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Kathy Clugston chairs this week's Gardeners' Question Time from Clarkston Halls in East Renfrewshire, home to one of Scotland's oldest horticultural societies.Joining Kathy are Balmoral's Head of Gardens Kirsty Wilson, ethnobotanist James Wong, and Birmingham Botanical Gardens' Head Gardener Bethan Collerton.The panel tackles questions on reluctant camellias, fragrant planting for a windswept balcony, and how to transform a shady, moss-filled shared garden.Along the way, Bethan visits Glasgow Botanic Gardens' magnificent Kibble Palace, where she joins Robert Jamieson to explore botanical links across the Commonwealth, from the Australian tea tree and towering tree ferns to remarkable araucarias from the South Pacific.Back in Clarkston, the team shares advice on improving the quality of greenhouse-grown grapes, caring for carnivorous pitcher plants, and choosing easy, quick-growing seeds for young gardeners.Producer: Alison Vernon-Smith Assistant Producer: William NortonA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4* If listening on BBC Sounds and you wish to view the plant list, please go to the Gardeners' Question Time website and open this week's episode page.
Could the largest shark that ever lived still be swimming our oceans? Scientists say the megalodon disappeared approximately 3.6 million years ago. Yet for more than a century, experienced fishermen, sailors, explorers, and divers have reported seeing sharks so enormous they defied explanation. In this episode of Dark Outdoors, Chester Moore investigates the enduring legend of the megalodon. From Zane Grey's famous encounter in the South Pacific to Australia's mysterious giant shark reports, the legend of Baja's "Black Demon," and other intriguing eyewitness accounts, we separate documented history from maritime myth. But if these witnesses weren't seeing a living megalodon...what were they seeing? Chester explores the remarkable reality of giant great white sharks, including the legendary catches of Frank Mundus and the famous Deep Blue, along with whale sharks, basking sharks, and the surprising discovery of the megamouth shark—a species science didn't even know existed until 1976. Combining firsthand experience swimming with great white sharks, interviews with leading shark experts, and an investigative approach grounded in science, this episode examines one of the ocean's greatest mysteries while asking a deeper question: Why do stories of giant sharks refuse to disappear? Whether you're fascinated by sharks, cryptozoology, ocean mysteries, or the unexplained, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Topics Covered: Could megalodon still exist? Zane Grey's giant shark encounter The Australian giant shark reports The Black Demon of Baja Frank Mundus and legendary great whites Deep Blue and the world's biggest documented white sharks Whale sharks, basking sharks, and megamouth sharks Why giant shark sightings continue to be reported Follow Dark Outdoors for more investigations into wildlife, true crime, history, conservation, and the unexplained where the natural world meets mystery.
Sentient Seas: Archaeologies of Seascapes and Maritime Rituals (UP Florida, 2026), published by University Press of Florida (2026), offers a global perspective on maritime cultures, examining how societies across time and space have understood and interacted with the sea. Synthesizing archaeological evidence, historical documents, and ethnographic accounts, Ian McNiven explores maritime traditions from ancient civilizations in the Middle East and Mediterranean to medieval Europe and Scandinavia to contemporary Indigenous communities in the South Pacific. McNiven investigates diverse cultural practices including shipbuilding, the treatment of shipwrecks and shipwreck victims, and maritime resource use, interpreting the evidence through the perspectives of mariners who understood the seas to be sentient and capable of acting with intentionality. He introduces the concepts of “terrestrial seascapes” and “ontological switching” to illustrate how land-based shrines and votive offerings extend maritime cosmologies and maintain a liminal transition from land to sea. By bridging anthropological and archaeological research with transdisciplinary blue humanities scholarship, Sentient Seas approaches seas as spiritscapes, recontextualizing folkloric beliefs about maritime superstitions. Ian J. McNiven is Research Professor of Indigenous archaeology at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre at Monash University in Melbourne, and a Chief Investigator with the Australian research Council Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures. He is coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Indigenous Australia and New Guinea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Sentient Seas: Archaeologies of Seascapes and Maritime Rituals (UP Florida, 2026), published by University Press of Florida (2026), offers a global perspective on maritime cultures, examining how societies across time and space have understood and interacted with the sea. Synthesizing archaeological evidence, historical documents, and ethnographic accounts, Ian McNiven explores maritime traditions from ancient civilizations in the Middle East and Mediterranean to medieval Europe and Scandinavia to contemporary Indigenous communities in the South Pacific. McNiven investigates diverse cultural practices including shipbuilding, the treatment of shipwrecks and shipwreck victims, and maritime resource use, interpreting the evidence through the perspectives of mariners who understood the seas to be sentient and capable of acting with intentionality. He introduces the concepts of “terrestrial seascapes” and “ontological switching” to illustrate how land-based shrines and votive offerings extend maritime cosmologies and maintain a liminal transition from land to sea. By bridging anthropological and archaeological research with transdisciplinary blue humanities scholarship, Sentient Seas approaches seas as spiritscapes, recontextualizing folkloric beliefs about maritime superstitions. Ian J. McNiven is Research Professor of Indigenous archaeology at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre at Monash University in Melbourne, and a Chief Investigator with the Australian research Council Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures. He is coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Indigenous Australia and New Guinea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/native-american-studies
Sentient Seas: Archaeologies of Seascapes and Maritime Rituals (UP Florida, 2026), published by University Press of Florida (2026), offers a global perspective on maritime cultures, examining how societies across time and space have understood and interacted with the sea. Synthesizing archaeological evidence, historical documents, and ethnographic accounts, Ian McNiven explores maritime traditions from ancient civilizations in the Middle East and Mediterranean to medieval Europe and Scandinavia to contemporary Indigenous communities in the South Pacific. McNiven investigates diverse cultural practices including shipbuilding, the treatment of shipwrecks and shipwreck victims, and maritime resource use, interpreting the evidence through the perspectives of mariners who understood the seas to be sentient and capable of acting with intentionality. He introduces the concepts of “terrestrial seascapes” and “ontological switching” to illustrate how land-based shrines and votive offerings extend maritime cosmologies and maintain a liminal transition from land to sea. By bridging anthropological and archaeological research with transdisciplinary blue humanities scholarship, Sentient Seas approaches seas as spiritscapes, recontextualizing folkloric beliefs about maritime superstitions. Ian J. McNiven is Research Professor of Indigenous archaeology at the Monash Indigenous Studies Centre at Monash University in Melbourne, and a Chief Investigator with the Australian research Council Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures. He is coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of Indigenous Australia and New Guinea. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day
Deserts, the Arctic, outer space—these extreme environments are often seen as inhospitable places at the edges of our maps. But from the 1940s through the 1960s, spurred by the diverse and unfamiliar regions the US military had navigated during World War II, the United States defense establishment took a keen interest in these places, dispatching troops to the Aleutian Islands, North Africa, the South Pacific, and beyond. To preserve the country's status as a superpower after the war, to pave runways and build bridges, engineers had to understand and then conquer dunes, permafrost, and even the surface of the moon. Sand, Snow, and Stardust: How US Military Engineers Conquered Extreme Environments (University of Chicago Press, 2025) by Dr. Gretchen Heefner explores how the US military generated a new understanding of these environments and attempted to master them, intending to cement America's planetary power. Operating in these regions depended as much on scientific and cultural knowledge as on military expertise and technology. From General George S. Patton learning the hard way that the desert is not always hot, to the challenges of constructing a scientific research base under the Arctic ice, to the sheer implausibility of modeling Martian environments on Earth, Dr. Heefner takes us on a wry expedition into the extremes and introduces us to the people who have shaped our insight into these extraordinary environments. Even decades after the first manned space flight, plans for human space exploration and extraplanetary colonization are still based on what we know about stark habitats on Earth. An entertaining survey of the relationship between environmental history and military might, Sand, Snow, and Stardust also serves as a warning about the further transformation of the planet—whether through desertification, melting ice caps, or attempts to escape it entirely. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Deserts, the Arctic, outer space—these extreme environments are often seen as inhospitable places at the edges of our maps. But from the 1940s through the 1960s, spurred by the diverse and unfamiliar regions the US military had navigated during World War II, the United States defense establishment took a keen interest in these places, dispatching troops to the Aleutian Islands, North Africa, the South Pacific, and beyond. To preserve the country's status as a superpower after the war, to pave runways and build bridges, engineers had to understand and then conquer dunes, permafrost, and even the surface of the moon. Sand, Snow, and Stardust: How US Military Engineers Conquered Extreme Environments (University of Chicago Press, 2025) by Dr. Gretchen Heefner explores how the US military generated a new understanding of these environments and attempted to master them, intending to cement America's planetary power. Operating in these regions depended as much on scientific and cultural knowledge as on military expertise and technology. From General George S. Patton learning the hard way that the desert is not always hot, to the challenges of constructing a scientific research base under the Arctic ice, to the sheer implausibility of modeling Martian environments on Earth, Dr. Heefner takes us on a wry expedition into the extremes and introduces us to the people who have shaped our insight into these extraordinary environments. Even decades after the first manned space flight, plans for human space exploration and extraplanetary colonization are still based on what we know about stark habitats on Earth. An entertaining survey of the relationship between environmental history and military might, Sand, Snow, and Stardust also serves as a warning about the further transformation of the planet—whether through desertification, melting ice caps, or attempts to escape it entirely. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
Deserts, the Arctic, outer space—these extreme environments are often seen as inhospitable places at the edges of our maps. But from the 1940s through the 1960s, spurred by the diverse and unfamiliar regions the US military had navigated during World War II, the United States defense establishment took a keen interest in these places, dispatching troops to the Aleutian Islands, North Africa, the South Pacific, and beyond. To preserve the country's status as a superpower after the war, to pave runways and build bridges, engineers had to understand and then conquer dunes, permafrost, and even the surface of the moon. Sand, Snow, and Stardust: How US Military Engineers Conquered Extreme Environments (University of Chicago Press, 2025) by Dr. Gretchen Heefner explores how the US military generated a new understanding of these environments and attempted to master them, intending to cement America's planetary power. Operating in these regions depended as much on scientific and cultural knowledge as on military expertise and technology. From General George S. Patton learning the hard way that the desert is not always hot, to the challenges of constructing a scientific research base under the Arctic ice, to the sheer implausibility of modeling Martian environments on Earth, Dr. Heefner takes us on a wry expedition into the extremes and introduces us to the people who have shaped our insight into these extraordinary environments. Even decades after the first manned space flight, plans for human space exploration and extraplanetary colonization are still based on what we know about stark habitats on Earth. An entertaining survey of the relationship between environmental history and military might, Sand, Snow, and Stardust also serves as a warning about the further transformation of the planet—whether through desertification, melting ice caps, or attempts to escape it entirely. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies
Deserts, the Arctic, outer space—these extreme environments are often seen as inhospitable places at the edges of our maps. But from the 1940s through the 1960s, spurred by the diverse and unfamiliar regions the US military had navigated during World War II, the United States defense establishment took a keen interest in these places, dispatching troops to the Aleutian Islands, North Africa, the South Pacific, and beyond. To preserve the country's status as a superpower after the war, to pave runways and build bridges, engineers had to understand and then conquer dunes, permafrost, and even the surface of the moon. Sand, Snow, and Stardust: How US Military Engineers Conquered Extreme Environments (University of Chicago Press, 2025) by Dr. Gretchen Heefner explores how the US military generated a new understanding of these environments and attempted to master them, intending to cement America's planetary power. Operating in these regions depended as much on scientific and cultural knowledge as on military expertise and technology. From General George S. Patton learning the hard way that the desert is not always hot, to the challenges of constructing a scientific research base under the Arctic ice, to the sheer implausibility of modeling Martian environments on Earth, Dr. Heefner takes us on a wry expedition into the extremes and introduces us to the people who have shaped our insight into these extraordinary environments. Even decades after the first manned space flight, plans for human space exploration and extraplanetary colonization are still based on what we know about stark habitats on Earth. An entertaining survey of the relationship between environmental history and military might, Sand, Snow, and Stardust also serves as a warning about the further transformation of the planet—whether through desertification, melting ice caps, or attempts to escape it entirely. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
Deserts, the Arctic, outer space—these extreme environments are often seen as inhospitable places at the edges of our maps. But from the 1940s through the 1960s, spurred by the diverse and unfamiliar regions the US military had navigated during World War II, the United States defense establishment took a keen interest in these places, dispatching troops to the Aleutian Islands, North Africa, the South Pacific, and beyond. To preserve the country's status as a superpower after the war, to pave runways and build bridges, engineers had to understand and then conquer dunes, permafrost, and even the surface of the moon. Sand, Snow, and Stardust: How US Military Engineers Conquered Extreme Environments (University of Chicago Press, 2025) by Dr. Gretchen Heefner explores how the US military generated a new understanding of these environments and attempted to master them, intending to cement America's planetary power. Operating in these regions depended as much on scientific and cultural knowledge as on military expertise and technology. From General George S. Patton learning the hard way that the desert is not always hot, to the challenges of constructing a scientific research base under the Arctic ice, to the sheer implausibility of modeling Martian environments on Earth, Dr. Heefner takes us on a wry expedition into the extremes and introduces us to the people who have shaped our insight into these extraordinary environments. Even decades after the first manned space flight, plans for human space exploration and extraplanetary colonization are still based on what we know about stark habitats on Earth. An entertaining survey of the relationship between environmental history and military might, Sand, Snow, and Stardust also serves as a warning about the further transformation of the planet—whether through desertification, melting ice caps, or attempts to escape it entirely. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society
For generations, the story of the Bounty has been told as an adventure - a dramatic clash between Captain Bligh and Fletcher Christian. But for the descendants of those who survived, it's something far more personal. A handwritten register recording births, marriages and deaths is returning to the South Pacific after more than 170 years in Britain.
Read an even deeper-dive into the werewolf trials here: https://weirddarkness.com/wolves-on-trial/Across four centuries of European court records, dozens of men, women, and children confessed to shedding their skins for wolf-hides and hunting under the moon — and the magistrates who heard them believed every word.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/RealWerewolfTrialsREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/43rjhjvpFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: We're all familiar with the concept of werewolves – they are all over pop culture, movies, television, comic books, novels, and every other medium you could possibly imagine. And while they are considered fictional, or at least in the realm of cryptids, that doesn't mean there aren't true stories of reported werewolves in history. (Real Historic Accounts of Werewolves) *** Just the idea of going to prison is enough to scare people into living a squeaky-clean life, but if you're one of the most dangerous prisoners known to exist, ordinary prison would look like a vacation as compared to life in the Florence ADX Supermax Prison. (Life In The Supermax) *** What was supposed to be a two day trip turned into a maritime mystery when the ship, the MV Joyita was discovered floating with no crew on board. What happened? (The Mysterious Abandonment of the MV Joyita)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:37.814 = Show Open00:03:32.506 = Real Historic Accounts of Werewolves, Part 100:28:44.978 = Real Historic Accounts of Werewolves, Part 2 ***00:42:51.099 = The Mysterious Abandonment of the MV Joyita ***01:02:49.562 = Life In The Supermax ***01:15:37.977 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Real Historic Accounts of Werewolves” by Miss Celania for MentalFloss.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p84ut66, Nick Redfern for Mysterious Universe: http://bit.ly/2MFFx5p, WolvesRox on Playbuzz.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p9bjcht, and Tim Flight for HistoricCollection.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p87s85sThe short fable, “The Werewolf” was written by Angela Carter: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yckt8fn6“The Mysterious Abandonment of the MV Joyita” by Marcus Lowth for UFOInsight.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8sux2j“Life In The Supermax” by Jacob Shelton for Ranker.com's Unspeakable Times: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8u82p9(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January, 2022Weird Darkness digs into three dark corners this time out — the real men and women who were tried and executed as werewolves across Early Modern Europe, the South Pacific ghost ship MV Joyita found drifting with all 25 aboard vanished, and daily life inside America's most locked-down prison, the ADX Supermax in Florence, Colorado.It opens with the documented history of lycanthropy trials, tracing the term back through the Old English werwulf and the Greek myth of King Lycaon, whom Ovid recorded being turned into a wolf by Zeus. From there the episode walks through the real cases: the Gandillon family, burned in France in 1598 after the witch hunter Henri Boguet arranged their arrest; Thiess of Livonia, an eighty-year-old man tried in 1692 who claimed to be a benevolent werewolf who fought the Devil for the year's harvest; Peter Stubbe, the "Werewolf of Bedburg," broken on the wheel and beheaded on October 31st, 1589; Gilles Garnier, the "Hermit of Dole," burned alive in 1573 for killing and eating children; the Werewolves of Poligny; the Wolf of Ansbach, an ordinary wolf hanged from a gibbet in a wig and beard in 1685; teenaged Hans the Werewolf, executed in Estonia in 1651; fourteen-year-old Jean Grenier of Gascony, spared the stake and sent to a friary; the "Demon Tailor" of Chalons; and the more modern Spanish serial killer Manuel Blanco Romasanta, the "Werewolf of Allariz," who used lycanthropy as his legal defense, alongside the Ludwigslust and Angers cases and the cannibal beggar Swiatek of Poland.From there the show turns to the MV Joyita, the yacht built in 1931 in Los Angeles for director Roland West and named for his wife, Jewel Carmen. On October 3rd, 1955, she left Apia, Samoa, for the Tokelau Islands carrying 16 crew and nine passengers, and vanished; found over a month later on November 10th by the merchant captain Gerald Douglas, she was drifting more than 600 miles off course, partially submerged but afloat thanks to her cork-lined refrigerated hold. Investigators found the cabin lights on, the clocks stopped at 10:25, the radio tuned to the distress frequency, a doctor's bag holding a scalpel and blood-stained bandages, mattresses stacked over the engine, and all four escape craft gone — with the cargo, and all 25 people, never recovered. Captain Thomas Miller took the blame for sailing on one engine, but the theories that followed ran from mutiny to Japanese fishermen, Soviet submarines, pirates, and insurance fraud, with researcher Robin Maugham laying out the mutiny case in his book The Joyita Mystery.The episode closes inside the United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum Facility in Florence, Colorado, the ADX Supermax that has held Ted Kaczynski, Terry Nichols, Robert Hanssen, Ramzi Yousef, and Zacarias Moussaoui since 1994. Inmates spend 23 hours a day alone in 7-by-12-foot concrete cells with a single 4-inch window angled so the sky and the surrounding mountains stay out of view, communicating through drained toilet pipes and "finger handshakes" through recreation-cage fencing. Former inmates and staff — including warden Robert Hood, who called the architecture itself the control, and prisoner Travis Dusenbury — describe a facility that strips away nearly every trace of ordinary life, the suicide of mentally ill inmate Jose Vega in 2010, and the ongoing lawsuits over medical and mental-health treatment that forced ADX to reevaluate its practices in the mid-2010s.
CLiz Peek discusses the strong American economy, noting that small businesses feel relief as tariff threats abate and inflation falls. Lower energy and gasoline prices have cheered investors. Anecdotal evidence from local bookstores and ice cream parlors reinforces a positive outlook for consumer sentiment. (1)Liz Peek highlights the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America as a significant threat to established Democraticincumbents. Young voters are flocking to radical platforms promising free services. Rahm Emanuel emerges as a blunt voice for the party, urging a challenge against these "loons." (2)Jonathan Schanzer reports on the restart of hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz, where oil prices have hit $87 per barrel. The US is conducting air strikes against Iranian naval assets and drone bases. Schanzer questions why these strategic targets were not hit earlier in the conflict. (3)Jonathan Schanzer explores the Houthi threat in North Yemen and the potential for a wider regional conflict. While the US keeps Israel on the sidelines to avoid escalation, Turkey's "neo-Ottoman" ambitions are rising. Schanzer warns that Turkey seeks to fill the power vacuum left by Iran. (4)Mary Kissel analyzes the failure of the Iran ceasefire, noting that Iran calculated the US lacks the will for ground intervention. The conflict centers on Iran's suspect nuclear program, with potential new targets at Pickaxe Mountain. Public engagement remains low despite rising energy costs. (5)Mary Kissel discusses NATO's decision to reinforce Ukraine with advanced drone technology and Patriot missile manufacturing. Ukraine is hailed as the "future of warfare," transitioning from a security consumer to a security contributor. Kissel emphasizes the need for the US to counter Russian propaganda. (6)Joseph Sternberg examines Germany's economic struggles under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, including a shift toward deregulation and infrastructure borrowing. Massive layoffs at Volkswagen signal the end of traditional "lifetime employment." Merz faces political challenges from Social Democrats who resist aggressive free-market changes. (7)Joseph Sternberg addresses the assassination of former MP Ann Widdecombe, which is being investigated as a possible act of political violence. Sternberg notes that existential political rhetoric on social media often inspires such attacks. These tensions reflect broader global concerns regarding political polarization. (8)Gregory Copley critiques the stalemate in the Persian Gulf, suggesting that US air strikes alone cannot win without a plan for regime change. He advocates for supporting the domestic Iranian population against the clerical leadership. Turkey's opposition to empowering Kurdish forces remains a significant complication. (9)Gregory Copley discusses the inevitability of Ukraine's path to NATO, a move he views as a provocation to Russia. He argues the war preserves President Zelensky's power without a democratic mandate. However, he acknowledges Ukraine's technological ingenuity in developing swarming drone capabilities for modern combat. (10)Gregory Copley highlights Australia's declining regional power as Indonesia and India rise strategically. China'smissile tests and interest in Antarctica further destabilize the South Pacific. As the Antarctic Treaty ends, a scramble for the world's largest oil deposits appears imminent. (11)Gregory Copley details King Charles III's visit to the Isle of Man, the world's oldest continuous parliament. The King also held a private, discreet meeting with Prince Harry. Meanwhile, the UK faces rising anxiety over security for political leaders following the assassination of Ann Widdecombe. (12)Jeff McCausland discusses the closing of the Strait of Hormuz due to Iranian threats from land-based missiles and drones. President Trump faces a dilemma: muddle through, escalate with ground forces, or withdraw. McCausland warns that seizing territory like Kharg Island would result in significant casualties. (13)Jeff McCausland notes that Europe now views Ukraine as a security contributor due to its mastery of drone and robotic warfare. While Putin considers escalation or mobilization, Chinese pressure likely prevents the use of tactical nuclear weapons. The US continues to communicate "serious consequences." (14)Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa condemn Gustavo Petro's refusal to recognize election results in Colombia. They criticize Brazil's President Lula for his silence on criminal leftist regimes. The "Shield of the Americas" alliance is emerging to defend regional democracy and fight corruption. (15)Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa report that 60,000 people are missing in Venezuela following catastrophic earthquakes and government neglect. They propose an emergency temporary government to replace the Rodriguezsiblings. Brazil hosts 700,000 refugees fleeing the "gangland" regime's destruction. (16)All 16 segments formatted, tail numbers (1)–(16). Name check clean: Liz Peek, Peña Esclusa, Araújo with the accent, Ann Widdecombe all correct.
Gregory Copley highlights Australia's declining regional power as Indonesia and India rise strategically. China'smissile tests and interest in Antarctica further destabilize the South Pacific. As the Antarctic Treaty ends, a scramble for the world's largest oil deposits appears imminent. (111930
The U.S. war against Iran is having a profound impact far away from the battlefield, all the way on the other side of Asia in the Western Pacific. There's an emerging consensus among Washington's allies and foes alike that the U.S. will be incapable, unwilling, or a mix of both to fight a war against China in this part of the world. That's prompting a rapid reevaluation of security postures across the region, a shift on full display over the past week: Australia moving to bolster security ties in the South Pacific and Japan building what many see as a new security architecture for the post-American order. Derek Grossman, CGSP's non-resident fellow for the Asia-Pacific and a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, joins Eric to discuss the week's key events in the South China Sea, South Pacific, and Japan's latest moves to build a new intelligence agency.
Medical missionaries are often called upon to provide care that is beyond the scope of their training and previous experience. This interactive case presentation looks at the realities of clinical decision-making in a critically ill snakebitten patient, and offers suggestions on how to navigate similar challenging situations.
Constantine Rousouli is a two-time Tony nominated actor, writer and producer, best known for co-creating, writing, and starring in hit Broadway musical TITANIQUE, which earned four Tony nominations this season, including “Best Musical” and “Best Book of a Musical.” The show is a satirical reimagining of the Oscar-winning feature film Titanic from the point of view of Celine Dion. Connie stars as “Jack Dawson.” TITANIQUE has received rave reviews and critical acclaim including two Lucille Lortel Awards, two Olivier Awards, and Drama League and Drama Desk nominations. The show previously toured off-Broadway in Chicago, Canada, London, Australia, and Paris and kicked off its Broadway run this spring at the St. James Theatre with Connie returning as “Jack” alongside returning castmate & co-creator Marla Mindelle as “Celine Dion” and new cast additions Jim Parsons and Deborah Cox. The production has also extended its Broadway run through the end of September, driven by its continued popularity and positive reception from audiences. Following the success of TITANIQUE, Connie and his longtime collaborator & partner Marla Mindelle debuted their new off-Broadway musical, BIG GAY JAMBOREE, backed by producer Margot Robbie and LuckyChap. Marla & Connie are also developing TROOP! A BEVERLY HILLSICAL with A24 for The Cherry Lane Theatre. Connie & Marla are also currently in development with Broadway Video and UTV on an original half-hour comedy series that they are co-writing and would star in together. The idea came together after Lorne Michaels saw (& fell in love with) TITANIQUE and had Connie & Marla test for SNL. Connie first got his start on Broadway with the revival of Hairspray as “Link Larkin.” He toured with Wicked as “Prince Fiyero”, performed in the Hollywood Bowl run of Hair with Kristen Bell, directed by Adam Shankman, and made waves starring as “Sebastian” in the off-Broadway cult hit Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical Experience. Marla has graced Broadway stages in productions such as South Pacific, Cinderella, and as part of the original cast of Sister Act as “Sister Mary Robert.” Connie's TV & film acting credits include THE OTHER TWO (Comedy Central/Max), 9-1-1 (Fox), AJ AND THE QUEEN (Netflix), THE DEUCE (HBO), the CW reboot of CHARMED as a fan-favorite heartthrob villain, and Blumhouse & Universal's THIS IS THE NIGHT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Winston Peters spoke to John Campbell following the weekend's visit by the Indian Prime Minister and last week's test of a nuclear capable missile by China in the South Pacific.
Norway punches far above its weight as a sporting nation. The success of its athletes might be rooted in the way young Norwegians learn sports – by first focusing on the process, rather than on wins and losses. “It's a human-centered blueprint,” a sports wellness expert tells our writer. “It puts the person first by looking at the player pathway as a human journey, not just a sports journey.” Also: today's stories, including how residents of one Memphis neighborhood are weighing challenges with an AI data center; a look at new cuts to U.S. intelligence operations; and our reviewer's thoughts on “The Wreck of the Mentor,” a strange, true story of a shipwrecked crew on a South Pacific island. Join the Monitor's Clay Collins for today's news.
Here is your Daily Disney News for Saturday, July 11th, 2026 - Disney Springs at Walt Disney World will soon feature a new South Pacific-inspired dining experience with dishes featuring fresh seafood and exotic fruits. - Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain is receiving an upgrade with state-of-the-art visual effects and a new storyline. - A new stage show at Disneyland in Anaheim celebrates Disney Princesses with live performances from favorites like Ariel, Moana, and Elsa. - Disney+ is launching "Behind the Disney Magic," a documentary series offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Disney brings its stories and characters to life. Have a magical day and tune in again tomorrow for more updates.
Taylor Swift is an entertainment juggernaut. She's become one of the best-selling musical artists of all time, with her Eras tour grossing more than $2 billion. During that tour, Swift surprised her audience each night with costume changes to mark different eras of her career. Now, a couple of researchers have figured out how to predict what costumes Swift would wear, when, and if these outfit colors were related to the sentiment of songs being performed. Predicting the colors of Swift's Eras tour is the focus of this episode of Stats and Stories with guests Marina Ferrari de Aquino Klemm and Charlotte M. Jones-Todd. Marina Ferrari de Aquino Klemm is an associate curator at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. She can be found listening to Taylor Swift while she's on marine expeditions throughout the South Pacific, cataloging museum specimens, or analyzing all sorts of biodiversity data. Charlotte Jones-Todd taught as a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She spends her time teaching statistics and coding, fixing bugs, pandering to her pets, and baking bread.
Join Wallace for an action-packed half hour of politics. He is joined by panellists Corin Dann, Jenna Lynch and Sue Bradford. First, how should we be reading into China's missile test in the South Pacific? Then, as coalition partners opt out of backing a proposed social media ban, could National and Labour join forces to get it through? And what does that say about the state of the coalition? Finally, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is decrying the India Free Trade Agreement, even as Prime Minister Modi visits New Zealand for the first time in 40 years
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a visit to the Solomon Islands, while China's test launch of a nuclear capable weapon in the South-Pacific has been labelled "destabilising" for the region.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a visit to the Solomon Islands, while China's test launch of a nuclear capable weapon in the South-Pacific has been labelled "destabilising" for the region.
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Anna Fifield and Phil O'Reilly. First up, Kaikoura has been today's victim of ferocious weather, with the river bursting its banks. Motel owner Fiona Wei explains what she's seen. Then, China's latest missile tests in the South Pacific are "incredibly unwelcome" according to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. International relations expert Robert Patman gives his analysis. And The Post's national affairs editor Andrea Vance has come out of the blocks with a scathing opinion piece on New Zealand First's candidate list.
Australia-China relations are at a significant low, after a Chinese submarine launched a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile in the South Pacific and Anthony Albanese accused Beijing of a ‘provocative’ act that undermined regional peace. Today, the journo who broke the story before the missile was even fired – Ben Packham – joins us from the Solomon Islands. Read more about this story at theaustralian.com.au and see the video by subscribing to our YouTube channel. China launches sea-based missile in South Pacific after Anthony Albanese signs pact with Fiji Commentary by Ben Packham: China claims this was a routine missile test and not tied to our new Fiji deal. Pull the other one ‘Get used to’ our nukes, says China, as US lashes ‘rapid, opaque’ buildup China missile test a nuclear ‘message’ to Australia China missile test raises an intelligence question for PM Editorial: China’s missile test shows it has got the Pacific message This episode of The Front is presented by Claire Harvey, produced by Kristen Amiet and edited by Tiffany Dimmack. Our team includes Lia Tsamoglou, Joshua Burton and Jasper Leak, who also composed our music. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Our Aussie correspondent on exporting beef to Korea, a buoyant horticulture sector, and China’s missile test in the South Pacific. Plus, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s inappropriate comments on Kylie Minogue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend just one day in Auckland as he tours the South Pacific, but one planned event has sparked controversy. A Kia Ora Modi event is planned for that night at Spark Arena, organised by the Indian High Commission - with 12,000 people expected to attend. Massey University professor and researcher Mohan Dutta has raised concerns that the rally will be a 'Hindu nationalist event' and some key dog-whistles have been identified. "It is, I would say, a mix of some ceremonial components - and then particular kinds of messaging around the arrival of India on the global stage as a Hindu nation that specifically speaks to this audience base." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on a visit to the Solomon Islands, while China's test launch of a nuclear capable weapon in the South-Pacific has been labelled "destabilising" for the region.
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports Beijing has conducted a missile test, raising regional concerns.
Anthony Albanese is forced into a humiliating apology over his crude Kylie Minogue comments, China sends a nuclear-capable warning shot into the South Pacific. Plus, Iran stages a funeral spectacle for its slain Supreme Leader.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters says he's 'deeply concerned' by China's testing of nuclear-capable weapons in the South Pacific. Nicholas Khoo, Associate Professor at the University of Otago specialising in Chinese foreign policy spoke to John Campbell.
Today's West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy Podcast for our especially special Daily Special, River City Hash Mondays is now available on the Spreaker Player!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, Patriot Front and Trump tried to ruin the Fourth of July weekend.Then, on the rest of the menu, the Neo Confederate MAGA White House branded the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution as radical leftists who cannot be trusted; Trump will not seek new bids to repair the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool but will “use the same company, because they did a fantastic job;” and, a decline in PH.D. admissions could imperil “a generation of new talent.”After the break, we move to the Chef's Table where a Belgian diamond group that won tariff relief, gifted Trump a lavishly encrusted ring that would be illegal in any other administration; and, Australia and Fiji signed a new bilateral defense alliance against Chinese influence in the South Pacific.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appétit!The Netroots Radio Live PlayerKeep Your Resistance Radio Beaming 24/7/365!“I was never a spy. I was with the OSS organization. We had a number of women, but we were all office help.” — Julia Child Justice PutnamBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/west-coast-cookbook-speakeasy--2802999/support.
A former Defence Minister says it's clear we have to voice our opposition to China testing a nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific. It launched the long-range ballistic test missile yesterday, just hours after warning New Zealand of its plans. Foreign Minister Winston Peters says it's a move inconsistent with peace in the region. Former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp told Mike Hosking it was in the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, which we helped create. He says other nations test missiles, but none in this nuclear free zone. It's also his view that it's likely a coincidence that China tested the missile the same day Australia and Fiji signed a security alliance. Australia and Fiji signed a landmark alliance pledging mutual defence and left the door open to other Pacific nations joining the pact. Mapp told Hosking he doesn't think the test had much to do with the agreement – it takes a bit of time to set up a missile test, and isn't something which can be done in 24 hours. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Tuesday 7th of July, should we be worried about China testing a nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific? And is there actually anything we could do about it? Invest NZ is pushing for $30 billion in investment into data centres, so we got the facts about them from Tech New Zealand's Graeme Muller. And Hannah Waddingham and Octavia Spencer joined from the UK to tell us about their new show ‘Ride or Die'. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Cindy Mitchener and Chris Wikaira. First up, an Oamaru man is frustrated that there wasn't earlier action from the council after evacuating overnight in heavy rain. Then, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says he's "deeply concerned" by China's missile testing in the South Pacific. Geopolitical commentator Selwyn Manning joins the show. And the Act party is proposing to make it an offence to use pets to coerce victims in family violence situations.
Australia is enraged after China fired a submarine-launched nuclear-capable missile in the South Pacific after briefing governments including ours of the plan. Plus, England is through to the quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup after defeating co-hosts Mexico. Read more: China to test nuclear missile in South Pacific after Anthony Albanese signs pact with Fiji Red card, penalty dramas as England edge Mexico, Norway beat BrazilSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
China's understood to have warned our Government it's planning a nuclear-capable missile test within the next 24 hours in the South Pacific. Newstalk ZB understands China's told the Beehive today of the imminent test - the same day Australia and Fiji inked a new defence pact. Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says it's unknown when exactly this test will take place. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hawaiian Concert Guide – Show 705 Theme: "Fickle Mistress" This episode flows naturally through four movements: Identity & Heritage – Traditional Hawaiian values and community. Voyaging & Legacy – Remembering those who carried Hawaiian culture forward. Family & Renewal – Songs of love, hope, and future generations. Exotica Escape – Mid-century tropical lounge before returning home with classic Hawaiian harmony. Opening Welcome everyone to another edition of the Hawaiian Concert Guide. This week we begin in the heart of Hawaiian tradition, celebrating family, community, and the enduring spirit of aloha. Along the way we'll hear legendary voices, modern artists carrying forward the tradition, and finish with another visit to the fascinating world of Martin Denny before closing with the unmistakable harmonies of Hoʻokena. Whether you're listening from Hawaiʻi or somewhere far away where the islands are simply calling your heart home, mahalo for joining us. Song 1 Model T Artist: Ei Nei Album: Ei Nei, Look At Us Background Ei Nei is one of Hawaiʻi's respected contemporary Hawaiian vocal groups. Their recordings emphasize traditional language, acoustic instrumentation, and close vocal harmony rather than commercial production. "Model T" is an unusual title for a Hawaiian recording and immediately catches attention. Analysis The song uses the Ford Model T as metaphor rather than merely nostalgia. Like the famous automobile that continued working long after newer cars replaced it, the song celebrates endurance, reliability, and the value of things built to last. Within Hawaiian culture this becomes symbolic of: kūpuna wisdom family traditions older ways that remain useful today respect for craftsmanship Rather than chasing every modern trend, the song quietly reminds listeners that proven traditions often carry us farther than fashionable innovations. Musically: relaxed swing feel acoustic guitar upright bass warm harmony vocals understated humor The storytelling style feels very local—more "talk story" than performance. Interesting discussion point Many Hawaiian songs preserve everyday island life that might otherwise disappear. Cars, fishing boats, ranch work, neighborhood traditions—all become cultural history through music. Song 2 Pua Līlia / Pulupē Nei ʻIli I Ke Anu Artist: Ei Nei Background This medley combines two traditional Hawaiian compositions. "Pua Līlia" references the lily flower, often symbolizing beauty, affection, and cherished memories. "Pulupē Nei ʻIli I Ke Anu" literally evokes skin chilled by the cold—a poetic Hawaiian expression describing emotional longing as much as physical sensation. Analysis Together the songs explore one of Hawaiian poetry's favorite themes: Nature reflects emotion. Flowers become people. Wind becomes memory. Cold becomes loneliness. Rain becomes tears. This style reflects the Hawaiian poetic tradition known as kaona, where deeper meanings hide beneath seemingly simple descriptions of nature. Listeners familiar with Hawaiian language often hear multiple layers simultaneously. Musically the arrangement allows: graceful vocal blending flowing slack-key influenced accompaniment gentle tempo that lets the language breathe Song 3 Na Mamo O Hōkūleʻa Artist: Eric Lee Album: The Islands Are Calling Background One of the emotional highlights of today's show. The title means: "The Children (Descendants) of Hōkūleʻa." Hōkūleʻa, launched in 1975, transformed Hawaiian cultural identity by proving that Polynesians intentionally navigated the Pacific using traditional celestial navigation. Analysis The song honors: navigators teachers cultural practitioners future generations Rather than focusing only on the canoe itself, Eric Lee celebrates the people inspired by its voyages. The lyrics remind listeners that everyone who learns Hawaiian language, practices hula, paddles canoe, or studies navigation becomes part of that continuing legacy. Musically: contemporary Hawaiian arrangement uplifting chorus layered harmony strong melodic hook This is heritage music without sounding historical. It looks toward the future. Discussion point Very few cultural revival movements have succeeded as dramatically as the Hawaiian Renaissance. Hōkūleʻa became much more than a canoe. It became proof that cultural knowledge could be recovered. Song 4 He Aloha No Kaʻililauokekoa Artist: Eric Lee Background This composition is a tribute song. The title translates approximately as: "Love for Kaʻililauokekoa." Many Hawaiian songs preserve individuals through musical remembrance. Analysis Traditional Hawaiian memorial songs are rarely mournful. Instead they celebrate: character generosity family contribution continuing spiritual presence Love never truly disappears. It simply changes form. Eric Lee's vocal delivery is especially sincere here, avoiding theatrical emotion in favor of heartfelt storytelling. The arrangement leaves space for the lyrics to remain central. Song 5 Brighter Life Artist: Kaleo Phillips Album: E Mama Background Kaleo Phillips represents a younger generation of Hawaiian musicians who comfortably blend island contemporary music with traditional values. Analysis This optimistic composition centers on hope rather than nostalgia. Themes include: gratitude resilience moving forward family support personal growth Rather than ignoring life's hardships, the song suggests that aloha provides strength to overcome them. The production feels modern without abandoning Hawaiian identity. Expect: polished vocals contemporary rhythm accessible melody This is exactly the type of music helping Hawaiian artists reach younger audiences. Song 6 Noe Ke Alaula Artist: Kaleo Phillips Background The title references the red glow of dawn. Morning imagery appears frequently throughout Hawaiian mele. Analysis Sunrise represents: renewal forgiveness beginning again spiritual awakening The composition encourages listeners to embrace each new day with gratitude. The melodic phrasing mirrors the slow appearance of first light over the islands. Instrumentally: relaxed guitar tasteful percussion spacious arrangement It provides a peaceful transition before today's Exotica segment. Exotica Segment Introduction Now we step into another musical universe. During the late 1950s and early 1960s America became fascinated with an imagined South Pacific. The result became known as Exotica. Although not authentically Hawaiian, this music introduced millions to tropical sounds and inspired later interest in genuine Hawaiian music. No artist defined the genre more than Martin Denny. Song 7 Chinese Lullaby Artist: Martin Denny Album: Hypnotique Background Martin Denny frequently blended Asian influences with Polynesian instrumentation. Analysis This recording creates atmosphere more than narrative. Features include: vibraphone marimba bamboo percussion bird calls spacious orchestration Rather than attempting authenticity, Denny paints an idealized dreamscape. Today listeners appreciate Exotica both as historical pop culture and as remarkable studio craftsmanship. Song 8 Hypnotique Artist: Martin Denny Background The title track perfectly demonstrates why Martin Denny became synonymous with Exotica. Analysis Everything is carefully layered. shimmering vibraphone Latin percussion jazz harmony tropical ambience The music intentionally slows the listener's pulse. It isn't dance music. It isn't jazz. It isn't Hawaiian. It's its own unique genre. Many modern lounge and ambient artists continue drawing inspiration from recordings like this. Return to Hawaiian Music After our excursion into imagined tropical paradise, we return to the authentic voices of Hawaiʻi. Few groups have influenced modern Hawaiian harmony as profoundly as Hoʻokena. Song 9 ʻUlili E Artist: Hoʻokena Album: Na Kai ʻEwalu Background Hoʻokena helped define contemporary Hawaiian vocal harmony during the late twentieth century. Their singing balances technical excellence with deep cultural respect. Analysis The title references the ʻulili, the wandering tattler shorebird found throughout Hawaiʻi. Birds often symbolize: travelers messengers freedom migration Like many traditional mele, the bird becomes a poetic stand-in for human experience. Hoʻokena's trademark harmony creates extraordinary warmth throughout the performance. Song 10 Roselani Blossoms Artist: Hoʻokena Background One of Hawaiʻi's beloved standards. The roselani rose has long symbolized affection and cherished memories. Analysis Although the melody feels simple, the emotional depth comes through nuanced harmony and expressive phrasing. The song celebrates: enduring love island beauty treasured relationships Hoʻokena's arrangement demonstrates why they remain among the finest Hawaiian vocal ensembles. Every harmony line serves the melody rather than overpowering it. It makes for a graceful conclusion to today's musical journey. Closing Remarks What a wonderful musical voyage today—from the enduring wisdom symbolized by an old Model T, through the cultural legacy of Hōkūleʻa, into songs of family, remembrance, and hope, then across the dreamy soundscapes of Martin Denny's Exotica before returning home with the timeless harmonies of Hoʻokena. These recordings remind us that Hawaiian music is far more than a style. It is a living tradition that preserves language, history, genealogy, and aloha for future generations. Mahalo for joining me for another edition of the Hawaiian Concert Guide. Until next time, mālama pono, cherish the music, support the artists, and keep Hawaiian music playing wherever you are in the world. A hui hou!
Hear about travel to Fiji as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jonty Crane from jontytravels.com about this island nation where he lived this year. Why should you visit Fiji? Jonty says, "Fiji offers the classic South Pacific island experience, with excellent snorkeling and diving, attractive beaches, and welcoming people. It also has a well-established tourism industry, which accounts for approximately 40% of the economy. Fiji attracts around one million visitors each year, representing about 60% of all tourism in the South Pacific." Jonty's Experience in Fiji ... https://amateurtraveler.com/travel-to-fiji-3/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Understanding how values and communication styles differ across cultures is key to succeeding internationally. That’s why training in cross-cultural communication has become commonplace in the international business world. In this session, we’ll look at 6 dimensions of cross-cultural communication and their application to medical scenarios.
Most people who say they've tried kava have tried a watered-down extract that feels like weak chamomile, then concluded the plant does nothing. Cameron George has spent years arguing that the real thing, whole-root and traditionally prepared, is one of the most misunderstood plant medicines on Earth. In this conversation Aubrey sits down with him for a full masterclass on what kava actually is, why the West got it so wrong, and how a South Pacific root that has anchored entire island civilizations for thousands of years might be the missing piece in the modern search for connection without self-betrayal.Kava occupies a strange category of its own. It relaxes without sedating, opens you emotionally without impairing you, and softens social armor without the crash, the fog, or the regret that follows alcohol. Cameron walks through the pharmacology behind that (the GABA upregulation, the dopaminergic support, the reverse-tolerance phenomenon where the plant becomes more effective with consistent use rather than less) and into the cultural story underneath it, including the poorly constructed studies from 1999 that nearly killed kava's reputation in the West right as it was set to break through. From there the conversation widens into nervous-system repair, the difference between borrowed relief and generative states, the role kava can play in psychedelic integration, and what it means to change your state without leaving yourself behind.Check out TRU KAVA and USE CODE AUBREY10 FOR 10% OFF►Website | https://trukava.com/►Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/trukava/This episode is sponsored by►Metal Mark Gold Aurum Collectable Art | https://mtlmrk.com/►Korrect Life | https://korrectlife.com/| Aubrey Marcus |►Website | https://www.aubreymarcus.com/►Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/aubreymarcus►Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/AubreyMarcus/►X | https://x.com/aubreymarcus►Substack: https://www.aubreymarcus.com/blogs/substack► Love To The Seventh Power: https://chakaruna.com/collections/booksSubscribe to the Aubrey Marcus podcast:►iTunes | https://apple.co/2lMZRCn ►Spotify | https://spoti.fi/2EaELZO ►IHeartRadio | https://ihr.fm/3CiV4x3 ►Partner with the Aubrey Marcus Podcast | https://www.aubreymarcus.com/pages/booking
Jim Warren, director-business development USA for Anderson Vacations, talks with James Shillinglaw about this Calgary-based tour operator, which focuses on selling Canada, but also offers the U.S., including Alaska, and South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand. With four categories of tours, Anderson can be the right solution for your clients' vacation needs—and Warren gives us the reasons why you should sell its tour products. For more information, visit www.andersonvacation.com. All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean, iHeartRadio, Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.
Hawaiian Concert Guide – Show 704 Molokaʻi Sweet Home Music of Home, Heritage, Harmony... and a Journey into Exotica This episode of the Hawaiian Concert Guide celebrates one of the most enduring themes in Hawaiian music: love of home ('āina). From the quiet beauty of Molokaʻi to timeless Hawaiian standards, from contemporary voices carrying on the tradition to the fascinating world of mid-century Exotica, Show 704 takes listeners on a musical journey that explores how Hawaiʻi has inspired both those who call it home and those who dreamed of its distant shores. Our featured artists include Ei Nei, Eric Lee, Kaleo Phillips, Martin Denny, and Hoʻokena, creating a program that blends authentic Hawaiian music with historical musical perspectives. Opening Welcome everyone to another edition of the Hawaiian Concert Guide! I'm Piko, and this episode is titled "Molokaʻi Sweet Home." Tonight we're celebrating music rooted deeply in the Hawaiian Islands—songs about home, family, culture, and identity. Along the way we'll step briefly into the fascinating world of Exotica with Martin Denny before returning home again through the beautiful harmonies of Hoʻokena. So let's begin our journey... Ei Nei Molokaʻi Sweet Home Album: Ei Nei, Look At Us The show opens with a heartfelt tribute to one of Hawaiʻi's most beloved islands. Molokaʻi has long been known as the "Friendly Isle," famous for preserving traditional Hawaiian lifestyles and remaining largely untouched by mass tourism. Unlike Waikīkī or Maui's resort communities, Molokaʻi represents old Hawaiʻi—a place where family, fishing, ranching, and community remain central to everyday life. Musically, Ei Nei creates an intimate atmosphere using: rich vocal harmonies acoustic guitars gentle island rhythm restrained production Rather than emphasizing technical virtuosity, the performance allows the lyrics and harmonies to communicate warmth and belonging. The song immediately establishes the central theme of tonight's program: Home isn't simply where you live—it becomes part of who you are. Hiʻilawe (feat. Mālie Lyman) Next comes one of Hawaiian music's enduring classics. "Hiʻilawe" was written by the legendary Samuel Kalāinaina and celebrates the famous Hiʻilawe Falls in Waipiʻo Valley on Hawaiʻi Island. Over the decades it has become one of the most frequently recorded songs in Hawaiian music, interpreted by everyone from Gabby Pahinui to contemporary artists. Ei Nei's version is notable because it avoids trying to reinvent the classic. Instead they focus on: clean vocal blend tasteful acoustic accompaniment respect for traditional melody The addition of Mālie Lyman adds another vocal texture while maintaining the song's traditional character. This performance serves as a reminder that Hawaiian standards continue living through each new generation of musicians. Eric Lee E Ola No Kākou Album: The Islands Are Calling Eric Lee has become one of Hawaiian music's most respected singer-songwriters. "E Ola No Kākou" translates roughly as: "May We All Live" or "Life for All of Us." Rather than focusing on one island or one family, this song expands the show's perspective toward the entire Hawaiian community. Musically we hear: polished contemporary production strong lead vocals layered harmony modern acoustic instrumentation The arrangement remains distinctly Hawaiian while incorporating production values that make it accessible to worldwide audiences. Its message is optimistic, inclusive, and deeply rooted in aloha. Ke ʻAno O Ka Hawaiʻi The title translates as: "The Nature of Hawaiʻi" or "The Character of Hawaiʻi." Although shorter than many songs in today's playlist, it delivers an important cultural statement. Rather than describing scenic beauty alone, the lyrics explore the qualities that define Hawaiian identity: aloha respect tradition community connection to the land Musically it's concise and melodic, functioning almost like a musical reflection between larger works. Kaleo Phillips Ka Lamakū Album: E Mama "Lamakū" literally means torch or beacon. Within Hawaiian symbolism it often represents: guidance knowledge leadership passing wisdom from one generation to another Kaleo Phillips delivers the song with emotional restraint rather than theatrical intensity. His warm vocal style blends naturally with contemporary Hawaiian acoustic arrangements while remaining firmly grounded in traditional musical values. It's another reminder that Hawaiian music often teaches as much as it entertains. Kuʻulei Awapuhi / Magic Island This medley beautifully combines two very different images. The first half celebrates ʻawapuhi, the fragrant wild ginger flower often associated with affection and beauty. The second half shifts geographically to Magic Island, the man-made peninsula adjoining Ala Moana Beach Park on Oʻahu. The transition works surprisingly well because both songs celebrate cherished places through personal memories. Arrangement highlights include: smooth transitions tasteful steel guitar textures flowing rhythmic accompaniment strong ensemble vocals The medley creates a feeling of taking a leisurely drive through the islands, connecting people with places they love. Exotica Segment Tonight's Exotica segment offers an interesting contrast. Where Hawaiian musicians perform music from within the culture, Exotica was largely created by American composers imagining distant tropical paradise. Although not authentically Hawaiian, Exotica became enormously influential during the 1950s and helped introduce millions of listeners to sounds inspired by Polynesia and the South Pacific. Martin Denny On a Little Street in Singapore Album: Hypnotique Martin Denny became known as the father of Exotica. This piece isn't Hawaiian at all—instead it evokes Southeast Asia through a mixture of: vibraphone unusual percussion lounge rhythms atmospheric orchestration Denny's genius wasn't documentary realism. Instead he created musical travel postcards, inviting listeners to imagine distant exotic locations. The recording captures the optimism and fascination with world travel that characterized post-war America. Voodoo Dreams One of the darker tracks in Denny's catalog. Rather than emphasizing melody, this piece builds atmosphere through: tribal percussion dramatic orchestration mysterious harmonies rhythmic tension It's cinematic rather than traditional. Within today's episode, it serves as a fascinating historical contrast before we return to authentic Hawaiian voices. Hoʻokena He Hawaiʻi Au Album: Nā Kai ʻEwalu Few vocal groups have represented modern traditional Hawaiian music more beautifully than Hoʻokena. "He Hawaiʻi Au" simply means: "I Am Hawaiian." This is perhaps the strongest statement of identity in today's playlist. Immediately listeners notice: rich four-part harmonies effortless vocal blend beautiful dynamic control traditional Hawaiian phrasing After the Exotica segment, this recording feels like returning home. The contrast is intentional. Instead of someone imagining Hawaiʻi, we hear Hawaiians singing about themselves. Ka Puʻulena We conclude tonight with another treasured Hawaiian classic. "Ka Puʻulena" has been performed by generations of Hawaiian musicians and remains one of the repertoire's most beloved mele. Hoʻokena's arrangement showcases everything that makes the group exceptional: impeccable harmony emotional sincerity traditional interpretation outstanding ensemble balance Rather than adding unnecessary embellishment, they allow the song's natural beauty to shine. It is a fitting conclusion to an episode centered on home, identity, and cultural continuity. Closing Thoughts Tonight's playlist followed a musical arc that began on Molokaʻi, traveled through contemporary Hawaiian songwriting, paused briefly in the imagined tropical landscapes of Martin Denny's Exotica, and ultimately returned home through the timeless harmonies of Hoʻokena. The contrast reminds us that Hawaiʻi has inspired musicians around the world for generations—but there remains something uniquely powerful about hearing these stories told by those whose roots run deep in the islands. Whether you're listening from Hawaiʻi or halfway around the globe, we hope tonight's music has brought a little aloha into your home. Mahalo for joining us on Hawaiian Concert Guide Show 704. Until next time, mālama pono, and aloha!
With nearly 1.3 billion disabled people in the world, we assume that the medical community focuses on physical health. But who is helping people with the emotional and spiritual impact of disability? In this session, we will explore the emotional and spiritual impact of disability and how the church and global workers can effectively support the disabled community with this critical need.
Jim Rice from Survivor South Pacific came to play, and this episode of Beyond the Torch is packed with the kind of Survivor stories you only hear when the cameras are off. Courtney is guest co-hosting today with Leslie, so it was interesting when Jim revealed his answer to the question casting asked him about who he thought was the hottest female Survivor and he actually said it was Courtney! He also shared behind-the-scenes South Pacific secrets, and holds nothing back. We dive into the Cochran flip, Coach's controversial loss, casting shenanigans, Survivor myths that drive players crazy, and how the game has changed in the age of social media. It's funny, unfiltered, a little chaotic, and full of the "wait...what?!" moments that make Survivor fans hit rewind. If you love insider stories, hot takes, and plenty of laughs, this one's for you.
Send us Fan MailJUNCTION CITY JUSTICE PODCAST – SUMMER SHORTS"Tim Dyer at the Battle of Cape Esperance"Before he spent thirty-three years protecting the streets of Ogden as a police officer...Before he became a respected member of his community...He was a sailor in a war that would shape a generation.October 11th, 1942.The waters off Guadalcanal were black as coal. American and Japanese warships stalked one another through the darkness, searching for the first sign of an enemy silhouette.Aboard the light cruiser USS Boise, a young sailor named Time Dyer stood ready.What followed would become one of the fiercest naval engagements of the Pacific War—the Battle of Cape Esperance.The USS Boise would charge into the fight against overwhelming odds. Shells screamed through the night. Fires erupted. Men were killed at their stations. Yet somehow, the battered cruiser survived and helped turn the tide against the Imperial Japanese Navy.For Tim Dyer, the battle was more than a page in a history book.It was a night of fear.A night of courage.A night he would carry with him for the rest of his life.In this Summer Shorts episode of the Junction City Justice Podcast, we follow the remarkable journey of an Ogden police officer whose story began long before the badge—on the deck of a warship fighting for survival in the South Pacific.This is the story of WWII veteran Tim Dyer.A sailor.A survivor.A police officer.And a witness to one of World War II's most dramatic naval battles.Ogden, Ogden Utah, Junction City, True Crime, Historic 25th Street, Two-Bit Street, Ogden True Crime, Utah True Crime, Police, Police Podcast, Tales of Policing, History, History Podcast
In 1832, a New Bedford whaleship called the Mentor struck a reef in the remote Pacific archipelago of Palau. The tiny, 100-foot-long ship began sinking immediately, and the 22 men who made up its crew were thrown into one of the most extraordinary survival ordeals in American maritime history. Ten men vanished the night of the wreck and were never seen again. The survivors found themselves stranded among island peoples with their own complex politics, rival confederations, and fifty years of complicated history with Western ships that the castaways knew nothing about. What followed was a story of captivity, starvation, forced tattooing, a rescue that made everything worse, and a years-long scramble across islands and ocean before the last survivors finally made it home. Today's guest is Eric Jay Dolin, author of "The Wreck of the Mentor." We untangle one of the great forgotten stories of the Age of Sail, and explore how fifty years of British guns and gunboat diplomacy warped Palauan politics long before the Mentor arrived, why the men who attacked the castaways with war clubs also cooked them lavish feasts and wept for their dead, and how crewman Horace Holden kept himself alive on a famine-stricken island when almost everything pointed toward death.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Here we are, God's daughters, under attack. Every day the enemy attacks with the hopes of distracting us or distancing us from God. That's why we must put on the full armor God has offered us. He doesn't want his girls vulnerable to the devil, he wants us victorious. Last week we studied the first 3 pieces of our God given armor for the spiritual battle: The Belt of Truth The Breastplate of Righteousness The Shoes of Peace Now, it's time for us to pick up our shield. Ephesians 6:16, “In addition to all these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Okay girls, let's learn about this shield and about those fiery arrows coming our way. Roman soldiers had 2 kinds of shields. One was a small, handheld shield. This is not the shield Paul is talking about. Paul is talking about the other type of shield – the one almost as big as a door. This shield was called the scutum (pronounced sk-U-tum). This shield, the sputum was about 4 feet high and 2 feet wide, made of layers of laminated wood, then covered with leather and bound with iron. The shield was big enough for a soldier to crouch behind and be completely protected. You've likely seen the movies where soldiers are carrying these large rectangular shields and when the enemy forces shoot their arrows, the soldiers stand together in formation with their door like shields held tightly ,forming a barrier all around them, in front of them and above them. That's the precise image of our faith as a shield. We are protected, but not only protected, we are enabled to move forward even while under attack. In this formation with their shields fully protecting them on all sides, the army wouldn't just crouch and endure the attack, they would MOVE FORWARD. Forward towards the objective. Forward towards the goal. Forward towards their mission. Forward, even while the enemy attacked. This is the power of our shield of faith. Now, what bout those arrows? Paul says the devil shoots “fiery arrows” at us. Soldiers in these days would often dip their arrows into a flammable liquid, then light them on fire before launching them at their enemy like a missile. AND THAT IS SATAN'S STRATEGY AGAINST US. Fiery, blazing arrows. His objective is to destroy you and he'll use every single thing at his disposal to do so. Don't be so naive to think he won't come after you. Scripture says he's “like a roaring lion”, and honey, lions don't care if you're cute, they don't care if you're happy, they don't care if you're rich, they don't care if you've got a whole family depending on you … lions want to kill you. Period. You have been under attack. No doubt, it's been happening. Even just this past week, fiery arrows were flying at you. Let me help you identify them: Arrow 1: Tempt you to sin Arrow 2: Get you to ignore the things that would help you Arrow 3: Make you miserable Arrow 4: Make you doubt Arrow 5: Make you settle Remember when you just ignored praying about it? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you didn't make time to open your Bible? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you thought it wasn't a big deal and you could hide it? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you felt so tired, so defeated and so discouraged that you just sat there? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you checked the box but didn't really give it your best? Yip – that was an arrow. Remember when you knew you should, but you didn't – Yip that was an arrow. Remember when you felt guilt and shame over it – Yip that was an arrow. Not to mention all the things you've been dealing with that make you scared, make you hurt, and make you question – All arrows. Now do you see the attacks you are continually facing? This is your every day reality. Girl, you are always under attack. That's why you need this shield of faith. To put it quite simply, the way you defend yourself from Satan's attacks is on a very practical level TRUST WHAT'S TRUE ABOUT GOD. Faith isn't just hearing about God – Faith isn't even just knowing about God – Faith is actively positioning God's promises between your vulnerability and the enemy's fiery assaults. The devil is going to shoot his fiery arrows to tempt you, distract you, discourage you, detour you and defeat you, but that big ol' shield of faith in God's promises is what you actively pick up and hold up to protect you. I know my God. I know his ways. I feel his presence. I receive his strength. I believe his promises. I trust my God. My sister, that is your defense! Faith is what will protect you when the fiery arrows are coming at you. Faith is what will help you advance even when you're under attack. Faith is not optional for this battle, it is essential! So really, what is faith? What a really hard thing to describe. If we're not careful, faith becomes nothing more than hoping or wishing. You know when you apply for a job and you'r pretty sure you're not going to get it because you're not even remotely qualified for it and someone says, “Well, you've got to have faith.” No, that's not faith. That's not what our Bible is talking about. That kind of faith is not a defense. When you're under attack, just wishing that something is true will never give you the defense you need. Let's give faith a real definition. I read about a missionary named John Paton – someone you've likely never heard of before. He was a Scottish missionary who went to the islands of the South Pacific in the 1800's to tell these remote people about Jesus for the first time. He wasn't welcome there. His wife and child died. Yet, he continued. He learned their language, then he set out to translate the entire Bible into their language so they could know about Jesus. While translating scripture, he got to Ephesians chapter 6 and he was stuck on verse 16, “Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Their language had no word for faith. Faith was non-existent in their world, without even a word for it. As John sat in his island hut, stuck on translating this word “faith”, a local man came running and and flopped himself in a chair. He said to John, “It's just so good to rest my whole weight in this chair.” And that's when John knew – that's what faith is. This is how he could explain faith to the islanders. Faith is resting your whole weight on God. With that translation, the islanders understood faith and they came to put their whole weight on God through Jesus. Faith is putting your whole weight on God. If God said it, then it's true, and I believe it. That is faith. Faith is believing what Jesus has done for us, believing what God says about us, and living it out because it's THE truth. That's a shield of faith. Protected from the attacks of the enemy and able to advance! Through the Bible, we know: • God has chosen us. Before this world even began, he predestined that we would be his girls. He chose us first, gave us the family name, and bestowed upon us all the privileges of being his daughters. • God has blessed us. In everything that God has done for us, his intention is to bless us and give us what we don't deserve. • God has sealed us. He put his mark on us saying we belong to him and we're protected by him. • God has promised us an inheritance. We are in line to inherit the kingdom of God and eternal life. Through Jesus, it's our guaranteed destiny. Girl, that's where you're heading and today you're one day closer! God has held absolutely nothing back from you. He's given his all, he's given his best. He's actively taking everything in your life and making it work together for eternally good purposes. And when you put your whole weight on that, you will be able to survive the attacks of the evil one. Not only survive, but advance! When the fiery arrows come flying at you, and they always do – When you're tempted to doubt, leaning towards fear, hurting and questioning, avoiding the very things that will help you most, wandering down paths not meant for you and knocking on the wrong doors – STOP AND REMEMBER WHAT YOU KNOW OF GOD. Remember his promises for you. Remember what he's already done for you through Jesus. But don't just think about those things, LIFT THEM UP. Lift up that shield of faith by actually leaning into what you KNOW IS TRUE ABOUT GOD. Put your full weight on him. You know what you need to do in that moment of wandering, wallowing, wondering and wavering … you need to have a good talk with yourself. Listen here, self, stop this depressed, unhappy nonsense. Stop this wavering. Stop this delaying. Stop wallowing. You stop it now. Stop letting this steal your praise. Stop letting this distance you from Jesus. Stop it. Put your full weight on God. Remember his promises. Lean on them now! It's not going to be easy, but we all need to do this. We need each other to do it for us. Preach to yourself. Remind yourself of God. Arrange your life so that you're in the path of grace as much as possible — reading Scripture daily, praying, surrounding yourself with the right people. Know where you're vulnerable. Look to God, who will grant you the strength that you need. Then put your whole weight in what we know to be true about God. Remember the Roman shield formation? It's one thing to be a single soldier with a shield. Something much better happens when we come together with faith. As we create a shield-wall of faith, we'll be able to advance even when we're under attack. That's why you and I are connected. That's why God has given us an Army of sisters here. We fully put our weight on God in this together and we move forward even while under attack. Where are you being attacked? What fiery arrows are coming your way? What truths about God can you lean into today? Take up your shield of faith! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com