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To wrap up the show the WIP Afternoon Show are first looking around the NFL to see what happened in all the games outside the Eagles loss to the Bears. Plus, checking the text line prompts a debate over both Jack and Spike's music taste.
I've heard that humans like to eat pigs and call the strips of fleshbacon but have never seen it before. I had just smelled it one morningin the pasture when my cow friend from childhood remarked, “Oh, thesmell of bacon is particularly strong today.” Then she proceeded to tellme what bacon was. When I looked horrified, she said simply, “Don'tworry, I never heard of cows being turned into bacon.”“As if that solves the problem,” I had retorted.read more ... https://wix.to/Ix42vTJ
Hallo, liebe Gewinner und Verlierer. Willkommen zu frischen Tierfakten mit Iris Gavric, aka Die Coole von der Schule in ihren Sonnenblumen-Leggings, und mit Matthias Renger aka der schüchterne Helmut Kohl in seiner Latexmaske. Wenn ihr wissen möchtet, was in uns vorgeht, müsst ihr es nicht wie die Hirsche machen. Wir können einfach zusammen glauben, was wir glauben wollen. Also auf in den Handshake War, die Krähen räumen hinterher das Schlachtfeld auf. Wir brechen eine Lanze für Berlin und spoilern ein bisschen Pluribus. Dann elektrisieren wir ganze Sportstadien mit unserer Energie, aber hinterfragen dabei, ob das schon eine Qualität ist. Überhaupt hinterfragt Matthias ja alles. Sogar das. Während Iris so viel Vertrauen hat, dass sie sogar Fünfjährigen einen Job gibt und von Vierzehnjährigen ihr erstes Startup erwartet. Schaut mit uns und Pierre Bourdieu auf die feinen Unterschiede, denn Zugänglichkeit ist keine Schwäche. Wir schleudern großzügig unser kulturelles Kapital durch die Gegend und lauschen dabei Aretha Franklin und Baby Shark in einer 50er Jahre Soul Version. Also klatscht in eure faltigen Hände und werdet Teil der Glasbaustein-Gang. Wenn eure Bubble den Hirntod verlangt, beschmiert sie mit Sose und Sempf. Am Ende ist die Frage: Wer von euch ist Team Meryl Streep, und wer ist Team Anne Hathaway? Du möchtest uns eine Sprachnachricht für den Podcast schicken? Folge uns auf Instagram und nutze dort den Chat: https://www.instagram.com/coupleof_podcast/ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos und Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/CoupleOf Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio: https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio
It's a Thanksgiving-kind of installment of Hardly Focused! Jack and Mike discuss the science of planning for the holidays, and revisit a classic Turkey Day freakout. Also, what's the best and worst food to serve on Thanksgiving? Discussed elsewhere in this episode: A poor soul from Medford, MA has nearly 400 gallons of heating oil spilled in his basement, because the energy company went to the wrong address. The "Slender Man stabber" attempts to run away from home, only to be caught and shamed by police. FOLLOW and SUBSCRIBE! https://hardlyfocused.com/subscribe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A new book discusses how Midwestern food fits into the bigger picture of American culture.
We're taking the show in new directions and we'd love to hear ideas (& criticisms!) from you! CarsThePodcast@gmail.com
Send us a textCecilia Beretta Treviso DOC Extra Dry ProseccoA Champagne Cocktail Special!Drinks fine on its own, but add some orange juice, or peach or blueberry, and you've got something going on.Tastes great, a quality sipping Bubbly. But something festive will bring this to life.Check us out at www.cheapwinefinder.comor email us at podcast@cheapwinefinder.com
Hello classmates!Cinema quality movies on a budget, Eric Roberts puts Samuel L Jackson to shame, and Toy Story 3 should have been the endVisit the YouTube channel Saturdays @ 12:30 PM Pacific to get in on the live stream, or just watch this episode rather than just listen!Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@middleclassfilmclassThis Episode:https://youtu.be/flpwWm9yMDchttp://www.MCFCpodcast.comhttps://www.twitch.tv/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.facebook.com/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.twitter.com/podcastMCFChttp://www.tiktok.com/middleclassfilmclasshttp://www.instagram.com/middleclassfilmclassEmail: MCFCpodcast@gmail.comLeave us a voicemail at (209) 283-1716Merch store - https://middle-class-film-class.creator-spring.com/Join the Patreon:www.patreon.con/middleclassfilmclassPatrons:JavierJoel ShinnemanLinda McCalisterHeather Sachs https://twitter.com/DorkOfAllDorksChris GeigerDylanMitch Burns Robert Stewart JasonAndrew Martin Dallas Terry Jack Fitzpatrick Mackenzie MinerBinge Daddy DanAngry Otter (Michael)Trip AffleckJoseph Navarro Pete Abeytaand Tyler NoeStreaming Picks:Scarface 1932 - Criterion Channel Frankenstein - NetflixOne Battle After Another - $20 rentalOh, Hi! - NetflixRoofman - $20 rentalForrest Gump - AMC, PhiloCast Away - YouTubeTV, AMC, Philo
Is there anything more Thanksgiving than the smorgasbord? A dozen delectable dishes to choose from and enjoy without judgement, and now you can taste all the flavors of stupid, weird and nerdy with the first annual Count Kreepyhead Thanksgiving special where we talk about a dozen or so bite size topics and give you the audio equivalent of a turkey day dinner without that one relative that wants to talk about politics or aunt Judy forcing you to eat her ambrosia salad. Enjoy!
Kate Ryan maps food and eating out trends on flavour.ie and she says smaller portion sizes are a thing too Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 6 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Introduction Legacy beverage corporations attempting hostile takeovers of kombucha startups failed to understand the living systems involved. Their sterile production methods eliminated beneficial microorganisms, while regulatory capture backfired as health authorities mandated probiotic content. Mega-Cola’s final CEO, James Morrison, desperately tried fermenting cola using SCOBYs, creating undrinkable disasters. This episode chronicles the corporation’s transformation from global giant to urban composting service, with former executives becoming mushroom farmers in Detroit’s abandoned factories. The $49 Billion Graveyard: When Giants Couldn’t Learn to Dance Harvard Business School’s legendary case study “The Mega-Cola Kombucha Catastrophe” became required reading for understanding how industrial thinking proved fatal in the biological economy. Between 2035 and 2042, legacy beverage corporations spent $48.7 billion attempting to acquire kombucha startups, only to discover that living systems couldn’t be purchased—they could only be cultivated. Mega-Cola’s acquisition spree began aggressively in 2035 under CEO James Morrison, a chemical engineer before ascending to the C-suite. He’d once loved the alchemy of bubbles and sweetness. His father had worked at a bottling plant; he’d grown up thinking carbonation was progress. He viewed kombucha as merely another “disruption” to be absorbed and had become a champion of “hydration portfolios”—a polite euphemism for diversifying out of soda into teas, waters, and ferments. The company spent $12.7 billion acquiring 47 kombucha brands, from market leader Health-Ade to smaller artisanal producers like Portland’s Brew Dr Kombucha. Morrison’s strategy seemed logical: leverage Mega-Cola’s distribution network and manufacturing scale to dominate the emerging probiotic market. The Sterilization Disaster The first catastrophic failure occurred when Mega-Cola attempted to scale Humm Kombucha production at its Oregon facility. Morrison stood before a 10,000-gallon fermentation tank—ten times the size of any used by the acquired kombucha companies. Chief Science Officer Dr. Hiram Walsh explained the modifications they’d made. “We’ve adapted our quality control protocols from our soft drink lines,” Walsh said proudly. “Every input is filtered, pasteurized, and chemically treated. We’ve eliminated 99.9% of microbial contamination risk.” Walsh pulled up charts showing their testing results. “Batch consistency is perfect. Zero deviation. Every bottle identical.” Morrison smiled. “Exactly what we wanted. When do we start distribution?” “Next week,” Walsh confirmed. “We’re calling it MegaBucha. Focus groups love the name.” One week later, Morrison sat in an emergency meeting. The first consumer feedback was catastrophic. Walsh read from report after report: “‘Tastes like carbonated vinegar.’ ‘Chemical aftertaste.’ ‘Nothing like real kombucha.’ ‘Dead and flat.’ Return rates are 87%.” Walsh looked confused. “I don't understand it. The bacteria counts are perfect. We followed their recipes exactly.” On the teleconference screen, Health-Ade founder Vanessa Dew shook her head. “You killed it. Your ‘quality control’ eliminated every living organism. Kombucha isn’t about sterility—it’s about controlled biological diversity. You can’t pasteurize and filter kombucha and expect it to remain the same. You’ve simply made acidic sugar water.” Morrison spluttered, “We spent $2.1 billion acquiring your company. We’re not walking away because of ‘quality control’ issues.” “It’s not quality control—it’s biology,” Vanessa explained. “Kombucha cultures need biodiversity to thrive. Your system is built to prevent exactly that.” Morrison’s jaw tightened. “Then we’ll adjust the process. Keep some bacteria alive.” Vanessa sighed. “Your entire facility is designed to kill microbes. Your pipes, your tanks, your air filtration, your worker protocols—everything optimized for sterility. You’d have to rebuild from scratch. And even then, you’d need to fundamentally rethink how you approach production. Living systems don’t work like machines.” The company had overlooked the success of the UK’s ROBOT Kombucha, the “A.I. Cola” replicated cola’s taste in a fermented drink, becoming the beverage of choice for adults who had first tasted it as teenagers when it was introduced in 2025. Founder Pascal du Bois had selected his ingredients from a range of different organic botanicals from which the flavor was extracted. He then created a complex blend of more than a dozen types of bacteria and four strains of organic yeast. After fermenting for seven weeks they add a teaspoon of 100% organic honey, sourced from France, to each can. This mimics the familiar cola taste without added sugars or aspartame. The result was a healthy alternative designed to appeal to cola lovers, not a standardized Frankenbooch. Dr. Kenji Nakamura—the former Genentech researcher who later founded the Eastridge Mall Kollective—was hired as a $5 million consultant to solve the Mega-Cola problem. His report sat on Morrison’s desk—200 pages detailing why Mega-Cola’s approach couldn’t work. “I’ll cut to the conclusion,” Nakamura said. “Your industrial infrastructure is fundamentally incompatible with living beverages. Your entire supply chain is designed to kill exactly what makes kombucha valuable.” Morrison leaned forward. “We paid you to find solutions, not problems.” “The solution is accepting that some things can’t be industrialized,” Nakamura replied calmly. “Kombucha succeeds because of microbial relationships that develop over time through careful cultivation. You’re trying to force-manufacture relationships. It’s like trying to raise children in a morgue—the environment is hostile to life. Your kombucha tastes bad because you’ve optimized the life out of it. You can’t ‘optimize’ life—you can only cultivate it.” Mega-Cola CFO Samantha Chen pulled up financial projections. “We’ve now spent $14.8 billion on kombucha acquisitions and infrastructure. We need to either make this work or write off the entire investment.” Nakamura shook his head. “Every dollar you spend trying to industrialize kombucha is wasted. The companies you acquired succeeded because they were small—they could maintain microbial diversity, respond to batch variation, cultivate living systems. Scale destroys those advantages.” Morrison’s face reddened. “Are you telling me that a bunch of hippies in Portland can do something Mega-Cola, with our resources and expertise, cannot?” “Yes,” Nakamura said simply. “Because they’re not trying to dominate biology. They’re partnering with it. Your entire corporate culture is about control, optimization, standardization. Living systems require adaptation, diversity, patience. Those are fundamentally incompatible approaches.” Morrison stood. “We’ll find someone else. Someone who can make this work.” Nakamura gathered his materials. “You’ll spend millions more reaching the same conclusion. Biology doesn’t care about your quarterly earnings or your market cap. You can’t buy your way out of this.” After Nakamura left, Morrison and Chen sat in silence. Chen finally spoke. “He’s right, you know.” Morrison didn’t respond. The Regulatory Trap: When Capture Became Captivity Legacy corporations had initially celebrated the FDA’s Probiotic Verification Act of 2038, which they had lobbied for extensively. The law required all “live beverage” products to contain minimum concentrations of beneficial bacteria, verified through independent testing. Mega-Cola’s legal team believed this would create barriers for small producers while giving large corporations with deep pockets competitive advantages through regulatory compliance costs. The strategy backfired catastrophically. While artisanal kombucha producers thrived under the new standards—their naturally diverse microbial ecosystems easily exceeded requirements—corporate products consistently failed testing. Mega-Cola spent $20 million on fermentation consultants and biotechnology acquisitions, but its sterile facilities couldn’t maintain the mandated bacterial diversity. Meanwhile, in the company boardroom, a tense meeting took place. Chen read the headline from a Wall Street Journal article: “Mega-Cola’s ‘Kombucha’ Contains Fewer Probiotics Than Yogurt, FDA Testing Reveals.“ Morrison stared at the headline. “How did this happen?” “Our sterilization processes,” Walsh admitted. “We can’t maintain bacterial counts through our production and distribution systems. The small producers can because they’re working with robust, diverse cultures in small batches. We’re working with weakened, standardized cultures in massive volumes. The bacteria die.” The legal counsel shifted uncomfortably. “The regulation we pushed for is now our biggest problem. We can’t legally call our product kombucha. We could petition the FDA to lower the standards—” Morrison’s voice was quiet. “How much have we spent trying to fix this?” Chen checked her tablet. “$20.3 million on fermentation consultants and biotechnology acquisitions. None of it worked.” The Medical Tsunami: Soda as Poison By 2040, the medical evidence against sugar-laden sodas had become overwhelming. The American Heart Association officially classified high-fructose corn syrup as a “Class II toxin,” requiring warning labels similar to tobacco. The crisis came to a head when the Journal of the American Heart Association published “The Corporate Diabetes Epidemic: A Century of Metabolic Warfare” in 2041. The paper demonstrated that diabetes and obesity rates directly correlated with Mega-Cola’s market penetration across 147 countries. Areas with higher Cola consumption showed disease patterns resembling chemical contamination rather than natural illness. Dr. Harold Lustig presented twenty years of longitudinal research to a packed auditorium. The screen behind him showed stark data: “Regular soda consumption increases diabetes risk by 340%. It shortens lifespan by an average of 7.4 years. We’re officially classifying high-fructose corn syrup as a Class II toxin, requiring warning labels similar to tobacco.” Mega-Cola CEO Morrison watched from the back. His phone buzzed constantly—board members, investors, media requesting comment. Lustig continued: “Children who drink one soda daily show measurable delays in brain development compared to peers consuming fermented beverages. Brain imaging reveals high-fructose corn syrup literally shrinks the prefrontal cortex.” A reporter raised his hand. “Are you saying soda causes brain damage?” “I’m saying the evidence strongly suggests regular soda consumption impairs cognitive development,” Lustig responded. “Meanwhile, children consuming diverse fermented foods show superior health outcomes across every metric we measured.” Morrison left before the Q&A. In the hallway, CFO Chen was waiting. “The stock dropped 12% during the presentation,” she said quietly. “Investors are calling soda ‘the new tobacco.'” Morrison stared out the window at the Washington Monument. “We knew sugar was problematic. We’ve been reformulating—” “It’s not just sugar,” Chen interrupted. “It’s the entire category. Industrial beverages versus living fermentation. We’re on the wrong side.” “We’re a $300 billion company,” Morrison said. “We can’t just pivot to kombucha. We tried that. It failed.” Chen’s voice was gentle but firm. “Then maybe we need to accept that some companies don’t survive paradigm shifts.” The Educational Exodus: Schools Declare War on Soda The Los Angeles Unified School District’s vote to ban all non-fermented beverages in schools attracted phalanxes of Mega-Cola lobbyists and lawyers. A Mega-Cola representative presented their case: “Banning our beverages punishes students from low-income families who can’t afford expensive alternatives. We’re prepared to offer healthier formulations—” A parent cut him off. “You’ve been promising ‘healthier formulations’ for thirty years while marketing addictive sugar-water to our children.” Dr. Rebecca Scharf's groundbreaking research demonstrated that children who were given an alternative to sugar-sweetened soda were healthier. The school district called her as an expert witness. She summarized her findings: “Two years after schools switched to kombucha dispensaries with on-campus fermentation labs, we see 67% reduction in behavioral problems, 45% improvement in test scores, 89% decrease in childhood obesity.” A high school student approached the microphone. “I’m sixteen. I grew up drinking your soda. I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes at fourteen. Since switching to fermented beverages, my health has improved. But my little brother is eight—he’s never had soda, only fermentation. He’s healthier than I ever was. You took my health. Don’t take his.” By 2052, 43 states had implemented similar bans. The “Fermentation Generation”—children who grew up drinking school-provided kombucha—showed dramatically superior health outcomes compared to predecessors who consumed soda. These children literally rejected Mega-Cola on a physiological level; their optimized gut microbiomes found industrial beverages repulsive. Medical Prescriptions Against Corporate Beverages The American Academy of Pediatrics’ 2044 guidelines required doctors to “prescribe against” soda consumption, treating it as seriously as smoking cessation recommendations. Insurance companies began covering kombucha prescriptions while penalizing patients who tested positive for high-fructose corn syrup consumption. Dr. Chen’s research (detailed in Episode 2) provided the scientific foundation for these medical interventions. Her studies proved that even occasional soda consumption disrupted the personalized gut microbiomes that enabled optimal cognitive function. Doctors began prescribing specific kombucha strains to repair metabolic damage caused by years of consuming industrial beverages. Morrison’s Tower Disaster: Industrial Control Meets Living Systems Following his 2050 visit to Aberdeen’s agricultural tower, Morrison commissioned twelve “MegaTower” facilities across North America, investing $8.4 billion in what he called “industrial-scale fermentation infrastructure.” His engineers replicated the physical structure perfectly—1,200-meter climate-controlled spires with alternating tea cultivation and kombucha production floors. The catastrophe unfolded within months. Morrison’s towers, designed for efficiency optimization, automated every process that Aberdeen’s workers performed intuitively. Computer algorithms regulated temperature, humidity, and nutrient delivery with microsecond precision, eliminating “human inefficiency.” The tea plants withered. The SCOBYs died. Dr. MacLeod’s warnings proved prophetic: Morrison had copied the machinery while killing the ecosystem. His sterile protocols eliminated the beneficial fungi, bacteria, and insects that made Aberdeen’s floors function as living environments. His “optimized” nutrient solutions lacked the complexity of naturally composting tea waste. His automated systems couldn’t respond to the subtle biological cues that experienced cultivators recognized instinctively. By 2053, all twelve MegaTowers stood empty—$8.4 billion monuments to the fundamental incompatibility between industrial control and biological partnership. The failure accelerated Mega-Cola’s eventual bankruptcy, proving that living systems cannot be purchased; they can only be cultivated. Morrison’s Desperate Gambit: Fermented Cola Stung by his failed “MegaTower” experiments, Morrison staked Mega-Cola’s survival on developing fermented cola using modified SCOBYs. The “New Cola Kombucha” project consumed $67 million over three years, employing thousands of microbiologists and fermentation specialists. The results were universally catastrophic. Dr. Park, a fermentation specialist hired from Korea, led Morrison through the lab. Rows of fermentation vessels bubbled with dark liquid. Scientists monitored bacterial counts, pH levels, sugar content. “We’ve engineered SCOBY cultures that can ferment in the presence of cola flavorings,” Park explained. “It’s taken three years, but we have a stable culture.” Morrison looked hopeful for the first time in years. “And it tastes good?” Park hesitated. “It tastes… interesting.” They entered a tasting room where twenty focus group participants sat with cups of dark, fizzy liquid. Morrison watched through one-way glass as participants tasted the fermented cola. The reactions were immediate and universal: grimacing, coughing, one person actually gagged. “Fizzy coffee grounds mixed with cleaning products,” one person said. “Like someone fermented tire rubber,” another offered. “I think I can taste failure,” a third concluded. Park pulled Morrison aside. “The SCOBY cultures are stressed by the chemical additives in cola formulation. They’re producing unusual compounds—not toxic, exactly, but profoundly unpleasant. They’re causing gastrointestinal distress in 89% of test subjects.” Morrison stared at the focus group, then turned to Park. “Give me options. Can we adjust the flavor profile? Different additives?” “We’ve tried 47 formulations,” Park explained. “The problem isn’t the recipe—it’s the fundamental incompatibility between cola chemistry and healthy fermentation at this scale. The bacteria are literally stressed by the environment we’re asking them to live in.” “So what you’re telling me is that fermented cola is impossible?” Park hesitated. “I’m telling you that your version of fermented cola—one that tastes like Mega-Cola but contains living bacteria—is impossible. If you were willing to let go of the cola formula entirely and create something new…” “Then it wouldn’t be Mega-Cola,” Morrison insisted. “That’s what I’m trying to save.” Morrison sank into a chair. “How much have we spent on this?” “$67 million,” Park confirmed. “And it’s undrinkable.” “Yes.” Morrison laughed bitterly. “We can put a man on Mars, but we can’t ferment cola.” Park’s voice was kind. “We can’t ferment cola because we’re trying to put it on Mars. Fermentation requires accepting biology on its own terms. We keep trying to force it into our industrial model. Biology keeps refusing.” The FDA’s emergency recall of Morrison’s prototype batches in 2059 triggered the final collapse of investor confidence. The Bankruptcy Cascade: Industrial Liquidation Mega-Cola declared bankruptcy on November 1, 2060—the Mexican Day of the Dead seemed grimly appropriate for the death of an American institution. The company’s $284 billion in debts exceeded its assets by a factor of three, as brand value evaporated alongside consumer demand. The company was not alone. BigSoda collapsed six months later, then Dr Gipper —the third-ranking cola in the world —creating a cascade of corporate failures worth over $1.2 trillion. Morrison sat alone in his office as the board meeting proceeded via video conference. The board chair spoke: “The FDA has issued an emergency recall of all New Cola Kombucha prototypes after test subjects required hospitalization. Our stock price has fallen 89% from its peak. Our debt exceeds assets. We have no choice.” Morrison knew what he must announce. “Mega-Cola Corporation is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, effective immediately.” On screens across America, news anchors delivered the story. Morrison watched employees leave the building carrying boxes. Fifty thousand jobs ending. A century-old brand dying. Chen entered his office quietly. “I’m sorry, James.” Morrison didn’t turn from the window. “You tried to warn me. Back in 2035. You asked if we could industrialize biology without killing what made it valuable.” “I did.” “The answer was no.” “I guess I just didn't listen.” Morrison was quiet for a long moment. “I spent my whole career optimizing systems, maximizing efficiency, scaling operations. I was good at it. But biology doesn’t care about efficiency. It cares about diversity, resilience, relationships. Everything I knew how to do was wrong for this.” Chen sat beside him. “What will you do now?” Morrison laughed without humor. “I’m 62 years old. My entire career has been corporate optimization. I don’t know how to do anything else.” “You could learn,” Chen suggested. “Learn what?” Morrison asked. “How to brew kombucha in my garage? I destroyed people’s livelihoods trying to industrialize something that shouldn’t be industrialized. I don’t deserve to be part of what comes next.” “Maybe that’s exactly why you should be,” Chen said softly. “You understand what doesn’t work. That’s valuable knowledge.” The liquidation auctions became symbols of industrial obsolescence. Mega-Cola’s Detroit headquarters sold for $47 million to the Georgia Fermentation Kollective, which converted the building into vertical kombucha gardens. The iconic “Land of Cola” museum became the “Museum of Metabolic Harm,” displaying artifacts from humanity’s sugar-addiction era alongside warnings about corporate food manipulation. Urban Composting: From Soda to Soil Morrison’s personal transformation paralleled that of his company. After Mega-Cola’s bankruptcy, he founded “Regenerative Detroit,” converting abandoned bottling plants into urban composting facilities that produced soil for vertical tea gardens. His memoir, From Syrup to SCOBY: A CEO’s Redemption, became a bestseller, chronicling his journey from corporate predator to ecological steward. Nakamura, the consultant who told Morrison his approach would fail, visited the facility. “You were right,” Morrison said without preamble. “Everything you said in that meeting. I spent five more years and hundreds of millions trying to prove you wrong, only to end up proving you right.” Nakamura watched Morrison teach a teenage girl how to inoculate a growing medium with mushroom spores. “This is unexpected. I thought you’d retire to a beach somewhere, try to forget.” Morrison laughed. “I tried that for six months. I was miserable. Spent forty years destroying things. Figured I should spend whatever time I have left trying to build something.” “Why composting?” “Because it’s the opposite of what I did at Mega-Cola,” Morrison explained. “There, we tried to force sterility, eliminate variability, control every process. Here, we cultivate diversity, encourage complexity, work with biological systems rather than against them. We take waste and transform it into something useful. It’s… healing, I guess.” A teenager approached. “Mr. Morrison, my mushrooms are growing!” Morrison’s face lit up. “Let me see!” He examined her cultivation tray with genuine excitement. “Beautiful! You maintained perfect humidity. These will be ready to harvest in two weeks.” After the children left for lunch, Nakamura and Morrison walked through the facility. “How many people work here?” Nakamura asked. “Forty-seven,” Morrison responded. “Thirty-two are former Mega-Cola employees. When the company collapsed, they lost everything. I felt responsible. So I used what was left of my savings to buy this facility and train them in regenerative agriculture.” “And the composting is profitable?” Morrison shrugged. “We break even. Barely. But that’s not really the point. The point is transforming industrial waste into living soil. The point is teaching the next generation that decay isn’t the enemy—it’s the beginning of new life. The point is learning to think like an ecosystem instead of a corporation.” They stopped before a wall displaying Morrison’s memoir: From Syrup to SCOBY: A CEO’s Redemption. “I read your book,” Nakamura said. “Brutal self-assessment.” “Had to be,” Morrison replied. “I spent decades helping build a system that made billions by making people sick. If I’m going to do anything meaningful with the rest of my life, I need to be honest about what I did wrong.” Nakamura gave him a piercing look. “What’s the hardest lesson, James?” Morrison thought for a moment. “That you can’t buy relationships. Mega-Cola tried to purchase kombucha companies and force them into our industrial model. But the reason those companies succeeded was because they maintained living relationships—between bacteria, between brewers and their cultures, between producers and customers. We thought we could commodify those relationships. We were wrong.” Nakamura looked into the other man’s eyes. “Do you regret your career at Mega-Cola?” “Every day,” Morrison said. “But regret without action is just self-pity. I can’t undo the harm I caused. I can only try to spend whatever time I have left doing things differently.” The two men stood silent. “And now?” Nakamura eventually asked. “Now I’m learning that the same principle applies to everything. Healthy soil requires relationships between millions of organisms. Healthy communities require relationships between people. You can’t manufacture relationships. You can only cultivate them.” A former Mega-Cola executive, now managing the composting operation, approached. “James, the new batch is ready. Want to check it?” They walked to a massive composting area where industrial waste had been transformed into rich, dark soil. Morrison picked up a handful, letting it sift through his fingers. “Five years ago, I couldn’t have told you what healthy soil looked like. Now I can diagnose it by touch, smell, and sight. I know the difference between soil that’s alive and soil that’s dead. I wish I’d learned that forty years ago.” Business School Autopsies: Failed Integration Studies Mega-Cola’s failed acquisitions became business school case studies teaching a fundamental lesson about the new economy: you couldn’t buy biological relationships, only nurture them. Companies that thrived in the fermentation future were those that learned to think like ecosystems rather than machines, valuing symbiosis over extraction and cooperation over control. The old extraction-based capitalism of brands, advertisements, and artificial scarcity had dissolved in the acid of transparency. In its place rose a commerce of connection, a network of exchange based on trust, craft, and living value. No one “sold” kombucha anymore. They shared it—encoded with local identity, story, and microbial lineage. Each brew was a living signature, traceable back to the brewer’s SCOBY ancestry through transparent bio-ledgers—open microbial blockchains that recorded not profits, but relationships. Harvard Business School’s legendary case study “The Mega-Cola Kombucha Catastrophe” had become required reading for understanding how industrial thinking fails when confronting biological complexity. Professor George Santos—a reformed fraudster turned champion of ethical business studies at Harvard—projected key figures on his classroom screen summarizing the Mega-Cola meltdown: $48.7 billion spent on kombucha acquisitions and infrastructure Zero successful products launched 94% loss of beneficial bacteria in acquired brands Complete corporate collapse within 15 years Morrison sat in the audience, invited as a guest speaker. The students didn’t know he was there yet. Santos lectured: “Mega-Cola’s failure wasn’t about lack of resources or expertise. They had the best food scientists, unlimited capital, and a dominant market position. They failed because they tried to apply industrial logic to biological relationships. It’s a category error—treating living systems like machines.” A student raised her hand. “But couldn’t they have just left the kombucha companies independent? Kept them small-scale?” “Good question,” Santos responded. “But that would have defeated the purpose of the acquisition. Morrison wanted to leverage industrial efficiency to dominate the market. He couldn’t accept that efficiency itself was the problem.” “Sounds arrogant,” another student said. “It was,” Morrison spoke from the audience. “Unforgivably arrogant.” The room went silent as students realized who he was. Santos smiled. “Class, we have a special guest. Mr. Morrison has agreed to discuss his decisions and their consequences.” Morrison walked to the front slowly. At 72, he looked older than his years. “I’m here because Professor Santos asked me to help you understand how intelligent, well-intentioned people can make catastrophic mistakes,” Morrison began. “In 2035, I was confident, even cocky, firmly believing we could apply our industrial processes to kombucha. I have degrees from Wharton and McKinsey experience. I’d successfully optimized dozens of operations. I didn’t see kombucha as a challenge—I saw it as an opportunity.” “What changed?” a student asked. “Repeated failure,” Morrison said simply. “We acquired kombucha brands. We killed them by trying to scale them. We hired consultants. They told us what we were doing wrong. We didn’t listen. We tried to ferment cola using SCOBYs. We created undrinkable disasters. Eventually, even I couldn’t ignore reality: you can’t industrialize living relationships.” “Why not?” another student challenged. “We industrialize lots of biological processes. Agriculture, pharmaceuticals—” “Different scale, different complexity,” Morrison explained. “Kombucha requires dozens of organisms in complex relationships. You can’t standardize that without destroying what makes it work. And more fundamentally, I didn’t respect what I was trying to control. I saw bacteria as inputs to be optimized, not as living partners to be cultivated. That disrespect guaranteed failure.” Samantha Chen, sitting in the back, spoke up. “I was Mega-Cola’s CFO. I warned James from the beginning that we were trying to commodify relationships. He didn’t listen until we’d burned through billions and destroyed the brands we’d acquired. The lesson isn’t just about fermentation—it’s about recognizing when your core competencies are incompatible with what you’re attempting.” A student asked the obvious question: “Mr. Morrison, you lost billions of dollars and collapsed a century-old company. Why should we listen to you?” Morrison smiled sadly. “Because I failed spectacularly at something many of you will attempt: forcing biological systems into industrial models. Climate change, environmental restoration, and sustainable agriculture—you’ll all face situations where industrial thinking fails. If hearing about my failures helps even one of you recognize that trap earlier, then bankrupting Mega-Cola will have served some purpose.” Cola Coda The demise of Mega-Cola and Morrison's redemption was celebrated in song by a young group of Baltimore kombucha brewers whose anthem ‘It's an Unreal Thing' was played on college radio stations by retro-70's leather-jacketed DJ's with pierced ears. Here’s Hexotronix: Go now, take what you think will lastBut whatever you wish to keep, you better grab it fastAll your failed investments, they’re all going homeYour fermentation formula had the wrong biomeYour scientists who just walked out the doorHave taken all their SCOBYs from the brewery floorThe towers too have failed to come throughAnd now it's time to go find something new. [Chorus]You sold your soda to a worldThat you thought you'd taught to singIn perfect harmonyBut it's an unreal thing, an unreal thing. You bought up all our breweries, didn't you?Your fake fermented drinks just didn't come through .You killed what made kombucha realSo how does it feelTo be completely unreal?How does it feelTo be a joker?How does it feelTo be a bankrupt, down at heel?With the whole world laughingAt your soda? [Chorus] Your beverage was a bustYour dreams all turned to dustThe missing partWas our SCOBY heartRight there at the startBut you didn't seeWhat we sawDidn't feelWhat we feltDidn't knowWhat we knewDidn't loveWhat we loved. [Chorus] Leave your corporate life behind, something calls for youThe dream that you once had is clearly through.Forget the drinks you've served, they will not follow youGo tell another story start anewThe compost and mushrooms, they now call to you. [Chorus] Epilogue: The Next Discovery Morrison’s transformation from CEO to mushroom farmer illustrates that recognizing failure honestly opens paths to genuine learning. His redemption isn’t about success—it’s about accepting that some approaches are fundamentally wrong and committing to something different. However, one man’s transformation was only the beginning. While corporate executives struggled to understand living systems, a brilliant citizen scientist was making discoveries that would prove the human brain itself required biological partnerships to reach its full potential. Check back next Friday as the gripping tale of ‘Our Fermented Future’ continues. Disclaimer This is a work of speculative fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, assisted by generative A.I. References to real brands and organizations are used in a wholly imaginative context and are not intended to reflect any actual facts or opinions related to them. No assertions or statements in this post should be interpreted as true or factual. Audio Listen to an audio version of this Episode and all future ones via the Booch News channel on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you just want to listen to the music (classic 80’s punk!) tune in as follows: Hexotronix, It’s an Unreal Thing, 36:17 Lyrics ©2025 Booch News, music generated with the assistance of Suno. The post Our Fermented Future, Episode 7: Corporate Death Spiral—How Cola Became Compost appeared first on 'Booch News.
Today on 2 Pros and a Cup of Joe, Jonas Knox, Brady Quinn, and LaVar Arrington open the hour by talking expensive tastes and recapping Week 1 of the NFL season. Next, Senior NFL Columnist for CBS Sports, Pete Prisco, joins the show. Finally, LaReina brings you another edition of “Leftovers.” Tune in for all that and much more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events Podcast
In the 18 years I've been running this business, there have been so many times we've prayed for vengeance. Today we share four real world stories and what it felt like when it happend.
In this episode, we'll try the new Grinch Cereal from General Mills! The next 2 are listener provided...a cute little black & wite duck from Russia, and some pillows we'd rather sleep on. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Sam back visiting before recording the night's session, the guys talk about working at Chick-Fil-A, the Baja Blast pie, speeding is ineffective, "Bronies", Bob's skinwalker cat, the BEST way to take your temperature, the newest Covid 2025 update patch, and more!
Stephen Grootes speaks to Emile Stipp, Global Chief Actuary and Managing Director of Vitality AI, about how Discovery Group’s new partnership with Google Cloud is transforming health management. Through the launch of Vitality AI, the insurer is using artificial intelligence to deliver hyper-personalised, proactive health recommendations to millions of users worldwide, marking a major step forward in digital wellness innovation. In other interviews, multi award-winning chef Coco Reinarhz, chats about the embodiment of African epicurean elegance, the state of luxury dining and fine cuisine in South Africa. He explores how local high-end restaurants measure up against global standards, the artistry behind their offerings, and how evolving tastes and expectations from South African diners are shaping the country’s fine dining scene. The Money Show is a podcast hosted by well-known journalist and radio presenter, Stephen Grootes. He explores the latest economic trends, business developments, investment opportunities, and personal finance strategies. Each episode features engaging conversations with top newsmakers, industry experts, financial advisors, entrepreneurs, and politicians, offering you thought-provoking insights to navigate the ever-changing financial landscape. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Money Show Listen live Primedia+ weekdays from 18:00 and 20:00 (SA Time) to The Money Show with Stephen Grootes broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show, go to https://buff.ly/7QpH0jY or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/PlhvUVe Subscribe to The Money Show Daily Newsletter and the Weekly Business Wrap here https://buff.ly/v5mfetc The Money Show is brought to you by Absa Follow us on social media 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/702 on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalkCapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalkCapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/Radio702CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Send us a textRHOP-Champagne Tastes the Same in Economy
In this episode I cover a range of symptoms that I have seen recently, what they may mean, how to handle them as well as what I am noticing in primary care.Links:Silent reflux: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15024-laryngopharyngeal-reflux-lprTietze's syndrome (chest pain): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23565-tietze-syndromeCostochondritis: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22167-costochondritisPanic attack symptoms: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/health-essentials/heart-attack-vs-panic-attack-how-to-tell-the-differenceSilent pneumonia: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15744-pneumonia-atypical-walking-pneumoniaHair loss: https://www.pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidance/alopecia-male-and-female-pattern-alopeciaPhases of hair growth: https://www.healthline.com/health/stages-of-hair-growth#maintaining-hair-healthHair loss and DHT: https://www.healthline.com/health/dht#testosteroneAI and medicine - chatGPT vs GP: https://substack.com/@drayanpanja/note/p-177463006?r=2efcdx&utm_source=notes-share-action&utm_medium=webSave your life in slow motion and those of others by subscribing now and sharing. Thank you for listening and for your support. It means a lot to me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Blake Marking a Tough Anniversary and Wondering How Oscar's Food Tastes by Maine's Coast 93.1
Jennifer swears that peanuts and candy corn taste just like a Payday bar and are addictive! So we try it for Mash it Up Monday!
TODAY started off the week declaring that tomorrow will be officially “Lex's Fun Day” Great show today including “Talk Nerdy To Me”, Celebrity Death Pool, and the announcement of who won football picks and gives one of our listeners an 11 day Go Cleanse system. Real talk about the NBA pts shaving and Poker cheating all today on L&T.TOMORROW it's ALL about our man LEX...It's LEX's FUN DAY!100:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000do you send a picture of the cookies?200:00:02,000 --> 00:00:03,720I've never tried the soft bake.300:00:03,720 --> 00:00:05,480I didn't know they had those.400:00:05,480 --> 00:00:07,080- I always questioned what had to go500:00:07,080 --> 00:00:09,560in those to keep them soft.600:00:09,560 --> 00:00:11,360- Yeah, who knows?700:00:11,360 --> 00:00:13,280(laughs)800:00:13,280 --> 00:00:14,800- It's not like, it's not like900:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,120raw stress or less is bringing in new cookies every day.1000:00:18,120 --> 00:00:21,640- Tastes is great, likes, have you tried them?1100:00:21,640 --> 00:00:22,600- Yeah.1200:00:22,600 --> 00:00:23,600- And?1300:00:23,600 --> 00:00:24,640- They're great.1400:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,040- They're fantastic, they're buttery, dude.1500:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,200Do you could taste the butter in them?1600:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,440Those are at Whole Foods, I've gotten them many times before.1700:00:33,440 --> 00:00:34,760- And I lately,1800:00:34,760 --> 00:00:36,640- And I did have a cook of Cola on Saturday1900:00:36,640 --> 00:00:38,320with it was just amazing.2000:00:38,320 --> 00:00:42,000- That sounds good, even the way you say it sounds really good.2100:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,800- Man, sometimes the body wants what it wants.2200:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,200And my mind and my body wanted a nice cook.2300:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,040- That's hard.2400:00:51,040 --> 00:00:51,880- Yeah, it is.2500:00:51,880 --> 00:00:52,840- Those are hard to pass up.2600:00:52,840 --> 00:00:54,400I'll have a fountain one.2700:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,320I won't have one out of a can.2800:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,640I'm done with a can stuff,2900:00:58,640 --> 00:01:01,000but I do love anything out of a bottle.3000:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,040- I drank it out of a can, but that's all right.3100:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,000- You like it in the can?3200:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,400Say it, say I like Staley.3300:01:09,400 --> 00:01:11,960- No.3400:01:11,960 --> 00:01:12,800- Come on, come on.3500:01:12,800 --> 00:01:13,640- I like Staley.3600:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,320- I'm playing your stupid game, no.3700:01:15,320 --> 00:01:16,480- Like it in the can.3800:01:16,480 --> 00:01:17,320- No.3900:01:17,320 --> 00:01:19,480(laughing)4000:01:19,480 --> 00:01:20,320- Stop.4100:01:20,320 --> 00:01:24,200- You're no fun today.
This week on Traveling Culturati! Yalanda Comeaux joins us to share her favorite nutritional snacks for travel, the perfect way to stay energized and refreshed while on the go. Then, travel writer Fran Golden takes us on an unforgettable journey through Japan's cruise experiences, followed by an inspiring conversation with Bob Kendrick from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where history and culture come alive. To wrap things up, Leyla returns with Offbeat France, revealing hidden treasures and charming corners of the French countryside that most travelers never see. It's a rich blend of taste, travel, and timeless stories you won't want to miss. We'll also have Ja'Vonne's Travel Minute and The Culture Report featuring host and travel pro Ja'Vonne Harley!
Whoever is telling Australian celebs to have a big spoonful of Vegemite needs to stop! Plus J-Lo's ex-husband has come out with some scandalous accusations!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We tell the stories of three ingredients that can shine outside the US: beef, bread, and tomatoes. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Megan Cunnane, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Adriene Lilly and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
We tell the stories of three ingredients that can shine outside the US: beef, bread, and tomatoes. This episode was produced by Denise Guerra and Peter Balonon-Rosen, edited by Megan Cunnane, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch, engineered by Adriene Lilly and hosted by Jonquilyn Hill. Photo by Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images. If you have a question, give us a call on 1-800-618-8545 or send us a note here. Listen to Explain It to Me ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Discover how to eat healthy without sacrificing flavor! In this episode, Alexandra shares how God's natural foods can be rich, satisfying, and full of energy-boosting goodness. Learn biblical principles of nutrition and how to enjoy delicious, faith-based meals that fuel your body and spirit. (Keywords: Christian wellness, biblical nutrition, healthy eating for Christian women, holistic health podcast) Episode Summary If you've ever believed that eating healthy means eating bland, boring, tasteless food — this episode will change your mind! In this uplifting, faith-fueled conversation, Alexandra shares how she went from “junk food queen” to thriving on flavorful, nourishing foods the way God intended. You'll learn how real, natural ingredients can boost your energy, improve your health, and satisfy your taste buds — all while glorifying God through your choices. Who This Episode Is For This episode is for Christian women who want to eat healthy without losing joy or flavor, who are tired of modern diet confusion, and who want to honor God with their health and habits. What You'll Learn How to shift your mindset from “healthy eating = boring” to “God's design = delicious” The real difference between raw dairy and conventional dairy Why cacao is a natural superfood that supports energy and mood How to make an easy, nourishing Chocolate Banana Smoothie that your whole family will love The deeper truth about how health connects to your spiritual life, relationships, and environment Time-Stamped Highlights 00:00 – Breaking the “Healthy = Boring” Myth Alexandra opens up about her past as a self-proclaimed junk food queen and how cultural lies about food shaped her habits. 01:00 – God's Blueprint for Delicious Health Learn how foods raised and grown the way God designed them — free from pesticides, antibiotics, and artificial ingredients — are naturally flavorful and energizing. 01:57 – Chocolate Banana Smoothie Recipe Try this five-ingredient recipe (from Navitas Organics) that's both simple and satisfying: 1 cup almond milk, coconut milk, or raw dairy 1 frozen banana 1 tbsp cacao powder 1½ tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter) A pinch of sea salt Blend and enjoy! 03:15 – Why Raw Dairy Is Different Discover the health benefits of raw dairy and why pasteurized milk just doesn't compare. (Hear more in Episodes 20 and 21 with Alexandra's guest who healed from Crohn's and rheumatoid arthritis!) 04:15 – Ingredient Breakdown: Faith-Fueled Nutrition Coconut Milk: Supports immunity and gut health Almonds: Great for brain, skin, and heart Bananas: Boosts mood and digestion Cacao: Rich in antioxidants and natural energy Himalayan Pink Salt: Balances electrolytes and supports whole-body health 06:00 – Mindset Shift: Food as God Designed It Alexandra encourages listeners to embrace food freedom — not legalism — by focusing on nourishing, natural foods that bring joy and vitality. 06:37 – The Faith and Health Connection True wellness isn't just about food or fitness. It's about your spiritual life, mental health, relationships, and peace — all interconnected through God's design. Key Takeaways Healthy food doesn't have to be boring — it's flavorful when prepared God's way. Real, natural foods nourish your body, mind, and spirit. You can enjoy rich, delicious meals without guilt or restriction. Don't fall for health legalism — focus on balance, gratitude, and honoring God. Your energy, peace, and joy start with aligning your health with biblical wisdom. Try It: Chocolate Banana Smoothie This recipe is a perfect example of simple, faith-fueled eating — it tastes like dessert but fuels your body with real nutrition. Try it for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up! Call to Action: Start Feeling Better Naturally If you're ready to boost your energy, simplify your health habits, and find peace in your body and spirit — grab your free guide:
I grew up watching PBS- chances are you did too. This made me particularly interested in the life and story of the new show, Kitchen Curious hosted by Vivian Howard. While I expected to connect over our love of food, and a commitment to learning in the kitchen- what I didn't expect was to be deeply inspired by her approach to burn out and creativity. Through this episode we explore canning 101, how to keep creativity sustainable, and how her new show Kitchen Curious answers the questions that all of us are asking. She's wise, she's incredibly talented and committed to connection and craft! Through this conversation you can expect to hear: • Easy pickling and canning without special gear• Burnout, boundaries, and designing creative cadence• How a rural sizzle reel became a PBS Peabody winner• Why PBS matters • Kitchen Curious & why you'll love it!• Cast iron care made simple (learn from Kayty's mistakes) • Where and how to stream Kitchen CuriousIf you love this episode, be sure to share it with those in your life and leave a review on the show. And most importantly, after listening today, head on over to KitchenCuriousTV.com … and watch the show for yourself.This Episode is Sponsored by: Tiny Spoon Chef- Get $100 off your customized in home personal chef service using this link! Support the show
The Plan-B Show with Brock & Kiki - October 15th 2025See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
hi sick lil freaksss!!! we continued spooky season by answering y'all's questions for us after we've "gardened"! in this episode we talked about Drew's apology to thee Superman, our experience seeing the beautiful amazing talented Chappell Roan perform!!, and we discussed whether or not we like pumpkin pie - VERY important!!This is a Headgum podcast. Follow Headgum on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok. Advertise on Two Idiot Girls via Gumball.fm.DREW'S BOOK IS OFFICIALLY AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE YOU CAN PURCHASE BOOKS!! GO GET IT!!!!For extra fun silly zoomie-filled content, JOIN OUR MEMBERSHIP!!! Visit patreon.com/twoidiotgirls for more info!!!FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM & TIKTOK :P@_twoidiotgirls | @deisonafualo | @drewafualoTHANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!Your first great love story is free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at Audible.com/twoidiotgirlsFeeld is a dating app for the curious. For those who are intentionally seeking meaningful connection. For those who are looking for community. For those who are tired of job interview-style dating and want more. Curious? Trying new things is hot. Download Feeld.The best way to cook just got better. Go to HelloFresh.com/twoidiotgirls10fm now to Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life! * One per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan.Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/ TWOIDIOTGIRLS ! #honeylovepodSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Send us a textThe night started simple—two brown ales, side by side—and turned into a full-on fall flavor map. We cracked Civil Rivalry's First Down Brown and Alesmith's English nut brown to see how cocoa, caramel, bitterness, and biscuit actually show up in the glass. One poured darker with a chocolate-forward core and a clean, bitter snap; the other drifted lighter, smoother, and bready, warming into hints of cocoa when served at the right temp. If you've ever wondered why “biscuit” gets tossed around on labels—or how 21 IBUs can make a malt beer feel more alive—we break it down in plain language.Between pours, we wandered into the good stuff: golf as stealth cardio, winterizing gear, and the chaos of wildlife run-ins from horse-to-dog stare-downs to the nightmare of moose on backroads. A skunk story became surprisingly useful—coffee grounds for rooms, a proven peroxide–baking soda–Dawn mix for pets, and a quick note on reversing fan airflow so you don't perfume your house with trouble. We also talk pumpkin beer burnout and why brown ales might be the smarter fall choice: rich enough to feel seasonal, restrained enough to drink all night, and killer with smoked meat, stroganoff, or aged gouda.By the end, we call a winner. First Down Brown edges out with deeper cocoa and just-right bitterness; the Alesmith nut brown earns props for smooth drinkability and food pairing potential. Looking for your next fall fridge staple? Start here, then tell us where you land—cocoa-forward keeper or biscuit-smooth sipper.Enjoyed the tasting? Follow, rate, and share the show. Drop your favorite fall brown ale in a review so we can put it on the list next week.Support the showwww.anotherreasontodrink.com
It's Monday, Let's raise a glass to the beginning of another week. It's time to unscrew, uncork or saber a bottle and let's begin Exploring the Wine Glass! We are back in Montepulciano for more reviews! and the owner's responses continue to steal the spotlight—a masterclass in polite, yet firm, indignation. Wineries where the owners defend their staff's "patience, education, and kindness" against every accusation of rudeness, and where a free tasting only covers one-third of the actual tasting—a simple misunderstanding due to a language barrier. In search of a less emotionally fraught experience, we moved on, only to encounter a tour guide more focused on flirting than fermentation, and a host that insults Americans We've officially determined that touring this region's cellars is less about the vintage and more about running a gauntlet of hilariously hostile hospitality, and frankly, we're loving every minute of it and hope you do too. Please take a moment of your time to subscribe, rate and review Exploring the Wine Glass. It's completely free and is a great way to let other wine lovers know about the podcast. Be sure to head over to the website, Exploringthewineglass.com, to read my award winning blog and to see what else I have been up to. And most of all, please tell your friends about the podcast! Slainte! Find out more about my Wine Education Classes here Order Spanish Wine Bingo Game here Earn your Rioja Enthusiasts Certification here Music: WINE by Kēvens Official Video Follow me on Instagram! Follow me on Twitter! Subscribe to my YouTube channel SIGN UP FOR EXPLORING THE WINE GLASS NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBE ON iTUNES STITCHER | iTUNES | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | PODBEAN | AUDIBLE | BOOMPLAY Even ask your smart speaker to play Exploring the Wine Glass GIVE US A RATING AND REVIEW Thoughts or comments? Contact Lori at exploringthewineglass@gmail.com. Please support our sponsors Dracaena Wines - Our Wines + Your Moments + Great Memories Use code 'Explore' at checkout to receive 10% off your first order GET SPECIAL OFFERS FOR DRACAENA WINES
Father Pete Nunally is the founder of Water and Wilderness Church, a Washington DC-based outdoor church and watershed community. You can read more about the model of Water and Wilderness Church here. Father Pete is a passionate and well-spoken advocate on his social media pages and other forums, as in this interview with Creation Justice Ministries.Many thanks to Father Pete and the lovely group of people who welcomed Ron and me to Fletcher's Cove to worship with them last May. Winter? No problem. They worship outside anyway. Father Pete and some very faithful ducks.TRANSCRIPTPete Nunnally And so this expression and experience of worship begins to expand, and I think people are really looking for that. They want the church to tell them and to show them that God is everywhere, and that particularly in the natural world, the theological thumbprint of God is on all of this, and there's not a distinction or separation, but actually there's a union.Debra Rienstra Welcome to the Refugia Podcast. I'm your host, Professor Debra Rienstra. Refugia are habitats in nature where life endures in times of crisis. We're exploring the concept of refugia as a metaphor, discovering how people of faith can become people of refugia: nurturing life-giving spaces in the earth, in our human cultural systems, and in our spiritual communities, even in this time of severe disturbance. This season, we're paying special attention to churches and Christian communities who have figured out how to address the climate crisis together as an essential aspect of their discipleship.Today, I'm talking with Father Pete Nunnally, founder of Water and Wilderness Church. Father Pete is an Episcopal priest with a tender heart and a sense of adventure. The Water and Wilderness community meets outdoors for worship in several locations around the Washington DC area, adapting traditional worship forums in ways that enrich our encounter with God by reconnecting us with the rivers and trees and sky around us. Water and Wilderness is also a dispersed community, connecting anyone anywhere through online book studies, in-person retreats, and more. I talked with Father Pete outdoors, of course, at Fletcher's Cove on the Potomac River, just before joining their outdoor worship service. This interview includes a bonus trivia component. For extra points, see if you can identify the birds that join our conversation in the second half of the episode. Let's get to it.Debra Rienstra Father Pete, thanks so much for being with me today.Pete Nunnally I'm so glad to be here.Debra Rienstra It's great to talk to you. So let's start with what Water and Wilderness Church is right now. You're not a traditional congregation with a building. What are you, exactly?Pete Nunnally We are a church. We're an outdoor worshiping community geographically located in DC, but we are also a watershed community of the heart and worked in a lot of churches, and everything that that church did, wherever I was, was really only for the people at that church. But what's different about Water and Wilderness Church is the concept of watershed community. So the local community here in DC is like a wellspring, and out of that flow tributaries that go all over the country, and we create this watershed. And I use that word to mean both the watershed of a new idea or a new understanding of something, but also, like our physical watersheds are so important to us. And so anybody, anywhere—what I often say is Water and Wilderness Church, what we do is for anybody, anywhere, all the time. So if you are in Indiana, Arizona, California, these are states where we have people that are actively engaged in some of our online formation and things like that. That everything we do is for everyone, and most importantly, for the benefit of the earth.Debra Rienstra I wanted to ask about whether watershed was both literal and metaphorical for you, and it definitely is. You've also described Water and Wilderness Church as a threshold space. So what does that mean to you?Pete Nunnally I am influenced by so many of my friends that don't go to church anymore, and so many folks that label themselves spiritual but not religious. They just aren't going to go into a traditional church building. And I want to take what's beautiful and valuable about our Christian tradition, and I'm Episcopalian, so, you know, the Episcopal version of the mainline expression, and translate that and then bring it out to where people are. My sister, during Covid, said they take walks on Sunday morning with her family in different parks. And she said, “I get more out of that than I do going to church. I don't think we're going to go back to church.” And I thought, man, I get that. And when I tell that to priests and other church people, they nod their head and they say, like, yeah. Some of them are like, “I wish I could take a walk on Sunday morning.” Like, well, how can we receive this reality that people are living into, and they really are searching and seeking deep spiritual connection, but they're forced to take an a la carte approach. Like I walk in the woods and I get peace there, or I read a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, and I get a little bit of peace. I do you know, like a little bit of divinity here, a little bit of divinity there. Nothing that grounds all of that together. So to me, to take what's ancient, holy and divine about our Christian tradition and what we understand about God, and then to bring it out of the doors of the church, but with integrity, into the wild places, engraft our worship onto the worship of God that is creation. And I think that's what I mean when I say a threshold space. Like this is the world. This is the human world, this is the natural world. And then we sometimes just hide all of our really juicy, beautiful stuff about the Christian life as we've understood it for 2000 years, and we kind of lock that up into the church. And so we're trying to bring that out of the church and in a way that has integrity, but is in new spaces and lowering barriers for entry for people.Debra Rienstra Yeah, so you're responding to this kind of pervasive alienation between people and the natural world. One of the things I read on your website, and one of the things that you've said frequently, is, “What's good for the earth is good for the soul.” Yeah. Say a little more about how that phrase is meaningful for you.Pete Nunnally I think we forget that we are part of the community of creation. This is a phrase I got from you.Debra Rienstra Well, I got it from Randy Woodley.Pete Nunnally Randy, what a great writer and theologian. And so for a long time, we've forgotten that. Did you know our Christian tradition is an indigenous tradition, really? And we've scrubbed all of that away. You know the concept of Ubuntu, the African concept of “I am because you are,” and I cannot be a person if you're not a person. So like the sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you. Like we understand that African sort of understanding that Desmond Tutu and others talk about, but what if we looked at creation the same way? That we can't be fully human unless the wild world that God created is free to be itself also. And we do. We've isolated ourselves from this world, like nobody knows—we're eating foods that are out of season all year round, and kids grow up and they think that the food comes from the grocery store. And yet, part of what draws us out into the world—see, part of why I like worshiping here is there's just people around. And you know, like they wanted to come and just be by the river today.Debra Rienstra Explain where we are today.Pete Nunnally We are at a place called Fletcher's Cove and Boathouse. It is a park along the Potomac River in DC proper. And once you get in, kind of the whole place opens up. There's forest that goes right up into the river. And actually, the Potomac River is tidal in this area, believe it or not, we still have tides all the way up here, and it's a beautiful place. All kinds of people come to the edge of the river to enjoy themselves. It's incredibly diverse: people of different nationalities, and celebrating birthdays and graduations and beautiful days. And I like to worship here because you have the combination of people, but also, it really is forest along the river, and so the trees are down and slowly giving themselves back to the earth, and you're interrupted sometimes by, in our worship, by what's going on in the natural world. And of course, that's not an interruption, it's just what God brings us next. So we have migratory birds and blue herons, and the shad run is just about over, but shad and herring come up the river to spawn, and that brings fishermen out along the river, including myself. And so you get to experience a fuller version of what happens in the world when you're in a wild place, and when you worship in that same space over and over again, you get to know it through the seasons, and it gets to know you. So we become known to the trees and the river when we continue to come back over and over.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So you do outdoor worship, but you have other things going on too. So describe some of the other things that you do.Pete Nunnally Well, we do Zoom book studies. Our very first one was Refugia Faith.Debra Rienstra Oh, I've heard that's good.Pete Nunnally It's really well written, insightful, highly recommend to everyone. And that's exciting, because we have 20 to 30 people from all over the country who join and it really is a community of the heart, like, “Oh, I believe that I see God in nature.” And a lot of these folks come from a Christian background, but their traditional worship, it's not doing it for them anymore. And they want to be validated, because you feel so alone when you're like, “I love Jesus. I grew up with church, but I don't think it's responding to the times that we're in,” and when the world is on fire and our planet needs us so much, so often the church is silent or has trouble finding out what to do. So to me, the natural world is going to show us what to do, and the more we come out here together and graft our worship onto—take the wisdom that we have and add it to the wisdom of nature and the ecology of God, then we're going to know what to do and cultivate a love of something, then you can really do something. So just to add one more thing on top of that, we do in-person retreats. And those are really, really fun. Next week, we're going to the Chincoteague Bay Field Stations, an educational marine lab, and they take us into the field, and they teach us about the marine environment. So we're learning about how barrier islands are formed, or, you know, dropping a net down and bringing up sea urchins and sea sponges. And we really get to experience and see what's underneath the surface of the water. And then we apply that to our spiritual life and see, not only is God amazing and all these things like—there's just the granularity of what God has has brought into this world, but then we can see where our faith can grow and our understanding of God can grow by encountering things we haven't seen before.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So I often ask people about their spark point, so the moment when you began to realize the urgency of the climate crisis. What was that point for you?Pete Nunnally I'm a fisherman, and fishing populations have been going down. I read a really wonderful book called Beautiful Swimmers by Warren Wilson; it won the Pulitzer Prize in the 70s about the Chesapeake Bay and the waterman. Even then he was talking about how the watermen were saying that the bay is sick. And I grew up here in the Delmarva area, seeing the sign “Save the Bay” and things like that, but it wasn't personal to me until I started spending more time there and and you can see like the effects of hardened barriers versus living shorelines at the end of the people's property. And that the fish population is leaving, like they're moving. And some of the charter captains that I know talk about like there are no stripers in the river, in the bay anymore. I mean, there are some, but the water is too warm, so they go north and they don't come back south. And then when I started doing Water and Wilderness Church, that was really an important entry point for me as well.Debra Rienstra How did you get other people involved in water and wilderness church? When was the moment where you said we need to worship outside and I need to gather people? How did that all work?Pete Nunnally Well, it started because we were at the end of Covid. We were kind of inside, kind of not. And I'm an old camp counselor, and I said, “I think...I think we can do this outside. And I'm pretty sure it all used to be outside.” And so many stories of Jesus: he's talking to people at the edge of the Sea of Galilee. He's talking to them, they're hiking up a mountain. Like these are things that we can actually do. And so these are rituals. And we walked and talked during Water and Wilderness Church. And so I just started it and said, “Hey, does anybody want to do this?” And some people came out of necessity, because we didn't really have a lot of church stuff going on.Debra Rienstra Yeah, this is at your parish?Pete Nunnally My church, yeah, St. Mary's in Arlington. And every Sunday we did it. We did twice a month. I thought, this is the Sunday no one's going to come. And people just kept coming. 23 people came in a snowstorm. Well, not a snow storm, but it was snowing. And the weather was bad, and people would bring hot cider. And when the weather was hot, they'd bring cold lemonade. And, you know, kids started bringing their instruments. So then we had this little homegrown, intergenerational band that started leading the music, and all I did was just keep showing up and saying, “I think this is good.” And then, you know, a beaver comes in the middle of our homily one day, and now all the attention is on this beaver that, Ron, is the size of you. It's a humongous beaver, and it slaps his tail like you see in the cartoons. And so this expression and experience of worship begins to expand. And I think people are really looking for that. They want the church to tell them and to show them that God is everywhere, and that particularly in the natural world, the theological thumbprint of God is on all of this. And there's not a distinction or separation, but actually there's a union. I grew up on four acres and a semi rural area right across from the Potomac, further up river. So I grew up playing in the creeks and the rivers, and spent a long time away from that, and during Covid, kind of came back to it. And as a priest, everything looked different after my seminary training. And I'm like, “Wow, this whole thing is magic. This whole thing is a miracle.” I mean, the river, it's the same river, and it's never the same river. We're here, and y'all can see this, but we just had major flooding in DC, and hundreds and hundreds of massive logs have washed up so far up, no one has seen it this far up and it's closed the road down here. And there's this immense redistribution of what used to be. And I think there's a spiritual biomimicry that we're trying to get at when we worship out here as well.Debra RienstraHi, it's me, Debra. If you are enjoying this podcast episode, go ahead and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. If you have a minute, leave a review. Good reviews help more listeners discover this podcast. To keep up with all the Refugia news, I invite you to subscribe to the Refugia newsletter on Substack. This is my fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Every two weeks, I feature climate news, deeper dives, refugia sightings and much more. Join our community at refugianewsletter.substack.com. For even more goodies, including transcripts and show notes for this podcast, check out my website at debrarienstra.com. D-E-B-R-A-R-I-E-N-S-T-R-A dot com. Thanks so much for listening. We're glad you're part of this community. And now back to the interview.Debra Rienstra So you served as a rector for a long time, and now you're serving as the wilderness priest. So what has that dialectic been for you between traditional congregational life and what you're doing now? And maybe there's people in your community who are still doing normal church, so to speak, and also part of this. So talk about that dialectic a little bit.Pete Nunnally Yeah, when we began Water and Wilderness Church, I talked a lot about it being a good compliment, and that is—for anybody trying to do something new, it's a great way to position your new idea relative to the traditional authorities. And it is. People that are formed traditionally can see and understand what we're trying to do out here. And people say that they're like, I see the Episcopal, the mainline underpinnings of what's going on. On the other side, for people who are spiritual but not religious—and just so many good reasons to be that—I really want to affirm the journey that the church needs to take in order to repent and to worship God with integrity and consistency. But the deeper roots that we have as an ancient tradition, and as we were saying earlier, as originally, the followers of Jesus were following an indigenous tradition, and the people of Israel as well. But what the experience of worship is, we do Eucharist, but I tell the story of salvation in a way that's, I think, right size for people and personalized for people. The language in our Book of Common Prayer as Episcopalians is exquisite in some places. Also still has some language that can be interpreted as penal substitutionary atonement. And we wonder why people have that view, and it's kind of baked in in some of our stuff. So how can we focus on the story of Jesus to somebody who has never heard of Jesus, that's what I'm thinking. You're a spiritual person, or you love nature, and somebody invites you and says, “Hey, there's this church. I know you've been looking for more community, so you can't be spiritual in isolation. And maybe you could come here. It's kind of a church, but it's more relatable.” But we're not gonna get rid of Jesus. You know? So what does Jesus mean to somebody? Why do we need the Eucharist, for example?Debra Rienstra So talk about ritual, especially because one of the things I've been thinking about is the importance of ritual, and the way that people of faith are stewards of ritual. We have the sacraments, our sort of central rituals, but we also have other rituals, and you're adapting an Episcopalian flavored Eucharist in particular, maybe baptism too. Is it different when you do those outdoors? What do you do that's the same? What do you do that's a little different? How does it feel different when you're doing those rituals outdoors?Pete Nunnally When I was in my liturgy class, our professor—I fought with him a lot. Praying shapes believing was like the thing. And just to talk about the Episcopal thing, this is a mainline, this is for everybody, like the church needs to break down the barriers of denominations and all the rest. So this is really for everybody, but I'm an Episcopal priest. But I think the rituals become alive to me when they're done out here, and they are changed and translated sometimes. So when I tell the story of salvation, like typically we hold the bread and wine up at the end and say, “These are the gifts of God.” And when I started doing it outside, I said, “Well, hell. Like all of this is a gift from God.” And when you're inside, it's still all of this, but it's different when you say, “Look at the river, look at the sky.” This is all—and they say, “look at one another,” like you are all gifts of God. But I never would have come to that point without doing it outside. And then we say, “Take them and remember that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith.” And I've never really liked that, because there's this sort of like, “Remember that Christ died, you know, and you should feel a little bit bad about it.” Christ died for you—and I thought, that's not what the Eucharist is really about. The Eucharist is about Christ living for us. And so I said, “Take this and remember that Christ lives for you, that love and justice and mercy and forgiveness, they live for you, with you and in you. And that is what these things are.” That's what we're about.Debra Rienstra So the way I've learned about the Eucharist is it's remembrance, communion, and hope. So it is remembrance of sacrifice, but it's also right now, communion with Christ, communion with each other, and then this kind of eschatological hope. But we do often in various traditions tend to get stuck in the remembrance part, and we miss the communion and the hope part. The hope for the feast to come, right? The heavenly feast to come, the ultimate telos. So even just doing it outdoors triggers that a little bit.Pete Nunnally Yeah, and this river is at least a million years old. And so when you're in an ancient place, in a regenerative place, all these logs are eventually going to become soil somewhere and feed on itself and to sustain the next thing—that's the communion of saints that we are part of. It's not just the people we read about in the Bible. It's us too, no different than the disciples, the women that supported Jesus's ministry.Debra Rienstra Have you ever seen the Cathedral of the Angels in Los Angeles? It has these beautiful murals on both sides of the nave, and it's depictions of famous saints, but then mixed in are regular Angelenos. The artists—just so that sense that we're all a part of this community is amazing.Pete Nunnally One more thing on ritual is that we we've had rituals pop up here—Debra Rienstra —That was my next question!Pete Nunnally —that we do now. Somebody, about a year in, somebody came and said, “Hey, Father Pete, there's always different groups of people here. It's like some come pretty regularly, and we have some new people. And how about every time, every beginning, we introduce ourselves and say one thing we're grateful for.” And I was like, “Lucinda, that's a great idea.”Debra Rienstra So simple.Pete Nunnally It's so simple, but can you imagine going to your priest or pastor at home and being like, “I have an idea for how we should start the service now”? Like, it's impossible to do. But so we do that every single time, and we circle up so the shape of us changes. When we gather, we're individuals, kind of a mob, and then we circle up so you see somebody says at traditional church—which, by the way, I love traditional church. But they say, “I go to church, I sit in a pew and I see the back of people's heads,” but at Water and Wilderness Church, we're circled up. I see your face. But yeah, so that's a tradition or a ritual here of offering ourselves up to God by speaking our name and beginning with gratitude.Debra Rienstra Yeah. Do you see a role for the church in—I don't want to say inventing, because that can make people nervous—but in, let's call it stewarding ritual, not just the sacraments, but other kinds of ritual that people really need in a moment of crisis, maybe rituals of lament, thanksgiving, as you suggest, other sorts of threshold type rituals that we really need as we deal with this moment of crisis?Pete Nunnally Do I see the church being able to do that?Debra Rienstra Yeah. Is what you're doing a kind of experiment in thinking about what what my husband Ron Rienstra would call liturgical shenanigans?Pete Nunnally Yeah, I think so. And I think that—again, like I'm from a highly liturgical tradition. We're just not able to change that much, you know? We'll have a season of creation, which we did last year, my traditional church, you know, I love those resources. They're great, but everything else is exactly the same, and so we save different words. But what I like to think that we're inviting people into is an alternative way of being in the world based on Jesus's radical love. And one way to do that is to do this outside and let our worship be informed by something that's been here a lot longer than we have.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So I wonder if there's something about these sort of experimental spaces that effectively can jar traditional churches, which I also love, but jar us into being a little more inventive, a little more attentive to the moment, by doing something so different, you know, we can learn from your example in more traditional churches and congregations and say, “You know, it's not so scary to try stuff.” We tried stuff during the pandemic too. And honestly, I really miss being outside and hearing the birds worship with us, essentially. You know, I feel like worship is not complete without birdies! But we, I think churches so often just say, “Well, let's just do things how we always do them,” because it's already hard, but to have experimental spaces like yours, where you're just trying stuff and it's fine and you're actually discovering riches and richness that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Okay, but true confession time. What do you miss about traditional worship in a sanctuary, high Episcopal sort of traditional worship, if anything?Pete Nunnally What we're still working on is how to build lament in every time. And I like the confession of sin and the absolution. It's important to me, and it's important for everybody. Again, you know, our spiritual-but-not-religious brothers and sisters, I'm with you. I totally get it. I'm first in line to criticize the church. But if our spirituality is just what feels good to us, then we're never brought into that place of pain, and in reality, the reality of ourselves in our lives, and then the reality of God's forgiveness and sustenance and redemption. And confession is a big piece of that, particularly in the natural world, we have done so much and continue to do things to harm your planet.Debra Rienstra I guess I would not have guessed that your first thing would be confession. But it suggests that there are these theological wisdoms that come from practice and reflection over centuries of the church, and you're in a place now where you're thinking through where our emphasis needs to go, and maybe lean away from, so maybe leaning away from our sort of focus on buildings and programs. And leaning into some of these deeper things. There's certainly advantages to buildings and programs, right? But what sort of theological ideas, or even—I don't know practice is the right word—but what sort of theological ideas or practices do you feel we need to really lean into right now, at this moment?Pete Nunnally Obviously, I think we need to go outside, like do it outside.Debra Rienstra Maybe lean into that kinship with all creation. That's part of the tradition, but...Pete Nunnally We're not on top of it. We're supposed to be within it. And the body of Christ is not just humans, it is the natural world as well. I look out, the river is—we're water people, and I did a river baptism last week.Debra Rienstra Did you?Pete Nunnally Yeah, down in Petersburg, Virginia, and it was amazing—to have everybody on the bank, and we walked out into the river and took this little baby, Rixie, and dunked her in three times. And it's hard not to feel there's the intimacy of God in that moment, because it is a flowing river that's connected then, to the James River, which goes to the bay, which goes to the ocean. There again, with the communion of saints and this interconnectedness, I think we just run away from God in so many different ways. And one way is that we hide away from this natural world.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and people are so hungry for embodiment. So to me, connecting embodied ritual with the world is a deeply incarnational response, right? If we really believe, as you say, that Christ is incarnate, then we can't forget that we are bodies on a planet. So that, to me, is where you know something like a river baptism just—sorry about this, but overflows with the resonance of our embodiment and with incarnational theology. So two final questions: where is Water and Wilderness Church headed? Your goal is not growth. You don't have a building to deal with or programs to continue. So what is the goal for you? Where are you envisioning the future for Water and Wilderness Church?Pete Nunnally I do want to grow, but one of the goals is to show—when I was younger, and people would say like, “Oh, you know, understand your life, and then like, you'll find what you really want to do.” And Buechner talks about your vocation is where the “world's deep hunger and your deep gladness meet.” And it was about a year into doing this before I realized, like, oh, my whole life makes sense. So I grew up outside. Fished a lot. I've loved church. I went to church camp, and was always confused by the gap between this embodied reality of God in community at camp and then we go to church, very sacred space, but very, very different and not as embodied to me, and... what was the question?Debra Rienstra The question is, what do you envision the future of Water and Wilderness Church to be?Pete Nunnally I have always kind of felt like I'm on the outside of things, but that situates me very well to do something like this. And I think the future is that we continue to offer this, and this is a church community, so we're going to build a community of people, and our building will draw, you know, 20 or 30 people here today to worship in this way, and draw people in who've been waiting for something like this. Henry Ford said, if he'd asked people, they would have said they wanted a faster horse. Nobody knew they wanted a car until they got that opportunity to have one. And so that's a little bit of what this: “Hey, you can do it like this,” and it's not just all woo, woo, making up stuff. It's true woo. It's true, but it has these ancient roots. We're not getting rid of the central reason why we're here. We're just opening it up and letting God speak to us through nature. And I see tributaries all over the place. I see this as a movement. So we hopefully will keep a monthly service in Delaware. I want to have a monthly service in Maryland, in DC, obviously, weekly here in Virginia, and so that for people on our border from North Carolina, they're like, “I want to be on a board so that I can help this come to us in North Carolina.” Yeah, it's particularly people with neurodivergent kids. Like worshiping in nature is an incredible way for them to encounter God. It's so hard to sit still and pay attention to a traditional service. So I want to see wherever you go, you know, in six or seven months...wherever you go in the country...Debra Rienstra Hmm, six or seven months, huh?Pete Nunnally No, but eventually that there will be churches like this all over. And there are some. I think what's different about us versus some of the other expressions, is that we are faithful and have integrity to our Christian tradition, but it's really an act of recovery. We're not making anything up. We're just remembering what our spiritual forebears used to know about the wisdom of creation as it relates to God's ecology and our own personal lives. So I want to see churches like this in every state, in different places. We do it in DC, and people are always like, “Oh my gosh, you should do it in this very remote, beautiful place. “And I'll be like, “Well, I'd love to do that...” The highly populated areas, cities like DC and New York and Boston...the need is so great for people to be pulled off of the hamster wheel, because everybody wants to climb a ladder, you're going to realize it's leaning against the wrong wall. You get to the top, and you're like, “This isn't what I wanted.” All that work and effort. So my vision of the future is that there are multiple Water and Wilderness Churches. That's not a new concept. Evangelical churches and multisite churches all over the place, and it wouldn't be like that at all.Debra Rienstra Yeah, you're just prototyping, and people can find an expression.Pete Nunnally Somebody has to show other people that you can do it this way, and you can get it funded and make it self-sustaining. The watershed community is part of how we keep that self-sustaining, because you can encounter and you have touch points with our Zoom book studies, or with the videos that I do, or the blog or other resources. It's this gathering movement, this rising of the tide of spirituality that really is, like it's going to happen, because people—I talk to so many people and they're like, “Yeah, I don't go to church anymore, but I would go to that church.”Debra Rienstra That's something.Pete Nunnally They're like, “I would do that. I can't do this because it reminds me of past harm or hypocrisy or whatever, but I would do something like that.”Debra Rienstra It answers a deep, deep need that people don't always have the words for. But, as you say, when they see the possibility, something in them says, “Yes, that's what I'm looking for.”Pete Nunnally Yeah, Debra, and like me too. I still don't have the right words to express what happens to me when we do this. All I know is that I have to do this, and it's not easy. It'd be a lot easier to take a nice-paying, traditional church job with a staff, and you know, this regular stuff, but it's not what God wants me to do.Debra Rienstra Well, thank you so much for talking to me today. I have one final question: favorite fish, favorite fishing spot?Pete Nunnally My favorite fish would be, I mean, I sure love fishing for catfish, but that's a lot of hanging around. I would say redfish, and I like to fish down in the Northern Neck, which is where the Potomac and the Rappahannock and the York rivers go into the Chesapeake Bay. So the bottom end of those rivers are all salt water and they're just exquisite. So it's just so beautiful. And I love chasing down those redfish. Tastes delicious.Debra Rienstra Well, happy fishing. And thank you again so much for talking to me today.Pete Nunnally Thank you. Thanks, Debra.Debra Rienstra Thanks for joining us for show notes and full transcripts, please visit debrarienstra.com and click on the Refugia Podcast tab. This season of the Refugia Podcast is produced with generous funding from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Colin Hoogerwerf is our awesome audio producer. Thanks to Ron Rienstra for content consultation as well as technical and travel support. Till next time, be well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com
Let's meet Biram Chapman of St. Catherines Island Seafood, the small Georgia business turning shoppers into “shrimp snobs.” We follow his week from coastal boats to Middle Georgia coolers to the Grant Park Farmers Market and hear why wild-caught Georgia shrimp tastes different. You learn the family history that ties Biram to St. Catherines Island and how buying local supports shrimpers in a tough import-driven market.
Archeologists in movies have a reputation for being hands-on, like Indiana Jones unearthing hidden treasure, or Lara Croft running through a temple. Archeology in real life tends to be a bit more sedentary. But some archeologists are committed to getting their hands dirty—even recreating the stinky, slimy, and sometimes tasty parts of ancient life.Science writer Sam Kean enmeshed himself in the world of experimental archaeology for his new book Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Recreating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations. He joins Host Ira Flatow to discuss making stone tools, launching catapults, and DIY mummies.Guest: Sam Kean is a science writer and author of Dinner with King Tut: How Rogue Archaeologists are Recreating the Sights, Sounds, Smells, and Tastes of Lost Civilizations. Transcripts for each episode are available within 1-3 days at sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.
It's Halloween time and our latest scary story dives into a cannibal killer who hunts his victims, blending horror with a chilling culinary obsession.'When a devoted husband vanishes during his evening run, his wife Cora refuses to accept the police's easy answers. Her desperate search pulls her into a nightmare of blood, muscle, and madness—where primal hunger meets the modern world.Alongside a reluctant gym bro named Troy, Cora uncovers a horrifying truth about the man stalking her town… a cannibal gourmet who grades his meals by muscle tone and marbling. As Halloween looms, the line between predator and prey begins to blur—and the hungriest beast might not be the one in the woods.This twisted novella-length horror story from David O'Hanlon serves up dark humor, brutal tension, and grisly realism, blending serial killer terror, survival horror, and macabre culinary obsession into one unforgettable tale.Perfect for fans of Hannibal, Dexter, and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre—this story will leave you horrified, amused, and maybe a little hungry.Modern Tastes — by David O'Hanlon
SummaryOn this Restaurant Owners Uncorked episode, Wil talks with Village Juice & Kitchen cofounders Clyde Harris and Lonnie Atkinson about building a clean-food concept that's as craveable as it is good for you. Born from Lonnie's California-shaped passion for fresh, minimally processed ingredients—and reinforced by Clyde's cancer journey—the brand grew from farmers' markets and a pop-up (first juice in 2015, first restaurant in 2016) to seven locations today: two corporate stores (Winston-Salem and the new Raleigh), one franchise (Optimist Hall, Charlotte), and four licensed university outlets (Wake Forest, Elon, USC—South Carolina, and High Point). They unpack price/value myths, menu pillars (cold-pressed juice, bowls, wraps, toasts, plant-based “Billy Cakes”), and an all-are-welcome approach to dietary needs. The growth plan is disciplined—more corporate stores across NC, selective university deals, and a push into hospitals (including a signed deal with UNC Health)—funded store-by-store to protect control and culture. Along the way: lessons in space efficiency (down to 550 sq ft), brand standards and audits, partnerships with college athletics, and the core belief that servant leadership and legendary hospitality make the operation work.10 Takeaways Mission in a line: “Food that tastes as good as it makes you feel.” Origin story matters: farmers' markets → pop-up → first shop; community pulled them forward. Seven locations, four of them campus licenses; Raleigh is the newest corporate store. Value over “cheap”: whole-food portions can out-value fast food, especially without the “juice add-on.” Menu discipline: scratch dressings, organic where it counts, gluten-free/vegan friendly, and customizable. Space mastery: proved the model in tiny footprints (550 sq ft food-hall unit) with smart line design. Athletic partnerships drive volume and credibility (pregame meals, practice smoothies). Hospitals are a natural next channel; UNC Health deal signed while they scout the on-campus spot. Grow slow, keep control: NC-first corporate expansion; fund each store with its own investor group. Culture wins: treat people exceptionally → low turnover, friendly service, consistent reviews.
On this week's episode of the CHASING CLARITY HEALTH & FITNESS PODCAST, I'm breaking down the fatal fat loss mistakes that stall progress, slow results, and keep you stuck spinning your wheels.These are the blind spots that make so many dieters think their metabolism is broken, when in reality, it's their execution, tracking, or awareness that needs refining.We'll cover the most common mistakes I see in both research and real-world coaching, and more importantly, how to fix each one so you can finally start seeing sustainable fat loss results.HERE'S WHAT WE COVER:️MISTAKE #1: INCONSISTENT EXECUTION OF THE DIET / LACK OF ADHERENCE️MISTAKE #2: MISESTIMATING CALORIE INTAKE & THINKING YOU'RE IN A LARGER DEFICIT THAN YOU ARE️MISTAKE #3: TRACKING BLIND SPOTS- UNTRACKED BITES, LICKS, TASTES & “CALORIE AMNESIA” • The Power of Grazing & BLTs • The Weekend Effect • Restaurant Meals & “Zero-Calorie” Foods • Common Tracking Mistakes I See as a Coach • Solutions: How to Eliminate Blind Spots️MISTAKE #4: CHASING WEIGHT LOSS ON THE SCALE RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON FAT LOSS & MUSCLE PRESERVATION️MISTAKE #5: OVERESTIMATING CALORIES BURNED THROUGH EXERCISE️MISTAKE #6: NOT TRACKING STEPS & NOT ACCOUNTING FOR DROPS IN NEAT • Why Step Tracking Matters • NEAT, Appetite!& Energy Balance • Practical Coaching Strategy️FATAL FAT LOSS MISTAKES THAT ALSO HINDER PROGRESS • Poor Sleep & Recovery • Chronic Stress & Emotional Eating • Ignoring Micronutrient Intake • Taking in Too Many Liquid CaloriesThis episode is your roadmap to identifying the habits, blind spots, and mindset traps that hold most people back during fat loss.If you've been consistent but still not seeing results, this one will show you exactly what's missing and how to fix it.WHERE TO CONNECT WITH ME:Follow Brandon on IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandondacruz_/For Info on Brandon's Coaching Services: https://form.jotform.com/bdacruzfitness/coachinginquiryEmail: Bdacruzfitness@gmail.comBrandon's Website: https://www.brandondacruzfit.com
Send us a textIn this episode of The Book Fix, Yajaira and Cheli dive into Caitlin Starling's newest gothic horror, The Starving Saints—a fever dream of faith, hunger, and madness set in the Aymar castle. We begin with a full breakdown of the novel: Aymar Castle has been under siege for six months, with food and hope nearly gone. Just as desperation sets in, salvation appears in the form of the Constant Lady and her Saints—divine, godlike figures who somehow enter the sealed fortress. With their arrival comes abundance: the starving are fed, the sick are healed, and despair is replaced by ecstasy. But their gifts come at a price. The castle's people, caught between starvation and salvation, surrender themselves to intoxicating feasts of terrible origin. Join the besties as they discuss whether or not they would recommend this horror book. Support the showOur Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thebookfix?utm_source=linktree_admin_sharebecome our Patron ♡ https://www.patreon.com/BookFixbuy us a book ♡ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thebookfixBusiness Inquiries: thebookfixpodcast@gmail.comfollow us on Tiktok! ♡ https://www.tiktok.com/@thebookfix
Healthy Eating at Home: What Works, What Doesn't, and What Tastes Good: Nutritionist Stef Sassos Good Housekeeping Good Better Best Interview Series, The Not Old Better Show In this episode, Paul sit's down with Stefani Sassos, Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Nutrition and Fitness Lab, to find out what really goes into those beautifully packaged, chef-prepared meals. We cover everything—taste, nutrition, expiration dates, and how to make smart, satisfying food choices that actually work for your lifestyle, especially if you're 60 and up. Stefani is a registered dietitian, personal trainer, and mom who lives in the real world. She knows what it's like to feed a family on a weeknight, and she's tested more than 50 different meal services—not just for health, but for flavor and usability. Her insights will help you sort the fads from the facts, and her practical tips will save you time, money, and frustration. We talk about why trust matters, what really makes a healthy meal satisfying, and how aging adults can use today's tech-savvy food solutions to support longevity, energy, and wellness—without getting overwhelmed. If you've ever stood at your fridge wondering what's still good, or tried to decode the tiny print on a meal label, this episode is for you. Tune in and discover the tools to eat well, age strong, and feel good doing it. Check it out
Fluent Fiction - Hungarian: Creative Tastes: A Family's Budapest Market Journey Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hu/episode/2025-10-03-07-38-20-hu Story Transcript:Hu: A piaci forgatagban, ahol az ősz aranyszín fényét megidézve a paprikák és sütőtökök melegednek, Krisztián magában motyogott, miközben Zsófia és Márton oldalt sétált mellette.En: In the bustling marketplace, where the golden light of autumn was evoked by the warm peppers and pumpkins, Krisztián muttered to himself as Zsófia and Márton walked beside him.Hu: A Nagy Vásárcsarnok, Budapest szíve, pezsegve fogadta a vásárlókat egy újabb napra.En: The Nagy Vásárcsarnok, the heart of Budapest, buzzed with life, welcoming shoppers for another day.Hu: Krisztián céllal érkezett: elkápráztatni a családját egy különleges vacsorával.En: Krisztián had a mission: to dazzle his family with a special dinner.Hu: Azonban a pénz csak szűkösen állt rendelkezésre, ami azonnal a romantikus elképzeléseit a valóság talajára rántotta.En: However, funds were limited, which immediately grounded his romantic ideas in reality.Hu: Tudta, hogy Zsófiának szem előtt kell tartania a pénzügyi kérdéseket.En: He knew that Zsófia had to keep the financial issues in mind.Hu: Márton pedig mindenki életét megszínesítette, bár a fókuszt nem mindig tartva erősen.En: Márton, on the other hand, infused everyone's lives with color, though his focus wasn't always steady.Hu: "Talán rizottót csinálhatnék... de az a jó parmezán drága," mormogta Krisztián.En: "Perhaps I could make risotto... but the good Parmesan is expensive," Krisztián muttered.Hu: Zsófia egy sóhajtás kíséretében próbálta nyugalomra inteni.En: Zsófia tried to soothe him with a sigh.Hu: "Ne aggódj annyit! Ha keresgélsz, talán találsz valami más érdekeset."En: "Don't worry so much! If you look around, you might find something else interesting."Hu: Márton, fersen lesve a standok között, felkiáltott. "Nézzétek ezt a gyönyörű póréhagymát! Talán valami franciásat is készíthetnél!"En: Márton, darting looks between the stalls, exclaimed, "Look at this beautiful leek! Maybe you could make something French!"Hu: Krisztián mosolyra fakadt.En: Krisztián smiled.Hu: Frissen a szeme előtt kavarta fel a képzeletét a póréhagyma, de tudta, hogy egyedi megoldásokra lesz szükség.En: The leek stirred his imagination freshly in front of his eyes, but he knew unique solutions would be necessary.Hu: Miközben lassan körbejárták a sorokat, megállt egy idős asszony standjánál.En: As they slowly wandered around the stalls, they stopped at an elderly woman's stand.Hu: A polc szélén egy kis tálkában rejtélyes, furcsa formájú gomba sorakozott.En: On the edge of the shelf, in a small bowl, mysterious, oddly-shaped mushrooms lay.Hu: "Ez mi?" kérdezte Krisztián a kíváncsiságtól fűtve.En: "What is this?" Krisztián asked, driven by curiosity.Hu: Az asszony mosolygott.En: The woman smiled.Hu: "Ez vargánya. Ritka, de most éppen kedvezményes áron van. Isteni finom levesbe."En: "This is vargánya. Rare, but it's on sale right now. Divine in a soup."Hu: Krisztián szíve megdobbant.En: Krisztián's heart skipped a beat.Hu: "Lehet vele valami különlegeset csinálni?" Az asszony bólintott, titokzatos mosolyával tovább csalogatva.En: "Can you do something special with it?" The woman nodded, enticing further with her mysterious smile.Hu: Zsófia és Márton figyelemmel követték Krisztián szemrehányás- és öröm-teli pillantásait.En: Zsófia and Márton watched as Krisztián's looks of reproach and joy unfolded.Hu: Végül döntött: "Megyek vele. Kevesebbe kerül, és kitalálok valami igazán lenyűgözőt."En: Finally, he decided, "I'll go with it. It's cheaper, and I'll come up with something truly impressive."Hu: A piacon tett kóstolások és beszélgetések után Krisztián a következő órákban a konyhában serénykedett.En: After sampling and chatting at the market, Krisztián spent the next few hours bustling in the kitchen.Hu: A gomba gazdag íze, az ötletek kavalkádja, és Zsófia praktikus támogatása hozzásegítették, hogy az este végül jobban sikerüljön, mint valaha is remélte.En: The rich flavor of the mushrooms, the whirlwind of ideas, and Zsófia's practical support helped make the evening more successful than he had ever hoped.Hu: A vacsoraasztalnál a család csak párás szemekkel bólintott elismerően, és Márton csak annyit mondott: "Kellően bolondos és finom, Krisztián.En: At the dinner table, the family nodded approvingly with misty eyes, and Márton said simply, "Perfectly quirky and delicious, Krisztián.Hu: Teljesen hoztad, amit vártunk tőled!"En: You delivered just what we expected from you!"Hu: Ez az este nemcsak egy finom étel köré fonódott, hanem Krisztián önbizalmát is növelte.En: That evening wasn't just about a delicious meal but also boosted Krisztián's confidence.Hu: Rájött, hogy a kreativitás és a gyakorlatias megoldások kéz a kézben járhatnak.En: He realized that creativity and practical solutions could go hand in hand.Hu: Az ősz ízei és a baráti nevetések nyomot hagytak, emlékeztetve őt, hogy a főzés is egy történetmesélés.En: The flavors of autumn and friendly laughter left a mark, reminding him that cooking is also a form of storytelling.Hu: A piaci nap véget ért, de a tanulságok és az ízek világában maradtak megörökítve.En: The market day ended, but the lessons and flavors remained immortalized in the world.Hu: Krisztián tudta, legközelebb még bátrabban fog a fazék mellé állni.En: Krisztián knew that next time, he would approach the pot with even more courage. Vocabulary Words:bustling: forgatagmuttered: motyogottmission: céldazzle: elkápráztatnifunds: pénzgrounded: rántottaromantic: romantikusinfused: megszínesítettesteady: erősensoothe: nyugalomra intenidarting: fersenstirred: kavartawandered: körbejártákelderly: idősenticing: csalogatvareproach: szemrehányásdecided: döntöttsampling: kóstolásokbustling: serénykedettwhirlwind: kavalkádjapractical: gyakorlatiasapprovingly: elismerőenboosted: növeltecreativity: kreativitássolutions: megoldásokcourage: bátrabbanmark: nyomotimmortalized: megörökítveapproach: állnipot: fazék
Dean's Surprising Porn Tastes — Voyeurism, Wax, and Boundaries What happens when your porn searches surprise even your closest friends? In this candid roundtable, the crew dives into unexpected categories, real-life voyeurism, and the awkward truth about grooming and boundaries. From Chuck D's waxing confessions to washcloth debates and “never again” moments, nothing is off-limits in this laugh-out-loud community episode. In the mix: porn categories that shocked the hosts, why voyeurism feels hotter than you think, anal play honesty, and the reminder that talking about boundaries and aftercare makes the fun better for everyone. Links & Offers Join the conversation at CouplesNextDoor.com (Promo code: DIRTY25) Partners: glixbyjax.com · passionscapesphotography.com · playcationsbystacey.com Remote Play: Lovense referral link Credits Hosts: The Professor, Mrs. Doll, Chuck D, and The Dean Producer: David Studio: Down & Dirty Productions
"Is it possible to walk away from a tie and still feel like you won?"That's the question Ben, Skin, KT, and Krystina tackle in this wild, hilarious, and surprisingly heartfelt episode of The Ben and Skin Show. It's Cowboy Monday, and the crew is breaking down the bizarre 40-40 tie between the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers — a game that felt like it should've been a blowout but somehow turned into one of the most entertaining matchups of the season.Kevin “KT” Turner, our resident Packers apologist, showed up in full cheesehead mode, only to be emotionally whiplashed by a game that defied all logic. Ben Rogers shares his firsthand experience from inside the stadium — from elite parking and killer seats to a surreal encounter with a harmonizing family of screamers that might just be aliens. Yes, really.
It's cultural meme that teenagers in New York and Seoul will have more in common with each other than with their parents. Has where we come from been downgraded as an influence on what we like, or is there still what Thierry Mayer of Sciences Po and CEPR calls “gravity in tastes”? His research focuses on a very important aspect of this question: regional French food. Is there still a France of butter, and a France of olive oil? And, if there is, can we draw it on a map, or is this now a cultural and social divide, rather than a regional one? Vote for VoxTalks Economics in the 2025 Signal Awards! https://talknorm.al/vote
Hong Kong was once the undisputed capital of fine wine auctions—a magnet for rare bottles, record prices, and global collectors. Now, the market is shifting. Tastes are changing, investment habits are evolving, and the city's role in the world of wine is being redefined. What does that mean for collectors, investors, and anyone who cares about what's in the glass?Our guest is Charles Curtis, Master of Wine Founder of WineAlpha, where he provides advice on varied topics of interest to wine collectors and the trade. As the former Head of Wine for Christie's in both Asia and the Americas, he brings a rare, global perspective. From his path—from Moët Hennessy in the U.S. to Hong Kong in 2008—offers a front-row view of the region's rise and recalibration. We'll talk about how buying patterns have shifted in Hong Kong, and why Hong Kong's resilience endures.Charles is also one of the foremost voices on Champagne and Burgundy. His first book, The Original Grand Crus of Burgundy, was released in 2014, and the second, Vintage Champagne 1899 – 2019 in 2020. In 2024 he authored the chapter ‘Appraising Fine Wine and Spirits' in the book Appraising: The Definitive Guide' from the Appraisers Association of America, and his forthcoming book, An Atlas of the Côte des Blancs (with cartographer Steve De Long), will appear later this year. He is a board member of the Appraiser's Association of America, and since 2020 has been the Burgundy correspondent for Decanter magazine and a contributor to other publications.And stay with us for a quick lightning round: Charles's favorite Champagne vintage, his take on decanting, and the one Asian dish he can't resist pairing with a great bottle.Follow the journey on Instagram @curtismwMore information on Charles and his latest books: https://curtismw.com/index.html Since 2016, Bottled in China brings you into the food and drink scene through conversations with the some of the most happening personalities. Hosted by Emilie Steckenborn, the show is your one spot for all things food, beer, wine and spirits from across the world. Connect with us on LinkedIn or Instagram @bottled.in.chinaPodcast available on iTunes, Spotify , online or wherever you listen to your episodes! Subscribe to Bottled in China to follow the journey!Check out our new website & find out more at https://www.thebottledshow.com
President Trump mangles acetaminophen and issues a sweeping “don't take Tylenol” decree. Are some people truly more attractive to mosquitoes than others? Sadie Dingfelder joins to walk through decades of mosquito studies, from Gambian huts filled with human volunteers to modern lab assays with paraffin membranes, and explains why carbon dioxide, sweat, and even bananas can make one person a mosquito buffet while another goes unbitten. She answers the question “Is It Bullshit?” Also: a spiel on Tom Homan, a $50,000 bribe, and a bright yellow Cava bag that says as much about government indifference as it does about corruption. Produced by Corey Wara Production Coordinator Ashley Khan Email us at thegist@mikepesca.com To advertise on the show, contact ad-sales@libsyn.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/TheGist Subscribe to The Gist: https://subscribe.mikepesca.com/ Subscribe to The Gist Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4_bh0wHgk2YfpKf4rg40_g Subscribe to The Gist Instagram Page: GIST INSTAGRAM Follow The Gist List at: Pesca Profundities | Mike Pesca | Substack
This week on Mostly Horror, Sean and Steve welcome back horror master Clay McLeod Chapman for a fun, introspective and wide ranging conversation. Clay talks about bringing his unique brand of dread to Marvel Comics (including Spiderman, Venom and Carnage), the eerie origins of his graphic novel Seance in the Asylum, and the twisted delights of his brand new short story collection Acquired Tastes.From cursed cravings, handsy carrots, haunted history and breast pumps, Clay has a way of making even the strangest ideas feel disturbingly human, and he joins us to dig into the art of the horror short story, why collections are underrated treasure troves, and how grief, obsession, and madness creep into his work.If you love horror that is darkly funny, deeply unsettling, and endlessly imaginative, you will not want to miss this episode sooo...COME HANG OUT!!! Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram & Threads: @mostlyhorrorpodTikTok & Twitter/X: @mostlyhorrorSteve: @stevenisaverage (all socials)Sean: @hypocrite.ink (IG/TikTok), @hypocriteink (Twitter/X)Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform to help us reach more horror fans like you! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
You can't speak of trends in the wine trends in the wine trade without mentioning Felicity Carter. You can't talk data mining in the wine trade without mentioning Felicity Carter...in fact, I can't think of many surrounding the wine trade that you could speak of without mentioning Felicity Carter. She is a force of date (substituting for "nature"). I've got to tell you, sitting down with Felicity Carter for this episode of Wine Talks was like uncorking an old Burgundy—layered, surprising, and deeply satisfying. There's something about Felicity's perspective that just sharpens the mind. Maybe it's because she's perched out there in Neustadt an der Weinstraße, on the wine road of the Rhineland Pfalz, right at the border with Alsace. Or maybe it's just down to the years she's logged at the intersection of writing, advisory work, and researching high-end wine trends. You know me—I love a guest who isn't afraid to press into the hard truths and then turn them over like a newly racked barrel. Felicity didn't disappoint. Right out of the gate, she set the tone: before you start spinning stories about your wine, you better know your cost of goods. Learn Excel, she said. It wasn't fancy, but, boy, did that resonate with me. Nothing romantic about spreadsheets, but there's also nothing more sobering than realizing that most people in this business skip the basics. What I really appreciated was how Felicity drew a line in the sand about the current state of the wine industry—not just saying “it's tough out there” (though it surely is), but also peeling back the bigger picture. She's got this knack for linking what we see at the store or on Instagram right back to seismic shifts underway. She brought up this old book, “The Empty Raincoat” by Charles Handy, to frame what's happening now: the wine industry is at the tail end of a 40-year golden run and we're sliding into a new, uncertain era. It reminded me of my own business, the highs of 2007, and how everything since then feels like riding out after a storm, trying to read new winds that keep shifting. Felicity didn't shy from the stickier discussions either—like the damage done by “mummy juice” wines and those forgettable bulk bottles that flooded the market in a misguided effort to market to women. She's got strong opinions on that, and so do I. We both bemoaned how those wines aimed at mothers after a long day might have alienated a generation—or at least set the table for younger drinkers to turn their noses up at what their parents drank. And while I always want to reach for the romance of wine—the history, the sense of being part of something ancient—Felicity was bracing with her take: people buy wine because they like the taste and the fit, and they make up the romance later, mostly to themselves. We commiserated over antiques collecting dust—literally and figuratively—in our homes, the same way “tradition” can just become a nice story rather than a selling point. But here's what I loved: Felicity isn't a doomsayer. Sure, the wine industry is congested. Sure, Gen Z might be drinking less wine—maybe because, as Felicity points out, no one wants to do what their mother did—but she still sees opportunity. There's hope in innovation, in making products for new tastes, and, yes, in getting our business basics right. If you want to make money in wine, she says, embrace the numbers before the stories. And I have to agree. At the end of the day, Felicity brought the clarity that's so easy to miss when we get caught up in the swirl of nostalgia. Sometimes you need someone to remind you that, yes, wine is culture, and yes, it's business too—and the two are tangled in ways we all have to keep learning to navigate. Thanks, Felicity. This one's worth a slow sip. Drinks Insider Felicity Carter mentions she is the founder of Drinks Insider. Website: https://www.drinksinsider.com Areni Global Felicity Carter is the communications director for Areni Global, described as a fine wine think tank. Website: https://areni.global Riedel Glassware Company Max Riedel, owner of Riedel, is referenced in the introduction. Website: https://riedel.com #WineIndustry #WineMarketing #WineBusiness #WineTrends #FelicityCarter #WinePodcast #WineInnovation #WineEconomics #Areniglobal
When Experience Gets Rebranded Off the Menu What happens when a brand forgets that experience—not logos—creates loyalty? In this episode of A Shark's Perspective, Shark is joined by licensed therapist and social media influencer Trey Tucker to explore Cracker Barrel's controversial rebrand. Together they unpack the psychology of nostalgia, why customers revolt when traditions vanish, and how brands risk everything when they lean away from what makes them unique. Key Takeaways Protect the Experience – Great experiences create differentiation stronger than any logo. Marketing Can't Fix Everything – Operations, culture, and service matter more than cosmetic changes. Invest in What Lasts – $700 million spent on logos won't fix cold biscuits; true growth comes from food, service, and culture. If you want to understand the intersection of branding, psychology, and customer loyalty—this is an episode you don't want to miss.
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