Podcasts about Slovenia

A ceasefire has come into force along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, where weeks of clashes have forced a million people from their homes. The seventy- two- hour truce was agreed by the two countries' defence ministers following extensive diplomacy by Chinese officials.Also in the programme: Saudi Arabia's defence minister has warned the main separatist movement in southern Yemen to withdraw from territory it's recently captured in two provinces, amid rising tensions in the area; Ukraine says overnight Russian air strikes in the capital Kyiv have injured at least eight people and caused power cuts; and ahead of the winter games in Italy - we meet Slovenia's world champion ski-jumpers targeting Olympic gold.(Photo:Cambodia's Defence Minister Tea Seiha and Thailand's Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit after the ceasefire was agreed during a special meeting at a border checkpoint in Chanthaburi province, Thailand. Credit: Reuters)

“My friends and I were told by our hotel host that this is one of the most remote villages in Slovenia, that tonight was a rare opportunity to see many of the mountain-dwelling residents in one place. We decided to make our way to the Midnight Mass at the old church up the hill. And these propulsive, polyrhythmic bells ushered everyone in from the cold.”

Monocle’s head of radio, Tom Edwards, is joined by Robert Bound to swap presents and compare seasonal traditions. Plus: We head to Lapland to speak to Santa Claus himself and we explore a new mountain resort in Slovenia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world.This week, Fionn joined Ciara Doherty to give the ultimate guide to Ljubljana in Slovenia!

WWW.ADVENTUREFREAKSSS.COM Find your Ideal Destination Here: https://adventurefreaksss.com/ideal-destination-finder/ ================================= How to work with me: =================================

It's one thing to move to a foreign country, learn something of the language, and challenge your own understanding of how life should be. It's quite another to write about it. The "expat in Japan" memoir is such a common trope that it's rare for a book to break out. But Sam's did, emphatically. Replete with witty banter about the overlooked rural Japanese experience, For Fukui Sake sold over 11,000 copies and has garnered more than 1,000 reviews on Amazon, most of them emphatically positive. Sam followed this up with Dormice & Moonshine about this time in Slovenia, and has launched the Travel Memoir Review to celebrate the achievements of his fellow travel writers and help readers make more informed choices. Sam joined the travel writing podcast to talk about what makes a good (and marketable) travel memoir, why he chose to self-publish his first book, the enduring relevance of travel writing in the time of AI, and how to get involved with the Travel Memoir Review.

The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DX column in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, justdrop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com First, the bad news S2 – Bangladesh - S21AM and S21RCsay their planned IOTA AS-127 operation has been postponed until sometime next year.  Cited are logistical challenges  and operational constraints in the region and "adequateresource availability concerns." Now, the Good News U.S. amateurs to receive expanded 60-meter privileges - TheU.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has authorized expanded use of the 60-meter band for U.S. amateur radio operators, following rules adopted at the World Radiotelecommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15). The new regulations, including a 15-watt effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) power limit (not effective radiated power, or ERP), will take effect 30 days after they are published in the Federal Register. Use of this band remains on a secondary basis. The full FCC Report and Order is available online, and ARRL provides more details on its website.  XU - Cambodia – DL7BO, Tom, will be on the air as XU7GNY, December 22 to January 18.  Tom will be on 160-6 CW, SSB and FT8, concentrating on the lower bands.  QSL direct to DJ4WK or use LoTW, Club Log or eQSL. 4K – Azerbaijan – 4K/DL4XT,Jan, will on 40 and 20-10M SSB, CW and FT8 December 26 to January 3.  He will be on the air casually, aka "holiday style."  For a QSL it's LoTW, Club Log OQRS and QRZ. A6 - United Arab Emirates – A60QATAR will be December 18-22 to join in Qatar's celebration.  Some Individual ops in UAE may use that call and add /1, /2, and similar. TL - Central African Republic -  CT1END, Carlos, reminds us CR7BNW, Joao, will be operating as  TL8BNW from Bangui, Central African Republic, for six months starting in December 2025. His first activity will take place from December 20-25, 2025, using SSB and FT8 on 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. QSOs will be uploaded to LoTW, QRZLogbook, and via the Portuguese QSL bureau.FY - French Guiana - F4GPK, Peter, will be on as TO2FY December 22 to January 15 from Kourou. TG – Guatemala - TG9/AF4CZ willbe on the air "holiday style," December 7 to January 5, mostly digital modes on 40-10.  He will upload his log to LoTW, eQSL and Club Log. Z8 - South Sudan - YI1DZ (akaZ81D), Diya's, contract with UN-WFP in South Sudan runs until March 10, 2026, with a possible 11-month extension pending approval. Due to frequent travel and a rotating work schedulethat includes leave every six weeks, radio activity is limited tofree time, mostly on weekends. The author is currently in Istanbul and will return to Juba on December 15 and could be very active as Z81D the following weekend.C5YK, The Gambia – Andre, ON7YK, is QRV from The Gambia until January 25. He is operating as C5YK on SSB, RTTY, PSK, FT8, FT4, and some CW on 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10M. QSL only via LoTW, eQSL, or direct to ON7YK. He posts his logbook on his website.  “may be a little unreliable.” Manual log upload will be every several days. Borut says to not send cards through the bureau “as they will not find my home.” He will send direct cards once he is home in Slovenia, “via OQRS only.”  OQRS.   YU – Serbia - In celebration of IARU Region 1 Young Radio Operators Month, Serbian amateurs may use the special callsigns YT25YOTA and YU25YOTA throughout December 2025.

What is a call? How does a person know if God is calling them to mission service? Join in a discussion as these and other questions are addressed.

*Mariah Carey voice* IT'S TIIIIIIIIME… For our annual year-in-review! HOE-HOE-HOLY shit, Buzzkillianas. 2025 was a hellacious year in Abortlandia, so you already know the Feminist Buzzkills are re-hashing, re-roasting, re-raging, and even re-celebrating over what went down this year in regards to all tings repro-related. Lizz and Moji took a little sleigh ride down memory lane, made their lists checking them twice, and figured out what stories were the naughtiest, the nicest and the bizarre AF-est! From a certain brainworm host thinking the nation guzzles abortion water, to exposing the hypocrisy of an anti-abobo Bible humper who just got caught using AI to make something so disgusting we'd get banned if we told you—so we're spilling anyway. And YES, there actually were some abobo wins this year too! So, buckle up for our favorite end of year tradition: unpacking the year's top-tier triumphs and bottom-of-the-barrel, bargain-bin bullshit of abortion news. Times are heavy, but knowledge is power, y'all. We gotchu.  OPERATION SAVE ABORTION: Check out our NEW Operation Save Abortion workshop, recorded a live from Netroots Nation 2025 that'll train you in coming for anti-abobo lawmakers, spotting and fighting against fake clinics, AND gears you up on how to help someone in a banned state access abortion. You can still join the 10,000+ womb warriors fighting the patriarchy by listening to past Operation Save Abortion trainings by clicking HERE for episodes, your toolkit, marching orders, and more. HOSTS:Lizz Winstead @LizzWinsteadMoji Alawode-El @Mojilocks WORST NEWS OF 2025:Lizz: RFK Jr. AppointmentMoji: Tierra Walker BEST NEWS OF 2025:Lizz: My Voice My Choice WinMoji: Generic Abortion Pill Approval WEIRDEST NEWS OF 2025:Lizz: Catch KitMoji: Christian Nationalist Pastor's Son's AI Toddler Porn EPISODE LINKS:WATCH: Full RFK Jr. VideoKennedy Says FDA Is Reviewing Safety of Abortion Pill MifepristoneUS FDA Has Delayed Abortion Pill Safety Study, Bloomberg News ReportsLeaders of 2 Major Anti-Abortion Groups Call for Trump's FDA Chief to Be FiredThe Worst Ways RFK Jr. Has Harmed Public Health This YearWATCH: Ashley Flowers Exposing Jonathan PeternelJunk Science Study on MifepristoneMaternal Mortality in the United States After Abortion BansTierra Walker's Aunt's StatementMy Voice My Choice on Instagram: SAFE ABORTION IN EUROPE IS COMINGMy Voice My ChoiceADOPT-A-CLINIC: The Women's Health Center of MarylandThe Women's Health Center of MarylandTICKETS: Dec 31 - The Lizz Winstead Files at The Parkway TheaterOperation Save AbortionExpose Fake ClinicsBUY AAF MERCH!EMAIL your abobo questions to The Feminist BuzzkillsAAF's Abortion-Themed Rage Playlist FOLLOW US:Listen to us ~ FBK Podcast Instagram ~ @AbortionFrontTwitter ~ @AbortionFrontTikTok ~ @AbortionFrontFacebook ~ @AbortionFrontYouTube ~ @AbortionAccessFrontTALK TO THE CHARLEY BOT FOR ABOBO OPTIONS & RESOURCES HERE!PATREON HERE! Support our work, get exclusive merch and more! DONATE TO AAF HERE!ACTIVIST CALENDAR HERE!VOLUNTEER WITH US HERE!ADOPT-A-CLINIC HERE!EXPOSE FAKE CLINICS HERE!GET ABOBO PILLS FROM PLAN C PILLS HERE!When BS is poppin', we pop off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens when curiosity, resilience, and storytelling collide over a lifetime of building something meaningful? In this episode, I welcome Nick Francis, founder and CEO of Casual Films, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, presence, and what it takes to keep going when the work gets heavy. Nick's journey began with a stint at BBC News and a bold 9,000-mile rally from London to Mongolia in a Mini Cooper, a spirit of adventure that still fuels how he approaches business and life today. We talk about how that early experience shaped Casual into a global branded storytelling company with studios across five continents, and what it really means to lead a creative organization at scale. Nick shares insights from growing the company internationally, expanding into Southeast Asia, and staying grounded while producing hundreds of projects each year. Along the way, we explore why emotionally resonant storytelling matters, how trust and preparation beat panic, and why presence with family, health, and purpose keeps leaders steady in uncertain times. This conversation is about building an Unstoppable life by focusing on what matters most, using creativity to connect people, and choosing clarity and resilience in a world full of noise. Highlights: 00:01:30 – Learn how early challenges shape resilience and long-term drive. 00:06:20 – Discover why focusing on your role creates calm under pressure. 00:10:50 – Learn how to protect attention in a nonstop world. 00:18:25 – Understand what global growth teaches about leadership. 00:26:00 – Learn why leading with trust changes relationships. 00:45:55 – Discover how movement and presence restore clarity. About the Guest: Nick Francis is the founder and CEO of Casual, a global production group that blends human storytelling, business know-how, and creativity turbo-charged by AI. Named the UK's number one brand video production company for five years, Casual delivers nearly 1,000 projects annually for world-class brands like Adobe, Amazon, BMW, Hilton, HSBC, and P&G. The adventurous spirit behind its first production – a 9,000-mile journey from London to Mongolia in an old Mini – continues to drive Casual's growth across offices in London, New York, LA, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong and Greater China. Nick previously worked for BBC News and is widely recognised for his expertise in video storytelling, brand building, and corporate communications. He is the founding director of the Casual Films Academy, a charity helping young filmmakers develop skills by producing films for charitable organisations. He is also the author of ‘The New Fire: Harness the Power of Video for Your Business' and a passionate advocate for emotionally resonant, behaviorally grounded storytelling. Nick lives in San Francisco, California, with his family. Ways to connect with Nick**:** Website: https://www.casualfilms.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@casual_global  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/casualglobal/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CasualFilms/  Nick's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickfrancisfilm/  Casual's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/casual-films-international/  Beyond Casual - LinkedIn Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6924458968031395840 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  01:21 Well, hello everyone. I am your host, Mike hingson, that's kind of funny. We'll talk about that in a second, but this is unstoppable mindset. And our guest today is Nick Francis, and what we're going to talk about is the fact that people used to always ask me, well, they would call me Mr. Kingston, and it took me, as I just told Nick a master's degree in physics in 10 years to realize that if I said Mike hingson, that's why they said Mr. Kingston. So was either say Mike hingson or Michael hingson. Well, Michael hingson is a lot easier to say than Mike hingson, but I don't really care Mike or Michael, as long as it's not late for dinner. Whatever works. Yeah. Well, Nick, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're Nick Francis  02:04 here. Thanks, Mike. It's great to be here. Michael Hingson  02:08 So Nick is a marketing kind of guy. He's got a company called casual that we'll hear about. Originally from England, I believe, and now lives in San Francisco. We were talking about the weather in San Francisco, as opposed to down here in Victorville. A little bit earlier. We're going to have a heat wave today and and he doesn't have that up there, but you know, well, things, things change over time. But anyway, we're glad you're here. And thanks, Mike. Really looking forward to it. Tell us about the early Nick growing up and all that sort of stuff, just to get us started. Nick Francis  02:43 That's a good question. I grew up in London, in in Richmond, which is southwest London. It's a at the time, it wasn't anything like as kind of, it's become quite kind of shishi, I think back in the day, because it's on the west of London. The pollution from the city used to flow east and so, like all the kind of well to do people, in fact, there used to be a, there used to be a palace in Richmond. It's where Queen Elizabeth died, the first Queen Elizabeth, that is. And, yeah, you know, I grew up it was, you know, there's a lot of rugby played around there. I played rugby for my local rugby club from a very young age, and we went sailing on the south coast. It was, it was great, really. And then, you know, unfortunately, when I was 10 years old, my my dad died. He had had a very powerful job at the BBC, and then he ran the British Council, which is the overseas wing of the Arts Council, so promoting, I guess, British soft power around the world, going and opening art galleries and going to ballet in Moscow and all sorts. So he had an incredible life and worked incredibly hard. And you know, that has brought me all sorts of privileges, I think, when I was a kid. But, you know, unfortunately, age 10 that all ended. And you know, losing a parent at that age is such a sort of fundamental, kind of shaking of your foundations. You know, you when you're a kid, you feel like a, you're going to live forever, and B, the things that are happening around you are going to last forever. And so, you know, you know, my mom was amazing, of course, and, you know, and in time, I got a new stepdad, and all the rest of it. But you know, that kind of shaped a lot of my a lot of my youth, really. And, yeah, I mean, Grief is a funny thing, and it's funny the way it manifests itself as you grow. But yeah. So I grew up there. I went to school in the Midlands, near where my stepdad lived, and then University of Newcastle, which is up in the north of England, where it rains a lot. It's where it's where Newcastle Football Club is based. And you know is that is absolutely at the center of the city. So. So the city really comes alive there. And it was during that time that I discovered photography, and I wanted to be a war photographer, because I believe that was where life was lived at the kind of the real cutting edge. You know, you see the you see humanity in its in its most visceral and vivid color in terrible situations. And I kind of that seemed like an interesting thing to go to go and do. Michael Hingson  05:27 Well, what? So what did you major in in college in Newcastle? So I did Nick Francis  05:31 history and politics, and then I went did a course in television journalism, and ended up working at BBC News as a initially running on the floor. So I used to deliver the papers that you know, when you see people shuffling or not, they do it anymore, actually, because everything, everything's digital now digital, yeah, but when they were worried about the the auto cues going down, they we always had to make sure that they had the up to date script. And so I would be printing in, obviously, the, you know, because it's a three hour news show, the scripts constantly evolving, and so, you know, I was making sure they had the most up to date version in their hands. And it's, I don't know if you have spent any time around live TV Mike, but it's an incredibly humbling experience, like the power of it. You know, there's sort of two or 3 million people watching these two people who are sitting five feet in front of me, and the, you know, the sort of slightly kind of, there was an element of me that just wanted to jump in front of them and kind of go, ah. And, you know, never, ever work in live TV, ever again. But you know, anyway, I did that and ended up working as a producer, writing and developing, developing packets that would go out on the show, producing interviews and things. And, you know, I absolutely loved it. It was, it was a great time. But then I left to go and set up my company. Michael Hingson  06:56 I am amazed, even today, with with watching people on the news, and I've and I've been in a number of studios during live broadcasts and so on. But I'm amazed at how well, mostly, at least, I've been fortunate. Mostly, the people are able to read because they do have to read everything. It isn't like you're doing a lot of bad living in a studio. Obviously, if you are out with a story, out in the field, if you will, there, there may be more where you don't have a printed script to go by, but I'm amazed at the people in the studio, how much they are able to do by by reading it all completely. Nick Francis  07:37 It's, I mean, the whole experience is kind of, it's awe inspiring, really. And you know, when you first go into a Live, a live broadcast studio, and you see the complexity, and you know, they've got feeds coming in from all over the world, and you know, there's upwards of 100 people all working together to make it happen. And I remember talking to one of the directors at the time, and I was like, How on earth does this work? And he said, You know, it's simple. You everyone has a very specific job, and you know that as long as you do your bit of the job when it comes in front of you, then the show will go out. He said, where it falls over is when people start worrying about whether other people are going to are going to deliver on time or, you know, and so if you start worrying about what other people are doing, rather than just focusing on the thing you have to do, that's where it potentially falls over, Michael Hingson  08:29 which is a great object lesson anyway, to worry about and control and don't worry about the rest Nick Francis  08:36 for sure. Yeah, yeah, for sure. You know, it's almost a lesson for life. I mean, sorry, it is a lesson for life, and Michael Hingson  08:43 it's something that I talk a lot about in dealing with the World Trade Center and so on, and because it was a message I received, but I've been really preaching that for a long time. Don't worry about what you can't control, because all you're going to do is create fear and drive yourself Nick Francis  08:58 crazy, completely, completely. You know. You know what is it? Give me the, give me this. Give me the strength to change the things I can. Give me the give me the ability to let the things that I can't change slide but and the wisdom to know the difference. I'm absolutely mangling that, that saying, but, yeah, it's, it's true, you know. And I think, you know, it's so easy for us to in this kind of modern world where everything's so media, and we're constantly served up things that, you know, shock us, sadness, enrage us, you know, just to be able to step back and say, actually, you know what? These are things I can't really change. I'd have to just let them wash over me. Yeah, and just focus on the things that you really can change. Michael Hingson  09:46 It's okay to be aware of things, but you've got to separate the things you can control from the things that you can and we, unfortunately aren't taught that. Our parents don't teach us that because they were never taught it, and it's something. That, just as you say, slides by, and it's so unfortunate, because it helps to create such a level of fear about so many things in our in our psyche and in our world that we really shouldn't have to do Nick Francis  10:13 completely well. I think, you know, obviously, but you know, we've, we've spent hundreds, if not millions of years evolving to become humans, and then, you know, actually being aware of things beyond our own village has only been an evolution of the last, you know what, five, 600 years, yeah. And so we are just absolutely, fundamentally not able to cope with a world of such incredible stimulus that we live in now. Michael Hingson  10:43 Yeah, and it's only getting worse with all the social media, with all the different things that are happening and of course, and we're only working to develop more and more things to inundate us with more and more kinds of inputs. It's really unfortunate we just don't learn to separate ourselves very easily from all of that. Nick Francis  11:04 Yeah, well, you know, it's so interesting when you look at the development of VR headsets, and, you know, are we going to have, like, lenses in our eyes that kind of enable us to see computer screens while we're just walking down the road, you know? And you look at that and you think, well, actually, just a cell phone. I mean, cell phones are going to be gone fairly soon. I would imagine, you know, as a format, it's not something that's going to abide but the idea that we're going to create technology that's going to be more, that's going to take us away from being in the moment more rather than less, is kind of terrifying. Because, I would say already, even with, you know, the most basic technology that we have now, which is, you know, mind bending, compared to where we were even 20 years ago, you know, to think that we're only going to become more immersive is, you know, we really, really as a species, have to work out how we are going to be far better at stepping away from this stuff. And I, you know, I do, I wonder, with AI and technology whether there is, you know, there's a real backlash coming of people who do want to just unplug, yeah, Michael Hingson  12:13 well, it'll be interesting to see, and I hope that people will learn to do it. I know when I started hearing about AI, and one of the first things I heard was how kids would use it to write their papers, and it was a horrible thing, and they were trying to figure out ways so that teachers could tell us something was written by AI, as opposed to a student. And I almost immediately developed this opinion, no, let AI write the papers for students, but when the students turn in their paper, then take a day to in your class where you have every student come up and defend their paper, see who really knows it, you know. And what a great teaching opportunity and teaching moment to to get students also to learn to do public speaking and other things a little bit more than they do, but we haven't. That hasn't caught on, but I continue to preach it. Nick Francis  13:08 I think that's really smart, you know, as like aI exists, and I think to to pretend somehow that, you know, we can work without it is, you know, it's, it's, it's, yeah, I mean, it's like, well, saying, you know, we're just going to go back to Word processors or typewriters, which, you know, in which it weirdly, in their own time, people looked at and said, this is, you know, these, these are going to completely rot our minds. In fact, yeah, I think Plato said that was very against writing, because he believed it would mean no one could remember anything after that, you know. So it's, you know, it's just, it's an endless, endless evolution. But I think, you know, we have to work out how we incorporate into it, into our education system, for sure. Michael Hingson  13:57 Well, I remember being in in college and studying physics and so on. And one of the things that we were constantly told is, on tests, you can't bring calculators in, can't use calculators in class. Well, why not? Well, because you could cheat with that. Well, the reality is that the smart physicists realized that it's all about really learning the concepts more than the numbers. And yeah, that's great to to know how to do the math. But the the real issue is, do you know the physics, not just the math completely? Nick Francis  14:34 Yeah. And then how you know? How are the challenges that are being set such that you know, they really test your ability to use the calculator effectively, right? So how you know? How are you lifting the bar? And in a way, I think that's kind of what we have to do, what we have to do now, Michael Hingson  14:50 agreed, agreed. So you were in the news business and so on, and then, as you said, you left to start your own company. Why did you decide to do that? Nick Francis  14:59 Well, a friend of. Ryan and I from University had always talked about doing this rally from London to Mongolia. So, and you do it in an old car that you sort of look at, and you go, well, that's a bit rubbish. It has to have under a one liter engine. So it's tiny, it's cheap. The idea is it breaks down you have an adventure. And it was something we kind of talked about in passing and decided that would be a good thing to do. And then over time, you know, we started sending off. We you know, we applied, and then we started sending off for visas and things. And then before we knew it, we were like, gosh, so it looks like we're actually going to do this thing. But by then, you know, my job at the BBC was really taking off. And so I said, you know, let's do this, but let's make a documentary of it. So long story short, we ended up making a series of diary films for Expedia, which we uploaded onto their website. It was, you know, we were kind of pitching this around about 2005 we kind of did it in 2006 so it was kind of, you know, nobody had really heard of YouTube. The idea of making videos to go online was kind of unheard of because, you know, broadband was just kind of getting sorry. It wasn't unheard of, but it was, it was very, it was a very nascent industry. And so, yeah, we went and drove 9000 miles over five weeks. We spent a week sitting in various different repair yards and kind of break his yards in everywhere from Turkey to Siberia. And when we came back, it became clear that the internet was opening up as this incredible medium for video, and video is such a powerful way to share emotion with a dispersed audience. You know, not that I would have necessarily talked about it in that in those terms back then, but it really seemed like, you know, every every web page, every piece of corporate content, could have a video aspect to it. And so we came back and had a few fits and starts and did some, I mean, we, you know, we made a series of hotel videos where we were paid 50 quid a day to go and film hotels. And it was hot and it was hard work. And anyway, it was rough. But over time, you know, we started to win some more lucrative work. And, you know, really, the company grew from there. We won some awards, which helped us to kind of make a bit of a name for ourselves. And this was, there's been a real explosion in technology, kind of shortly after when we did this. So digital SLRs, so, you know, old kind of SLR cameras, you know, turned into digital cameras, which could then start to shoot video. And so it, there was a real explosion in high quality video produced by very small teams of people using the latest technology creatively. And that just felt like a good kind of kick off point for our business. But we just kind of because we got in in kind of 2006 we just sort of beat a wave that kind of started with digital SLRs, and then was kind of absolutely exploded when video cell phones came on the market, video smartphones. And yeah, you know, because we had these awards and we had some kind of fairly blue chip clients from a relatively early, early stage, we were able to grow the company. We then expanded to the US in kind of 2011 20 between 2011 2014 and then we were working with a lot of the big tech companies in California, so it felt like we should maybe kind of really invest in that. And so I moved out here with some of our team in 2018 at the beginning of 2018 and I've been here ever since, wow. Michael Hingson  18:44 So what is it? What was it like starting a business here, or bringing the business here, as opposed to what it was in England? Nick Francis  18:53 It's really interesting, because the creatively the UK is so strong, you know, like so many, you know, from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to the Rolling Stones to, you know, and then on through, like all the kind of, you know, film and TV, you know, Brits are very good at kind of Creating, like, high level creative, but not necessarily always the best at kind of monetizing it, you know. I mean, some of those obviously have been fantastic successes, right? And so I think in the UK, we we take a lot longer over getting, getting to, like, the perfect creative output, whereas the US is far more focused on, you know, okay, we need this to to perform a task, and frankly, if we get it 80% done, then we're good, right? And so I think a lot of creative businesses in the UK look at the US and they go, gosh. Firstly, the streets are paved with gold. Like the commercial opportunity seems incredible, but actually creating. Tracking it is incredibly difficult, and I think it's because we sort of see the outputs in the wrong way. I think they're just the energy and the dynamism of the US economy is just, it's kind of awe inspiring. But you know, so many businesses try to expand here and kind of fall over themselves. And I think the number one thing is just, you have to have a founder who's willing to move to the US. Because I think Churchill said that we're two two countries divided by the same language. And I never fully understood what that meant until I moved here. I think what it what he really means by that is that we're so culturally different in the US versus the UK. And I think lots of Brits look at America and think, Well, you know, it's just the same. It's just a bit kind of bigger and a bit Brasher, you know, and it and actually, I think if people in the US spoke a completely different language, we would approach it as a different culture, which would then help us to understand it better. Yeah. So, yeah. I mean, it's been, it's been the most fabulous adventure to move here and to, you know, it's, it's hard sometimes, and California is a long way from home, but the energy and the optimism and the entrepreneurialism of it, coupled with just the natural beauty is just staggering. So we've made some of our closest friends in California, it's been absolutely fantastic. And across the US, it's been a fantastic adventure for us and our family. Michael Hingson  21:30 Yeah, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the US, and I hear negative comments about one place or another, like West Virginia, people eat nothing but fried food and all that. But the reality is, if you really take an overall look at it, the country has so much to offer, and I have yet to find a place that I didn't enjoy going to, and people I never enjoyed meeting, I really enjoy all of that, and it's great to meet people, and it's great to experience so much of this country. And I've taken that same posture to other places. I finally got to visit England last October, for the first time. You mentioned rugby earlier, the first time I was exposed to rugby was when I traveled to New Zealand in 2003 and found it pretty fascinating. And then also, I was listening to some rugby, rugby, rugby broadcast, and I tuned across the radio and suddenly found a cricket game that was a little bit slow for me. Yeah, cricket to be it's slow. Nick Francis  22:41 Yeah, fair enough. It's funny. Actually, we know what you're saying about travel. Like one of the amazing things about our Well, I kind of learned two sort of quite fundamentally philosophical things, I think, you know, or things about the about humans and the human condition. Firstly, like, you know, traveling across, you know, we left from London. We, like, drove down. We went through Belgium and France and Poland and Slovenia, Slovakia, Slovenia, like, all the way down Bulgaria, across Turkey into Georgia and Azerbaijan and across the Caspian Sea, and through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, into Russia, and then down into Mongolia. When we finished, we were due north of Jakarta, right? So we drove, we drove a third of the way around the world. And the two things that taught me were, firstly that human people are good. You know, everywhere we went, people would invite us in to have meals, or they'd like fix our car for not unit for free. I mean, people were so kind everywhere we went. Yeah. And the other thing was, just, when we get on a plane and you fly from here to or you fly from London, say to we, frankly, you fly from London to Turkey, it feels unbelievably different. You know, you fly from London to China, and it's, you know, complete different culture. But what our journey towards us, because we drove, was that, you know, while we might not like to admit it, we're actually quite, you know, Brits are quite similar to the French, and the French actually are quite similar to the Belgians, and Belgians quite similar to the Germans. And, you know, and all the way through, actually, like we just saw a sort of slowly changing gradient of all the different cultures. And it really, you know, we are just one people, you know. So as much as we might feel that, you know, we're all we're all different, actually, when you see it, when you when you do a drive like that, you really, you really get to see how slowly the cultures shift and change. Another thing that's quite funny, actually, was just like, everywhere we went, we would be like, you know, we're driving to Turkey. They'd be like, Oh, God, you just drove through Bulgaria, you know, how is like, everything on your car not been stolen, you know, they're so dodgy that you Bulgarians are so dodgy. And then, you know, we'd get drive through the country, and they'd be like, you know, oh, you're going into Georgia, you know, gosh, what you go. Make, make sure everything's tied down on your car. They're so dodgy. And then you get into Georgia, and they're like, Oh my God, you've just very driven through Turkey this, like, everyone sort of had these, like, weird, yeah, kind of perceptions of their neighbors. And it was all nonsense, yeah, you know. Michael Hingson  25:15 And the reality is that, as you pointed out, people are good, you know, I think, I think politicians are the ones who so often mess it up for everyone, just because they've got agendas. And unfortunately, they teach everyone else to be suspicious of of each other, because, oh, this person clearly has a hidden agenda when it normally isn't necessarily true at all. Nick Francis  25:42 No, no, no, certainly not in my experience, anyway, not in my experience. But, you know, well, oh, go ahead. No, no. It's just, you know, it's, it is. It's, it is weird the way that happens, you know, well, they say, you know, if, if politicians fought wars rather than, rather than our young men and women, then there'd be a lot less of them. Yeah, so Well, Michael Hingson  26:06 there would be, well as I tell people, you know, I I've learned a lot from working with eight guy dogs and my wife's service dog, who we had for, oh, gosh, 14 years almost, and one of the things that I tell people is I absolutely do believe what people say, that dogs love unconditionally, unless they're just totally traumatized by something, but they don't trust unconditionally. The difference between dogs and people is that dogs are more open to trust because we've taught ourselves and have been taught by others, that everyone has their own hidden agenda. So we don't trust. We're not open to trust, which is so unfortunate because it affects the psyche of so many people in such a negative way. We get too suspicious of people, so it's a lot harder to earn trust. Nick Francis  27:02 Yeah, I mean, I've, I don't know, you know, like I've been, I've been very fortunate in my life, and I kind of always try to be, you know, open and trusting. And frankly, you know, I think if you're open and trusting with people, in my experience, you kind of, it comes back to you, you know, and maybe kind of looking for the best in everyone. You know, there are times where that's not ideal, but you know, I think you know, in the overwhelming majority of cases, you know, actually, you know, you treat people right? And you know what goes what goes around, comes around, absolutely. Michael Hingson  27:35 And I think that's so very true. There are some people who just are going to be different than that, but I think for the most part, if you show that you're open to trust people will want to trust you, as long as you're also willing to trust Nick Francis  27:51 them completely. Yeah, completely. Michael Hingson  27:54 So I think that that's the big thing we have to deal with. And I don't know, I hope that we, we will learn it. But I think that politicians are really the most guilty about teaching us. Why not to trust but that too, hopefully, will be something we deal with. Nick Francis  28:12 I think, you know, I think we have to, you know, it's, it's one of the tragedies of our age, I think, is that the, you know, we spent the 20th century, thinking that sex was the kind of ultimate sales tool. And then it took algorithms to for us to realize that actually anger and resentment are the most powerful sales tools, which is, you know, it's a it's something which, in time, we will work out, right? And I think the problem is that, at the minute, these tech businesses are in such insane ascendancy, and they're so wealthy that it's very hard to regulate them. And I think in time, what will happen is, you know, they'll start to lose some of that luster and some of that insane scale and that power, and then, you know, then regulation will come in. But you know whether or not, we'll see maybe, hopefully our civilization will still be around to see that. Michael Hingson  29:04 No, there is that, or maybe the Vulcans will show up and show us a better way. But you know, Nick Francis  29:11 oh, you know, I'm, I'm kind of endlessly optimistic. I think, you know, we are. We're building towards a very positive future. I think so. Yeah, it's just, you know, get always bumps along the way, yeah. Michael Hingson  29:24 So you named your company casual. Why did you do that? Or how did that come about? Nick Francis  29:30 It's a slightly weird name for something, you know, we work with, kind of, you know, global blue chip businesses. And, you know, casual is kind of the last thing that you would want to associate with, a, with a, with any kind of services business that works in that sphere. I think, you know, we, the completely honest answer is that the journalism course I did was television, current affairs journalism, so it's called TV cadge, and so we, when we made a film for a local charity as part of that course. Course, we were asked to name our company, and we just said, well, cash, cash casual, casual films. So we called it casual films. And then when my friend and I set the company up, kind of formally, to do the Mongol Rally, we, you know, we had this name, you know, the company, the film that we'd made for the charity, had gone down really well. It had been played at BAFTA in London. And so we thought, well, you know, we should just, you know, hang on to that name. And it didn't, you know, at the time, it didn't really seem too much of an issue. It was only funny. It was coming to the US, where I think people are a bit more literal, and they were a bit like, well, casual. Like, why casual, you know. And I remember being on a shoot once. And, you know, obviously, kind of some filmmakers can be a little casual themselves, not necessarily in the work, but in the way they present themselves, right? And I remember sitting down, we were interviewing this CEO, and he said, who, you know, who are you? Oh, we're casual films. He's like, Oh, is that why that guy's got ripped jeans? Is it? And I just thought, Damn, you know, we really left ourselves open to that. There was also, there was a time one of our early competitors was called Agile films. And so, you know, I remember talking to one of our clients who said, you know, it's casual, you know, when I have to put together a little document to say, you know, which, which supplier we should choose, and when I lay it on my boss's desk, and one says casual films, and one says agile films, it's like those guys are landing the first punch. But anyway, we, you know, we, what we say now is like, you know, we take a complex process and make it casual. You know, filmmaking, particularly for like, large, complex organizations where you've got lots of different stakeholders, can be very complicated. And so, yeah, we sort of say, you know, we'll take a lot of that stress off, off our clients. So that's kind of the rationale, you know, that we've arrived with, arrived at having spoken to lots of our clients about the role that we play for them. So, you know, there's a kind of positive spin on it, I guess, but I don't know. I don't know whether I'd necessarily call it casual again. I don't know if I'm supposed to say that or not, but, oh, Michael Hingson  32:00 it's unique, you know? So, yeah, I think there's a lot of merit to it. It's a unique name, and it interests people. I know, for me, one of the things that I do is I have a way of doing this. I put all of my business cards in Braille, so the printed business cards have Braille on them, right? Same thing. It's unique completely. Nick Francis  32:22 And you listen, you know what look your name is an empty box that you fill with your identity. They say, right? And casual is actually, it's something we've grown into. And you know it's we've been going for nearly 20 years. In fact, funny enough for the end of this year is the 20th anniversary of that first film we made for the for the charity. And then next summer will be our 20th anniversary, which is, you know, it's, it's both been incredibly short and incredibly long, you know, I think, like any kind of experience in life, and it's been some of the hardest kind of times of my entire life, and some of the best as well. So, you know, it's, it is what it is, but you know, casual is who we are, right? I would never check, you know? I'd never change it. Michael Hingson  33:09 Now, no, of course not, yeah. So is the actual name casual films, or just casual? Nick Francis  33:13 So it was casual films, but then everyone calls us casual anyway, and I think, like as an organization, we probably need to be a bit more agnostic about the outcome. Michael Hingson  33:22 Well, the reason I asked, in part was, is there really any filming going on anymore? Nick Francis  33:28 Well, that's a very that's a very good question. But have we actually ever made a celluloid film? And I think the answer is probably no. We used to, back in the day, we used to make, like, super eight films, which were films, I think, you know, video, you know, ultimately, if you're going to be really pedantic about it, it's like, well, video is a digital, digital delivery. And so basically, every film we make is, is a video. But there is a certain cachet to the you know, because our films are loved and crafted, you know, for good or ill, you know, I think to call them, you know, they are films because, because of the, you know, the care that's put into them. But it's not, it's, it's not celluloid. No, that's okay, yeah, well, Michael Hingson  34:16 and I know that, like with vinyl records, there is a lot of work being done to preserve and capture what's on cellular film. And so there's a lot of work that I'm sure that's being done to digitize a lot of the old films. And when you do that, then you can also go back and remaster and hopefully in a positive way, and I'm not sure if that always happens, but in a positive way, enhance them Nick Francis  34:44 completely, completely and, you know, it's, you know, it's interesting talking about, like, you know, people wanting to step back. You know, obviously vinyl is having an absolute as having a moment right now. In fact, I just, I just bought a new stylist for my for my record. Play yesterday. It sounded incredible as a joy. This gave me the sound quality of this new style. It's fantastic. You know, beyond that, you know, running a company, you know, we're in nine offices all over the world. We produce nearly 1000 projects a year. So, you know, it's a company. It's an incredibly complicated company. It's a very fun and exciting company. I love the fact that we make these beautifully creative films. But, you know, it's a bit, I wouldn't say it's like, I don't know, you don't get many MBAs coming out of business school saying, hey, I want to set up a video production company. But, you know, it's been, it's been wonderful, but it's also been stressful. And so, you know, I've, I've always been interested in pottery and ceramics and making stuff with my hands. When I was a kid, I used to make jewelry, and I used to go and sell it in nightclubs, which is kind of weird, but, you know, it paid for my beers. And then whatever works, I say kid. I was 18. I was, I was of age, but of age in the UK anyway. But now, you know, over the last few 18 months or so, I've started make, doing my own ceramics. So, you know, I make vases and and pictures and kind of all sorts of stuff out of clay. And it's just, it's just to be to unplug and just to go and, you know, make things with mud with your hands. It's just the most unbelievably kind of grounding experience. Michael Hingson  36:26 Yeah, I hear you, yeah. One of the things that I like to do is, and I don't get to do it as much as I would like, but I am involved with organizations like the radio enthusiasts of Puget Sound, which, every year, does recreations of old radio shows. And so we get the scripts we we we have several blind people who are involved in we actually go off and recreate some of the old shows, which is really a lot of fun, Nick Francis  36:54 I bet, yeah, yeah, sort of you know that connection to the past is, is, yeah, it's great radio. Radio is amazing. Michael Hingson  37:03 Anyway, what we have to do is to train some of the people who have not had exposure to old radio. We need to train them as to how to really use their voices to convey like the people who performed in radio, whatever they're doing, because too many people don't really necessarily know how to do that well. And it is, it is something that we're going to work on trying to find ways to get people really trained. And one of the ways, of course, is you got to listen to the old show. So one of the things we're getting more and more people to do when we do recreations is to go back and listen to the original show. Well, they say, Well, but, but that's just the way they did it. That's not necessarily the way it should be done. And the response is, no, that's not really true. The way they did it sounded natural, and the way you are doing it doesn't and there's reality that you need to really learn how to to use your voice to convey well, and the only way to do it is to listen to the experts who did it. Nick Francis  38:06 Yeah, well, it's, you know, it's amazing. The, you know, when the BBC was founded, all the news readers and anyone who appeared on on the radio to to present or perform, had to wear like black tie, like a tuxedo, because it was, you know, they're broadcasting to the nation, so they had to, you know, they had to be dressed appropriately, right, which is kind of amazing. And, you know, it's interesting how you know, when you, when you change your dress, when you change the way you're sitting, it does completely change the way that you project yourself, yeah, Michael Hingson  38:43 it makes sense, yeah, well, and I always enjoyed some of the old BBC radio shows, like the Goon Show, and completely some of those are so much fun. Nick Francis  38:54 Oh, great, yeah, I don't think they were wearing tuxedo. It's tuxedos. They would Michael Hingson  38:59 have been embarrassed. Yeah, right, right. Can you imagine Peter Sellers in a in a tux? It just isn't going to happen. Nick Francis  39:06 No, right, right. But yeah, no, it's so powerful. You know, they say radio is better than TV because the pictures are better. Michael Hingson  39:15 I agree. Yeah, sure, yeah. Well, you know, I I don't think this is quite the way he said it, but Fred Allen, the old radio comedian, once said they call television the new medium, because that's as good as it's ever going Nick Francis  39:28 to get. Yeah, right, right, yeah. Michael Hingson  39:32 I think there's truth to it. Whether that's exactly the way he said it or not, there's truth to that, yeah, but there's also a lot of good stuff on TV, so it's okay. Nick Francis  39:41 Well, it's so interesting. Because, you know, when you look at the it's never been more easy to create your own content, yeah, and so, you know, and like, in a way, TV, you know, he's not wrong in that, because it suddenly opened up this, this huge medium for people just to just create. Right? And, you know, and I think, like so many people, create without thinking, and, you know, and certainly in our kind of, in the in the world that we're living in now with AI production, making production so much more accessible, actually taking the time as a human being just to really think about, you know, who are the audience, what are the things that are going to what are going to kind of resonate with them? You know? Actually, I think one of the risks with AI, and not just AI, but just like production being so accessible, is that you can kind of shoot first and kind of think about it afterwards, and, you know, and that's never good. That's always going to be medium. It's medium at best, frankly. Yeah, so yeah, to create really great stuff takes time, you know, yeah, to think about it. Yeah, for sure, yeah. Michael Hingson  40:50 Well, you know, our podcast is called unstoppable mindset. What do you think that unstoppable mindset really means to you as a practical thing and not just a buzzword. Because so many people talk about the kinds of buzzwords I hear all the time are amazing. That's unstoppable, but it's really a lot more than a buzzword. It goes back to what you think, I think. But what do you think? Nick Francis  41:15 I think it's something that is is buried deep inside you. You know, I'd say the simple answer is, is just resilience. You know, it's, it's been rough. I write anyone running a small business or a medium sized business at the minute, you know, there's been some tough times over the last, kind of 1824, months or so. And, you know, I was talking to a friend of mine who she sold out of her business. And she's like, you know, how are things? I was like, you know, it's, it's, it's tough, you know, we're getting through it, you know, we're changing a lot of things, you know, we're like, we're definitely making the business better, but it's hard. And she's like, Listen, you know, when three years before I sold my company, I was at rock bottom. It was, I genuinely thought it was so stressful. I was crushed by it, but I just kept going. And she's just like, just keep going. And the only difference between success and failure is that resilience and just getting up every day and you just keep, keep throwing stuff at the wall, keep trying new things, keep working and trying to be better. I think, you know, it's funny when you look at entrepreneurs, I'm a member of a mentoring group, and I hope I'm not talking out of school here, but you know, there's 15 entrepreneurs, you know, varying sizes of business, doing all sorts, you know, across all sorts of different industries. And if you sat on the wall, if you were fly on the wall, and you sit and look at these people on a kind of week, month to month basis, and they all present on how their businesses are going. You go, this is this being an entrepreneur does not look like a uniformly fun thing, you know, the sort of the stress and just, you know, people crying and stuff, and you're like, gosh, you know, it's so it's, it's, it's hard, and yet, you know, it's people just keep coming back to it. And yet, I think it's because of that struggle that you have to kind of have something in built in you, that you're sort of, you're there to prove something. And I, you know, I've thought a lot about this, and I wonder whether, kind of, the death of my father at such a young age kind of gave me this incredible fire to seek His affirmation, you know. And unfortunately, obviously, the tragedy of that is like, you know, the one person who would never give me affirmation is my dad. And yet, you know, I get up every day, you know, to have early morning calls with the UK or with Singapore or wherever. And you know, you just just keep on, keeping on. And I think that's probably what and knowing I will never quit, you know, like, even from the earliest days of casual, when we were just, like a couple of people, and we were just, you know, kids doing our very best, I always knew the company was going to be a success act. Like, just a core belief that I was like, this is going to work. This is going to be a success. I didn't necessarily know what that success would look like. I just but I did know that, like, whatever it took, we would map, we'd map our way towards that figure it out. We'd figure it out. And I think, you know, there's probably something unstoppable. I don't know, I don't want to sound immodest, but I think there's probably something in that that you're just like, I am just gonna keep keep on, keeping on. Michael Hingson  44:22 Do you think that resilience and unstoppability are things that can be taught, or is it just something that's built into you, and either you have it or you don't? Nick Francis  44:31 I think it's something that probably, it's definitely something that can be learned, for sure, you know. And there are obviously ways that it can there's obviously ways it can be taught. You know, I was, I spent some time in the reserve, like the Army Reserve in the UK, and I just, you know, a lot of that is about teaching you just how much further you can go. I think what it taught me was it was so. So hard. I mean, honestly, some of the stuff we did in our training was, like, you know, it's just raining and raining and raining and, like, because all your kits soaking wet is weighs twice what it did before, and you just, you know, sleeping maybe, you know, an hour or two a night, and, you know, and there wasn't even anyone shooting at us, right? So, you know, like the worst bit wasn't even happening. But like, and like, in a sense, I think, you know, that's what they're trying to do, that, you know, they say, you know, train hard and fight easy. But I remember sort of sitting there, and I was just exhausted, and I just genuinely, I was just thought, you know, what if they tell me to go now, I just, I can't. I literally, I can't, I can't do it. Can't do it. And then they're like, right, lads, put your packs on. Let's go and just put your pack on. Off you go, you know, like, this sort of, the idea of not, like, I was never going to quit, just never, never, ever, you know, and like I'd physically, if I physically, like, literally, my physical being couldn't stand up, you know, I then that was be, that would be, you know, if I was kind of, like literally incapacitated. And I think what that taught me actually, was that, you know, you have what you believe you can do, like you have your sort of, you have your sort of physical envelope, but like that is only a third or a quarter of what you can actually achieve, right, you know. And I think what that, what the that kind of training is about, and you know, you can do it in marathon training. You can do it in all sorts of different, you know, even, frankly, meditate. You know, you train your mind to meditate for, you know, an hour, 90 minutes plus. You know, you're still doing the same. You know, there's a, there's an elasticity within your brain where you can teach yourself that your envelope is so much larger. Yeah. So, yeah, you know, like, is casual going to be a success? Like, I'm good, you know, I'm literally, I won't I won't stop until it is Michael Hingson  46:52 right, and then why stop? Exactly, exactly you continue to progress and move forward. Well, you know, when everything feels uncertain, whether it's the markets or whatever, what do you do or what's your process for finding clarity? Nick Francis  47:10 I think a lot of it is in having structured time away. I say structured. You build it into your calendar, but like, but it's unstructured. So, you know, I take a lot of solace in being physically fit. You know, I think if you're, if you feel physically fit, then you feel mentally far more able to deal with things. I certainly when I'm if I'm unfit and if I've been working too much and I haven't been finding the time to exercise. You know, I feel like the problems we have to face just loom so much larger. So, you know, I, I'll book out. I, you know, I work with a fan. I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic assistant who, you know, we book in my my exercise for each week, and it's almost the first thing that goes in the calendar. I do that because I can't be the business my my I can't be the leader my business requires. And it finally happened. It was a few years ago I kind of, like, the whole thing just got really big on me, and it just, you know, and I'm kind of, like, being crushed by it. And I just thought, you know what? Like, I can't, I can't fit other people's face mask, without my face mask being fit, fitted first. Like, in order to be the business my business, I keep saying that to be the lead in my business requires I have to be physically fit. So I have to look after myself first. And so consequently, like, you know, your exercise shouldn't be something just get squeezed in when you find when you have time, because, you know, if you've got family and you know, other things happening, like, you know, just will be squeezed out. So anyway, that goes in. First, I'll go for a bike ride on a Friday afternoon, you know, I'll often listen to a business book and just kind of process things. And it's amazing how often, you know, I'll just go for a run and, like, these things that have been kind of nagging away in the back of my mind, just suddenly I find clarity in them. So I try to exercise, like, five times a week. I mean, that's obviously more than most people can can manage, but you know that that really helps. And then kind of things, like the ceramics is very useful. And then, you know, I'm lucky. I think it's also just so important just to appreciate the things that you already have. You know, I think one of the most important lessons I learned last year was this idea that, you know, here is the only there. You know, everyone's working towards this kind of, like, big, you know, it's like, oh, you know, when I get to there, then everything's going to be okay, you know. And actually, you know, if you think about like, you know, and what did you want to achieve when you left college? Like, what was the salary band that you want? That you wanted to achieve? Right? A lot of people, you know, by the time you hit 4050, you've blown way through that, right? And yet you're still chasing the receding Summit, yeah, you know. And so actually, like, wherever we're trying to head to, we're already there, because once you get there, there's going to be another there that you're trying to. Head to right? So, so, you know, it's just taking a moment to be like, you know, God, I'm so lucky to have what I have. And, you know, I'm living in, we're living in the good old days, like right now, right? Michael Hingson  50:11 And the reality is that we're doing the same things and having the same discussions, to a large degree, that people did 50, 100 200 years ago. As you pointed out earlier, the fact is that we're, we're just having the same discussions about whether this works, or whether that works, or anything else. But it's all the same, Nick Francis  50:33 right, you know. And you kind of think, oh, you know, if I just, just, like, you know, if we just open up these new offices, or if we can just, you know, I think, like, look, if I, if I'd looked at casual when we started it as it is now, I would have just been like, absolute. My mind would have exploded, right? You know, if you look at what we've achieved, and yet, I kind of, you know, it's quite hard sometimes to look at it and just be like, Oh yeah, but we're only just starting. Like, there's so much more to go. I can see so much further work, that we need so many more things, that we need to do, so many more things that we could do. And actually, you know, they say, you know, I'm lucky enough to have two healthy, wonderful little girls. And you know, I think a lot of bread winners Look at, look at love being provision, and the idea that, you know, you have to be there to provide for them. And actually, the the truest form of love is presence, right? And just being there for them, and like, you know, not being distracted and kind of putting putting things aside, you know, not jumping on your emails or your Slack messages or whatever first thing in the morning, you know. And I, you know, I'm not. I'm guilty, like, I'm not, you know, I'm not one of these people who have this kind of crazy kind of morning routine where, like, you know, I'm incredibly disciplined about that because, you know, and I should be more. But like, you know, this stuff, one of the, one of the things about having a 24 hour business with people working all over the world is there's always things that I need to respond to. There's always kind of interesting things happening. And so just like making sure that I catch myself every so often to be like, I'm just going to be here now and I'm going to be with them, and I'm going to listen to what they're saying, and I'm going to respond appropriately, and, you know, I'm going to play a game with them, or whatever. That's true love. You know? Michael Hingson  52:14 Well, there's a lot of merit to the whole concept of unplugging and taking time and living in the moment. One of the things that we talked about in my book live like a guide dog, that we published last year, and it's all about lessons I've learned about leadership and teamwork and preparedness from eight guide dogs and my wife's service dog. One of the things that I learned along the way is the whole concept of living in the moment when I was in the World Trade Center with my fifth guide dog, Roselle. We got home, and I was going to take her outside to go visit the bathroom, but as soon as I took the harness off, she shot off, grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog. Asked the veterinarians about him the next day, the people at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and they said, Well, did anything threaten her? And I said, No. And they said, there's your answer. The reality is, dogs live in the moment when it was over. It was over. And yeah, right lesson to learn. Nick Francis  53:15 I mean, amazing, absolutely amazing. You must have taken a lot of strength from that. Michael Hingson  53:20 Oh, I think it was, it was great. It, you know, I can look back at my life and look at so many things that have happened, things that I did. I never thought that I would become a public speaker, but I learned in so many ways the art of speaking and being relaxed at speaking in a in a public setting, that when suddenly I was confronted with the opportunity to do it, it just seemed like the natural thing to do. Nick Francis  53:46 Yeah, it's funny, because I think isn't public speaking the number one fear. It is. It's the most fit. It's the most feared thing for the most people. Michael Hingson  53:57 And the reality is going back to something that we talked about before. The reality is, audiences want you to succeed, unless you're a jerk and you project that, audiences want to hear what you have to say. They want you to be successful. There's really nothing to be afraid of but, but you're right. It is the number one fear, and I've never understood that. I mean, I guess I can intellectually understand it, but internally, I don't. The first time I was asked to speak after the World Trade Center attacks, a pastor called me up and he said, we're going to we're going to have a service outside for all the people who we lost in New Jersey and and that we would like you to come and speak. Take a few minutes. And I said, Sure. And then I asked him, How many people many people were going to be at the service? He said, 6000 that was, that was my first speech. Nick Francis  54:49 Yeah, wow. But it didn't bother me, you know, no, I bet Michael Hingson  54:54 you do the best you can, and you try to improve, and so on. But, but it is true that so many people. Are public speaking, and there's no reason to what Nick Francis  55:03 did that whole experience teach you? Michael Hingson  55:06 Well, one of the things that taught me was, don't worry about the things that you can't control. It also taught me that, in reality, any of us can be confronted with unexpected things at any time, and the question is, how well do we prepare to deal with it? So for me, for example, and it took me years after September 11 to recognize this, but one of the things that that happened when the building was hit, and Neither I, nor anyone on my side of the building really knew what happened. People say all the time, well, you didn't know because you couldn't see it. Well, excuse me, it hit 18 floors above us on the other side of the building. And the last time I checked X ray vision was fictitious, so nobody knew. But did the building shake? Oh, it tipped. Because tall buildings like that are flexible. And if you go to any tall building, in reality, they're made to buffet in wind storms and so on, and in fact, they're made to possibly be struck by an airplane, although no one ever expected that somebody would deliberately take a fully loaded jet aircraft and crash it into a tower, because it wasn't the plane hitting the tower as such that destroyed both of them. It was the exploding jet fuel that destroyed so much more infrastructure caused the buildings to collapse. But in reality, for me, I had done a lot of preparation ahead of time, not even thinking that there would be an emergency, but thinking about I need to really know all I can about the building, because I've got to be the leader of my office, and I should know all of that. I should know what to do in an emergency. I should know how to take people to lunch and where to go and all that. And by learning all of that, as I learned many and discovered many years later, it created a mindset that kicked in when the World Trade Center was struck, and in fact, we didn't know until after both towers had collapsed, and I called my wife. We I talked with her just before we evacuated, and the media hadn't even gotten the story yet, but I never got a chance to talk with her until after both buildings had collapsed, and then I was able to get through and she's the first one that told us how the two buildings had been hit by hijacked aircraft. But the mindset had kicked in that said, You know what to do, do it and that. And again, I didn't really think about that until much later, but that's something that is a lesson we all could learn. We shouldn't rely on just watching signs to know what to do, no to go in an emergency. We should really know it, because the knowledge, rather than just having information, the true intellectual knowledge that we internalize, makes such a big difference. Nick Francis  57:46 Do you think it was the fact that you were blind that made you so much more keen to know the way out that kind of that really helped you to understand that at the time? Michael Hingson  57:56 Well, what I think is being blind and growing up in an environment where so many things could be unexpected, for me, it was important to know so, for example, when I would go somewhere to meet a customer, I would spend time, ahead of time, learning how to get around, learning how to get to where they were and and learning what what the process was, because we didn't have Google Maps and we didn't have all the intellectual and and technological things that we have today. Well intellectual we did with the technology we didn't have. So today it's easier, but still, I want to know what to do. I want to really have the answers, and then I can can more easily and more effectively deal with what I need to deal with and react. So I'm sure that blindness played a part in all of that, because if I hadn't learned how to do the things that I did and know the things that I knew, then it would have been a totally different ball game, and so sure, I'm sure, I'm certain that blindness had something to do with it, but I also know that, that the fact is, what I learned is the same kinds of things that everyone should learn, and we shouldn't rely on just the signs, because what if the building were full of smoke, then what would you do? Right? And I've had examples of that since I was at a safety council meeting once where there was somebody from an electric company in Missouri who said, you know, we've wondered for years, what do we do if there's a fire in the generator room, in the basement, In the generator room, how do people get out? And he and I actually worked on it, and they developed a way where people could have a path that they could follow with their feet to get them out. But the but the reality is that what people first need to learn is eyesight is not the only game in town. Yeah, right. Mean, it's so important to really learn that, but people, people don't, and we take too many things for granted, which is, which is really so unfortunate, because we really should do a li

"TK", Thomas Kennedy, pulls up on Canada Hoops ! TK sits down with us to share his basketball story thus far. Thomas talks about his season in Slovenia with Ljubljana and what the jump to that league and EuroCup has been like. TK tells us about the goals for the season and how he tries to impact winning. Thomas talks about growing up in Windsor, Ontario, how basketball is a family affair for he and his family and how he started to develop his game. TK takes us through deciding to attend the University of Windsor where he would win National Player of the Year and cement himself as not only an all time Lancer but one of the best USports  players ever as well. Thomas talks about the importance of the CEBL, not only for him but for basketball in Canada and his jump to becoming a pro player. TK talks about being a good pro day in and day out and the lifestyle that comes with it.And you know we talk some Canada Basketball with Thomas. TK shares what wearing the red and white for Canada means to he and his family, the relationships he was formed through Canada Basketball and why he will always try to commit and sacrifice to play for Canada. And Thomas gives us a great Top 5 of all time for Canada Basketball. Much love to Thomas Kennedy for joining us on Canada Hoops !Hit us up on Twitter: @canadahoopspod @TheMattyIrelandHit us up on Instagram: @canadahoopspodcastEmail: canadahoopspodcast@gmail.comhttps://canadahoopspodcast.buzzsprout.com/https://www.youtube.com/@canadahoopspodcast

Historically, the celebration of Christmas and Carnival could overlap, and there is some reason to believe that customs associated with the former were inherited by the latter. A clue to this calendrical shift is offered by the Christmas song, “Carol of the Bells,” which uses the melody of an old Ukrainian New Year;s carol, one which dates back to the era in which New Year was celebrated in March (hence the springtime imagery of its original Ukrainian lyrics). Ukrainian postcard commemorating the folk song”Shchedryk” source of “Carol of the Bells” After a brief look at the variable date chosen to celebrate the New Year throughout European history, we take some time to rethink our modern understanding of what constitutes the Christmas season.  The common notion that the season ends on December 25 or January 1, possibly including the weeks leading up to those dates, in historical understanding, was reversed, with Dec. 25 representing the start of Christmastide, which at the very least ran until Epiphany (Jan. 6) or Candlemas (Feb. 2). The merger of Christmas and Carnival is not only aided by the historically later end date of Christmastide, but also the variable start date for Carnival. A number of regional dates preferred for those festivities are discussed with Germany’s initiation of festivities on November 11 being the earliest. Another reason to suspect that Carnival inherited some of its customs from Carnival is the carnivalesque quality of the Christmas Feast of Fools celebrated anywhere from Dec. 26 to January 6.  The wild, and sometimes dangerous revels celebrated on those days (and discussed in Episode 100) were ended by local bishops at roughly the same time that Carnival celebrations in France and Germany emerged, suggesting  re-channeling of anarchic impulses and customs. Our discussion then turns to the Roman New Year, the January Kalends, which likely inspired chaotic elements around the Feast of Fools. Of particular interest here are accounts of celebrants dressing in animal hides and horns. a custom that seems to have survived in certain Carnival traditions, including a number discussed in my Carnival book.  One of these, the Kurent of Slovenia, who happens to be rather similar to the Austrian Krampus across the country’s northern border. In Western Bulgaria too, another Carnival figure, the Kuker, in western regions also makes  use of animal hides and horns (as well as bells).  Bulgaria also provides us with an interesting 20th-century case study of the merger of the traditions of Christmas (or “Surva,” the Bulgarian New Year) merging with springtime fertility customs of Carnival, both strands being associated with the Kuker. We wrap up with a brief look at Slavic celebrations of the Christmas cycle as Koliade (various spellings), a name for Christmastide and the customs associated with it, particularly door-to-door “good luck visits” incorporating short plays and songs, kolyadka in Ukrainian, the original of “Carol of the Bells” (Shchedryk/”Bountiful Evening”) being one of these songs “New Year’s Carols” (Kolędnicy noworoczni) from “A Polish Year in Life, Tradition and Song” (1900). The sources for this show are Mr. Ridenour’s books The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas and A Season of Madness, Fools, Monsters, and Marvels of the Old-World Carnival.

S harmoniko v rokah in glasbo v srcu Janez Dovč ustvarja unikatne skladbe in pesmi. Za njim je pestro leto. Zaključuje s predstavo Tesla, ki opominja na pomembnost igrivosti in otroškega čudenja, ne glede na leta. Na državnik praznik, dan po Božiču, je v Cankarjevem domu z glasbenimi prijatelji znova pripravil koncert z naslovom Sounds of Slovenia. Pogovor o moči ustvarjalnosti, glasbe, o lepoti družine, odnosov, širše o življenju in vrednotah.

Imagine a place where the air smells of wildflowers, where rivers are untamed, where communities live in harmony with nature and question societal norms of our common world, where sustainability isn‘t a buzzword, but a way of life. This isn't a dream. These places exist and they are what we call “Utopias”. In this podcast episode we embark on a journey to visit utopias in the Alps, from Slovenia to France. Utopias as u-topos: « non-places » are places that do not exist but that are invented to tell things about our common world. The goal is to create narratives, and a common world that could fit in the sustainable development goals of the UN. Utopias can be what we call good examples, and sometimes utopias are just mental creations, places, projects or people. They are designed to let young people explore the Via Alpina route, a path that connects the 8 Alpine states. In 2024 and 2025, within our project “Via Alpina Youth – walking the change” multiple Visit Utopias have been visited. Tune in to find out more! Moderation: Michael Gams Photo: CIPRA Slovenija This podcast was produced within the project Via Alpina Youth and co-financed by the European Union. More informations about the Visit Utopias and the project: https://www.cipra.org/via-alpina-youth

With the passage of the EBU's new Eurovision rules, Israel will be in Vienna while the Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, and Iceland have withdrawn from the Contest. We'll be discussing the fallout from the decision and figuring out how we'll be navigating 2026... Kerflooey Summary What happened at the EBU General Assembly Meeting (1:11) What is happening after the Eurovision vote? (19:16) What will be happening? (26:59) Subscribe The EuroWhat? Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts. Find your podcast app to subscribe here (https://www.eurowhat.com/subscribe). Comments, questions, and episode topic suggestions are always welcome. You can shoot us an email (mailto:eurowhatpodcast@gmail.com) or reach out on Bluesky @eurowhat.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/eurowhat.bsky.social). Join the EuroWhat AV Club! If you would like to help financially support the show, we are hosting the EuroWhat AV Club over on Patreon! We have a slew of bonus episodes with deep dives on Eurovision-adjacent topics.

The year winds down, but our maps are just getting interesting. After a warm reset in Florida, a birthday pilgrimage to Iceland, canyon time in West Texas, an Austin do-over, and a passport-stacking cruise, we took a hard look at what actually made 2025 travel feel good—and what didn't. The frenzy cooled, flight deals quietly returned, and a new mindset emerged: go with intention, spend smarter, and skip the crush.From that lens we reveal seven destinations we're excited about for 2026, all chosen with solo women in mind: Albania's affordable Riviera and rugged Alps, Taiwan's festival-rich culture and flawless transit, Uzbekistan's Silk Road splendor stitched together by high-speed rail, Poland's overlooked mix of medieval squares and Baltic breezes, Slovenia's lakes-and-Alps perfection anchored by walkable Ljubljana, South Korea's Seoul where palaces meet neon and late-night eats, and Mongolia's vast steppe, monasteries, and wild horses that reward guided exploration. Each pick balances safety, value, and texture, offering big experiences without elbowing through the usual lines.We also share why revenge travel finally ran out of steam, how to spot mistake fares without chasing noise, and when shoulder seasons stretch budgets while keeping the magic. If you're ready to trade overdone itineraries for places that still surprise, this guide is your green light. Listen to map your next move, then tell us where you're headed. Subscribe, share with a friend who travels solo, and leave a review with the destination you want us to tackle next.Support the showhttps://www.cherylbeckesch.com hello@cherylbeckesch.com Instagram @solotraveladventures50

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports on a tragedy in the Slovenia section of the Alps.

The European Broadcasting Union held their Winter General Assembly with two consequential votes promised, and somehow, only one vote happened. We discuss the countries that are returning this year, the countries who have dropped out as a response to the vote, and what exactly happened with regards to this year's General Assembly.This week's companion playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/22ZrVhSGLJLYUqDzLxCF8SIsrael's delegation lobbying against expulsion: https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rjx22d1mwgKnesset advances vote to privatize KAN: https://www.timesofisrael.com/the-next-threat-to-israel-at-eurovision-is-coming-from-inside-the-house/ The Eurovangelists are Jeremy Bent, Oscar Montoya and Dimitry Pompée.The theme was arranged and recorded by Cody McCorry and Faye Fadem, and the logo was designed by Tom Deja.Production support for this show was provided by the Maximum Fun network.The show is edited by Jeremy Bent with audio mixing help was courtesy of Shane O'Connell.Find Eurovangelists on social media as @eurovangelists on Instagram and @eurovangelists.com on Bluesky, or send us an email at eurovangelists@gmail.com. Head to https://maxfunstore.com/collections/eurovangelists for Eurovangelists merch. Also follow the Eurovangelists account on Spotify and check out our playlists of Eurovision hits, competitors in upcoming national finals, and companion playlists to every single episode, including this one!

This week, Mike and Laureen remember beloved Rabbi Gary Klein (z"l) and examine Hamas' refusal to honor a disarmament agreement. They unpack George Clooney's offhand comments about Amal Clooney's involvement in drafting the Muslim Brotherhood's constitution, an organization recently designated as a terrorist group in Florida and Texas. They cover major cultural flashpoints, including mainstream magazines boost of anti-Jewish messaging and Eurovision's rejection of an Israeli boycott that triggered the withdrawal of Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland. The hosts spotlight NYC Mayor Eric Adams' executive order barring BDS from city investments and his directive to strengthen protection for houses of worship. Barack Swatt previews CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin's interview with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, amid Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's threat to seek his arrest under the ICC declaration if he visits New York. And British journalist Melanie Phillips explains why she believes the West has embraced the "Palestinian lie," eroding its moral clarity and weakening its defense of democratic values. The hosts wrap up with family-friendly animated films and binge-worthy streaming picks for Chanukah. Thank you for listening, sharing and subscribing to the Third Opinion Podcast!

In this episode, Phillis Levin reads "An Anthology of Rain," the title poem of her newest poetry collection. She guides us through the philosophical underpinnings of her poem, how it informs the book as a whole, and how the surfaces of things can tell us so much about their substance. Phillis Levin is the author of six poetry collections, including An Anthology of Rain (https://barrowstreet.org/press/product/an-anthology-of-rain-phillis-levin/). She is also the editor of The Penguin Book of the Sonnet: 500 Years of a Classic Tradition in English (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/333350/the-penguin-book-of-the-sonnet-by-various/). Levin's honors include a Fulbright Scholar Award to Slovenia, an Ingram Merrill Grant, the Richard Hugo Prize from Poetry Northwest, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Trust of Amy Lowell. To learn more about Phillis and her work, please visit her website. https://phillislevin.com Photo credit: Sigrid Estrada

This session will examine key considerations for leaders, senders, and international travelers/workers in the areas of duty of care, risk assessment, contingency planning, security, and common pitfalls ("lessons learned") in international mission work.

Slovenia’s foreign minister Tanja Fajon commended the Trump administration for working to broker a deal between Russia and Ukraine but said that the continent’s leaders and Ukraine should get a better seat at the ceasefire negotiations. She joined Bloomberg's Joe Mathieu on Balance of Power.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

But we've gone from being in the top seven, to 36th in GDP ranking, with countries like Czech Republic, Lithuania and Slovenia surpassing us. So what does this mean in reality? Do we need to adjust our thinking on where we actually sit in the world? Dr Greg Clydesdale is an author who has written several books on this subject, including 'Waves of Prosperity'.

Are you enjoying this? Are you not? Tell us what to do more of, and what you'd like to hear less of. The Reykjavík Grapevine's Iceland Roundup brings you the top news with a healthy dash of local views. In this episode, Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson is joined by Heimildin journalist Aðalsteinn Kjartansson, and Grapevine friend and contributor Sindri Eldon to roundup the stories making headlines in recent weeks. On the docket this week are: Sigur Rós Join Björk in “No Music For Genocide”, Boycotting Israel“No Music For Genocide” was launched in September this year, and news of Iceland's Björk joining the boycott made headlines. This means that Sigur Rós music will not be available on streaming platforms in Israel, just like the music of Björk, Lorde, My Bloody Valentine and more.Björk Supports Calls For Iceland Boycotting EurovisionOver the weekend, Björk shared an interview with another local music legend and Eurovision fanboy no. 1, Páll Óskar, where he urged the National Broadcaster RÚV to not participate in Eurovision this year, after news broke that Israel would be allowed to participate in the competition next year, leading countries such as Spain, Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia to announce they would not participate in the competition in 2026.Politics Gearing Up For Municipality Elections Next SpringA new poll shows that only 2% of the people of Reykjavík want the current mayor, Heiða Björk Hilmarsdóttir, to continue as mayor. Some names have been tossed around for the upcoming elections in Reykjavík, such as Aðalsteinn Leifsson, the former state negotiator, regional Chief-of-Police Úlfar Lúðvíksson, and Gísli Marteinn Baldursson, a veteran of city policies who has been hosting a popular TV show on the National Broadcaster RÚV for years now. Parties like the Center Party, are looking to gain seats in upcoming elections around all of Iceland, cashing in on their good poll numbers recently.Government's New Transportation Infrastructure Plan Announced To Little FanfareLast week Iceland's government announced a new plan for transportation infrastructure in Iceland. The minister responsible for the new transportation plan, Eyjólfur Ármannsson, got a lot of flack for not having read the report the plan is based on. People in the Eastfjords were unhappy, because the next road tunnel project is not planned for that region, an the city of Reykjavík complained that there are now plans to build up infrastructure around the City Airport, which------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SHOW SUPPORTSupport the Grapevine's reporting by becoming a member of our High Five Club: https://grapevine.is/high-five-club/Or donate to the Grapevine here:https://support.grapevine.isYou can also support the Grapevine by shopping in our online store:https://shop.grapevine.is------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This is a Reykjavík Grapevine podcast.The Reykjavík Grapevine is a free alternative magazine in English published 18 times per year, biweekly during the spring and summer, and monthly during the autumn and winter. The magazine covers everything Iceland-related, with a special focus culture, music, food and travel. The Reykjavík Grapevine's goal is to serve as a trustworthy and reliable source of information for those living in Iceland, visiting Iceland or interested in Iceland. Thanks to our dedicated readership and excellent distribution network, the Reykjavík Grapevine is Iceland's most read English-language publication. You may not agree with what we write or publish, but at least it's not sponsored content.www.grapevine.is

Last week, on Thursday 4 December, EBU members met for the organisation's scheduled General Assembly.At this meeting, Spanish broadcaster RTVE, along with seven other countries, called for a secret ballot on Israel's participation, passing the threshold of five members required for the vote to take place.However, the EBU chose to tie this vote to its proposed new rules for the contest, creating a false dichotomy: accept the new rules with no vote on participation, or reject the rules and carry out a vote on participation. This put broadcasters in an unfairly difficult position, as they could only hold a vote on Israel if they had already rejected the new rules, and they had no guarantee a motion on Israel's removal would pass, meaning a very real risk that they could reject the new rules and Israel stay in the contest, meaning that we'd be doomed to repeat the exact same scenario in 2026 as we've faced in the last two years.As a result, the new rules were approved and an Israeli delegation will be going to Vienna in 2026.It has since become apparent that this result was inevitable, as Roland Weißman, director-general of Austrian broadcaster ORF, went to Israel to assure president Isaac Herzog that he would do everything he could to keep Israel in the contest.And according to Israeli online newspaper Ynet, there was a months-long lobbying campaign carried out behind the scenes involving Herzog and many government advisors to secure Israel's continued presence in the contest - the contest that we keep being told is staunchly apolitical.The team here at Douze Points are saddened and disappointed by the EBU's handling of Israel's participation, and we believe their actions have brought the contest into disrepute.The EBU has acted in bad faith throughout: refusing to take action after Israel's manipulation of the televote in 2024, and then when it happened again in 2025, continuing to insist that the result was valid and legitimate.When finally forced into taking action by their members' protests, they promised a vote on Israel's participation in November of this year, only to cancel it and retable it for the General Assembly a month later, then disingenuously framing the vote in such a way as to stifle discussion.I have said before that I do not believe the proposed rule changes go far enough to prevent further attempts to manipulate the televote, nor do they hold Israel to account in any way for their attempts to fraudulently engineer a win in the last two contests. The original intent of the Eurovision Song Contest was the promotion of harmony and unity across a recently war-torn continent, celebrating the human desire to stand together and create music together even in our darkest moments.Unfortunately, the contest is now choosing to protect the interests of a country that is engaging in genocide: instead of championing the best aspects of humanity, it is encouraging the worst. By turning a blind eye to the horrific war crimes being carried out by Israel, the contest is complicit. But we don't have to be.Following the meeting, the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia all followed through on their promise to boycott the 2026 contest if Israel was participating.We stand with them.And that means, following this episode, Douze Points is taking an indefinite hiatus.Unless the EBU changes course, there will be no more episodes from us, because we simply cannot cover the contest the way we would like to without being morally compromised.Ultimately this was an easy decision to make, but it's also been a hard decision: this is not the ending I envisaged for this podcast, and I wish it didn't have to happen like this. I've loved creating this podcast, researching the history of the show, getting guests on who love the contest as much as I do to share their thoughts, reactions and...

Today, Laura and Paddy are joined by TV critic and broadcaster Scott Bryan to discuss the future of the entertainment industry after Netflix agreed to buy the film and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery for $72 billion. But with regulators and rivals still waiting in the wings, it might just be the start of the saga.And one of the biggest controversies in Eurovision history has been in the news. Four countries (Spain, Netherlands, Slovenia and Ireland) have pulled out over Israel's continued participation in the competition. Remaining countries have until next week to confirm whether they will participate but it raises some difficult questions for the BBC amidst petitions for the them to boycott too.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXdNewscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell It was made by Rufus Gray with Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Darren Dutton. The technical producer was Jonny Hall. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

The Eurovision Song Contest has been thrown into turmoil after four nations said they would boycott next year's event. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia had wanted Israel to be excluded because of the war in Gaza, but a meeting of the European Broadcasting Union said it could take part. Other countries, including Germany, had threatened to walk out if Israel could not participate. Also: A prominent Palestinian militia leader and Hamas opponent has been killed in Gaza. The US military says it conducted another deadly strike on a boat suspected of carrying illegal narcotics as questions mount over the legality of previous attacks. Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sign a peace deal in Washington. A British inquiry has found that Vladimir Putin bears "moral responsibility" for the poisoning of a woman in England with the nerve agent Novichok in 2018. And how a volcanic eruption may have helped spread the Black Death in the 1300s.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

Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:· Ireland, along with Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands, will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest in protest of Israel's participation. RTÉ said in a statement on Thursday that it would be “unconscionable” for Ireland to partake in the event given the “appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there”.· Far more contentious was the proposal to rename Rathgar's Herzog Park in south Dublin. Named in honour of Belfast-born Chaim Herzog, Israel's president from 1983 to 1993, who spent his early childhood in Dublin. Perhaps including the Irish-Jewish community in the process might have dampened a lot of the controversy that has erupted this week.· Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was in Ireland this week, but it was drones more than diplomatic ties that made the headlines. It exposed the gaps in our national security, especially with Ireland holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from next July, when a lot of state leaders will be visiting these shores.· And will the Government's new infrastructure plan to accelerate the delivery of vital projects bear fruit before the next general election? Plus, the panel picks their favourite Irish Times pieces of the week:· Patrick Freyne's continuing vendetta against Kevin the Carrot, a row over state pensions could destabilise Germany's new coalition, and the sudden death of ‘low-key national treasure' Hugh Wallace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pensions continue to be an ongoing source of political instability in Germany and France, we unpack why. Then: Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia will boycott Eurovision 2026 over Israel's participation. Plus: we meet Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys, at ILTM.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is facing dangerous heat and fire conditions as a broad heatwave spreads across the country; The FBI has arrested a man, charging him with planting two pipe bombs near the U.S. Capitol the night before the January 6, 2021, attack; Israel has been cleared to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, prompting Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia to withdraw; Actress Halle Berry has spoken out on women’s health, criticising California Governor Gavin Newsom for rejecting related legislation; Pantone’s 2026 Colour of the Year has the internet shook. Support independent women's media CREDITS Host/Producer: Tahli Blackman Audio Production: Lu HillBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Europe's largest cultural event is once again confronting the tension between entertainment and geopolitics. After the European Broadcasting Union formally confirmed Israel's eligibility for the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, four countries - Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia - immediately withdrew. Their walkout has triggered one of the most serious disputes in the contest's modern history, raising questions about neutrality, artistic expression and how far Eurovision can distance itself from real-world conflicts.

Rapporto Censis sulla situazione sociale del paese: i punti salienti con Giorgio De Rita (nella foto), Segretario generale Censis. Putin fa visita al premier indiano Modi: sul tavolo petrolio e armi. Ci colleghiamo con Marco Masciaga, corrispondente de Il Sole 24 Ore da New Dehli. In cima alla classifica delle buone notizie della settimana la ricomparsa (e crescita) del corallo arancione sui fondali di Bagnoli. Il tutto nel quadro dei lavori di risanamento dell'area, iniziati nelle scorse settimane, in vista dell'America's Cup del 2027. Con noi Gaetano Manfredi, Sindaco di Napoli e Commissario Straordinario per la bonifica e la rigenerazione dell'area di Bagnoli-Coroglio. Eurovision 2026: l'ammissione di Israele scatena il boicottaggio di Spagna, Paesi Bassi, Slovenia e Irlanda. Ci spiega tutto la nostra Marta Cagnola.

1) Giornata mondiale del suolo: l'ecocidio di Gaza. La terra della striscia è sommersa da 61 milioni di tonnellate di macerie e in due anni la quasi totalità delle coltivazioni è stata distrutta. (Alice Franchi) 2) Anche la musica è politica. Spagna, Irlanda, Slovenia e Paesi Bassi si ritirano dall'Eurovision per protestare contro la partecipazione di Israele al contest musicale. (Giulio Maria Piantedosi) 3) “Per affrontare il futuro abbiamo bisogno della giustizia”. Reportage dalla Siria che, a un anno dalla caduta del regime di Assad, prova a guardare avanti. (Emanuele Valenti) 4) Germania, generazione disarmata. Mentre il governo approva la riforma sulla leva militare, gli studenti di tutto il paese scendono in piazza contro la militarizzazione. (Alessandro Ricci) 5) Regno Unito, nel tentativo di tagliare la spesa sociale, il ministro della salute vuole diminuire le diagnosi le diagnosi dei problemi di salute mentale e di disturbi ADHD. (Elena Siniscalco) 6) Mondialità. L'America Latina tra la Cina e la politica del “cortile di casa” degli Stati Uniti. (Alfredo Somoza)

The fallout from the EBU General Assembly vote continues as we hear from one of the broadcasters choosing to withdraw from next year's contest. Natalija Gorščak is the President of the RTV Management Board in Slovenia, and gives her first feature-length interview since her nation quit Eurovision 2026.Click this link to sign up to The Euro Trip + on Patreon for just £4.99 a month.To support the podcast, head to Buy Me A CoffeeFollow us on Twitter, Instagram & TikTok or email hello@eurotrippodcast.com, and find us online at eurotrippodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Broadcasters in Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia and in Spain announced that they would neither show nor take part in next year's competition, due to be held in Vienna. Members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, had earlier decided not to hold a vote on barring Israel from competing. Also on the programme: Vladimir Putin is feted by Narendra Modi on his visit to India; and we hear what the late Steve Cropper, legendary session guitarist, taught Otis Reading.(Picture: Israeli entrant Yuval Raphael ahead of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, in Basel, Switzerland, May 14, 2025 Credit: REUTERS/Denis Balibouse)

President Putin has arrived in India for talks expected to focus on trade and expanding defence ties. India, like China, has been a big purchaser of Russian oil and has been accused by the West of financing the war. We hear from Russia and oil industry experts.Also, why scam centres in Myanmar have attracted the attention of both government forces and insurgent groups.And what next for Eurovision? Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia boycott the song contest after Israel is allowed to compete. We find out this means for the future of the competition.You can contact us on WhatsApp or send us a voicenote: +44 330 678 3033.Picture: Russian President Vladimir Putin visits India, New Delhi - 04 Dec 2025

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have all said they won't send acts to the Eurovision Song Contest next May in protest at Israel's participation. There have been calls for Israel to be excluded because of the war in Gaza, but members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the contest, rejected a push for a vote on the issue. Also on the programme: an Inquiry finds the Russian President Vladimir Putin "morally responsible" for the death by poisoning of Dawn Sturgess in Salisbury; and we remember Steve Cropper, the legendary guitarist who's died at the age of 84.

In questa puntata:- Focus: Gianni Galleri torna a trovarci per parlarci del suo ultimo libro "Spomenik: Viaggio spaziale nella Jugoslavia che resta". Arte, architettura, storia e alla fine anche un po' di calcio

With the news that Israel will be able to participate in next year's Eurovision Song Contest, we bring you the very latest news as at least four countries withdraw from the competition. We share reaction to the news that The Netherlands, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia will be boycotting the event, sharing statements from their broadcasters and asking whether other countries could join them in quitting the contest.We'll also look ahead to what the future of this year's event could hold? Whether two semi-finals are still sustainable? And whether Eurovision itself can survive the ongoing crisis with it's members split on an issue likely to continue to make headlines between now and Vienna.Click this link to sign up to The Euro Trip + on Patreon for just £4.99 a month.To support the podcast, head to Buy Me A CoffeeFollow us on Twitter, Instagram & TikTok or email hello@eurotrippodcast.com, and find us online at eurotrippodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Radio International - The Ultimate Eurovision Experience is broadcast from Malta's Radio 105FM on Tuesday evenings from 2100 - 0059 hours CET. The show is broadcast live on Wednesday evenings from 1900 - 2300 hours CET on the Eurovision Radio International Mixcloud Channel as well as on the Facebook Page of Eurovision Radio International with an interactive chatroom.             AT A GLANCE - ON THE SHOW THIS WEEK  Interview with Cesar Sampson (Austria 2018) done at the Eurovision Club Germany's Convention 2025  The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 National Final Season The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 - Review and Preview (Part 3) Eurovision Spotlight: Austria's History at the Eurovision Song Contest  with Dermot Manning Eurovision News with Dermott Manning in for Nick van Lith from www.escXtra.com Eurovision Birthday File with David Mann Eurovision Cover Spot with David Mann Eurovision Calendar with Javier Leal  National Final Update for Junior and Eurovision Song Contest with Alain Forotti  New Music Releases by Eurovision Artists  Your music requests    Cesar Sampson (Austria 2018) at EC Germany Convention 2025 Interview with Cesar Sampson (Austria 2018):  At the Eurovision Club Germany's annual convention on 22 Nov 2025 in Cologne, Germany four great Eurovision performers where invited to perform in front of an international crowd of Eurovision Fans. Radio International's JP, Marc and Salman were on location in Cologne and conduction interviews with the below artists which you will be able to listen to on the show during the upcoming weeks. Last week on Radio International we heard already the interview with Laura Thorn who represented Luxembourg at the eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "La poupée monte le son" coming 22nd in the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Another artist from the Eurovision 2025 was Klemen who represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song "How much time do we have left" sadly not making it out of his Semi Final.  Then from the Eurovision Song Contest 2004, Jonatan Cerrada represented, as a Belgian, France at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "A chaque pas" coming 15th.   And Cesar Sampson represented Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 coming third with "Nobody but you".    This week on Radio International enjoy the interview and a catch-up with Cesar Sampson from Austria. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025: The 23rd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest will be held on Saturday 13 Dec 2025 from the Gymnastic Hall of the Olympic City in Tblisi in Georgia with young artists from 18 countries taking part. In the running order: Malta, Azerbaijan, Croatia, San Marino, Armenia, Ukraine, Ireland, The Netherlands, Poland, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Georgia, Cyprus, France and Albania.  Returning countries are Azerbaijan, Croatia and Montenegro while Estonia and Germany are taking a break. The Hosts of the show are David Aladashvili and Liza Tsiklauri. The show starts at 1700 hours CET. Last year's Winner was Georgia's Andria Putkaradze who won with the song "To my mom".  Radio International will be introducing the songs to the listeners over the next weeks until the week on the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025. But also there will some highlights from past editions of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.    The Home Composed Song Contest 2025 - We have a Winner:  Congratulations go to ConstantX who won the 34th edition of the the Home Composed Song Contest 2025 with the song "Summer Drifting". For the details visit the website of the Home Composed Song Contest - click here The Home Composed Song Contest is in its 34th year, this is a competition for Eurovision fans who write, perform and produce their own music, who enter their own original song composition (audio only) and then also take part as a jury, to help choose the winning song. This year there are 24 songs from 12 different countries, and you can listen to the songs, and read the lyrics and bios on the official website - click here   Watch the Grand Final Show on the contest's YouTube Channel. Click here to watch the Grand Final.           The Eurovision Spotlight - The history of Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest:  It is Autumn 2025 it also time for the traditional look at the next host country's Eurovision Song Contest entries. JJ won Eurovision 2025 and with that Austria will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in the Wiener Stadthalle on 12 and 14 May 2026 for the two Semi Finals and the Grand Finale to take place on Saturday, 16 May 2026. Over the next weeks and before the National Final Season for 2026, Radio International's team members will be reviewing all the Eurovision entries from Austria. Dermot Manning will be continuing series of the Eurovision Spotlight looking at the history of Austria at the Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision News, New Song Releases, Birthday File, Coverspot, Eurovision Calendar:Also JP will be joined by David Mann for the Eurovision Birthday File and Eurovision Coverspot.  Javier stands in for Nick and will be presenting the Eurovision News courtesy of escXtra.com. There will be a lot of the great new releases of Eurovision artists on the show as well as great Eurovision Classics. Javier will be updating us on the upcoming Eurovision events in the Eurovision Calendar and Alain Forotti gives us already some updates of the National Finals regarding the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2025 and the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 and and....   For full details of this week's Show Content and Play List - click here

This week Hannah is feeling the randy effects of her Vitamin D pearls and the tarot suggests cooling it off. Big S put her heels on in the pissing rain and the huns are brewing a gorgey Creep of the Week special!!! This is a truly international one.  We love your tales so keep sending them in - let's kick off with the stories: 1) Big S has a tale from Niklas - a haunted baroque Danish manor to get us in the Christmassy mood. Huge apols for the Danish Dutch conundrum.  2) Hannah has a super wholesome story about a ghost DOGGY called Hannah - sent in from Trudy in Arkansas.  -interlude where Hannah podcasts alone and becomes devilish- 3) Suzie takes us to Slovenia for the last story - ever heard of TABLE TIPPING? This is seriously spooky. Thank you Anita - we've gone full googey translate too.  P.S. WE DID OUR OWN TABLE TIPPING AND IT GENUINELY MOVED. WANNA SEE? Head to Patreon... Finally we end with ZENNER CARDS and try an ACTUAL telepathy experiment. Apologies it's next to impossible to play along - we will do better next time.  ENJOY HUNSSSSSSS xoxoxoxox  JOIN OUR PATREON! EXTRA bonus episodes AND a monthly ghost hunt for just £4.50!  Or £6 for AD-FREE EPS and weekly AGONY HUNS! We'll solve your problems huns!  Sign up here: www.patreon.com/GhostHuns Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What can we learn from Slovenia's rejection of assisted dying? Can politicians admit their weaknesses? And have pedigree dogs had their day? Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days. With Felicity Capon, Jamie Timson and Arion McNicollImage credit: Jens Buttner/ AFP / Getty Images

It hasn't been a Good Week for the climate since, er, 1820-something? And it wasn't last week, either. But it is a good week for The Europeans, because we're joined by Luisa Neubauer, one of Germany's best-known climate activists. Luisa recently wrote a terrific piece for The Economist about Europe's climate “vibe shift”. We got her insights on what has caused the greenlash and what we ought to be doing about it. It's a thoughtful, self-reflective, heartening conversation we think you'll enjoy.    We're also talking about Brussels' proposed “military Schengen” agreement, which would allow EU member states to move troops and equipment across borders relatively swiftly. (You don't want to know how sluggish things are now.) And we're taking a look at Slovenia's troubling new “Šutar Law”, a security bill that is widely understood to target the Roma minority.   In other news… The Europeans are launching a newsletter! If you want to hear more about what happened in Europe over the past week and find out what we left on the podcast-cutting-room floor, subscribe to GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK over on Substack. New issues hit inboxes on Friday mornings.   And someone else has a new newsletter, too. Our very own Katy Lee has just published the first issue of Millefeuille, an English-language newsletter “for Parisians who are bad at local news”. If you fall in the middle of the Europeans podcast–Francophile Venn diagram, subscribe here.   This week's Inspiration Station recommendations are two newly resurfaced works by Johann Sebastian Bach (here and here) and Carlo Rovelli's book about the physics of time, The Order of Time.  And if you, too, are in the market for a novella to help you knock out your 2025 reading goals, Dominic likes Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These.    Other resources for this episode:   “The surreal 45-day trek at the heart of Nato's defence” - Financial Times, 17 November, 2025  “Commission moves towards ‘Military Schengen' and transformation of defence industry” - European Commission press release, 19 November, 2025  “Why you probably should not re-gauge railways in Europe” - Jon Worth, 30 September, 2025 “Slovenia's ‘Šutar Law' Sets a Dangerous Precedent for Europe” - Roma Foundation for Europe, 18 November, 2025 “Romani Activists Fear Collective Punishment & Discrimination as Slovenia Passes New Security Bill" - European Roma Rights Centre, 7 November, 2025   This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But it's contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Morgan Childs  Editorial support from Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina   YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Phil Rockhauser is a bowyer based in southern Austria in Millstatter See, a beautiful rural lake. On clear days his cozy workshop offers views of the mountains of Slovenia and Italy. He is the author of two books on bow building, both entitled Bogenbau. He learned much of his craft from his mentor, Micha Wolf, including the benefit of carving planes and angles in the bow build process. Please enjoy this episode of Project Quiver on Salish Wolf with Phil Rockhauser. Episode Links: https://www.instagram.com/rockhauser_archery/Project Quiver at Anchor Point ExpeditionsSummary:In this conversation, Todd and Phil explore the journey of bow carving, discussing Phil's beginnings in the craft, the importance of mentorship, and the therapeutic nature of working with wood. They delve into the various types of wood used in bow making, the techniques involved, and the significance of sharing knowledge within the bowyer community. Phil reflects on his passion for bow carving as a hobby rather than a profession, emphasizing the joy it brings to his life and the lessons learned along the way. The conversation also touches on personal interests, family life, and future aspirations in the craft.Show Notes:Phil started bow carving 13-14 years ago.Bow carving has taught Phil patience.The therapeutic nature of bow carving is significant.Phil prefers bow carving as a hobby rather than a profession.Osage wood is Phil's favorite for bow making.Phil emphasizes the importance of mentorship in bow carving.He enjoys sharing knowledge with others about bow making.The beauty of the Austrian landscape inspires Phil's work.Phil's children are encouraged to explore their interests in the workshop.Future projects include improving skills in composite bow making.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Snowboarding Adventures02:42 The Journey into Bow Carving05:33 Learning and Mentorship in Bow Making08:18 The Connection to Nature and Craftsmanship11:16 Balancing Passion and Profession13:58 The Therapeutic Aspects of Bow Carving16:42 Exploring Wood Types and Bow Styles19:25 Innovative Techniques in Bow Carving22:09 The Art of Bow Design and Aesthetics26:15 The Journey of Bow Making Books28:46 Reflections on Bow Making Experience31:39 Teaching and Sharing Knowledge33:43 Influences and Inspirations in Bow Making35:45 Tools of the Trade37:53 Unique Woods and Sourcing Materials39:20 The Art of Bow Making41:06 Balancing Hobbies and Family Life44:41 Future Aspirations in Bow Making49:14 Connecting with the Community

World news in 7 minutes. Tuesday 25th November 2025.Today: Switzerland Ukraine talks. Slovenia assisted dying. Cameroon opposition. South Africa Ukraine trick. US Venezuela terrorist. Jamaica Jimmy Cliff. South Korea Vigilantes. Pakistan suicide bombers. Japan Ukrainian sumo.SEND7 is supported by our amazing listeners like you.Our supporters get access to the transcripts and vocabulary list written by us every day.Our supporters get access to an English worksheet made by us once per week.Our supporters get access to our weekly news quiz made by us once per week.We give 10% of our profit to Effective Altruism charities.You can become a supporter at send7.org/supportContact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7Please leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.We don't use AI! Every word is written and recorded by us!Since 2020, SEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) has been telling the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi, Juliet Martin and Niall Moore every morning. Transcripts, vocabulary lists, worksheets and our weekly world news quiz are available for our amazing supporters at send7.org. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated daily news in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, TEFL teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they use SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it.Get your daily news and improve your English listening in the time it takes to make a coffee.For more information visit send7.org/contact or send an email to podcast@send7.org

World news in 7 minutes. Monday 24th November 2025Today : Europe Ukraine counter-proposal. UK Reform jail. Slovenia euthanasia. Nigeria kidnappings. South Africa G20. Vietnam floods. Israel Lebanon hit. Brazil Bolsonaro arrest. US RFK CDC. Shakira the ancient turtle.SEND7 is supported by our amazing listeners like you.Our supporters get access to the transcripts and vocabulary list written by us every day.Our supporters get access to an English worksheet made by us once per week.Our supporters get access to our weekly news quiz made by us once per week.We give 10% of our profit to Effective Altruism charities. You can become a supporter at send7.org/supportContact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7Please leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.We don't use AI! Every word is written and recorded by us!Since 2020, SEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) has been telling the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi, Juliet Martin and Niall Moore every morning. Transcripts, vocabulary lists, worksheets and our weekly world news quiz are available for our amazing supporters at send7.org. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated daily news in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, TEFL teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they use SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it.Get your daily news and improve your English listening in the time it takes to make a coffee.For more information visit send7.org/contact or send an email to podcast@send7.org

Part 1 - In this episode of Legends of the Brand, host Phil Gordon sits down with Luka Grilc, General Manager of the Alpine Business Unit at Nordica and Tecnica Group, to explore the human side of one of skiing's most iconic brands. From his early days snowboarding and racing in Slovenia to leading global teams across Nordica, Blizzard, Tecnica, and more, Luka shares the journey, mindset, and emotion behind creating products that define the skiing experience.Discover how Nordica continues to evolve after 85 years — balancing heritage and innovation, honoring its racing roots while leading new design trends like the hands-free HF ski boot, and fostering a global community of passionate skiers known as “Nordicans.”This conversation dives deep into:The emotional connection skiers have with Nordica productsThe origin of the “Nordican” philosophy and what it really meansHow the HF boot redefined comfort and performance for modern skiersThe balance between brand legacy and innovation in a fast-changing industryLuka's reflections on leadership, teamwork, and keeping passion alive in businessWhether you're a ski enthusiast, industry insider, or simply someone inspired by brand storytelling and innovation, this episode offers a rare inside look at how one of skiing's most respected leaders is shaping the future of the sport, without losing sight of what truly matters: passion, people, and powder days.Find out more about Nordica at www.Nordica.com Get your next pair of Nordica Skis or Boots from great UK retailers like:Hike and Ride (www.HikeAndRide.co.uk)Ellis Brigham (www.ellis-brigham.com)Naski (www.naskisports.co.uk)

Audio reporter Samantha Broun says young people are "full of life, complicated, passionate, confused, and they want to talk and want to be heard." That's why Sam offers them her curiosity and her caring ear for her project "Small True Things."  Rob spoke to Sam in October for Sound School on the mainstage at the annual Audio Festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 

Dr. Al Grauer hosts. Dr. Albert D. Grauer ( @Nmcanopus ) is an observational asteroid hunting astronomer. Dr. Grauer retired from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2006. travelersinthenight.org From August 2025. Today's 2 topics: - The Trappist-1 planetary system located about 40 light years away in the constellation of Aquarius consists of a small red dwarf star and 7 Earth sized planets. By carefully studying changes in the planet's transit timings and the shape of the dip in the host star's brightness as each planet transits across it, astronomers have been able to measure the orbital period, radius, and approximate mass for each of the 7 planets.   - Recently my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Richard Kowalski discovered 2017 MB1, a 0.4 mile diameter asteroid with the Catalina Sky Survey Schmidt telescope on Mt. Bigelow, AZ. Two hours and 11 minutes later it came into a set images I obtained with the 60 inch telescope on Mt. Lemmon, AZ. After I reported it, the new object was tracked by telescopes in Arizona, New Zealand, Slovenia, Kansas, Australia, Hungary, France, and Brazil.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at info@365DaysOfAstronomy.org.