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VHEADLINE: DeepSeek AI: Chinese LLM Performance and Security Flaws Revealed Amid Semiconductor Export Circumvention GUEST NAME: Jack Burnham SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Jack Burnham about competition in Large Language Models between the US and China's DeepSeek. A NIST study found US models superior in software engineering, though DeepSeek showed parity in scientific questions. Critically, DeepSeek models exhibited significant security flaws. China attempts to circumvent US export controls on GPUs by smuggling and using cloud computing centers in Southeast Asia. Additionally, China aims to dominate global telecommunications through control of supply chains and legal mechanisms granting the CCP access to firm data.E 1959
CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1900 KYIV THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS THAT CONGRESS IS CAPABLE OF CUTTING SPENDING..... 10-8-25 FIRST HOUR 9-915 HEADLINE: Arab Intellectuals Fail Palestinians by Prioritizing Populism and Victimhood Narrative in Gaza ConflictGUEST NAME: Hussain Abdul-Hussain SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Hussain Abdul-Hussain about Hamas utilizing the power of victimhood to justify atrocities and vilify opponents. Arab and Muslim intellectuals have failed Palestinians by prioritizing populism over introspection and self-critique. Regional actors like Egypt prioritize populist narratives over national interests, exemplified by refusing to open the Sinai border despite humanitarian suffering. The key recommendation is challenging the narrative and fostering a reliable, mature Palestinian government. 915-930 HEADLINE: Arab Intellectuals Fail Palestinians by Prioritizing Populism and Victimhood Narrative in Gaza ConflictGUEST NAME: Hussain Abdul-Hussain SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Hussain Abdul-Hussain about Hamas utilizing the power of victimhood to justify atrocities and vilify opponents. Arab and Muslim intellectuals have failed Palestinians by prioritizing populism over introspection and self-critique. Regional actors like Egypt prioritize populist narratives over national interests, exemplified by refusing to open the Sinai border despite humanitarian suffering. The key recommendation is challenging the narrative and fostering a reliable, mature Palestinian government. 930-945 HEADLINE: Russian Oil and Gas Revenue Squeezed as Prices Drop, Turkey Shifts to US LNG, and China Delays Pipeline GUEST NAME: Michael Bernstam SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Michael Bernstam about Russia facing severe budget pressure due to declining oil prices projected to reach $40 per barrel for Russian oil and global oil surplus. Turkey, a major buyer, is abandoning Russian natural gas after signing a 20-year LNG contract with the US. Russia refuses Indian rupee payments, demanding Chinese renminbi, which India lacks. China has stalled the major Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project indefinitely. Russia utilizes stablecoin and Bitcoin via Central Asian banks to circumvent payment sanctions. 945-1000 HEADLINE: UN Snapback Sanctions Imposed on Iran; Debate Over Nuclear Dismantlement and Enrichment GUEST NAME: Andrea Stricker SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Andrea Stricker about the US and Europe securing the snapback of UN sanctions against Iran after 2015 JCPOA restrictions expired. Iran's non-compliance with inspection demands triggered these severe sanctions. The discussion covers the need for full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear program, including both enrichment and weaponization capabilities, to avoid future conflict. Concerns persist about Iran potentially retaining enrichment capabilities through low-level enrichment proposals and its continued non-cooperation with IAEA inspections. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 HEADLINE: Commodities Rise and UK Flag Controversy: French Weather, Market Trends, and British Politics GUEST NAME: Simon Constable SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Simon Constable about key commodities like copper up 16% and steel up 15% signaling strong economic demand. Coffee prices remain very high at 52% increase. The conversation addresses French political turmoil, though non-citizens cannot vote. In the UK, the St. George's flag has become highly controversial, viewed by some as associated with racism, unlike the Union Jack. This flag controversy reflects a desire among segments like the white working class to assert English identity. 1015-1030 HEADLINE: Commodities Rise and UK Flag Controversy: French Weather, Market Trends, and British Politics GUEST NAME: Simon Constable SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Simon Constable about key commodities like copper up 16% and steel up 15% signaling strong economic demand. Coffee prices remain very high at 52% increase. The conversation addresses French political turmoil, though non-citizens cannot vote. In the UK, the St. George's flag has become highly controversial, viewed by some as associated with racism, unlike the Union Jack. This flag controversy reflects a desire among segments like the white working class to assert English identity. 1030-1045 HEADLINE: China's Economic Contradictions: Deflation and Consumer Wariness Undermine GDP Growth ClaimsGUEST NAME: Fraser Howie SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Fraser Howie about China facing severe economic contradictions despite high World Bank forecasts. Deflation remains rampant with frequently negative CPI and PPI figures. Consumer wariness and high youth unemployment at one in seven persist throughout the economy. The GDP growth figure is viewed as untrustworthy, manufactured through debt in a command economy. Decreased container ship arrivals point to limited actual growth, exacerbated by higher US tariffs. Economic reforms appear unlikely as centralization under Xi Jinping continues. 1045-1100 HEADLINE: Takaichi Sanae Elected LDP Head, Faces Coalition Challenge to Become Japan's First Female Prime Minister GUEST NAME: Lance Gatling SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Lance Gatling about Takaichi Sanae being elected head of Japan's LDP, positioning her to potentially become the first female Prime Minister. A conservative figure, she supports visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine. Her immediate challenge is forming a majority coalition, as the junior partner Komeito disagrees with her conservative positions and social policies. President Trump praised her election, signaling potential for strong bilateral relations. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 VHEADLINE: DeepSeek AI: Chinese LLM Performance and Security Flaws Revealed Amid Semiconductor Export Circumvention GUEST NAME: Jack Burnham SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Jack Burnham about competition in Large Language Models between the US and China's DeepSeek. A NIST study found US models superior in software engineering, though DeepSeek showed parity in scientific questions. Critically, DeepSeek models exhibited significant security flaws. China attempts to circumvent US export controls on GPUs by smuggling and using cloud computing centers in Southeast Asia. Additionally, China aims to dominate global telecommunications through control of supply chains and legal mechanisms granting the CCP access to firm data.E V 1115-1130 HEADLINE: DeepSeek AI: Chinese LLM Performance and Security Flaws Revealed Amid Semiconductor Export Circumvention GUEST NAME: Jack Burnham SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Jack Burnham about competition in Large Language Models between the US and China's DeepSeek. A NIST study found US models superior in software engineering, though DeepSeek showed parity in scientific questions. Critically, DeepSeek models exhibited significant security flaws. China attempts to circumvent US export controls on GPUs by smuggling and using cloud computing centers in Southeast Asia. Additionally, China aims to dominate global telecommunications through control of supply chains and legal mechanisms granting the CCP access to firm data. 1130-1145 HEADLINE: Taiwanese Influencer Charged for Threatening President; Mainland Chinese Influence Tactics ExposedGUEST NAME: Mark Simon SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Mark Simon about internet personality Holger Chen under investigation in Taiwan for calling for President William Lai's decapitation. This highlights mainland Chinese influence operations utilizing influencers who push themes of military threat and Chinese greatness. Chen is suspected of having a mainland-affiliated paymaster due to lack of local commercial support. Taiwan's population primarily identifies as Taiwanese and is unnerved by constant military threats. A key propaganda goal is convincing Taiwan that the US will not intervene. 1145-1200 HEADLINE: Sentinel ICBM Modernization is Critical and Cost-Effective Deterrent Against Great Power CompetitionGUEST NAME: Peter Huessy SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Peter Huessy about the Sentinel program replacing aging 55-year-old Minuteman ICBMs, aiming for lower operating costs and improved capabilities. Cost overruns stem from necessary infrastructure upgrades, including replacing thousands of miles of digital command and control cabling and building new silos. Maintaining the ICBM deterrent is financially and strategically crucial, saving hundreds of billions compared to relying solely on submarines. The need for modernization reflects the end of the post-Cold War "holiday from history," requiring rebuilding against threats from China and Russia. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 HEADLINE: Supreme Court Battles Over Presidential Impoundment Authority and the Separation of Powers GUEST NAME: Josh Blackman SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Josh Blackman about Supreme Court eras focusing on the separation of powers. Currently, the court is addressing presidential impoundment—the executive's authority to withhold appropriated funds. Earlier rulings, particularly 1975's Train v. City of New York, constrained this power. The Roberts Court appears sympathetic to reclaiming presidential authority lost during the Nixon era. The outcome of this ongoing litigation will determine the proper balance between executive and legislative branches. 1215-1230 HEADLINE: Supreme Court Battles Over Presidential Impoundment Authority and the Separation of Powers GUEST NAME: Josh Blackman SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Josh Blackman about Supreme Court eras focusing on the separation of powers. Currently, the court is addressing presidential impoundment—the executive's authority to withhold appropriated funds. Earlier rulings, particularly 1975's Train v. City of New York, constrained this power. The Roberts Court appears sympathetic to reclaiming presidential authority lost during the Nixon era. The outcome of this ongoing litigation will determine the proper balance between executive and legislative branches. 1230-1245 HEADLINE: Space Force Awards Contracts to SpaceX and ULA; Juno Mission Ending, Launch Competition Heats UpGUEST NAME: Bob Zimmerman SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Bob Zimmerman about Space Force awarding over $1 billion in launch contracts to SpaceX for five launches and ULA for two launches, highlighting growing demand for launch services. ULA's non-reusable rockets contrast with SpaceX's cheaper, reusable approach, while Blue Origin continues to lag behind. Other developments include Firefly entering defense contracting through its Scitec acquisition, Rocket Lab securing additional commercial launches, and the likely end of the long-running Juno Jupiter mission due to budget constraints. 1245-100 AM HEADLINE: Space Force Awards Contracts to SpaceX and ULA; Juno Mission Ending, Launch Competition Heats UpGUEST NAME: Bob Zimmerman SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Bob Zimmerman about Space Force awarding over $1 billion in launch contracts to SpaceX for five launches and ULA for two launches, highlighting growing demand for launch services. ULA's non-reusable rockets contrast with SpaceX's cheaper, reusable approach, while Blue Origin continues to lag behind. Other developments include Firefly entering defense contracting through its Scitec acquisition, Rocket Lab securing additional commercial launches, and the likely end of the long-running Juno Jupiter mission due to budget constraints.
VHEADLINE: DeepSeek AI: Chinese LLM Performance and Security Flaws Revealed Amid Semiconductor Export Circumvention GUEST NAME: Jack Burnham SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Jack Burnham about competition in Large Language Models between the US and China's DeepSeek. A NIST study found US models superior in software engineering, though DeepSeek showed parity in scientific questions. Critically, DeepSeek models exhibited significant security flaws. China attempts to circumvent US export controls on GPUs by smuggling and using cloud computing centers in Southeast Asia. Additionally, China aims to dominate global telecommunications through control of supply chains and legal mechanisms granting the CCP access to firm data. 1942
Zane is back from Asia with wild stories, record-breaking crowds, and gold medals galore. This week on the PicklePod, he sits down with Eric Oncins, who just took back-to-back golds in Malaysia and Vietnam with Tyson McGuffin. They relive the 8,000-fan crowd, the chaos of Southeast Asia, and Eric's unbelievable journey from Brazilian tennis player to pro pickleball star. The guys break down international play, the rise of Asian talent, and that controversial call that rocked the finals. T-Dog rejoins Zane later to unpack what Asia means for pickleball's future — from China's booming scene to Vietnam's meteoric rise — and how international play might reshape the sport.
Toronto native Melissa Rodway took a 4-month trip through Southeast Asia back in 2010, writing lengthy, detailed emails along the way. She's compiled those emails for her new travel memoir, The People You Meet. Mentioned in this episode:Check out the Smart Travel PodcastThis week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:Smart Travel Podcast
This week, the boys cover “Fight Club”, the 1999 movie that is both an of-its-time dark satire and a should-have-been-released-in-2025 heat check. Before we dive into it, we need to get drinking! So we discuss the new Paul Thomas Anderson “Dr. Strangelove”-esque gripping satire (maybe?), “One Battle After Another”, the new Daniel Day-Lewis film “Anemone”, directed by his son, Ronan Day-Lewis, and John made it to the red carpet premier of Guillermo del Toro's latest fright film “Frankenstein”. We also discuss “Highest 2 Lowest” and “Swiped”. It's a busy show! Grab a beer and listen to us drunkenly talk about movies! linktr.ee/theloveofcinema - Check out our YouTube page! Our phone number is 646-484-9298. It accepts texts or voice messages. 0:00 Intro; 04:12 “One Battle After Another”; 12:06 “Anemone”; 17:27 “Frankenstein”; 21:53 1999 Year in Review; 44:00 Films of 1999: “Fight Club”; 1:32:58: What You Been Watching? 1:51:15 Next Episode Additional Cast/Crew: David Fincher, Chuck Palahnuik, Jim Uhls, Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf, Zach Grenier, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, Holt McCallany, Dust Brothers, Jeff Cronenweth, James Haygood, Daniel Day-Lewis, Ronan Day-Lewis, Sean Bean, Samantha Morton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Paul Thomas Anderson, Sean Penn, Thomas Pynchon, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Alana Haim, Guillermo del Toro, Mary Shelley, Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Christoph Waltz, Mia Goth, Charles Dance, Felix Kammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Lily James. Hosts: Dave Green, Jeff Ostermueller, John Say Edited & Produced by Dave Green. Beer Sponsor: Carlos Barrozo Music Sponsor: Dasein Dasein on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ Dasein on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dasein/1637517407 Recommendations/Tags: Highest 2 Lowest, Final Destination: Bloodlines, The Lost Bus, Swiped. Additional Tags: The Dallas Cowboys, Short-term memory loss, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Netflix, AMC Times Square, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, MGM, Amazon Prime, Marvel, Sony, Conclave, Here, Venom: The Last Dance, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Oscars, Academy Awards, BFI, BAFTA, BAFTAS, British Cinema. England, Vienna, Leopoldstadt, The Golden Globes, Past Lives, Apple Podcasts, West Side Story, Adelaide, Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Melbourne, The British, England, The SEC, Ronald Reagan, Stock Buybacks, Marvel, MCU, DCEU, Film, Movies, Southeast Asia, The Phillippines, Vietnam, America, The US, Academy Awards, WGA Strike, SAG-AFTRA, SAG Strike, Peter Weir, Jidaigeki, chambara movies, sword fight, samurai, ronin, Meiji Restoration, plague, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, casket maker, Seven Samurai, Roshomon, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, Stellan Skarsgard, the matt and mark movie show.The Southern District's Waratah Championship, Night of a Thousand Stars, The Pan Pacific Grand Prix (The Pan Pacifics), Jeff Bezos, Rupert Murdoch, Larry Ellison, David Ellison, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg.
On this spooky season edition, join us for the Filipino legend of the Aswang, and the CIA agent who used it as psychological warfare!Sources:Clark, Jordan. “The Maximo Ramos Taxonomical Classifications of the Aswang • the ASWANG PROJECT.” THE ASWANG PROJECT, 1 Oct. 2023, www.aswangproject.com/ramos_aswang/.Blum, William. Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions since World War II. London, Zed Books, 2014.Boot, Max. The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam. Liveright Publishing, 9 Jan. 2018.Lansdale, Edward Geary. In the Midst of Wars: An American's Mission to Southeast Asia. New York, Fordham University Press, 1991.
The most unusual thing about today's story is that almost everyone is going to bruise their lungs. For your sake, I hope it's from laughing. Not everyone will be so lucky.On today's episode: you'll hear about the one part of your body I want you to consider more worthy of fiddling with than your genitals; if you're a stickler for building codes, we're going to take you on a beautiful, potentially one-way hike to see some shoddy-ass worksmanship; and we'll see what makes helicopter rescues as frightening as whatever you did to earn one in the first place. And if you were listening on Patreon… I would use tales of sharks and octopuses and meth and sex toys to try and make today's location more appealing; you would meet the surviving inductees to the No-Parachute Hall of Fame; and you would find out how the greatest construction disaster in US history inspired my idea for an OSHA Violation Ouija Board Game.In this episode, so you know, I was going to start by saying we have a story you're going to fall head over heels for, but that felt like the most unintentionally disrespectful thing I've ever said. I'm also going to teach you the reassuring paleontological roots of why you laugh at this show. It is my unique pleasure to be able to take us all back to Oceana on today's episode. I make a point about how little attention is paid to this part of the world outside of South East Asia. Actually, I make a few points about it, as I've done in the past as well. This is, sadly, one of those episodes were young people will die terribly, and frighteningly, but it's also one of those stories that offers two things. First, a silver lining and legacy of change and safety, sure – but second, a chance to really get your torches and knives out for a government that dropped a ball and then walked behind it kicking it the whole way. I know a lot of listeners get a kind of malicious satisfaction or bureaucraschadenfreude when people in positions of responsibility for our stories get their heads removed. You'll just have to wait and see. And because we're now into October and the Halloween Season, I will be creating a masterpiece of horror and gore for our next episode. This is one I originally started writing all the way back in 2016 (yes, it took four years to get this show rolling). I shelved it though. Too violent. Too many limbs. Well, five years in, you've all proven how hard it is to scare you off, so from the annals of history comes our most frightening episode ever. Maybe. It's relative I suppose. All older episodes can be found on any of your favorite channelsLApple : https://tinyurl.com/5fnbumdw Spotify : https://tinyurl.com/73tb3uuw IHeartRadio : https://tinyurl.com/vwczpv5j Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w Stitcher : https://tinyurl.com/mcyxt6vw Google : https://tinyurl.com/3fjfxatt Spreaker : https://tinyurl.com/fm5y22su Podchaser : https://tinyurl.com/263kda6w RadioPublic : https://tinyurl.com/w67b4kec PocketCasts. : https://pca.st/ef1165v3 CastBox : https://tinyurl.com/4xjpptdr Breaker. : https://tinyurl.com/4cbpfayt Deezer. : https://tinyurl.com/5nmexvwt Follow us on the socials for more:Facebook : www.facebook.com/doomsdaypodcast Instagram : www.instagram.com/doomsdaypodcast Twitter : www.twitter.com/doomsdaypodcast TikTok : https://www.tiktok.com/@doomsday.the.podcastIf you like the idea of your podcast hosts wearing more than duct tape and bits of old Halloween costumes for clothes and can spare a buck or two, you can now buy me a coffee at www.buymeacoffee.com/doomsday or join the patreon at www.funeralkazoo.com/doomsdayBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/doomsday-history-s-most-dangerous-podcast--4866335/support.
The 2025 World Championships are next week! What do you need to know before the first ever Southeast Asian world championships? Who are our top all-arounders? We look at the data and tell you subdivision by subdivision WIN STUFF Raffle: Win a Full Commission Episode for $10! Raffle closes Oct. 7th! Club Gym Nerd Membership Scholarship GymCastic is matching all donations Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far UP NEXT: Behind The Scenes: Live Podium Training Report podcast with Q&A from Jakarta on October 17th. Chapters - pre auto-ad insertion 00:00 Show Intro – Why This Worlds is Different (No Teams!) 05:19 Individual Worlds Stories – Deng Yalan ; Misha Koudinov 09:55 Roster by the Numbers – Record Entries, Age Trends & Veterans 16:37 All-Around Preview & Draft – Jessica & Spencer Pick Their Lineups 30:00 Subdivision 1 – Japan Beam Standard, Fun Floor, Dutch Bars 30:30 Subdivision 2 – Canada Legends & Newbies, South Korea Beam Challenge 31:00 Subdivision 3 – Kaylia Nemour, Beam Nerd Session, Germany's Glow-Up 31:30 Subdivision 4 – USA & Great Britain, Marta PK's 13th Worlds 32:00 Subdivision 5 – Italy & France, Asia D'Amato Returns, Charpy Revenge Tour 32:30 Subdivision 6 – Romania, Ruby Pass & Australia, Jade Vansteenkiste 33:00 Subdivision 7 – Philippines Team, Host Indonesia, Mexico Veterans 33:30 Subdivision 8 – Brazil with Flavia, South Africa, Chile, Norway 34:00 Subdivision 9 – Neutral Russians, Vault Specialists 34:30 Subdivision 10 – China Anchors, Spain's Petisco, Hungary's Mayer 38:27 Updates – Live Podcasts, Raffle & Scholarships 45:00 Ad Break – Club Gym Nerd Bonus Coverage 54:45 Gymternet News – Russia's Scoring Experiments & Clemson Scandal 1:08:00 Show Close – What's Next from Jakarta WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW The World Championships are here! We are recording 8 podcasts LIVE from Jakarta Check out the new GymCastic World Championships headquarters for podcast schedules, competition schedules, and competition previews The World Championships are coming to Southeast Asia for the first time! What should we know about the host, venue, and format of this competition? Sexism alert: the men are awarded more prize money than the women Why are these championships called a Jessica worlds? How is it different from the other worlds? Why we're so excited for this to be the year of Deng Yalan (China) The story of Misha Koudinov getting the full twisting front tuck over the high bar and why we think something similar could happen again this year SPENCER'S GYMNASTICS LAB There are currently 186 women on the roster which is HUGE How does this year's participation compare to individual worlds of the past? Do we think participation has to do with geographic proximity to the host nation? Or is there a wider trend? What percentage of gymnasts are at their first World Championships? What is the average age of gymnasts at these Championships? Who are the World and Olympic medalists competing here? ALL-AROUND DRAFT with PREVIEW This is a wide open year, who do we want included in the medal conversation? Who might Dulcy their way onto the podium? Jessica and Spencer each pick their “lead group” - the six gymnasts starting on vault and competing in Olympic order in the AA final The United States has won an all-around medal every year since 2001. Do we think this could be the year where that streak is broken? 30 SECOND SUBDIVISION PREVIEW Subdivision 1: The fun floor workers session Okamura Mana setting the gold standard for artistry on beam Our favorite fun floor contenders, Charlize Moerz and Hillary Heron Watch out for Dutch bar workers like Sanna Veerman and Naomi Visser Subdivision 2: The legends and newbies session Canada is bringing legends and newbies: Ellie Black, Shallon Olsen, Lia-Monica Fontaine, and Gabrielle Black. Our big question is who isn't vaulting in qualification? Hwang Seohyun is not here to play around on beam and is bringing a potential 6.9 D-score! Kaia Tanskanen bringing some NCAA realness to the elite world Subdivision 3: The glow up queens session Kaylia Nemour. You might have heard of her. Our favorite Taiwanese beamers Lai Pin-Ju and Ting Hua-Tien are here and might not make a final, but they will fill our emotional chalk bucket Germany and Karina Schoemaier winning the glow-up queen of the year award Subdivision 4: The grown ass women session The United States is here. What kind of performance are we expecting? Do we think Ruby Evans brought her Amanar back? Martha PK is back for her THIRTEENTH World Championships! Subdivision 5: The Italy and France artistry session Asia D'Amato is so back and will be competing at her first Worlds since 2021 Lorette Charpy and Celia Serber are on their no-Olympic revenge tour Thelma Aðalsteinsdóttir has some cool skills she's bringing to the table Subdivision 6: The 'What Will Romania Do?' Subdivision Will Romania's Sabrina Voinea hit and make multiple finals? Denisa Golgota is soo back, could she make finals? How is Australia looking? Could Ruby Pass contend for an all-around medal? We are so here for Jade Vansteenkiste's unapologetic, wine-glass breaking floor routine Subdivision 7: The 'look out for 2028' programs session Finnegan and Malabuyo are here competing for the Philippines What to look out for from our host team, team Indonesia Mexico is bringing some veteran newbies to the meet Subdivision 8: The artistry checklist session Flavia and the Brazilians. Do we need to say more? Why this will be the year Caitlin Rooskrantz (South Africa) finishes in the top 25 on bars Why we're dubbing Keisha Lockert (Norway) as the 'involvement of the body parts' queen Subdivision 9: The very neutral Russian session How will a very inexperienced Russian squad respond to being back on the international stage? On paper this squad has the potential to make lots of finals and win lots of medals. Will this all pan out in competition? Which Russians will do the all-around during qualifications? If you want to see some beautiful vaulting, look out for Valentina Georgieva (Bulgaria) Subdivision 10: The 'we understand the assignment' session China anchors the competition with medal favorites on nearly every event Alba Petisco (Spain) is coming off a European all-around silver, could she factor into the medals here? DO NOT be sleeping on the Hungarians Are we all sleeping on Greta Mayer in the all-around? WIN STUFF Raffle: Win a Full Commission Episode for $10! Raffle closes Oct. 7th! Club Gym Nerd Membership Scholarship GymCastic is matching all donations Nearly 50 scholarships have been awarded so far UP NEXT: Behind The Scenes: Live Podium Training Report podcast with Q&A from Jakarta on October 17th. SUPPORT THE SHOW Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/ Headstand Game: https://gymcastic.com/headstand-plugin/ Forum: https://gymcastic.com/community/ Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/ Try Huel with 15% OFF for New Customers today using my code GYMCASTIC at https://huel.com/gymcastic. Fuel your best performance with Huel today! RELATED EPISODES: Episode - Chinese World Team analysis on Behind The Scenes Episode - 2025 U.S. Championships Recap Episode - 2025 U.S. Classic Recap Episode - Paris World Cup with Laura Cappelle Behind the Scenes - all episodes LIVE SHOWS Experience GymCastic live! ✨ Replay: GymCastic Live in New Orleans with Morgan Hurd NEWSLETTERS Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters RESOURCES The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Aimee coached Simone from day one in gymnastics to three back to back World All Around titles, 14 world medals and an unprecedented 5 medals at the Rio Olympics. Get your copy now. And if you loved reading (or listening) to the book, please leave a review. Spencer's essential website The Balance Beam Situation GIFs of the Week and Meet schedule with links. Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim Kensley's men's gymnastics site Neutral Deductions
Our strategists Daniel Blake and Tim Chan discuss how Asia is adapting to multipolar world dynamics, tech innovation and longevity trends to create new opportunities for global investors.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript ----- Daniel Blake: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Daniel Blake, Morgan Stanley's Asia Equity and Thematic Strategist. Tim Chan: And I'm Tim Chan, Morgan Stanley Head of Asia Sustainability Research and Thematic Strategist Daniel Blake: Today, how Asia is reshaping its development strategy, corporate governance, and capital markets to lead globally. It's Monday, October 6th at 8am in Singapore. Tim Chan: And it's also 8am in Hong Kong. Daniel Blake: Asia is experiencing a number of dramatic changes that are reshaping industries, even entire economies. Deglobalization, supply chain shifts, frenetic investment in AI and looming disruption from the adoption of the technology, rapid energy transformation, and the transition to super aged populations as longevity drives investment in innovative healthcare and better nutrition are just some of the overarching themes. Asia's transformation is a story every global investor needs to follow and look for opportunities in. Tim Chan: So, what are the overarching themes, when you look at Asia Pacific? For example, what are the key themes that you're seeing in terms of driving the equity return and the market trend that you're seeing? Daniel Blake: We're approaching the Asia thematic opportunity from the framework of a competitive reinvention. It's competitive because this is deeply rooted in the cultural and business norms across much of the region, which has had an export focus through the modernization process in Japan, and more broadly with the emergence of the Asia Tigers. But we're seeing this competition really stepping up another notch. As countries look at how they can take market share in emerging technologies, and also this overarching competition between the U.S. and China, which sits at the heart of the multipolar world theme we've been laying out in recent years. We're also seeing a reinvention of development strategies of corporate governance frameworks and of capital markets to try to better improve the financial supply chain, to see the capital raising the capital allocation process improved and ultimately drive better returns for an aging population. So, Tim, you've been very focused on the corporate governance improvements that were seen in much of the region. Take us through what you think is most compelling and most important for investors to note. Tim Chan: I think governance reforms is a really key thing for Asia Pacific. Take an example in Japan, in the past we have done some correlation analysis between the major governance factors and what are driving the return. What we have found is that, first of all, there is a significant alpha potential from online companies with leading governance metrics and also companies that may improve their governance metrics over time. So, if we look at the independence of board of directors as an example. There is a positive correlation between the total return and also the independence in Japan market. And overall, we are seeing a major government improvement. As Daniel you have mentioned, China, Korea, India, and Singapore, and Japan as well – all these markets together account for over 70 percent of the market cap in MS Asia Pacific in index. So that's why, we think the governance reform is really driving the return of Asia Pacific as a whole. Daniel, after talking about the governance reform and capital market reform, I know multipolar level is also a key theme for Asia Pacific. So, what you are seeing in terms of multipolar level in Asia Pacific? Daniel Blake: So, the multipolar world theme has come back to the foreground in 2025 as trade tensions have risen, as deal making has been struck or attempted. And we've seen the concept of weaponized interdependence really being proven out in the second quarter of 2025, as China has been in recent years, implementing frameworks for export controls and leverage these quite effectively. So economic security initiatives have come back to the focus for investors. Over recent years, we've seen a number being set up across the region, including Japan's Economic Security Promotion Act, the Self-Reliant India framework, and South Korea's Supply Chain Stabilization Act, as well as Australia's National Reconstruction Fund. So, we see a number of investment opportunities flowing from these reforms. Ultimately the critical mineral and permanent magnet supply chain is very much in focus, but we're also expecting to see semi localization. So, semiconductor localization efforts are continuing to drive investment and activity. Naturally, defense has been a key area of focus for investors in 2025, and overall we see defense spending rising in Asia from 600 U.S. billion dollars in 2024 to [$]1 trillion in 2030.So, Tim, the energy security theme fits as part of this overall future of energy theme that you've been exploring with the team. How do you see this intersection with the multipolar world and what are the key investment opportunities? Tim Chan: For the future of energy, I think the energy story is really at the core of Asia multipolar world positioning. Take an example, we are seeing for Southeast Asia, the region is importing gas from U.S., and then also Korea and Japan are also trying to export their nuclear technology to the Western world as well. I think all these have a part to play in the multipolar world; but at the same time, they are also crucial for these countries to meet their own energy target and strategy. In Asia Pacific, when we look at the future of energy, there are a few driving force[s]. One is the very strong growth of renewable energy. Take an example, in India, we are seeing a huge CapEx going into the renewable energy sector and solar sector as well. China is already the biggest market in solar panel. Then also Korea and Japan are developing their nuclear capacity as well. And as I have mentioned, they also export their nuclear technology to the Western world. So, I would say, these Asian countries are balancing the multipolar world priorities with their future of energy target as well. And then there were also lots of opportunities between these dynamics; I will highlight two examples. One is a nuclear renaissance thesis that we have written extensively in the past two years. We have highlighted Japan and Korea being the key beneficiaries under this multipolar world and future of energy dynamics. And then the other would be the gas globalization in Southeast Asia or ASEAN region, where we see opportunities in the gas distributor, gas infrastructure in Southeast Asia. And then gas is going to be much more important when it comes to the energy, security and transition agenda in Southeast Asia region. So we are seeing lots of development in the future of energy in Asia Pacific. But when it comes to the other big theme that is AI. Asia Pacific is also a leader in a global AI race. So, Danny, what are the most reputable trend that you're seeing on a national or regional level? On tech diffusion and AI in Asia Pacific? Daniel Blake: So, the concept of competitive reinvention also is useful in understanding Asia's response to AI and technology diffusion. So, we've seen China in particular, looking to strengthen its position in the development phase of new technologies. And we're also seeing on the export competition front, more incentives to compete for the next phase of supply chain diversification. We're also seeing the emerging class of China MNCs that are sitting at the heart of our China Emerging Frontiers research. And another key area of discussion and research for us is understanding China's unique AI path. Where we're seeing more of a focus on policy makers and corporates playing to strengths in terms of power, data and talent, given the shortages of compute, and at the same time wanting to pursue a localization strategy over the medium term. On the technology front, we think the India stack is also still underappreciated as a digital enabler of opportunities in the New India. And then more broadly, we are looking for companies that we see in Asia that will prove to be AI adoption leaders. So, this underpins a really another key work stream for us in identifying opportunities from AI and tech diffusion into the region. So, Tim, how about when we turn to the theme of longevity, what are the key investment opportunities you see in Asia Pacific? Tim Chan: First of all, let's look at China. So, China is entering a super age society and by 2030, China's elderly population will hit 260 million. So that is a big number, which accounts for 18 percent of the population. And Japan as well, and Korea as well. Korea is already entering the super aged society. And then there have been reform program on healthcare, financial system pension and labor market in order to support these, old aging population. And for Japan, the focus is really on not just living longer but also living more healthy. Take an example, we have done some reports on the healthy food industry in Japan. And how different companies are providing affordable, healthy food to consumer. And we think that will create opportunities for investor, if they would like to look into longevity as a theme. Overall, we are seeing new market in healthcare, pharmaceutical, and affordable healthy food, as well as the reform in the wealth management and pension system that will create opportunities in the financial market as well. And the longevity economy and or the silver economy is becoming a big theme for Asia Pacific for a long time to come. Daniel Blake: Tim, thanks for taking the time to talk. Tim Chan: Yeah, great speaking with you, Daniel. Daniel Blake: And thanks for listening. If you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today.
Henry (Dick) L. Thompson is back to share more adventures from his latest book SOG Code Name Dynamite 2 about his time in Vietnam as part of MACV-SOG.From 1964-1972 America engaged in a Top Secret war in Southeast Asia to support our efforts in Vietnam, with an elite group of warriors who were sworn to secrecy for decades. If caught, the US government would deny any involvement.Missioned primarily to do recon on North Vietnamese forces massing across the border in Laos and Cambodia, the small teams were comprised of US soldiers and local fighters, and were dropped near the enemy. They almost always encountered much larger forces, posted a casualty rate of over 100%, and relied on helicopter pilots like recent guest Roger Lockshire to ferry them to safety once the bullets started flying.We're delighted to have Dick back in this two part episode.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
This week on Nintendo Pow BlockThis week, Edward Varnell discusses Nintendo's announcement of its new Singapore entity, Nintendo Singapore, established on September 26 and led by Takahiro Miura to expand the company's presence in Southeast Asia. He also covers how Resident Evil Requiem on Switch 2 surprised even Capcom, with director Koshi Nakanishi noting the game's impressive optimization and performance thanks to scalable design and the engine team's work. Lastly, Edward talks about Bloober Team's success with Cronos: The New Dawn, which the studio calls a major hit but confirms no sequel or DLC plans as they focus on the Silent Hill remake—while hinting at the possibility of Silent Hill 2 arriving on Switch 2 in the future.All this and more on Nintendo Pow Block!Follow our Hosts: Edward Varnell, Cofounder of Boss Rush NetworkCorey Dirrig, Founder of Boss Rush Media and the Boss Rush NetworkJoin the Boss Rush Community: Join the Boss Rush Network Community DiscordFollow Boss Rush Network: Follow Boss Rush Network on X/Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, and InstagramSupport Boss Rush Network:Support Boss Rush on Patreon and buy merch on our Store. Subscribe to Boss Rush on YouTube and visit our website at BossRush.net for more great content.Thank you for your Support!Thank you for watching or listening to Nintendo Pow Block, the Nintendo podcast from Boss Rush Network! If you enjoyed the show, be sure to subscribe to the channel, give the video a Like, and hit the notification bell so you never miss an episode. If you're listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review—it really helps! For more great content, visit our website at BossRush.net. Thanks for your continued support of Nintendo Pow Block and our independent endeavor with the Boss Rush Network!
Prayer Moment 1 of 4 in OctoberPrayer for More Laborers in Sensitive Countries in Southeast Asia1. Commitment to Go - Pray that believers who hear of the need for the Gospel to be preached in sensitive countries in Southeast Asia to say to the Lord, "Send me. I'll go."2. Listening to God's Voice - Pray for believers around the world to be awakened to the needs in these sensitive countries, for their hearts to break for these people, and for thousands to commit to intercede.3. Obedience to God - Pray that Christians who commit to share Jesus in Southeast Asia will fulfill that commitment and walk in obedience to God moment by moment.
The Do One Better! Podcast – Philanthropy, Sustainability and Social Entrepreneurship
Corporate giving is more than philanthropy — it's a strategic tool for impact. In this thought-provoking conversation, we explore how companies can deploy their balance sheets, human capital, and core business capabilities to achieve meaningful social outcomes. Our guest, Gwen Lim, Head of the Southeast Asia office and Partner at The Bridgespan Group, unpacks insights from her newly released report “High-Impact Approaches to Corporate Giving” (published September 2025). She shares what distinguishes corporate giving from other forms of philanthropy, the key trade-offs between impact and risk, and how firms can align purpose with performance. Discover how leading corporates are: Navigating reputational and political risks while maximizing social good Leveraging business assets like data, platforms, and expertise for public benefit Structuring high-impact strategies through corporate foundations and internal initiatives Balancing short-term financial results with long-term social outcomes Engaging employees, investors, and customers in purpose-driven impact Gwen also shares fascinating case studies — from Bloomberg's data-led volunteering to DHL's disaster logistics — illustrating how capability-led giving can transform communities. This episode is a must-listen for corporate leaders, CSR professionals, philanthropists, and anyone curious about how business can become a force for good in an age of uncertainty. Visit our Knowledge Hub at Lidji.org for information on 300 case studies and interviews with remarkable leaders in philanthropy, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.
FRANKOPAN4.mp3 - The Medieval Warm Period, Viking Expansion, and Parallel Empires Professor Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History The Medieval Warm Period (950–1250 CE), marked by low volcanism, fostered environmental stability and large-scale human movement. This included Viking expansion into the North Atlantic, seeking new pastures and resources like walrus ivory. This colonization was often violent, relying on the enslavement and coercion of women from Ireland and Scotland for reproduction. In North America, the cosmopolitan city of Cahokia thrived for centuries before collapsing due to internal pressures like resource depletion and elite competition. Globally, several "power empires" (e.g., Chola, Abbasids) rose in parallel, reinforcing each other through trade and cultural exchange, such as the spread of Indian culture into Southeast Asia.
FRANKOPAN7.mp3 - The Age of Turbulence (1870–1920), Resource Extraction, and Global Migration Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History The Age of Turbulence (1870–1920) involved rapid technological growth (telegraph, refrigerated shipping) and intense extractive empire building. Empires monetized resources like rubber, transplanted from the Amazon and causing massive deforestation in the Malay Peninsula. Global economic integration meant US grain could be shipped to London more cheaply than Irish grain. While historical focus is often Eurocentric, migration in the Indo-Pacific region (e.g., India to Southeast Asia) exceeded transatlantic migration, creating current geopolitical sensitivities. British infrastructure in India, such as railroads, aimed primarily at administrative efficiency. Furthermore, irrigation projects often failed, causing soil salinity due to rapid water evaporation in high temperatures. Scientific awareness of global warming predated the 1883 Krakatoa eruption.
Check out OpenSolar OS 3.0 at: https://suncast.media/opensolar Is the world's most powerful energy data set hiding in plain sight?Justin Locke, former RMI leader and now Executive Director of Global Energy Monitor, joins Nico to uncover how real data—not just rhetoric—is shaping the future of global energy. If you've ever looked at a chart on coal retirements, gas pipelines, or solar growth, chances are it came from GEM. Or at least, the person who created it was likely using this little-known FREE Open-source data set.In this episode, we go deep into the data warehouse purpose-built to help illuminate what's really happening behind the curtain of the energy transition. We also spotlight a massive—but little discussed—spike in U.S. natural gas development. What's behind it? AI-driven demand from hyperscale data centers. Why is this a warning sign? It's quietly tipping the energy scales in ways we didn't predict.You'll hear why Justin left RMI to lead this critical watchdog organization, how GEM tracks infrastructure across 26 energy sectors, and why Southeast Asia and Africa are at a clean energy crossroads.Expect to Learn:
Summary In this special episode of the Women in Golf Study, we sit down with Sandra Burton, co-founder of PondHawk, to uncover her remarkable career journey, from the world of energy economics to driving innovation in the golf industry. Sandra began her career specializing in solar power and renewable energy, holding influential roles with Hawaiian Electric Company and working across Southeast Asia before co-founding PondHawk in 2014. Today, PondHawk's solar-powered water quality systems can be found on golf courses from Ontario to Oregon and across the Mid-Atlantic to the Great Lakes, helping facilities become more sustainable while delivering the high-quality playing conditions golfers expect. Sandra shares candid insights on what it was like to break into the golf world, why superintendents are often more open to innovation than outsiders realize, and the surprising range of career opportunities the golf industry has to offer - from mechanics and chefs to agronomists and event managers. This conversation also dives into one of the industry's most important challenges: attracting more women to golf careers. Sandra offers her perspective on tapping into adjacent fields like horticulture, biology, and economics, and rebranding golf as a place where science, land stewardship, and a passion for the game come together. If you've ever wondered how golf can connect innovation, sustainability, and career growth, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Visit Bloom Golf Partners here. What You'll Learn What it will take to rebrand golf careers as dynamic, sustainable, and rewarding paths for the next generation. How Sandra transitioned from the energy sector to golf innovation through PondHawk. Why the golf industry is more open to new ideas and technology than many people realize. The surprising career opportunities in golf—from mechanics and chefs to agronomists and event managers. Why the public often misunderstands the science and work behind golf course management. How the industry can attract more women by tapping into related fields like horticulture, biology, and economics. https://bloomgolfpartners.com/research/ Links Learn more about PondHawk: pondhawk.com Connect on LinkedIn: Linnae Industries LinkedIn Page Follow on X (Twitter): @SolarPondhawk
Welcome back to Fintech Takes. I'm Alex Johnson, joined (as always) by my partner-in-recapping, Jason Mikula. First up: the uneasy détente in open banking is over. Jason and I haven't had a chance to debrief on Plaid's deal with JPMorgan Chase to pay for API access (so we do). Payments use cases remain the most expensive, Plaid is eating the fees (at least for now), and Chase looks like it's succeeded in hobbling Pay by Bank. We unpack why Plaid did the deal, what it means for other aggregators. Next up, color us nostalgic; back to BaaS Island we go! The FBI is probing Evolve. The scope reportedly extends to board members (including a16z), and new details suggest international money movement in Southeast Asia (tied to a $15M pig-butchering scheme). As the saying goes, bankers almost never go to jail; will this time be any different? Then, we turn to AI. FICO has announced a new product called a foundation model for financial services. The idea is to build smaller, domain-specific models that are cheaper, faster, and more reliable than generic LLMs, while adding predictive lift on top of existing analytics. The open questions: is this hype dressed up for Wall Street, or a clever way to squeeze extra predictive power out of structured financial datasets? And most of all: who is this really for? Plus, in our Can't Let It Go corner, Jason bristles about being labeled as “partisan” (in response to his response about the “Debanking” Executive Order) while I puzzle over Tether reportedly raising at a $500B valuation (the same as OpenAI, except Tether's core product is…not getting audited and telling everyone to “just trust us.”) Sign up for Alex's Fintech Takes newsletter for the latest insightful analysis on fintech trends, along with a heaping pile of pop culture references and copious footnotes. Every Monday and Thursday: https://workweek.com/brand/fintech-takes/ And for more exclusive insider content, don't forget to check out my YouTube page. Follow Jason: Newsletter: https://fintechbusinessweekly.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmikula/ Follow Alex: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhjohnsonTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/AlexH_Johnson
84 MinutesPG-13Stormy Waters is a managing partner of a venture capital firm. Karl Dahl is an author specializing in the Spanish Civil War and historical "fiction."Pete is joined by Karl and Stormy to discuss Southeast Asia's demonic rituals. Practices that Karl has personally observed and Stormy has studied.Faction: With the CrusadersKarl's SubstackKarl's MerchStormy's SubstackStormy's Twitter AccountPete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's Substack Pete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.
This week, the boys talk a lot about the day's events, including the $55B sale of EA, AI “actress” Tilly Norwood, and the incredible year 2002, before getting into our featured conversation about Paul Thomas Anderson's “Punch Drunk Love”. Check the show notes if you want to scoot ahead to any particular segment of the show! linktr.ee/theloveofcinema - Check out our YouTube page! Our phone number is 646-484-9298. It accepts texts or voice messages. 0:00 Intro; 5:36:22 Gripes about EA, Tilly Norwood, and Toilets; 19:51 2002 Year in Review; 57:44 Films of 2002: “Punch Drunk Love”; 1:32:48 What You Been Watching?; 1:37:39 Next Week's Episode Teaser Additional Cast/Crew: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzman, Robert Elswit. Hosts: Dave Green, Jeff Ostermueller, John Say Edited & Produced by Dave Green. Beer Sponsor: Carlos Barrozo Music Sponsor: Dasein Dasein on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ Dasein on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dasein/1637517407 Recommendations/TagsL EA Tillly Norwood Toilets Downton Abbey Platonic Practical Magic Hulu Alien:Earth Peacemaker. Additional Tags: Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, Hard Eight, Daniel Day-Lewis, The Dallas Cowboys, Short-term memory loss, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Netflix, AMC Times Square, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, MGM, Amazon Prime, Marvel, Sony, Conclave, Here, Venom: The Last Dance, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Oscars, Academy Awards, BFI, BAFTA, BAFTAS, British Cinema. England, Vienna, Leopoldstadt, The Golden Globes, Past Lives, Apple Podcasts, West Side Story, Adelaide, Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Melbourne, The British, England, The SEC, Ronald Reagan, Stock Buybacks, Marvel, MCU, DCEU, Film, Movies, Southeast Asia, The Phillippines, Vietnam, America, The US, Academy Awards, WGA Strike, SAG-AFTRA, SAG Strike, Peter Weir, Jidaigeki, chambara movies, sword fight, samurai, ronin, Meiji Restoration, plague, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, casket maker, Seven Samurai, Roshomon, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, Stellan Skarsgard, the matt and mark movie show.The Southern District's Waratah Championship, Night of a Thousand Stars, The Pan Pacific Grand Prix (The Pan Pacifics), Jeff Bezos, Rupert Murdoch, Larry Ellison, David Ellison, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg.
What are the value propositions of Islamic investment management, and what is driving the strategic development of the Islamic wealth economy? What trends are influencing the development of Islamic investment products in Southeast Asia? Has Islamic asset management been strategically positioned and promoted effectively, and what more could be done? We ask an experienced panel.Moderator:Ismitz Matthew De Alwis, Executive Director and CEO, Kenanga InvestorsPanelists:Mohamad Safri Shahul Hamid, CEO, International Islamic Liquidity Management CorporationMohammad Ashraf Md Radzi, Chief Executive, Lembaga Tabung Angkatan TenteraOliver Agha, Managing Partner, Agha & Co and Columnist, IFN (The Islamic Legal Opinion)Shahariah Shaharudin, President, Saturna MalaysiaSharifatul Hanizah Said Ali, Executive Director, Islamic Capital Market Development, Securities Commission Malaysia
Henry (Dick) L. Thompson is back to share more adventures from his latest book SOG Code Name Dynamite 2 about his time in Vietnam as part of MACV-SOG.From 1964-1972 America engaged in a Top Secret war in Southeast Asia to support our efforts in Vietnam, with an elite group of warriors who were sworn to secrecy for decades. If caught, the US government would deny any involvement.Missioned primarily to do recon on North Vietnamese forces massing across the border in Laos and Cambodia, the small teams were comprised of US soldiers and local fighters, and were dropped near the enemy. They almost always encountered much larger forces, posted a casualty rate of over 100%, and relied on helicopter pilots like recent guest Roger Lockshire to ferry them to safety once the bullets started flying.We're delighted to have Dick back in this two part episode.Heroes Behind HeadlinesExecutive Producer Ralph PezzulloProduced & Engineered by Mike DawsonMusic provided by ExtremeMusic.com
Pastor Jim Davis, director of Pastoral Training of Asia, reveals three ways God speaks to us, using many of his experiences in Southeast Asia to bring the message home. You will be truly blessed.
Are Islamic financial institutions outperforming their traditional counterparts, and how are asset quality, funding stability, and liquidity shaping the sector's resilience? What role is product innovation — from banking products to funds and fintech platforms, to ESG-aligned offerings — playing in driving growth? And how are regulators, financial institutions, and investors adapting to build a more dynamic and sustainable Islamic finance landscape?Moderator:Oliver Agha, Managing Partner, Agha & Co and Columnist, IFN (The Islamic Legal Opinion)Panelists:Bilal Parvaiz, CEO, Standard Chartered SaadiqDafinah Ahmed Hilmi, CEO, Hong Leong Islamic BankFaris Lodin, Wahed Global Advisory Board and Member of Wahed Ventures Investment CommitteeMohammed Parekh, Founder and CEO, MRP Premier GroupNitish Bhojnagarwala, Associate Managing Director, Financial Institutions Group, Moody's Ratings
This Halloween, Universal Studios Singapore is unleashing its most chilling experience yet. Markham Gannon, Senior Director of Entertainment at Resorts World Sentosa, joins “Saturday Mornings Show” host Glenn van Zutphen and co-host Neil Humphreys to reveal the spine-tingling details behind the first-ever collaboration between USS Halloween Horror Nights and horror powerhouse Blumhouse. From M3GAN to The Purge, Blumhouse’s most sinister characters will step off the screen and into Southeast Asia’s biggest Halloween event. This year’s theme—The 13th Hour—plunges guests into a fractured reality where time bends, the dead rise, and fear reigns supreme. Markham shares how this partnership brings cinematic horror to life, creating immersive, scream-worthy experiences for fans across the region. With Blumhouse’s cult following and USS’s creative muscle, storytelling, design, and psychological thrills converge to redefine Halloween.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Grumpy Old Geeks is back with another round of righteous griping and eyebrow-raising headlines in Episode 715: Our Wizard Lies. We kick things off in FOLLOW UP, where TikTok is still the geopolitical hot potato that both the U.S. and China promise to sort out “someday, maybe,” while Wired's global editorial director explains how tech's growing political clout is playing out under Trump. From there, it's a cavalcade of absurdities: DOGE as federal workforce demolition derby, and crypto bros trying to turn Charlie Kirk's death into meme-stock retirement plans. Late-stage capitalism is nothing if not creative.Then in IN THE NEWS, Amazon gets spanked with a $2.5 billion fine for Prime trickery, Microsoft yanks cloud services from an Israeli military unit, and Palantir goes full lifestyle brand—yes, you too can cosplay as a drone strike enthusiast with a $99 pair of gym shorts. Silicon Valley philosophers warn AI regulation would literally summon the Antichrist, while banks whisper the bubble might pop before the devil even arrives. Meanwhile, YouTube toys with letting COVID and election denialists back into the algorithm, “SIM farms” threaten New York's cell networks, and unlucky tourists are finding themselves trafficked into cyber-scam slavery across Southeast Asia. Progress!MEDIA CANDY tries to lighten the mood—sort of—serving up everything from Elio, Tron: Ares, and Disney price hikes to AI musicians cashing million-dollar checks. Lionsgate, on the other hand, learns you can't feed four John Wicks into an algorithm and get an anime out the other side. Over in THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVE, we get furries on the DC Metro, Disney plotting your every park step via Ray-Ban spy glasses, a Ponzi scheme in RadioShack cosplay, and even a Jim Henson Company anniversary auction. We close out with shout-outs and sighs, because sometimes the world doesn't deserve a mic drop—just a slow shake of the head.Sponsors:Private Internet Access - Go to GOG.Show/vpn and sign up today. For a limited time only, you can get OUR favorite VPN for as little as $2.03 a month.SetApp - With a single monthly subscription you get 240+ apps for your Mac. Go to SetApp and get started today!!!1Password - Get a great deal on the only password manager recommended by Grumpy Old Geeks! gog.show/1passwordShow notes at https://gog.show/715FOLLOW UPUS and China agree to agree on a TikTok dealWIRED global editorial director on tech's growing political power under TrumpThe Story of DOGE, as Told by Federal WorkersCrypto Bros Are Trying to Monetize Charlie Kirk's DeathIN THE NEWSAmazon to pay $2.5 billion for allegedly duping millions to sign up for PrimeMicrosoft cuts off cloud services to Israeli military unit after report of storing Palestinians' phone callsPalantir Wants to Be a Lifestyle BrandSilicon Valley's latest argument against regulating AI: that would literally be the AntichristAI Experts Urgently Call on Governments to Think About Maybe Doing Something‘Workslop': AI-Generated Work Content Is Slowing Everything DownDeutsche Bank Issues Grim Warning for AI IndustryYouTube may reinstate channels banned for spreading covid and election misinformation‘SIM Farms' Are a Spam Plague. A Giant One in New York Threatened US Infrastructure, Feds SayThey traveled to Thailand. They wound up cyber scam slaves in Myanmar.MEDIA CANDYElioSupermanHuman: OriginsHuman: JourneysAlien: EarthThe Traitors IrelandDisney is raising the price of Disney+, Hulu subscriptions next monthWicked: For Good | Final TrailerLilith Faire: Building a MysteryTron: AresAI Artist Signs Million-Dollar Record DealLionsgate Is Finding Out It's Really Hard to Make Movies With AIJimmy Kimmel May Be Back. Trump's Attacks on the First Amendment Aren't Over By Merrill MarkoeJimmy Kimmel is Back!THE DARK SIDE WITH DAVEDave BittnerThe CyberWireHacking HumansCaveatControl LoopOnly Malware in the BuildingDisney Explores Using Ray-Ban Meta Glasses To Guide Guests Around Its ParksThe Happiest Story on Earth: 70 Years of DisneylandThe Mandalorian and Grogu | Official Trailer | In Theaters May 22, 2026The Jim Henson Company 70th Anniversary AuctionFeds Say Company That Bought RadioShack Was Running $112 Million Ponzi SchemeFurries ride the DC MetroSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Southeast Asia's energy ministers will meet in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025 to discuss the future of the Asean Power Grid. Kitty Bu, vice president for Southeast Asia at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), talks to the Eco-Business about what will be on their agenda. Tune in as we discuss: - How geopolitics is affecting Asean's energy transition - Ideal outcomes from the Asean minister's meeting - Upholding social justice in the energy transition - Optimistic examples of transition finance
This week, while Dave Bittner is out, Joe Carrigan, and Maria Varmazis (also host of the T-Minus Space Daily show) are sharing the latest in social engineering scams, phishing schemes, and criminal exploits that are making headlines. Listener Daniel shares a follow-up where scammers exploited details from a Texas car accident to pose as claim assistants, highlighting the importance of working only with your insurance or official state agencies. Joe follows the story of Iowa authorities uncovering a nationwide texting scam run from inside a Georgia prison, and a Cincinnati man pleading guilty to stealing over $2 million through dating app fraud. Maria covers two stories this week, one on how human trafficking victims are being forced to run online scams across Southeast Asia's billion-dollar fraud industry, and another on cybercriminals using “SMS blasters” to push mass scam texts directly to nearby phones by impersonating cell towers. Our catch of the day comes from Reddit where a user received a deceiving letter by mail. Resources and links to stories: Crash reports and records Fredericksburg Texas Police Department's post Iowa judge sentences four for text scam run from Georgia prison Cincinnati man pleads guilty to scamming dozens out of over $2 million in dating app fraud Scammed into scamming Cybercriminals Have a Weird New Way to Target You With Scam Texts Have a Catch of the Day you'd like to share? Email it to us at hackinghumans@n2k.com.
How do territorial disputes in the South China Sea impact biodiversity? Madelyn MacMurray joins the podcast to discuss how militarized fishing fleets deplete fish stocks – and why that matters to the world. Read Madelyn's most recent piece: Militarized Commons: How Territorial Competition is Weaponizing Fisheries and Destroying the South China Sea: https://www.stimson.org/2025/territorial-competition-weaponizing-fisheries-south-china-sea/ And check out her team's most recent report on the same topic, here: Policy Roadmap: Addressing IUU Fishing in Southeast Asia: https://www.stimson.org/2025/policy-roadmap-addressing-iuu-fishing-in-southeast-asia/ Follow Madelyn on X, if you're still there: https://x.com/maddiemacmurray Subscribe to the Un-Diplomatic Newsletter: https://www.un-diplomatic.com/ Watch Un-Diplomatic Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@un-diplomaticpodcast Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the individuals and not of any institutions.
******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Michael Cook is Class of 1943 University Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University. He is the author of several books, with the latest one being A History of the Muslim World: From Its Origins to the Dawn of Modernity. In this episode, we start by talking about the Caliphate from the 7th to the 9th century, and how it spread across the Middle East, Iran, North Africa and Spain. We also talk about Muslims in China, and the Muslim world in the Middle Ages compared to Europe. We then discuss the Ottoman empire, Muslims in India and Southeast Asia, and Muslims in Africa. Finally, we talk about the Muslim world in the present day, the impact of Western countries on the Middle East, and the divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, JERRY MULLER, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, DIEGO LONDOÑO CORREA, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, PAULO TOLENTINO, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, DOUGLAS FRY, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, PAUL-GEORGE ARNAUD, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, AMAURI MARTÍNEZ, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, MICHAEL BAILEY, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, BARNABAS RADICS, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, 航 豊川, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, KEITH RICHARDSON, HUGO B., JAMES, JORDAN MANSFIELD, AND CHARLOTTE ALLEN!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, AND PER KRAULIS!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER, SERGIU CODREANU, ROSEY, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!
Economic and social processes shape tourism development, but - in turn - tourism reshapes economic spaces, and that is creating new challenges in South East Asia and beyond. This week, Gary welcomes Joao Romao, Associate Professor at Yasuda Women's University in Japan, to discuss his new book, Economic Geography of Tourism. An economist, tourism strategy advisor and former travel documentary maker, Joao assesses contemporary tourism through a lens of shifting global economic, technological, societal, environmental and political challenges. He advocates for tourism strategies that are economically viable and effectively sustainable, inclusive and resilient - but questions whether these can be achieved in modern political economies. Starting in his home country of Japan, we travel through South East Asia to South America and Europe to discuss the accumulating societal issues confronting tourism planners. We assess the implications of technological advancements on urban and secondary destinations, and the concentration of priceless travel data among a small coterie of tech firms. We finish by looking at how long-term partnerships with creative industries and the wellness sector might forge a more manageable balance of travel flows between cities and decentralised destinations.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Andrea Ross, Business Advisor & Executive Coach for Travel Entrepreneurs, all about what it takes to build a successful business in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. She explains why focusing on enterprise value and enterprise health is hugely important and why you should not only know what success means to you, but also know how to track it. We also dive into the three key areas that businesses should focus on: financials, process and procedures, and their team. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Andrea built a successful travel and tourism business in Southeast Asia by bootstrapping a bed and breakfast, launching a tour company, and ultimately scaling operations across several countries Why business owners must create their own vision and business model What enterprise value and enterprise health mean for travel businesses, and why focusing on these is essential for day-to-day operations and long-term sustainability How business owners can assess the health of their company, build a roadmap for growth, and differentiate between working on what's urgent versus what's important Why financials, processes and procedures, and team development are the three most common areas where travel businesses should focus to improve their enterprise health How developing strong leadership, empowering team members, and building the right organizational structure can give owners more freedom and drive business success What steps Andrea recommends for business owners who want to understand their financials better, even if numbers aren't their strong suit, and how to leverage resources and networks to build financial literacy Core Success Principles in the Travel and Tour Industry One of the biggest challenges Andrea highlights is the sheer variety of business models in travel and tourism. With tour operators, DMOs, DMCs, and FITs, each with unique structures, founders are often left to chart their own course. Overarching business principles still apply: passion, dedication, clear vision, and hard work are the fuel for any successful enterprise—regardless of geography or sector. Knowing your market, defining your unique value, and setting clear, achievable goals are all foundational. Andrea encourages business owners to continually ask: “What does success look like for me, and how am I tracking that?” Treat Your Business as an Asset A recurring pitfall is failing to view your business as the major asset it is. Many travel business owners pour years of effort and substantial financial resources into their companies, but neglect to plan for the long game. They're not running their organization so it can be handed over, acquired, or at least run independently of their daily presence. Andrea advocates setting a clear vision to build flexibility and freedom into the business. Whether your goal is acquisition, succession, more time to travel, or simply reducing burnout, only a defined destination can chart the course. And, critically, this vision should evolve with you. Three Pillars of a Healthy Travel Business Andrea identifies three areas where travel businesses most often need shoring up: Financials: Clean, timely reporting, a growth pro forma, and cash flow planning are essential, especially in an industry marked by seasonality and complexity. Processes & Procedures: Too many companies operate with critical knowledge trapped in someone's head. Andrea recommends mapping your customer journey and using tools (like Tango AI) to document workflows, templates, and best practices so anyone can step in when needed. The Team: Your people determine your company's fate. Leaders have to empower teams, develop leadership so urgent problems aren't always landing on their plate. As Andrea says, “work on what's important, not urgent”. Step back from daily fires and focus on what matters for long-term health. Set a vision, track progress, and work on big picture issues rather than constant firefighting. Resources: andrea@cultivateadvisors.com www.kaanect.life Health and Value Assessment Tango AI Customer Journey Template We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!
Venture Unlocked: The playbook for venture capital managers.
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.Welcome back to another episode of Venture Unlocked, the podcast that takes you behind the scenes of the business of venture capital.In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mercedes Bent about her fascinating journey from a tech-driven upbringing to becoming a leading venture capitalist. We discussed how her unique background informs her investment philosophy and the importance of originality and non-consensus thinking in today's VC landscape. Our conversation also covered the challenges and opportunities in consumer technology, the transformative impact of AI, and strategies for portfolio construction. One of my key takeaways was the critical role of intuition in identifying exceptional founders, as well as the value of building compounding networks and staying ahead of platform shifts. It was an insightful discussion that offered practical lessons for anyone interested in the future of venture capital. We hope you enjoy the conversation.Thanks for listening to another episode of Venture Unlocked. We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Mercedes. If you'd like to get Venture Unlocked content straight to your inbox, go to ventureunlocked.substack.com and sign up, or go to Apple Podcasts or Spotify and subscribe. Thanks again for listeningAbout Mercedes BentMercedes Bent is a Venture Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners and Co-Founder of venture firm Premise. At Lightspeed, she focused on early-stage investments in consumer, fintech, multicultural markets, and Latin America. She began her career at the Federal Reserve and Goldman Sachs before moving into the education technology sector with General Assembly. At General Assembly, she helped expand one of the company's key product lines from $2M to $100M in revenue over four years. She joined Lightspeed in 2019 after developing a strong investment perspective in areas such as edtech, VR, and multicultural consumer products. At Lightspeed, she has invested in and worked with companies including Stori, Honeylove, Forage, Magic Eden, Outschool, and Flink. She has also been recognized in industry publications for her contributions to venture capital and efforts to broaden access to entrepreneurship.Lightspeed Venture Partners, founded in 2000, is a global venture capital firm managing over $25 billion in assets with offices across the U.S., Europe, Israel, India, and Southeast Asia. The firm invests from seed to growth stage across enterprise, consumer, fintech, healthcare, and emerging tech. Over the years, Lightspeed has backed more than 500 companies, including Snap, MuleSoft, Affirm, Carta, and Anthropic, and has been part of notable exits like AppDynamics and Nest. With a strong record of helping founders scale and succeed, Lightspeed is recognized as a leading partner for building category-defining companies.During the conversation, we discussed:* Mercedes's Background, Upbringing, and Early Career (1:45)* How Background Informed Firm Values/Culture (4:19)* The Gap in Consumer Technology Investing & Identifying Founders (8:40)* Non-Consensus Investing in Early Stage VC (10:01)* Startup Mentality and KPIs in Fund Management (15:06)* Sourcing vs. Winning Seed Deals – What Matters? (16:19)* Seed Manager vs. Large Fund Business Models (21:21)* Gifted TVPI vs. Earned TVPI, Portfolio Philosophy (26:22)* Consumer Sector's VC Downturn & New Tech Cycles (32:21)* The AI Consumer Technology Wave & Opportunity (35:33)* Identifying Product-Market Pull and Early Leading Indicators (37:08)* Shifts in Distribution Channels in AI (40:09)* Future-casting, Platform Shifts, and AI Companions (43:50)* Lessons from Years in VC & Trusting Intuition (44:27)* Final Thoughts and Takeaways (47:46)I'd love to know what you took away from this conversation with Mercedes. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #venture unlocked. If you'd like to be considered as a guest or have someone you'd like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com
What if you built your own global football education—by leaving home, traveling across multiple continents, and going straight to the source? That's exactly what fellow footy traveler Andrew Baggaley, founder of Because Football Media did, as he spent more than a year exploring the globe, visiting football clubs, academies, and fan groups across Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. Whether you're a traditional Premier League fan, a lover of fan culture, or curious about how the global game shapes lives off the pitch, this episode is for you. 03:55 | Prototyping Because Football in Paris at PSG 07:26 | Heading to Ivory Coast for AFCON 10:32 | Connecting with Independiente, River Plate, & Racing Club 15:44 | Why Port Vale? And... who...is Port Vale exactly? 17:48 | Eastern Europe on the way to the Far East 20:23 | Comparing footy cultures across Southeast Asia 25:33 | What the world taught Andrew about American soccer 32:27 | The first ever soccer game in the US 35:49 | Coming Soon: The "Road Trip to the World Cup" Series Check out our new YouTube channel! Don't miss our monthly newsletter for footy // travel news from every corner of the globe Follow us on Instagram: @footytravelers Join us on one of our trips (our next one is to Mexico City)!
This week, John and Jeff keep it positive as they cover for Dave while he goes and finds himself to discuss “Leon: The Professional”. The random year generator spun 1994, so we gave a year in review of this crazy film year! First, to get us drinking, we discussed “Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” and Christopher Nolan taking the helm of the DGA! Grab a beer and join us for this wild ride. linktr.ee/theloveofcinema - Check out our YouTube page! Our phone number is 646-484-9298. It accepts texts or voice messages. 0:00 Intro; 23:09 1994 Year in Review; 51:13 Films of 1994: “Leon: The Professional”; 1:26:52 What You Been Watching?; 1:33:35 Next Week's Episode Teaser Additional Cast/Crew: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello, Luc Besson, Simon Curtis, Julian Fellowes, Michelle Dockery, Joanne Froggatt, Elizabeth McGovern, Alessandro Nivola, Dominic West, Hugh Bonneville, Paul Giamatti, Laura Carmichael. Hosts: Dave Green, Jeff Ostermueller, John Say Edited & Produced by Dave Green. Beer Sponsor: Carlos Barrozo Music Sponsor: Dasein Dasein on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ Dasein on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dasein/1637517407 Recommendations: Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, Alien: Earth, Additional Tags: The Dallas Cowboys, Short-term memory loss, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Netflix, AMC Times Square, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, MGM, Amazon Prime, Marvel, Sony, Conclave, Here, Venom: The Last Dance, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Oscars, Academy Awards, BFI, BAFTA, BAFTAS, British Cinema. England, Vienna, Leopoldstadt, The Golden Globes, Past Lives, Apple Podcasts, West Side Story, Adelaide, Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Melbourne, The British, England, The SEC, Ronald Reagan, Stock Buybacks, Marvel, MCU, DCEU, Film, Movies, Southeast Asia, The Phillippines, Vietnam, America, The US, Academy Awards, WGA Strike, SAG-AFTRA, SAG Strike, Peter Weir, Jidaigeki, chambara movies, sword fight, samurai, ronin, Meiji Restoration, plague, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, casket maker, Seven Samurai, Roshomon, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, Stellan Skarsgard, the matt and mark movie show.The Southern District's Waratah Championship, Night of a Thousand Stars, The Pan Pacific Grand Prix (The Pan Pacifics).
Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about Typhoon Ragasa killing multiple people in Taiwan.
Jeremy Au and Valerie Vu sit down in Singapore to examine how Southeast Asia's private capital markets, Vietnam's reforms, and regional politics are shaping investor sentiment and startup opportunities. They explore slower fundraising cycles, Vietnam's push toward technology-driven growth, and how energy shortages and tariff shocks impact manufacturing. Their discussion also covers foreign investor trust, nuclear energy debates, and the rise of cybersecurity and AI as national priorities. 03:52 Vietnam steadies after political consolidation: New leadership pursues double-digit GDP growth, economic reforms, and technology-driven policies. 06:42 Electricity price hikes trigger crisis: EVN's subsidy rollbacks risk $13 billion in renewable projects and damage foreign investor trust. 12:53 Nuclear energy returns to the agenda: Vietnam revives talks with Russia and Japan to build its first reactor by 2030. 20:47 Tariffs negotiated down to 20 percent: Vietnam avoided harsher 46 percent rates, keeping FDI inflows stable and competitive against India and China. 25:49 Supply chain transparency becomes critical: Firms must prove independence from China to avoid 40 percent penalties, creating opportunities for verification startups. 28:36 Startups align with government priorities: AI, cybersecurity, and data infrastructure ventures gain support through partnerships and favorable policy. Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/valerie-vu-powering-vietnam Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts
More countries are formally recognizing a Palestinian state ahead of this week's UN General Assembly meeting in New York. The government's border czar Tom Homan is facing scrutiny over reports he accepted a $50,000 bag of cash. News outlets are fighting back on the Pentagon's "pledge" to restrict reporting at the defense headquarters. A super typhoon is set to affect tens of millions in Southeast Asia. Plus, the FTC is taking Amazon to court for allegedly tricking customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey Poison Friends! I know I promised a lot for this one episode, including West Nile, Zika, EEE, and Malaria. The truth is, malaria is just a huge topic on its own and instead of keeping you all here for hours at one time, we are discussing malaria in all of its old and new world glory, so to speak. I will be adding an extra bonus on our Patreon later this week that will be free for all for those still interested in West Nile/Zika, so come check that out there. The parasite that causes malaria is actually older than us humans and since humans entered the scene, they have been our nemesis. Mosquitoes are known to be, historically, the deadliest animal simply because of how many people have died due to malaria that they have transmitted. We are discussing the history of humankind vs mosquito/malaria and how various people groups of different eras attempted to deal with the disease. From the ancient Egyptians, to the Greeks, the Romans, ancient China, and those living throughout the middle ages in Europe. Previous notions were that malaria came from "bad air" and, in fact, the name comes from the Italian for "bad air." The Miasma and Humors theories were still prevalent in medicine, of course, until the true means of infection were discovered in the late 1800s. Also, we cannot leave out its historic prevalence in Africa and its later history among the American colonies, the Native Americans (indigenous groups in North and South America), Oceania, and among and throughout the African slave trade. History has been a doozy, lets be honest, and mosquitoes (and malaria) have witnessed it all. They even had their effects on historical events like the Fall of Rome, the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WWII, etc. We are delving into the science as well, discussing who discovered its causal agent and who found how it was transmitted via mosquito. Needless to say, the war with malaria has been awful through the centuries and in Sub-Saharan Africa, it still is. The disease is also still prevalent in Southeast Asia and in South America. So what have been the historic methods of treatment and how far have we come in this fight? Thank you to all of our listeners and supporters! Please feel free to leave a comment or send us a DM for any questions, suggestions, or just to say, "hi."Support us on Patreon:patreon.com/thepoisonersalmanacMerch-https://poisonersalmanac.com/Follow us on socials:The Poisoner's Almanac on IG-https://www.instagram.com/poisoners_almanac?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==YouTube-https://youtube.com/@thepoisonersalmanac-m5q?si=16JV_ZKhpGaLyM73Also, look for the Poisoner's Almanac TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@poisonersalmanacp?_t=ZT-8wdYQyXhKbm&_r=1Adam-https://www.tiktok.com/@studiesshow?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcBecca-https://www.tiktok.com/@yobec0?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Smart Agency Masterclass with Jason Swenk: Podcast for Digital Marketing Agencies
Would you like access to our advanced agency training for FREE? https://www.agencymastery360.com/training Is hiring one of the biggest challenges you've faced when it comes to running your agency? How do you sift through hundreds of applications when most don't even read the job description? Today's featured guest opens up about the realities of building a team, the role that gave him his time back, and why finding the right people, not unicorns, but the right fits can make or break an agency's growth. Dan Salganik is the managing partner and CEO of Visual Fizz, a Chicago-based digital full-service marketing agency. He spent years working at agencies of every size and learning of the many flaws in their operations: bloated overhead, work designed more to win awards than to serve clients, and inefficiencies everywhere. Instead of sticking it out, he decided to try something different. With the help of a co-founder he met online, he turned his freelance gig into an actual business. Within nine days of their first conversation, they had their first paying client. Once they were at three clients, they decided it was time to make it official and started Visual Fizz. In this episode, we'll discuss: The digital nomad myth. Hiring as the biggest challenge for agency success. The unicorn problem. Why the big guys should be worried. Subscribe Apple | Spotify | iHeart Radio Sponsors and Resources This episode is brought to you by Wix Studio: If you're leveling up your team and your client experience, your site builder should keep up too. That's why successful agencies use Wix Studio — built to adapt the way your agency does: AI-powered site mapping, responsive design, flexible workflows, and scalable CMS tools so you spend less on plugins and more on growth. Ready to design faster and smarter? Go to wix.com/studio to get started. Inspired to Create Something Better After Working With The Big Guys Dan's path into agency life started straight out of college, working at agencies as a project manager. He saw how the big guys worked and was frustrated by the waste. Expensive office space downtown, teams focused on portfolio-building instead of client results, and layers of inefficiency that didn't make sense to him. After a layoff, he started contracting and freelancing. After a while, he figured if he was already selling his time, why not build a team and sell more than just his own hours? Partnering with a co-founder who brought SEO and paid search chops, he launched Visual Fizz for just $50 and a “crappy logo.” The Digital Nomad Myth At first, Dan thought the digital nomad lifestyle was going to be the dream. He traveled through Asia, working out of hostels, hopping on 2 a.m. client calls from rooftop hotels, and running projects with a global team scattered across South Africa, Kuwait, and the U.S. It sounded cool on paper—but the reality was brutal. Trying to serve U.S. clients while living 12 hours ahead was a recipe for burnout. As he put it, “If you're traveling to Southeast Asia and trying to hit U.S. hours, you're in for a rude awakening.” Over time, he realized international travel had to shift into more realistic time zones if he wanted to scale the agency. From Scrappy Start to Scaling Smart Visual Fizz didn't take off by accident. From the beginning, Dan and his co-founder knew they wanted more than just a freelancing partnership. She had the technical expertise, he had the business and sales skills, and together they leaned into that divide. Their first clients came on at around $2,500/month retainers, which felt big at the time. But what really set them apart was their willingness to sell the agency model—not just themselves as individual contractors. Dan admits the early days were DIY to the extreme. He designed the first website, created the brand, and hustled every step of the way. But over time, they shifted from being “just two freelancers” into a legit business with structure, processes, and a growing client roster. Why Hiring is Always the Hardest Part Dan didn't hesitate when asked about the hardest part of running an agency: hiring. In a business where you're selling knowledge and time, having the right people is everything. And finding those people can be tough, especially for smaller agencies. Posting a single job ad often results in 700 to 1,500 applications—most of which are noise. Dan prefers entrepreneurial-minded hires over candidates with perfect credentials. He values people who can adapt, who want to learn, and who bring a cultural fit to the table. That's how he's built a team that can handle change in an industry that shifts constantly. Like most founders, Dan has had terrible interview experiences with candidates who applied mindlessly as soon as they saw an opening and didn't bother to read anything about the profile required. People were showing up to interviews while in their card eating, not even knowing the company's name, and clearly not having the skills required. If you've ever found yourself in this position, overwhelmed by resumes and constantly interviewing the wrong people, bury a hidden instruction in your job post, like requiring a candidate to send a video with a specific subject line to a private email. The people who follow directions prove they're serious. The rest self-select out, saving you hours of wasted interviews Tired of the fancy resumes and disastrous interviews, Dan has turned to his contractors. He's hired people who had contracted with the agency for years, which of course had the advantage of already understanding their capabilities and knowing they were up to the task. Furthermore, Dan considers himself to be very fiscally conservative when it comes to hiring, so he prefers working with the person until he feels he can comfortably hire them to be a full time team member. The Hire That Changed Everything For Dan, the biggest game-changer was bringing in a project manager who grew into a project lead. Having someone who could take ownership of processes, build out SOPs, and even tell him to log off at 6 p.m. gave him the space to focus on the bigger picture, strategy, branding, and biz dev. The right project manager isn't just checking boxes. They protect your time. They let you walk into client conversations clear-headed instead of stressed about whether a deliverable is behind. When they can run the team and operations, you can finally do the job of a CEO: winning new business and setting the direction of the agency. Stop Chasing Unicorn Hires What's the next hire on Dan's list? A hybrid between a campaign strategist and a creative marketing manager. Someone who can think strategically, get hands-on with campaigns, and still spot when an SEO report doesn't make sense to a client. Sounds great but also sounds like a unicorn. As most agency owners eventually learn: unicorn hires exist, but you can't build a hiring strategy around finding them. Instead, hire clearly defined roles—project managers who love execution, account managers who thrive on client leadership. When you stumble across someone who can flex across lanes, great. But don't make that the expectation. How to Train Your Team to Sell Naturally Dan's agency doesn't run with a traditional account manager structure. Their PMs double as client leads, which means Dan had to find a way to make sales training part of the culture without turning his team into pushy salespeople. The secret to this training is storytelling. Instead of saying, “Hey, we can upsell you,” his team learns to connect client comments with relevant success stories. If a client mentions running a content audit, a PM can naturally suggest looping in the SEO lead, not because they're chasing revenue but because they know it will help the client. Over time, this approach builds trust and positions the agency as a partner, not just a vendor. Positioning in a Shifting Market Dan has seen client expectations are moving “down a notch” lately. Big brands that once chased Ogilvy or Leo Burnett are now hunting for mid-sized partners. Those mid-sized companies are shifting to smaller shops. And boutique agencies like Visual Fizz are landing $100–500 million clients who want to be a top priority instead of client number 142 on a massive roster. It's the boutique hotel effect. Clients don't always want the 3,000-room resort. Sometimes they want the place where the staff knows their name, treats them like the biggest deal in the building, and still delivers world-class service. For smaller agencies, that's a huge opportunity to win the types of clients that used to feel out of reach. Why Lean Agencies Have the Edge The future isn't kind to bloated agencies. What used to take 100 people a few years ago could now be done with 40—or even 15. Large firms with huge overhead and outdated models will struggle unless they pivot, merge, or find a vertical niche. Meanwhile, smaller and mid-sized agencies that can move fast, price smart, and deliver with a lean team are better positioned than ever. As Dan put it, even Fortune 500 companies are asking, “Why should I pay $50k a month for SEO when I can get the same expertise at $8k?” Do You Want to Transform Your Agency from a Liability to an Asset? Looking to dig deeper into your agency's potential? Check out our Agency Blueprint. Designed for agency owners like you, our Agency Blueprint helps you uncover growth opportunities, tackle obstacles, and craft a customized blueprint for your agency's success.
Psychiatrist, internist, and addiction medicine specialist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article "Why kratom addiction is the next public health crisis." Muhamad explains how kratom, a botanical imported from Southeast Asia, has rapidly spread across the U.S., marketed as a natural remedy for pain and opioid withdrawal. He warns that its potent alkaloids act directly on opioid receptors, leading to dependence, withdrawal, psychosis, and even fatalities. Muhamad outlines the surge in use during the COVID-19 pandemic, the risks to youth, and the dangers of contamination and unregulated production. He also highlights the lack of tailored treatments for kratom dependence, the need for stronger regulation, and the importance of educating the public about its hidden dangers. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of why kratom's growth poses urgent challenges for both clinicians and policymakers. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended
Africa was especially hard hit by Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, which ended years of duty-free access to the U.S. and triggered a rush to find new markets. China's announcement that it will remove all tariffs on African imports undoubtedly provides some relief, but it shouldn't be the only answer, say experts. India, Southeast Asia, and Japan all offer tremendous opportunities for African exporters, if they know how to break into these markets. Géraud traveled from Mauritius to Singapore to join a conversation at the Centre for African Studies at Nanyang Technological University, where he was joined by the center's director Amit Jain and Veda Vaidyanathan, a fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi, for a lively conversation on the future of Africa-Asia relations beyond China. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth
This week, the boys head back to 1997 to figure out what the hell is going through David Fincher's head while torturing Michael Douglas in “The Game”. His follow-up to “Alien3” and “Se7en”, as well as lots of peak-MTV music videos, Nolan kept his mystery streak going, and we're still wondering, what did he want from us? First, after John tells everyone to go see “TWINLESS”, we had some beef to settle featuring 11 callers! So grab a drink, enjoy the ride, and listen to a bunch of callers give us crap, courtesy of our friends at The Matt & Mark Movie Show. linktr.ee/theloveofcinema - Check out our YouTube page! Our phone number is 646-484-9298. It accepts texts or voice messages. 0:00 Intro; 6:22 Gripe Calls; 17:33 1997 Year in Review; 33:51 Films of 1997: “The Game”; 1:17:44 What You Been Watching?; 1:24:26 Next Week's Episode Teaser Additional Cast/Crew: David Fincher, Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, James Rebhorn, Michael Ferris, John Brancato, Deborah Kara Unger, Carroll Baker, Peter Donat, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Dylan O'Brien. Hosts: Dave Green, Jeff Ostermueller, John Say Edited & Produced by Dave Green. Beer Sponsor: Carlos Barrozo Music Sponsor: Dasein Dasein on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ Dasein on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/dasein/1637517407 Recommendations: Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, Alien: Earth, Additional Tags: The Dallas Cowboys, Short-term memory loss, Warner Brothers, Paramount, Netflix, AMC Times Square, Tom Cruise, George Clooney, MGM, Amazon Prime, Marvel, Sony, Conclave, Here, Venom: The Last Dance, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Oscars, Academy Awards, BFI, BAFTA, BAFTAS, British Cinema. England, Vienna, Leopoldstadt, The Golden Globes, Past Lives, Apple Podcasts, West Side Story, Adelaide, Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Melbourne, The British, England, The SEC, Ronald Reagan, Stock Buybacks, Marvel, MCU, DCEU, Film, Movies, Southeast Asia, The Phillippines, Vietnam, America, The US, Academy Awards, WGA Strike, SAG-AFTRA, SAG Strike, Peter Weir, Jidaigeki, chambara movies, sword fight, samurai, ronin, Meiji Restoration, plague, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, casket maker, Seven Samurai, Roshomon, Sergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, Stellan Skarsgard, the matt and mark movie show.The Southern District's Waratah Championship, Night of a Thousand Stars, The Pan Pacific Grand Prix (The Pan Pacifics).
In this episode, Adam shares exclusive updates on REGENT's exciting development roadmap, including the progress of their full-scale prototype and the path towards commercial operations in 2027. He explains how Seagliders combine the speed of aircraft with the accessibility of maritime vessels, operating from existing dock infrastructure and offering passengers affordable, sustainable coastal transport. Listeners will hear how REGENT is: - Expanding its $10 billion order backlog with airlines, ferry operators, and energy companies. - Building strong ecosystem partnerships with regulators, infrastructure providers, and community leaders worldwide. - Unlocking new opportunities in key markets such as Hawaii, South Florida, the U.S. Northeast, Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. - Differentiating Seagliders from traditional eVTOL aircraft with lower operating costs, greater passenger capacity, and synergies for multimodal transport at ports. Adam also dives into the importance of regulatory engagement with the U.S. Coast Guard and Lloyd's Register, REGENT's customer training programs, and how Seagliders could transform daily life by improving access to jobs, healthcare, and housing in coastal communities.
Diplomat Grant Dooley was inside the Australian Embassy building in Indonesia when a bomb went off, killing several people. This was just the beginning of a series of devastating events that Grant had to come to terms with years after moving back home to Australia.In 2004, Grant Dooley and his wife, Kristan, moved to Jakarta with their two young children to start a three-year posting at the Australian Embassy.In September of that year, Grant arrived at the embassy complex for a brief visit. Not long after he entered the building, a bomb went off outside, which partially destroyed the building and killed many people.The Australian Embassy had been the target of an attack plotted by Jemaah Islamiah, a terrorist group with links to al-Qaeda.Little did Grant know that he and his family had arrived in Indonesia in the middle of a horror show of bombings, natural disasters, and geopolitical tensions, which would not end for the next several years.The embassy bombing was followed by the Boxing Day Tsunami, a second Bali bombing, the Garuda plane crash in Yogyakarta and more.Not only was Grant a witness to these events, he was also a first responder to some of them.Further informationBomb Season In Jakarta is published by Affirm Press.This episode of Conversations was produced by Meggie Morris; executive producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores terrorism, diplomacy, expats, Bali bombings, Sumatra, earthquake, tsunami, Schapelle Corby, Bali 9, drug smuggling, banged up abroad, how to become a diplomat, the real life of diplomats, PTSD, post traumatic stress, Jemaah Islamiyah, jihadist organisation, al-Qaeda, Paddy's pub, Sari Club, Aceh, John Howard, Alexander Downer, Kevin Rudd, Prabowo Subianto, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Joko Widodo, foreign affairs, books, writing, memoir, modern history, Abu Bakar Bashir, 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing, East Timor, South East Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan, war.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.
Who was South India's equivalent to Alexander The Great? How did the Chola dynasty conquer Southeast Asia? And what was life like for the enslaved “service women” in the Chola court? William and Anita are joined once again by Anirudh Kanisetti, author of Lords of Earth and Sea: A History of the Chola Empire, to discuss Rajaraja I and the development of the Chola dynasty. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Erin West joins Dr. Sandie Morgan as they uncover why that random text asking "Can you come for ribs?" might be the opening move in a $5 billion crime operation targeting vulnerable people through sophisticated romance and investment scams known as pig butchering. Erin West Erin West is a globally recognized expert in transnational organized crime and the founder and president of Operation Shamrock, a nonprofit uniting law enforcement, industry, and everyday citizens to disrupt pig butchering scams—the world's fastest-growing form of transnational organized crime. After 26 years as a prosecutor, including eight years on the REACT High-Tech Task Force where she became known for her relentless pursuit of cryptocurrency-enabled criminals, Erin retired to launch this cross-border fight to expose the scam economy and protect both victims and the trafficked workers forced to run these schemes. She is also the host of "Stolen," a podcast that takes listeners inside the darkest corners of the scamdemic, where love is weaponized and billions are laundered. As a sought-after international speaker and educator, Erin continues to equip audiences worldwide to use their skills and platforms to fight back against these sophisticated criminal enterprises. Key Points Pig butchering scams are long cons that can last up to four months, involving four hours of daily texting to build the relationship victims have always wanted before stealing their life savings. Chinese organized criminals created this crime model by repurposing casino towers in Southeast Asia during COVID, literally translating "pig butchering" as fattening up victims with love bombing before cutting their throats financially. The scams begin with seemingly innocent outreach through wrong number texts, LinkedIn connections, or social media befriending, then quickly move to encrypted platforms like WhatsApp to conduct criminal activity without oversight. Hundreds of thousands of people from Africa, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are being trafficked to Southeast Asia under false job promises, then forced to work 16 hours a day running these scams under threat of violence. Victims of forced criminality face arrest and detention when compounds are raided because they're treated as criminals rather than trafficking victims, creating a massive repatriation crisis. The scale of this crime is unprecedented, with victims reporting losses of $4.9 billion in 2024 alone, representing a generation's worth of stolen wealth from retirement and college savings accounts. End-to-end encryption, while protective for legitimate users, is weaponized by criminals to conduct relationships and transactions away from law enforcement visibility. Effective response requires unprecedented cross-sector collaboration between banking, law enforcement, cryptocurrency platforms, diplomacy, victim assistance, and NGOs working together rather than in silos. Resources 351 – Hidden Crimes: Fraud and its Impact on Vulnerable Communities Operation Shamrock Stolen Podcast Transcript [00:00:00] Sandie Morgan: Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking Podcast here at Vanguard University's Global Center for Women and Justice in Orange County, California. I'm Dr. Sandie Morgan, and this is the show where we empower you to study the issue, be a voice, and make a difference in ending human trafficking. [00:00:23] today. We'll discover why that random text asking Can you come for ribs? Might be the opening move in a $5 billion crime operation [00:00:36] I'm joined today by Aaron West, founder and president of Operation Shamrock, and former prosecutor who spent 26 and a half years. Fighting high tech crimes And now here's our interview. [00:00:53] [00:00:54] Sandie Morgan: welcome to the podcast Erin West. I am so delighted to meet you. [00:01:02] Erin West: Thank you so much for having me on the podcast. I'm delighted to be here.
Ryan and Emily discuss Trump threatens Chicago takeover, Trump blows up ship near Venezuela, judge orders Trump tariff refunds, Israel disappearing Gazans at aid sites, Trump fakes Epstein files release, Southeast Asia erupts in protest, voices of Gaza youth. Fox News is now reporting that the boy "Amir" Aguilar reported to have seen shot has been located unharmed. https://www.foxnews.com/world/exclusive-video-reveals-gaza-boy-said-killed-idf-alive To become a Breaking Points Premium Member and watch/listen to the show AD FREE, uncut and 1 hour early visit: www.breakingpoints.comMerch Store: https://shop.breakingpoints.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.