Podcasts about Italian

learn words and phrases to talk about bad students

This Week, Jack Bialik joins Maria to discuss his book Lost In Time, about capturing and learning about all of the knowledge that has been lost to generations while Maria teaches us about the legend of La Befana - an Italian tradition that lasts to this day! Enter, "The Maria Liberati Show," based on her travels, as well as her Gourmand World Award-winning book series, "The Basic Art of Italian Cooking," and "The Basic Art of..." Find out more on https://www.marialiberati.com-----music: "First Day of Spring" by David Hilowitz - available via Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativecommns.org/licenses/by-sa/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Marta Colosio is an Italian postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Her research focuses on neuromuscular function and performance fatigability in young and older adults, as well as in individuals with metabolic disease. She studies how exercise, training interventions, and nutritional supplementation influence muscle health, and how sex differences shape these responses. We talk about what is the best behavior to improve the way that we live in old age.  Sign up for Hear Her Sports newsletter at https://bit.ly/HHSnewsletter Get involved and support the show directly at https://bit.ly/givetoHHSpodcast Find all episodes http://www.hearhersports.com/ Follow Lidia on Insagram at https://www.instagram.com/carta_molosio/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn how to use the expression “keep your options open,” a phrase people use when they haven't yet made a decision.Explore the full lesson & practice using today's expression: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/keep-your-options-open--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

In this episode of “History of the Second World War,” we explore the often-overlooked but strategically significant campaign in East Africa during 1940–1941, where British and Italian forces clashed across rugged terrain. While the Western Desert dominated headlines, behind-the-scenes battles raged in Ethiopia and Somalia — fought not just by Britons and Italians, but by diverse colonial troops including Indian soldiers and African askaris serving under both empires. We'll examine how logistical challenges, shifting alliances, and Churchill's broader Balkan ambitions shaped British strategy in the region — even as General Wavell struggled to balance multiple fronts with limited resources. Contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to advertise on History of the Second World War. History of the Second World War is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

LOVE HOSTILE TAKEOVERS? Upgrades all around the AI trade again… January Effect Defense and Oil Related – Let’s Go! PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Interactive Brokers  Warm-Up - CTP Cup - We have a winner! - Kitchen Cabinets rejoice! - Buffett is retired (kind of) - ALL TIME HIGHS - DJIA Leading so far in 2026 Markets - LOVE HOSTILE TAKEOVERS? - Upgrades all around the AI trade again... - January Effect - Defense and Oil Related! - Calling BS on Venezuela economic plans Doctor Copper - Copper surpassed $13,000 a ton for the first time due to a renewed rush to ship metal to the US. - The rally has been underpinned by the ongoing threat of import tariffs from President Donald Trump, causing US copper prices to trade at a premium to those on the London Metal Exchange. - The market has been driven by uncertainty over future US tariff policy, with analysts warning that the rest of the world could run short of copper due to low inventories outside the US. - Huge inventory build due to uncertainty Copper Chart Following up on that...Some Questions - Isn't the massive inventory build we are seeing due to uncertainly? - Lots bought before tariffs went into effect - then tariffs reduced... - Will there be a hangover from a the pull-forward like we have seen in the past? Best markets for 2025 Colombia: +80% South Korea (KOSPI): +76% Ghana: +79% Brazil (Bovespa): +34% Japan (Nikkei 225): +26% Europe STOXX 600: +19% China (Shanghai Composite): +18% U.S. S&P 500: +17% U.S. Nasdaq: +21% U.S. Dow Jones: +12% US Dollar - Basket USD is at 8 year LOW - Yen at key intervention level (again) - NO MANIPULATION HERE! -- -- Gold/Silver betting trend continues... - What happened to -> "a strong USD is in the best interests of the USA"? Monday Markets - For no apparent reason....(could it be the Venezuela news???) - Markets JUMPED - Oil and Defense stocks moved! - DJIA up ~ 600 Points ---These stocks were about 500 points of the 600: - GS Goldman Sachs Group Inc - CAT Caterpillar Inc - JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co - CVX Chevron Corp - V Visa Inc ---- GS is 1/2 the DJIA gains for 2026 Here we go... - Elon Musk's Grok is generating sexualized images of women and minors - users are taking pictures of others and telling Grok to "remove their clothes" or "put them in a thong bikini" - review of public requests sent to Grok over a single 10-minute-long period at midday U.S. Eastern Time last Friday tallied 102 attempts by X users to use Grok to digitally edit photographs of people so that they would appear to be wearing bikinis. - Politicians in France ask prosecutors to investigate; India demands answers - Experts have long warned Grok owner xAI about potential misuses of AI-generated content - Ministers in France have reported X to prosecutors and regulators over the disturbing images, saying in a statement on Friday the "sexual and sexist" content was "manifestly illegal." India's IT ministry said in a letter to X's local unit that the platform failed to prevent Grok's misuse by generating and circulating obscene and sexually explicit content. - Guardrails not very tight along the track - Surprised? TESLA - Sales awful - Stock holdingup - BYD Co. outsold Tesla Inc. in Europe's two largest electric-vehicle markets last year as the Chinese automaker continues its global expansion. - BYD registered more than twice as many new vehicles in December as Tesla did in Germany, and outperformed Tesla in the UK with 51,422 registrations compared to Tesla's 45,513. - BYD delivered 2.26 million EVs in 2025 to Tesla's 1.64 million, and has made strong inroads in the UK where Chinese brands have been attracting consumers with cheaper sticker prices. - NVDA announced it is expanding autonomous driving sector INTERACTIVE BROKERS Check this out and find out more at: http://www.interactivebrokers.com/ Silver and Gold - As we predicted - Gold and silver prices fell Wednesday after exchange operator CME Group again hiked the margins on precious metal futures. - CME Group said in a statement Tuesday that the decision was made “as per the normal review of market volatility to ensure adequate collateral coverage.” - That caused some to sell positions to bring margin requirement in check - - Should be temporary until metals find their margin equilibrium Bitcoin - Starting the year off right - Up 7% in 2026 after a very poor 2025 - Crypto moving as well - Safe haven trade, catch up trade or who-knows-what-the-hell trade? January Effect - The January Effect is a market phenomenon where stock prices—especially small-cap stocks—tend to rise more in January than in other months. - Tax-loss selling in December: Investors often sell losing positions at year-end to offset capital gains for tax purposes. - Reinvestment in January: After the new year, they buy back stocks, creating upward pressure. - Bonus and cash inflows: Year-end bonuses and new investment allocations often hit the market in January. - Small-caps up almost 3% YTD Impressive - Investors fortunate enough to own Berkshire since 1965, when Buffett took over, realized a return of about 6,100,000%, far above the S&P 500's approximately 46,000% return including dividends. - Buffett is now officially retired - said to be one (or the) greatest investors of our time - Buffett, 95, will remain chairman and plans to keep going every day to Berkshire's office in Omaha, Nebraska, about 2 miles (3.2 km) east of his home, and help Abel. - They still have not completely figured out who will run the equity portfolio after Todd Combs left to join JPM Kitchen Cabinet Relief - Steep tariffs on upholstered furniture and kitchen cabinets and vanities have been delayed by the Trump administration. - It's the latest roller coaster of Trump's tariff wars since he returned to office last year. - The administration is also scaling back on a steep tariff proposed on Italian pasta that would have put the rate at 107%. Let's talk Venezuela - The idea that the US is just going to come in an turn everything rosy is dumb - overly simplistic thesis --- Sets up a bad global potential for overthrowing governments - where does it stop - The idea that US companies are going to go in there and drill and US is going to reimburse for costs? --- The country is allied with Russia and China - not US (at this time) - This is reminiscent of when we opened the doors to Cuba - we opened it up and no one benefited. Maybe this time will be different. - BUT Venezuela owns the largest proven oil reserves in the world, holding approximately 303 billion barrels as of the end of 2024, which is nearly 18–19% of global reserves. So, that is something. VZ Oil Production Drug Price Hikes - Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 350 branded medications including vaccines against COVID, RSV and shingles and blockbuster cancer treatment Ibrance, even as the Trump administration pressures them for cuts - The number of price increases for 2026 is up from the same point last year, when drugmakers unveiled plans for raises on more than 250 drugs. The median of this year's price hikes is around 4% - in line with 2025. -Drugmakers also plan to cut the list prices on around nine drugs. That includes a more than 40% cut for Boehringer Ingelheim's diabetes drug Jardiance and three related treatments. Greenland - What are the odds????? (Prediction Markets are on it! https://forecasttrader.interactivebrokers.com/eventtrader/#/market-details?id=791099793%7C20290101%7C0%7C&detail=contract_details) - “Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.” In Closing - The "AI NOT LESS PEOPLE WORKING" - Scam - “I would say that we're actually not hiring fewer people,” AMDs Lisa Su told CNBC's Jon Fortt on Tuesday from the CES conference in Las Vegas. “Frankly, we're growing very significantly as a company, so we actually are hiring lots of people, but we're hiring different people. We're hiring people who are AI forward.” Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF THE THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN 2025 Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt! CTP CUP 2025 Participants: Jim Beaver Mike Kazmierczak Joe Metzger Ken Degel David Martin Dean Wormell Neil Larion Mary Lou Schwarzer Eric Harvey (2024 Winner) FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter

This podcast examines the extraordinary collection of 16th and 17th century tapestries in the Vatican collection, many of which were designed by Raphael and his workshop. It also looks at the amazing array of geographical maps of Italian territories and Papal dominions in Renaissance Italy that cover more than a football field of wall space!

Please follow us on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Links for the Show: Fondazione FS Italiane National Railway Museum Strada dell'Olio DOP Umbria  Via di Linari In this episode, Kimberly Holcombe and Tommaso share insights from their friends who recently traveled to Italy during the Christmas holiday. They discuss historical train routes, exciting activities like driving a Ferrari through Tuscany, and adventurous hiking and biking options. Join us in this episode for unique ways to experience Italy beyond the typical tourist paths. Key Points: Christmas in Italy: Venice was less crowded than Rome during the holidays. Italian locals gather in Rome for Christmas, making it more crowded. Venice had crowds during specific events like the Santa Claus gondolier parade. Uber Black in Rome: Friends used Uber Black successfully in Rome, despite previous reliability concerns with standard Uber. Uber Black offers larger, luxury vehicles with professional drivers. Historical Exploration: Friends regretted not researching the history of Italian landmarks before their trip. Tommaso suggests spending ample time before the trip researching historical facts so they are better prepared once there. New Travel Options for 2026: Historical Train Journeys: Italy's historic railways, managed by La Fondazione FS Italiane. Binari Sensa Tempo (Timeless Tracks): Offers dozens of itineraries across the country. The National Railway Museum is in Pietrasara, outside Naples. The Christmas Market Train (Treno de Mercantini di Natale) runs from Sulmona to Roccaraso in Abruzzo. A day-long excursion from Torino to Canelli offers wine tastings in Piemonte. The train features Centoporte (100 Doors) carriages from the 1920s to the 1980s. Sommeliers offer tastings of regional wines like Barolos. Olive Mill Trains: Frantoi Aperti (Open Olive Mills) trains run every weekend through mid-November. Organized by Strada dell'Olio DOP Umbria (The Olive Oil Road). Visitors can taste fresh extra virgin olive oil and learn about production. Guided tastings led by professional tasters are available on board. The route runs from Arezzo to other Umbrian towns like Spoleto and Assisi. Promotes mindful travel and reduces carbon emissions. Luxury Driving: Drive a Ferrari through the hills of Tuscany. Prices are around 4,000 euros per day, or 2,000 euros per person for two. Multi-day excursions include high-end hotels. Adventure Hiking: Via Di Linari: An ancient 93-mile trail through medieval monasteries, abbeys, and a national park. The trail snakes through Emilia-Romagna and the Apennine Mountains into Tuscany. Best hiked in spring or fall, taking about nine days to complete. Sections are no more than 12 miles long. The website Camini Emilia Romagna provides detailed itineraries and accommodation options. Monasteri Aperti: Monks open their doors to hikers for hot meals on certain autumn weekends. Biking Expeditions: Flat, scenic rides connecting food capitals like Parma and Bologna to Venice. Explore historic sites like Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Sardinia: Features rugged coastlines and routes for all levels. Sicily: Combines history and natural beauty, with cycling through the Valley of the Temples and around Mount Etna. Egadi Islands (Isola Egadi): Offers idyllic cycling vacations. Isola di Levanzo is ideal for mountain bikers. Isola di Favignana has paved roads and gravel paths. Isola Marettimo is for serious mountain bikers, featuring a small idyllic village.

If you enjoy this episode, we're sure you will enjoy more content like this on The Occult Rejects.  In fact, we have curated playlists on occult topics like grimoires, esoteric concepts and phenomena, occult history, analyzing true crime and cults with an occult lens, Para politics, and occultism in music. Whether you enjoy consuming your content visually or via audio, we've got you covered - and it will always be provided free of charge.  So, if you enjoy what we do and want to support our work of providing accessible, free content on various platforms, please consider making a donation to the links provided below.  Thank you and enjoy the episode!Links For The Occult Rejects and The Spiritual Gangsters https://linktr.ee/theoccultrejectsOccult Research Institutehttps://www.occultresearchinstitute.org/Cash Apphttps://cash.app/$theoccultrejectsVenmo@TheOccultRejectsBuy Me A Coffeebuymeacoffee.com/TheOccultRejectsPatreonhttps://www.patreon.com/TheOccultRejects

Martina Tellini is an Italian professional belly dancer, teacher, and choreographer known for her dynamic, powerful, and natural style. Born in Florence, she began her artistic path with music, singing, and acting before dedicating herself to dance. Martina trained extensively with leading figures of Oriental Dance, including Randa Kamel, Tito Seif, Yousry Sharif, and Wael Mansour, and went on to win numerous international competitions across Europe and Asia, as well as becoming a finalist at the prestigious Raqs of Course Festival in Cairo. She has performed, taught, and judged worldwide. Deeply committed to artistic individuality, Martina's teaching focuses on strong technique, unconventional choreography, and helping dancers discover their own unique voice. Alongside her belly dance career, she is also the president of the Renaissance dance association Il Lauro, performing historical dance across Italy and Europe.In this episode you will learn about:- Starting belly dance directly in festivals and masterclasses, not beginner classes- How progressing too fast can cost you foundational technique- When audience love can mask what you need to work on — but competition feedback exposes it- The role of choreography vs. improvisation at different career stages- How pregnancy reshaped priorities, body awareness, and paceShow Notes to this episode:Find Martina Tellini on Instagram, Youtube and Facebook. Details and training materials for the BDE castings are available at www.JoinBDE.comFollow Iana on Instagram, FB, and Youtube . Check out her online classes and intensives at the Iana Dance Club.Find information on how you can support Ukraine and Ukrainian belly dancers HERE.Podcast: www.ianadance.com/podcast

Here are 3 common Italian words for beautiful that Italians actually say. You'll also learn how you can use them in useful phrases for getting around Italy. Learn about our Online Italian School and get a free mini lesson every week: https://joyoflanguages.online/italian-school Subscribe to our new YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@joyoflanguages.italian?sub_confirmation=1 Get the bonus materials for this episode: https://italian.joyoflanguages.com/podcast/Italian-Words-For-Beautiful Today's Italian words: Che bella giornata! = What a beautiful day! Il Duomo è bellissimo = The cathedral is very beautiful La pinacoteca è meravigliosa = The pinacoteca (art museum) is marvellous Il Castello Sforzesco è stupendo = The Sforzesco castle is wonderful (lit. stupendous)

That is not at all how anything works. Approachability: 4/10 (Stylized (i.e. very Italian) and super-violent slasher/thriller) Content Warnings: Excessive blood/violence; Jump scares; Sexual assault; Animal harm Next Week's Film Patreon Live Stream 1/11 RandomHorror9 T-Shirts Hosts: Jeffrey Cranor & Cecil Baldwin (Find more of our work on Welcome to Night Vale) Logo: David Baldwin Random Horror 9 Patreon YouTube, Bluesky, Letterboxd, & Instagram: @RandomHorror9 We are part of Night Vale Presents Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Baller Lifestyle Podcast Episode 607 — 2025 Year in Review: Deaths, Degeneracy & Headlines We'll Never Forget Host: Brian BecknerCo-Host: Ed DalyGuest: Dolamite DNetwork: TheBallerLifestyle.comRelease: January 2026 Episode Description The first episode of 2026 is here, and The Baller Lifestyle Podcast is doing what it does best: looking back at an absolutely unhinged year. In Episode 607, Brian Beckner and Ed Daly are joined by longtime TBLS favorite Dolomite D for a no-holds-barred 2025 Year in Review, covering the deaths, scandals, viral moments, celebrities, athletes, criminals, grifters, sex scandals, pop culture chaos, and bizarre headlines that defined the year. From OnlyFans endurance porn, Diddy trial madness, and NFL degeneracy, to Hollywood deaths, sports arrests, political weirdness, and the rise of RoboCop as a civic icon, this episode hits every corner of culture with brutal honesty, dark humor, and zero reverence. If you missed any of 2025 — or want to relive it with inappropriate commentary — this is your definitive recap. Topics & Segments Covered The 2025 Year in Review Why 2025 felt like one long headline fever dream Movies, pop culture, and whether the Oscars still matter Leo DiCaprio still fucking (confirmed) Deaths That Defined the Year Bob Uecker David Lynch Gene Hackman Val Kilmer Brian Wilson & Sly Stone Ozzy Osbourne Hulk Hogan Clay Davis (Isaiah Whitlock Jr.) And many more cultural icons lost in 2025 Crime, Arrests & Degeneracy ChiefsAholic finally sentenced NFL players and gambling scandals Justin Tucker massage therapist allegations Mark Sanchez stabbing & arrest saga Ex-MLB player throwing a literal missile The Burbank Serial Butt Sniffer returns Sex, Porn & Internet Insanity Bonnie Blue's 1,000-men-in-12-hours OnlyFans stunt Porn inflation vs. the Houston 500 Diddy's dog-locking revenge tour Falconers, penile implants, and Italian soccer chaos What the TBLS After Show actually talks about Celebrities Being Weird Travis Kelce FaceTiming the Chainsmokers Bill Belichick's cheerleader girlfriend saga Aaron Rodgers' mystery wife Coldplay concert CEO scandal Rosie O'Donnell & the Menendez Brothers Kim Kardashian vs. the Bar Exam Sports, Media & Cultural Absurdity NFL hypocrisy and selective outrage Why Notre Dame refusing bowl games punishes no one Dean Cain joins ICE (but not Superman-shaped anymore) RoboCop statue > Rocky statue (official TBLS ruling) Quotes You'll Hear “Let this man live.” “That's stolen valor.” “There's no such thing as a Diddy fan.” “Who is this for?” “Leo fucks.” Links & Support TBLS Voicemail: 949-464-8257Mailbag: mailbag@theballerlifestyle.comPatreon (1-week free trial):https://patreon.com/TheBallerLifestylePodcast Bonus episodes, weekly Bonus BRI content, and uncensored extras available exclusively on Patreon. Baller Lifestyle Podcast, TBLS, Brian Beckner, Ed Daly, Dolomite D, 2025 Year in Review, pop culture podcast, comedy podcast, sports podcast, celebrity scandals, Diddy trial, NFL news, OnlyFans, true crime, dark humor, podcast recap, entertainment news, cultural commentary Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Turn Patients into Raving Fans (and Referral Machines) In this episode of the PT Entrepreneur Podcast, Doc Danny breaks down why most clinics are stuck in "purgatory" with word of mouth and what separates average clinics from the ones patients can't stop talking about. Using a great chicken joint and a mediocre Italian restaurant as examples, he shows you how clients really think about your business and what has to change if you want more organic referrals in 2026. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why saving clinician time with an AI scribe like Claire can quietly add $30,000 in revenue per staff PT per year The two levers that drive referrals in any service business: outcomes and experience How a chain "hot chicken" spot crushed a local restaurant on basic execution Why "pretty good" is the most dangerous place for your clinic to live What a 9–10 Net Promoter Score really looks like inside a cash practice How your space, punctuality, and communication shape patient trust Why referrals jumped when Danny moved from a subleased gym corner to a standalone space A simple way to mystery shop your own clinic and see what patients see Claire: Freeing Up Time and Unlocking Revenue Danny opens by talking about Claire, the AI scribe built for cash-based clinics. On average, Claire is saving staff clinicians six hours a week on documentation. Even if you only recapture half of that time for patient care, that is three extra one-hour visits per clinician per week. 3 extra visits per week at $200 per visit = $600 per week Roughly $30,000 in additional annual revenue per staff clinician And it all comes from taking notes off their plate and putting that time back into patient care. Try Claire free for 7 days: https://meetclaire.ai Two Restaurants, Two Very Different Referral Stories Danny shares a simple contrast to frame how referrals really work. On the same day, he took his son to Dave's Hot Chicken and later that night took his family to a new Italian restaurant near their house. Dave's Hot Chicken: Friendly staff, simple "honey hack" suggestion, clean space, food that exceeded expectations. He would happily tell people to go there. Local Italian restaurant: No clear host, missing reservation, clunky service, average food at a higher price point. He will not badmouth them, but he is not going to recommend them either. That is exactly how patients think about your clinic. They are either excited to send people, quietly neutral, or actively warning people away. Net Promoter Score and Your Clinic Danny ties this into Net Promoter Score (NPS), a simple question that predicts referrals. "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to refer a friend or family member to this clinic?" 9–10 = promoters who actively tell people about you 0–6 = detractors who may talk negatively 7–8 = passives who are neutral and mostly silent Most clinics live in the 6–8 range. Not good enough to be talked about. Not bad enough to be trashed. That is business purgatory. The Two Levers: Outcomes and Experience For a cash-based clinic, your referrals come from two places. Outcomes: Are you actually better than the average in-network option? Do people get results faster and more completely? Experience: What is it like to work with you? Space, punctuality, communication, how you follow up, how individualized things feel. If your space is a noisy gym corner or a rough sublease, you have to make up for that with flawless communication, punctuality, and outcomes. When you eventually level up into a standalone space, the experience finally matches the quality of your care. Danny saw that firsthand when his clinic moved from a subleased gym space to a standalone location. Referrals jumped. Patients openly said they were now more comfortable sending friends and family because the space matched the price and reputation. Are You "Just Okay"? Danny challenges clinic owners to be honest about where they sit. Are you truly a 9 or 10 out of 10 on outcomes and experience? Or are you a 6–8 where people say you are fine but do not talk about you proactively? He suggests a simple exercise. Have a friend or family member your staff does not recognize come through as a "mystery shopper" patient. Let them go through your entire process and give you brutally honest feedback about what felt confusing, clunky, or underwhelming. Getting Obsessive About Excellence Clinics that become referral machines look different on the inside. They: Obsess over outcomes and ongoing clinical improvement Obsess over small details in the patient journey, from first inquiry to discharge Answer quickly, follow up clearly, and stay ahead of patient questions Fix small frictions in their space and processes every month When you get this right, you build a stable referral base that cushions you from algorithm changes, ad costs, and platform shifts. You still might use marketing, but you are not desperate for it. Want a Clear Path to Go Full Time? If you are still in the early stages of leaving a job and going all in on your own cash-based practice, PT Biz runs a free Part Time to Full Time 5-Day Challenge that walks you through: Exactly how much income you need to replace How many patients you need to see and at what average visit rate Three different strategies to go from part time to full time The basic sales and marketing systems you need in place A simple one-page business plan so you can take action Join the free challenge: https://physicaltherapybiz.com/challenge

207: On this episode, we talk about the Waltz 9, FN teases new rifle and pistol, Kimber Comps the 2K11, TTI shrinks the Viper, Beretta turns 500 years old! Interesting in helping out with the Northern Illinois USPSA Section Championship click this link - https://forms.gle/WQivwxJ9NEm9Wfk36 Tony did some legit live fire practice finally and some more dryfire. Jaki and Tony went squirrel hunting for the first time! Tony shot a match and is starting to shake off the rust. Plus we go over our 2026 goals! If you guys want to save some on your own set of sexy Italian wood furniture from Woox for your shotgun, AR, bolt or lever gun be sure to use code: laughnload10 For that Blackout Coffee link to support the show click https://www.blackoutcoffee.com?p=SJxs6gMea Be sure to use code LNL20 if it is your first order and get 20% off! Thanks for all of your guy's support! We love ya! Please help us out by rating and reviewing the podcast! Thank you! Got questions? Email us at pewtimepodcast@gmail.com If you want to book Tony for a class email him at performancegun@gmail.com Looking for some new range wear? Head over to https://www.laughnload.com to check out some of the shirts, hats, hoodies and more that are currently available. What to check out some more from us you can search Laugh n Load on IG, FB and YouTube. FB: https://www.facebook.com/252407111792056/ IG: https://instagram.com/laughnload?igshid=tm0tboj9syru YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvK8P5NQ_sCpz1Hwasmd62Q

study the present tense conjugation of the verb "parlare."

On Tuesday's FreightWaves Morning Minute, we cover the news that⁠ Jacobs' QXO gets big investment from group led by Apollo⁠, securing $1.2 billion to consolidate the building product supply chain. This fresh capital empowers the logistics venture to manage a growing asset base within a fragmented ecosystem. Next, we discuss how⁠ Stord buys e-commerce specialist Shipwire from Ceva Logistics⁠ as part of a strategy to rapidly scale its operations. The acquisition provides Stord with 12 new fulfillment centers and access to a global network of 1,000 warehouses. We also report that⁠ Trump delays furniture, cabinet tariffs; scales back duties on pasta⁠, pushing planned hikes on furniture imports back to at least 2027,. The administration simultaneously reduced proposed duties on Italian pasta while keeping the existing 25% duty on furniture in place. Finally, be sure to tune in to FreightWaves TV today for new episodes of ⁠Check Call⁠ and ⁠Loaded and Rolling⁠. These programs will air at 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. ⁠Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

L'Aquila, Abruzzo — a place many people still don't seem to know about, but one that carries one of the most important cultural stories in Italy right now: this year the city holds the special title of Italy's 2026 Italian Capital of Culture!

On episode 89 (and our first for 2026) of the podcast I speak with Italian born (and based) guitarist and songwriter - Dario Parente.Dario is a highly accomplished musician/guitarist who during his career has held various teaching positions, released several albums with his former band - 'Headless' (which featured former Yngwie Malmsteen vocalist) Goran Edman and has been touring as lead guitarist for former 'Queensryche' vocalist, Geoff Tate since 2018.As usual - we talk about touring, family and travel dynamics, the music industry, practice and a host of other music/life related topics...For more information on Dario and his career, please search for Dario Parente across all socials or head to www.geofftate.com/artist/dario-parenteFor more on Travis Marc or the Musicians Mentor Podcast - please visit, www.musicians-mentor.comAs usual, thanks for checking out the channel and if you're getting anything useful from my content, please feel free to comment, like, share and subscribe, thank you. Additionally, for those interested - you can support this channel by -'Buying Us Coffee'.https://buymeacoffee.com/musiciansmentor Or visiting our affiliate page with the lovely folks over at - 'Soundbrenner'.https://www.soundbrenner.com/pages/affiliate-travis-marc?srsltid=AfmBOopHlrWNB7C5ZBQz--Z0rVf789RfGQS1cEUxZjy9aBABp6FVZv6-

Back when Rome was just one Italian settlement out of many, but a settlement with a dream! Children of Mars: The Origins of Rome's Empire By: Jeremy Armstrong Published: 2025 288 Pages Briefly, what is this book about? The deep history of Rome. What we actually know about its legendary founding, its early rise to prominence, and the shape of its military. Additionally, the development of Roman identity and how that identity interacted with the other elements. What's the author's angle? This belongs to that genre of book which takes recent scholarship and archaeological evidence and uses it to puncture the previous, more simplistic historical view.  Who should read this book? Military history buffs, or anyone who's interested in Rome, particularly the period from roughly 8th–3rd centuries BC.  Specific thoughts: How video games get Rome wrong

Bentornati! Con questo episodio, inizia la stagione 12 di ITALIANO ON-AIR, che ci accompagnerà da gennaio fino alla fine di marzo, con tanti contenuti pensati per aiutarvi a migliorare il vostro italiano in modo naturale e piacevole.Oggi è il 6 gennaio e qui in Italia si festeggia l'Epifania, una giornata speciale, molto sentita e legata alle tradizioni popolari. Per questo motivo, solo per questa settimana, l'episodio esce proprio oggi anziché il consueto mercoledì. Ma niente paura: dalla prossima settimana torneremo regolarmente con i nostri episodi ogni mercoledì! In questa puntata parliamo dell'Epifania e della Befana

It’s time to announce the winners of the 2025 Slice-ees, the second annual Good Game with Sarah Spain awards for excellence, eminence, and embarrassment in women’s sports! Then, friends of the show return to put a button on our new year’s ponderings and talk about changing our minds in 2026. Plus, shuffling up and down the leaderboard and an Italian athlete we’re finding it im-pasta-ble not to love. Check out the behind-the-scenes video of Alessandra Fumagalli and her spaghetti here The latest women’s basketball rankings can be found here Follow sliding sports expert Ken Childs here and check out his website here Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.com TikTok: @Spain.Sarah Instagram: @Spain2323 Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social Instagram: @AzziArtwork See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, I'll discuss the Italian flag, the meanings of its colors, and its origin. If you're curious, keep reading! :)Read the script here:https://ilazed.com/2026/01/06/la-giornata-nazionale-della-bandiera/__________________You can book a trial lesson with me by writing an email at: ilalazed@gmail.com or on:www.ilazed.comlanguatalk__________________________You might be interested in:Giornata internazionale della lingua madre:audioscriptIl Dantedì:audioscriptEspressioni ispirate a Dante:audioscript__________________________On my website: ilazed.comfree exercisestips for learning Italianexplanation of the Italian languageinfo and curiosity about the Italian culture___________________________Follow me on my socials:https://www.facebook.com/italianwithilazed/https://www.instagram.com/ila_zed/https://twitter.com/ila_zedhttps://www.pinterest.it/ilalazed/If you need the script you can find it here:https://ilazed.com/2020/02/21/la-giornata-internazionale-della-lingua-madre/

This week on #ELOsoFumarTakes for the #349thTake — we're thrilled to welcome the return of our favorite Niitany Lion — Michael Cappellini as our special guest! ️Michael isn't just a former political candidate — he's also the official U.S. Brand Ambassador for Toscano Cigars . This episode dives deep into his unique journey: from running for public office in Lackawanna County to representing a legendary Italian cigar brand across the United States. Balancing all that and his growing family. Michael's one of the best.Join us for an unforgettable conversation about politics, heritage, cigar culture, and lifestyle — it's one you won't want to miss. Enjoy!

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Rekindling Memories: A Winter's Destiny in Roma Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2026-01-06-23-34-02-it Story Transcript:It: Il sole invernale di Roma brillava luminoso su Piazza Navona.En: The winter sun of Roma shone brightly on Piazza Navona.It: L'aria era fresca, ma carica dell'allegria che solo la Befana poteva portare.En: The air was fresh, but filled with the cheer that only the Befana could bring.It: Il caffè all'aperto era pieno di voci e risate, i tavolini coperti di tovaglie rosse a scacchi.En: The outdoor café was full of voices and laughter, with tables covered in red checkered tablecloths.It: Le bancarelle dei mercatini dell'Epifania si allineavano lungo il perimetro della piazza, con mille luci che scintillavano tra le calze appese.En: The stalls of the mercatini dell'Epifania lined the perimeter of the square, with a thousand lights sparkling among the hanging stockings.It: Luca era seduto a un tavolino, sognante e con lo sguardo perso tra il passato e il presente.En: Luca was seated at a table, dreamy and with his gaze lost between the past and the present.It: Pensava a quante cose erano cambiate e a quante fosse indeciso se volesse riportare indietro.En: He thought about how many things had changed and how undecided he was about which he would want to bring back.It: Seduta a pochi tavoli di distanza, c'era Francesca.En: Sitting a few tables away was Francesca.It: Era arrivata da Milano per le festività e aveva deciso di concedersi una passeggiata tra le meraviglie di Roma.En: She had arrived from Milano for the holidays and had decided to take a stroll among the wonders of Roma.It: Posava lo sguardo sul cielo azzurro, inconsapevole che il destino aveva piani per svelare.En: She gazed at the blue sky, unaware that destiny had plans to unveil.It: Tommaso, il barista sempre sorridente del caffè, osservava la scena con attenzione.En: Tommaso, the ever-smiling barista of the café, watched the scene with attention.It: Lui conosceva Luca da anni e sapeva che dietro quell'aria riflessiva c'era una voglia di cambiamento.En: He had known Luca for years and knew that behind that reflective demeanor was a desire for change.It: Luca, nel suo torpore meditativo, sollevò lo sguardo e vide Francesca.En: In his meditative stupor, Luca lifted his gaze and saw Francesca.It: Il riconoscimento fu immediato, e il cuore di Luca prese a battere forte.En: The recognition was immediate, and Luca's heart began to beat fast.It: Era tanto tempo che non la vedeva.En: It had been so long since he had seen her.It: Ricordi di risate e momenti condivisi gli tornarono improvvisamente alla mente.En: Memories of laughter and shared moments suddenly returned to his mind.It: "Mio Dio, è Francesca!"En: "My God, it's Francesca!"It: pensò, indeciso su cosa fare.En: he thought, unsure of what to do.It: Smise di fingere di leggere il suo piccolo taccuino.En: He stopped pretending to read his small notebook.It: Sentiva l'urgenza di salutarla, ma anche il timore di rivivere un'amicizia che forse era ormai svanita.En: He felt the urgency to greet her, but also the fear of reliving a friendship that perhaps had long faded.It: Tommaso, che osservava tutto dietro il bancone, decise di intervenire.En: Tommaso, observing everything from behind the counter, decided to intervene.It: Con un cenno della mano chiese il permesso di portare un nuovo caffè a Luca.En: With a wave of his hand, he asked permission to bring a new coffee to Luca.It: Mise due tazze sul vassoio e si diresse verso il tavolo di Francesca.En: He put two cups on the tray and headed towards Francesca's table.It: Con un sorriso, le suggerì di unirsi a Luca per un caffè.En: With a smile, he suggested she join Luca for a coffee.It: Francesca rialzò lo sguardo, sorpresa.En: Francesca looked up, surprised.It: Un sorriso di sorpresa e riconoscimento si disegnò sul suo viso.En: A smile of surprise and recognition appeared on her face.It: "Luca?"En: "Luca?"It: esclamò, alzandosi e andando verso di lui.En: she exclaimed, standing up and walking towards him.It: I due amici si abbracciarono, colmando anni di silenzio in un istante.En: The two friends embraced, bridging years of silence in an instant.It: Tommaso si allontanò discretamente, soddisfatto di aver fatto scoccare quella scintilla.En: Tommaso discreetly stepped away, satisfied to have sparked that connection.It: Luca era nervoso.En: Luca was nervous.It: "Non sapevo che fossi qui a Roma," disse imbarazzato.En: "I didn't know you were here in Roma," he said, embarrassed.It: "Sì, solo per la Befana.En: "Yes, just for the Befana.It: Milano è bella, ma a Roma c'è una magia diversa," rispose Francesca, il suo entusiasmo visibile.En: Milano is beautiful, but Roma has a different magic," replied Francesca, her enthusiasm visible.It: "Mi sei mancata," ammise Luca, raccogliendo tutto il suo coraggio.En: "I missed you," Luca admitted, gathering all his courage.It: "Spesso mi chiedo come sarebbe stato se ci fossimo tenuti in contatto."En: "I often wonder what it would have been like if we had kept in touch."It: Francesca lo guardò dolcemente.En: Francesca looked at him sweetly.It: "Anche tu mi sei mancato, Luca.En: "I missed you too, Luca.It: Forse è arrivato il momento di ritrovarci, no?"En: Maybe it's time to reconnect, no?"It: Luca annuì, sentendo il calore della speranza crescere dentro di lui.En: Luca nodded, feeling the warmth of hope growing inside him.It: "Ti va di andare a vedere i mercatini insieme?"En: "Do you want to go see the markets together?"It: Francesca accettò, e insieme si incamminarono, passo dopo passo, tra le bancarelle e le calze colorate.En: Francesca agreed, and together they started walking, step by step, among the stalls and colorful stockings.It: Il cuore di Luca si alleggerì, mentre stringeva a sé la decisione di aprirsi a nuove possibilità.En: Luca's heart felt lighter as he embraced the decision to open up to new possibilities.It: Mentre passeggiavano tra le luci vibranti della piazza, qualcosa tra loro si riaccese, brillante come le stelle cadenti di quella fredda notte romana.En: As they walked among the vibrant lights of the square, something between them rekindled, bright as the shooting stars of that cold Roma night. Vocabulary Words:the winter sun: il sole invernalebrightly: luminosothe cheer: l'allegriathe outdoor café: il caffè all'apertothe tables: i tavolinicheckered tablecloths: tovaglie a scacchithe stalls: le bancarellethe perimeter: il perimetrothe stockings: le calzedreamy: sognantethe gaze: lo sguardoundecided: indecisothe wonders: le meraviglieunaware: inconsapevoledestiny: destinoto unveil: svelarethe barista: il baristathe demeanor: l'ariameditative stupor: torpore meditativothe recognition: il riconoscimentoto pretend: fingerethe notebook: il taccuinoto intervene: intervenirethe tray: il vassoiothe spark: la scintillaembarrassed: imbarazzatoenthusiasm: entusiasmocourage: coraggioto reconnect: ritrovarcithe possibility: la possibilità

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Caffeinated Epiphanies: A Gift for Sofia's Smile Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2026-01-06-08-38-20-it Story Transcript:It: Il caffè di Via degli Strozzi era pieno di vita e calore.En: The café on Via degli Strozzi was full of life and warmth.It: Le luci soffuse creavano un'atmosfera accogliente e le decorazioni natalizie brillavano con una luce lieve nel freddo invernale di Firenze.En: The soft lighting created a cozy atmosphere, and the Christmas decorations glowed gently in the winter cold of Firenze.It: Giuseppe, un giovane riflessivo ma distratto, era seduto con il suo amico Luca.En: Giuseppe, a thoughtful but distracted young man, was seated with his friend Luca.It: Entrambi bevevano cappuccino e discutevano animatamente di cosa regalare a Sofia per l'Epifania.En: Both were drinking cappuccino and animatedly discussing what to give Sofia for the Epifania.It: "Giuseppe, hai ancora idee su cosa prendere per Sofia?"En: "Giuseppe, do you still have any ideas about what to get for Sofia?"It: chiese Luca, appoggiando la tazza sul tavolo di legno stretto.En: asked Luca, placing the cup on the narrow wooden table.It: Le persone intorno a loro chiacchieravano, mescolando rumori al profumo del caffè appena macinato.En: The people around them were chatting, mixing noise with the aroma of freshly ground coffee.It: "Non sono sicuro," confessò Giuseppe, grattandosi la testa.En: "I'm not sure," Giuseppe confessed, scratching his head.It: "Voglio qualcosa di speciale, ma non so cosa."En: "I want something special, but I don't know what."It: Luca guardò intorno.En: Luca looked around.It: "Forse qualcosa qui nel caffè?En: "Maybe something here in the café?It: C'è una sezione di piccoli regali, lo hai notato?"En: There's a section of small gifts, did you notice?"It: Giuseppe annuì distratto, perdendosi nei suoi pensieri.En: Giuseppe nodded distractedly, lost in his thoughts.It: Il tempo stava per scadere; i negozi chiudevano presto e lui doveva trovare un regalo che illuminasse il volto di sua sorella.En: Time was running out; the shops were closing soon, and he had to find a gift that would light up his sister's face.It: Un'improvvisa risata lo riportò alla realtà.En: A sudden laugh brought him back to reality.It: Alla loro destra, due donne anziane discutevano dei tempi passati, di mercatini e vecchie tradizioni.En: To their right, two elderly women were discussing bygone times, marketplaces, and old traditions.It: "Basta un piccolo pensiero sincero," disse una di loro, mentre sorseggiava un tè.En: "All it takes is a little sincere thought," said one of them, sipping tea.It: Le parole fluttuavano nell'aria, insinuandosi nella mente di Giuseppe.En: The words floated in the air, lodging into Giuseppe's mind.It: Un'idea cominciò a prendere forma.En: An idea began to take shape.It: Si voltò verso la vetrinetta del piccolo negozio attaccato al caffè.En: He turned towards the showcase of the small shop attached to the café.It: Tra le decorazioni festose, una piccola scatola di cioccolatini artigianali, avvolta con un nastrino rosso, catturò il suo sguardo.En: Among the festive decorations, a small box of artisanal chocolates, wrapped with a red ribbon, caught his eye.It: Era perfetta: dolce e piena d'amore, proprio come Sofia.En: It was perfect: sweet and full of love, just like Sofia.It: "Luca, credo di averlo trovato," disse Giuseppe con un sorriso.En: "Luca, I think I've found it," said Giuseppe with a smile.It: Luca lo guardò con approvazione, mentre Giuseppe si alzava per acquistare il regalo.En: Luca looked at him approvingly as Giuseppe stood up to purchase the gift.It: Il suo cuore si alleggerì e il pensiero della reazione di Sofia lo riempì di gioia.En: His heart felt lighter, and the thought of Sofia's reaction filled him with joy.It: Dopo aver pagato i cioccolatini, Giuseppe tornò al tavolo, il pacchetto stretto tra le mani.En: After paying for the chocolates, Giuseppe returned to the table, the package clutched in his hands.It: "Grazie per l'aiuto, Luca," disse.En: "Thanks for the help, Luca," he said.It: "Ha fatto la differenza."En: "It made a difference."It: Luca sorrise.En: Luca smiled.It: "Sono felice di aver aiutato."En: "I'm happy to have helped."It: Mentre uscivano dal caffè, il freddo li accolse.En: As they left the café, the cold greeted them.It: Ma dentro, Giuseppe si sentiva più caldo, grato per l'amicizia di Luca e per aver imparato a fidarsi dei suoi istinti.En: But inside, Giuseppe felt warmer, grateful for Luca's friendship and for having learned to trust his instincts.It: Domani sarebbe stato un bel giorno di Epifania, e non vedeva l'ora di vedere Sofia sorridere.En: Tomorrow would be a beautiful Epifania, and he couldn't wait to see Sofia smile. Vocabulary Words:the atmosphere: l'atmosferathe winter: l'invernothe expression: l'espressionethe package: il pacchettothe decorations: le decorazionithe showcase: la vetrinettathe chocolates: i cioccolatinithe section: la sezionethe instinct: l'istintothe thought: il pensierothe noise: il rumorelight: lievethe ribbon: il nastrinothe discovery: la scopertathe laugh: la risatato capture: catturareto scratch: grattaredistracted: distrattoto lodge: insinuarsito sip: sorseggiarethe aroma: l'aromathe cold: il freddoto illuminate: illuminareto delay: ritardareto mix: mescolareto confess: confessareartisanal: artigianalecozy: accoglientebygone: passatosincere: sincero

It has been years 7 years since I've been to Nashville andway too long since I've seen my friend and Illinois native Lauren Anderson who moved to Music City from Kansas City nearly nine years ago.  She returned to Kansas City recently toparticipate in a monthly Lyrical Belles residency in the Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads. The stars aligned for me to have her join me on the radio for a gabfest and a few tunes before she headed off to the bustling metropolis of Red Cloud, Nebraska.  These are heady times for Lauren as she was part of TeamSnoop on Season 28 of NBC's The Voice TV show.  We catch up on how her life has incorporated that crazy and uniqueexperience.  American has now witnessed her powerhouse voice, raw honesty, and fiery stage presence. Though her voice now lives in blues, soul, and rock,Lauren's roots are deeply classical. She began piano at eight, sang in multiple choirs, and pursued classical voice through high school and college. She earned her Bachelor's degree in vocal performance from Augustana College, including atransformative summer in Italy, studying Italian and touring as an opera student. Opera was the original plan—until she discovered she was meant to belt, wail, and testify through soul and blues.Lauren pursued a Master's degree in Music Therapy at TheUniversity of Kansas. She trained in jails, schools, and hospice settings while also working full-time as a preschool teacher and caregiver for adults with intellectual disabilities. Her master's thesis explored the use of music therapy to improve respiratory function and quality of life for children withCystic Fibrosis.Lauren survived a major medical crisis of her own. Afterdeveloping a blood clot caused by Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, she underwent decompression surgery that removed her first rib. Forced off the stage for six months and facing potential long-term nerve damage, she fought her way back to full recovery.Enjoy this conversation with and musical performance by myfriend, Lauren Anderson! 

What does 2026 hold for indie authors and the publishing industry? I give my thoughts on trends and predictions for the year ahead. In the intro, Quitting the right stuff; how to edit your author business in 2026; Is SubStack Good for Indie Authors?; Business for Authors webinars. If you'd like to join my community and support the show every month, you'll get access to my growing list of Patron videos and audio on all aspects of the author business — for the price of a black coffee (or two) a month. Join us at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. (1) More indie authors will sell direct through Shopify, Kickstarter, and local in-person events (2) AI-powered search will start to shift elements of book discoverability (3) The start of Agentic Commerce (4) AI-assisted audiobook narration will go mainstream (5) AI-assisted translation will start to take off beyond the early adopters (6) AI video becomes ubiquitous. ‘Live selling' becomes the next trend in social sales. (7) AI will create, run, and optimise ads without the need for human intervention (8) 1000 True Fans becomes more important than ever You can find all my books as J.F. Penn and Joanna Penn on your favourite online store in all the usual formats, or order from your local library or bookstore. You can also buy direct from me at CreativePennBooks.com and JFPennBooks.com. I'm not really active on social media, but you can always see my photos at Instagram @jfpennauthor. 2026 Trends and Predictions for Indie Authors and Book Publishing (1) More indie authors will sell direct through Shopify, Kickstarter, and local in-person events — and more companies like BookVault will offer even more beautiful physical books and products to support this. This trend will not be a surprise to most of you! Selling direct has been a trend for the last few years, but in 2026, it will continue to grow as a way that independent authors become even more independent. The recent Written Word Media survey from Dec 2025 noted that 30% of authors surveyed are selling direct already and 30% say they plan to start in 2026. Among authors earning over $10,000 per month, roughly half sell direct. In my opinion, selling direct is an advanced author strategy, meaning that you have multiple books and you understand book marketing and have an email list already or some guaranteed way to reach readers. In fact, Kindlepreneur reports that 66% of authors selling direct have more than 5 books, and 46% have more than 10 books. Of course, you can start with the something small, like a table at a local event with a limited number of books for sale, but if you want to consistently sell direct for years to come, you need to consider all the business aspects. Selling direct is not a silver bullet. It's much harder work to sell direct than it is to just upload an ebook to Amazon, whether you choose a Kickstarter campaign, or Shopify/Payhip or other online stores, or regular in-person sales at events/conferences/fairs. You need a business mindset and business practices, for example, you need to pay upfront for setup as well as ongoing management, and bulk printing in some cases. You need to manage taxes and cashflow. You need to be a lot more proactive about marketing, as you won't sell anything if you don't bring readers to your books/products. But selling direct also brings advantages. It sets you apart from the bulk of digital only authors who still only upload ebooks to Amazon, or maybe add a print on demand book, and in an era of AI rapid creation, that number is growing all the time. If you sell direct, you get your customer data and you can reach those customers next time, through your email list. If you don't know who bought your books and don't have a guaranteed way to reach them, you will more easily be disrupted when things change — and they always change eventually. Kindlepreneur notes that “45% of the successful direct selling authors had over 1,000 subscribers on their email lists,” with “a clear, positive correlation between email list size and monthly direct sales income — with authors having an email list of over 15,000 subscribers earning 20X more than authors with email lists under 100 subscribers.” Selling direct means faster money, sometimes the same day or the same week in many cases, or a few weeks after a campaign finishes, as with Kickstarter. And remember, you don't have to sell all your formats directly. You can keep your ebooks in KU, do whatever you like with audiobooks, and just have premium print products direct, or start with a very basic Kickstarter campaign, or a table at a local fair. Lots more tips for Shopify and Kickstarter at https://www.thecreativepenn.com/selldirectresources/ I also recommend the Novel Marketing Podcast on The Shopify Trap: Why authors keep losing money as it is a great counterpoint to my positive endorsement of selling direct on Shopify! Among other things, Thomas notes that a fixed monthly fee for a store doesn't match how most authors make money from books which is more in spikes, the complexity and hassle eats time and can cost more money if you pay for help, and it can reduce sales on Amazon and weaken your ranking. Basically, if you haven't figured out marketing direct to your store, it can hurt you.All true for some authors, for some genres, and for some people's lifestyle. But for authors who don't want to be on the hamster wheel of the Amazon algorithm and who want more diversity and control in income, as well as the incredible creative benefits of what you can do selling direct, then I would say, consider your options in 2025, even if that is trying out a low-financial-goal Kickstarter campaign, or selling some print books at a local fair. Interestingly, traditional publishers are also experimenting with direct sales. Kate Elton, the new CEO of Harper Collins notes in The Bookseller's 2026 trend article, “we are seeing global success with responsive, reader-driven publishing, subscription boxes and TikTok Shop and – crucially – developing strategies that are founded on a comprehensive understanding of the reader.” She also notes, “AI enables us to dramatically change the way we interact with and grow audiences. The opportunities are genuinely exciting – finding new ways to help readers discover books they will love, innovating in the ways we market and reach audiences, building new channels and adapting to new methods of consuming content.” (2) AI-powered search will start to shift elements of book discoverability From LinkedIn's 2026 Big Ideas: “Generative engine optimization (GEO) is set to replace search engine optimization (SEO) as the way brands get discovered in the year ahead. As consumers turn to AI chatbots, agentic workflows and answer engines, appearing prominently in generative outputs will matter more than ranking in search engines.” Google has been rolling out AI Mode with its AI Overviews and is beginning to push it within Google.com itself in some countries, which means the start of a fundamental change in how people discover content online. I first posted about GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) and AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) in 2023, and it's going to change how readers find books. For years, we've talked about the long tail of search. Now, with AI-powered search, that tail is getting even longer and more nuanced. AI can understand complex, conversational queries that traditional search engines struggled with. Someone might ask, “What's a good thriller set in a small town with a female protagonist who's a journalist investigating a cold case?” and get highly specific recommendations. This means your book metadata, your website content, and your online presence need to be more detailed and conversational. AI search engines understand context in ways that go far beyond simple keywords. The authors who win in this new landscape will be those who create rich, authentic content about their books and themselves, not just promotional copy. As economist Tyler Cowen has said, “Consider the AIs as part of your audience. Because they are already reading your words and listening to your voice.” We're in the ‘organic' traffic phase right now, where these AI engines are surfacing content for ‘free,' but paid ads are inevitably on the way, and even rumoured to be coming this year to ChatGPT. By the end of 2026, I expect some authors and publishers to be paying for AI traffic, rather than blocking and protesting them. For now, I recommend checking that your author name/s and your books are surfaced when you search on ChatGPT.com as well as Google.com AI Mode (powered by Gemini). You want to make sure your work comes up in some way. I found that Joanna Penn and J.F. Penn searches brought up my Shopify stores, my website, podcast, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even my Patreon page, but did not bring up links to Amazon. If you only have an author presence on Amazon, does it appear in AI search at all? Do you need to improve anything about what the AI search brings up? Traditional publishers are also looking at this, with PublishersWeekly doing webinars on various aspects of AI in early 2026, including sessions on GEO and how book sales are changing, AI agents, and book marketing. In a 2026 predictions article on The Bookseller, the CEO of Bloomsbury Publishing noted, “The boundaries of artificial intelligence will become clearer, enabling publishers to harness its benefits while seeking to safeguard the intellectual property rights of authors, illustrators and publishers.” “AI will be deeply embedded in our workflows, automating tasks such as metadata tagging, freeing teams to focus on creativity and strategy. Challenges will persist. Generative AI threatens traditional web traffic and ad revenue models, making metadata optimisation and SEO critical for visibility as we adjust to this new reality online.” (3) The start of Agentic Commerce AI researches what you want to buy and may even buy on your behalf. Plus, I predict that Amazon does a commerce deal with OpenAI for shopping within ChatGPT by the end of 2026. In September 2025, ChatGPT launched Instant Checkout and the Agentic Commerce Protocol, which will enable bots to buy on websites in the background if authorised by the human with the credit card. VISA is getting on board with this, so is PayPal, with no doubt more payment options to come. In the USA, ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Free users can now buy directly from US Etsy sellers inside the chat interface, with over a million Shopify merchants coming soon. Shopify and OpenAI have also announced a partnership to bring commerce to ChatGPT. I am insanely excited about this as it could represent the first time we have been able to more easily find and surface books in a much more nuanced way than the 7 keywords and 3 categories we have relied on for so long! I've been using ChatGPT for at least the last year to find fiction and non-fiction books as I find the Amazon interface is ‘polluted' by ads. I've discovered fascinating books from authors I've never heard of, most in very long tail areas. For example, Slashed Beauties by A. Rushby, recommended by ChatGPT as I am interested in medical anatomy and anatomical Venuses, and The Macabre by Kosoko Jackson, recommended as I like art history and the supernatural. I don't think I would have found either of these within a nuanced discussion with ChatGPT. Even without these direct purchase integrations, ChatGPT now has Shopping Research, which I have found links directly to my Shopify store when I search for my books specifically. Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to create AI-first shopping experiences, and you have to wonder what Amazon might be doing? In Nov 2025, Amazon signed a “strategic partnership” with OpenAI, and even though it's focused on the technical side of AI, those two companies in a room together might also be working on other plans … I'm calling it for 2026. I think Amazon will sign a commerce agreement with OpenAI sometime before the end of the year. This will enable at least recommendation and shopping links into Amazon stores (presumably using an OpenAI affiliate link), or perhaps even Instant Checkout with ChatGPT for Amazon. It will also enable a new marketing angle, especially if paid ads arrive in ChatGPT, perhaps even integrating with Amazon Ads in some way as part of any possible agreement, since ads are such a good revenue stream for Amazon anyway. The line between discovery, engagement, and purchase is collapsing. Someone could be having a conversation with an AI about what to read next, and within that same conversation, purchase a bookwithout ever leaving the chat interface. This already happens within TikTok and social commerce clearly works for many authors. It's possible that the next development for book discoverability and sales might be within AI chats. This will likely stratify the already fragmented book eco-system even more. Some readers will continue to live only within the Amazon ecosystem and (maybe) use their Rufus chatbot to buy, and others will be much wider in their exploration of how to find and discover books (and other products and services). If you haven't tried it yet, try ChatGPT.com Shopping Research for a book. You can do this on the free tier. Use the drop down in the main chat box and select Shopping Research. It doesn't have to be for your book. It can be any book or product, for example, our microwave died just before Christmas so I used it to find a new one. But do a really nuanced search with multiple requirements. Go far beyond what you would search for on Amazon. In the results, notice that (at the time of writing) it does not generally link to Amazon, but to independent sites and stores. As above, I think this will change by the end of 2026, as some kind of commerce deal with Amazon seems inevitable. (4) AI-assisted audiobook narration will go mainstream I've been talking about AI narration of audiobooks since 2019, and over the years, I've tried various different options. In 2025, the technology reached a level of emotional nuance that made it much easier to create satisfying fiction audio as well as non-fiction. It also super-charges accessibility, making audio available in more languages and more accents than ever before. Of course, human narration remains the gold standard, but the cost makes it prohibitive for many authors, and indeed many small traditional publishers, for all books. If it costs $2000 – $10,000 to create an audiobook, you have to sell a lot to make a profit, and the dominance of subscription models have made it harder to recoup the costs. Famous narrators and voice artists who have an audience may still be worth investing in, as well as premium production, but require an even higher upfront cost and therefore higher sales and streams in return. AI voice/audio models are continuing to improve, and even as this goes out, there are rumours on TechCrunch that OpenAI's new device, designed by Jony Ive who designed the iPhone, will be audio first and OpenAI are improving their voice models even more in preparation for that launch. In 2026, I think AI-narrated audio will go mainstream with far-reaching adoption across publishing and the indie author world in many different languages and accents. This will mean a further stratification of audiobooks, with high quality, high production, high cost human narrated audio for a small percentage of books, and then mass market, affordable AI-narrated audio for the rest. AI-narrated audiobooks will make audio ubiquitous, and just as (almost) every print book has an ebook format, in 2026, they will also have an audio format. I straddle both these worlds, as I am still a human audiobook narrator for my own work. I human-narrated Successful Self-Publishing Fourth Edition (free audiobook) and The Buried and the Drowned, my short story collection. I also use AI narration for some books. ElevenLabs remains my preferred service and in 2025, I used my J.F. Penn voice clone for Death Valley and also Blood Vintage, while using a male voice for Catacomb. I clearly label my AI-narration in the sales description and also on the cover, which I think is important, although it is not always required by the various services. You can distribute ElevenLabs narrated audiobooks on Spotify, Kobo Writing Life, YouTube, ElevenReader, and of course your own store if you use Shopify with Bookfunnel. There are many other services springing up all the time, so make sure you check the rights you have over the finished audio, as well as where you can sell and distribute the final files. If they are just using ElevenLabs models in the back-end, then why not just do that directly? (Most services will be using someone's model in the back-end, since most companies do not train their own models.) Of course, you can use Amazon's own narration. While Amazon originally launched Audible audiobooks with Virtual Voice (AVV) in November 2023, it was rolled out to more authors and territories in 2025. If your book is eligible, the option to create an audiobook will appear on your KDP dashboard. With just a few clicks, you can create an audiobook from a range of voices and accents, and publish it on Amazon and Audible. However, the files are not yours. They are exclusive to Amazon and you cannot use them on other platforms or sell them direct yourself. But they are also free, so of course, many authors, especially those in KU, will use this option. I have done some for my mum's sweet romance books as Penny Appleton and I will likely use them for my books in translation when the option becomes available. Traditional publishers are experimenting with AI-assisted audiobook narration as well. MacMillan is selling digital audiobooks read by AI directly on their store. PublishersWeekly reports that PRH Audio “has experimented with artificial voice in specific instances, such as entrepreneur Ely Callaway's posthumous memoir The Unconquerable Game,” when an “authorized voice replica” was created for the audiobook. The article also notes that PRH Audio “embrace artificial intelligence across business operations—my entire department [PRH Audio] is using AI for business applications.” And while indie authors can't use AI voices on ACX right now, Audible have over 100 voices available to selected publishing partnerships, as reported by The Guardian with “two options for publishers wishing to make use of the technology: “Audible-managed” production, or “self-service” whereby publishers produce their own audiobooks with the help of Audible's AI technology.” In 2026, it's likely that more traditional publishers — as well as indie authors — will get their backlist into audio with AI narration. (5) AI-assisted translation will start to take off beyond the early adopters Over the years, I've done translation deals with traditional publishers in different languages (German, French, Spanish, Korean, Italian) for some fiction and non-fiction books. But of course, to get these kinds of deals, you have to be proactive about pitching, or work with an agent for foreign rights only, and those are few and far between! There are also lots of languages and territories worldwide, and most deals are for the bigger markets, leaving a LOT of blue water for books in translation, even if you have licensed some of the bigger markets. I did my first partially AI-translated books in 2019 when I used Deepl.com for the first draft and then worked with a German editor to do 3 non-fiction books in German. While the first draft was cheap, the editing was pretty expensive, so I stopped after only doing a couple. I have made the money back now, but it took years. In 2025, AI Translation began to take off with ScribeShadow, GlobeScribe.ai, and more recently, in November 2025, Kindle Translate boosting the number of translated books available. Kindle Translate is (currently) only available to US authors for English into Spanish and also German into English, but in 2026, this will likely roll out to more languages and more authors, making it easier than ever to produce translations for free. Of course, once again, the gold standard is human translation, or at least human-edited translations, but the cost is prohibitive even just for proof-reading, and if there is a cheap or even free option, like Kindle Translate, then of course, authors are going to try it. If the translation gets bad reviews, they can just un-publish. There are many anecdotal stories of indie success in 2025 with AI-translated genre fiction sales (in series) in under-served markets like Italian, French, and Spanish, as well as more mainstream adoption in German. I was around in the Kindle gold-rush days of 2009-2012 and the AI-translation energy right now feels like that. There are hardly any Kindle ebooks in many of these languages compared to how many there are in English, so inevitably, the rush is on to fill the void, especially in genres that are under-served by traditional publishers in those markets. Yes, some of these AI translated books will be ‘AI-slop,' but readers are not stupid. Those books will get bad reviews and thus will sink to the bottom of the store, never to be seen again. The AI translation models are also improving rapidly, and Amazon's Kindle Translate may improve faster than most, for books specifically, since they will be able to get feedback in terms of page reads. Amazon is also a major investor in Anthropic, which makes Claude.ai, widely considered the best quality for creative writing and translation, so it's likely that is used somewhere in the mix. Some traditional publishers are also experimenting with AI-assisted translation, with Harlequin France reportedly using AI translation and human proofreaders, as reported by the European Council of Literary Translators' Associations in December 2025. Academic publisher Taylor and Francis is also using AI for book translation, noting: “Following a program of rigorous testing, Taylor & Francis has announced plans to use AI translation tools to publish books that would otherwise be unavailable to English-language readers, bringing the latest knowledge to a vastly expanded readership.” “Until now, the time and resources required to translate books has meant that the majority remained accessible only to those who could read them in the original language. Books that were translated often only became available after a significant delay. Today, with the development of sophisticated AI translation tools, it has become possible to make these important texts available to a broad readership at speed, without compromising on accuracy.” (6) AI video becomes ubiquitous. ‘Live selling' becomes the next trend in social sales. In 2025, short form AI-generated video became very high quality. OpenAI released Sora 2, and YouTube announced new Shorts creation tools with Veo 3, which you can also use directly within Gemini. There are tons of different AI video apps now, including those within the social media sites themselves. There is more video than ever and it's much easier to create. I am not a fan of short form video! I don't make it and I don't consume it, but I do love making book trailers for my Kickstarter campaigns and for adding to my book pages and using on social media. I made a trailer for The Buried and the Drowned using Midjourney for images and then animation of those images, and Canva to put them together along with ElevenLabs to generate the music. But despite the AI tools getting so much easier to use, you still have to prompt them with exactly what you want. I can't just upload my book and say, “Make a book trailer,” or “Make a short film.” This may change with generative video ads, which are likely to become more common in 2026, as video turns specifically commercial. Video ads may even be generated specifically for the user, with an audience of one, maybe even holding your book in their hands (using something like Cameos on Sora), in the same way that some AI-powered clothing stores do virtual try-ons. This might also up-end the way we discover and buy things, as the AI for eCommerce and Amazon Sellers newsletter says about OpenAI's Sora app, “OpenAI isn't just trying to build a TikTok competitor. They're building a complete reimagining of how we discover and buy things …” “The combination of ChatGPT's research capabilities and Sora's potential for emotional manipulation—I mean, “engagement”—could create something we've never seen before: an AI ecosystem that might eventually guide you through every type of purchase, from the most considered to the most impulsive.” In 2026, there will be A LOT more AI-generated video, but that also leads to the human trend of more live video. While you can use an AI avatar that looks and sounds like you using tools like HeyGen or Synthesia, live video has all the imperfect human elements that make it stand-out, plus the scarcity element which leads to the purchase decision within a countdown period. Live video is nothing new in terms of brand building and content in general, but it seems that live events primarily for direct sales might be a thing in 2026. Kim Kardashian hosted Kimsmas Live in December 2025 with a 45 minute live shopping event with special guests, described as entertainment but designed to be a sales extravaganza. Indie authors are doing a similar thing on TikTok with their books, so this is a trend to watch in 2026, especially if you feel that live selling might fit with your personality and author business goals. It's certainly not for everyone, but I suspect it will suit a different kind of creator to those who prefer ‘no face' video, or no video at all! On other aspects of the human side of social media, Adam Mosseri the CEO of Instagram put a post on Threads called Authenticity after Abundance. He said, “Everything that made creators matter—the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn't be faked—is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools.” “Deepfakes are getting better and better. AI is generating photographs and videos indistinguishable from captured media. The feeds are starting to fill up with synthetic everything. And in that world, here's what I think happens.Creators matter more.” It's a long article so just to pick a few things from it: “We like to talk about “AI slop,” but there is a lot of amazing AI content … we are going to start to see more and more realistic AI content.” I've talked to my Patreon Community about this ‘tsunami of excellence' as these tools are just getting better and better and the word ‘slop' can also be applied to purely human output, too. If you think that AI content is ‘worse' than wholly human content, in 2026, you are wrong. It is now very very good, especially in the hands of people who can drive the AI tools. Back to Adam's post: “Authenticity is fast becoming a scarce resource, …The creators who succeed will be those who figure out how to maintain their authenticity [even when it can be simulated] …” “The bar is going to shift from “can you create?” to “can you make something that only you could create?” He talks about how the personal content on Instagram now is: “unpolished; it's blurry photos and shaky videos of people's daily experiences … flattering imagery is cheap to produce and boring to consume. People want content that feels real… Savvy creators are going to lean into explicitly unproduced and unflattering images of themselves. In a world where everything can be perfected, imperfection becomes a signal. Rawness isn't just aesthetic preference anymore—it's proof. It's defensive. A way of saying: this is real because it's imperfect.” While I partially love this, and I really hope it's true, as in I hope we don't need to look good for the camera anymore I would also challenge Adam on this, because pretty much every woman I know on social media has been sent sexual messages, and/or told they are ugly and/or fat when posting anything unflattering. I've certainly had both even for the same content, but I don't expect Adam has been the target for such posting! But I get his point. He goes on:“Labeling content as authentic or AI-generated is only part of the solution though. We, as an industry, are going to need to surface much more context about not only the media on our platforms, but the accounts that are sharing it in order for people to be able to make informed decisions about what to believe. Where is the account? When was it created? What else have they posted?” This is exactly what I've been saying for a while under my double down on being human focus. I use my Instagram @jfpennauthor as evidence of humanity, not as a sales channel. You can do both of course, but increasingly, you need to make sure your accounts at places have longevity and trust, even by the platforms themselves. Adam finishes: “In a world of infinite abundance and infinite doubt, the creators who can maintain trust and signal authenticity—by being real, transparent, and consistent—will stand out.” For other marketing trends for 2026, I recommend publicist Kathleen Schmidt's SubStack which is mostly focused on traditional publishing but still interesting for indies. In her 2026 article, she notes: “We have reached a social media saturation point where going viral can be meaningless and should not be the goal; authenticity and creativity should. She also says, “In-person events are important again,” and, “Social media marketing takes a nosedive… we have reached a saturation point … What publishers must figure out is how to make their social media campaigns stand out. If they remain somewhat uninspired, the money spent on social ads won't convert into book sales.” I think this is part of the rise of live selling as above, which can stand out above more ‘produced' videos. Kathleen also talks about AI usage. “AI can help lighten the burden of publicity and marketing.” “A lot of AI tools are coming to market to lessen the load: they can write pitches, create media lists for you, send pitches for you, and more. I know the industry is grappling with all things AI, but some of these tools are huge time savers and may help a book more than hurt it.” On that note … (7) AI will create, run, and optimise ads without the need for human intervention Many authors will be very happy about this as marketing is often the bane of our author business lives! As I noted in my 2026 goals, I would love to outsource more marketing tasks to AI. I want an “AI book marketing assistant” where I can upload a book and specify a budget and say, ‘Go market this,' then the AI will action the marketing, without me having to cobble together workflows between systems. Of course, it will present plans for me to approve but it will do the work itself on the various platforms and monitor and optimize things for me. I really hope 2026 is the year this becomes possible, because we are on the edge of it already in some areas. Amazon Ads launched a new agentic AI tool in September 2025 that creates professional-quality ads. I've also been working with Claude in Chrome browser to help me analyse my Amazon Ad data and suggest which keywords/products to turn off and what to put more budget into. I'll do a Patreon video on that soon. Meta announced it will enable AI ad creation by the end of 2026 for Facebook and Instagram. For authors who find ad creation overwhelming or time-consuming, this could be a game-changer. Of course, you will still need a budget! (8) 1000 True Fans becomes more important than ever Lots of authors and publishers are moaning about the difficulty of reaching readers in an era of ‘AI slop' but there is no shortage of excellent content created by humans, or humans using AI tools. As ever, our competition is less about other authors, or even authors using AI-assisted creation, we're competing against everything else that jostles for people's attention, and the volume of that is also growing exponentially. I've never been a fan of rapid release, and have said for years that you can't keep up with the pace of the machines. So play a different game. As Kevin Kelly wrote in 2008, If you have 1000 true fans, (also known as super fans), “you can make a living — if you are content to make a living but not a fortune.” [Kevin Kelly was on this show in 2023 talking about Excellent Advice for Living.] Many authors and the publishing industry are stuck in the old model of aiming to sell huge volumes of books at a low profit margin to a massive number of readers, many of them releasing ever faster to try and keep the algorithms moving. But the maths can work for the smaller audience of more invested readers and fans. If you only make $2 profit on an ebook, you need to sell 500 ebooks to make $1000, and then do it again next month. Or you can have a small community like my patreon.com/thecreativepenn where people pay $2 (or more) a month, so even a small revenue per person results in a better outcome over the year, as it is consistent monthly income with no advertising. But what if you could make $20 profit per book? That is entirely possible if you're producing high quality hardbacks on Kickstarter, or bundle deals of audiobooks, or whole series of ebooks. You would only need to sell to 50 people to make $1000. What about $100 profit per sale, which you can do with a small course or live event? You only need 10 people to make $1000, and this in-person focus also amplifies trust and fosters human connection. I've found the intimacy of my live Patreon Office Hours and also my webinars have been rewarding personally, but also financially, and are far more memorable — and potentially transformative — than a pre-recorded video or even another book. From the LinkedIn 2026 Big Ideas article: “In an AI-optimized world, intentional human connection will become the ultimate luxury.” The 1000 True Fans model is about serving a smaller, more personal audience with higher value products (and maybe services if that's your thing). As ever, its about niche and where you fit in the long long long long long tail. It's also about trust. Because there is definitely a shortage of that in so many areas, and as Adam Mosseri of Instagram has said, trust will be increasingly important. Trust takes time to build, but if you focus on serving your audience consistently, and delivering a high quality, and being authentic, this emerges as part of being human. In an echo of what happened when online commerce first took off, we are back to talking about trust. Back in 2010, I read Trust Agents: by Julien Smith and Chris Brogan, which clearly needs a comeback. There was a 10th anniversary edition published in 2020, so that's worth a read/listen. Chris Brogan was also on this show in 2017 when we talked about finding and serving your niche for the long term. That interview is still relevant, here's a quick excerpt, where I have (lightly edited) his response to my question on this topic back in 2017: Jo: The principle of know, like, and trust, why is that still important or perhaps even more important these days? Chris: There are a few things that at play there, Joanna. One is that the same tools that make it so easy for any of us to start and run a business also allow certain elements to decide whether or not they want to do something dubious. And with all new technologies that come, you know, there's nothing unique about these new technologies. In the 1800s, anyone could put anything in a bottle and sell it to you and say, this is gonna cure everything. Cancer — gone. And the bottle could have nothing in. You know, it could be Kool-Aid. And so, the idea of trying to understand what's behind the business though, one beautiful thing that's come is that we can see in much more dimensions who we're dealing with. We can understand better who's the face behind the brand. I really want people to try their best to be a lot clearer on what they stand for or what they say. And I don't really mean a tagline. I mean, humans don't really talk like that. They don't throw some sentence out as often as they can that you remember them for that phrase. But I would say that, we have so many media available to us — the plural of mediums — where we can be more of ourselves. And I think that there's a great opportunity to share the ‘you' behind the scenes, and some people get immediately terrified about this, ‘Ah, the last thing I want is for people to know more about me,' but I think we have such an opportunity. We have such an opportunity to voice our thoughts on something, to talk about the story that goes behind the product. We were all raised on overly produced material, but I think we don't want that anymore. We really want clarity, brevity, simplicity. We want the ability for what we feel is connection and then access. And so I think it's vital that we connect and show people our accessibility, not so that they can pester us with strange questions, but more so that you can say, this person stands with their product and their service and this person believes these things, and I feel something when I hear them and I wanna be part of that.” That's from Chris Brogan's interview here in 2017, and he is still blogging and speaking at writing at ChrisBrogan.com and I'm going to re-listen to the audiobook of Trust Agents again myself as I think it's more relevant than ever. The original quote comes from Bob Burg in his 1994 book, Endless Referrals, “All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust.” That still applies, and absolutely fits with the 1000 True Fans model of aiming to serve a smaller audience. As Kevin Kelly says in 1000 True Fans, “Instead of trying to reach the narrow and unlikely peaks of platinum bestseller hits, blockbusters, and celebrity status, you can aim for direct connection with a thousand true fans.” “On your way, no matter how many fans you actually succeed in gaining, you'll be surrounded not by faddish infatuation, but by genuine and true appreciation. It's a much saner destiny to hope for. And you are much more likely to actually arrive there.” In 2026, I hope that more authors (including me!) let go of ego goals and vanity metrics like ranking, gross sales (income before you take away costs), subscribers, followers, and likes, and consider important business numbers like profit (which is the money you have after costs like marketing are taken out), as well as number of true fans — and also lifestyle elements like number of weekends off, or days spent enjoying life and not just working! OK, that's my list of trends and predictions for 2026. Let me know what you think in the comments. Do you agree? Am I wrong? What have I missed? The post 2026 Trends And Predictions For Indie Authors And The Book Publishing Industry with Joanna Penn first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In this episode, we delve into the intricate world of the Chicago Outfit’s informants, featuring insights from my late friend, Cam Robinson, and Paul Whitcomb, a well-respected expert on the mob. This special compilation draws from past interviews and shorts that once highlighted various informants who operated during the notorious 1980s era of organized crime in Chicago. Through a series of concise segments, we explore the lives of key players who chose to turn against the Outfit, revealing the complex motivations and consequences of their decisions. We kick things off by revisiting the tale of Paul “Peanuts” Pansko, an influential figure leading the Polish faction of the Outfit. Pansko's criminal activities, including a racetrack heist, not only placed him in dangerous territory but also set into motion a chain of events that would later link to the infamous Family Secrets trial. It's during this journey that we outline how interconnected the informants’ narratives are, showcasing how Pansko’s actions inadvertently unraveled parts of the organization.   The discussion shifts to more dramatic stories, including Mario Rainone. Rainone's infamous decision to cooperate with the authorities opened the door to significant revelations about Lenny Patrick, one of the highest-ranking Outfit members to switch sides. Rainone's tapes ultimately led to the dismantling of major sections of the Outfit’s operations, including political connections that had long shielded them from legal repercussions.   We also explore the tale of Ken “Tokyo Joe” Eto, a Japanese mobster who thrived within the Outfit’s ranks. His attempts at self-preservation after surviving an assassination effort highlighted the stark realities faced by those who navigated the perilous landscape of organized crime. As he eventually became a witness for the prosecution, Eto’s insights illuminated the internal workings of one of Chicago’s most feared organizations. The episode further examines dramatic betrayals and deadly encounters that shaped the Outfit’s legacy. From the chilling events surrounding the murders of the Spilotro brothers, orchestrated by their own associates for reasons steeped in loyalty and betrayal, to the grim fate that met informants like Al Toco and the impact of domestic discord on organized crime, each tale is a window into the bleak realities faced by both mobsters and informants alike. As we round out the episode, we reflect on the cultural dynamics surrounding informants, particularly how personal relationships and family ties heavily influenced their decisions to cooperate. It becomes clear through the interviews that while fear of retribution often compels loyalty, the specter of betrayal looms large within the mob. This multifaceted examination blends personal stories with historical context, providing a deeper understanding of the Chicago Outfit’s complexity and its operatives. Join us in this retrospective journey through the shadows of organized crime as we pay homage to those who bravely shared their stories, revealing the inner workings of a criminal empire that continues to fascinate and terrify in equal measure. Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. Transcript [0:00] Well, hey, guys, after listening to Bob Cooley, one of the more damaging sources and witness and informant to the Chicago Outfit outside of the Calabrese family, [0:13] Nick and his nephew, Frank Jr., I got the rest of the Chicago Outfit informants on tap here. No, not really. They’re not coming in. But I did do a story. I did a series of shorts a few years, or I don’t know, two or three years ago, maybe. [0:32] I interviewed my late friend, Cam Robinson, rest in peace, Cam. So you get to hear from him again. And Paul Whitcomb, who is a Chicago outfit expert, he’s been on this. They used to have some kind of a round table show up there. I don’t know if they still have it or not with the Seiferts. But anyhow, I got these guys to sit down with me and talk about all the different informants in Chicago during the, it was during the 80s. So this is just kind of a series of shorts that I put up before. They’re six or eight minutes long, I think, each one of them, that they talk about different informants. This kind of threw it together as another little bonus episode we’ve done. And I went to Chicago, if you notice, after Johnny Russo, which I apologize for in a way, I don’t know. I mean, the guy’s got some crazy-ass stories, doesn’t he? Who am I to say that he didn’t do it? But most people know that he didn’t do most of that stuff. Anyhow, so I threw up another Chicago right away about the guy that had the race wire that they killed, James Reagan. [1:38] Then i had this interview that i’d been doing during those last couple weeks with bob cooley who’s appeared uh out of nowhere and he’ll maybe see him on some other shows now he’s he’s wanting to do shows he tells me so after hearing bob cooley talk i thought well i’m doing do one more i want to just throw it up as an extra uh from some of my old chicago outfit stuff and that’ll finish me off on the Chicago outfit for a while. I hadn’t, I hadn’t been in Chicago, uh, doing shows about Chicago for quite a while. And, and I didn’t want to, uh, neglect you guys. You know, I get a lot of books written about New York and I’ve got all these authors that are wanting to do these books about New York. Uh, not so much about Chicago. So if you got anybody that, you know, wants to, got a book and wants to come on the show, uh, talking about the outfit, why steer them to me. So anyhow, just sit back and relax and enjoy. [2:37] My late, great friend, Cam Robinson. One more look at Cam, for those of you who remember him, and Paul Whitcomb. And we’re going to talk about famous snitches from Chicago. Thanks, guys. Well, let’s move along now to, this is kind of interesting, Paul Peanuts Panczko, who was the leader of the Polish branch of the outfield. Is that what you would call Peanuts Panczko, the leader of the Polish branch? If the Polish branch is the Panczko family, which you could easily say there were three brothers, then yeah, that wouldn’t be right. We haven’t really done a show on them. I don’t know a whole lot about them other than they were released at all. So we said non-Italian, Peckerwood, as we call them at Kansas City, professional criminals who did a lot of business with different outfit people. And he did a robbery of a racetrack. I think it’s the Balmoral Racetrack. It’s the name of it. James Duke Basile and then Panczko was in trouble for that and he convinced Basile to come in and they did some talking remember anything about that situation, you know in a lot of ways you. [3:50] Panczko could be considered one of the first dominoes that eventually led to the Family Secrets trial. Panczko, as you said, led to Dookie Bazile, who they had done robberies together. Bazile led them to Scarpelli, who was a much higher guy. I mean, there’s debate, but he was, because there was a making ceremony at this time, but Scarpelli was pretty highly ranked. I mean, he was a known killer, and he was up there. He was in the wild bunch. But Scarpelli then did tell them about a lot of the things that Frank Calabrese had done. [4:28] He wasn’t known as well as Scarpelli had brought him up to be. And a lot of those things dominoed into what would eventually lead to family secrets years later. [4:42] Scarpelli, I think, did not know so much about Nick, but he did know about Frank. And so a lot of that information sort of filled in the gaps. And even though Frank Calabrese Jr. Led them led them to Nick They A lot of seeds were planted And can be traced back to Pianus Pansico Um. [5:01] So it is kind of an interesting line. Basile, he wore a wire on Scarpelli and not even talking about a lot of these things. It’s not the FBI knew about that. They were in a car together. Right. If I remember right, he even talked about a mob graveyard. They went up there and they found two or three bodies. One of them was connected. It wasn’t anybody really important, but one of them was connected to Harry Aleman. So it was a pretty important wearing of a wire on Scarpelli, who then came at himself for a while. And that’s what led to the family secrets. He talked about Frank Calabrese. Is that what you’re saying? Yeah, that’s right. And some of those bodies in that graveyard were 10 years apart, which was interesting. I’ve got, it’s on the map that I created, but some of those bodies, there was years in between them. So it was something they were going back to and they believed that there were a lot of things there they did not find. Yeah, because they built a health care facility or something. They built some big building over where there would have been bodies. Right. Right. And the fascinating thing about this is Scarpelli, like, just like Cam said, this guy was a serious killer. He was a muscle builder. He was a terrifying guy. I mean, he had almost inhuman physical strength. Yeah. And when he flipped, he was completely debriefed by the FBI and the DOJ and then decided to try and change his mind. [6:27] But before he could do that He hung himself in the bathroom Of the Metropolitan Correctional Center With his hands behind his back And a bag over his head, Who was he in prison with? Who was he in MCC with, Paul? Was it anybody? He did happen to be in the MCC with the German at the time. He bound his hands behind his back and put a bag over his own head. He did. He did. And so the outfit continues to somehow persuade people to take their own lives rather than testify against them. [7:07] It’s a hell of a way to die by suicide it is by suicide at least they didn’t have arrows in his back, not as far as we know yeah it was terrible he cut his own head off I saw a cartoon once that the homicide guy liked to go ahead and maybe real suckle of suicide because then you could just walk away from it so there’s a dead body laying there with a bunch of arrows at his back and a homicide detective standing over him with a hand and pencil and says, hmm, suicide, huh? [7:44] Got the inside joke. It worked homicide. You see how those guys sometimes will try to make something into a suicide that probably is a homicide. On the other hand, we had one, we had a mob guy, he wasn’t really a mob associate, who had gone to Vegas. He lost a lot of money and they found his body in his car at the airport parking lot after coming back from Vegas and they found out later lost a lot of money and the car was parked up against the fence and he was shot in the head and there was no gun in the car you know found so just assume that somebody shot him in his head the car kept going and rolling up against the fence. [8:25] But this one detective, I remember Bob Pence is his name. He was dumb. And he started, he went back over and he dusted that car for prints again. And he got some more evidence out of it. And then he went back to the airport and he looked and started asking questions. And he found out later that somebody who had a pickup truck parked there had a week later, three or four days later, come back and got his truck. When he got home he found a pistol inside the bed of his truck and he called the airport or he called somebody turned it in Pinson found that pistol that was a pistol that that shot the guy so Pinson's theory was he was rolling along in his car he shot himself in the head and then he flipped that pistol out is with a reaction he flipped it out and went in the bed in that pickup and then it rolled on up against the fence and they ruled it a suicide wow damn that’s not that different than Scarpelli I mean the fbi to this day insists it was suicide yeah well, Oh, well, right. All right. Let’s move along to Mario. John, the arm. Rainone. [9:41] Is that correct, Cam? That yeah, that’s Rainone. Yeah. So tell us about that. I know we talked about this, you know, a little bit about this one. [9:50] This is kind of a funny one. He was he was sent to kill a building inspector. Raynaud was with the Grand Avenue crew and so he’s en route to kill this guy and this is one of those mob blunders and he sees a couple guys following him and it’s Rudy Fredo and Willie Messino and he recognizes him when he’s driving over there and it’s important to point out who these guys are, Cam, not to interrupt you Willie Messino, was the right hand man and bodyguard for Tony Accardo for 30 years I mean, he was serious, serious business. Rudy Frayto, you know, the chin, but Massino was serious news. If you saw Willie Massino, you knew he were in for trouble. Yeah, he wasn’t there as backup to do anything except clean up after Rainone, including Rainone. So Rainone saw the writing on the wall. He pulls up and he goes straight to the FBI. [10:54] And he informs, he talks to them and gives them his information. And later on, he sort of regrets doing so, denies that he ever did. Uh, there were, there were, uh, articles written about him. There’s a, there’s a Chicago Tribune writer, John Cass, and Ray Nolan had a back and forth with him writing letters. This is how these mob guys in Chicago operate, talking about, I’m, I ain’t no beefer. And, uh. Once he was out of prison in 2009, he was busted several more times. If you can believe it, he stayed in the criminal life. He was robbing a liquor store with another guy. And the guy he was robbing with, this is why I jump ahead a little bit, was a guy named Vincent Forliano. He claimed that he didn’t even know Fratto or Messino. These were guys he didn’t know, so he never would have informed against them. The guy he was robbing the liquor store with and he was committing other robberies with, Vincent Forliano, was Fredo’s son-in-law. [11:56] So he was committing robberies with a guy related to the guy, but he didn’t know who they were. And to say that somebody didn’t know, as Paul said, Willie Messino, is just ludicrous. Anybody in the criminal atmosphere, period, knew who Willie Messino was because you were probably paying money to it. to exist. And this is extremely important because Rainone, at the time this happened, Rainone cooperated long enough to record conversations with Lenny Patrick. That’s right. That’s right. And that set dominoes in place that would lead to the fall of the outfit. Even though he tried to take back his cooperation, to say he never cooperated, I’ve heard those tapes that were played in trials that I participated in, so I I know better. Uh, and that’s why they call him Mario flip flop Rainone because he, uh, would cooperate and uncooperate and then cooperate. But he is the one who got Lenny Patrick on the hook. Yeah. [13:00] Interesting, interesting. Let’s just continue on with this Lenny Patrick because we weren’t going to talk about him. That’s a good lead hand to talk about another, really one of the most important informants that year who testified. [13:13] Can you talk about the domino that led to the end? Rainone really, really flipped the domino that kicked over. Go ahead, Paul. Well, Lenny Patrick was the highest, and even to this day, remains the highest ranking member of the outfit to ever turn state’s evidence. The guy was a capo in all but name. He had been in charge of Rogers Park, the gambling. He was essentially the head of the Jewish arm of the mafia, kind of the Meyer Lansky figure of Chicago. And when the Lawndale neighborhood moved north to Rogers Park, he moved with them, and he had his own crew. He reported directly to Gus Alex, who was, of course, at the very top, and Sam Carlisi. And he was dealing with Marcello and Carlesi in a number of different outfit ventures, loan sharking. He personally had been staked by Carlesi with a quarter million in cash to put out on the street. And he was involved in extortions Bombings of theaters All these things directly at the command of Sam Carlisi Who was then the boss of bosses of the Chicago outfit So when Rainone got him on tape They set up what was the beginning of the end for the outfit And I think people need to understand who Gus Alex is also For people outside of Chicago Gus Alex was. [14:40] Basically, I guess you could call him the equivalent of maybe the consigliere in Chicago. When you look at Chicago, the triumvirate in the 70s, once a guy like Paul Ricca died and several major outfit leaders died in the early 70s. [14:58] Tony Accardo decided that the outfit would be led by himself, by Joy Iupa, and the political wing and all of the non-Italians and all of the grift and a lot of aspects would be led by Gus Alex. So he was essentially on the same level as Joey Iupa, and he was responsible for much more for things of greater import than Joey Iupa. I mean, controlling the political arm and all the payoffs and all of that is much, much more than the streets and the murders. So all the politics and all the anything that had to do was definitely fell under gus alex and he was part of a ruling triumvirate he was a non-italian part of a ruling triumvirate with iupa and uh acardo so he was the the leader top of the outfit and he had been for years going back to going back to the 30s and the 40s 40 he had come up under, the Murray the Camel Humphreys and had made those connections he was the most connected guy in the Chicago outfit, so for a guy like Lenny Patrick to be. [16:15] Rollover against is essentially the political leader, national political leader and political leader of Chicago. This was absolutely crippling to the outfit. That was he wiped out the entire political arm of the Chicago outfit. After Lenny Patrick brought down Gus Alex, this became a basically a street crime organization. It was that those political contacts. I mean, I think that’s a fair statement, right, Paul? Those political contacts and judges, I mean, that was all but eliminated with Gus Alex going away. You’re absolutely right, Cam. And he not only took out Gus Alex, but he took out the boss of the Italians, too. That’s right, yeah. Both of them at the same time. He wiped out the outfit, and you put it beautifully by saying it became a street crime organization. You think about the division of labor and it started with IUP and IUP and. [17:19] La Pietra, Jackie Cerone, they had all the gambling, a lot of the sports gambling, but they also had the skim from Las Vegas, and they ran all that stuff, while Gus Alex, along with Lenny Patrick, ran all that politics, and you can’t have a mob organization if you don’t have cover politically. That’s why even in Kansas City, we’re pretty clean here, but we still never had any real mob prosecutions. [17:47] And it certainly had very few, if any, little, if any mob prosecutions at Cook County. And you couldn’t even get convicted of a real crime, murder, assault, or something. It’s just a straight-out crime. You weren’t even trying to do a RICO, I think, on anybody. So it was, you know, they just operated with impunity. Well, you took out that whole gambling side. That was all the money coming in. And then shortly thereafter, you take out the political side, who then turns back and gets the new boss on the gambling side and loan sharking and all that. [18:23] I’ll tell you, by 1990, the outfit’s gone. It really is. It still exists to a degree, but Sam Carlisi was the last traditional old line boss of the outfit. you, that, in my opinion, that ever ruled. After that, it was never the same. Yeah, I think a guy like Gus Alex, you know, like you said, Gary, you had Aiuppa who was dealing with gambling, but I think that’s a lot of, there’s a lot of optics to that, you know, and you’ve got all these cities who have got characters who are not Italian, Gus Alex in Chicago, and, you know, as Paul said, Meyer Lansky, who was New York, and you had Mashie Rockman in Cleveland, and these characters not italians so they know when to step back and let and let the italians talk but that doesn’t mean that they’re not running things it’s just for the optics of city to city where the italians have to see that they’re dealing with italians they don’t walk in the room it doesn’t mean that behind the scenes they’re not pulling the levers they just because of of the uh uh criminal um. [19:34] The the criminal view of of non-italians in that world sort of sort of their own prejudices these guys don’t always walk in the room when they’re dealing with other cities gus alex is is sitting down with anybody in chicago but you go to kansas city you go to new york, you know meyer lansky would leave the room when they were when they were talking you know italian to Italian. And the same thing with Gus Alex or Mace Rockman or any of those other guys who are not Italian. It was just an optics city to city. It doesn’t mean that they weren’t pulling the levers. Is it Yehuda or Jehuda, Cam? Jehuda. I’ve always heard of Jehuda. Yeah, Jehuda. So he kind of dealed with the IRS that year. [20:23] He must have had some. The IRS was really strong working the mob in Chicago. I’ve noticed several references to IRS investigations. We did not have that in Kansas City, and the IRS did a little bit, but they were not as strong as they were up in Chicago. [20:38] Yeah, he met with an agent, Tom Moriarty, who’s been around and worked Chicago for a long time. He was a pretty well-known guy up here. But Bill Jehota worked under Ernest Rocco Infelice, who was a real powerhouse going back a long time. And out in Cicero, and his crew, a lot of these crews had their own little names, and they called the good shit Lollipop. He was a huge gambling enterprise, you know. And they bought a house up in Lake County, which is north of the city. It’s funny, this house they bought was actually the family that had lived in it. The son had murdered the family. It was a murder house before the outfit bought it. and uh they bought it used it as a as a gambling den and and after that moved out they used it for prostitution and they would park cars at a nearby motel that they ran and then then have a uh a, valet service that drove him to this this gambling house and there was also quite a few uh murders that uhJahoda witnessed i’m sure he took no part in it he just happened to be standing outside of the house when they when they these murders were committed there was a uh was it hal smith and um. [21:57] Oh i can’t remember the they killed somebody else in this home and they burnt these were guys who didn’t want to pay his tree tags, and they were gamblers who refused to give in. And he brought down this entire crew. I mean, Rocco and Felice was… There’s a famous picture of the day after the Spolatros were killed. And it was really the upper echelon of the up that you’ve got. You’ve got little Jimmy Marcello. You’ve got the boss, Sam Wings-Carlesi. You’ve got the street boss, Joe Ferriola. And you’ve got Rocco and Felice, who’s right there. These are the four top guys, basically, in the outfit as far as at this time, the Cicero crew had risen to the top. That was the powerhouse crew. And so he was involved in those discussions because he was such a powerhouse out there with Ferriola being the street boss. So he was, it really can’t be thatJahodatestimony that eventually brought down this crew was really, it really crippled that crew for a long time. Well, those people that went down in that trial have only in the last five years come out of prison. Yeah, we’ve actually had been talking to somebody. We’ve had the… [23:13] Opportunity to meet he brought down uh uh robert um to go beat um bellavia and another guy who doesn’t like to be mentioned who runs a pretty successful pizza pizza chain up in lake county and uh these guys went down for a long time the beat was down for 25 years and he just came out. [23:39] So and billJahoda have if you read his testimony it is kind of kind of odd that he was standing outside of the building and just looked in the window and they were committing a murder and he just he he places himself outside of the house witnessing a murder through the window which is convenient when you’re the one testifying against murderers it certainly is yeah. [24:03] So so that was he was involved in the gambling so that makes sense then the irs got him and millions of dollars millions of dollars a month they were bringing and he met uh, i don’t remember paul and you did he he contacted moriarty right or did moriarty reach out to him because he was under investigation i i thought Jahoda was was worried about himself so he reached out to them i can’t remember the details i think you’re right yeah i i think he was worried about his own his own safety gary and he reached out to moriarty and they met up at a hotel just outside the city on the uh up in the northwest and uh they talked about things i actually found the location and on the little map you can find where where they met each other but he they met each other in disgust and they would meet different locations and and jahuda wore a wire and some of those some of those wiretaps are they really make for that. [25:05] That those conversations come right out of the movie just i love what we’re doing out here and i love my job and and you actually where i’m going to make you trunk music i mean you really hear these things that that you see it right in the movies i mean you you can’t write the dialogue that these guys are actually using it’s it’s it’s you know it it comes straight out of a book i mean You’ve got, you’ve got, uh, this is the toughest dialogue you’ll ever hear. Interesting. How’d you buy it? Where’d you find that at? Is that, uh, it’s probably not the audio in probably anywhere. No book or something. Yeah. You can, if you look up, if you look up different, different, you know, you go on newspapers.com or you go in different, uh, I believe, uh, I’ve got, um, uh, mob textbook by, um, Howard Abedinsky. I’ve got a couple of copies of his, of his textbook, organized crime. And he’s got some clips of it. This guy who owns a pizza shop up north is talking about how he loves his job. He loves what he does. And it’s funny to hear he talk about smashing somebody and loving what you do. Really? I’ve heard a few conversations like that back at the station house. [26:25] I don’t care. It’s on both sides. Is that what you’re saying? When you live in that world. Those guys can go either direction. [26:37] Well, let’s talk about ex-Chicago cops. Speaking of cops, let’s talk about, Vince Rizza, his daughter actually appeared on that Chicago Mob Housewives, or they tried to do a show. And Frank Schweiss’ daughter was on it. And Pia Rizza, who has gotten some notoriety as a model or something, I can’t remember. And she really, she was tight. She would not talk about her dad at all. I read an interview of her. She would just talk about her dad at all. But he came in and he testified against Harry Aleman, of all people, and linked him to the murder of this bookie, Anthony Ritlinger. Remember that one? [27:22] Go ahead, Paul. No, that one I’m not very up on, Cam. I’m sorry. So, Ritlinger, I believe he didn’t want to pay his street tax, if I’m right, Gary. Yeah, you’re right. He had been warned. Rattlinger had been warned that he needs to pay, he needs to pay, and he was making a good deal of money. And Ratlinger was he was brought in just the normal course of action with the wild bunch because he was a wild bunch murder I’m a little rusty but here it comes so he was a wild bunch killing, he was brought in he was warned it was the typical Harry Ailerman and if I’m remembering correctly and people correct me if I’m not it was Butch Petruccelli they sat him down. [28:11] Usually it would be Butch and, um, uh, Borsellino who would do the talking, uh, Tony Borsellino, and they would do the talking. And then afterwards, Butch Petruccelli would just sit down and glare. So he was a pretty scary guy. And he had that, uh, uh, Malocchio, the, the evil eye, and he would just glare at people. And that would send the message and Rattlinger didn’t, didn’t listen. He was making too much money, he’s not going to pay any damn Degos, that kind of line. And so he, of course, fell victim to these guys. And I believe he may have been trunk music. I think I remember this one, Matt, but I can’t remember. Yeah, I got this one. He went to a restaurant. That’s right. That’s right. And he had already, his daughter lived with him. I’m not sure about the wife, but he had warned his family to take all kinds of extra cautious. He knew something was coming. And it was, you know, after reading that thing, it’s, It’s kind of like, well, we talked about Spilotro taking off their jewelry. Ken Eto did this similar kind of a thing and told his wife he may not be coming back. [29:22] I tell you, another guy that did the same thing was Sonny Black. That’s right. It came out about Joe Pistone, the Donnie Brasco story. He did the same thing. He went to a sit-down or a meeting, and he took off his jewelry, I believe left his billfold, when he went to the meeting. this. Ken Eto was the same way. Ken Eto, I think, thought he could talk his way out. I think all of them thought they could talk their way out of it. So Rettlinger went out by himself and sat in a prominent place in this local restaurant that was really well known up there in the north side. It’s north of downtown Chicago, and I can’t remember the name of it. [30:02] And he just sat there and pretty soon a car pulls up and two guys run in kind of like a Richard Cain kind of a deal and just start popping. And that was a Harry Aleman deal. That’s right. He did, I believe. There’s an old guy who married the girlfriend of Felix Adlericio, I believe. He and this woman are sitting out in front of their brownstone, and Aleman and some other dude pull out and get out when guys walk up to him and shoot him and kill him. [30:31] And so that was – Yeah, that was Petrocelli and Aleman walked up, And he had been, he had been dating, uh, uh, Aldericio’s, Alderico’s girlfriend. Now that’s the famous hit from beyond the grave. Because we’re going to go on the old Samuel’s just sitting in the lawn chair thinking he’d got it made. That’s right. You know, Gary, you and I did the show on the outfit, uh, a long time ago. No, I’m sorry. On the wild bunch, a long time ago. So a lot of those, and they did so much work back in the day. A lot of those run together, but yeah, you’re now, uh, now that you’re right, writing her was he was eating in a restaurant. I’m, Uh, I can’t remember the name. It may have been, been Luna’s, but he was, went out in public. He thought he’d be safe. And like you said, a lot of these guys have a six cents because they come up on the street and they know these things. And, uh, like a guy like Sammy and Reno knew it was coming. He was dodging them for a long time, but they, they know that their time is coming. Eventually they just, they stay ahead of it for a while and figure they can fight their way out or talk their way out. And yeah, they, he was blown away right in public. Like it was similar to the, I remember it being similar to the, to the Richard Cain murder. And this was in, it was right around the same time. It was, it was in the mid seventies, 75, 74, 75, 76. It might’ve been 75 that writing or happened right, right in the middle of the restaurant. [31:58] I’ve been a lot cheaper to pay the street tax, I reckon. You know, and it wasn’t, I don’t recall that they’re asking for so much, but once these murder started happening yeah i think it was it wasn’t like it was half or 75 i think they just wanted it was you know it might have been a quarter it might have just been a flat fee across the board but once that street tax was was instituted i mean we’ve talked about this before gary that was when the wild bunch was out there that was that was they really didn’t play around When Ferriola told these guys, get everybody in line, [32:31] they really cracked down and they weren’t playing at all. You pay or you die. And guys like Alem and Patrick Shelley, whether it was right in public or whatever, in the outfit in the 70s, Paul, you know this from Richard Cain and several others. They just write in public would just blow you away. and writing her was just was almost textbook just like the Richard Cain it was it was right in the right in the restaurant yeah I’ll tell you I’ll tell. [33:05] I was conflating him with Hal Smith. Okay. I’ll tell you something about those mob hits. When they kill somebody in public like that in a public way, more than likely it’s because whoever the victim is has been alerted, and they can’t get anybody to get close to them. They will already try to send somebody around to get them isolated, and when they can’t get them isolated, then they want them bad enough. They’ll just lay, as Frank Calabrese, I heard him say once, well, lay on them. And I thought, oh, that’s interesting. Well, lay on them. I read that somewhere else. They use that term when you’re following somebody and you’re trying to set them up, or yet they lay on them. Calabrese even said, you know, you’re like, get an empty refrigerator box and hide inside of it. I mean, it’s just like the kind of stuff we used to do at the intelligence unit to run surveillances on people. And so they’ll lay on them for a while until they can get you somewhat isolated. And if they can’t, then they’ll just take you out in public. It might be to send a message, but I don’t think so because it’s so risky to get somebody in public. You can have a young, all-fitty cop in there that you didn’t even notice, and he comes out blazing. And, you know, it’s just not worth it. Even if you take him out, he’s probably got to get you. [34:21] So it’s kind of a last resort. A desperation. Yeah, it’s desperation because they can’t get you isolated. [34:28] You look at some of these public murderers, guys like Richard Cain or Ridinger, like you said, who was on the watch. Sam Annarino, who was right on Cicero. [34:39] A guy like Chris Carty, who was years later. I mean, these are guys who would have been smart enough and street smart enough to be on the watch, to watch their step, to know what was going on. With the exception of a guy like Michael Cagnoni, who just happened to be difficult to get, and he probably might have had an idea that something was happening, but I think just he was a family guy, and so it was hard to isolate. They blew him up on the interstate, but I think that in general, that’s a good point, Gary. These guys, if they just run up and blow away, it’s just a last resort. That’s an excellent point. I have always been in that camp of, oh, that must be sending a message. But you, with your experience, I think you’re exactly right. One thing, guys, I think we’re mixing up Sambo Cesario with Sam Annarino. I was thinking when they – yeah, you’re right, Paul. I was thinking, though, when they blew away Sam Annarino in the parking lot with his family, though, they had been trying to get him for several months. And they finally just went after him in the parking lot, called in a robbery, and blew him away in the furniture store parking lot. That was what I meant. Yeah, Gary was referring to Sambo earlier. I just meant they had been trying to get Sam Annarino for a long time, and when they couldn’t, they just got him in the parking lot. [36:08] Well, interesting. You know, no matter how much terror these guys strike in the heart of their underlings, in the end, they still will turn once in a while. And I think people don’t really not turn because they’re afraid of getting killed so much if they don’t turn because they don’t want to have their family suffering the disgrace of them being a rat or a snitch. I think that’s more important to be a man and go out like a man in this subculture and believe me I’ve lived in a subculture where being a man and being a tough guy is more important than anything else, I think that’s the most important thing that keeps people from coming in you’re like a wimp you’re a puss, you can’t take it, can’t handle it you know what I mean you can’t handle five years I could do five years standing on my head or a tray like the dude told me so uh you know but even even with all that and still there’s a certain percentage that will end up coming in sure and usually there are people that either don’t care about their family like lenny patrick yeah or that don’t have close family so that they don’t have it so much of that pressure that you’re talking about gary because you make a really valid point that that that cultural value is so strong yeah yeah it’s it’s. [37:36] In a lot of these small towns, you see in Detroit where they’re all family tied in and everything, you don’t see informants. I think they’ve had one. Kansas City, as you said, Gary, you don’t see. But then you look at a place like Rochester where they’re all just lower tier mob guys. Everybody was informing on everybody because they really weren’t as upper echelon sort of mob guys. So I think that, like you said, once you get that culture seeped in, you’ve got those families and all, there’s a lot of factors. But if it’s a deep-rooted mob town, you really don’t see a lot of real informants. [38:11] So, guys, now we’ve got one that I did a show on. I did a couple of shows on him. I talked to the FBI agent who brought him in and dealt with him for quite a while. Ken Tokiojo Eto. He survived a murder attempt. When that didn’t happen for him with the outfit, what happened after that? [38:32] I believe his attempted assassins got killed themselves. So tell me a little bit about Tokyo Joe Eto. There’s a photograph I have from the late 50s, early 60s And it shows Joe Ferriola And a couple of other heavyweights Hanging around with a young Ken Eto, And a lot of people didn’t know who Ken Eto was But he ran the Japanese game, Gambling, Bolita And lots of money Poured into the outfit through Tokyo Joe As they called him And there was a rumor that perhaps Tokyo Joe was going to turn under a little bit of pressure. And so Jasper Campisi put three slugs in the back of his head. [39:22] Miraculously, he survived three slugs at point blank range. And if he wasn’t going to turn state’s evidence before, he certainly had a powerful incentive to do so now. He seems to insist As I’ve heard that he was not His intention was not It’s hard to say at this point But he says he had no intention Of flipping and that he’s not sure What the evidence was against him But he was not going to flip until, It was Yeah. [39:55] I’m drawing a blank, Paul. Who was it that sent? It wasn’t the saint. It was Vincent Solano. He was kind of Vincent Solano, who was a union guy and a made guy up there. He kind of had which one. [40:11] He was a capo. And which crew was it? Do you remember? He was on the north side. North side crew. North side crew. And actually, Ken went to Vince Solano and had a talk with him. Said you know what i can do this he was looking at a tray i had a dude tell me what’s that pressure and tried to get him to talk and he said uh he said what am i gonna get out of this a tray he said man i can do a tray standing on my head and i threw him right then that’s right gotta talk to me so uh and that’s all he had to do but solano for some reason uh who knows what was in his head because uh ken Eto had made him a lot of money a lot of money and he was a tough little dude he had he had survived he had been put in the uh concentration camps if you will during the internment camps yeah internment camps and then came as a young man up chicago and been around for a long time by the time this all came down he’d been with him for a long time and made him a lot of money and all kinds of different gambling operations but particularly the bolita. [41:13] So uh it just didn’t make sense i heard one thing that these guys in chicago got the idea Yeah, to keep the noise down, they were loading their own rounds with lighter loads of powder. I don’t know. They had like a hit car up there. The guys in Chicago were pretty sophisticated or tried to be. And so they used these lighter loads. And when it went into his head, it just didn’t penetrate his skull. I remember I was at the hospital once, and there was a young guy who had gotten shot in the head. And they said that the bullet was not a good bullet because it went in under his skin and then went under his scalp, along his skull, and then lodged up on his forehead. [41:56] Wow. And so Eto was kind of the same way. Those bullets were probably lodged up underneath his scalp. He pulled himself to a neighboring, I believe it was a pharmacy that was right there, a corner store. And then that guy went to help him. I think he had to dial a call of 911 or whatever. 911 was in place then. He had to call for help for himself from a phone booth. You know, he saved his own life by being smart and playing dead. Yeah, that’s right. And you look at Chicago, it’s a city of neighborhoods, and you’ve got the Mexican town, and you’ve got the different towns, and you’ve got Chinatown where there’s so much money and so much gambling. And while Haneda was Japanese and there’s obviously division between Japanese and Chinese, it would be much easier for him to go in and then some of these outfit guys and because of different things going on back in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. But he could go into neighborhoods and represent the outfit in ways in different communities that the outfit wouldn’t go into or a lot of these made guys. [43:12] And that gave him entry into a lot of communities. In the Asian community, there’s a lot of gambling that he was able to tap into. He was smart enough to see that as a route that maybe the Italian guys didn’t, just like Lenny Patrick, who we’ve talked about in other episodes, had that access into the Jewish communities and other Jewish gangsters. There’s a lot of gambling there. If you can get somebody who has an in to different communities, that’s really a way to go and that’s part of why he made so much money. A game like BolEto wouldn’t normally be and that’s huge in the Hispanic communities and huge with Asians also. You know in kansas city that’s interesting that you should point that out camp we had a um large vietnamese community moved in after the the boat peoples when it started and they moved in through the same church uh. [44:09] Sacred Heart Church and Don Bosco Center that the Italians moved in, the Sicilians moved into back in the turn of the century, the same neighborhoods. And Italians are getting successful and they’re moving out the suburbs and the Vietnamese are moving in and creating the Vietnamese restaurants and Vietnamese shops. And they brought, they have a love for gambling. Like you said, they have huge love for gambling. They don’t drink so much or do so many drugs, but they do love to gamble, it seemed to me like. [44:36] And so they had their own book. he was called the king a guy a friend of mine told me a story uh there’s a mob book he got on the periphery that neighborhood’s got a joint and he he was running a sports book and he had a lot of action going in and out of his joint so this one vietnamese guy had a big debt owed to the king so he goes down and talks to this guy’s name was Larry Strada, he ends up getting killed by some other uh mobsters in a deal they thought he was going to testify but i just needed to hear are there, this young, middle-aged Vietnamese guy goes down to the Caddyshack, Larry Strada’s bar. And he starts telling him about the king. He said, man, he said, the king, you take all your business. He said, he got all business down here. He take all your business. He said, you know, you need to do something about the king. He said, you know, we’re close to the river here. And then he made a motion across his throat like he was cutting his throat. So he was trying to get out of his gambling debt to convince this Italian, La Cosa Nostra bookie to go back and kill me yeah king piano. [45:42] You know i’ve heard a lot of stories and some of them are true some are not that one had to ring a truth to it it had a definite ring of truth that that got to do that playing them against each other yeah you bet and you know another thing about tokyo joe and you know he could testify But Ben Solano had Campizé and Gattuso killed right away. Found them in the trunk of their car, I think. Maybe at the airport, even. [46:09] Chicago trunk music, but they have some saying like that. And so Solano knew that they could testify against him, and they didn’t want to go down for attempted murder, more than likely, and he just didn’t take a chance. So he had them killed, and I can’t remember if he went down behind this or not. But another thing Tokyo Joe was able to do, I mean, he certainly could expose all the inner workings of what he knew about to the FBI, which gives you a lot of tips on where to go, who to work on, and maybe where to throw up microphones or some wiretaps. But he also traveled around he came to Kansas City during the skimming trial because they’re working on the Chicago hierarchy. So they just fly him into town. They show him that picture, the last separate picture where everybody’s in the picture. And they say, now, who’s that? Oh, that’s Aiuppa. Okay, then who’s that? Oh, that’s Vince Solano. Yeah, he reports to Aiuppa. You know, and who’s that guy? I can’t remember the other people at all. So the nation said that Joe is up hard. Oh, yeah, he reports to this guy. So to show the organization of the mob in Chicago and that it is an organization that gives orders to have other people carry it to make the RICO case, that he was a storyteller for that. And he didn’t know anything about the skim at all. But he was a storyteller on getting the mob name and the organization in front of a jury. That’s huge, as you know, Paul. [47:35] Absolutely. We had a similar arrangement during the Carlesi trial about how [47:40] the Carlesi crew operated and who was who, and to tell the story. Yeah. You have to make it a story. Let’s take a look at Betty Toco, which, uh, this is pretty interesting. There was a, um, I’m not sure. Albert Toco was your husband. Remind me what his position was at the outfit at that time. So Al Toco was, there’s sort of a division on who was the leadership of, who was the central leader of Chicago Heights. There’s Dominic Tuts Palermo and Al Toco, who was really a powerhouse in Chicago Heights. And Tuts Palermo was definitely highly connected and across the pond too, also in Italy. But uh Toco was involved in the in the chop shop wars really really heavily involved and he had a lot of connections in chicago too he was involved with lombardo and a lot of these chop shops throughout chicago he had a lot of partnerships and so this was a 30 million dollar a year racket stolen cars chop shops international car rings uh car rings throughout stolen car rings throughout the country. Toco was responsible for burying the Spolatro brothers. It was very sectioned off. Each crew had a part in their murder. And then Chicago Heights was responsible for the burial. [49:02] And they were down in Enos, Indiana. They got kind of turned around a little bit. They were down a farm road. They were burying them in a freshly tilled field. And the road where they’re on, there’s a little side road that you would drive down. There’s very little down there. I’ve, I’ve seen it, but a car happened to come down middle of night and they were in a, there’s a, there were a couple of feet off of a wooded area and they see this car coming down and they sort of all panicked and before they had a chance to cover the area or really do anything, it just looked like a freshly dug, it really just looked like freshly dug mound. And so they all fled and three of Toco’s guys went one way and he went the other. They had the car in both radios. [49:46] He’s wandering around barefoot, and he calls his wife finally. She shows up, and he’s screaming and yelling. And he runs to Florida, and he’s waiting for permission to come back from Joe Ferriola. He’s worried he’s going to get killed because they find the Spallachos immediately because the farmer sees his field all messed up, freshly tilled ground, and it looks really suspicious, like somebody had been poaching deer and burying the carcass. Uh but Toco was a tyrant to his wife he was he was horrible to her he was he was when you think of what a mob guy was that was Toco you know tipping the guy who mows his lawn the kid who mows his lawn hundred bucks and wandered around town everybody knows him but he’d come home and unlike a lot of these guys he was he was a real you know a real. [50:36] Real bastard to his wife you know and for years she put up with this sort of abuse and finally after this this happened and it was in the news and all he finally pushed her too far and she began informing on him and and he was arrested later on he was in his jail cell talking about all the murders he had committed and and this and that about his wife and uh his his uh uh A cellmate repeated everything that he said to try and lessen his sentence. So really, Toco got buried by his big mouth and his terrible behavior. He initially fled to Greece before he was arrested, and they extradited him back from Greece. So this is, I mean, Toco is like deep in mob behavior. [51:22] I mean, fleeing the country and all. I mean, it doesn’t get much more mafia than Al Toco. I hesitate to use that word with Chicago, but that was, Al Toco was running deep. and that Betty Tocco’s testimony eventually led to the trial of Al Tocco. And that was really a blow to the Chicago Heights crew that nowadays, I mean, they continued on and had a few rackets, but after the eventual trial that stemmed from that, it really wasn’t, there’s not much activity now. I’m in that area and there’s just, there’s really nothing here. [51:59] Interesting. Now, so Tony and Michael Spilotro had been lured to somebody’s house on the promise that Michael was going to be made. It’s my understanding. I believe that’s what Frank Collada had reported. And some other people, not part of the Chicago Heights crew, killed him. How did that go down? And how did they pass off the body? You guys, is there anything out there about that? Wasn’t that the family secrets trial, maybe? It was. And, of course, it’s been popularly portrayed in the movie Casino. And it’s surprisingly accurate Except for the fact That where they were beaten But what happened was Little Jimmy Marcello called them. [52:41] And said Sam, meaning Sam Carlisi, the boss, wanted to see them. And they knew that that was ominous because of what was going on beyond the scope of this show. But they took off the jewelry. They left. They told their wives, if we’re not back by 930, it’s not good. They really did not suspect that it was to make Michael. That’s what Collada said. You’re absolutely right about that, Gary. But I don’t think that’s correct at all. They knew that it was bad. And they went. He took a pistol, which was against the rules. They hit him a pistol. Tony hit a pistol on his brother, which you do not do when you go to see the boss. And they were picked up by, by Marcello and taken to a house. I, uh, was it Bensonville? Yeah. Up in Bensonville. Uh, in, in the basement, they walked down the stairs and all of a sudden they looked into the eyes of Carlici and, uh, DeFranzo and everybody, the whole, all the couples were there to spread the, the, uh, liability around and they were beaten to death with, with fists and feet, uh, in, in that basement and then transported to that burial ground, which coincidentally was just maybe a couple hundred yards away from Joey Aupa’s farm. [54:00] Right. So I guess that they must have had, uh, Toco standing by, because I don’t believe he was in that basement. I like that. He must have had him standing by to go grab the bodies and take them out. Really interesting. He should have had the old Doug before he got there. You know, that’s what they always say. First you dig the hole then you go do the murder right and i don’t think he had it done before he got there yeah i don’t i really that’s a good that’s a good point gary i really don’t know and nobody’s ever come forward to say what the status of the hole was beforehand uh you know it was a deep it was a deep it was it was a pretty deep hole uh but they may have had a dug ahead of Tom, but, but, uh, cause they knew the location and it’s pretty obscure location. So they had clearly been there before. And, and, you know, everybody knew that that was, I, I hope was, I got it right. Farm. And, uh, So they may have had it dug, and they just did a shoddy job covering it up. [55:05] But I also haven’t heard the specific details about how they handed it off to Toco. I don’t recall seeing that in Calabrese’s testimony. Yeah, it was Nick Calabrese that testified about that. It brought up the light. He named the killer. So he may not have gone that far, probably having Toco and having his wife testify that he did do this. that she picked him up out there. It was just a piece of the entire prosecution on the spot, which it really never was a trial or anything on that. I don’t believe. Another odd thing is he, I believe he ranted and raved the entire car ride back. And from where he was, you would run up with, It’s now turns into Indianapolis. So it’s a good car ride from where they were to Chicago Heights. I believe he ranted and raved about the guys and his crew and the burial and everything, the entire car ride, which was not something most guys would do in front of their wives. But I really, especially when he treated like that. Right. And complained about how long it took her to get there and everything. So she was able to verify a lot of what Calabrese was saying from the final end of it. Interesting. A friend of mine was in the penitentiary, and he said, there’s a guy in there who called himself a verifier. He said, what do you mean? He said, I’m a professional verifier. What he was, he was an informant. That’s what he was, but he called himself a verifier. [56:33] A girl would come to him and say, well, I heard this, this, and this. Is that true or not? He’d say, well, that’s true. That’s not true. [56:40] I guess that’s a more preferable term. Yeah, she was a verifier. Well, that was great. I really appreciate having that on there and Paul. And I really, I still miss Cam. Every time I get ready to do a Chicago show, I think, oh, I want to get Cam or Rochester. [56:58] We did one about Rochester. We did one about Utica. I did several other shows about other families. And he was a good guy and a real great researcher and a real expert on the outfit and other mafia families. So rest in peace, Cam and Paul. I hope to talk to you again one of these days. Guys, don’t forget, I got stuff to sell out there. Just go to my website or just search on my name for Amazon. I can rent my movies about the skim in Las Vegas, about the big mob war between the Savella brothers and the Spiro brothers in Kansas City. Then one about the great 1946 ballot theft in which the mob… Rigged election, helped Harry Truman rig an election. It’s a little harder to find than mine. You need to put ballot theft and Gary Jenkins. I think you’ll find it then. The other two, Gangland Wire and Brothers Against Brothers, Sabella Spiro, were a little bit easier to find. Had to put it up a different way because Amazon changed the rules, but I got them up there. So thanks a lot, guys.

Johnny Spoiler dives into Wrath of Daimajin (1966) — the brutal, emotional final entry in the legendary Japanese Daimajin trilogy, where feudal samurai drama collides with full-blown kaiju monster wrath.Before we get to giant stone gods and sulfur pits, Johnny opens with a cold open on a recurring problem: people keep comparing him to Elvis Presley — usually at the worst possible times, like buying pizza at a gas station. Is it the sideburns? The sunglasses? The curse of compliments from strangers? The comparison stops here.From there, we hit Home Video Headlines, covering:Mickey Rourke's financial struggles and the dark side of fameWhy actors hide in day jobsClickbait movie rankings, overrated awards chatter, and why Bonanza still beats DeadwoodDirected by Kazuo Mori, Wrath of Daimajin follows a group of children on a deadly journey to rescue their enslaved fathers from a tyrannical lord forcing villagers to mine sulfur in Hell's Valley. As blizzards rage and bodies fall, the ancient stone god Daimajin awakens, delivering one of the most haunting monster finales of the 1960s.We break down:The film's Stand By Me–style adventure with demons instead of bulliesShocking second-act brutalityThe evolution of Daimajin from stone idol to flesh-and-blood avengerWhy this sequel might be the best film in the trilogyJohnny also digs into the movie's strange U.S. release history, mis-titled home video versions, late English dub, and why this is one of the most overlooked gems in Japanese genre cinema.Binge Now. Emotional, brutal, beautifully staged, and unforgettable — proof that third entries don't always fall off.Plus:Fan service shoutout to Larry Z and the eternal logic of Surf NinjasStaff pick spotlight on Denzel Washington's time-travel thriller Déjà VuA taste-driven partner shoutout to MEATZY, delivering premium proteins straight to your door https://tr.ee/GetMeatzyJohnnyStick around for laughs, monsters, nostalgia, and zero Elvis impersonations.

Fake or For Real, Jeff's Italian Word of the Day: Welcome back, and 1K Letter of the Day... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's story: Labubu is a mischievous, rabbit-eared character created by illustrator Kasing Lung. Chinese toymaker Pop Mart has turned Labubu into a global toy craze, using gamified sales tactics and regularly releasing new collectible sets. Fans can't get enough. They film themselves opening the famous “blind boxes,” take photos with their Labubus, and bid up the value of their favorites online. Transcript & Exercises: https://plainenglish.com/827Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/827--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

Nat and Linny are back. It's a chance to chat over the last few weeks, and look forward through the January blues with a bit of sunshine and silliness. Enjoy! xx Please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. xxx You can find us in all places here; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/lifewithnat/view⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We're on Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/lifewithnatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Nat's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natcass1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Marc's insta: ⁠@camera_marc⁠ Neice's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@natsnieces⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tony's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@tonycass68⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Linny's insta: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@auntielinny.lwn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MORE LIVE SHOW! 07/02/2026 Brighton, The Forge ⁠TICKETS⁠ 08/02/2026 Newcastle upon Tyne, The Stand ⁠TICKETS⁠ 25/02/2026 Folkestone, Quarterhouse ⁠TICKETS⁠ 28/02/2026 Colchester, Arts Centre ⁠TICKETS⁠ 07/03/2026 Manchester, Fairfield Social Club ⁠TICKETS⁠ 22/03/2026 Leeds, The Wardrobe ⁠TICKETS⁠ 29/03/2026 Bristol, The Gaffe - ⁠TICKETS⁠ Book Club: November's book - All Together for Christmas by Sarah Morgan & December's book (optional extra for the speedy readers) - A Heart for Christmas: Advent Romance by Sophie Jomain Nat's solo chats - any rants always welcome!  Scraping the Barrel - SCAN AND SHOP VIRGIN NO LONGER! Bonce vs list! - Are you a list maker? Always collecting for Nostalgia Fest! What's brewing with the Nieces - are we all skipping the end of summer, all of autumn and going straight to Christmas - Nat's door is! Group chat ettiquette & pranks. Nice Lorraines… get in touch! Advent calendars & gift recommendations v. welcome! Things we're nagging with Linny about - More lateness stories and some cleaning questions, please! The Tony talks chatter - Keep your DIY questions coming, also open to some saucy two paragraph stories for Tony to read out at the Southend show - think cheeky postcards (both in tone and length)! Can we make Tony an influencer and get him any freebies?  TBC Cultural differences ep - inspired by Linny's Mediterranean heritage and her & Ellia's Italian trip, we'd love to hear about the cultural differences you've noticed between the UK and basically ANYWHERE else!  A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@keepitlightmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Against the advice of many, to ring in the new year, Hunter discusses brainrot, takes a look at bathroom specific Italian brainrot, and even tries creating a Privy inspired Italian Brainrot. -- Connect: www.privy-cast.com Social and Contact Links: linktr.ee/privycast Follow Hunter -- Give Thanks, Give Back: Wounded Warrior Project Living Water International -- Privy is proud to be hosted by Podbean. Looking to start a podcast? Learn more at: https://www.podbean.com/Privycast -- Music:  Intro and Outro Derived from: Barroom Ballet - Silent Film Light by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100310 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ - Poo in the News Music: "Newsreel" by Max Surla/Media Right Productions Youtube Media Library - Transition Music "Circuit Rush" by The Mini Vandals YouTube Media Library https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTdSDPjB1kle7puRKAuHP_g -- Poo in the News Article: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSPc2WekiiY/?igsh=MWtrZGV4dXN0dTVrcQ== - Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_rot https://oakmonitoronline.com/19820/features/a-history-of-brain-rot/rbouchard/ https://italianbrainrot.miraheze.org/wiki/List_of_characters https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_brainrot

This week I talk with Julia Pennington, founder of Hera the Dog Vodka, who transformed her approach to animal activism after discovering criminal abuse at a Nashville animal shelter in high school, leading her to devote 25 years to Los Angeles rescue work before realizing traditional methods weren't addressing root causes. To create sustainable funding beyond donor fatigue, Julia developed a premium vodka using organic Italian wheat base from spent pasta grain, operating as a social benefit corporation that donates 50% of profits (currently 6% of sales) to local animal rescues in the same cities where the vodka is sold. The company has donated $70,000 plus 16,000 pounds of pet food, is expanding to Colorado, and is developing an online platform where customers will be able to choose which rescue receives their donation, with Julia emphasizing transparency and welcoming non-drinkers to support the mission by donating directly to featured rescues. To learn more about Hera the Dog, as long as you are 21 or older, check out www.herathedogvodka.com or follow them on social media @herathedogvodka.Sponsor:LIX - check out www.lixpetwellness.com to learn more about CBD for pets. Use code Rescuepod20 for 20% off your first order! Thanks for listening! If you liked what you heard, please rate, review, and subscribe. If you have ideas for future guests please email me at theanimalrescuepodcast@gmail.com or follow me @theanimalrescuepod on Instagram. You can also learn more about the organizations I interview and how to listen/watch at www.theanimalrescuepodcast.my.canva.site

Send in your music story!Start with a question: what happens when your words shape your year? We dive into that idea headfirst, sharing New Year goals about speaking with intention, listening better, and even using silence as a strategic tool. From high-stakes business meetings to decompressing at home, we talk about how choosing our words—and choosing when not to speak—can shift outcomes, mindsets, and relationships.Then we pivot into our favorite kind of chaos: holidays, family, and music. We trade stories about Christmas hosting mishaps, perfect plates from an ex–Italian chef grandpa, and gifts that fuel creativity, like a personalized guitar capo and a full art chest. Parenting makes a surprise entrance too: a toddler's sudden language burst, color naming, and the first proud “trash can.” It's the kind of moment that reminds you growth looks flat until it rockets ahead.On the music front, we break down the 2025 charts and confess our personal favorites, from Alex Warren's Ordinary to Teddy Swims and Billie Eilish. Sparks fly when we challenge the ease of country crossovers and ask whether dominant sounds invite outsiders to take over. It's lively, opinionated, and packed with examples—why some artists thrive across genres, why others don't, and how “90s alternative” still echoes through modern playlists. We also compare mood-based listening with old-school genre boxes and ask what really drives a hit in the streaming era.We wrap with pure fun: movies that blindsided us with big feelings, game recommendations, and a slate of plans for Pokemon's 30th anniversary—think retro runs, builds, card openings, and music-themed teams that listeners can help name. Hit play for a candid, energetic ride that blends real life with real music talk.If you're into thoughtful riffs, chart debates, and a community that builds together, follow the show, tap the bell, and share this episode with a friend. Rate and review to help more music nerds find us—what was your number one track of 2025?Check out our Youtube and Instagram! Check out our Website! Become a member!Support the showPlease give us a quick rate and review. If you enjoyed the audio version head over to our Youtube for video content! Follow the Instagram for special content and weekly updates. Check out our website and leave us a voice message to be heard on the show or find out more about the guests!Ever wanted to start your own podcast? Here is a link to get started!https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1964696https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCONMXkuIfpVizopNb_CoIGghttps://www.instagram.com/hook_and_bridge_podcast/https://www.thehookandbridgepodcast.com/

Italy is getting ready to host the Winter Olympics, known as Milan Cortina 2026. The event is an opportunity to showcase the country to the rest of the world and is being held in four Italian regions. But less than two months before the arrival of the Olympic torch, the organisers are facing serious challenges and criticism is mounting over the Games' environmental impact. Our Italy correspondents report.

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Rediscovering Friendship in the Heart of Venezia Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2026-01-05-23-34-02-it Story Transcript:It: Nel cuore di Venezia, proprio al Mercato di Rialto, l'inverno avvolge tutto in un abbraccio freddo.En: In the heart of Venezia, right at the Mercato di Rialto, winter wraps everything in a cold embrace.It: I mercanti ridono e chiacchierano mentre vendono frutta e verdura fresca, pesce e dolci dell'Epifania.En: The merchants laugh and chat as they sell fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, and dolci dell'Epifania.It: L'aria è piena del profumo di castagne arrostite e dolci.En: The air is filled with the scent of roasted chestnuts and sweets.It: Sopra le bancarelle, il cielo è grigio ma l'atmosfera è vivace.En: Above the stalls, the sky is gray but the atmosphere is lively.It: Luca cammina lentamente tra i banchi.En: Luca walks slowly among the stalls.It: Il suo cuore è pesante di ricordi.En: His heart is heavy with memories.It: Una volta, molto tempo fa, aveva una cara amica, Sofia.En: Once, long ago, he had a dear friend, Sofia.It: Ora, la vede a pochi passi da lui.En: Now, he sees her just a few steps away.It: Sta scegliendo delle arance con attenzione, mettendole poi nel suo cesto colorato.En: She is carefully choosing some oranges, then placing them in her colorful basket.It: “Sofia!En: "Sofia!"It: ” chiama Luca con un sorriso incerto.En: calls Luca with an uncertain smile.It: Lei si gira sorpresa, un po' in imbarazzo.En: She turns surprised, a bit embarrassed.It: “Luca?En: "Luca?"It: ” risponde con un tono esitante.En: she responds with a hesitant tone.It: Sofia si ricorda del loro passato.En: Sofia remembers their past.It: C'erano momenti belli e momenti difficili.En: There were good times and difficult times.It: Ma ora non ha tempo per i ricordi.En: But now she has no time for memories.It: Deve comprare tutto il necessario per l'Epifania.En: She needs to buy everything necessary for l'Epifania.It: Tuttavia, sorridono e si salutano con un piccolo abbraccio.En: However, they smile and greet each other with a small hug.It: “Sai, ogni volta che passo per questo mercato penso a quei giorni,” dice Luca, camminando accanto a lei.En: "You know, every time I pass through this market, I think of those days," says Luca, walking beside her.It: “Era tanto tempo fa,” risponde Sofia, cercando di concentrarsi sul pomodoro che tiene in mano.En: "It was a long time ago," responds Sofia, trying to concentrate on the tomato she holds in her hand.It: Vanno avanti così per un po', con Luca che prova a parlare delle vecchie avventure e Sofia che resta un po' distante.En: They continue like this for a while, with Luca trying to talk about old adventures and Sofia remaining a bit distant.It: Lei deve finire presto le sue compere ma Luca spera di avere almeno un'altra possibilità di riconnettersi.En: She needs to finish her shopping quickly, but Luca hopes to have at least another chance to reconnect.It: Poco più avanti, si fermano davanti a un banco che vende calze della Befana, colorate e allegre.En: A little further ahead, they stop in front of a stall selling calze della Befana, colorful and cheerful.It: Luca prende coraggio e dice: “Sofia, ho dei rimpianti.En: Luca gathers courage and says, "Sofia, I have regrets.It: Mi piacerebbe ritrovare la nostra amicizia, anche se diversa.En: I would like to restore our friendship, even if differently."It: ”Sofia lo guarda per un attimo.En: Sofia looks at him for a moment.It: Respira profondamente e pensa alle sue priorità.En: She breathes deeply and thinks about her priorities.It: Poi sorride piano.En: Then she slowly smiles.It: "Possiamo sempre riflettere davanti a un buon caffè," dice finalmente.En: "We can always ponder over a good coffee," she finally says.It: Si dirigono verso una piccola caffetteria vicino al canale.En: They head to a small coffee shop near the canal.It: Con una tazza calda tra le mani, si mettono a ridere delle vecchie storie di una volta e delle cose buffe accadute.En: With a warm cup in their hands, they start laughing about the old stories and the funny things that happened.It: Mentre sorseggiano il caffè, entrambi sentono un cambiamento al loro interno.En: As they sip their coffee, they both feel a change within themselves.It: Luca comprende che non serve riavvolgere il tempo per trovare la felicità.En: Luca understands that it's not necessary to rewind time to find happiness.It: Può apprezzare il presente.En: He can appreciate the present.It: Sofia, d'altra parte, trova una nuova leggerezza nel cuore, riuscendo a lasciare andare i vecchi rancori.En: Sofia, on the other hand, finds a new lightness in her heart, managing to let go of old grudges.It: Uscendo insieme dalla caffetteria, il freddo di Venezia sembra un po' meno pungente.En: As they leave the coffee shop together, the cold of Venezia seems a little less biting.It: E così, nel vivace Mercato di Rialto, Luca e Sofia scoprono che a volte una semplice risata e un caffè possono ricucire un legame.En: And so, in the lively Mercato di Rialto, Luca and Sofia discover that sometimes a simple laugh and a coffee can mend a bond. Vocabulary Words:the embrace: l'abbracciothe merchant: il mercantethe chat: la chiacchierathe stall: la bancarellathe basket: il cestothe memory: il ricordothe regret: il rimpiantothe grudge: il rancorethe chestnut: la castagnathe hug: l'abbracciothe adventure: l'avventurathe smile: il sorrisothe coffee shop: la caffetteriathe canal: il canalethe laugh: la risatathe present: il presentelively: vivacehesitant: esitanteto restore: ritrovareto ponder: riflettereto rewind: riavvolgeredistant: distantecarefully: con attenzionethe friendship: l'amiciziato reconnect: riconnetterethe priority: la prioritàthe lightness: la leggerezzathe bond: il legameto mend: ricucireto sip: sorseggiare

Fluent Fiction - Italian: Epiphany in Rome: Rekindling Friendship and New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/it/episode/2026-01-05-08-38-20-it Story Transcript:It: Le luci natalizie brillavano su Campo de' Fiori, creando un'atmosfera magica nelle serate di gennaio.En: The Christmas lights sparkled over Campo de' Fiori, creating a magical atmosphere on January evenings.It: Era un giorno speciale: l'Epifania.En: It was a special day: the Epiphany.It: Le bancarelle erano ricche di prodotti tipici, dalle calze della Befana alle caldarroste profumate.En: The stalls were filled with traditional products, from la Befana's stockings to fragrant roasted chestnuts.It: Appariva un cielo limpido ma gelido sopra Roma.En: A clear but freezing sky appeared above Rome.It: Giulia camminava tra la folla, il cuore diviso tra l'eccitazione e la curiosità di rivedere i suoi amici d'infanzia dopo tanto tempo passato a studiare all'estero.En: Giulia walked through the crowd, her heart torn between excitement and the curiosity of seeing her childhood friends again after spending so much time studying abroad.It: Indossava una sciarpa rossa e un cappotto nero.En: She wore a red scarf and a black coat.It: Il profumo di spezie che riempiva l'aria era confortante ma anche nostalgico.En: The scent of spices that filled the air was comforting yet nostalgic.It: All'improvviso, sentì una voce familiare: “Giulia!” Si voltò e vide Enrico e Alessandro che la salutavano con grandi sorrisi.En: Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice: “Giulia!” She turned and saw Enrico and Alessandro waving at her with big smiles.It: Si abbracciarono calorosamente, scambiando i classici saluti italiani tra baci sulle guance e pacche amichevoli.En: They embraced warmly, exchanging the classic Italian greetings with cheek kisses and friendly pats.It: Alessandro, sempre allegro, disse: “Finalmente sei tornata!En: Alessandro, always cheerful, said: “Finally, you're back!It: Campo de' Fiori è ancora più bello con te qui!” Iniziarono a camminare insieme tra le bancarelle, assaggiando dolci e comprando piccole cose.En: Campo de' Fiori is even more beautiful with you here!” They started walking together among the stalls, tasting sweets and buying little things.It: Giulia osservava Enrico.En: Giulia observed Enrico.It: Era cresciuto, ma il suo sguardo era sempre lo stesso, sincero e rassicurante.En: He had grown, but his gaze was still the same, sincere and reassuring.It: Mentre chiacchieravano, Giulia si accorse che qualcosa dentro di lei si risvegliava.En: As they chatted, Giulia realized that something inside her was awakening.It: Dopo un po', Alessandro si fermò per comprare dei dolci da una bancarella.En: After a while, Alessandro stopped to buy sweets from a stall.It: Questo lasciò Giulia ed Enrico soli.En: This left Giulia and Enrico alone.It: Enrico prese un respiro profondo e disse: “Giulia, c'è una cosa che volevo dirti da tanto tempo.” Giulia lo guardò, sorpresa e curiosa.En: Enrico took a deep breath and said: “Giulia, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time.” Giulia looked at him, surprised and curious.It: “Enrico, cosa c'è?” “Ho sempre avuto dei sentimenti per te,” confessò lui, guardando il pavimento imbarazzato.En: “Enrico, what is it?” “I've always had feelings for you,” he confessed, looking at the ground embarrassed.It: “Non sapevo se dirtelo, ma ora non volevo perdere l'occasione.” Giulia restò in silenzio per un attimo, colpita dalle sue parole.En: “I didn't know if I should tell you, but I didn't want to miss the chance.” Giulia remained silent for a moment, struck by his words.It: Guardò Enrico negli occhi e rispose: “Anch'io sento che c'è qualcosa di speciale tra noi.En: She looked into Enrico's eyes and replied: “I also feel that there's something special between us.It: Non so cosa porterà il futuro, ma vorrei scoprirlo insieme.” Il viso di Enrico si illuminò di speranza.En: I don't know what the future holds, but I'd like to discover it together.” Enrico's face lit up with hope.It: Sapeva che poteva fidarsi di quei momenti autentici tra amici di vecchia data.En: He knew he could trust those authentic moments between long-time friends.It: Alessandro tornò in quel momento con i dolci, ignaro della conversazione appena avvenuta.En: Alessandro returned at that moment with the sweets, unaware of the conversation that had just taken place.It: I tre continuarono a girare per il mercato, ma ora c'era una nuova energia tra Giulia ed Enrico.En: The three continued to wander through the market, but now there was a new energy between Giulia and Enrico.It: La tensione svanì, lasciando spazio a una promessa di nuove esperienze e legami più profondi.En: The tension vanished, leaving room for a promise of new experiences and deeper connections.It: La serata si concluse con loro che si promettevano di rivedersi presto, per condividere nuove avventure.En: The evening ended with them promising to meet again soon, to share new adventures.It: Giulia salì le scale del treno diretta a casa sua, pensando che, nonostante tutto, certe cose non cambiano mai davvero.En: Giulia climbed the steps of the train heading to her home, thinking that, despite everything, some things never really change.It: Aveva lasciato Roma come una ragazza timorosa e ora tornava più sicura di sé e aperta ai sentimenti che aveva sempre temuto di esprimere.En: She had left Rome as a timid girl and was returning more confident and open to the feelings she had always been afraid to express.It: Così, sotto un cielo stellato, iniziò un nuovo capitolo della loro amicizia, mentre Campo de' Fiori continuava a pulsare di vita nella gelida notte romana.En: Thus, under a starry sky, a new chapter of their friendship began, while Campo de' Fiori continued to pulse with life in the chilly Roman night. Vocabulary Words:the lights: le lucithe atmosphere: l'atmosferathe stalls: le bancarellefragrant: profumatethe sky: il cielofreezing: gelidothe heart: il cuoreexcitement: l'eccitazionenostalgic: nostalgicothe crowd: la follared: rossathe scarf: la sciarpathe coat: il cappottothe breath: il respiroembarrassed: imbarazzatoauthentic: autenticithe gaze: lo sguardosincere: sinceroreassuring: rassicuranteto awaken: risvegliarsito confess: confessareto wander: girareto vanish: svanirethe hope: la speranzato share: condividereconfident: sicura di séthe childhood: l'infanziathe train: il trenotimid: timorosato climb: salire

Jerry and Tracy talk about the infamous Poveglia island that is so haunted the Italian govenment forbids the public to go there. They also talk to Andrea Whitney about the Black Hope Horror in Texas. and the article she wrote on Hillbilly Horror Stories

"Bloody Crowns and Broken Myths: Michael Livingston on the Real Hundred Years War" The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series For more details, check out Smithsonian Associates:  https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/hundred-years-war The Hundred Years War: A New History Bloody Crowns A New History of the Hundred Years War ⚔️ Henry V at Agincourt. Joan of Arc at Orléans. But that's just the beginning… Smithsonian Associate, Military historian Michael Livingston joins The Not Old Better Show to expose what really happened during the Hundred Years War—and why it wasn't 100 years at all. Think two centuries of shifting alliances, brutal innovation, and the making of modern Europe.

This holiday episode finds hosts John Viola, Patrick O' Boyle, Dr. Marcella Martin welcoming "La Befana" for a funny, warm conversation about the Epiphany gift-giver and Italian holiday traditions. The banter centers on coal, "naughty lists," and the idea that Befana—not Santa—was historically the one who brought gifts in many Italian homes. Befana explains her roots in older seasonal and pagan imagery—sweeping out the old year and welcoming renewal—later blended with the Christian Epiphany story of the Magi on January 6. John and the gang touch on the liturgical calendar, modest stocking traditions of tangerines, sweets, and "sugar coal," and the Italian notion of bella figura as respect and preparedness rather than mere fashion. The episode turns hands-on as Befana makes pasta, shares regional lore from Puglia and Sardinia, and swaps gifts with the hosts. It closes with a call for Italian Americans to keep their language and traditions alive through family rituals, children's activities, and community—using Befana as a joyful way to carry culture forward.   HOSTS: John Viola Patrick O'Boyle Dr. Marcella Martin   SPECIAL GUEST: La Befana (Viviana Altieri)   PRODUCED BY: Nicholas Calvello-Macchia

Bonus Episode #61 of BGMania: A Video Game Music Podcast. Today on the show, Bryan enrolls at a secluded island university where cryptids, folklore, and tactical combat collide in Demonschool, the stylish RPG from developer Necrosoft Games. Drawing heavy inspiration from Italian horror cinema, Persona, and classic strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem, Demonschool blends a striking visual identity with an offbeat narrative centered on first-year student Faye and her classmates as they uncover the dark truths lurking beneath campus life. This Musical Review takes a deep dive into Demonschool's bold and groovy soundtrack, composed by Kurt Feldman. We explore how its pulsing synths, rhythms, and eerie tonal shifts reinforce the game's surreal atmosphere and emotional undercurrents, often doing more narrative work than dialogue ever could. Along the way, Bryan also discusses the game's grid-based combat, character-driven storytelling, and deliberate pacing, ultimately examining whether Demonschool managed to stand out in a crowded 2025 release for its commitment to its vision. Email the show at bgmaniapodcast@gmail.com with requests for upcoming episodes, questions, feedback, comments, concerns, or any other thoughts you'd like to share! Special thanks to our Executive Producers: Jexak, Xancu, Jeff, & Mike. EPISODE PLAYLIST AND CREDITS Battle -Cutscene- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Monday Overworld -Story- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Shopping from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Tuesday Battle -Action- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Wednesday Battle -Action- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Fishing from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Thursday Battle -Action- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Mansion from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Cooking from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Friday Overworld -Investigation- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Boss Battle -Action- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Weekend from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Final Battle -Action Phases I-III- from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] Credits from Demonschool [Kurt Feldman, 2025] LINKS Patreon: https://patreon.com/bgmania Website: https://bgmania.podbean.com/ Discord: https://discord.gg/cC73Heu Facebook: BGManiaPodcast X: BGManiaPodcast Instagram: BGManiaPodcast TikTok: BGManiaPodcast YouTube: BGManiaPodcast Twitch: BGManiaPodcast PODCAST NETWORK Very Good Music: A VGM Podcast Listening Religiously

Send us a textSome of the greatest observers of climate change are mountain guides. They travel on foot or ski, day after day, year after year, decade after decade, with clients from all around the world sharing their passion for nature.  Their profession requires diligence for the safety of not only their clients, but for other outdoor recreations sharing the same mountain meccas. Their intimate knowledge of the mountains is incredibly valuable for observations of climate change.One particularly seasoned mountain guide named Sergio Gabbio of the Italian Alps has watched the changes in his home region of Alagna. In this episode, Sergio shares his observations and stories as he approaches his 70th Birthday.Thanks for listening to the Alaska Climate & Aviation Podcast!Katie WriterKtphotowork@gmail.comhttps://katiewritergallery.comhttps://agingskibum.comhttps://montagnadiluce.itSupport the showYou can visit my website for links to other episodes and see aerial photography of South Central Alaska at:https://www.katiewritergallery.com

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Professor Barbara Keys, a specialist in US history at Durham University.We start with a celebration of the American Freedom Train, as the US prepares to mark 250 years of independence. Then, the South African railway enthusiast who created one of the most luxurious train services in the world.We hear about the invention of text messaging and how it changed the way we communicate. Plus, 75 years of Radio Free Europe broadcasting news to audiences behind the Iron Curtain.The thousand-year-long musical composition that's due to end in 2999. And our Sporting Witness looks at how a British teenager won a six-month contract to play for Italian champions Inter Milan. Contributors: Lou Nelson - former security guard on the American Freedom Train 1975-76.Rohan Vos - founder and CEO of Rovos Rail.Friedhelm "Fred" Hillebrand - inventor of SMS and text messaging.Arch Puddington - former deputy director Radio Free Europe.Jem Finer - musician and composer of Longplayer.Ben Greenhalgh - Margate player-manager and winner of reality show "Football's Next Star".(Photo: American Freedom Train, 1976. Credit: NARA/DVIDS)

In September 2007, 20-year-old American college student Amanda Knox moved to Perugia, Italy to study abroad and experience life on her own. She settled into a stone villa with three other young women and quickly began building friendships with her new roommates, forming a particularly close bond with 21-year-old British exchange student Meredith Kercher. Just weeks later, on November 2, Amanda would find herself standing outside that same home as police and paramedics rushed inside. Not fluent in Italian, she didn't fully understand what was happening - only that Meredith had been found murdered in the villa they shared.  Despite having no clue what was going on, Amanda became the focus of the murder investigation within hours. And what followed would become one of the most controversial criminal cases of the modern era, marked by intense scrutiny, global media coverage, and sharply divided opinions about guilt, innocence, and how justice is pursued when the world is watching. Try our coffee! - www.CriminalCoffeeCo.com Become a Patreon member -- > https://www.patreon.com/CrimeWeekly Shop for your Crime Weekly gear here --> https://crimeweeklypodcast.com/shop Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CrimeWeeklyPodcast Website: CrimeWeeklyPodcast.com Instagram: @CrimeWeeklyPod Twitter: @CrimeWeeklyPod Facebook: @CrimeWeeklyPod ADS: 1. 'Crimes Of...' - Check out the latest podcast from 'Two Girls One Ghost' hosts Sabrina Deana-Roga and Corinne Vien, where they cover crimes of a different theme every season - and this season is crimes of passion. For unsolved murders, mysterious disappearances and more, listen to 'Crimes Of...' wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode sponsored by Baya Bar   LightSpeed VT: https://www.lightspeedvt.com/ Dropping Bombs Podcast: https://www.droppingbombs.com/   In this electrifying Dropping Bombs episode, Baya Bar founder Billy Loesch shares his grind from Wall Street failure to building a thriving 55-location franchise empire and modern Italian hotspot Terina NYC. As a Brooklyn-born hustler with an old-school ethic, he's now coaching entrepreneurs on real scaling.    Billy breaks down franchising perks, spotting opportunities, and mindset shifts for growth. He reveals the systems that drive expansion, common pitfalls to dodge, and ways to create recurring revenue streams. If you're starting or scaling a business, this conversation is your golden ticket—grab his strategies and level up now.  

On this episode of the Win Make Give podcast, Chad Hyams and Bob Stewart engage with Dan Tocchini, an entrepreneur with Italian heritage. Dan shares insights on embracing vulnerability, navigating conflicts, and balancing candor with tact to foster leadership and growth. He highlights the importance of addressing complaints to uncover personal and professional development opportunities. Discover approaches to effective communication and conflict resolution while enhancing leadership abilities. Additionally, learn about Dan's upcoming leadership event, Revenant, designed for transformational experiences. Don't miss this empowering discussion on leadership dynamics and personal evolution. ---------- Connect with the hosts: •    Ben Kinney: https://www.BenKinney.com/ •    Bob Stewart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/activebob •    Chad Hyams: https://ChadHyams.com/ •    Book one of our co-hosts for your next event: https://WinMakeGive.com/speakers/ More ways to connect: •    Join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/winmakegive •     Sign up for our weekly newsletter: https://WinMakeGive.com/sign-up •     Explore the Win Make Give Podcast Network: https://WinMakeGive.com/ Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network