I don't remember your name, but boy, I remember those glasses. You know, it's, it's, and that's part of my branding. When people say, I love your your glasses, I go, thank you. It's part of my branding. Yeah. So it's a, it's an overall everything about you. When people describe me, they usually describe me as bright and colorful, like, that's, that's one of the first things that comes to their their mind, and then they it translates to energy, because they think bright, colorful energy. So it's, you know what branding really is, is, what do people say about you when you're not in the room? Michael Hingson  1:00:30 Yeah, that's, that's a good that's what it is. Well, if there is a business owner who is in our audience today who feels overwhelmed by their digital presence. What would you suggest is the first step they should take to change that? Lori Osbourne  1:00:47 Well, the the first thing I would love to see anyone do is sign up for a visibility review or audit with me, so that we can look at your presence and talk about it, and I can give you some very specific suggestions for how to improve your online visibility. If you're wanting to do something on your own and you're you're trying to figure out where to start, sit down and look at first, your your homepage, in your first line of every bit of your marketing and ask yourself, does it say who I serve and how I serve them, and the problems that I solve. Because every ounce of your marketing needs to say that immediately you have less than eight seconds when someone hits your website. And there's all kinds of some people say three, some people say 10s and 15. I just leave it at eight. Do eight or eight or less seconds on your website. So start there is my messaging clear? And then look at your website overall and does it represent me and the message I want people to see. We can go into a whole lot more about it being up to date and everything else, but that's where I would start, right there. Michael Hingson  1:01:58 So how do people reach out to you to get your help to deal with all of this. Lori Osbourne  1:02:02 Well, you can obviously go to my website, which is biz bolster.com, B, I, Z, B, O, L, S, T, E, r.com and I believe you will be sharing a link to that visibility audit. Just sign up for that or a free strategy session. But I encourage the visibility audit, because it literally takes about an hour of my time to check out everything about you and then share that with you. So this is an investment that I'm willing to give you to help you all understand how you show up online, and then what to do about Michael Hingson  1:02:45 it, biz, bolster.com, I hope people will do that, and they can reach out and contact you through that website. Lori Osbourne  1:02:53 Yes, click on, let's chat, and it gives you all the all the calls that you can sign up for in my calendar, and I would absolutely love to speak to anybody that has questions or wants some direction. Michael Hingson  1:03:07 Well, cool. Well, I really appreciate you being here today and spending so much time talking about all this, and I hope people will take it to heart. Wherever you are listening. Reach out, biz, bolster.com and get some insights and get some help to improve the website the web world, because only about 3% of all websites are really accessible today, which means there are a whole lot that are not, and there is no real excuse for that being the case. So reach out and Michael Hingson  1:03:41 you can get all the help that you need. I'd love to hear from you, to hear what you think about today's podcast. Please feel free to email me at Michael H, I m, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, and wherever you're listening, please give us a five star review. We value your ratings and your reviews a lot, and I but I do want to hear from you. I want to hear what your thoughts are. Also, if you know of anyone who might make a good guest for unstoppable mindset, Lori, including you, would really appreciate you introducing us, because we're always looking for people who have great stories to tell, and today has certainly been one of my favorite podcast recordings in a long time, and that's because we really did have fun, and I think we accomplished a lot and we learned a lot. So I want to thank you, Lori, once again, for being here and for being a part of unstoppable mindset. Lori Osbourne  1:04:35 Thank you, Mike. It has definitely been a pleasure. I've enjoyed talking with you a lot. Michael Hingson  1:04:42 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

We take an in-depth look at the three clubs propping up the Premiership table and look at what's gone wrong at St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Livingston and where there are grounds for optimism? And was the AFCON final wilder than Scottish football? With Andy Burke, Div McDonald, Callum Scott and Stuart Barrie.

Welcome to the third season of Folk Files! We are starting off the year with a Robert Burns-themed episode to celebrate Burns Night on January 25th. Learn about the traditions associated with the Burns Night Supper and discover how Robert Burns was indispensable when it came to preserving Scottish folk music.  Host: Olivia Harding Support Folk Files: https://www.patreon.com/c/FolkFilesPodcast Check out the new website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/ Listen to The Rhythm Atlas: https://rhythmatlas.com/listen/ Special thanks to Aaron J. Morton Reach out to Folk Files at folkfilespodcast@gmail.com For a full list of musical excerpts associated with this episode, head to the episode page on the Folk Files website: https://folkfilespodcast.com/season-3/episode-3-1/

Allen, Joel, Rosemary, and Yolanda cover major offshore wind developments on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, Ørsted’s Revolution Wind won a court victory allowing construction to resume after the Trump administration’s suspension. Meanwhile, the UK awarded contracts for 8.4 gigawatts of new offshore capacity in the largest auction in European history, with RWE securing nearly 7 gigawatts. Plus Canada’s Nova Scotia announces ambitious 40 gigawatt offshore wind plans, and the crew discusses the ongoing Denmark-Greenland tensions with the US administration. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly newsletter on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on YouTube, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary’s “Engineering with Rosie” YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! The Uptime Wind Energy Podcast brought to you by Strike Tape, protecting thousands of wind turbines from lightning damage worldwide. Visit strike tape.com. And now your hosts, Alan Hall, Rosemary Barnes, Joel Saxon and Yolanda Padron. Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I’m Allen Hall, along with Yolanda, Joel and Rosie. Boy, a lot of action in the US courts. And as you know, for weeks, American offshore wind has been holding its breath and a lot of people’s jobs are at stake right now. The Trump administration suspended, uh, five major projects on December 22nd, and still they’re still citing national security concerns. Billions of dollars are really in balance here. Construction vessels for most of these. Sites are just doing nothing at the minute, but the courts are stepping in and Sted won a [00:01:00] key victory when the federal judge allowed its revolution wind project off the coast of Rhode Island to resume construction immediately. So everybody’s excited there and it does sound like Osted is trying to finish that project as fast as they can. And Ecuador and Dominion Energy, which are two of the other bigger projects, are fighting similar battles. Ecuador is supposed to hear in the next couple of days as we’re recording. Uh, but the message is pretty clear from developers. They have invested too much to walk away, and if they get an opportunity to wrap these projects up quickly. They are going to do it now. Joel, before the show, we were talking about vineyard wind and vineyard. Wind was on hold, and I think it, it may not even be on hold right now, I have to go back and look. But when they were put on hold, uh, the question was, the turbines that were operating, were they able to continue operating? And the answer initially I thought was no. But it was yes, the, the turbines that were [00:02:00] producing power. We’re allowed to continue to produce powers. What was in the balance were the remaining turbines that were still being installed or, uh, being upgraded. So there’s, there’s a lot going on right now, but it does seem like, and back to your earlier point, Joel, before we start talking and maybe you can discuss this, we, there is an offshore wind farm called Block Island really closely all these other wind farms, and it’s been there for four or five years at this point. No one’s said anything about that wind farm.  Speaker: I think it’s been there, to be honest with you, since like 2016 or 17. It’s been there a long time. Is it that old? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So when we were talk, when we’ve been talking through and it gets lost in the shuffle and it shouldn’t, because that’s really the first offshore wind farm in the United States. We keep talking about all these big, you know, utility scale massive things, but that is a utility scale wind farm as well. There’s fi, correct me if I’m wrong, Yolanda, is it five turbos or six? It’s five. Their decent sized turbines are sitting on jackets. They’re just, uh, they’re, they’re only a couple miles offshore. They’re not way offshore. But throughout all of these issues that we’ve had, um, with [00:03:00] these injunctions and stopping construction and stopping this and reviewing permits and all these things, block Island has just been spinning, producing power, uh, for the locals there off the coast of Rhode Island. So we. What were our, the question was is, okay, all these other wind farms that are partially constructed, have they been spinning? Are they producing power? And my mind goes to this, um, as a risk reduction effort. I wonder if, uh, the cable, if the cable lay timelines were what they were. Right. So would you now, I guess as a risk reduction effort, and this seems really silly to have to think about this. If you have your offshore substation, was the, was the main export cable connected to some of these like revolution wind where they have the injunction right now? Was that export cable connected and were the inter array cables regularly connected to turbines and them coming online? Do, do, do, do, do. Like, it wasn’t like a COD, we turned the switch and we had to wait for all 62 turbines. Right. So to our [00:04:00] knowledge and, and, uh, please reach out to any of us on LinkedIn or an email or whatever to our knowledge. The turbines that are in production have still have been spinning. It’s the construction activities that have been stopped, but now. Hey, revolution wind is 90% complete and they’re back out and running, uh, on construction activities as of today. Speaker 2: It was in the last 48 hours. So this, this is a good sign because I think as the other wind farms go through the courts, they’re gonna essentially run through this, this same judge I that. Tends to happen because they have done all the research already. So you, you likely get the same outcome for all the other wind farms, although they have to go through the process. You can’t do like a class action, at least that’s doesn’t appear to be in play at the minute. Uh, they’re all gonna have to go through this little bit of a process. But what the judge is saying essentially is the concern from the Department of War, and then the Department of Interior is. [00:05:00] Make believe. I, I don’t wanna frame it. It’s not framed that way, the way it’s written. There’s a lot more legalistic terms about it. But it basically, they’re saying they tried to stop it before they didn’t get the result they wanted. The Trump administration didn’t get the result they wanted. So the Trump administration ramped it up by saying it was something that was classified in, in part of the Department of War. The judge isn’t buying it. So the, the, the early action. I think what we initially talked about this, everybody, I think the early feeling was they’re trying to stop it, but the fact that they’re trying to stop it just because, and just start pulling permits is not gonna stand outta the court. And when they want to come back and do it again, they’re not likely to win. If they would. Kept their ammunition dry and just from the beginning said it’s something classified as something defense related that Trump administration probably would’ve had a better shot at this. But now it just seems like everything’s just gonna lead down the pathway where all these projects get finished. Speaker: Yeah, I think that specific judge probably was listening to the [00:06:00] Uptime podcast last week for his research. Um, listen to, to our opinions that we talked about here, saying that this is kind of all bs. It’s not gonna fly. Uh, but what we’re sitting at here is like Revolution Wind was, had the injunction against it. Uh, empire Wind had an injunction again, but they were awaiting a similar ruling. So hopefully that’s actually supposed to go down today. That’s Wednesday. Uh, this is, so we’re recording this on Wednesday. Um, and then Dominion is, has, is suing as well, and their, uh, hearing is on Friday. In two, two days from now. And I would expect, I mean, it’s the same, same judge, same piece of papers, like it’s going to be the same result. Some numbers to throw at this thing. Now, just so the listeners know the impact of this, uh, dominion for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, they say that their pause in construction is costing them $5 million a day, and that is. That’s a pretty round number. It’s a conservative number to be honest with you. For officer operations, how many vessels and how much stuff is out there? That makes sense. Yep. [00:07:00] 5 million. So $5 million a day. And that’s one of the wind farms. Uh, coastal, Virginia Wind Farm is an $11 billion project. With, uh, it’s like 176 turbines. I think something to that, like it’s, it’s got enough power, it’s gonna have enough production out there to power up, like, uh, like 650,000 homes when it’s done. So there’s five projects suspended right now. I’m continuing with the numbers. Um, well, five, there’s four now. Revolution’s back running, right? So five and there’s four. Uh, four still stopped. And of those five is 28. Billion dollars in combined capital at risk, right? So you can understand why some of these companies are worried, right? They’re this is, this is not peanuts. Um, so you saw a little bump in like Ted stock in the markets when this, this, uh, revolution wind, uh, injunction was stopped. Uh, but. You also see that, uh, Moody’s is a credit [00:08:00] rating. They’ve lowered ORs, Ted’s um, rating from stable to negative, given that political risk.  Speaker 2: Well, if you haven’t been paying attention, wind energy O and m Australia 2026 is happening relatively soon. It’s gonna be February 17th and 18th. It’s gonna be at the Pullman Hotel downtown Melbourne. And we are all looking forward to it. The, the roster and the agenda is, is nearly assembled at this point. Uh, we have a, a couple of last minute speakers, but uh, I’m looking at the agenda and like, wow, if you work in o and m or even are around wind turbines, this is the place to be in February. From my  Speaker: seat. It’s pretty, it’s, it’s, it’s shaping up for pretty fun. My phone has just been inundated with text message and WhatsApp of when are you traveling? What are your dates looking forward to, and I wanna say this right, Rosie. Looking forward to Melvin. Did I get it? Did I do it okay.  Speaker 3: You know how to say it.  Speaker: So, so we’re, we’re really looking forward to, we’ve got a bunch of people traveling from around the [00:09:00] world, uh, to come and share their collective knowledge, uh, and learn from the Australians about how they’re doing things, what the, what the risks are, what the problems are, uh, really looking forward to the environment down there, like we had last year was very. Collaborative, the conversations are flowing. Um, so we’re looking forward to it, uh, in a big way from our seats. Over here,  Speaker 2: we are announcing a lightning workshop, and that workshop will be answering all your lightning questions in regards to your turbines Now. Typically when we do this, it’s about $10,000 per seat, and this will be free as part of WMA 2026. We’re gonna talk about some of the lightning physics, what’s actually happening in the field versus what the OEMs are saying and what the IEC specification indicates. And the big one is force majeure. A lot of operators are paying for damages that are well within the IEC specification, and we’ll explain.[00:10:00] What that is all about and what you can do to save yourself literally millions of dollars. But that is only possible if you go to Woma 2020 six.com and register today because we’re running outta seats. Once they’re gone, they’re gone. But this is a great opportunity to get your lightning questions answered. And Rosemary promised me that we’re gonna talk about Vestus turbines. Siemens turbines. GE Renova turbines. Nordex turbines. So if you have Nordex turbines, Sulan turbines, bring the turbine. Type, we’ll talk about it. We’ll get your questions answered, and the goal is that everybody at at Wilma 2026 is gonna go home and save themselves millions of dollars in 26 and millions of dollars in 27 and all the years after, because this Lightning workshop is going to take care of those really frustrating lightning questions that just don’t get answered. We’re gonna do it right there. Sign up today.  Speaker 3: [00:11:00] You know what, I’m really looking forward to that session and especially ’cause I’ve got a couple of new staff or new-ish staff at, it’s a great way to get them up to speed on lightning. And I think that actually like the majority of people, even if you are struggling with lightning problems every day, I bet that there is a whole bunch that you could learn about the underlying physics of lightning. And there’s not so many places to find that in the world. I have looked, um, for my staff training, where is the course that I can send them to, to understand all about lightning? I know when I started atm, I had a, an intro session, one-on-one with the, you know, chief Lightning guy there. That’s not so easy to come by, and this is the opportunity where you can get that and better because it’s information about every, every OEM and a bit of a better understanding about how it works so that you can, you know, one of the things that I find working with Lightning is a lot of force MA mature claims. And then, um, the OEMs, they try and bamboozle you with this like scientific sounding talk. If you understand better, then you’ll be able to do better in those discussions. [00:12:00] So I would highly recommend attending if you can swing the Monday as well.  Speaker: If you wanna attend now and you’re coming to the events. Reach out to, you can reach out to me directly because what we want to do now is collect, uh, as much information as possible about the specific turbine types of the, that the people in the room are gonna be responsible for. So we can tailor those messages, um, to help you out directly. So feel free to reach out to me, joel.saxo, SAXU m@wglightning.com and uh, we’ll be squared away and ready to roll on Monday. I think that’s Monday the 16th.  Speaker 2: So while American offshore wind fights for survival in the courts, British offshore wind just had its biggest day ever. The United Kingdom awarded contracts for 8.4 gigawatts. That’s right. 8.4 gigawatts of new offshore wind capacity, the largest auction in European history. Holy smokes guys. The price came in at about 91 pounds per megawatt hour, and that’s 2024 pounds. [00:13:00] Uh, and that’s roughly 40% cheaper than building a new. Gas plant Energy Secretary Ed Milliband called it a monumental step towards the country’s 2030 clean power goals and that it is, uh, critics say that prices are still higher than previous auctions, and one that the government faces challenges connecting all this new capacity to the grid, and they do, uh, transmission is a limiting factor here, but in terms of where the UK is headed. Putting in gigawatts of offshore wind is going to disconnect them from a lot of need on the gas supply and other energy sources. It’s a massive auction round. This was way above what I remember being, uh. Talked about when we were in Scotland just a couple of weeks ago, Joel.  Speaker: Yeah, that’s what I was gonna say. You know, when we were, when we were up with the, or E Catapult event, and we talked to a lot of the different organizations of their OWGP and um, you know, the course, the or e Catapult folks and, and, and a [00:14:00] few others, they were really excited about AR seven. They were like, oh, we’re, we’re so excited. It’s gonna come down, it’s gonna be great. I didn’t expect these kind of numbers to come out of this thing. Right? ’cause we know that, um, they’ve got about, uh, the UK currently has about. 16 and a half or so gigawatts of offshore wind capacity, um, with, you know, they got a bunch under construction, it’s like 11 under construction, but their goal is to have 43 gigawatts by 2030. So,  Speaker 2: man.  Speaker: Yeah. And, and when 2030, put this into Conte Con context now. This is one of our first podcasts of the new year. That’s only four years away. Right. It’s soon. And, and to, to be able to do that. So you’re saying they got 16, they go some round numbers. They got 16 now. Pro producing 11 in the pipe, 11 being constructed. So get that to 27. That’s another 16 gigawatts of wind. They want, they that are not under construction today that they want to have completed in the next four years. That is a monumental effort now. We know that there’s some grid grid complications and connection [00:15:00] requirements and things that will slow that down, but just thinking about remove the grid idea, just thinking about the amount of effort to get those kind of large capital projects done in that short of timeline. Kudos to the UK ’cause they’re unlocking a lot of, um, a lot of private investment, a lot of effort to get these things, but they’re literally doing the inverse of what we’re doing in the United States right now.  Speaker 2: There would be about a total of 550, 615 ish megawatt turbines in the water. That does seem doable though. The big question is who’s gonna be providing those turbines? That’s a. Massive order. Whoever the salesperson is involved in that transaction is gonna be very happy. Well, the interesting thing here  Speaker: too is the global context of assets to be able to deliver this. We just got done talking about the troubles at these wind farms in the United States. As soon as these. Wind farms are finished. There’s not more of them coming to construction phase shortly, right? So all of these assets, all these jack up vessels, these installation vessels, these specialized cable lay vessels, they [00:16:00]can, they can fuel up and freaking head right across, back across the Atlantic and start working on these things. If the pre all of the engineering and, and the turbine deliveries are ready to roll the vessels, uh, ’cause that you, that, you know, two years ago that was a problem. We were all. Forecasting. Oh, we have this forecasted problem of a shortage of vessels and assets to be able to do installs. And now with the US kind of, basically, once we’re done with the wind farms, we’re working on offshore, now we’re shutting it down. It frees those back up, right? So the vessels will be there, be ready to roll. You’ll have people coming off of construction projects that know what’s going on, right? That, that know how to, to work these things. So the, the people, the vessels that will be ready to roll it is just, can we get the cables, the mono piles, the turbines and the cells, the blades, all done in time, uh, to make this happen And, and. I know I’m rambling now, but after leaving that or e Catapult event and talking to some of the people, um, that are supporting those [00:17:00] funds over there, uh, being injected from the, uh, the government, I think that they’ve got  Speaker 2: the, the money flowing over there to get it done too. The big winner in the auction round was RWE and they. Almost seven gigawatts. So that was a larger share of the 8.4 gigawatts. RWE obviously has a relationship with Vestus. Is that where this is gonna go? They’re gonna be, uh, installing vestus turbines. And where were those tur turbines? As I was informed by Scottish gentlemen, I won’t name names. Uh, will those turbines be built in the uk? Speaker 3: It’s a lot. It’s a, it’s one of the biggest challenges with, um, the supply chain for wind energy is that it just is so lumpy. So, you know, you get, um, uh. You get huge eight gigawatts all at once and then you have years of, you know, just not much. Not much, not much going on. I mean, for sure they’re not gonna be just building [00:18:00] eight gigawatts worth of, um, wind turbines in the UK in the next couple of years because they would also have to build the capacity to manufacture that and, and then would wanna be building cocks every couple of years for, you know, the next 10 or 20 years. So, yeah, of course they’re gonna be manufacturing. At facilities around the world and, and transporting them. But, um, yeah, I just, I don’t know. It’s one of the things that I just. Constantly shake my head about is like, how come, especially when projects are government supported, when plans are government supported, why, why can’t we do a better job of smoothing things out so that you can have, you know, for example, local manufacturing because everyone knows that they’ve got a secure pipeline. It’s just when the government’s involved, it should be possible.  Speaker 2: At least the UK has been putting forth some. Pretty big numbers to support a local supply chain. When we were over in Scotland, they announced 300 million pounds, and that was just one of several. That’s gonna happen over the next year. There will be a [00:19:00] near a billion pounds be put into the supply chain, which will make a dramatic difference. But I think you’re right. Also, it’s, they’re gonna ramp up and then they, it’s gonna ramp down. They have to find a way to feed the global marketplace at some point, be because the technology and the people are there. It’s a question of. How do you sustain it for a 20, 30 year period? That’s a different question. Speaker 3: I do agree that the UK is doing a better job than probably anybody else. Um, it it’s just that they, the way that they have chosen to organize these auctions and the government support and the planning just means that they have that, that this is the perfect conditions to, you know. Make a smooth rollout and you know, take care of all this. And so I just a bit frustrated that they’re not doing more. But you are right that they’re doing the best probably  Speaker 4: once all of these are in service though, aren’t there quite a bit of aftermarket products that are available in the UK  Speaker: on the service then? I think there’s more.  Speaker 4: Which, I mean, that’s good. A good part of it, right? Speaker: If we’re talking Vestas, so, so let’s just round this [00:20:00] up too. If we’re talking vest’s production for blades in Europe, you have two facilities in Denmark that build V 2 36 blades. You have one facility in Italy that builds V 2 36 blades, Taiwan, but they build them for the APAC market. Of course. Um, Poland had a, has one on hold right now, V 2 36 as well. Well, they just bought that factory from LM up in Poland also. That’s, but I think that’s for onshore term, onshore blades. Oh, yes, sure. And then Scotland has, they have the proposed facility in, in Laith. That there, that’s kind of on hold as well. So if that one’s proposed, I’m sure, hey, if we get a big order, they’ll spin that up quick because they’ll get, I am, I would imagine someone o you know, one of the, one of the funds to spool up a little bit of money, boom, boom, boom. ’cause they’re turning into local jobs. Local supply  Speaker 2: chain does this then create the condition where a lot of wind turbines, like when we were in Scotland, a lot of those wind turbines are. Gonna reach 20 years old, maybe a little bit older here over the next five years where they will [00:21:00] need to be repowered upgraded, whatever’s gonna happen there. If you had internal manufacturing. In country that would, you’d think lower the price to go do that. That will be a big effort just like it is in Spain right now.  Speaker: The trouble there though too, is if you’re using local content in, in the uk, the labor prices are so much  Speaker 2: higher. I’m gonna go back to Rosie’s point about sort of the way energy is sold worldwide. UK has high energy prices, mostly because they are buying energy from other countries and it’s expensive to get it in country. So yes, they can have higher labor prices and still be lower cost compared to the alternatives. It, it’s not the same equation in the US versus uk. It’s, it’s totally different economics, but. If they get enough power generation, which I think the UK will, they’re gonna offload that and they’re already doing it now. So you can send power to France, send power up [00:22:00] north. There’s ways to sell that extra power and help pay for the system you built. That would make a a lot of sense. It’s very similar to what the Saudis have done for. Dang near 80 years, which is fill tankers full of oil and sell it. This is a little bit different that we’re just sending electrons through the water to adjacent European countries. It does seem like a plan. I hope they’re sending ’em through a cable in the water and not just into the water. Well, here’s the thing that was concerning early on. They’re gonna turn it into hydrogen and put it on a ship and send it over to France. Like that didn’t make any sense at all. Uh. Cable’s on the way to do it. Right.  Speaker: And actually, Alan, you and I did have a conversation with someone not too long ago about that triage market and how the project where they put that, that that trans, that HVDC cable next to the tunnel it, and it made and it like paid for itself in a year or something. Was that like, that they didn’t wanna really tell us like, yeah, it paid for itself in a year. Like it was a, the ROI was like on a, like a $500 million [00:23:00]project or something. That’s crazy. Um, but yeah, that’s the same. That’s, that is, I would say part of the big push in the uk there is, uh, then they can triage that power and send it, send it back across. Um, like I think Nord Link is the, the cable between Peterhead and Norway, right? So you have, you have a triage market going across to the Scandinavian countries. You have the triage market going to mainland eu. Um, and in when they have big time wind, they’re gonna be able to do it. So when you have an RWE. Looking at seven gigawatts of, uh, possibility that they just, uh, just procured. Game on. I love it. I think it’s gonna be cool. I’m, I’m happy to see it blow  Speaker 2: up. Canada is getting serious about offshore wind and international developers are paying attention. Q Energy, France and its South Korean partner. Hawa Ocean have submitted applications to develop wind projects off Nova Scotia’s Coast. The province has big ambitions. Premier, Tim Houston wants to license enough. Offshore [00:24:00] wind to produce 40 gigawatts of power far more than Nova Scotia would ever need. Uh, the extra electricity could supply more than a quarter of Canada’s total demand. If all goes according to plan, the first turbines could be spinning by 2035. Now, Joel. Yeah, some of this power will go to Canada, but there’s a huge market in the United States also for this power and the capacity factor up in Nova Scotia offshore is really good. Yeah. It’s uh, it  Speaker: is simply, it’s stellar, right? Uh, that whole No, Nova Scotia, new Brunswick, Newfoundland, that whole e even Maritimes of Canada. The wind, the wind never stops blowing, right? Like I, I go up there every once in a while ’cause my wife is from up there and, uh, it’s miserable sometimes even in the middle of summer. Um, so the, the wind resource is fantastic. The, it, it is a boom or will be a boom for the Canadian market, right? There’re always [00:25:00] that maritime community, they’re always looking for, for, uh, new jobs. New jobs, new jobs. And this is gonna bring them to them. Um, one thing I wanna flag here is when I know this, when this announcement came out. And I reached out to Tim Houston’s office to try to get him on the podcast, and I haven’t gotten a response yet. Nova Scotia. So if someone that’s listening can get ahold of Tim Houston, we’d love to talk to him about the plans for Nova Scotia. Um, but, but we see that just like we see over overseas, the triage market of we’re making power, we can sell it. You know, we balance out the prices, we can sell it to other places. From our seats here we’ve been talking about. The electricity demand on the east coast of the United States for, for years and how it is just climbing, climbing, climbing, especially AI data centers. Virginia is a hub of this, right? They need power and we’re shooting ourselves in the foot, foot for offshore wind, plus also canceling pipelines and like there’s no extra generation going on there except for some solar plants where you can squeeze ’em in down in the Carolinas and whatnot. [00:26:00] There is a massive play here for the Canadians to be able to HVD see some power down to us. Speaker 2: The offshore conditions off the coast of Nova Scotia are pretty rough, and the capacity factor being so high makes me think of some of the Brazilian wind farms where the capacity factor is over 50%. It’s amazing down there, but one of the outcomes of that has been early turbine problems. And I’m wondering if the Nova Scotia market is going to demand a different kind of turbine that is specifically built for those conditions. It’s cold, really cold. It’s really windy. There’s a lot of moisture in the air, right? So the salt is gonna be bad. Uh, and then the sea life too, right? There’s a lot of, uh, sea life off the coast of the Nova Scotia, which everybody’s gonna be concerned about. Obviously, as this gets rolling. How do we think about this? And who’s gonna be the manufacturer of turbines for Canada? Is it gonna be Nordics? Well,  Speaker: let’s start from the ground up there. So from the or ground up, it’s, how about sea [00:27:00] floor up? Let’s start from there. There is a lot of really, really, if you’ve ever worked in the offshore world, the o offshore, maritime Canadian universities that focus on the, on offshore construction, they produce some of the best engineers for those markets, right? So if you go down to Houston, Texas where there’s offshore oil and gas companies and engineering companies everywhere, you run into Canadians from the Maritimes all over the place ’cause they’re really good at what they do. Um, they are developing or they have developed offshore oil and gas platforms. Off of the coast of Newfoundland and up, up in that area. And there’s some crazy stuff you have to compete with, right? So you have icebergs up there. There’s no icebergs in the North Atlantic that like, you know, horn seats, internet cruising through horn C3 with icebergs. So they’ve, they’ve engineered and created foundations and things that can deal with that, those situations up there. But you also have to remember that you’re in the Canadian Shield, which is, um, the Canadian Shield is a geotechnical formation, right? So it’s very rocky. Um, and it’s not [00:28:00] like, uh, the other places where we’re putting fixed bottom wind in where you just pound the piles into the sand. That’s not how it’s going to go, uh, up in Canada there. So there’s some different engineering that’s going to have to take place for the foundations, but like you said, Alan Turbine specific. It blows up there. Right. And we have seen onshore, even in the United States, when you get to areas that have high capacity burning out main bearings, burning out generators prematurely because the capacity factor is so high and those turbines are just churning. Um, I, I don’t know if any of the offshore wind turbine manufacturers are adjusting any designs specifically for any markets. I, I just don’t know that. Um, but they may run into some. Some tough stuff up there, right? You might run into some, some overspeeding main bearings and some maintenance issues, specifically in the wintertime ’cause it is nasty up there. Speaker 2: Well, if you have 40 gigawatts of capacity, you have several thousand turbines, you wanna make sure really [00:29:00] sure that the blade design is right, that the gearbox is right if you have a gearbox, and that everything is essentially over-designed, heated. You can have deicing systems on it, I would assume that would be something you would be thinking about. You do the same thing for the monopoles. The whole assembly’s gotta be, have a, just a different thought process than a turbine. You would stick off the coast of Germany. Still rough conditions at times, but not like Nova Scotia.  Speaker: One, one other thing there to think about too that we haven’t dealt with, um. In such extreme levels is the, the off the coast of No. Nova Scotia is the Bay of Fundee. If you know anything about the Bay of Fundee, it is the highest tide swings in the world. So the tide swings at certain times of the year, can be upwards of 10 meters in a 12 hour period in this area of, of the ocean. And that comes with it. Different time, different types of, um, one of the difficult things for tide swings is it creates subsid currents. [00:30:00] Subsid currents are, are really, really, really bad, nasty. Against rocks and for any kind of cable lay activities and longevity of cable lay scour protection around turbines and stuff like that. So that’s another thing that subsea that we really haven’t spoke about.  Speaker 3: You know, I knew when you say Bay Bay of funding, I’m like, I know that I have heard that place before and it’s when I was researching for. Tidal power videos for Tidal Stream. It’s like the best place to, to generate electricity from. Yeah, from Tidal Stream. So I guess if you are gonna be whacking wind turbines in there anyway, maybe you can share some infrastructure and Yeah. Eca a little bit, a little bit more from your, your project.  Speaker 2: that wraps up another episode of the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. If today’s discussion sparked any questions or ideas. We’d love to hear from you. Just reach out to us on LinkedIn and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you found value in today’s conversation, please leave us a review. It really helps other wind energy professionals discover the show For Rosie, Yolanda and Joel, I’m Alan Hall, and we’ll see you here next week on the Uptime [00:36:00] Wind Energy Podcast.

Donna takes listeners back to 17th-century Paisley, Scotland, unraveling the chilling witch trials surrounding young Christian Shaw and the hysteria that gripped an entire town. What began as a child's accusation spiraled into executions, fear, and a dark chapter of Scottish history that still lingers today. Kerri covers the disturbing crimes of William Suff, known as The Riverside Prostitute Killer, whose reign of violence exposed terrifying gaps in how vulnerable victims were overlooked. The case examines his methods, the investigation that finally stopped him, and the devastating impact left in his wake. If you have any local true crime, local urban legend/lore, ghost stories.. we want them all!! We want to hear from YOU. Especially if you have any funny Ambien stories!Email us at aparanormalchicks@gmail.comJoin The Creepinati @ www.patreon.com/theAPCpodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Scottish Watches Podcast Episode 745! Before we get into watches, we immediately derail…but once the dust settles, Sarah gives a clear view of how auctions actually work,... The post Scottish Watches Podcast #745 : Sarah The Duchess of Watches Returns for 2026 appeared first on Scottish Watches.

A take on the East of the Sun and West of Moon tale type from north of the border.When the Black Bull of Norroway turns up to whisk the youngest daughter off to seek her fortune, she'd better not move a hand or a foot when the air turns blue...This story is written in dialect, so in the spirit intended by the Langs, we have narrated it in dialect, with apologies to our Scottish friends.If you are unfamiliar with the Lang Fairy Tales, these seminal collections were assembled between 1889 and 1913 by a married couple, folklorists and translators Nora and Andrew Lang, with most of the work done to compile them completed by Nora, also known as Leonora Blanche Alleyne.Assembled and published in 12 colour-coded "Fairy Books," the corpus the Langs put together included 798 fairy tales from across cultures, many of which had never before been translated into English.They were amongst the most influential books of their time, changing the course of children's literature - although they're hardly just for children, and often deal with quite challenging concepts.Today, purchasing a complete set of the Lang Fairy Books in good condition costs over £4,000 ($5,000+).Thankfully, the collections are all out of copyright, meaning that we can now tell these stories, in podcast form, many for the first time, and share them with a global audience, for free.Our plan is to release the stories between main series of Three Ravens, performing them straight (though with plenty of silly voices) letting the tales speak for themselves in all their madcap, sharp-edged, often quite bizarre glory.The only edits we have made are to amend some culturally-insensitive epithets, which typically pertain to ethnicity, with any such edits made by Eleanor Conlon.Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?REGISTER FOR THE TALES OF SOUTHERN ENGLAND TOURProud members of the Dark Cast Network.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donna takes listeners back to 17th-century Paisley, Scotland, unraveling the chilling witch trials surrounding young Christian Shaw and the hysteria that gripped an entire town. What began as a child's accusation spiraled into executions, fear, and a dark chapter of Scottish history that still lingers today. Kerri covers the disturbing crimes of William Suff, known as The Riverside Prostitute Killer, whose reign of violence exposed terrifying gaps in how vulnerable victims were overlooked. The case examines his methods, the investigation that finally stopped him, and the devastating impact left in his wake. If you have any local true crime, local urban legend/lore, ghost stories.. we want them all!! We want to hear from YOU. Especially if you have any funny Ambien stories!Email us at aparanormalchicks@gmail.comJoin The Creepinati @ www.patreon.com/theAPCpodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week: The guide to Aura, premium products, the theory of height, short kings, the tall fats, Christmas game nights, hypnotists, Scottish hype talk, staff do debauchery, Marcus Gunn syndrome, Northern Irish rap scene, comedian tribute acts, The White House instagram feed, big boy problems & much more.Sign up to Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for access to exclusive episodes out every Thursday.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/TheBombSquadPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MERCH: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.bombsquadpod.com⁠⁠⁠Follow @TheBombSquadPod on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Hosted by:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colin Geddis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aaron McCann⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Produced & Edited by:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Niall Fegan⁠

It's just over two years ago that the journalist Katharine Hay, a year into her new job as rural affairs correspondent for The Scotsman newspaper, had an epiphany.'98% of Scotland is rural,' she recalls thinking, 'and here I am sitting in the two per cent urban area. It really doesn't feel like I'm doing the role justice.'What Katharine decided next changed her life: she decided to walk the length and breadth of the country. Armed with a tent, a camping stove, solid support from her editor and a hot water bottle from her mother ('I thought she was mad — it honestly turned out to be the single best thing I took with me'), she set off on what was supposed to be a six-month trek.2,000 miles and almost two years later, 'Hay's Way' is still going — and probably will be for at least another six months. 'For a woman, or indeed anyone walking alone like this, you're in a very vulnerable situation,' she tells James Fisher on the Country Life Podcast. 'But I've been blown away by the Scottish hospitality everywhere I've been.'On this wonderful episode Katharine recounts some of her adventures, from the joys of birdsong and red squirrels on sunny, summers day to a terrifying near-death experience climbing back up a cliff after visiting The Old Man of Hoy, and from coming face-to-face with an otter (adorable, if smelly) to a fishing boat trip in the Outer Hebrides that left her with sea legs so bad that she 'couldn't walk in a straight line for two days'.We can't recommend listening to this episode strongly enough — and to hear more you can sign up for her (free) newsletter on The Scotsman website, read her journalism, or follow her on Instagram or X.Episode creditsHost: James FisherGuest: Katharine HayEditor and producer: Toby KeelMusic: JuliusH via Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Go Radio Football Show: 19th of January 2026. Don't miss it, PLAY and HIT SUBSCRIBE, and NEVER miss an episode! Join Paul Cooney, Mark Guidi and Barry Ferguson as they tear into a packed weekend of Scottish Cup action, transfer window urgency, and two clubs heading in very different directions. Listeners get instant value with rapid‑fire insights, strong opinions, and inside‑track info on what's brewing behind the scenes at Celtic and Rangers. Rangers: Excitement, Expectations & A Growing Identity Rangers' new signings take centre stage — especially Skov Olsen, whose pedigree and style have Barry buzzing. Miovski's hat‑trick sparks debate: is this the turning point for a striker fans nearly wrote off? Squad trimming starts. Who's next out the door? Who should be? Danny Röhl's message is clear: confidence is building, physicality is returning, and silverware is the target. Celtic: Winning — but wobbling Despite three straight wins under Martin O'Neill, concern dominates the fan conversation. Transfer frustrations reaching boiling point — still no No.9, just 14 days left. Maswanhise from Motherwell? Fofana? Are these realistic? Are they good enough? O'Neill's calm exterior hides a pressing truth: Celtic must strengthen fast. Hearts up next — a season‑defining test. Hearts: Contenders or Under Pressure? Shankland's injury is a hammer blow — what does this mean for their title push? Devlin's absence compounds the issue. Remaining fixtures look brutal… and massively important. Scottish Cup Weekend Recap No seismic shocks… but Dunfermline knocking out Hibs definitely raised eyebrows. Falkirk's big moment, Airdrie's gritty progress, and Stenhousemuir's superb statement. Dundee's resurgence continues under Presley. Standout Caller Moments Fans deliver some of the episode's sharpest talking points: Requests for more Scottish players at Rangers spark debate about balancing pedigree with league know‑how. Celtic fan frustration peaks: "What's the transfer strategy?!” Is the board stuck in the past? Is Celtic's model outdated? The panel pull no punches. Beyond the SPFL AFCON chaos with Morocco and Senegal walking off — dissected and debated. Scotland confirmed for glamour friendlies vs Japan and Curaçao ahead of the World Cup. Lewis Ferguson vs Celtic on Thursday — family pride meets European pressure. Follow us @thisisgoradio on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tik Tok The Go Radio Football Show, weeknights from 5pm-7pm across Scotland on DAB, YouTube, Smart Speaker - launch Go Radio - and on the Go Radio App. IOS: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/go-radio/id1510971202 Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.thisisgo.goradio&pcampaignid=web_share In Association with Burger King. Home of the Whopper, home delivery half time or full time, exclusively on the Burger King App  https://www.burgerking.co.uk/download-bk-app. For more Podcasts from Go Studios, head to: https://thisisgo.co.uk/podcasts/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ATeQD...

This podcast contains explicit language and adult themes that may not be suitable for all listeners.In this episode of Here Comes The Guillotine, award winning Scottish comedians Frankie Boyle, Susie McCabe and Christopher Macarthur-Boyd discuss Barbie, Greenland and travelling to Canada...

We need to pod about Glasgow. We need to pod about the arresting inner lives of these complicated protagonists. We need to pod about every incredible project Lynne Ramsay has been attached to over the past 25 years that never actually happened. So yeah, WE NEED TO POD ABOUT CASTVIN! Join us as we discuss Ramsay's debut film Ratcatcher, a striking study of a young boy on the precipice of adolescence in the slums of 1970s Glasgow. Ben discovers that he adores this movie. Griffin discovers that he can make “Lin Manuel Ramsey” a bit. And everyone discovers that Scottish accents are not that easy to imitate. Watch the Characters Welcome Sketch from Tristan Griffin Watch Timmy on Fallon Check out Meshes of the Afternoon Watch The Mother Project Check out Notes on the Cinematograph Watch Barry Jenkins in the Criterion Closet Listen to the Top 21 Sports movies of the 21st century episode of the Bill Simmons Podcast Sign up for Check Book, the Blank Check newsletter featuring even more “real nerdy shit” to feed your pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive content you won't want to miss out on. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook!  Buy some real nerdy merch Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump warns he'll impose fresh trade tariffs on countries that oppose his plan to annex Greenland. European leaders have condemned the move, describing it as blackmail. Also: Iran's supreme leader acknowledges that "a few thousand people" were murdered during recent anti-government protests; a US federal judge calls for ICE agents in Minneapolis to face restrictions; Yoweri Museveni becomes Uganda's president for the seventh time in a row; NASA's Artemis II Moon rocket arrives at the launch pad; scientists debunk claims linking paracetamol to autism; the Scottish football team's change of clothes sparks a row over identity; and 'Sentimental Value' wins big at the European Film Awards. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk

Escape to the rugged beauty of the Scottish Highlands with this cozy sleep story for adults. As a soft snow squall transforms the misty glens into a pristine winter wonderland, find your way to a lovingly restored stone bothy. This bedtime story is designed to help you settle into the beauty of your imagination, offering soul-deep peace and a sense of absolute safety. Listen as we journey past the high Munros, across an ancient fairy bridge, and into a sanctuary filled with the scent of smoldering peat and lavender. From the warm gift of a neighbor's basket to a restorative soak in a clawfoot tub, every detail of the bothy's modern restoration is crafted to soothe anxiety and invite deep, healing sleep. Let the "pipes of the north" wind and the crackling fire offer the perfect winter ambience for sleep. It's time to dream away.In this cozy sleep story, you will experience:The mystical atmosphere of a snowy night in the Scottish Highlands.A mindful countdown and deep breathing exercise to release tension.Sensory descriptions of a warm Scottish bothy, peat fires, and Highland tea.Soft-spoken female narration perfect for insomnia and stress relief.A gentle journey into a state of total relaxation and comfort.Original Script, Sleep Music, Sound Design, and Narration by Michelle Hotaling, Dreamaway Visions LLC 2026 All Rights Reserved✨YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/michellessanctuary

This week we're live from Cairngorm Mountain and joined by a myriad of guests connected by the adventures of the slopes. Snowboarder, mountain biker and climate activist Lauren MacCallum joins Mark and Rachel to talk about Cairngorm 2030, the groundbreaking programme aiming to make the Cairngorms the UK's first net-zero national park.Rachel takes to the slopes with Cairngorm ski-patrol to hear about how they keep skiers safe on the mountain. Mark catches up with Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team as they enter their busiest season and discovers how rescues have changed with advances in technology. Cairngorm Mountain CEO Mike Gifford joins Mark and Rachel to talk about the challenges of running one of Scotland's leading ski-resorts and his vision to transform Cairngorm Mountain into a thriving, year-round destination.Retired geography teacher Helen Rennie chats to Mark and Rachel about the record she set in 2019 by skiing on Scottish snow every year for 120 consecutive months.Rachel meets Director Robbie Synge to learn about a new film which features young people at work and play in the landscapes of the Cairngorms. ‘Tha Sinn an Seo' (We Are Here) was made throughout 2025 and explores how the next generation participate in the habitat restoration work of Cairngorms Connect.Montane woodland is set to return to the slopes of Cairngorm Mountain through the Coire na Ciste Montane Woodland Project, an initiative that has recently planted thousands of native trees and shrubs. Mark meets David Hetherington of the Cairngorms National Park Authority to find out more about the first high-altitude woodland restoration project of this scale on the mountain. Helen Needham takes to the slopes at Glenshee to experience a very Scottish winter's ski.

A frustrated listener calls for consequences over broken Labour promises. Anoosh Chakelian and Rachel Cunliffe answer listener questions about UK politics. In the mailbag this week:Should parliament impose legislation to force governments to honour manifesto pledges?Is it time to reform council tax?The Scottish independence referendum settled the question for "a generation". But what counts as a generation?How would politics be different if the House of Commons was a different physical shape?Send in your questions at newstatesman.com/youaskusListen next: Why Starmer u-turned on Digital IDSAVE £££ THIS CHRISTMAS:⭐️ Gift big ideas, bold politics, and proper journalism from just £2LISTEN AD-FREE:

This week, Johnny and the Thang Gang call out AND embrace Squareness; there's all the drama from Harry's drama school reunion; and Gav gets closer to his not-so-secret admirer.Hear Johnny on Radio X every weekday at 4pm across the UK on digital radio, 104.9 FM in London, 97.7 FM in Manchester, on Global Player or via www.radiox.co.uk

An old Scottish tale about a poor fisherman who finds a magic cap that can transport him to other places.  An episode from Journey with Story, a storytelling podcast for kids ages 4-10.  (duration - 9 minutes)   Our Journey with Story teeshirts are now available for purchase from our website .https://journeywithstory.printify.me   If you are enjoying this podcast you can rate and write a review here   To download this month's free coloring sheet,  simply subscribe to my Patreon here, it's free! By subscribing, you not only support our mission to ignite imagination through enchanting fairy tales but also receive exclusive benefits like monthly free coloring sheets corresponding to our podcast episodes, and more! Your support means the world to us and enables us to continue creating captivating content for children everywhere. Thank you for joining us on this adventure!   Be sure and check out some terrific resources for raising kids who LOVE to read by  signing up for my newsletter at www.journeywithstory.com If your little listener wants to ask us a question or send us a drawing inspired by one of our episodes, send it to us at instagram@journeywithstory.  Or you can contact us at www.journeywithstory.com.  We love to hear from our listeners. If you enjoy our podcast, you can rate, review, and subscribe at here Did you know Kathleen is also a children's picture book author, you can find out more about her books at www.kathleenpelley.com    

In November 1967, a gunman walked into a classroom at St John's RC High School in Dundee. What unfolded that afternoon left a young teacher fatally wounded, a school traumatised, and a case that would echo through the Scottish justice system for decades. It became one of the most shocking crimes in Dundee's history, yet one that is often reduced to a single moment, stripped of its wider consequences and complexities.At the heart of this case is Nanette Hanson, a 26-year-old newly married teacher remembered as gentle, dedicated, and fiercely protective of her pupils. But this story does not end with her death. It unfolds into a far broader and more troubling examination of violence, accountability, punishment, and how victims are remembered long after headlines fade.Exclusive content:Patreon - Ad Free, Early Access, Exclusive EpisodesFollow the show:British Murders with Stuart BluesDisclaimer:The case discussed in this podcast episode is real and represents the worst day in many people's lives. I aim to cover such stories with a victim-focused approach, using information from publicly available sources. While I strive for accuracy, some details may vary depending on the sources used. You can find the sources for each episode on my website. Due to the nature of the content, listener discretion is advised. Thank you for your understanding and support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Scottish Watches Podcast Episode 744! This week's episode is absolutely packed. We're digging into fresh releases, revisiting stories that wrapped up at the tail end of last... The post Scottish Watches Podcast #744 : Glitz and Glamour From Omega, Rolex, Seiko, Yema and Much More appeared first on Scottish Watches.

Insightful. World-Building. Spit-take inducing.Mark Day's videos serve as a digital gateway for many thousands of Burners, capturing that blurry edge where the default world ends and the playa begins. From his early days building tripper trappers and doing stand up comedy, to his controversial tinkering with AI art (think Dalmatians made of donuts), Mark has put 10,000 hours into his “24 Hours at Burning Man” videos.Andie Grace talks with this unique content creator to explore thresholds and multitudes. They discuss how to capture the moment and also experience it. They dive head first into the touchy subjects of consent, the ethics of documentation, and how “acculturation is an everybody thing.”He shares his sociology of being a Greeter at BRC. He talks creative process. He brings Scottish wit and clever curiosity to open-ended self-expression and the freedom to be your favorite version of yourself.https://journal.burningman.org/author/mark-dayhttps://www.youtube.com/markdaycomedyhttps://www.instagram.com/burner_videos LIVE.BURNINGMAN.ORG

Porsha Williams is a television personality, entrepreneur, actress, activist, and best-selling author. She first rocketed to fame in 2012 when she joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, where she quickly became a fan favorite. In addition to spending over a decade as a Real Housewife, she's starred in her own spin-off shows and reality competition shows. Most recently, she was a part of the cast of The Traitors season 4. On this episode, she gets into all the details of her experience in the Scottish castle, including the dynamic between the gamers and non-gamers, why she got banished at the first roundtable, and the sisterhood of the housewives.

Day 1,420.Today, as reports emerge that a Russian air-defence missile has struck a residential building in the city of Rostov-on-Don, we examine claims that France is pushing to prevent Ukraine from purchasing American weapons, then look at the criminal charges brought against a prominent figure in Ukraine's modern history. Later, we turn to Moscow's media landscape to hear how the Russian press is interpreting potentially momentous developments in Iran, Venezuela, and Greenland.ContributorsFrancis Dearnley (Executive Editor for Audio). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor of Defence). @DomNicholls on X.James Kilner (Russia Analyst). @jkjourno on X.SIGN UP TO THE ‘UKRAINE: THE LATEST' WEEKLY NEWSLETTER:http://telegraph.co.uk/ukrainenewsletter Each week, Dom Nicholls and Francis Dearnley answer your questions, provide recommended reading, and give exclusive analysis and behind-the-scenes insights – plus maps of the frontlines and diagrams of weapons to complement our daily reporting. It's free for everyone, including non-subscribers.CONTENT REFERENCED:France pushes to block Ukraine from buying US weapons (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/01/13/france-blocks-ukraine-from-buying-us-weapons/Starmer poised to hammer out Ukraine peace plan in Davos (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/13/starmer-poised-talks-ukraine-peace-deal-davos-war-russia-uk/ Scottish independence accounts go dark after Iran internet blackout (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/12/scottish-independence-accounts-dark-iran-internet-blackout/America abandoned this Arctic silo 60 years ago. Now, it could solve Nato's Greenland problem (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/13/nuclear-option-america-nato-greenland/ Marco Rubio, Trump's Foreign-Policy Enabler (The New Yorker):https://www.newyorker.com/newsletter/the-daily/marco-rubio-trumps-foreign-policy-enabler Ukraine officially awards lithium deposit to Trump-linked investors, $179 million set for development (Kyiv Independent):https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-to-attract-179-million-u-s-investment-in-key-lithium-deposit/ Ukraine war: UN appeals for $2.3 billion to support aid teams' ‘heroic work' (United Nations):https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166749?_gl=1*15f56p1*_ga*NzU3NDczMzg2LjE3NjgzOTI4NDc.*_ga_TK9BQL5X7Z*czE3NjgzOTI4NDYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjgzOTI4NDYkajYwJGwwJGgwLISTEN TO THIS PODCAST IN NEW LANGUAGES:The Telegraph has launched translated versions of Ukraine: The Latest in Ukrainian and Russian, making its reporting accessible to audiences on both sides of the battle lines and across the wider region, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Just search Україна: Останні Новини (Ukr) and Украина: Последние Новости (Ru) on your on your preferred podcast app to find them. Listen here: https://linktr.ee/ukrainethelatestSubscribe: telegraph.co.uk/ukrainethelatestEmail: ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

#868 Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/868       Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors     Fly tying doesn't start at the vise. It starts standing midstream, watching bugs drift past your boots and paying attention to what trout actually eat. That idea runs through everything in this conversation. In this episode, I sit down with Davie McPhail, one of the most influential fly tyers of our time. Davie grew up fishing Scottish rivers and lochs, learning fly tying the hard way. By watching insects, experimenting with materials, and tying flies that had to work. We dig into traditional spiders, modern synthetics, proportions, durability, and why restraint at the vise still matters more than fancy materials. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/868     

Traitors US S4 Rob Cesternino Deep Dive Welcome to RHAP’s coverage of ALL the Traitors iterations from around the world, including New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. The Traitors US is a high-stakes reality competition set in a secluded castle, where contestants must work together to complete challenges and earn a prize pot—while rooting out the secret traitors hidden among them. Today, Pooya is joined by Rob Cesternino to do a deep dive into his time on Traitors Season 4. From near-misses to surprise alliances, this in-depth conversation details the rollercoaster of Rob's brief but memorable stint in the Scottish castle, highlighting pivotal decisions, cast dynamics, and strategies that shaped the opening episodes. Pooya leads Rob in a candid step-by-step look at his experience preparing for the Traitors US, diving into his binge of international seasons and the lessons he carried into the game. Rob discusses choosing to play as a faithful rather than a traitor, giving a firsthand look at why he anticipated early banishments and how he worked to build social connections across the housewives, CBS reality “gamers,” and other celebrities in the castle. The conversation probes through major group dynamics — from alliance-building efforts to murder shortlist anxieties — and the unique ways contestants tried to read each other's intentions. Pooya and Rob discuss: Rob's methodical study of various international Traitors seasons to understand personalities and gameplay formats. The housewives-versus-gamers meta, as Rob details his effort to broker a cross-group alliance and avoid mutual destruction. Behind-the-scenes impressions of notable castmates, including Monét X Change, Lisa Rinna, Candiace Dillard Bassett, and Porsha Williams, with Rob decoding social strengths and the role of “queen bees.” Rob's breakdown of challenge strategies, murder shortlist logic, and efforts to manipulate targets — including his plan to weaponize Michael Rapaport's unpredictability. The strategy of dodging a murder in plain sight, including Rob's warning to Tiffany and his theorizing about conga lines, drinks, and body language. Rob's journey throws light on the delicate balance of reasoning, intuition, and luck required to survive the opening rounds of Traitors US. With cross-show alliances, silent suspicions, and defenses played on both sides, who will escape the next murder and who's risking their game with hidden agendas? Intros: 0:00 Intros 6:16 Survivor vs. The Traitors Dilemma 10:04 Choosing Faithful Over Traitor 18:47 First Impressions in the Starting Car 25:01 Castle Arrival: Reality Sets In 31:39 The Secret Traitor Selection Stress 37:55 Faithful Strategy Prioritized 45:45 Identifying Turret Traitor Archetypes 51:06 Building Key Castle Alliances 58:42 Dorinda’s Calm Murder Shortlist 1:15:13 Boat Mission: Shield Tactics 1:18:25 Marked for Murder: Immediate Threat 1:28:16 Fateful Advice: Leave Nothing Unsaid 1:39:33 Breakfast After Surviving Murder 1:43:33 Yam Yam: Threat Level Revealed 2:15:01 First Banishment: Porsha Blindsided 2:32:17 Sensing Murder in Plain Sight 2:35:32 Escaping the Conga Line Danger 2:49:33 Rob’s Exit: Edit vs. Reality 3:09:45 Reflecting on the Traitors Journey Never miss all our Traitors US recaps plus recaps from other versions around the world! LISTEN: Subscribe to The Traitors Around the World podcast feed WATCH:  Subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT:  Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!