Podcasts about Stability

John McGinnis, law professor at Northwestern University and author of Why Democracy Needs the Rich, examines constitutional design, democratic stability, and the accelerating force of artificial intelligence. Drawing on the Federalist Papers, Tocqueville, and public choice theory, he argues that a realistic understanding of politics is essential to preserving both liberty and effective state capacity. McGinnis traces his intellectual formation to a "hard-headed realism" learned early in life and later reinforced by the American founding. At the center of his thinking is a practical constitutional question: how to build sufficient state capacity while preventing its abuse. He emphasizes the importance of an entrenched constitution that is difficult to amend, arguing that stability enables long-term planning and protects society from short-term political passions. Several themes shape the discussion: Public choice and political incentives. Politics does not operate in a purely public-spirited way; concentrated interests often organize more effectively than diffuse ones. Understanding this dynamic is essential for evaluating policy debates. Historical perspective as stabilizer. Many contemporary political phenomena appear unprecedented but are not. From Andrew Jackson to the present, democratic politics has repeatedly unsettled elites while preserving constitutional continuity. Technology as the dominant variable. McGinnis argues that AI will overshadow most current political disputes. As a general cognitive tool, it will be embedded across sectors, reshaping law, education, national security, and economic organization. Comparative advantage in an AI world. As machines assume cognitive tasks, human value will shift toward persuasion, judgment, and relational skills. Professionals must rethink where they add distinctive value. Education under acceleration. The coexistence of AI-enabled and AI-restricted learning may become necessary to preserve independent thinking while leveraging technological capability. The civic role of the wealthy. In Why Democracy Needs the Rich, McGinnis contends that wealthy individuals diversify democratic discourse, counterbalance concentrated interests, support minority rights movements, and fund public goods such as universities and museums. Their independence allows them to take risks others cannot. The episode also addresses rising student anxiety, the erosion of historical literacy, and the long-term question of meaning in a world where work may change substantially. McGinnis maintains that constitutional stability, plural centers of influence, and technological leadership remain central to American resilience. This conversation offers a grounded framework for thinking about democracy, incentives, and technological acceleration. It situates current debates within a longer historical arc while identifying AI as the structural force most likely to define the next decade. Get John's new book, Why Democracy Needs the Rich, here: https://tinyurl.com/msk9fd4k Claim your free gift: Free gift #1 McKinsey & BCG winning resume www.FIRMSconsulting.com/resumePDF Free gift #2 Breakthrough Decisions Guide with 25 AI Prompts www.FIRMSconsulting.com/decisions Free gift #3 Five Reasons Why People Ignore Somebody www.FIRMSconsulting.com/owntheroom Free gift #4 Access episode 1 from Build a Consulting Firm, Level 1 www.FIRMSconsulting.com/build Free gift #5 The Overall Approach used in well-managed strategy studies www.FIRMSconsulting.com/OverallApproach Free gift #6 Get a copy of Nine Leaders in Action, a book we co-authored with some of our clients: www.FIRMSconsulting.com/gift

I've got three spots left open for spring black bear hunts in BC and two spots left for archery mule deer in Alberta. For any outfitting info, email me jay@mindfulhunter.com I avoided the Mountain Stick 4.1 from MTN Gear for years because I assumed it was just a trekking pole with an ice axe head. I was wrong. After putting it through the ultimate test on a mountain goat hunt in brutal terrain, I can confidently say this tool is in a league of its own. In this review, I cover: • Why my first impressions were dead wrong • How the Mountain Stick performs in real-world backcountry hunting conditions • Features like the carbide tip, pommel grip, climbing hooks, digging ability, rifle mount, and saw attachment • Pros, cons, and whether it's worth the $300 price tag If you're a mountain hunter, backcountry hiker, or gear junkie wondering if the Mountain Stick 4.1 is hype or a legit game changer, this deep dive is for you.

Oh lieve luisteraar, Lou hier. Vanuit Miracle Town in Costa Rica. Jetlag is eigenlijk een hele mooie metafoor voor Identity Shifting en Identity Based Reality Creation. Je bent al in het nieuwe land, je bent al in de nieuwe tijdzone maar je lichaam moet zich nog aanpassen aan de nieuwe realiteit. Dat doe je door de nieuwe tijd aan te houden. Als je steeds vanuit je oude tijdzone zou blijven opereren dan zou je dus nooit echt aankomen. En dat is wat we zo vaak doen als het gaat om manifesteren, we blijven vanuit onze oude identiteit opereren. Hoe dan ook, in deze uitzending gaat het over verticaal bouwen in plaats van horizontaal bouwen. Als we maar in de breedte blijven meegaan met iedere creatieve ingeving, iedere nieuwe inspiratie, iedere nieuwe ruis, dan ben je steeds weg vlák voor de Miracle. STABILITEIT creëer je nieuwe REALITEIT. Blijf lang genoeg staan om gebruik te maken van de gravitational potential energy. Als je nét weer weg bent voor het dominosteentje kan vallen, dan kán je gedroomde realiteit zich niet ontvouwen. Rise UP! Verder hebben we het over de vraag of je bij je nieuwe Identity ook meteen een hele levensstijl ziet of dat je alleen bij het gevoel blijft dat alles er al is. En tot slot zijn Tika en ik hier weer begonnen met B-School. Zij voor haar nieuwe business, ik voor voor Miracle Town en mijn nieuwe workshop serie: Identity Shifting: van Identity naar Reality. Ik ben weer helemaal opnieuw geïnspireerd. Zowel voor B-School als voor mijn business zelf. Op dit moment is enrolment voor B-School geopend (tot vrijdag 20 februari). Deze keer kun je uit twee opties kiezen. Self pased of met coaching erbij. En ze heeft een speciale AI tool erbij ontwikkeld die er voor nieuwe B-Schoolers t.w.v $297, een jaar gratis bij zit. Ik denk dat je daarmee rázendsnel per module de hele outline van je business maakt. En de dollar is voor ons nu heel gunstig. Je vindt alle info over B-School hier:

The expiration of the New START treaty, the last active nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, marks a significant shift in the global security landscape. For more than a decade, the treaty placed verifiable limits on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and maintained inspection and data‑exchange mechanisms between the two countries. With these provisions no longer in force, longstanding channels of transparency and communication have effectively paused, raising practical questions about how both nations will approach strategic stability going forward.  The end of New START comes at a time when U.S.–Russia relations have been strained by broader geopolitical tensions, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and the suspension of inspections since 2023. At the same time, evolving technologies such as hypersonic weapons, missile defence systems, and cyber capabilities are reshaping the strategic environment. These developments, combined with shifting political dynamics, have influenced both the relevance and limitations of traditional bilateral arms control frameworks.  In this episode, we examine what the absence of New START means in practical terms: how the two major nuclear powers might adapt their policies, how emerging powers like China factor into future discussions, and what this moment indicates about the broader state of global arms control. Ambassador Rakesh Sood provides context on the treaty's history, the factors leading to its expiration, and the considerations that may shape future approaches to managing nuclear risks in an increasingly multipolar environment. Guest: Rakesh Sood, Former Ambassador Host: Shikha Kumari A  Edited by Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this session, we dive deep into the mechanics of how specific exercises actually facilitate the healing of a herniated disc and relieve chronic sciatica. Many people are led to believe that a therapist "fixes" them, but the reality is that your body is constantly trying to heal itself every single day. The role of a structured rehabilitation programme is to provide the optimal environment for that healing to occur. We discuss the critical distinction between "relief-based" movements—which often involve bending and twisting that provide momentary comfort but can aggravate the underlying injury—and "stability-based" exercises that protect the lumbar spine and allow the damaged tissues to recover.Understanding your "load tolerance" is the key to long-term recovery. We use the analogy of a 50cc Vespa trying to pull a one-ton trailer to describe a weak, injured back struggling with the demands of daily life. To stop the "engine" from screaming—or your back from flaring up—you must upgrade your vehicle to a Dodge Ram or a heavy-duty truck. This means committing to a progressive resistance training programme that builds bone mineral density, muscle coordination, and spinal resilience. By mastering the technique of the squat and the hip hinge, you aren't just doing "gym moves"; you are learning life skills that allow you to navigate the world without constantly re-injuring your spine.Key Topics Covered

In today's session, we dive deep into the mechanics of why lower back pain and sciatica flare up, even when you think you are doing the right things. The core of the issue is often "movement leakage," where motion intended for your hips or upper body inadvertently puts stress on an injured lumbar segment. Whether you are dealing with a herniated disc at L4/5 or L5/S1, these tissues have a reduced capacity for stress. When you move incorrectly—such as rounding your spine during a bent-over row or a simple daily task—you aggravate those vulnerable tissues. Understanding this is the first step toward moving away from the cycle of chronic pain and toward a structured rehabilitation programme.We also challenge the common misconception that more bending and stretching is the solution for a stiff back. If movement is what caused the aggravation, it is rarely logical to focus your recovery on more bending and twisting of the injured area. Instead, the priority must be to stabilise and protect the spine through isometric contraction and proper technique. By building a foundation of strength through exercises like squats and hip hinges, you teach your body to shield the injured segments, allowing the healing process to take place without constant re-injury.### Key Topics Covered

The dating world in 2026 is more complex than ever, with certain behaviors now standing out as absolute no-nos. If you're navigating the modern dating landscape, you'll want to pay close attention to not just the common pitfalls of past decades but also to emerging red flags that reflect our evolving understanding of healthy relationships. Today, we'll dive deep into why financial responsibility and emotional availability are now at the forefront of dating deal-breakers and what that means for you.Let's start with the financial aspect. A recent survey by Harris Insights & Analytics revealed that a staggering 67% of singles now view a potential partner's eagerness to merge finances too quickly as a major red flag. This might seem surprising, especially if you think about how financial unity was often glorified in past relationships. But today, many individuals are prioritizing personal financial security and transparency over rushing into shared expenses.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lets-talk-sex-and-dating--5052038/support.

Apple Pie Playground with Valerie Title: Alignment in the Quantum; a Biblical Idea Expanding the idea of alignment makes partners of quantum mechanics and the gospel truth. Doubt it? Let's talk. Finding Your Center: Quantum Alignment and the Sovereign Spirit Alignment in the Quantum A Biblical Perspective on Spiritual Sovereignty & Energetic Coherence Editorial Abstract The Core Mandate "Gird your loins with great strength so that the robbers will not find a way to get to you. For the advantage for which you look, they will find." — Christ's private conversation with Thomas The "Robbers" Self-sabotage, loss of peace, external chaos, and distractions that undermine sovereign spirit. Right Action Alignment is a practice, not a sentiment. It requires intentional engagement over contemplation. The Quantum Trinity of Alignment 1. CorrelationHarmonizing with source energy field 2. ControlIntentional application of energy 3. StabilityPredictable outcomes via habit Subconscious Exercise The Dixit Card: Domino Path The Town: Your ultimate destination/goal. The Dominoes: Fragile structures of belief. The Shortcut: Dangerous teetering blocks. The Alternative: Creative problem solving. Key Takeaways #SovereignSpirit #QuantumCoherence #InnerChildHealing #RightAction #TaoTranquility Pro Tip: True mastery is finding tranquility in chaos. If a path is "right," it should eventually feel easy and free of resistance. Source: Apple Pie Playground • Host: Valerie Est. Reading Time: 45 min transcript In this episode of Apple Pie Playground, host Valerie explores the biblical concept of "girding one's loins" through the lens of quantum mechanics and spiritual sovereignty. The discussion provides a roadmap for maintaining energetic alignment and finding "right action" even when faced with life's most difficult "plumbing problems" and external chaos. The Foundation of Spiritual Sovereignty The core of the discussion centers on a quote attributed to Christ: "Gird your loins with great strength so that the robbers will not find a way to get to you." Historically, "girding" referred to tucking in one's garments to prepare for a heavy lift or a battle. In a spiritual context, this represents the protection of our "eternal spark" and sovereign spirit. When the external world—corrupted societies, loss of property, or personal tragedy—takes everything else away, our energetic practices and internal alignment are the only tools left to enforce the liberties of our domain. The 3 Pillars of Quantum Alignment CorrelationHarmonizing your internal energy with the source field. ControlIntentional application of energy to create outcomes. StabilityConsistent practices that ensure predictability. Alignment as a Quantum Practice Alignment is not merely a feeling but a deliberate practice of coherence within the quantum field. Valerie defines "beingness" as motion—a micro-level vibration that never truly stops. To align is to synchronize this motion with the "Christ consciousness" or the unified field surrounding us. This requires identifying the "robbers"—which are often forms of self-sabotage like fear, distraction, and unpracticed behaviors—that steal our peace and tether to source energy. By controlling the energy we project, we manage the "echo" or the ripples that the quantum field returns to us. Mastery through Ease and Non-Resistance A significant hurdle to alignment is the tendency to "force" outcomes or mold oneself into inauthentic identities to meet external expectations. True mastery, as echoed in Taoist philosophy, is finding tranquility in chaos. When we are aligned, "right action" arises effortlessly; if a path feels like constant resistance, it is often a sign of misalignment. Stability is built not through just planning or reading, but through the active engagement of intentions in the present moment, supported by grace and abundant self-forgiveness. The Path of Right Action Alignment: No resistance, no forcing, no pushing. It is the "easy" path where the spirit resides clearly. Misalignment: Overcompensating, doubting, searching, or overindulging. These are the "robbers" of the sovereign spirit. Subconscious Exploration: The Dixit Exercise The episode concludes with a creative visualization exercise involving a white picket fence that transforms into teetering dominoes. This "Dixit card" method is designed to bring subconscious fears, worries, and potential solutions into conscious awareness. By observing how one navigates the "shortcuts" or "shaking dominoes" in their mind's eye, individuals can uncover hidden beliefs stored in their "subconscious suitcases" and begin the work of extinguishing what no longer serves them. To-Do / Next Steps Practice intentional stillness to balance the motion of your internal energetics and allow them to align. Monitor your "echo" by controlling the energy you project into the world to ensure the ripples returning to you are desirable. Perform a course correction immediately when you find yourself on an "emotional slippery slope" or sliding into unpracticed behaviors. Engage in daily self-forgiveness as a mandatory competency for sustained alignment in the physical body. Reflect on the "Domino" visualization to identify if you are struggling to reach your goals or if you are using dangerous shortcuts in your life. Conclusion Alignment is a continuous journey of returning to our true essence. By "girding our loins" through correlation, control, and stability, we protect our sovereign spirit from the "robbers" of chaos and self-sabotage, eventually reaching a state where right action becomes our most natural response.

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Guest: John Tamny. Tamny explains Adam Smith's division of labor using the iPhone as an example, arguing that money exists solely to circulate goods and requires stability.

Dr. Gabriel Blass shares a fascinating case of an infant with a rare genetic bone disorder and how homeopathy helped support the child's health. He also used AI to explore potential remedies and even a homeopathic preparation made from a pharmaceutical medicine, which produced impressive results. The episode reveals how curiosity, creativity, and careful listening can open doors in even the most challenging medical cases. Episode Highlights: 03:34 - Tips for using AI responsibly 05:52 - Malignant Osteopetrosis Case in an Infant 09:35 - Different types of Osteopetrosis 11:29 - Purpose of Bone Remodelling 14:10 - Repertorization + Muscle Testing 16:32 - First Prescription: Silica + Hecla Lava and the Once-Weekly Dosing Choice 18:36 - Genetics Confirm Malignant Form 20:09 - Treatment Pivot 23:35 - Third Follow-Up: Strength Gains, Stability, and Early Mobility Improvements 26:02 - Switching From Analysis to Intuition 30:04 - Shortlisting Homeopathic Drug Remedies 32:43 - Testing & Prescribing: Atorvastatin Emerges as the Key Remedy 35:32 - Potency Changes, Hecla Lava/Sulfur Added, Child Thrives 39:27 - DNA Hardware vs Vital Force Software 43:23 - Single-Gene Defects, COV!D/mRNA Speculation About my Guests: Dr. Gabriel Blass is a distinguished homeopathic physician and educator based in Glasgow, Scotland, with decades of experience in both conventional and complementary medicine. He earned a B.Sc. Honours degree in Pathology in 1986 and completed his M.B. Ch.B. with Commendation from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Glasgow in 1988. Dr. Blass has been actively involved in homeopathic medicine since 1987 and currently practises as a homeopathic doctor in Glasgow. Alongside his clinical work, he is deeply committed to advancing the field of homeopathy through education and professional development. He regularly lectures to doctors, homeopaths, and other health-care professionals, delivers public presentations, and trains students pursuing studies in homeopathy. In addition to his clinical and teaching roles, Dr. Blass contributes to the academic community by translating scientific papers for Homeopathy (formerly The British Homeopathic Journal), helping make research more accessible to practitioners worldwide. He is a Registered Member of the Society of Homeopaths, adhering to its Code of Ethics and high academic and clinical standards. Dedicated to excellence in patient care and professional growth, Dr. Blass maintains an ongoing programme of Continuing Professional Development, reflecting his belief that learning is a lifelong journey. Find out more about Gabriel Website: https://www.homeopathy-glasgow.co.uk/ If you would like to support the Homeopathy Hangout Podcast, please consider making a donation by visiting www.EugenieKruger.com and click the DONATE button at the top of the site. Every donation about $10 will receive a shout-out on a future episode. Join my Homeopathy Hangout Podcast Facebook community here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelloHomies Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/eugeniekrugerhomeopathy/ Here is the link to my free 30-minute Homeopathy@Home online course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqBUpxO4pZQ&t=438s Upon completion of the course - and if you live in Australia - you can join my Facebook group for free acute advice (you'll need to answer a couple of questions about the course upon request to join): www.facebook.com/groups/eughom

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At the end of a week featuring a failed gambit to oust the PM, plus the expulsion of the country's most senior civil servant, Miranda and Tim debate the lost promise of a "dullness dividend". Stability seems elusive, especially given the threat to shake up government even further if Reform prevails. Is that necessary? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gugs Mhlungu speaks with Derek Archer, Head of strength and conditioning at St. David’s Marist Inanda and Director at Fitpro- Institute of Fitness Professionals, about the importance and benefits of exercising your ankles as this can improve performance, stability, and overall injury prevention. Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, on Saturdays and Sundays Gugs Mhlungu gets you ready for the weekend each Saturday and Sunday morning on 702. She is your weekend wake-up companion, with all you need to know for your weekend. The topics Gugs covers range from lifestyle, family, health, and fitness to books, motoring, cooking, culture, and what is happening on the weekend in 702land. Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu. Listen live on Primedia+ on Saturdays and Sundays from 06:00 and 10:00 (SA Time) to Weekend Breakfast with Gugs Mhlungu broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/u3Sf7Zy or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/BIXS7AL Subscribe to the 702 daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Overton window has shifted again. Tariffs, alliances, climate accords, Russia-U.S. speculation. Narratives flip every election cycle. The question is not who is right. The question is how you stay stable when governance feels unstable. This episode breaks down leadership in volatility. We examine dollar-cost averaging as disciplined resistance to chaos. We confront institutional power. BlackRock, Vanguard, central banks. Not mythology. Influence. We explore why stoic frameworks outperform emotional reactions. Year of the Cow. The bull does not panic. It plants its feet. Stability at home. Stability in markets. Fix the foundation before remodeling the house. Signal over noise. Own the path.

Understanding Lifetime ISAs for Young Investors and Pension Tips for Women Over 45 - Ask Becky Anything - Ep. 135. Take our quiz to get your perfect playlist to help you on your wealth journey: https://rebecca-jpk9bhtb.scoreapp.com/ In this Ask Becky Anything episode of Accelerating Your Wealth, Rebecca Robertson answers listener questions about Lifetime ISAs and how to start saving for retirement later in life. Gives clear, no-nonsense advice on saving for the future and making smart financial decisions. In this episode we cover... What Lifetime ISAs are and how they work for young adults The benefits and limitations of LISAs compared to traditional ISAs and pensions Strategies for saving a deposit for your first home Advice for women who are starting to think about pensions in their 40s Practical steps to begin your investment and retirement planning journey now Chapters 00:00 "ISA and LISA Explained" 03:15 Saving Strategies for Home Deposits 08:10 "Start Small, Plan for Stability" 09:52 "Starting Small with Investing"   ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Rebecca Robertson and the Podcast: Subscribe for weekly wealth-building strategies: https://www.youtube.com/@rebeccarobertsonifa  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca_robertsonifa  https://www.instagram.com/acceleratingyourwealth LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-financial-advisor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRobertsonwealth  www.evolutionfinancialplanning.co.uk Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Podcast produced by https://podforge.co.uk

In this episode of Soul Led Living, we explore the real energetic and practical roots of business stability. Your business isn't broken or failing — it may simply be in a transition season, recalibrating and preparing for its next era.We dive into what actually creates lasting stability: narrowing your focus to one person and one core problem, releasing people-pleasing patterns, and allowing your work to become simpler instead of more chaotic. Stability isn't about blowing up overnight — it's about building something strong enough to weather storms and becoming a true pillar in your space.If you've been craving more consistency, clarity, and calm in your business, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.

Bill Eddy and Megan Hunter explore one of the most challenging questions faced by people in relationships with partners who demonstrate high conflict behaviors: Is it possible to develop a genuinely mutual and healthy relationship through proper communication techniques and boundary setting, or is managed stability the best achievable outcome?Understanding Relationship Dynamics with High Conflict PartnersThe episode examines the reality that while using specialized communication techniques can help reduce conflict and create more stability, these relationships often remain fundamentally one-sided. The hosts address the emotional toll of being the only partner actively working on relationship improvement and discuss realistic expectations for long-term outcomes.Research indicates that people who exhibit cluster B personality traits commonly demonstrate patterns of domineeringness, vindictiveness, and intrusiveness in relationships. Understanding these patterns helps inform decisions about relationship investment and maintenance.Questions Answered in This EpisodeCan proper communication techniques lead to a truly mutual relationship?What role does counseling play in improving high conflict relationships?How do you approach suggesting counseling to a resistant partner?What are realistic expectations for relationship improvement?When should someone consider leaving versus staying in the relationship?Key TakeawaysSuccess often looks like better containment rather than achieving full mutualityIndividual or couples counseling can help, but finding the right approach is crucialSetting clear limits while maintaining safety is essentialBuilding external support systems helps maintain stabilityPersonal decisions about staying or leaving should be based on realistic expectationsThe episode provides valuable insights for anyone wrestling with difficult relationship decisions, offering both practical tools and a framework for evaluating relationship potential without promising unrealistic outcomes.Additional ResourcesNew Resource for Those Considering Divorce/Separation/Relationship Termination Should I Stay Stay Married or Get Divorced? 1:1 Coaching through an online courseGive your marriage a chance to survive and succeed.Expert PublicationsStop Walking on Eggshells for Partners by Randi Kreger and Bill Eddy, LCSW, JDDating Radar: Why Your Brain Says Yes to "The One" Who Will Make Your Life Hell By Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq., and Megan Hunter, MBASLIC Solutions for Conflict: Setting Limits & Imposing Consequences in 2 1/2 Steps by Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. and Ekaterina Ricci, MDR, MLSPersonal DevelopmentNew Ways for Couples Online Course + Coaching (give your relationship a chance to survive)TrainingContact us for training for your organizationConnect With UsVisit High Conflict Institute: highconflictinstitute.comSubmit questions for Bill and MeganBrowse our complete collection of books and resources in our online store—available in print and e-book formatsFind these show notes and all past episode notes on our websiteWatch this episode on YouTube!Important NoticeOur discussions focus on behavioral patterns rather than diagnoses. For specific legal or therapeutic guidance, please consult qualified professionals in your area. (00:00) - Welcome to It's All Your Fault (00:42) - Healthy Relationships? (04:54) - Two-Way Relationship Potential (08:29) - Counseling (10:30) - Couples Therapy (14:17) - Trying Harder? (15:55) - Personality Disorders (17:28) - Domineeringness, Vindictiveness, Intrusiveness (19:19) - Staying for Stability (25:34) - SLIC Solutions (32:02) - Back to Original Question (35:10) - Wrap Up

Guest post by Martin McMahon Ireland's new journalism funding schemes are sold as a boost for pluralism, innovation, and public-interest reporting. Administered by Coimisiún na Meán, they allocate millions of euro across digital, print, radio, and podcast projects. On paper, it reads like a sensible intervention in a fragile media ecosystem. But look closely at the rules, and a different pattern emerges. The key gate is eligibility. Funding is restricted to new projects only. That sounds neutral even encouraging innovation. In practice, it excludes the very outlets that have already done the hard work: building audiences slowly, developing trust over years, and producing consistent investigative or public-interest journalism. A podcast that has run independently for five years, cultivated a loyal following, and held power to account is ineligible. A brand-new series launched by a national broadcaster or media chain qualifies automatically. Continuity, under this design, becomes a liability. Large media organisations are structurally advantaged by this model. They already own studios, employ producers, control distribution, and can redeploy salaried staff internally. For them, launching a "new" podcast can be little more than a branding exercise. The marginal cost is low, the compliance infrastructure is already in place, and the administrative burden of grant reporting is routine. Independent podcasters operate under entirely different conditions. They build audiences incrementally. They rely on consistency rather than launch cycles. Their survival depends on longevity, not novelty. Yet the funding rules reward churn, launch, claim funding, conclude, rather than durable journalism. The schemes also require applicants to be regulated entities or partnered with one. That effectively privileges organisations already inside formal regulatory structures, while freelancers and small independents must align themselves with established outlets to gain access. Platform-neutrality in theory becomes entity-selectivity in practice. Compliance requirements, transcripts, accessibility deliverables, reporting metrics, public portal uploads are not inherently unreasonable. But they function as a moat. Large organisations absorb them as overhead. Smaller operators experience them as strain. The result is predictable: funding flows toward those already institutionally secure. None of this requires bad faith. No editor receives instructions. No voice is formally silenced. Instead, the architecture of the scheme produces a steady, measurable effect. Incumbency is reinforced. Stability outside the system is penalised. Independence becomes harder to sustainwithout alignment. This is not censorship in the traditional sense. It is something subtler: structural selection. Thedesign of eligibility rules quietly determines which media models are viable and which must struggle on the margins. If the goal is pluralism, the question is unavoidable: does a "new-projects-only" model expand the range of independent voices or does it simply subsidise production activity within existing media hierarchies? Public funding shapes markets. The shape it produces here deserves closer scrutiny. See more stories here.

Therapist and money coach Linzy Bonham joins me to explore how therapists can create stability during uncertain times, with a focus on easing financial stress and anxiety. She also shares practical strategies for managing both personal and professional finances. PS: Linzy is our Abundance Party trainer this month. If you're a member of the community, visit your dashboard in Simplero and/or the event listing in the private Facebook group for details. Learn more about Linzy at https://moneynutsandbolts.com/. Sponsored by TherapyNotes®: Looking to switch EHRs? Try TherapyNotes® for 2 months free by using promo code ABUNDANT at therapynotes.com. Ready to fill your practice faster? Join the Abundance Party today and get 99% off your first month with promo code PODCAST: www.abundancepracticebuilding.com/abundanceparty

If we have a favorite phrase, you know it's going to be "it depends." Well, not when we've got a round of "This or That"! Nathan, Matt, and David put themselves on the hot seat to tackle your This or That ideas. Super trainers or plated trainers? Hot weather or cold weather? Running in a blizzard or running in a hurricane?! Things get a little wild on this one, so tune in!Get your DOR Merch: https://doctors-of-running.myspreadshop.com/We're thrilled to have Rabbit as a presenting partner! You can use code DOCTORS10 to get 10% off your entire order of $50.00 or more. Note that the code is limited to one use per customer and can't combined with other discounts. The code is active from 1st of every month to last day at 11:59PM PST, but don't worry because we'll be bringing you a new code every month. Shop now at https://www.runinrabbit.com.Our In For Testing segment is fueled by Skratch Labs! Get 20% off your first order from Skratch with code: DOCTORSOFRUNNING! https://www.skratchlabs.comChapters0:00 - Intro3:20 - In for Testing: Powered by Skratch Labs21:00 - This or That: true easy day shoe or a do-it-all shoe?27:16 - Running in frigid cold with shorts, or in heat with long pants?36:00 - Super trainers or plated performance trainers?41:02 - Donut mile or beer mile?45:46 - More fun: 5K training or marathon training?49:52 - Marathon race route: out & back or a loop?51:26 - Achilles tear or ACL tear?52:54 - Stability racing shoes or stability trainers?55:36 - Run in a tropical storm or run in a blizzard?1:01:34 - For long-term health: super shoes or no super shoes?1:05:06 - Seattle Seahawks or New England Patriots?1:06:20 - Wrap-up

Key Takeaways: Simplifying Financial Language: Complex financial terms often create confusion and fear. Breaking them down into simple, relatable ideas helps people understand money in a more natural and intuitive way. Money as Communities: Money isn't just a machine or a system. It can be viewed as different communities or “villages,” each with its own rules, strengths, and purpose. Different Money Villages: Each form of money offers something unique. Dollars are easy to use, real estate provides stability, gold offers security, and Bitcoin represents digital independence. Connecting Nature and Finance: Financial systems work best when they follow natural patterns instead of fighting them. Aligning money with instinct and common sense creates healthier economic behavior. Volatility Is Natural: Price movement is not a flaw—it's a feature. When understood properly, volatility becomes a useful signal rather than something to fear. Chapters: Timestamp Summary 0:00 Decolonizing Money: Balancing Mind and Body Intelligence 7:26 Exploring Global Money Villages and Their Unique Characteristics 16:59 The Intersection of Movement, Stability, and Financial Systems 21:22 Bitcoin as a Natural and Unmanipulated Monetary System 25:49 Embracing Volatility and Sovereign Residency in Financial Strategies   Powered by Stone Hill Wealth Management   Social Media Handles    Follow Phillip Washington, Jr. on Instagram (@askphillip)   Subscribe to Wealth Building Made Simple newsletter https://www.wealthbuildingmadesimple.us/   Ready to turn your investing dreams into reality? Our "Wealth Building Made Simple" premium newsletter is your secret weapon. We break down investing in a way that's easy to understand, even if you're just starting out. Learn the tricks the wealthy use, discover exciting opportunities, and start building the future YOU want. Sign up now, and let's make those dreams happen!   WBMS Premium Subscription   Phillip Washington, Jr. is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

ETF inflows remain resilient as investors increasingly turn to sophisticated risk-management tools like options-based strategies and derivative income products. Matt Kaufman explores how these structured wrappers provide stable, tax-efficient yields and downside insulation for conservative participants. The discussion highlights the continued growth of the $14 trillion ETF market and how market volatility can be leveraged to capture higher upside potential.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day.Options involve risks and are not suitable for all investors. Before trading, read the Options Disclosure Document. http://bit.ly/2v9tH6DSubscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Maria Molland is former CEO and Board Member of Thinx, the feminine hygiene company, acquired by Kimberly Clark. She is an Executive in Residence at Frazier Healthcare Partners. Tune in to hear Maria's thoughts on: Her first days as CEO (01:15) Lessons from her 90-day plan as a new CEO (05:37) Making the case for HR investment early on (10:54) Where the board misallocated investment when scaling (16:35) A framework for deciding where to invest (20:09) The trade-offs of taking capital from a strategic partner (23:08) The benefits of having someone with the CEO's ear (28:54) What surprised Maria most on the path to exit (30:58)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(34:18)Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability.1836 DESERT MARCH

In this week's episode of the Security Sprint, Dave and Andy covered the following topics:Open:• TribalHub 6th Annual Cybersecurity Summit, 17–20 Feb 2026, Jacksonville, Florida• Congress reauthorizes private-public cybersecurity framework & Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 Reauthorized Through September 2026• AMWA testifies at Senate EPW Committee hearing on cybersecurity Main Topics:Terrorism & Extremismo Killers without a cause: The rise in nihilistic violent extremism — The Washington Post, 08 Feb 2026 o Terrorists' Use of Emerging Technologies Poses Evolving Threat to International Peace, Stability, Acting UN Counter-Terrorism Chief Warns Security Council United Nations / Security Council, 04 Feb 2026 OpenClaw: The Helpful AI That Could Quietly Become Your Biggest Insider Threat – Jamf Threat Labs, 09 Feb 2026. Jamf profiles OpenClaw as an autonomous agent framework that can run on macOS and other platforms, chain actions across tools, maintain long term memory and act on high level goals by reading and writing files, calling APIs and interacting with messaging and email systems. The research warns that over privileged agents like this effectively become new insider layers once attackers capture tokens, gain access to control interfaces or introduce malicious skills, enabling data exfiltration, lateral movement and command execution that look like legitimate automation. The rise of Moltbook suggests viral AI prompts may be the next big security threat; We don't need self-replicating AI models to have problems, just self-replicating prompts.• From magic to malware: How OpenClaw's agent skills become an attack surface • Exposed Moltbook database reveals millions of API keys • The rise of Moltbook suggests viral AI prompts may be the next big security threat • OpenClaw & Moltbook: AI agents meet real-world attack campaigns • Malicious MoltBot skills used to push password-stealing malware • Moltbook reveals AI security readiness • Moltbook exposes user data via API • OpenClaw: Handing AI the keys to your digital life Quick Hits:• Active Tornado Season Expected in the US • CISA Directs Federal Agencies to Update Edge Devices – GovInfoSecurity, 05 Feb 2026 & read more from CISA: Binding Operational Directive 26-02: Mitigating Risk From End-of-Support Edge Devices – CISA, 05 Feb 2026. • A Technical and Ethical Post-Mortem of the Feb 2026 Harvard University ShinyHunters Data Breach • Hackers publish personal information stolen during Harvard, UPenn data breaches • Two Ivy League universities had donor information breaches. Will donors be notified?• Harassment & scare tactics: why victims should never pay ShinyHunters • Please Don't Feed the Scattered Lapsus$ & ShinyHunters • Mass data exfiltration campaigns lose their edge in Q4 2025 • Executive Targeting Reaches Record Levels as Threats Expand Beyond CEOs • Notepad++ supply-chain attack: what we know • Summary of SmarterTools Breach and SmarterMail CVEs • Infostealers without borders: macOS, Python stealers, and platform abuse

China's latest white paper highlights Hong Kong's national security efforts and achievements under "One Country, Two Systems (01:07)."The Munich Security Conference has issued a report, warning that the world has entered a period of "wrecking-ball" politics (13:36). The Kitchen God Festival, or Little New Year, is celebrated across China with parades, folk performances, markets, and community feasts that bring warmth and joy (25:23).

Eskom stability brings relief, but risks and higher tariffs remain by Radio Islam

Today, I am joined by Marcel Baettig, artist, cultural leader, and founder and CEO of Bow Arts, one of London's most influential arts and education charities. Over three decades, Marcel has quietly built a values-led social enterprise that provides affordable studios and housing for artists, reaches tens of thousands of young people, and continually reinvests in local communities. This conversation isn't just about scale or success. It´s about precarity, why artists need infrastructure as much as inspiration, and how Marcel's own experience of working as an artist shaped Bow Arts. We explore leadership without ego, the long game of cultural change, and why we need to stop treating artists as an afterthought in regeneration. This episode is for anyone who's ever felt the system is stacked against them - and wondered what it looks like to build a different one. KEY TAKEAWAYS We need to stop accepting scarcity as inevitable, to question who systems are really designed for - building a better art world is not a theoretical exercise. It's a daily practice. Sustainable creative lives are built through shared responsibility and leaders who remember what it feels like to be at the kitchen table wondering how the rent will get paid and still choosing to make the work. If we want artists to survive, we must design practical, long-term infrastructure - affordable space, stable income pathways, and owned assets, not just offer prestige moments or short-term opportunities. BEST MOMENTS “Artists thrive when they are trusted, resourced, and rooted in their communities.” “Artists don't just need opportunities. They need conditions. Time. Space. Stability and a sense their contribution to society is not decorative, but essential.”   THE GUEST Marcel Baettig is the Founder and CEO of Bow Arts, a pioneering London charity providing affordable, sustainable spaces for artists to live and work while contributing to their local communities. Originally trained as an artist, he founded Bow Arts in 1994, and it now supports over 1,100 artists across London, runs a major learning programme that reaches tens of thousands of young people, and reinvests significant funds into local cultural life. He is also a founding director of the National Federation of Artist Studio Providers and has advised bodies including the Mayor of London, Arts Council England, and DCMS on creative workspace and cultural regeneration.  https://www.linkedin.com/company/1639152 https://www.facebook.com/bowarts/?locale=en_GB https://bowarts.org/ HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She has sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. ** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership/ ** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network/ ** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com

What does it take to lead a district through transformation while honoring the lived realities of students, educators, and community members? In this powerful episode of Voices for Excellence — part of our fourth annual Black Excellence series — Dr. Michael Conner sits down with Dr. Simone Griffin, Superintendent of Benton Harbor Area Schools in Michigan. Together, they explore the deep work of instructional leadership, community-centered change, and building the future of education in real time.Dr. Griffin brings a grounded, empathetic, and courageous approach to leadership informed by her journey from day-to-day substitute teacher to superintendent. She shares the bold ways she's centering student voice, operationalizing equity through co-created curriculum committees, and addressing teacher burnout with wellness frameworks that treat educators as the human capital driving system-wide excellence.With characteristic vision and vulnerability, Dr. Conner and Dr. Griffin dive into what it means to prepare learners — and leaders — for a 22nd-century economy marked by volatility, complexity, and exponential change. From cultivating collective efficacy to embracing AI as a tool for innovation (not a threat), this conversation is a vivid blueprint for transformation rooted in grace, intellectual rigor, and community.What you'll learn:Bold leadership means leading with empathy — not ego.Data doesn't drive change — people do. Build relational trust first.AI is here. Educators must lean into discomfort to prepare students for the future.Co-design with stakeholders creates systems that serve, not sort.Stability during volatility requires vision, transparency, and adaptive strategy.Equity, innovation, and courage aren't add-ons — they are the work.Through the lens of Dr. Conner's 22nd Century Education Model, Dr. Griffin shows what's possible when superintendents prioritize modeling, feedback, and shared mental models to drive transformation from the classroom to the boardroom.This episode is a masterclass in systems leadership that redefines both what excellence means and who gets to achieve it. Dr. Conner continues his mission to build equitable, innovative, and high-performing education ecosystems where every learner can thrive in the future they will inherit.Subscribe and share to continue driving the future of education for all.

Josiah Armstrong

PSALMS 111–113 — PRAISE, COVENANT REMEMBRANCE, RIGHTEOUS STABILITY, AND YAHUAH'S EXALTATIONEvening MessageTeacher: Kerry BattleAhava ~ Love AssemblyThis evening Torah message covers Psalms 111 through 113, a unified progression of covenant praise, remembrance, upright stability, and Yahuah's exaltation over all creation.These Psalms are not emotional poetry. They are covenant formation. The Writings witness Torah, call Israel to fear, and define what righteousness produces in the life of the set-apart remnant.Psalm 111 establishes that the fear of Yahuah begins with remembering His works and honoring His covenant.Psalm 112 shows the fruit of that fear, stability, obedience, generosity, and endurance against the wicked.Psalm 113 exalts Yahuah as the Most High who still attends to the lowly, raising the poor and restoring households by covenant mercy.This message is taught with judicial clarity, precept upon precept, and requires a lawful response.WHAT WE COVER IN THIS MESSAGEPraise in the Assembly, Not Private ReligionPsalm 111Praise belongs in the gathered order of the upright, not isolated spirituality. Covenant people worship publicly in truth and remembrance.The Works of Yahuah Are Studied, Not ForgottenPsalm 111The remnant does not admire Yahuah's acts, they study them. Forgetting produces rebellion. Memory is obedience.Covenant Provision and Command Are JoinedPsalm 111Yahuah provides for those who fear Him, and His provision is governed by covenant order, not entitlement.The Fear of Yahuah is the Beginning of WisdomPsalm 111Wisdom begins with trembling submission. No fear, no wisdom. No obedience, no understanding.The Righteous Man Produced by Covenant FearPsalm 112Blessing is attached to delight in commandments. Upright men are stable in darkness and unshaken under trial.Generosity as Covenant Order, Not Charity CulturePsalm 112Giving is covenant justice and stewardship. Ordered care among the set-apart, not forced redistribution.Separation Revealed by OppositionPsalm 112The wicked grind their teeth against righteousness. Distinction returns. Opposition proves separation.Yahuah Exalted, Yet Near the LowlyPsalm 113The Most High humbles Himself to behold the poor, raising them from the dust and seating them with princes.Household Restoration as Covenant FruitPsalm 113Fruitfulness and restoration are governed by Yahuah's mercy, not human control. He builds households by covenant order.WHY THIS MESSAGE MATTERSCovenant praise is public and orderedRemembrance is obedienceFear is the beginning of wisdomRighteousness produces stabilityGiving is governed by Torah justiceOpposition reveals separationYahuah lifts the lowly by covenant mercyHouseholds are restored by His handThese Psalms train the remnant to live upright, fear Yahuah without hypocrisy, and trust His exaltation and governance in every condition.SCRIPTURE REFERENCES FOR STUDYPsalms 111–113Deuteronomy 31Exodus 13Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 8Proverbs 1Ecclesiastes 12Isaiah 66Psalm 1Deuteronomy 28Psalm 37Deuteronomy 15Psalm 2Malachi 3Isaiah 571 Samuel 1–2Genesis 21Isaiah 54Revelation 7Every section is taught precept upon precept.ABOUT AHAVA ~ LOVE ASSEMBLYWe teach the Pure Word of Yahuah.No religion.No tradition.No compromise.Our teaching follows the Sovereign Blueprint:Law | Precept | Example | Wisdom | Understanding | Prudence | Conviction | Fruit of the Ruach | Final Heart CheckSUPPORT THE WORK — GIVE VIA ZELLEZelle QR at: ahavaloveministry.comZelle only. No CashApp. No PayPal.FINAL WORDThe remnant must praise without forgetting.Fear without hypocrisy.Walk upright without shaking.And trust Yahuah to lift the lowly in His appointed time.Final Heart Check:Do you praise without forgetting, fear without hypocrisy, walk upright without shaking, and trust Yahuah to lift the lowly in His appointed time?

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Michael Bernstam. Bernstam explains the fragile Russian economy sinking with the price Russia gets for oil, detailing how declining energy revenues threaten Moscow's fiscal stability. 1941 MOSCOW

Andrea Stricker analyzes the New START treaty's expiration, the absence of verification for Russian arsenals, and the rising threat of China's expanding nuclear capabilities challenging strategic stability frameworks.1953

Josh Birenbaum explains that while the Forever Fleet ensures Venezuelan oil compliance, long-term stability requires establishing the rule of law rather than indefinite military blockades off the coast.1857 SAN MATEO CHURCH, CARACAS

Starting Out After Graduate School: Team-Based Care, Stability, and Early Career Decisions - An Interview with Eden LathemSpecial Series: Becoming a Therapist In this Becoming a Therapist special series episode, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy welcome back Eden Lathem for a second-year check-in following her graduation from graduate school. Now working under temporary licensure, Eden shares what it has been like to enter the workforce in an intensive outpatient treatment setting, navigate supervision requirements, and make early career decisions focused on stability, learning, and sustainability. This conversation explores the realities of life after graduate school, including team-based care, financial considerations, and flexibility in building a therapy career. About the GuestEden Lathem is a Marriage and Family Therapist practicing under temporary licensure and working in an intensive outpatient treatment setting. She provides individual and group therapy as part of a multidisciplinary clinical team and works with individuals and families navigating caregiving stress, disability, trauma, anxiety, depression, identity shifts, and major life transitions. Eden is also completing training in Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an evidence-based approach that uses live coaching and play to support parent-child connection. Key Takeaways • What the transition from graduate school to the workforce can actually look like • Why team-based treatment settings can offer stability and support early in a career • The financial and structural realities of supervision and licensure • How early career clinicians can stay flexible while working toward long-term goals • Choosing learning and sustainability over rushing into private practice Find the full show notes and resources for this episode at https://mtsgpodcast.com Join the Modern Therapist Community Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/mtsgpodcast Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/therapyreimagined Modern Therapist's Survival Guide Creative Credits Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/ Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/

Innovation in healthcare doesn't start with AI. It starts with operational stability. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Chad Wasserman, CIO of HCA Healthcare, about leading technology at massive scale while keeping patient care at the center. Wasserman explains why “operational quiet” is the foundation that makes AI, data, and digital transformation possible and how HCA balances innovation with reliability across thousands of sites of care. Key topics include: Why stability is a prerequisite for innovation Treating IT as an extension of the care team Scaling AI responsibly in clinical and engineering domains Building data platforms to support generational change Developing technologists through deep business immersion

Experience a guided Reiki and shamanic journey to anchor your internal stability. This journey is the companion to our teaching on the transition from the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Fire Horse. As we navigate collective chaos and "disturbances in the field," this journey helps you align your Divine Mind with your human presence. We travel to the Third Heaven and the Hall of Gifts and Nourishments to release ancestral cords, receive spiritual nourishment, and awaken the "Tree of Life" within you. Use this practice to clear the fog of the world, activate your inner vision, and prepare for the new beginnings of 2026. Key Spiritual Transitions in This Journey Aligning your Multiple Minds We begin by using the Mental-Emotional symbol (SHK) to align the Divine Mind with your heart mind, gut mind, and earth mind. This creates the "Authentic Intellect" needed for clear discernment during chaotic times. The Hall of Gifts & Nourishment In the enlightened realm of the Third Heaven, we enter a great cathedral of spirit. Here, you receive specific gifts of Creativity, Curiosity, and Innovation. This is where we replenish the energy spent on "stability" so you have the fuel to manifest. Completing Ancestral Cycles We utilize the Distance Symbol (HSZSN) to bridge through time, completing ancestral histories that are ready to be let go. By releasing these cords, you claim the "love of thousands" while leaving behind the burdens that no longer serve your lineage. Eagle and Mouse Vision Integration As we return to the physical realm, we practice shifting between the high-level perspective of the Eagle and the immediate, detailed focus of the Mouse. This ensures that your spiritual insights become practical, daily actions. Navigating Spiritual Stability How can I stay stable when the world feels chaotic? Stability is found by aligning your core "Tree of Life" energy. This journey guides you to connect with the deep roots of the Earth and the branches of the Heavens, allowing you to stay present and kind even when external energies are "wobbly." What are the "Living Waters of Peace"? In this journey, the River of Life represents pure consciousness and creative flow. Drinking these waters helps wash away "collective static" and corded attachments to worldly worries. Connect with the Reiki Lifestyle Community Website: Reikilifestyle.com Listen to the Discussion: [Link to the companion teaching video/podcast] • • Classes: Join Colleen and Robyn Benelli for ICRT Licensed Reiki training. **DISCLAIMER** This episode is not a substitute for seeking professional medical care but is offered for relaxation and stress reduction, which support the body's natural healing capabilities. Reiki is a complement to and never a replacement for professional medical care. Colleen and Robyn are not licensed professional health care providers and urge you to always seek out the appropriate physical and mental help professional health care providers may offer. Results vary by individual.

Hey Friend, If you've been hitting a wall by mid-afternoon… craving sugar even though you're “eating well”… or feeling like weight loss just won't respond anymore— this episode was for you. In today's conversation, I slowed things down and walked through blood sugar stability—what it actually is, why it matters more than calories after 35, and why your body may not be working against you at all. In fact, it may be doing exactly what God designed it to do: protect you. Here's what we covered: What blood sugar stability really means (and what it doesn't) Why blood sugar is a communication system, not a standalone issue How stress, cortisol, hormones, and the nervous system are affected by unstable blood sugar Common signs your blood sugar may be swinging—without needing fancy testing Why weight gain after 35 isn't punishment, but feedback The role of consistent nourishment and protein in calming cravings and stabilizing energy Why this is a long-term stewardship issue, not a quick fix One of the most important reminders from this episode is this: Your body isn't broken. It's responding. When blood sugar swings up and down, your body compensates by raising cortisol, increasing fat storage, and staying on high alert. That's not failure—that's a safety response. And the good news? Communication can be supported. Patterns can change. Health can be restored—slowly and sustainably. Your next step (keep it simple): I've created a Simple Blood Sugar Foundations Guide to help you understand what your body is asking for without dieting, tracking, or overwhelm. This guide is available inside my membership, The Women's Functional Health Lab. The Lab opens February 13th, and waitlist members receive early access and bonuses (the price does not change). If this episode resonated, I strongly encourage you to get on the waitlist so you don't miss those extras. And remember—you don't need to fix everything. You just need to start with the next right step. In grace + health, Lacy Lain Before you go…

Dennis Cox and Chris Lea discuss the how Carolina Panthers have stability as an organization under general manager Dan Morgan and head coach Dave Canales. Panthers Playbook is sponsored by Wake Orthopedics.

In this episode, Jason Schroeder explains how Takt Planning fully aligns with Lean Core #2: Stability and Standardization. He walks through why chaos cannot be improved, how CPM creates constant variation, and why Takt's zone-based, time-based flow is the only way to achieve real stability on a construction project. By holding start dates, reducing overproduction, and creating clean, standardized work environments, Takt turns instability into a repeatable, improvable system.  What you'll learn in this episode: Why stability is impossible without flow and why Takt enables both. How holding start dates reduces variation and prevents overproduction. How Takt reduces waste, overburden, and unevenness through level flow. Why standardized zones enable first-run studies, leader standard work, and quality checks. Jidoka, buffers, and visible problems make continuous improvement possible.  If stability and standardization are missing on your project, is the issue really the people or the system you're using?  If you like the Elevate Construction podcast, please subscribe for free and you'll never miss an episode.  And if you really like the Elevate Construction podcast, I'd appreciate you telling a friend (Maybe even two

This episode covers the most recent wave of protests in Iran, what they mean for the government's stability, and how US regional allies are responding.  Guest Biographies Michael Connell is an expert in Persian-Gulf security-related issues, the armed forces of Iran, U.S.-GCC security cooperation, and adversary cyber policy and strategy. He has served as CNA's Field Analyst to Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). Further Reading CNA Talks: How Stable is Iran? InDepth: Russia and China Respond—or Don't—to the 12-Day War in Iran

Craniotomy Stroke Recovery: How a Massive Medical Event Reshaped One Man's Identity and Way of Living When Brandon Barre woke up after his stroke, half of his skull was missing. Doctors had performed an emergency craniotomy to save his life after a severe brain bleed. His left side barely worked. His memory felt fragmented. Time itself seemed unreliable; days, weeks, even months blurred together into what he later described as a kind of perpetual Groundhog Day. And yet, amid one of the most extreme medical experiences a person can survive, Brandon remained unexpectedly calm. This is a story about craniotomy stroke recovery, but it's not just about surgery, rehab, or timelines. It's about identity, mindset, and what happens when your old life disappears overnight, and you're forced to rebuild from the inside out. Life Before the Stroke: Movement, Freedom, and Identity Before his stroke, Brandon lived a life defined by movement and autonomy. He worked in the oil fields as an MWD specialist, spending weeks at a time on drilling rigs. Later, he left what he called “traditional life” behind and spent years traveling the United States in an RV. He found work wherever he went, producing music festivals, building large-scale art installations, and immersing himself in creative communities. Stability, for Brandon, never meant stillness. It meant freedom. Stroke wasn't on his radar. At 46, he was active, independent, and deeply connected to his sense of self. The Stroke and Emergency Craniotomy The stroke happened in Northern California after a long day of rock climbing with friends. Brandon didn't notice the warning signs himself; it was others who saw that his arm wasn't working properly. Later that night, he became profoundly disoriented. He was found the next morning, still sitting upright in his truck, barely conscious. Within hours, Brandon was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center, where doctors removed a blood clot and performed a large craniotomy due to dangerous swelling. Part of his skull was removed and stored while his brain recovered. He spent 10 days in intensive care, followed by weeks in inpatient rehabilitation. Remarkably, he reports no physical pain throughout the entire process, a detail that underscores how differently each brain injury unfolds. Early Craniotomy Stroke Recovery: Regaining Movement, Losing Certainty Physically, Brandon's recovery followed a familiar but still daunting path. Initially, he couldn't walk. His left arm hung uselessly by his side. Foot drop made even short distances difficult. But what challenged him most wasn't just movement; it was orientation. He struggled to track days, months, and time itself. Short-term memory lapses made planning almost impossible. Writing, once a core part of his identity, became inaccessible. He could form letters, but not their meaning. This is a common but under-discussed aspect of craniotomy stroke recovery: the loss isn't only physical. It's cognitive, emotional, and deeply personal. “It's kind of like I'm in this perpetual day ever since the stroke… like Groundhog Day.” Technology as Independence, Not Convenience One of the quiet heroes of Brandon's recovery has been voice-to-text technology. Because writing and spelling no longer function reliably, Brandon relies on dictation to communicate. Tools like Whisper Flow and built-in phone dictation restored his ability to express ideas, stay connected, and remain independent. This matters. For stroke survivors, technology isn't about productivity. It's about dignity. Identity Reset: Slower, Calmer, More Intentional Perhaps the most striking part of Brandon's story is how little resentment he carries. He doesn't deny frustration. He doesn't pretend recovery is easy. But he refuses to live in constant rumination. Instead, he adopted a simple principle: one problem at a time. That mindset reshaped his lifestyle. He stopped drinking, smoking, and using marijuana. He slowed his pace. He became more deliberate with relationships, finances, and health decisions. He grew closer to his adult daughter than ever before. The stroke didn't erase his identity, it refined it. Taking Ownership of Craniotomy Stroke Recovery A turning point came when Brandon realized he couldn't rely solely on the medical system. Insurance changes, rotating doctors, and long waits forced him to educate himself. He turned to what he jokingly calls “YouTube University,” learning from other survivors and clinicians online. That self-directed approach extended to major medical decisions, including choosing monitoring over immediate invasive heart procedures and calmly approaching a newly discovered brain aneurysm with information rather than fear. His conclusion is clear: Recovery belongs to the survivor. Doctors guide. Therapists assist. But ownership sits with the person doing the living. A Message for Others on the Journey Toward the end of the conversation, Brandon offered advice that cuts through fear-based recovery narratives: Don't let timelines define you. Don't rush because someone says you should. Don't stop because someone says you're “done.” Every stroke is different. Every brain heals differently. And recovery, especially after a craniotomy, continues far longer than most people are told. Moving Forward, One Intentional Step at a Time Craniotomy stroke recovery isn't just about regaining movement. It's about rebuilding trust with your body, reshaping identity, and learning how to live with uncertainty without letting it dominate your life. Brandon's story reminds us that even after the most extreme medical events, calm is possible. Growth is possible. And a meaningful life, though different, can still unfold. Continue Your Recovery Journey Learn more: https://recoveryafterstroke.com/book Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/recoveryafterstroke Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your health or recovery plan. Brandon's Story: Surviving a Craniotomy, Redefining Identity, and Recovering on His Own Terms He survived a stroke and craniotomy, then calmly rebuilt his identity, habits, and life one deliberate step at a time. Research shortcut I use (Turnto.ai) I used Turnto.ai to find relevant papers and sources in minutes instead of hours. If you want to try it, here’s my affiliate LINK You'll get 10% off, it's about $2/week, and it supports the podcast. Highlights: 00:00 Introduction and Background01:52 Life Before the Stroke03:32 The Stroke Experience11:03 Craniotomy Stroke Recovery Journey17:09 Adjusting to Life Post-Stroke28:46 Living Independently After Stroke35:09 Facing New Challenges: Aneurysms and Uncertainty42:13 Support Systems: Finding Community After Stroke47:06 Identity Shift: Life Changes Post-Stroke58:39 Lessons Learned: Insights from the Journey Transcript: Introduction and Background Brandon (00:00)next morning was still in the driver’s seat with my head on the steering wheel. and I couldn’t make either of my arms work I had been bleeding into my brain for 12 hours overnight they had to go ahead and do a, craniotomy. And so they took this whole side. It was a big craniotomy. They took that whole section of my skull out, put it in the freezer Bill Gasiamis (00:27)Before we begin today’s episode, want to take a moment to speak to you directly. If you’ve had a stroke, you already know this part. The hospital phase ends, but the questions don’t. You’re sent home expecting to get on with it. And suddenly you’re left trying to work out recovery, mindset, fatigue, emotions, sleep and motivation all on your own. You shouldn’t have to. That’s why I wrote my book, The Unexpected Way That a Stroke Became the Best Thing That Happened. Not to tell you what to do, but to walk beside you and show you the tools real stroke survivors use to rebuild their lives when the system stopped helping. and now with this book, you won’t have to figure it out alone. You can find that at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. All right, let’s get into today’s episode. Today, you’re going to hear from Brandon Barre. Brandon was 46 years old, active, independent and living an unconventional life when he had a stroke that led to a craniotomy. where part of his skull was removed to save his life. What stood out to me immediately about Brandon wasn’t just the severity of what he went through. It was the calm grounded way he approached recovery, identity and rebuilding his life. This is a conversation about stroke recovery. Yes, but it is also about mindset, ownership and what happens when you decide to take recovery into your own hands. Life Before the Stroke (01:52)Brendan Barre, welcome to the podcast. Brandon (01:54)Thank you, man. (01:56)You struggled a little bit getting here. There’s a couple of little things that caused a bit of a challenge for you. What are those things? Brandon (02:05)Well, I mean, first of all, I’m, I’m, I’m, even before my stroke, I was never very computer-y. Um, so using my phone for more than just making phone calls is kind of new to me. Um, so yeah, a new microphone, that was fun. And then I had made a bunch of notes, not realizing that I probably wasn’t gonna be able to see those notes. Um, you know, so that was also a little bit of a issue, but uh, but yeah, other than that, man. Not much, you know, I mean I’m here. (02:37)Yeah. I remember receiving your emails about, I’m not sure what day we’re on. I need to reschedule all that kind of stuff. Stuff that I used to do heaps. I remember in the early days of my kind of stroke recovery, I used to make appointments, put them in my calendar, get reminders about my appointments and still be confused about the day, the time and the location of the appointment. Brandon (03:04)Yes, absolutely. That’s a big thing for me too. know, and I mean even just, you know, remembering from minute to minute where of what day, what month and everything I’m in right now is a little bit tricky still. It’s getting better, but ⁓ but yeah, I still have a lot of trouble. I can always think of every month except for the month that we’re currently in. (03:24)Okay, so you have like a short term memory thing, is it? Or… The Stroke Experience Brandon (03:28)Yes, yes, have short-term memory issues. ⁓ A lot of times ⁓ I struggle to find, like I said, the date and everything else. ⁓ But I don’t know, man. It’s kind of like I’m in this perpetual day ever since the stroke, and I have trouble keeping track of exactly what that is on everybody else’s time frame. (03:53)Like a, like a groundhog day. Brandon (03:55)Yes. Yeah. You know, I mean, if I really work hard and think about it, I can figure out what day it is, but it takes a while generally to get the month. The day of the month isn’t quite as difficult anymore, but at the beginning I had trouble with the whole thing. (04:11)I hear you man, I totally hear you. I reckon there’s been a ton of people that relate to what you’re saying. ⁓ Tell me, day like before stroke? What’d you get up to? What type of things did you involve yourself with? Brandon (04:23)Well, ⁓ you know, I was, I was really involved in, ⁓ production of music festivals and, ⁓ doing that kind of work. ⁓ I’ve always kind of freelanced. Well, you know, I actually, ⁓ left traditional life in 2000 and ⁓ January 1st of 2012 and started traveling and, you know, living out of an RV and whatnot. Before that, I was in the oil field. I’ve worked as an MWD specialist on a drilling rig, which means that I used to ⁓ take down all the information about where the actual drill bit was underground and send that off to all the geologists and everybody else so they can make sure that the well was going in the right direction. And, ⁓ you know, I just really didn’t feel happy in life, man. So I decided to take off and see the states out of my RV. And that started about 10 years of travel. And then In 2019 I bought some property and started to kind of slowly come off the road and started to be on my property more often but you know it just yeah I don’t know man my life has been a lot of different transitions one thing to another I move around a lot in life. (05:25)you Yeah, so the RV was kind of just exploring seeing the country Doing that type of thing or was it going somewhere with a purpose say to get work or to? Hang out there for a little while. What was that all about? Brandon (05:57)A little bit of all of it. A little bit of all of it. I’ve always been able to find work where I go, you know, doing different things. But I kind of fell into music festival work, like setting up and tearing down for music festivals and building art installations, doing like mandalas out of trash and stuff like that. And just kind of always did kind of the artist thing, I guess you could say. Even before, while I was still in the oil field doing the traditional life thing, I was always very art motivated. (06:30)Yeah, when you talk about traditional life, you’re talking about nine to five kind of routine and working for the man type of thing. Is that what you mean by traditional life? Brandon (06:43)Yes, except mine was a little bit different. My work in the oil field involved me being on site on the drilling rig for up to six weeks sometimes. So it wasn’t really nine to five. I would stay gone for a lot more than that. But then when I would go home, I’d be off for three weeks, a month. So yeah, just ⁓ doing that. (07:07)Where were these oil rigs? Were they in the middle of a desert? Were they in the ocean? Brandon (07:13)No, they were all onshore and I worked a lot in like Pennsylvania, but also a lot in Texas ⁓ Just you know anywhere where they were doing natural gas drilling (07:27)And is that a remote kind of existence in that if you’re on the rig for six weeks, are you getting off it? Are you going into town? Are you doing any of that stuff? Brandon (07:38)Usually the rigs are within an hour of some type of small town usually a Walmart that type of thing So I would go and get groceries a couple of times a week You know me and the other guys would go out and get you know dinner times and whatnot but ⁓ but yeah, basically just sitting in a little trailer a directional trailer is what they called it because it was me and ⁓ Two two other three other guys two more ⁓ directional drillers and then one other MWD hand which is what I was and so there was a night shift and a day shift of two guys each. (08:16)12 hour shifts. Brandon (08:17)Yes. (08:18)Dude, hard work. Brandon (08:21)Yeah, I mean on paper it was hard work. In real life, I mean there were those really problematic jobs where you know everything went wrong but in most cases it was just you know taking a bunch of measurements on the computer whenever they would add another link of pipe to the drilling string and drill down further so every time they would add another length of pipe I would have to take more measurements. (08:47)I hear you. So not physical, but still mental. And you’ve to be on the go for a long amount of time. Brandon (08:56)Right, but yeah, I mean it did when I would have to go up on the rig floor to like change the tool out or to put something You know together or what not so there was a little bit of that but still not as physical as like a traditional drilling rig roughneck (09:04)Uh-huh. I hear you. Yeah. Everyone’s seen those videos on YouTube with those guys getting covered in that sludge and working at breakneck speeds so that they can make sure that they put the next piece on. Brandon (09:24)Yeah, yeah, no, I, you know, and I mean, I wore my share of that mud, but not near as much as a floor hand would. (09:34)I hear, I feel like you’re, ⁓ you’re toning it down and you’re making it sound a lot more ⁓ pleasant than what it might be. But I appreciate that, man. like the way you talk about things. I couldn’t imagine myself doing that, that level of physical labor. Maybe I’m just a bit too soft myself. Brandon (09:54)Yeah, no, I don’t know, man. I consider myself soft in a lot of ways, too, man. You know, it’s just, we’re all different in our softness. (10:02)yeah. ⁓ tell me a little bit about, ⁓ your stroke, man. Like what was that particular week? Like the day? Like how did the lead up happen? Bill Gasiamis (10:12)Let’s pause for a moment. If you’re listening to this and thinking, I wish someone had explained this part to me earlier. You’re not alone. One of the hardest parts of stroke recovery isn’t the hospital. It’s what comes after when the appointments slow down, the support fades and you’re left trying to make sense of what your life looks like now. That’s exactly why I wrote the unexpected way that a stroke became the best thing that happened. It’s not a medical book. It’s a recovery companion built from real experiences. real mistakes and real breakthroughs that stroke survivors discovered along the way. If you want something that helps you think differently about recovery and reminds you that you’re not broken, you can find the book at recoveryafterstroke.com/book. Let’s get back to the conversation with Brandon. Craniotomy Stroke Recovery Journey Brandon (10:59)Okay, so I was helping a friend in Northern California to clean a property that was owned by an artist who had died and we went on to his 10 acre property and we’re just cleaning up for his family. But he had like all kinds of art stuff everywhere and so it was kind of right up my alley and ⁓ We were just trying to get the property clean for these people and we decided to take off and go and do a little bit of rock climbing. so we took off early one morning and drove to a town called Willets, California where there’s good rock climbing and we spent the day doing rock climbing which was a fairly new thing to me but the guys that I was with were very experienced lifelong climbers. And so I was kind of the new guy and they were showing me the ropes and we climbed all day. I did really well, I thought, and didn’t really notice anything. No problems. ⁓ Got back in the car. We’re headed back to the house about an hour away, a friend’s house where we were all going to stay the night. And on the way there, I noticed that I was really thirsty and I stopped and I got two 40 ounce bottles of Gatorade and I drank them both immediately and like just downed them and still didn’t notice anything was a problem was in the truck by myself with my two dogs and eventually I guess about an hour later we got to the house And I went inside to hang out with everybody. And one of my friends said that my arm wasn’t working well. I didn’t notice it at all, but he said that my arm wasn’t working very well. ⁓ so ⁓ I just kind of went on with my life. a couple of, I guess about an hour later, I decided that I was really tired. and I could not quench my thirst so I just grabbed a whole bunch of water and went out to my truck and I was gonna go and lay down and sleep in the back of my truck for the night and ⁓ when I got out to my truck ⁓ by this time my friend had said that my arm was working fine again and he noticed that I he felt like I had gotten over whatever it was and so I went out to my truck got into the driver’s seat of the truck And that’s about the last of my recollection that night. next morning when I wasn’t up making breakfast before everyone else, they realized there was a problem because I was usually the first one up making breakfast and doing all that stuff and I wasn’t there. So my friend came out to my truck to check on me and I was still in the driver’s seat with my head on the steering wheel. I never even fell over. (14:05)Hmm. Brandon (14:17)And so this is 12 hours later. And so ⁓ he tried to wake me up and I was only halfway coherent and I couldn’t make either of my arms work and only one of my legs could I get any response from. So he realized there was a problem immediately, pushed me over into the passenger side of the truck got in and drove me an hour to the closest hospital, just a small little regional hospital. And they were pretty quick about realizing that I was having a stroke. And they didn’t even, I don’t even remember them putting me in a room. They brought me straight up to the roof and put me in a helicopter and helicopter and helicoptered me to UC Davis hospital in Sacramento. (14:59)Wow Wow Brandon (15:15)And I got into the hospital and within, I think about an hour and a half, they had called my mom and my brothers who were all in Louisiana at the time. And they had gotten permission to start treatment and they brought me into the surgery. at first they just (15:25)The The following is a video of the first year of Brandon (15:45)removed a three millimeter blood clot from my main artery on the right side. But then the swelling was so bad because I had been bleeding into my brain for 12 hours overnight that they had to go ahead and do ⁓ a, what do you call it? The craniotomy. Yeah, craniotomy. And so they took this whole side. It was a big craniotomy. (16:05)Craniotomy Brandon (16:12)They took this whole side, everything to the center of my forehead, above my eye, down to just above my ear, front to back. ⁓ They took that whole section of my skull out, put it in the freezer so that my brain had room. then I spent 10 days in intensive care recovering from that. And then they moved me to a rehab hospital where I spent four weeks. And yeah, so in that rehab hospital, yeah, immediately after the surgery, I couldn’t walk and I had pretty much no function on my left side, know, arm or leg. But by the time I got to the rehab hospital, I had gotten some control back, but I still couldn’t walk. ⁓ (16:44)Wow, man. Adjusting to Life Post-Stroke Brandon (17:10)And that about a week after I was in the rehab hospital is when I started to walk again without assistance. So that came back fairly quickly, but I still had really bad foot drop and my left arm wasn’t working. It was hanging, you know? And then, so they kept me in there, ⁓ you know, going through, I guess, regular rehab. (17:24)Thank Yep. Brandon (17:36)They the series of lights on the ground in front of me and I’d have to like run around and touch the different lights as they would activate and you know, I don’t know I mean, I guess it’s the same type of rehab stuff that most people go through and ⁓ (17:51)Yeah, it’s probably similar. Mate, ⁓ this is what I really want to know is what’s it like to experience having half of your skull removed? Can you somehow paint a picture of what it’s like to go through that process and how aware were you of it? Because you just had a stroke, right? So you’re in a bit of a challenged sort of healthy health state. Brandon (18:14)Right. No. Yes. ⁓ well, I think that that deliriousness was actually kind of helpful. First of all, I have not experienced any pain through the entire process. From the stroke, no pain from the craniotomy, no pain through rehab. I have not experienced any pain through this entire experience. None whatsoever. Now the doctors say that I might have lost some of that ability to sense it But you know, I mean whatever it took I Really, you know, I didn’t you know, whatever the reason was The effect of it was that I had a pretty fame pain free experience, you know (19:07)and you’re like looking in the mirror and seeing yourself and you know, like experiencing your head and how do you kind of deal with all of that? Brandon (19:21)Well, ⁓ I couldn’t feel a whole lot. I still have a lot of, or not so very much sensation on my scalp on that side. So, you know, but as far as looking in the mirror, that was kind of interesting. You know, it took a little while to get used to it, you know, and, it, ⁓ was definitely not something that I would recommend. Anybody else going through if they don’t have to you know, but ⁓ But I don’t know man. I mean, I’ve always tried to stay pretty positive about things and so, you know, I just Kept going, you know, I mean they shaved my head. I had dreadlocks for a very long time I had dreadlocks and And so this is all the hair that I’ve gotten since they put my skull back together, which was January or it’s actually It’ll be one year tomorrow since they put my skull back together. So, ⁓ my hair is coming back, which I’m really grateful for. About this time next year, I’m gonna start trying to put my dreadlocks back in. you know, but yeah, it’s, I don’t know, man. It’s really been an interesting ride. ⁓ You know, ⁓ learned a lot more about stroke than I ever thought I would need to. You know, I mean, I’m 48 right now. I was 46 when the stroke happened. So it wasn’t even on my radar, man. I wasn’t paying any attention at all. I didn’t know the anagrams or whatever. I didn’t know the symptoms of stroke. So I just kind of rolled with the punches as they came. I took it one step at a time. And that’s kind of the way it’s been with my recovery too. is I try to address one problem at a time so I don’t overwhelm myself. So after I started to get my leg back, I started to shift my influence to my shoulder and my arm. And at this point, I’ve got almost full range of motion back to the left side. I still can’t write. ⁓ Well, actually, technically, I can make my whole alphabet and all of my numbers with (21:16)Yep. Brandon (21:37)both hands at this point. trained myself to use the other hand and then about the time I was able to get that back the other hand started to come back online. So now I can do all that with both hands but words I’m word blind and numbers and letters don’t make a lot of sense to me. So even though I can make the shapes I have a lot of trouble associating the sounds of certain letters and the functions. of different numbers and letters, you know? That’s where a lot of my trouble is now, and that’s where most of my work is at the moment. (22:14)I hear you. So you sound like you’re very cool, and collected. How do you remain positive when you wake up from a stroke? You’re missing half of your skull. Your body doesn’t work on half the side. Is it your default? Do you have to work on that? Have you been working on being positive over? the decades that you’ve been on the planet, give us a bit of an insight into that part of you. Brandon (22:47)Okay, so yeah, I think I’ve always maintained a pretty positive demeanor, you know, I mean I’ve gone through some rough stuff in life, but I’ve just kind of kept going, you know, rolling with the punches. So I really don’t think that I have had much difficulty remaining positive through it. You know, there’s ⁓ definitely, you know, ⁓ days that I don’t feel as good as other days, you know, and you know, I definitely have… ⁓ things that I have to work through. have to, you know, I have to make an effort to remain positive, you know, at times. But my default has always been to be a pretty positive and happy person. So I think that that was really the majority of it is that I’ve always even in the light of extreme adversity, I’ve always been able to remain positive. You know, ⁓ so that that’s always been, you know, key even before the stroke. But (23:39)Yeah. Brandon (23:46)Yeah, I mean definitely waking up and realizing that half of my body didn’t work anymore was not fun, but it’s what I was given. I couldn’t change it, you know, only time and work was gonna change it. So I just kinda accepted it, you know, I mean, ⁓ one of the biggest things that helped me out was by the time I got out of surgery and started to get coherent, My mom and my brother had already flown from Louisiana to be with me in California at the hospital. And that was huge just to know that my family was there. And they stayed with me for the whole time that I was ⁓ in the hospital for the 10 days. And then when I went to the rehab hospital, they went home. ⁓ But yeah, so that was ⁓ just really, that was a big part of it too, you know, I mean. My mom and my brothers are pretty much the most important people in my life. Of course, my daughter as well. yeah, so, you know, to have them all there and just to have that support and have them there to help me because when I first came out, from the time I came out of surgery, I could still speak very clearly. So I did not know what I was saying. (24:56)Mm-hmm. Brandon (25:15)Nobody could tell like I wasn’t making a lot of sense, but I never lost my voice They think that that’s because of my left-handedness Because I’m left-handed I store things like that differently in my brain So because of that I was able to keep my speech even though I cannot write I can’t do you know I mean I can write my letters, but if I try to (25:32)Okay. Brandon (25:44)make a word this was yesterday (25:48)Aha! Lux- Brandon (25:50)But I can, yeah, it’s just scribble. It’s just scribble. Yeah, but, you know, if I try to like draw a letter or a number, I can do it, but I have trouble assigning it to its value. (25:53)Yeah. Understood. So before that, were quite capable of stringing sentences together, writing things down, doing all that kind of stuff. So that’s a very big contrast. Brandon (26:14)I have always been known. Huge contrast. (26:22)Is it frustrating that you can’t write in the way that you did before? it matter? Brandon (26:27)Yes, yes, I used to write all the time, know, poetry, things like that. I’ve always been considered, you know, a good writer, a good orator, public speaker, you know, that kind of thing was a big part of my life, for my whole life. And so to go from that to not being able to write a sentence on a piece of paper or even a word is really a big change for me. You know, and I mean I do use my phone for voice to text. If I wouldn’t have had voice to text, I really don’t know where I would be right now. (27:06)Is that how you communicate most things? Brandon (27:09)Yes, absolutely. it’s- if I can’t say it, like speak it, I have to use voice to text. I can’t spell- I can’t- I can’t spell my own name half the time. (27:17)Dude, I love that. Yeah, I hear you. I love voice to text. So I was told by a friend of mine about a product called Whisper Flow. I’m gonna have links in the show notes and in the description on the YouTube video, right? And it’s spelled W-I-S-P-R-F-L-O-W, Whisper Flow. And what you do is you program one key on your keyboard. And then what you do is you press that key and it activates Brandon (27:36)Yes. (27:52)the app and then you speak and it types beautifully. It types at all. And I’m a terrible like typist. I could never be one of those really quick secretary kind of people and take notes because I’m not fast enough, but it can type for me by speaking like beyond 99 words per minute, which I think is crazy fast. Living Independently After Stroke And I do it because it just saves a heck of a lot of time, me looking down at the keyboard and all that kind of stuff. My left hand does work, but I can type with it, but often my left hand, you know, we’ll miss the key and I’ve got to go back and do corrections and all that kind of stuff. So voice to text, this comes such a long way and everyone needs to know, especially if they’ve had a stroke and one of their limbs is affected, especially if it’s their… they’re riding limb or if they have a challenge like you, everyone needs to know about the fact that technology can really solve that problem. I’m pretty sure, I know this sounds like an ad for Whisper Flow, it probably is, but I’m not getting paid for it. I think they cost, it costs about hundred bucks a year to have this ⁓ service. So it’s so affordable and it does everything for you just at the touch of one button on your computer. And for some people you can also use it on your phone. But I think phones are pretty awesome at doing voice to text already. So you don’t really need ⁓ it for the phone, but you definitely need to check it out for the computer. Brandon (29:27)Okay, yeah, well, you know, I pretty much have my phone. I don’t have a computer, so… But, ⁓ it does sound like an amazing product, and I am looking to get myself a computer because I really, ⁓ like, I haven’t touched a keyboard since my stroke. So, it would be nice to get myself a laptop with a keyboard so that I could start working on trying to see how that interface works for me. (29:33)Yeah. Yeah. How was the transition out of hospital and rehab back to your place? and how long after the initial strike did you end up back at home? Brandon (30:04)Okay, so, when I, I left the hospital after, or I’m sorry, after 10 days in intensive care, they put me in the rehab hospital and I was there for four weeks. After that, they still didn’t think that I was ready to live by myself yet. So I had to, ⁓ rent a house in Joshua tree from a friend of mine who lived on the property in another house. And so I had a whole house to myself still which allowed me to keep my independence. But I still had somebody close enough to holler if I needed anything. And so I kind of, you know, baby stepped by renting a house, you know, for a while. And, And I have property in Northern Arizona where I normally would take my off time when I wasn’t traveling. But, ⁓ But, ⁓ because of the stroke, I wasn’t able to go back to that property for quite a while. And only about Christmas of last year did I start to be able to spend some more time on my property, you know. But at this point, I’m still renting the house in Joshua Tree and starting ⁓ to branch out a little bit more, do a little bit more traveling, things like that. Now with that said… I have been ever since the stroke happened about two months after the stroke I went back to my first music festival. So I didn’t have half of my skull. I had to wear a helmet for six months. And so here I am at a music festival with all of my friends and I’m in a helmet with half of my skull missing. But I still was able to be there and then ⁓ you know, be a part of the festival. So I got back to the activity that I enjoyed pretty fast. (32:07)What genre of music? Brandon (32:09)Well, it’s actually the Joshua Tree Music Festival in particular, which is the only music festival that I’m really involved with anymore. ⁓ They do world music. We get artists from all over the world in. And that’s kind of one of the reasons I’ve continued to be a part of this music festival and really haven’t been that big of a part of the other ones is because I’m always learning about new music when I go there. And that’s a big important part of it to me. (32:40)Understood. So your transition back to living alone took a little bit of time. You’re renting a place. Are you alone there? Are you living with anyone else? How is the home set up? Brandon (32:55)I have a home all to myself but there is a shared home on the other or on the property that a friend of mine lives in and he’s actually the one that I’m renting from so yeah (33:09)So you have access to support to help to people around you if necessary. Brandon (33:15)if I need it. also another big part of one of the symptoms of my stroke is that I don’t recognize my own disabilities. I have a lot of trouble with that. So I generally do not ask for help with things, which in a lot of cases has made me a lot stronger and I think been a big part of a speedy recovery. But at the same time, I can put myself in some kind of sketchy situations at times. (33:43)It’s not, are you sure it’s not just your male ego going, I can do this, I don’t need help. Brandon (33:49)I mean, I’m sure that that does tie into it, I’m certain. But yeah, that’s one of the things that I’ve struggled with from the beginning. And I didn’t recognize the left side of my body as my own. I thought it was somebody else’s. That wasn’t very long, just for maybe the first couple of weeks. But that was a very interesting sensation, that I felt like there was somebody else there. (34:06)Wow. Yeah, it just feels like it’s my, I kind of describe my left side as if it’s because my star sign is Gemini, right? So now I describe it as being the other twin, like the other part of me, which is me, but not me. And it’s so strange to experience 50 % of my body feeling one way and then 50 % of my body feeling a completely different way, which is Brandon (34:25)Yeah. Facing New Challenges: Aneurysms and Uncertainty (34:44)the only way I remember and then tying them together, like bringing them together has been a bit of a wild ride, like just getting them to operate together. When they have different needs, my left side has different needs than my right side. And sometimes one side is getting all the love and the other side is missing out. And I’m always conflicted between where do I allocate resources? Who gets… how much of my time and effort and who I listen to when one of them’s going, my left side’s going, I’m tired, I’m tired. My right side’s going, the party’s just started. Let’s keep going. Don’t worry about it. Brandon (35:25)I have to deal with that. Of course, my left gets a lot tighter than my right side, but I don’t know. think I’ve done a pretty good job of giving it that care. And a big part of where I measured my success was getting my shoulder back online and being able to pronate and go above my head. It took months to get my hand over my head. But But at this point, you know, I’m pretty much back to physically normal except for the fine motor skills on my right, on my left side. You know. (35:59)Sounds like things are going really well in really small increments. And if you’re only, what, two years post stroke, sounds like recovery is gonna continue. You’re gonna get smaller, more and more small wins and they’re gonna kinda accumulate and make it pretty significant in some time ahead. Brandon (36:17)Right. It’s a year and a half. So my stroke was on the 4th of November of 2024. (36:32)Yeah. Do you know in this whole time, did you ever have the… like, this is too hard, I don’t want to do this. Why is this happening to me kind of moment? Did you ever have any of that type of negative self talk or thoughts? Brandon (36:50)no, I mean, I suppose there probably were moments, but I don’t pay a lot of attention to those kinds of moments. You know what I mean? I do kind of even without the stroke, maintain a pretty positive mental attitude, you know, and I think that that’s been one of my biggest blessings through this. ⁓ yeah. So yeah, that’s never really been a good emotion. (37:12)I get a sense that you have those moments, but you don’t spend a lot of time there. Is that right? Is that what you just sort of alluded to that you have those moments, you just don’t give them a lot of time. Therefore they don’t really have the opportunity ⁓ to sort of take up residence. And then you just move on to whatever it is that you’re getting results with or makes you feel better or… ⁓ supports your project which is ⁓ recovery or overcoming or… Brandon (37:48)Yes. No, I completely agree. ⁓ You know, I mean, speaking of which, four days ago, I got ⁓ a phone call from the doctors. ⁓ They found an aneurysm in my brain. So I have to go and meet with a neurosurgeon on Tuesday to discuss what we’re going to do about a brain aneurysm. So I thought, you know, I was just about back to normal. And here I go into another situation. But again, until I know what’s going on, there’s no point in worrying about it, you know? So I’ll know more about it on Tuesday, but until then, I’m not spending a whole lot of time wondering, you know, am I just going to have an aneurysm and collapse tonight? You know? (38:36)that tends to be my default as well. I was really good as a kid. ⁓ When I was being cheeky and not doing my homework for school, I would go to bed and I would remember, I haven’t done my homework. And then I’d be like, yeah, but you can’t solve that problem now. Now you got to sleep, right? So you got to worry about that in the morning after you’ve had a good night’s sleep and you wake up and then deal with it. And that was a strategy to help me forget about that. minor problem, which back then, if you haven’t done your homework as a teenager, that was a big problem. If your teachers found out, if your parents found out, but the idea was that, don’t I just pause all of the overthinking? Why don’t I just pause all of the rumination and all the problems and all that stuff that it could cause for now. And I’ll worry about it when there’s a opportunity to have the resources to do something about it. And the classic example was in the morning, I would have an hour before school where I could reach out to one of my friends, take their homework, copy their homework, and then hand in my homework. Brandon (39:46)Absolutely. Yep, that was very much like me in school. (39:51)Yeah, not much point worrying about things you can’t change or control in the moment. Just pause it, deal with it later. I had a similar situation with my bleed in my brain, because I had a number of different bleeds and it was kind of in the back of my mind a little bit. What if it happens again? But it actually never stopped me from going about life from bleed one through to bleed two. was only six weeks, but like through blade two to blade three, it was about a year and a half. But I got so much done. I was, we were just going about life. was struggling with memory and all different types of deficits because of the blood clot that was in my head. But I never once kind of thought about what if something goes wrong, unless I was traveling. to another country, because we did go to the United States when I was about almost a year after the first and second bleed, we went to the United States. And then I did worry about it from a practical sense. It’s like, if I have a bleed in Australia, I’m near my hospital and then they can take over from where they left off previously and healthcare is paid for here. So there was no issue. But if I’m overseas and something goes wrong, I’m far away from home, we got to have the expensive insurance policy. Cause if something goes, I want to be totally covered when I’m in the United States, we don’t know the system. don’t know all these things. So that was a practical worry that I had, but I didn’t worry about my health and wellbeing. Do you know? I worried about the practicality of having another blade in the airplane because then I’m in the middle of the ocean. over halfway between Australia and the United States. And that’s eight hours one way or another or something. And I thought about that, but I didn’t think about how I would be personally ⁓ negatively impacted by the medical issue. I just thought about the, do we get help as quickly as possible if something were to happen? So I know a lot of people have a stroke and they, Brandon (41:55)Right. Support Systems: Finding Community After Stroke (42:18)⁓ They overthink about what if it happens again and they’re constantly kind of got that on their mind, but I was dealing with just the moments that made me feel like perhaps I should do something about this headache that I’m getting. I dealt with things as they appeared, as they turned up, I didn’t try to plan ahead and solve every problem before it happened. Brandon (42:24)Yeah. Yes, I agree. I’m very much the same way. You see, before my stroke, I didn’t have medical insurance. I hadn’t seen a doctor since my early 20s. just, I was, I was, I had always been extremely healthy. You know, I’ve always been very physically active, you know, and, so it just, I never really, I never really ⁓ went out and looked for medical. I just didn’t need it, you know? And so, When the stroke happened, I was very lucky to get put on California’s healthcare plan. And they’ve taken care of all of my medical bills. ⁓ You know, I’ve never pulled a single dollar out of my pocket for all the rehab, all the doctors since. And I mean, I have doctors still once every week, two weeks at the most, doctor visits, you know? And so I’m extremely fortunate. that it happened to me where I was, you know, because not all states here are like that, but California is extremely good. So, you know, I’m really grateful that it worked out the way it has because it could have been a whole different situation, man. (44:00)I have heard some horror stories about medical insurance for people who are not covered, have a stroke and then they leave hospital with like a $150,000 bill or something. Is that a thing? Brandon (44:13)Yes, it really is. I mean, I was extremely fortunate. By the time I got out of that first 10 days with the helicopter ride and everything else, I was close to $2 million in bills. (44:25)Dude, that’s mental. Brandon (44:26)Yeah. And, ⁓ yeah, I mean, it just doesn’t really, I mean, you know, I mean, I’m not a big fan of, the way that the medical system works money wise. think it’s all just paper or fake money, just fake numbers, you know, but yeah, I don’t know. I just, ⁓ I was extremely fortunate that it all happened the way that it did and that California is so good and they really do take care of their citizens, you know, so. (44:54)Yeah, I love that. Brandon (44:55)Yeah, very fortunate. (44:57)You know, in your recovery, did you have somebody that you kind of leaned on for support that was a confident, ⁓ that was like a mentor or did you have somebody like that in your life that was really helpful in your recovery? Brandon (45:15)Actually in about the year before my stroke I lost the three gentlemen that I had always considered my mentors, older guys that I’ve known for years. They all three passed away the year before my stroke. So I really kind of felt on my own. You know, I have a lot of friends, you know, but ⁓ but after my stroke I really don’t have the brain space for like Facebook or anything like that. So I really, closed down my very active Facebook account and when I did that, I lost so many people that would have been my support because I just, they weren’t there, you know, in real life. They’re only there on the computer, you know? And so, but luckily, you know, I’m a part of the community in Joshua Tree. So I had a lot of support from people there and… ⁓ Then I have probably four or five other friends that are scattered around the United States that I keep in touch with pretty closely. But I went down from talking to hundreds of people a month and all of that on the internet to really a very small closed social circle, you know? And then in addition to that, surprisingly, people that I’ve known for years just are not very good at accepting the differences in who I am as a person since the stroke, you know? And so, you know, I hate to say it, but a lot of friendships have kind of gotten a lot more distant since the stroke. you know, it’s just, I mean, it is what it is. You know, people have to do what they feel is right for themselves, you know? But yeah, I really… ⁓ Identity Shift: Life Changes Post-Stroke (47:06)Yeah. Brandon (47:07)I don’t have a very large support network. You know, I just basically kind of take care of a lot of it myself. You know, I mean, I did two and a half months of outpatient rehab with a occupational therapist. And what’s the other one? Occupational and physical therapy. (47:33)Mm-hmm. Brandon (47:33)So I did occupational and physical therapy for about two and a half months after I got out of the hospital. And that was all really good and helpful. And ⁓ I’m really grateful for those therapists that worked with me. And they helped me get ⁓ basically back to a normal cadence because I was having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. And they really helped me work on my cadence and getting my walk back to fairly normal. ⁓ My arm. has been mostly me. It has never been able to be rushed. It takes its own time. So even with the physical therapy, my hand coming back, it works at its own pace. That was never really influenced that much by physical therapy. And then my actual use of my hand, I was balled up. I was curled up and balled up to the wrist. after the stroke and eventually I got to where I could hold it out flat and I still tremor a lot there but it’s a lot better than it was and but yeah all of that had to come back at its own pace the physical therapy and stuff was helpful for a lot of other aspects of my recovery but that was all just taking its own time and coming back as I guess as it did my brain learn to re-communicate (48:58)Yeah, it sounds, it sounds like you’re kind of really well made up somehow, like you picked up the skills early on in your life to be able to deal with this situation. The way that you do is just amazing. Like it’s seems like it’s second nature, the way that you go about approaching the problems, the challenges, the difficulties, know, the missing half your skull, all that thing. It just seems really innate that you have that within you. you, people are listening and going, you know, that’s not me or I didn’t experience that or I’m overthinking things. Do you think that’s the way that you’re approaching things is teachable, learnable? Can people change the way that they’re going about ⁓ relating to their stroke or dealing with their stroke or managing it. Brandon (49:53)⁓ you know, I think that that you’re going to find that a lot of people, can be taught and a lot of people, can’t be taught. You know, some people’s nature just is not going to be able to handle that. But other people, you know, I think that you can go through very real processes to gain, ⁓ knowledge base, you know, to be able to start working with it. You see another big aspect of my recovery. is that I immediately after my stroke and getting out of the hospital moved eight hours away from UC Davis Hospital where my original care providers were. So I had to go through a whole new medical plan, a whole new set of doctors and everything else. And that changed on me like three times over the first six months. So I really couldn’t rely on the doctors for support either. because they were changing so often I would just meet one and the next thing I would know I would have a new doctor coming in or a new healthcare plan and so it took about six months for me to start seeing the same healthcare providers routinely so I went to YouTube University man I found you I found several other people that had these just these huge amounts of information you know, on how to handle my own recovery. So I took a lot of my own recovery into my own hands. And actually, ⁓ a week ago, I was talking to my neurologist, who is a really amazing lady, and, you know, and had to tell her pretty much that same story that, you know, I couldn’t leave it up to the doctors to fix me. I had to take care of myself. because of my situation and switching insurance and everything else that I went through, there was just not that much option. ⁓ so, you know, and she was like, I wish that all of my patients had that kind of an outlook. You cannot rely on the medical system to fix you. You know, we were talking about what can help people. I think that’s a really big thing that could help a lot of people is to realize that you have to take care of your health care decisions. You know, they found a PFO in my heart, a ⁓ Framon Parabot. (52:24)A patent for Ramen Ovali. Hole in your heart. Brandon (52:28)Yes, yeah, they found that and they wanted to fix it and I was like, you know, I’m 47 years old. This is a one-time thing. So I opted to have a loop recorder installed, a loop recorder to measure my heart rhythm and everything and send messages to the doctors at nights about my heart. So that because I thought that was a little bit less invasive. For my age, the last thing I want is for later in life, my body to start having problems with an implant that’s in my heart. So I decided not to go with that and to go with the less invasive loop recorder, which is still implanted under the skin in my chest, but it doesn’t affect my heart. (53:08)Thank you. Brandon (53:21)It just sends the information about my heart rhythm to the doctors so that they can keep track. (53:26)and it can be easily accessed and removed. Brandon (53:30)Exactly, exactly. So, you know, I mean, if I have another stroke or if I find through the little device that I’m having trouble with that PFO, you know, then I’ll get the PFO closure done. But until then, I didn’t want to just jump straight to that, you know, three months out of my out of my stroke. You know, I want to make sure that that’s the problem. because they did pull a 3mm blood clot out of my brain. So there’s a good chance that that went through the PFO and into my brain. But I was also way outside of my normal activity range trying to rock climb the day before. So there’s just, there are too many variables about the experience for me to just want to go and have something installed in my heart permanently, you know? (54:28)I hear you. What about the aneurysm? Where is that? What’s the long-term kind of approach to that? Brandon (54:35)Don’t know yet. I do not know anything about it. I’ll find out more information on Tuesday They said it’s not it’s not in the same part of my brain that my stroke was So that’s a good thing and there’s a good chance that it may have been there for a long time before the stroke So we just don’t know I don’t know anything about it So that I’m gonna go and meet with this neurosurgeon and decide what we’re gonna do about it (54:42)that’s right. Brandon (55:03)I think the most likely option, as long as it’s not big, is that they just wait and they monitor it. But there’s also a process where they coil it. They put a coil of platinum into it and pack it off so that it can’t become a problem later. And then the third scenario is that they take another piece of my skull off and go in and actually put a clip on it. to stop the blood from going into it. So I may actually have to have my skull open back up again. But, again, there’s no point in thinking about it now. I’ll think about it after Tuesday when I figure out where this thing is, what size it is, and all the details of it, you know? (55:46)Yeah. I love it. I love it. I love that man. That’s a great way to approach it. Also, ⁓ I love your comment about YouTube University. I love the fact that people find my podcast sometimes when they’re in hospital because clearly they realize I need to ⁓ learn more about this, understand it and ⁓ straight away they’ve got answers because of YouTube. it’s such a great service. It’s free. If you don’t want to pay for a paid service and all you got to do is put up with ads that you can skip through most of the time. So I think that’s brilliant. ⁓ What about your identity, man? People have a lot of kind of ⁓ examples of how they have a shift in their identity, how they perceive themselves, how they fit into the world. Did you feel like you have a shift in your identity or the way that you fit into the world? What’s that like for you? Brandon (56:46)Well, I mean, I definitely do feel like there was a big shift. Now at the core, I feel like the same person. know, mentally, I still feel like I know who I am, but it definitely has shifted my priorities in life a lot. ⁓ I did not raise my daughter and I developed a much closer relationship to her since the stroke. and we’ve been spending more time together and just really working on our relationship together. She’s 28 years old. So, you know, that has really been an amazing aspect of my stroke recovery is that I’m closer with my daughter than I ever was. But yeah, I mean, you know, I do things a lot differently. I was a heavy smoker, a heavy drinker, and a heavy marijuana user. I don’t smoke marijuana, don’t smoke cigarettes, and I don’t drink alcohol anymore. So huge change in my lifestyle as well. ⁓ But you know, I just I’m not as much of a hurry as I used to. I was always accused of my mind working on too many levels at one time, you know, and had too much on my plate, too much going on in my brain all the time. Now. My brain doesn’t keep up as well. So I struggle to stay on one subject, much less juggle multiple things in my brain. So it’s really kind of slowed down my whole mental process. But I think that again, that’s in a good way. I think that ⁓ I needed to slow down a little bit in a lot of ways. Lessons Learned: Insights from the Journey (58:31)I hear you. With the alcohol, marijuana and the smoking. So you might’ve been doing that for decades, I imagine, smoking, drinking. Brandon (58:43)Yes. (58:44)how do you experience your body differently now that it doesn’t have those substances in it anymore? Like, cause that’s a mass, that’s probably one of the biggest shifts your consumption of, we’ll call them, I don’t know, like harmful ⁓ things, you know, like how, so how do you relate to yourself differently now that those things are not necessary? Brandon (59:12)You know, I never really had like an addictive aspect. So I really don’t, I don’t feel like, ⁓ I mean, I don’t feel like it’s changed me a whole lot. I just had to take the daily habits out. But after spending a month in the hospital, all of the physical wants, all of the physical aspects of it were already taken care of, you know? So I just had to kind of maintain and not go back to old habits. So really, I mean, I don’t feel like it was that big of a difference. But now physically, I’ve always been an extremely skinny person. You know, I’m six foot one and I’ve always weighed 135 to 145. Now I weigh 165. So I did put on some weight after stopping all that. But other than that, really don’t notice a lot of ⁓ physical differences. Now, I have not coughed since my stroke. I used to wake myself up at night coughing, but for some reason, like literally when I had the stroke, I have not coughed since. Now I clear my throat a lot more and I have a lot of, we’re trying to figure out why, but I have a lot of problems with my sinuses. and stuff like that all on the side that I my injury was on this side but on the side the mental side like where it’s all mental stuff that changed the you know all of that I have problems with my sinuses and drainage and things like that so right now I’m seeing an ear nose and throat specialist and we just did a cat scan of my sinuses so I’ll see on the 13th of this next month I’ll get more information on about what’s going on there. ⁓ really, if that’s all I have to deal with is a one-sided sinus infection, I’m okay with that, you know? (1:01:23)Brandon, you’re all over it, man. I love your approach. It’s ⁓ refreshing to hear somebody who’s just so all over getting to the bottom of things rather than kind of just letting them kind of fester, which kind of leads me to my next question is you seem to have gained a lot of learning and growth from all of this. So what… ⁓ What are some of the insights that you gained from this experience that you didn’t expect? Brandon (1:01:54)⁓ No, I’m really not sure, man. I’m really not sure. I mean, again, I feel like pretty much going back to the same person. I mean, I have, I think, a little bit more respect for the human lifespan. You know, I was one of those people that always felt like, since I’ve never died, I can’t tell you that I’m going to die. Even though everybody else on the planet has to die, I never necessarily felt like that. I definitely feel mortal now, you know? I used to tell everybody that I still felt 25, but as soon as I had my stroke, felt 48. I felt every bit of my age. So it kind of cured me of that. You know, I pay a lot more attention to like, you know, things like, setting up my daughter for the future, you know, and like, Purchasing property for her and things like that to make sure that she’s gonna be taken care of when I’m not here anymore Things that I never paid attention to beforehand, you know, I always just lived in the moment Really didn’t care about the rest But now I’m more prone to put the work into my vehicle before it breaks down Instead of just waiting for it to be on the side of the road to fix it You know, I just I I think that I handle my life responsibilities more like a grown up than I used to, you know, but ⁓ but really, I don’t know, I’d say overall though, it’s still really difficult question to answer, man. I don’t I don’t feel like I live a lot differently. I feel like I’m still the same person, you know. (1:03:35)You nailed it, man. You answered it beautifully, especially the part about mortality. That’s a hap that happened to me. I realized at 37 that, ⁓ I actually might not be around in 12 months, six months, three months. So who knows like tomorrow. And that made me pay attention to my relationships and make sure that they were mostly mended healed. Reach. I reached out to people who I needed to reach out to. cut off people who I didn’t need to continue connecting with. Brandon (1:03:51)Right? (1:04:05)You know, like I realized that this, I’ve got to attend, attend to certain things that I hadn’t been attending to because if, ⁓ if the shit hit the fan, if things go really ugly, then I wouldn’t be able to attend to those things. And I, now that I had the ability to do it, was my responsibility to do that. Brandon (1:04:28)Absolutely, absolutely. I completely agree. I did the same thing. I cleared out a lot of the people that really weren’t being, you know, or that weren’t adding benefit to my life and causing problems in my life. I cleared all of that out. I started to focus more on the core group of people that were a big part of my life and, you know, my recovery and just, you know, who I am as a person. And just, you know, it really made me take a better look at the life that I had created for myself and and ⁓ and Just take care of the things that I should be taking care of and don’t pay as much attention to the things that weren’t serving me (1:05:12)Yeah, it’s a great way to continue moving forward. Your daughter, does she live nearby or does she live in another state? Brandon (1:05:21)She lives in another state. She lives in Alabama right now, but we’re starting to consider her coming out here to Arizona. Her and her boyfriend have lived there for several years, but the only reason she was living there is because her grandparents lived there on her maternal side, and she was very close to them for her whole life. But they passed, both of them, over the last several years. And, you know, she enjoys her work. She enjoys her friend group. But she also feels like she might need to go and explore a little bit more and move out of her comfort zone. So she might be a little bit closer sooner. Her and her boyfriend might actually move out here. we’ll just, know, only time will tell, but it’s just, it’s a fun thought, you know? (1:06:08)Yeah, I hear you. So we’ve shared a whole bunch of amazing things on this episode right now. The last question I want to ask you is there are people watching and listening that had either been listening for a little bit of time. They’ve just started their stroke recovery or they’r

Hour 2 keeps the spotlight on the growing divide between New York football franchises. The New York Giants officially bring in Matt Nagy, and the discussion centers on competence, development, and why this staff feels trustworthy under John Harbaugh, even if the hire is not flashy. On the other side, the New York Jets remain mired in dysfunction. Woody Johnson is painted as increasingly hands on, confidence in Aaron Glenn continues to erode, and fans openly wonder if there is any path to credibility without a complete reset or a powerful buffer between ownership and football operations. The hour also features a classic Posted & Toasted segment that dredges up old takes, cold tweets, and station personalities getting exposed, followed by a full blown showdown involving Aaron Boone. Boone fires back at criticism over how the New York Yankees handled Jasson Domínguez, prompting a deep dive into the actual numbers that turns anecdotal frustration into hard evidence. Add in raw Jets fan calls, season ticket soul searching at MetLife Stadium, and the growing sense that one franchise is moving forward while the other is stuck arguing with itself.

Breaking news hits early as the New York Giants officially hire Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator under John Harbaugh. The crew digs into Nagy's winding path from Chicago to Kansas City, his fit with Jaxson Dart, and why Theo Johnson could quietly thrive in this offense. It is not a splashy hire, but it feels deliberate, competent, and very Giants. Then the conversation takes a sharp turn to the New York Jets, where exclusive reporting paints a bleak picture of an organization unraveling from the top down. Woody Johnson is accused of stripping authority from head coach Aaron Glenn, blocking key hires including Wink Martindale, and creating a culture so toxic that league insiders are warning others to stay away. As the Giants project stability and direction, the Jets appear stuck in a familiar cycle of dysfunction with no clear exit in sight.

Why Minnesota Vikings can't find playoff stability; Is it just owners being too reactionary or lack of quarterback stability; Lindsey Vonn suffers another ill-timed injury; Local RSNs take another hit; Plus another look at what random baseball card did Dex get this week and more takes on Mackey & Judd.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Mike Schrand has spent more than 30 years at St. Louis Public Radio — and his story is a masterclass in curiosity, creativity, and community. In this episode of Mostly Superheroes, Mike joins Logan Janis for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from overnight jazz shifts and Morning Edition to songwriting, cult movies, and why St. Louis is “the world's largest small town.” We talk about the evolution of public radio, nonprofit journalism, and why live, local storytelling still matters in an on-demand world. Mike also opens up about his life as a musician — including his solo albums Late Bloomer and Things Have Changed — plus the role art plays in identity, family, and aging creatively. Along the way, we dig into movie history filmed right here in St. Louis (Escape from New York), James Gunn stories, NPR programming, and what it really means to serve a community through sound.

Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio warn that US-Iran talks ignore the mass killings of protesters, while characterizing Maliki's potential return in Iraq as a hostile act against Western interests and regional stability.1932 BAGHDAD

Why does healthcare keep investing in new technology while so many clinicians feel buried under paperwork and admin work that has nothing to do with patient care? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I'm joined by Dr. Rihan Javid, psychiatrist, former attorney, and co-founder and president of Edge. Our conversation cuts straight into an issue that rarely gets the attention it deserves, the quiet toll that administrative overload takes on doctors, care teams, and ultimately patients. Nearly half of physicians now link burnout to paperwork rather than clinical work, and Rihan explains why this problem keeps slipping past leadership discussions, even as budgets for digital tools continue to rise. Drawing on his experience inside hospitals and clinics, Rihan shares how operational design shapes outcomes in ways many healthcare leaders underestimate. We talk about why short-term staffing fixes often create new problems down the line, and how practices that invest in stable, well-trained remote administrative teams see real improvements. That includes faster billing cycles, fewer errors, and more time back for clinicians who want to focus on care rather than forms. What stood out for me was his framing of workforce infrastructure as a performance driver rather than a compliance box to tick. We also dig into how hybrid operations are becoming the default model. Local clinicians working alongside remote admin teams, supported by AI-assisted workflows, are now common across healthcare. Rihan is clear that while automation and AI can remove friction and cost, human oversight still matters deeply in high-compliance environments. Trust, accuracy, and patient confidence depend on knowing where automation fits and where human judgment must stay firmly in place. Another part of the discussion that stuck with me was Rihan's idea that stability is emerging as a better success signal than raw cost savings. High turnover may look efficient on paper, but it quietly limits a clinic's ability to grow, retain knowledge, and improve patient outcomes. We unpack why consistent administrative support can influence revenue cycles, satisfaction, and long-term resilience in ways traditional metrics often miss. If you're a healthcare leader, operator, or technologist trying to understand how AI, remote teams, and smarter operations can work together without losing trust or care quality, this conversation offers plenty to reflect on. As healthcare systems rethink how work gets done behind the scenes, what would it look like if stability and clinician well-being were treated as core performance measures rather than afterthoughts, and how might that change the future of care? Useful Links Connect with Dr. Rihan Javid Edge Health Rinova AI Thanks to our sponsors, Alcor, for supporting the show.