Podcasts about Wright brothers

It's officially the first week of winter, even though winter weather has felt nonstop for the past month — and this episode fully matches the chaos.  The girls kick things off by sharing more standout favorites from this year's Holiday Gift Guide, then dive headfirst into a week that somehow included Florida travel drama, milestone birthdays, forgotten memories, and a serious reality check about health.Lauren (LaLa) just returned from Florida, where things went exactly as expected — meaning, of course, something went wrong. Before boarding her flight home, passengers were delayed due to a fuel leak on the plane, setting the tone for the rest of the week. Add in the shock of LaLa turning 40 years old on Christmas, and let's just say… she is not taking “official adulthood” well.Meanwhile, Shawna had her own shocking discovery. While scrolling through old videos on her phone, she found footage from her mom's 60th birthday party --- a party Shawna herself planned and threw, and  has absolutely no memory of the event at all.  Which naturally leads to laughs, disbelief, and some very real questions.  In between the chaos, the girls reflect on one of their most meaningful holiday traditions: delivering holiday gift bags to the pediatric unit at Garnet Medical Center. Each bag was put together to bring comfort, joy, and a reminder that these children are not forgotten during the holidays.  The girls are incredibly grateful to the brands who partnered with them and helped make this year's gift bags possible, including PATH Water, Bored No More, Toothbrush Toys, Wright Brothers, Diel Makeup, Penelope & The Vase, Be Blends, Finding Joy, and That's It Fruit snacks. Their generosity helped spread holiday cheer where it was needed most.  As the new year approaches, and with LaLa officially entering a new decade... Shawna and LaLa get real about their goals for the year ahead, including working out more, prioritizing their health, and actually listening to their bodies instead of pushing through burnout.  If you've ever forgotten your age, questioned your memory, hated winter, or felt personally attacked by a birthday --- this one's for you.

In this episode, Dr. Killeen rewinds to 1903, when the Wright Brothers took flight just weeks after being told humans probably never would. From there, he draws a parallel to the “rules” many of us live by in dentistry and leadership—beliefs repeated so often they start to feel like facts. He breaks down the Illusory Truth Effect and challenges you to question the assumptions shaping your practice, your schedule, and your confidence. A thoughtful, easy listen that might just help you rethink what's actually possible.

The Brainiac Trivia Radio Minute airs daily on WANT 98.9 FM in Lebanon, TN and heard throughout Middle Tennessee. This podcast is produced from those segment.  Support: Venmo:@JonBoyce615https://www.facebook.com/BrainiacTrivia/https://www.instagram.com/brainiactriviaMusicTreeEntertainment@yahoo.comwww.BrainiacTrivia.comhttps://wantfm.com/#radio #trivia #podcast

In this week's episode, Patrick and Tommie find PETA going a dog walk too far, meet the Tang dog, wish a Happy Birthday to actress Sarah Paulson, say farewell to gay actor Anthony Geary and actor/director Rob Reiner, wish a Happy Anniversary to the Simpsons, light a candle for Hanukkah, have a drink to the god Saturn, go flying with the Wright Brothers, get the latest measles update, wonder what we're actually doing with Venezuela, Tommie spends time with Queen Victoria, Patrick reviews the film Wake Up Dead Man and the latest Matt Rife comedy special, they watch President Trump score a triple in the stupidity sweepstakes, and name their favorite Christmas villains.

This week—December 17th—marks the anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight, 121 years ago. Manny discussed how they pulled it off and just how far aviation has come with Nick Engler—an author, pilot, flight historian, and director of the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company. AND, one of the things that can help anyone turn their life around is gaining a better understanding of how to manage money. Manny learned about a group helping Americans do just that from Kevin Boucher, Director of HOPE Global Forums for Operation HOPE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leadership demands grit, clarity and conviction. SUMMARY On Long Blue Leadership, Congressman August Pfluger '00 reflects on these qualities through his experiences at the U.S. Air Force Academy, in the cockpit and as part of the U.S. House of Representatives. His story challenges every leader to ask where courage is calling them to go next. SHARE THIS PODCAST LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK    CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS Courageous career leaps require conviction, timing and faith. Pfluger left active duty at 19 years and four months — a highly unconventional choice — demonstrating that major pivots sometimes require stepping into uncertainty. Work ethic is a lifelong differentiator. He emphasizes that he has never been “the best,” but has always been willing to outwork anyone. Hard work + grit consistently opened doors. Failure and setbacks shape long-term success. Missed opportunities at USAFA and earlier career disappointments taught him timing, resilience and long-term perspective. Leadership is transferable across domains. His fighter pilot and command experience directly enabled his political success — planning, debrief culture and thick skin all mapped over perfectly. Credibility requires deep study and prioritization. You cannot master everything; leaders must choose focus areas and know them cold so others trust their expertise. Humility, credibility and approachability are foundational leadership traits. These principles translate powerfully to Congress and team leadership. Family and faith must anchor leadership. His family's summer crisis reframed his priorities: “None of this matters if you don't take care of your family.” The nation needs more military and Academy graduates in public leadership. He stresses that only four USAFA grads have ever served in Congress — and more are needed to restore civility and mission-focused service. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force are under-resourced relative to global threats. Pfluger advocates vigorously for rebalancing defense spending to meet modern challenges. Self-reflection is critical to growth. Leaders must ask: How do I see myself? How do others see me? If those don't align, adjust the work ethic, mindset or behaviors accordingly.   CHAPTERS 00:00 — Introduction & Biography 01:44 — Opening Remarks 01:47 — Leaving Active Duty at 19 Years and 4 Months 04:06 — Why Run for Office? 05:40 — Family, Faith & Influences 07:14 — Representing His Hometown District 08:29 — Learning to Represent a District 11:07 — Work Ethic and USAFA Foundations 12:22 — Failure, Setbacks & Long-Term Rewards 15:10 — Unexpected Assignments Becoming Career High Points 17:24 — Pentagon, Fellowship & NSC 19:49 — USAFA Grads in Congress 21:03 — Role of the Board of Visitors 23:24 — Key Focus Areas for the Board of Visitors 25:11 — Top National Security Challenges 27:13 — Balancing Congress, Leadership, and Family 29:01 — Leadership Style & Decision-Making 30:40 — Humble, Credible, Approachable 33:38 — Building Credibility as a Younger Leader 34:43 — What's Next: A More United Country 37:29 — Daily Habits for Growth 39:37 — Advice for Emerging Leaders 41:24 — Final Reflections & Call to Action 43:45 — Closing Thoughts & Outro   ABOUT CONGRESSMAN PFLUGER BIO U.S. Rep. August Pfluger '00 is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives. He represents 20 counties in Texas' 11th Congressional District. After graduating from the U.S Air Force Academy, he served in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve for 25 years as an F-22 and F-15 pilot with over 300 combat hours. In Congress, he is chairman of the Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus on Capitol Hill. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. CONNECT WITH THE CONGRESSMAN LINKEDIN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org   Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org      ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT OUR SPEAKERS Guest, Rep. August Pfluger '00  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz 0:00 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99. In this edition of Long Blue Leadership, we're honored to welcome a distinguished leader whose career spans military service, national security and public office, Congressman August Pfluger is a proud graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Class of 2000, and currently represents the 11th Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before entering Congress, Congressman Pfluger served for nearly two decades in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. He is currently a member of the Air Force Reserve as an F-15 and F-22 fighter pilot. He logged over 300 combat hours in defense of our nation. He has also served as a member of the National Security Council, bringing strategic insight to some of the most complex global threats we face today. Since taking office in 2021 Congressman Pfluger has remained deeply committed to strengthening our national defense. He currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee to critical platforms from which he continues to represent and lead. He is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee and serves as the chairman of the Air Force Academy's Board of Visitors, appointed to the BOV by the speaker of the house in 2023 and elected by his colleagues to serve as chair. Whether in the halls of Congress or in the cockpit, Congressman Pfluger's career has been defined by a steadfast commitment to courageous service and leadership. Congressman Pfluger, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Rep. August Pfluger 1:44 Thank you, Naviere. It's honor to be here with you.   Naviere Walkewicz 1:47 Well, we are so glad to have you. And there's something that I want to jump right into, because it really occurred to me how odd this is, but you served for nearly two decades, and when I say nearly two decades in the Air Force, 19 years and four months, and then you pulled the plug, you didn't go to retirement right then. Can we talk about that a little bit? Rep. August Pfluger 2:09 Well, this is not something that most financial advisers would advise you of doing. And I'll tell you, this was a journey in faith, because at almost 20 years. September of 2019, we made a decision, my wife and I made a decision to run for Congress, which meant that we got out of the active duty, joined the Reserve, and started a campaign, something that just a month prior, we had absolutely no intention of doing, and had not even talked about doing. Running for office was something that was always of interest, but certainly not at 19 years and four months. So the opportunity came up, had a couple of phone calls from friends and family to say that the representative who represented my hometown and where I grew up was retiring after 16 years, and a lot of factors. And I'll really take you down this faith journey, a lot of factors happened that we couldn't ignore. And we literally moved back to my hometown of San Angelo that I had not lived in for over 20 years, and started a campaign, which, as you can imagine, was, I mean, it took a lot of courage for my wife, from my family, three little girls, who we uprooted and went through this. But I'm so glad that we did it. But it wasn't without, you know, I can say anxiety and just, you know, the fear, the unknown maybe, and not knowing exactly what would happen. So when you say and use the words, we burned the ships. That was the moment in time that we literally burned the ships and ran a campaign with every piece of our heart and soul. Naviere Walkewicz 3:48 Wow. Well, let's talk about that a little bit, because, you know, we have listeners that make these pivotal moments in their careers. They make these decisions that really shaped them. What was it about that time, other than the incumbent was going to retire. Like, why you? Why then, you know? Let's talk about that a little bit more. Rep. August Pfluger 4:06 Well, this is pre-Covid. And the thought of running for office always sounds good. You know, if you have that interest, you're like, “OK, that'd be great.” Well, then when you kind of get down to the brass tax that you're going to have to put in 14- to 16-hour days and learn how to talk to people about what's important in this district that then it kind of changes things. But honestly, there were signs and things that pointed me and my wife in this direction that we couldn't ignore. And when you look at this type of district, I mean, it's really, in the past 100 years, there's only been about six representatives. So it's not one of those things you say, “Well, maybe we'll wait for next time.” The opportunity was there, there was a window of time. It was about 30 days where we had to make a decision to literally move from northern Virginia back to Texas and start a whole new career. And ended doing so forego the pension for what would now be five or six years, because I've had to work as a reservist to, you know, kind of get back to that point. So there was a financial piece to it. There was a career that was, was going very well that, you know, maybe, are we giving that up? And what happens if we don't win? And then, you know, all these unknowns. So I will say it was, it was definitely the biggest professional decision that I've ever made in my career. Naviere Walkewicz 5:40 So you talked about some of your family members — you had phone calls. It sounds like, your faith and your family are a big part of your decision making. And, when you go forward with things, I think you've talked about your grandfather having been someone that inspired you to go into the Air Force. You know, who are those key players in your family that have really inspired you in your big leadership decisions. Rep. August Pfluger 6:02 Yes, you're right. I had two grandfathers that served in World War II. One was a pilot, and that that led me to make the first decision to go to the Air Force Academy. And that stayed with me. We had nobody in my family who was in politics. I mean, not a single person. In fact, a lot of my family, I had several great uncles and different family members that I'm close to, and they said, “What?” Like, ”What are — you sure you want to do this? And why? Don't you have a really good Air Force career and you've been able to, you know, rise in the ranks and all the things that you've tried to do?” But I honestly — it was kind of a word of wisdom to say, “If you're going to do this, have some good reasons.” Like, “Why do you want to do this?” And the district that I get to represent in my hometown, we have military bases, agriculture and energy, and I love all three of those things. And I think of those as national security-level entities that really dovetail very nicely with my first part of my professional career. Naviere Walkewicz 7:14 That makes sense. So it really was an extension — this new path in your journey was really an extension of what you had done in uniform and active duty and now being able to give it back to your hometown district and the patrons in there as well. Rep. August Pfluger 7:30 Absolutely. And in the campaign I talked about how important it was to be able to provide our own food. We have a lot of cattle ranchers there that are in my district, that you don't want to be dependent on some other country, especially an adversarial country, for your food needs. And the same thing for energy production: that you can't be dependent for energy needs on your adversaries. So those were things that I was able to really talk about, and I mean, oh my gosh, after I actually was elected and got into office, I mean, they became front and center and still are of that discussion. And I think that was the really interesting piece about having been deployed. We were stationed all over the world, almost seven years outside of the United States, on three different continents, and to be able to tie it together and kind of bring that back home and communicate why this place where I grew up and now where I live and where I represent is so important to our national security? Naviere Walkewicz 8:29 Well, you talked a little bit about earlier, about you weren't sure if you were going to get elected, and then when you did, you had to go out and talk to people and really understand the challenges. What is that journey like when it's completely new, right? It's not the same. It's you're not getting into a cockpit. You're not an instructor pilot now. Now you are — you're representing all of them. How do you how do you approach that new path? Because I think that's something when our leaders take this leap of faith and they're looking at, well, how do I approach it? It's completely different from anything I've done. I think they'd like to know how you did it so well. Rep. August Pfluger 8:59 Well, thanks for the question. It was a huge challenge in being a squadron commander, having been an instructor pilot or a mission commander, and having led in actual combat, that that was everything. I mean, I didn't know anything about politics, but what I did know was how to map out a plan and how to put the pieces and parts together. And I knew that nobody was going to outwork me. I mean, come on, you know, when you have a SAMI on Saturday morning, you got to wake up and make your bed and do all the things to get that weekend pass. I mean, you're going to work hard. And so I knew that I had a competitive advantage on the work ethic and the ability to plan and so really, the thing that I realize now, now six years later, is that I think people — what they really appreciated was that I wasn't a career politician, that the things that I was saying and campaigning on were like true passions, and they weren't empty promises. I told them this is what I'm going to do, and I'm proud to report I've done every single one of those things that I told them that I would do, and it's because we were instructed so well, both at school and then as members of the active-duty Air Force about how to follow through and be persistent and just carry through with what you said you're going to do. I mean, integrity is a big piece of this, but I will tell you also that now staying in touch after being elected, elected, I travel throughout these 20 counties all the time, and you have to have some thick skin, because you're going to get some feedback from people that is not always flattering, and they're going to ask you, “Well, why did you vote this way, or what happened here, and why are you not doing this? And this is expensive.” And, I mean, so you have to be willing to take that feedback, which, by the way, sitting in a fighter pilot debrief — I mean, that was the perfect training for having thick skin, to understand that what people are trying to tell you: Is it critical? Without substance? That you really need to listen to them and try to solve these problems? Naviere Walkewicz 11:07 So earlier, you had talked about, I think there are these things that you did at the Academy. No one is going to outwork you have. You always been that type of person, someone that, you know, just kind of works really hard. Or is that something that you kind of developed at the Academy. Rep. August Pfluger 11:21 I developed it at the Academy. But I would say I came in with a with a good work ethic and then was challenged by our classmates, who are amazing, you know? It's like, “Oh my gosh, I'm really not that smart and not that fast and not that… you know, whatever,” because you see all these amazing people. But yes, work ethic was, I mean, I look at it now, having administered how many nominations to service academies? I mean, dozens and dozens of kids that I've gotten a chance to work with over the past five years who are absolutely incredible. I'm like, I don't know if I could get in at this point in time, because they're just incredible. And I had to work very hard at everything I ever did, everything I ever achieved, was because of hard work. It wasn't because I was the best. It was because I just, at the end of the day, worked very hard to get it. I think that's something that's a lesson that we learned during four years at the Academy, but it served me very well in this profession. Naviere Walkewicz 12:22 Was there a particular time at the Academy where you worked really hard and it didn't go your way? And, you know, how did you overcome that? Because I think sometimes the outcome is, “If I if I give it all and I work really hard, I'm going to get to where I want to go.” And if that wasn't the case, how did that actually change the trajectory or shape you? Rep. August Pfluger 12:42 There were multiple times at the Academy that you work hard for something. I mean, I came in as a recruited athlete, had some injuries, and so didn't get a chance to finish all four years that that was hard to go through that process, and it just didn't work out. And or you're just not good enough. And then that was the case too for me, on the football team. But they're just better people, which is awesome and that, but that shaped who I am now, because it is not just about how hard you work. That's a huge piece of it. But you also have to have good timing. You have to have some luck. You have to be in the right place and have been brought up by the right people. And when the when the opportunity strikes you, you've got to be able to take advantage of that timing to do that. And that those lessons — I absolutely remember that there was one instance where I really, really wanted to go to do this exchange program in Egypt, and they were going to bring some of the political science department over there. Well, apparently my grades were not in the right area to be selected for this program. I think I was an alternate or something, unless that's good, that's — it's not nothing. But I was very disappointed, because I thought I worked hard, you know, maybe not hard enough on the grades, but had worked hard to be a part of the conversation, to go. Well, didn't get a chance to do it. So always had that in the back of my mind. Well, I went to Egypt, but it was as a congressman. I led a congressional delegation of six or seven members. We met with the president of Egypt and had very serious conversations about the negotiation for what Gaza has now with the peace deal that we have gotten to and had a, you know, went to the president's palace, got to sit down right next to him and talk to him for over an hour. So I always kept that in the back of my mind that I was going to Egypt one day. Naviere Walkewicz 14:37 That's right. And honestly, you worked really, really hard. You didn't get there, but it kept you — kept that fire going, because you knew at some point you're going to, so it did end up working out, in that case, for sure. You know, one of the things that I find really interesting and fascinating about you is, as you talk about these different experiences you've had, you said they've shaped you. And when you're in the military, can you share a time when you maybe we're in a position that it wasn't what you'd hoped for. You thought it was going to be, but you found it to be incredibly rewarding. Was there anything in that kind of space that happened to you? Rep. August Pfluger 15:10 Yes, several times. You know you want things, you think you want things, and then it doesn't work out. You don't get selected. And always in the back of my mind, every young lieutenant wants to be a weapons officer wants to then be a squadron commander of a fighter squadron, and that's just the competitive side of this. And I was no different when it came time to select who the next squadron commanders were going to be. I'll never forget: My operations group commander came to be and he said, “Well, we got a problem. We have six really talented lieutenant colonels. You're all promoted below the zone, and we have four squadrons, so we're going to have to figure out a Plan B for a couple of you, and I've got something in mind for you.” He said, “I think that you should go be a deployed squadron, commander of an OSS, an operational support squadron.” He said, “We've got a war going on, a conflict with ISIS, and you'd be great.” Well, that's not exactly an easy conversation to go home and to tell your spouse: “Oh, I just got told that I was going to deploy. I'm not going to be a fighter squadron commander here. I'm going to go somewhere else, and I'll be gone a year.” So that was hard, but oh my goodness, what an experience professionally. Obviously, I missed my family, but this was the height of the conflict against ISIS. I had hundreds of people that I got a chance to work with, command, flying combat missions, doing something that mattered, working with our international partners. You know, we were on an Emirati base, and so I worked with the Emiratis on a daily basis, because we had almost 20 different weapon systems, 20 different aircraft there and it was the highlight of my professional career. So God had a plan. It worked out much better than I could have ever engineered, and it turned out — minus the fact that I had to be gone for a year; obviously, nobody likes that — but it turned out to be the best professional year of my Air Force career. Naviere Walkewicz 17:13 I find that really interesting because that — so would that have been the last kind of position you held before going into the move for Congress? Is that correct? Rep. August Pfluger 17:24 You know, actually, I came back — was PCSed to the Pentagon, worked for the chief of staff of the Air Force, General Goldfein, OK, went to a year of War College equivalent in D.C., a fellowship program, and then was assigned to the White House, to the National Security Council, for just about two and a half months before we made — three months before we made the decision to run for Congress. Naviere Walkewicz 17:49 So just a couple things happened after that. [Laughs]. What an amazing run, and the amazing leaders that you got to work with. So was that experience that when you were deployed as a squadron commander and then coming back, did that help shape your thoughts specifically to the Congress role, because you talked about the very three important things, right? Energy, you know, national security and there was one more… and agriculture. Thank you. And so, you know, did that all kind of get settled in when you were in that transition piece from, you know, squadron commander, to your time at the Pentagon in the White House area. Rep. August Pfluger 18:26 Absolutely, I had a year as a deployed squadron commander, came back and worked a year at the Pentagon, which I didn't know how lucky that was. Most people get there two or three years, but work directly for the chief of staff. Heard all of the conversations between Gen. Goldfein and Secretary Heather Wilson and then had a year where I studied at a think tank on Middle East policy. It could not have been a better education with a little bit of time in the White House to prepare me to run for Congress. You look back on that, you go, “Oh, so that's why.” “Oh, these steps were to prepare for this job now,” which I mean, just the fact that, as a member of Congress, I've probably met with 10 or 15 heads of states, one on one, presidents from different countries around the world, and to have that education, to be able to speak intelligently, at least somewhat intelligently, on these issues. Took that the steps that I just went through right there. Naviere Walkewicz 19:31 And you know, something that I think is really interesting to what you just said, working with Gen. Goldfein and with Secretary Wilson, you know, there are so few Academy graduates that have had the opportunities to serve in Congress and to be in the role that you are. How many Academy, Air Force Academy grads we have now have that have done this? Rep. August Pfluger 19:49 There's two currently serving, myself and Don Davis, opposite sides of the aisle, but great friends, and there were only two prior, so there's only been four. And the first two were Heather Wilson was the first Martha McSally, I'll never forget when I got elected. Heather Wilson called me and she said, “Congratulations, you're finally keeping up with us ladies.” And I thought it was great. But you know, we need more graduates, honestly. And I don't care who's listening to this, what side of the aisle you're on, we need more air force academy graduates. There are nine West Pointers currently serving, and seven from Annapolis currently serving, and we've only had four total. Naviere Walkewicz 20:30 All right, it's out there now. We've got our, you know, got our calling. So here we go. You know, I want to ask you a question about, you know, being in Congress, you are on several committees, and you're in leading roles in them. Let's talk a little bit. First about, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk about the Board of Visitors, because I think it's a great opportunity for our graduates to understand actually what the Board of Visitors actually does. So if you don't mind, kind of sharing in your words, you know what your priorities are with the Board of Visitors and what that looks like. I think it'd be really helpful in educating our listeners. Rep. August Pfluger 21:03 Well. Thank you. It's an honor to be on the Board of Visitors. It's statutorily set up by Congress decades ago, and it basically provides an avenue of oversight, something that is appointed both legislatively, by the speaker of the house and by the Senate majority leader and also the president. And, you know, we've got a number of several grads, but a number of senators and congressmen. And, you know, again, one of these timing things that I didn't necessarily intend to run for the chairmanship, but we needed, I think, a graduate to do that, and am proud to be the chairman of this group. You know, Charlie Kirk was on this board, and what a tragic situation that was. We've got a number of really passionate leaders, and our job really is to interact with the institution, to ask questions and to report back directly to the Secretary of War and into the Secretary of the Air Force on the health and welfare of the institution, on any other issues that we think are important. And for me, kind of the driving principle is that I love this institution, the leadership lessons that I learned there and those that I hear from so many graduates are important well beyond military service. They're important for the rest of a graduate's life. And I want to make sure that everything that is going on there, the resources that are needed there, the schedule and the curriculum and the ability to train the next generation of young warriors, both for the space and the Air Force, are the best in the country, and that we are prepared no matter what, that those graduates can go do their job. So it really is an honor to be on the board, but then to be the chairman of it. Naviere Walkewicz 23:03 I can imagine that, and I think it really speaks volumes, the fact that, you know, you're so passionate about it, you've taken what you've had from the Academy, you've applied it in this role. What are the first things that I think you're looking at? You said you talked about the resources and kind of the schedule and things that are happening at the academy. What are the key things that you're looking at right now as a Board of Visitors? Rep. August Pfluger 23:24 Well, I think to start with, I mean, we all know you wake up early, you go bed late, and you're trying to cram, you know, 28 hours into 24 and so the No. 1 thing that I want to see and work through is, how are we continuing to innovate with the best training possible, so that, you know, you can't teach the solution to every problem, but you want to teach a framework of how to think, and that, you know, there's going to be cadets that are challenged through their academic studies, there's going to be cadets that are challenged through their military studies. There's going to be cadets that are challenged athletically, and some that get all three of those, obviously, we all get got all three. But no matter which piece of the puzzle fills, you know, their time, they should get the training that teaches them how to respond in stressful situations, that teaches them how to function as a team, and that that offers them the opportunity to honestly, to experience a little bit of failure, while also knowing that success is right down the road, and that with a little grit, a little determination and a little persistence, that they're going to get there, and that is a challenge, I mean, In a resource-confined environment that we have right now that that's a big challenge, but that's why we have legislators, Senators and House members, They can go fight for those resources to make sure that they're getting that training that they need. Naviere Walkewicz 24:56 Thank you for sharing that you know, I think when you talk about having that framework to critically work through whatever is coming at you, and, you know, fighting for resources. Can you share what is the greatest challenge that you're faced with right now and how you're working through it? Rep. August Pfluger 25:11 Yeah, absolutely. I mean, just, you know, from a military standpoint, I'm obviously very biased on what air power and space power does I mean the army will deploy to certain locations. In the Navy will deploy to certain locations. But the Air Force and the Space Force are everywhere. We're in every theater. We've been in every conflict. We are the constant and I don't think resource wise, that that our Department of the Air Force is receiving the resources that it needs proportionately speaking to the threat that we face. We're the smallest and the oldest that we've ever been, and we need to change that immediately. As chairman — you mentioned I was chairman of the Republican Study Committee. What is that? Well, it's a 189-member caucus, committee, policy committee...   Naviere Walkewicz 26:01 It's the largest one, right?   Rep. August Pfluger 26:02 It's huge. It's the largest committee in Congress, and we meet weekly with Cabinet members and other leaders to discuss policy. But this has been something that I've been passionate about, which we have to take advantage of an environment where some more resources are being put towards our military, and I want to make sure that a larger portion of those go to the Department of the Air Force to meet the threat. And that's just a neat opportunity that it's a competitive election. I had to get elected by my peers. You know, 188 other congressmen and women from across the country. I had to run an election to get elected to it, and now trying to communicate to them why the business of Air and Space power is so important, but, but I'm we're slowly but surely getting there. Naviere Walkewicz 26:53 Well, I'm not sure where you have time when you're you know, you're doing so many things, you're on the road, meeting with your constituents. You're leading. You know these major committees, the Board of Visitors, as chair. Can you talk about how you're balancing? You know, you always talked about being your family is really important to you. How are you balancing that? What does that look like for someone in a leadership role? Rep. August Pfluger 27:13 Well, it's obviously the biggest challenge that any of us face, which is making sure that you take care of the most fundamental and important piece of your life, which is your family and being gone. I mean, I go to Washington, D.C., on Monday, and generally come home Thursday or Friday, and that's about three weeks out of every four. So my wife, is the most important piece of this, because she allows me to do this, and I couldn't do it without her, honestly. And then secondly, you know, we had a scare this summer because two of my girls were at Camp Mystic. And you know, that was that really brought things back to such a fundamental level that, you know, my No. 1 job on this earth is to be a husband and a father, a person of faith. And I'll tell you that that was, that was a transformational moment in it, just in my in my life, because when you have two daughters that were that thankfully came home and in then you see 27 others that didn't, that they knew that we knew the families and we were close to that. This has put everything back into perspective, that the service that I'm doing should be focused on a foundation of family and faith, and that none of it matters if you don't take care of that. Naviere Walkewicz 28:41 So what does that look like in how you lead? How does that shape the decisions you make in your role in Congress, as a reservist? And then for our listeners, you know, how do they put those important things first in the midst of having to make other decisions professionally? Rep. August Pfluger 29:01 I think a lot of it is, maybe not so much, the “what” in the decision, but it's the “how,” you know, you carry yourself, and you know on the other side of the aisle. I mean, I'm going to fight policies that I don't agree with all day long. But I think the how I do that, what I want my daughters to know is that they had a dad that was very firm in his beliefs. So I think that's, you know, when I look at it kind of like from the, “OK, what's important?” OK, being a good dad, not just saying the right things, but actually going and carrying those out. I think the how you carry them out is really important. And then, you know the specifics of legislation. There are things that, if I believe in in taking care of the American family, then there are things that I'm going to advocate for, not, not to make this to political of a discussion, but I think you can see through my track record that that I have focused on those things that would help strengthen the family, Naviere Walkewicz 30:08 The “how” is really, it's part of your legacy, right? And I think that's what your children are seeing as well, in the way that you, you, you do what you do. And I think as leaders, that's something really important to be thinking about. So I'm really thankful that you shared that example. Shared that example. Have you found that your leadership style has evolved, or has it already always been kind of rooted in you know, who you've been and you've just kind of tweaked it a little bit? Or have you seen yourself evolve more than you would have expected? Rep. August Pfluger 30:40 Yes, it has evolved, but, and I hope for the better, we'd have to ask others what they think of that, but, but, you know, look, growing up in a professionally in a fighter squadron, there were three tenants that they even though I didn't go to weapon school, they teach you this to be humble, credible and approachable. I mean, think about that. Those are the core tenants of who our lead warriors are, and that is not what you see. When you think of politicians. You think, Well, they're braggadocious and annoying. And you know, OK, and I hope I don't fall into that category. I need to do some self-reflection every once while, but, but I've got a staff of almost 40 people, and I have 434 other colleagues that you have to work with. So you better believe that you've got to be humble because there are people who are better than you in every category. You better believe that being approachable in this job is really important, because people are going to come to you and they're going to need something, or you're going to need something from them, and if you don't have the credibility of what you're talking about or what you're leading, then you're not going to get anything done. And so I've really had to work on all three of those things since I was elected to make sure that tying that to a servant leadership model. We started out in 2021, and I told my team, I said, we are going to do everything we possibly can to make other people that I am working with, other congressmen and women better. And they said, Wait, what? I said, Yeah, this isn't about me getting the limelight. We will get plenty of limelight, but let's work on giving other people the credit, giving other people the opportunities, calling on their expertise, pushing them up. And it will all work out, and we will achieve everything we wanted to achieve for the district that I represent, and it was just like this lightning bolt of it was so antithetical to the way that many people in Congress think. And I am not saying that we have changed the world, but when you're elected to basically a conference-wide position like I am, then you really have hard conversations with people, and those conversations people said, You know what, you've helped me out. I'm going to vote for you. And that meant everything, Naviere Walkewicz 33:08 Humble, approachable, credible, what great lessons for our leaders. And I think that translates across anything you're doing. Of the three, it seems that credible would probably be the hardest to achieve, right? It's a time-based thing. How would you recommend that our leaders, especially those that are growing in their leadership roles, achieve that when they don't necessarily have the time right in? Rep. August Pfluger 33:38 It's so hard, but that grit, that determination, I mean, the study, the thing, all the things we learned, you know, it's like they give you. The academic instructors are like a torture chamber, because they know you can't study everything, so you have to prioritize, which is a lesson I think I still draw on today. But I think that credibility comes from if you're going to be an expert in something, you've got to study it. You've got to know it, and people have to trust you. So when you tell them something, it has to be the truth, and they have to know well, I don't know that particular policy issue, but I know Pfluger does, because, you know he did that in his career. He studied that. So I think that grit and that determination and the prioritization of your time is so important, you can't do it all. I mean, we just can't. You have to. You have to make a choice, and those choices have to then go towards the goals that you're setting for yourself. Naviere Walkewicz 34:32 Excellent, excellent lessons. So you've accomplished so much since 2021, you know? What's next? What are you trying to work towards next? Rep. August Pfluger 34:43 I mean, there's so many different like policy issues I'm not going to bore you with. Let's just talk about the big picture, the elephant in the room, which is how divided our country is, and it's heartbreaking to see. You know, I think back to like, the aftermath of 911 I literally 911 happened two weeks prior to my pilot training graduation. You as a Class of '99 were right in the same boat. I mean, we were our professional careers were turned upside down, but our country came together, and that that was kind of the I think that that was the best thing to see how many people that were divided on whatever lines kind of came together. We're very divided, and it is hard to see and from I want to see an end of the radical sides of our parties and a normal conversation. We should be able to have a normal debate in Congress about whatever issues of spending and things like that. And we should be able to then slap each other on the back and say, Yeah, good job you won that one. Or, you know, good job I won this one. That should be kind of the norm. And I've got so many good friends who are Democrats that it's there, but the pull to radicalization is it's alive and well. And to be honest, this is why we need more Academy graduates who are doing this type of work, whether it's running for local office or running for Congress or Senate or whatever, because we get it. We get it from being a part of something that was greater than ourselves and being a part of a mission that it wasn't about, I it was literally about the team of success. And I think it's, it's veterans that are in these leadership positions that are going to help be a part of this, so that that really, I really do want to see that that doesn't mean that I'm not going to fight tooth and nail for policy that I believe in, which is partisan at times. And I'm OK with that, but what I'm not OK with is demonizing somebody for having a different belief. Let's go fight the merits of it, but not, not the character of the other person. Naviere Walkewicz 37:03 Thank you for sharing that. I think, you know, just putting the elephant on the table, I think, is really important. That's what it is about conversation. It's about dialog and so thank you for sharing that. For sure, this has been an incredible conversation. We've kind of navigated different parts of your career, you know, your leadership journey, maybe, if I could ask you this, what is something you're doing every day, Congressman Pfluger, to be better? Rep. August Pfluger 37:29 I think, in faith life, really trying to tie in spiritually, and to not be the one in control, trying to be more present in in my family's life, I'm going to give you three or four. So, you know, just being more intentional, putting the phone down, like if I'm going to sit down with my kids and be there, because I could be on the phone 24 hours a day. So put the phone down, talk to my wife be engaged, and that that's really that, that, I think that's a challenge for anybody who is in any adult right now, quite frankly, but especially those that are in leadership positions, which all of our graduates are, and so just put the phone down and being engaged, and it's hard. It's like, “Oh, I got to take care of this, you know, I got to call that person back. We've got to do this.” But you know that is, I think that that is probably the No. 1 thing that then allows a stronger faith life, a stronger relationship with my family. Physically, still taking the Air Force PT test, got a 99 last year. Was very proud of that and so trying to stay physically fit.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:48 That's outstanding!   Rep. August Pfluger 38:49 There are some other graduates who have challenged me with that. You may know Joel Neeb? A classmate of yours.   Naviere Walkewicz 38:58 Oh yeah! I know Thor.   Rep. August Pfluger 39:00 Thor is awesome. And he's been such an inspiration. I could name 100 people, but he said he's a really good inspiration to so many people. And on all the things that you just the things that I answered for your question, he's been a good inspiration on. Naviere Walkewicz 39:15 I would agree with that wholeheartedly. Yes. Well, thank you for that. Can you also share, you know, knowing what you know now through the years that you've experienced, you know your hardships, the triumphs — what would you share with our growing leaders that they can do today to help them be stronger down the road? Rep. August Pfluger 39:37 You know, I think some self-reflection, like, how do you see yourself, and how does the world see you? And is this — does it match up? Because if it's different, if your opinion of yourself is higher than that of what other people are thinking and your work ethic and what you're bringing to the to the table, then then you need to do some self-reflection. And I again, I got back to my career as a fighter pilot, which was perfect for politics. You know, you got to learn to work as a team. You have people debriefing you, and there's critical thoughts on your actions, of how you perform. But I think any leader, it needs to first have the grit to be able to stick with it. It's not always the best person that gets the job, but I can promise you, the person who keeps seeking that job and has that drive, they're going to get there. That has been the story of my life and self-reflection, to go What's stopping me from getting there is probably the key, as long as you have that grit, that self-reflection, to have some clarity for whatever goal you want to achieve. That's my humble opinion of what I would tell myself 15 years ago. Naviere Walkewicz 41:00 Wow. And I think that does kind of give us a moment to just sit in it and think about that as we are, you know, trying to be our best selves and to continue to evolve as leaders. What a great way to do that, right? Just reflect some self-reflection. I want to make sure we have an opportunity. If there's anything that I didn't ask you, that you feel is really important to share with our listeners. What would that be? Rep. August Pfluger 41:24 Well, there were a couple of things. No. 1, I was trying to think back — because your Class of '99 and I'm Class of 2000 — on whether or not I had to get in the front-leaning rest and recite John Stuart Mill's poem, or not. I can't remember that, so maybe I snuck by.   Naviere Walkewicz 41:45 Definitely a front-leaning rest kind of gal. I have pretty strong abs. I can handle that.   Rep. August Pfluger 41:51 You know, I just, I want to go back to what how important our institution is, because we're in that other dimension. We're in the air, in the space domain. We're solving problems in our professional career that I mean, think about where we've come since the Wright Brothers demonstrated we could fly and now, you know all the things that we're doing in air and space, and that's because of our graduates. And you know, I just, I really want to have a call out to our graduates that your leadership in a variety of ways is needed. It's needed in the business community, in Fortune 500 companies. It's needed in your local communities. It's needed at the national level of politics; there are several candidates for Congress right now who are graduates. I'm helping them, and I will help anybody. I don't care what party you are, of course, I have my favorite, but I will help any person who is looking to run for something like this. This is what I know now. But we really do need your leadership in order to bring the temperature down, to unite our country, to make sure that we're going to be successful. It's not if it's a matter of when we're going to face that next big, truly existential threat and challenge to our country. And guess what? I trust the people that were right there next to be in the front, winning rest, reciting all of those quotes and having to do a little bit harder of a standard in our four years of education than other institutions. And so I trust our graduates, but we need you, and we really need you to take that opportunity and serve in any possible way that you can. Naviere Walkewicz 43:45 Wow. Thank you for sharing that. I think that that is a perfect way a call to action, so to speak, for all of us you know the service after the service, so this has been incredible. Congressman Pfluger, thank you for your time today. Rep. August Pfluger 43:57 Well, Naviere, thank you for reaching so many graduates and looking forward to a Bitton Army and Navy again next year. Naviere Walkewicz 44:04 That's right next year. Well, you know, as I reflect on this conversation, you know, one theme really rises above others, courage, the grit, you know, not just the courage we often associate with the battlefield or moments of crises, but the quiet, steady courage that it takes to lead with conviction every day, Congressman Pfluger reminded us that true leadership means standing firm in your values even when the path may be uncertain or the stakes may be high, it's the kind of courage that doesn't seek comfort, but instead answers to responsibility. So as you think about your own leadership journey, ask yourself, Where is courage calling you? Where is that grit gonna take you? Whether it's in the workplace, in your community or your personal life, lean into those moments, because courage, real, principled, humble, courage is what transforms good leaders into great ones. Thank you for listening to this edition of Long Blue Leadership. If you know someone who needs encouraging words in their leadership journey, please share this podcast with them as well. I'm Naviere Walkewicz. Until next time.   KEYWORDS August Pfluger, Long Blue Leadership Podcast, U.S. Air Force Academy, leadership lessons, congressional service, fighter pilot, national security, grit and resilience, service after service, Air Force Board of Visitors, faith and family leadership, career transition, public service, humble credible approachable, air and space power.       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation    

Episode: 1489 Inventing the helicopter: harder than it looked.  Today, we invent the helicopter.

In 1903, the Wright Brothers made history that changed the way the world travels. When the report reached Ohio, where the brothers would spend Christmas, a major detail was omitted from the newspaper. Today, this story serves as a powerful reminder not to miss the true meaning of Christmas.

The boys are back and bringing it PLATINUM STYLE! You will be captivated by the conversation topics in this one which include: Australias first energy drink, a look at the creation of the Guinness book, our very legitimate stock market predictions, an all you can eat challenge which goes wrong and the world record for the highest blood alcohol content. OUR DISCORD: https://discord.gg/vzfbwshXqM OUR YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6oBcYMd81YUYVxAj63P0Xw OUR E-MAIL: passiveaggressivepod@gmail.com OUR MERCH ON REDBUBBLE: https://www.redbubble.com/people/PApodcast OUR INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/papinstagram  

In this special edition of the podcast, First Flight Aviation Lead Rear Admiral JT Tynch (U.S. Navy, Ret.) joins mentors Peter Fynn, Tim Ribble and Bob Newman along with students Alex Sharp, Jorge Flores and Sam Sabora to talk about the remarkable work happening inside the First Flight High School aviation program.Over the past two and a half years, students have successfully built a Van's Aircraft RV-12iS – a two-seat, all-metal light sport airplane. Their aircraft will make its public debut during the annual Wright Brothers Wright Flight Ceremony on Wednesday, December 17 at 8:30 a.m. at Wright Brothers National Memorial.We hope you'll join us for this milestone moment in local aviation history! To learn more about the event, the FFHS Aviation Class and the aircraft, click here.

Johnny Mac shares five uplifting Christmas-themed stories. Firstly, Brooke and her rescue dog Dray overcame obstacles with help from Chewy Claus, enabling them to enjoy walks together again. Chewy Claus also made a charitable donation and continues to fulfill wishes and support pets in need. In Beaver, Ohio, Dogwood Pass transforms into a Wild West Christmas village. Country Living released a list of the 25 best Christmas books of 2025, highlighting festive tales perfect for the season. Unique Christmas traditions from around the world include Catalonia's Tio de Nadal, Iceland's Yule cat myth, and Italy's Befana. Finally, several new holiday movies, including 'Merry Christmas, the Wright Brothers' and 'Mistletoe Mix-Up,' are recommended for festive viewing.Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!We now have Merch!  FREE SHIPPING! Check out all the products like T-shirts, mugs, bags, jackets and more with logos and slogans from your favorite shows! Did we mention there's free shipping? Get 10% off with code NewMerch10 Go to Caloroga.comGet more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

This episode comes from one of RENEW.org's National Gatherings. Interested in joining one of our events? Check out upcoming events here: https://renew.org/resources/events/  Get early access to all of the 2025 RENEW Gathering Breakout Tracks: https://reallifetheologypodcast.supercast.com/  Visit RENEW.org for great resources on Disciple Making and Theology: https://renew.org/  The Power of 'Why': Renewing Our Focus on Discipleship and Church Planting In this episode, we explore the crucial questions of 'What, How, and Why' for organizational effectiveness, drawing insights from Simon Sinek's 'Start with Why'. The episode delves into historical examples like Samuel Pierpont Langley and the Wright Brothers to illustrate the importance of having a clear ‘why'. The central message emphasizes that churches should focus on disciple-making, following Jesus' Great Commission. It discusses the importance of unity, momentum, and maintaining the core mission of making disciples who make disciples, ultimately leading to church planting movements. It underlines the importance of aligning with biblical teachings and values while stressing the urgency of reaching the lost, reflecting the heart of God. Key Takeaways  00:00 Introduction: The Three Essential Questions 00:32 Simon Sinek's 'Why': A Tale of Two Teams 04:05 The Core Mission: Disciple Making and Church Planting 07:06 The Importance of Obedience and Unity 09:51 Momentum and Alignment in Church Growth 12:15 Guardrails and the Heart of God 17:18 Urgency in Disciple Making 22:37 Conclusion: Embracing God's Heart

In this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show, DCF Editor-in-Chief Matt Vincent speaks with Ed Nichols, President and CEO of Expanse Energy / RRPT Hydro, and Gregory Tarver, Chief Electrical Engineer, about a new kind of hydropower built for the AI era. RRPT Hydro's piston-driven gravity and buoyancy system generates electricity without dams or flowing rivers—using the downward pull of gravity and the upward lift of buoyancy in sealed cylinders. Once started, the system runs self-sufficiently, producing predictable, zero-emission power. Designed for modular, scalable deployment—from 15 kW to 1 GW—the technology can be installed underground or above ground, enabling data centers to power themselves behind the meter while reducing grid strain and even selling excess energy back to communities. At an estimated Levelized Cost of Energy of $3.50/MWh, RRPT Hydro could dramatically undercut traditional renewables and fossil power. The company is advancing toward commercial readiness (TRL 7–9) and aims to build a 1 MW pilot plant within 12–15 months. Nichols and Tarver describe this moonshot innovation, introduced at the 2025 DCF Trends Summit, as a “Wright Brothers moment” for hydropower—one that could redefine sustainable baseload energy for data centers and beyond. Listen now to explore how RRPT Hydro's patented piston-driven system could reshape the physics, economics, and deployment model of clean energy.

We recently finished our summer/fall season of Daily Thunder with two incredible series: Eric focused on Spiritual Lessons from the Wright Brothers and Nathan did a study on the Awful Fear of the Lord. In this special episode, Eric and Nathan quickly debrief the past series and talk about the three series that launch mid-November.Please note: the audio quality was having issues, we apologize for the inconvenience.------------» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Nathan, Eric, Leslie, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/» For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/daily» If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/

This message puts the punctuation on the entire series. As the final episode, it brings the entire storyline in for a beautiful landing (pun intended). We follow Wilbur Wright to New York City and his final public flight. It is there that we are freshly stirred to remember that--since we never know when our last flight is going to be flown--we should fly every flight with all the gusto we possess, believing it may very well be our final one.

Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1956

Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1959

Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1952

Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1954

SHOW SCHEDULE 10-17-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT COAL-FIRED ELECTRICITY FOR THE AI DATA CENTER BUILD OUT OF 26 GIGAWATTS BY 2035... 1912 COAL BREAKER BOYS FIRST HOUR 9-915 High-Tech Coal Mining and Its Role in the Future of AI Energy. Salena Zito discusses her visit to a high-tech coal mine 1,200 feet below Pennsylvania, highlighting modern, filtered, and pristine working conditions. The industry offers high-paying, generational jobs, even for those with advanced degrees. Coal, alongside natural gas and nuclear power, is vital for providing the reliable, strong base load energy required by new AI data centers and the defense industry. 915-930 High-Tech Coal Mining and Its Role in the Future of AI Energy. Salena Zito discusses her visit to a high-tech coal mine 1,200 feet below Pennsylvania, highlighting modern, filtered, and pristine working conditions. The industry offers high-paying, generational jobs, even for those with advanced degrees. Coal, alongside natural gas and nuclear power, is vital for providing the reliable, strong base load energy required by new AI data centers and the defense industry 930-945 Supreme Court Poised to Limit Racial Gerrymandering; War Powers Debate on Venezuela. Richard Epstein discusses how the Supreme Court appears ready to limit the use of race in drawing voting districts (racial gerrymandering), reflecting a shift towards colorblind jurisprudence. However, the Court is likely to avoid restricting political gerrymandering. Separately, Professor Epstein argued the president's use of "narcoterrorism" to justify military action in Venezuela is inappropriate, noting that the War Powers Act is often circumvented. 945-1000 Supreme Court Poised to Limit Racial Gerrymandering; War Powers Debate on Venezuela. Richard Epstein discusses how the Supreme Court appears ready to limit the use of race in drawing voting districts (racial gerrymandering), reflecting a shift towards colorblind jurisprudence. However, the Court is likely to avoid restricting political gerrymandering. Separately, Professor Epstein argued the president's use of "narcoterrorism" to justify military action in Venezuela is inappropriate, noting that the War Powers Act is often circumvented. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 LA/Portland Homeless Crisis and Wildfire Preparedness Debate. Jeff Bliss discusses how California hosts at least 50% of the nation's homeless, with numbers increasing, extending from downtown LA to Malibu. Homeless encampments pose a constant wildfire threat due to warming or arson fires. Developer Rick Caruso successfully protected his Palisades property by proactively investing in brush clearance, equipment, and private fire crews, offering a model for prevention. Portland also faces a severe homeless crisis and high office vacancy. 1015-1030 Saudi Nuclear Ambitions, US Defense Pact, and the SMR Investment Bubble. Henry Sokolski discusses how Saudi Arabia is negotiating a US defense pact while pursuing uranium enrichment capability for nuclear power. The US is reportedly urging South Korea to switch a planned Saudi reactor sale to an American Westinghouse model. Separately, the Small Modular Reactor (SMR) industry is seeing enormous private valuation with zero revenue, signaling a potential financial bubble. 1030-1045 SpaceX Launch Approval, Rocket Lab, and Global Space Industry Updates. Bob Zimmerman discusses how Space Force approved SpaceX's request to double launches to 100 per year and open a second launch site at Vandenberg, despite Coastal Commission opposition. Wall Street views Rocket Lab favorably due to many recent launch contracts, even though it's still developing the Neutron rocket and not yet profitable. Impulse Space shifted focus to a lunar cargo lander, using its Helios tug as a service module, seeking to meet NASA's need for efficient lunar cargo delivery. 1045-1100 SpaceX Launch Approval, Rocket Lab, and Global Space Industry Updates. Bob Zimmerman discusses how Space Force approved SpaceX's request to double launches to 100 per year and open a second launch site at Vandenberg, despite Coastal Commission opposition. Wall Street views Rocket Lab favorably due to many recent launch contracts, even though it's still developing the Neutron rocket and not yet profitable. Impulse Space shifted focus to a lunar cargo lander, using its Helios tug as a service module, seeking to meet NASA's need for efficient lunar cargo delivery.THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1115-1130 Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1130-1145 Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. 1145-1200 Replaceable You: Skin Grafts, Bioprinting Organs, and the Science of Replacement Anatomy. Mary Roach discusses how third-degree burns destroy regenerative cells, causing severe disfigurement unless patched with allografts (temporary substitutes like cadaver or cod skin). Researchers are attempting to 3D print organs, currently in the "Wright Brothers stage," using specialized bio-ink and support gel. Xenotransplantation involves genetically editing pigs to grow human organs (chimerism) that the body would accept without rejection. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Lancaster County Economy, Consumer Spending Rebound, and Data Center Expansion. Jim McTague discusses how local businesses in Lancaster County, like the Pancake House and Ephrata Precision Parts, show no recession weakness and report booming business. Consumer spending appears to be rebounding, with full shopping carts and aggressive buying observed at Costco and Walmart. Construction on data centers is underway in the county, contributing to economic expansion. Wall Street bubble talk is present, but markets are not yet characterized by widespread froth. 1215-1230 Italian Politics, Journalist Attack, and the History of St. Augustine in Pavia. Lorenzo Fiori discusses how Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was rudely defined as a "courtesan" by a prominent union leader following her diplomatic presence at the Gaza ceasefire signing. Journalist Ranucci, known for investigating politics and mafia-related business, survived a car bomb attack; he has been under guard since 2021. St. Augustine's remains are located in Pavia (south of Milan), moved there due to the LoMBARDY'S king's connection to Milan's Saint Ambrose. 1230-1245 Corporatism vs. Capitalism: Analyzing Rent-Seeking and Regulatory Capture. Julia Cartwright discusses how younger generations often confuse corporatism (entangled government and business) with true capitalism. Rent-seeking involves businesses investing in politics for favors, like healthcare industry lobbying for subsidies. Rent extraction is when politicians threaten costly action to force business compliance (e.g., CAFE standards or tariffs). Solutions include sunsetting subsidies and banning sole-source government procurement. 1245-100 AM Corporatism vs. Capitalism: Analyzing Rent-Seeking and Regulatory Capture. Julia Cartwright discusses how younger generations often confuse corporatism (entangled government and business) with true capitalism. Rent-seeking involves businesses investing in politics for favors, like healthcare industry lobbying for subsidies. Rent extraction is when politicians threaten costly action to force business compliance (e.g., CAFE standards or tariffs). Solutions include sunsetting subsidies and banning sole-source government procurement.

Throughout Christian history, the greatest longing of the believer has always been to go home to be with Jesus. As the Apostle Paul said, “to live is Christ, but to die is gain.” The world is unable to look at death as gain, but the Christian does. This message parallels the Homecoming welcome of the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio in 1909 with our future homecoming in Heaven. It's a beautiful meditation that is sure to move and inspire.

The Wright Brothers built magnificent flying machines. Many of them were officially retired due to crashes in the early years of flight discovery. But there was one particular flyer that was not magnificent—it was tattered, ripped, re-stitched. It was built differently than all the others. Out of necessity, it was built out of broken and smashed pieces. And yet it was THIS tattered flying machine that was used to demonstrate to the world the miracle of flight. It sounds a bit like the Christian life, doesn't it?

From airplanes to Pac-Man to the battlefield, the joystick has quietly shaped the way humans connect with machines.Hidden Levels is a production of 99% Invisible and WBUR's Endless Thread. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of 99% Invisible ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

September 17, 1908 tragedy struck. At Ft. Myers, in Washington D.C., Orville Wright had broken seven aeronautical world records over the previous two weeks. He was on top of the world. And then a grief intruded into the Wright Brother's storyline. But, as in every good story, grief is never the final chapter, it's merely a difficult stretch along the way which works as a catalyst for even a greater triumph in the end.

In September 1908 all the pressure is on Orville Wright. In August, his older brother, Wilbur, amazed the world over in Le Mans, France, demonstrating the abilities of the Wright's flying machine before a skeptical Europe. But now it's Orville's turn to show his stuff in front of skeptical America. On September 3, 1908 the pressure on Orville is nearly crushing. His task seems impossible. How can he somehow dazzle like Wilbur did in France? In many ways, we all experience this same unusual pressure when we realize that we are called to follow in the dazzling footsteps of Jesus Christ. Can it possibly be done?

If you've ever found yourself suddenly devouring everything you can about something you could've sworn you had no interest in, you'll love this edition of Doing What Works!Here are your show notes…JCPenney unveils glitzy Taylor Swift-inspired collection.The Kingdom is a documentary about the Kansas City Chiefs.Taylor Swift joined Travis and Jason Kelce on their podcast, New Heights.Are two cats better than one?All the Way to the River is a new book by Elizabeth Gilbert, who talked about it on CBS News.The Wright Brothers used to switch sides in arguments!

After years of put-downs, ridicule, and mockery the day finally arrived for Wilbur and Orville Wright to show the world that they actually were flyers and not liars. In Le Mans, France on August 8, 1908, the stage was set for one of the most extraordinary public breakthroughs in history. There is an August 8, 1908 in every life that lives for Truth—when faith is made sight and the clouds roll back like a scroll. And, oh, is it a special day.

Ryan Holiday is a podcaster, marketer and an author. If intelligence were enough, the smartest among us would also be the wisest. Yet time and again, they stumble over life's simplest lessons. Wisdom isn't about knowing more; it's about seeing deeper. So how do we shed the illusion of being ‘smart,' and actually grow into wisdom? Expect to learn what Ryan learned from his near-death experience, what most people get wrong about wisdom, how daily habits compound into wisdom across a lifetime, what Ryan learned from studying the Wright Brothers, why in a culture of shortcuts and “life hacks,” how Ryan convinces people that wisdom is worth the long, uncomfortable path, what a Stoic would say about when you've lost yourself in life, why humility is such a crucial ingredient for wisdom, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D, and more from AG1 at https://ag1.info/modernwisdom Get $100 off the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (0:00) Why We Need to Push Outside Our Comfort Zone (5:13) Banning Books Isn't Ethical (16:41) Does Learning Keeps Us Humble? (27:48) Why We Learn Lessons from Old Tales (33:41) Literally True, Figuratively False (50:33) Do the Work Now to Build Your Wisdom (57:55) Stoic Advice for When You're Lost in Life (01:03:45) How Stockdale Remained Unbroken Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wilbur and Orville, even after discovering human-controlled flight on December 17, 1903, still traversed difficulty after difficulty in convincing everyone that they did indeed accomplish the feat. From December 1903 to August 1908, the Wrights were accused of being liars instead of flyers. Each of our lives has a segment like this-a stretch of particular difficulties that define us either as failures or phenoms. But, following this challenging stretch, the much-anticipated breakthrough awaits us all—the day that all the hard work pays off. But right before this big day is the bread and cheese moment. And that is the biggest test of all. ------------» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Eric, Leslie, Nathan, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/» For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/daily» If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/» Discover more resources, books, and sermons from Eric Ludy by going to: https://ellerslie.com/about-eric-ludy/

The Wright Brothers headed back to Kitty Hawk, NC in 1907 for the expressed purpose of getting alone and remembering afresh how to fly. They hadn't flown for two and a half years and they had become a bit rusty in the art. How often we need the same thing in our spiritual lives—a return to wilderness, the desert, the solitude in order to rekindle the heavenly fires in the soul.

Did Gustave Whitehead beat the Wright Brothers as the first to fly? His supporters say he beat them by two years, but that an unfair agreement between the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the Wrights' estate unfairly stacks the deck against Whitehead. The arguments are strong on both sides, and this 125-year-old dispute shows no signs of dying down.

Send us a textSpend time investing eternally by reading your Bible and praying before God. Ephesians 5:15-16Be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil.Remaster of Episode 37, originally aired on December 4, 2019.Support the show

Rumor has it that everyone has a price. Supposedly, even the most virtuous man or woman, the most stouthearted, have their breaking point—the price point at which they are willing to compromise. However, those concocting such theories have never met Jesus Christ—a man who had no price and was totally and completely unpurchasable. This chapter in the Wright Brothers' story tests them on this very theory. Will they compromise or will they stand firm. History will tell.

Ok, I know you all have been dying to hear about my field trip to Greenfield Village. I tried to start the podcast three times before this final take because I want to tell you guys everything! But how in 45 minutes? Let me just say, I will be going back! Greenfield Village Most of us have seen a living historical farm of some sort. It's usually a field trip where you get to see what it was like to live in the past. You get to see the equipment and lack of current day machines that help with everyday household tasks and business. That's Greenfield Village but magnified. Henry Ford's goal was “I only want to have ordinary people who had extraordinary vision.” He brought homes from Thomas Edison(while he was still living), the guy who created the Dewey Decimal system, the bus Rosa Parks rode, the guy who wrote the McGruff readers, the Wright Brothers bike shop, and other buildings of significance. The first 6 years it was a school. There was a lottery system for admittance. Students would start their day in church. A church that my grandma used to attend. Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were basically teaching the next generation of entrepreneurs in Thomas Edison's innovation laboratory. Thomas accumulated all kinds of supplies, textiles, and tools to create. All new things start with education and innovation.  You are standing where the greats have stood I couldn't help but to think to myself often “You are standing where the greats have stood.” Especially when I was in Thomas Edison's lab. I was able to connect some aspect of my life to each house.  Thomas Edison was the first person to assemble a team and let them dive into their uniqueness. He hired people to come work in his lab and then innovate. And because he was paying his technicians, they had money to pay to stay at the Women's Boarding house. I loved being at the boarding house where I played the role of observer. These women were baking, cleaning, chatting, and even sat by the fireplace to knit or catch up on the day's events. I can't stress the importance of relationships. Today's society is becoming too isolated. We should be filling up our time with others, not our devices.  The tour guide would have you believe the women had to do these daunting tasks because the men were out doing whatever. But I challenge that thought. These women were volunteers playing a role, reeling us into the past, and enjoying themselves. I kept picturing myself in those lifestyles. You didn't have a car to go shopping, a phone to scroll on, or the conveniences of today's lifestyle. If I were them, in that day, I'd love to grind the wheat and make the soup. So I'm not sure I'm buying that they didn't like their responsibilities.  So all because one man decided to gather a team to explore their zone of genius, the town boomed. That led to other businesses from people exploring their zones of genius and doing what they were uniquely gifted and created to do, thus all of the village's talents were represented.  Curiosity • Resourcefulness • Practice over time It's not the size of your house, your intellect, or resources that make you great. It's curiosity like me needing to figure out how to settle an estate. And resourcefulness like me figuring out how to create and manufacture the Financial Binder. I have a teaching degree, not a masters in business. I also had to be very resourceful because my budget was small. I was an ordinary person with a vision. I didn't come from money. I'm not well connected. And over time I keep learning and honing the thing that I am gifted and uniquely created to do. I keep refining The Productive Home Solution. I thoroughly enjoyed my field trip to Greenfield Village and was able to make so many connections to my life today. America - an entrepreneurial country! EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Productive Home Solution Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

By 1905 the Wright Brothers had officially learned to fly. They had a testable and provable flying machine. But, even though human-controlled flight was a reality, less than 1% of Americans believed the accomplishment was real. The Wright Brothers spent the entire year of 1905 attempting to convince the American War Department that they had something important—something that would greatly benefit America. However, the American government shockingly rejected the invention. Meanwhile, the British and the French were more than enthusiastic to get their hands on this important tool. ------------» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Eric, Leslie, Nathan, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/» For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/daily» If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/» Discover more resources, books, and sermons from Eric Ludy by going to: https://ellerslie.com/about-eric-ludy/

The Wright Brother's achieved flight on December 17, 1903 in Kitty Hawk, NC. The problem was, no one believed them. It wasn't until nine months later (September 20, 1904), back in Dayton, Ohio that the brothers were able to demonstrate to the world that their Kitty Hawk claims of 1903 were actually true. But, outside their intimate team, there was only one witness there at Huffman Prairie on that day to actually behold the amazing feat. His name was Amos Root. Root was known as The Bee Man of Ohio. The Wright Brothers entrusted this humble eccentric man with the privilege of making the big announcement of their world-altering accomplishment to the world.

In the Wright Brother's story of flight, wind was an essential ingredient. First it was the natural winds of Kitty Hawk—they learned to master the gusting winds, gain lift, and soar. But, then, in 1904, they needed to figure out how to fly even when there wasn't any wind. And this challenge proved to be an even greater problem. Like Wilbur and Orville, we, too, must learn to “fly” when the first winds fail. We must gain a second wind. ------------» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Eric, Leslie, Nathan, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/» For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/daily» If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/» Discover more resources, books, and sermons from Eric Ludy by going to: https://ellerslie.com/about-eric-ludy/

My fellow pro-growth/progress/abundance Up Wingers,In 1976, America celebrated 200 years of independence, democracy, and progress. Part of that celebration was the release of To Fly!, a short but powerful docudrama on the history of American flight. With To Fly!, Greg MacGillivray and his co-director Jim Freeman created one of the earliest IMAX films, bringing cinematography to new heights.After a decade of war and great social unrest, To Fly! celebrated the American identity and freedom to innovate. Today on Faster, Please! — The Podcast, I talk with MacGillivray about filming To Fly! and its enduring message of optimism.MacGillivray has produced and directed films for over 60 years. In that time, his production company has earned two Academy Award nominations, produced five of the Top 10 highest-grossing IMAX films, and has reached over 150 million viewers.In This Episode* The thrill of watching To Fly! (1:38)* An innovative filming process (8:25)* A “you can do it” movie (19:07)* Competing views of technology (25:50)Below is a lightly edited transcript of our conversation. The thrill of watching To Fly! (1:38)What Jim and I tried to do is put as many of the involving, experiential tricks into that film as we possibly could. We wrote the film based on all of these moments that we call “IMAX moments.”Pethokoukis: The film To Fly! premiered at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, at the IMAX Theater, July 1976. Do you happen know if it was it the 4th of July or. . . ?MacGillivray: No, you know, what they did is they had the opening on the 2nd of July so that it wouldn't conflict with the gigantic bicentennial on the 4th, but it was all part of the big celebration in Washington at that moment.I saw the film in the late '70s at what was then called the Great America Amusement Park in Gurnee, Illinois. I have a very clear memory of this, of going in there, sitting down, wondering why I was sitting and going to watch a movie as opposed to being on a roller coaster or some other ride — I've recently, a couple of times, re-watched the film — and I remember the opening segment with the balloonist, which was shot in a very familiar way. I have a very clear memory because when that screen opened up and that balloon took off, my stomach dropped.It was a film as a thrill ride, and upon rewatching it — I didn't think this as a 10-year-old or 11-year-old — but what it reminded me upon rewatching was of Henry V, Lawrence Olivier, 1944, where the film begins in the Globe Theater and as the film goes on, it opens up and expands into this huge technicolor extravaganza as the English versus the French. It reminds me of that. What was your reaction the first time you saw that movie, that film of yours you made with Jim Freeman, on the big screen where you could really get the full immersive effect?It gave me goosebumps. IMAX, at that time, was kind of unknown. The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum was the fourth IMAX theater built, and very few people had seen that system unless you visited world's fairs around the world. So we knew we had something that people were going to grasp a hold of and love because, like you said, it's a combination of film, and storytelling, and a roller coaster ride. You basically give yourself away to the screen and just go with it.What Jim and I tried to do is put as many of the involving, experiential tricks into that film as we possibly could. We wrote the film based on all of these moments that we call “IMAX moments.” We tried to put as many in there as we could, including the train coming straight at you and bashing right into the camera where the audience thinks it's going to get run over. Those kinds of moments on that gigantic screen with that wonderful 10 times, 35-millimeter clarity really moved the audience and I guess that's why they used it at Great America where you saw it.You mentioned the train and I remember a story from the era of silent film and the first time people saw a train on silent film, they jumped, people jumped because they thought the train was coming at them. Then, of course, we all kind of got used to it, and this just occurred to me, that film may have been the first time in 75 years that an audience had that reaction again, like they did with first with silent film where they thought the train was going to come out of the screen to To Fly! where, once again, your previous experience looking at a visual medium was not going to help you. This was something completely different and your sense perception was totally surprised by it.Yeah, it's true. Obviously we were copying that early train shot that started the cinema way back in probably 1896 or 1898. You ended up with To Fly! . . . we knew we had an opportunity because the Air and Space Museum, we felt, was going to be a huge smash hit. Everyone was interested in space right at that moment. Everyone was interested in flying right at that moment. Basically, as soon as it opened its doors, the Air and Space Museum became the number one museum in America, and I think it even passed the Louvre that year in attendance.Our film had over a million and a half people in its first year, which was astounding! And after that year of run, every museum in the world wanted an IMAX theater. Everyone heard about it. They started out charging 50 cents admission for the 27-minute IMAX film, and halfway through the season, they got embarrassed because they were making so much money. They reduced the admission price to 25 cents and everyone was happy. The film was so fun to watch and gave you information in a poetic way through the narration. The storytelling was simple and chronological. You could follow it even if you were a 10-year-old or an 85-year-old, and people just adored the movie. They wrote letters to the editor. The Washington Post called it the best film in the last 10 years, or something like that. Anyway, it was really a heady of time for IMAX.An innovative filming process (8:25)It was one of those things where our knowledge of technology and shooting all kinds of various films prior to that that used technology, we just basically poured everything into this one movie to try to prove the system, to try to show people what IMAX could do . . .I may have just read the Washington Post review that you mentioned. It was a Washington Post review from just three or four years later, so not that long after, and in the conclusion to that piece, it said, “You come away from the film remembering the flying, the freedom of it, the glee, the exaltation. No Wonder ‘To Fly' is a national monument.” So already calling it a national monument, but it took some innovation to create that monument. This isn't just a piece of great filmmaking and great storytelling, it's a piece of technological innovation. I wonder if you could tell me about that.We've worked with the IMAX corporation, particularly Graeme Ferguson, who is gone now, but he was a filmmaker and helped us immensely. Not only guiding, because he'd made a couple of IMAX films previously that just showed at individual theaters, but was a great filmmaker and we wanted three more cameras built—there was only one camera when we began, and we needed three, actually, so we could double shoot and triple shoot different scenes that were dangerous. They did that for us in record time. Then we had to build all these kind of imaginative camera mounts. A guy named Nelson Tyler, Tyler Camera Systems in Hollywood, helped us enormously. He was a close friend and basically built an IMAX camera mount for a helicopter that we called the “monster mount.” It was so huge.The IMAX camera was big and huge on its own, so it needed this huge mount, and it carried the IMAX camera flawlessly and smoothly through the air in a helicopter so that there weren't any bumps or jarring moments so the audience would not get disturbed but they would feel like they were a bird flying. You needed that smoothness because when you're sitting up close against that beautifully detailed screen, you don't want any jerk or you're going to want to close your eyes. It's going to be too nauseating to actually watch. So we knew we had to have flawlessly smooth and beautiful aerials shot in the best light of the day, right at dawn or right at sunset. The tricks that we used, the special camera mounts, we had two different camera mounts for helicopters, one for a Learjet, one for a biplane. We even had a balloon mount that went in the helium balloon that we set up at the beginning of the film.It was one of those things where our knowledge of technology and shooting all kinds of various films prior to that that used technology, we just basically poured everything into this one movie to try to prove the system, to try to show people what IMAX could do . . . There are quiet moments in the film that are very powerful, but there's also these basic thrill moments where the camera goes off over the edge of a cliff and your stomach kind of turns upside down a little bit. Some people had to close their eyes as they were watching so they wouldn't get nauseated, but that's really what we wanted. We wanted people to experience that bigness and that beauty. Basically the theme of the movie was taking off into the air was like the opening of a new eye.Essentially, you re-understood what the world was when aviation began, when the first balloonists took off or when the first airplane, the Wright Brothers, took off, or when we went into space, the change of perspective. And obviously IMAX is the ultimate change of perspectiveWhen I watched the entire film — I've watched it a few times since on YouTube, which I think somebody ripped from a laser disc or something — maybe six months ago, I had forgotten the space sequence. This movie came out a year before Star Wars, and I was looking at that space sequence and I thought, that's pretty good. I thought that really held up excellent. As a documentary, what prepared you to do that kind of sequence? Or was that something completely different that you really had to innovate to do?I had loved 2001: A Space Odyssey, the Kubrick film, and one of the special effects supervisors was Doug Trumbull. So we called Doug and said, “Look, I want to make the sequence. It's going to be short, but it's going to pay homage to space travel and what could happen in the future.” And he guided us a little bit, showed us how to make kind of the explosions of space that he'd done in 2001 using microscopic paint, so we had to develop a camera lens that fit on the IMAX camera that could shoot just a very small area, like half an inch across, where paint in a soluble mixture could then explode. We shot it in slow motion, and then we built a Starship, kind of like a Star Wars-looking — though, as you mentioned, Star Wars had not come out yet — kind of a spaceship that we then superimposed against planets that we photographed, Jupiter and Saturn. We tried to give the feeling and the perspective that that could give us with our poetic narrator, and it worked. It kind of worked, even though it was done on a very small budget. We had $690,000 to make that movie. So we only had one SAG actor who actually got paid the regular wage, that was Peter Walker.Was that the balloonist?Yeah, he was the balloonist. And he was a stage actor, so he was perfect, because I wanted something to obviously be a little bit overblown, make your gestures kind of comically big, and he was perfect for it. But we only had enough money to pay him for one day, so we went to Vermont and put him in the balloon basket, and we shot everything in one day. We never actually shot him flying. We shot him hanging in the balloon basket and the balloon basket was hanging from a crane that was out of the picture, and so we could lift him and make him swing past us and all that stuff, and he was terrific.Then we shot the real balloon, which was a helium balloon. We got the helium from the Navy — which would've been very costly, but they donated the helium — and went to West Virginia where the forest was basically uncut and had no power lines going through it so we could duplicate 1780 or whatever the year was with our aerial shooting. And we had a guy named Kurt Snelling, who was probably the best balloonist at that particular moment, and he dressed like Peter in the same costume and piloted the balloon across. And balloons, you can't tell where they're going, they just follow the wind, and so it was a little dangerous, but we got it all done. It was about a week and a half because we had to wait for weather. So we had a lot of weather days and bad rain in West Virginia when we shot that, but we got it all done, and it looks beautiful, and it matches in with Peter pretty well.Just what you've described there, it sounds like a lot: You're going to Maine, you're in West Virginia, you're getting helium from — it sounds like there were a lot of moving parts! Was this the most ambitious thing you had done up until that point?Well, we'd worked on some feature films before, like The Towering Inferno and Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and things like that, which were involved and very complicated. But yeah, it was very much the biggest production that we put together on our own, and it required us to learn how to produce in a big fashion. It was a thrill for us. Essentially, we had about 10 people working on the film in Laguna Beach, and none of them, except for maybe Jim and I, who we'd worked on feature films and complicated shoots with actors and all that, but a lot of our team hadn't. And so it was an adventure. Every day was a thrill.A “you can do it” movie (19:07). . . we were celebrating 200 years of democracy, of individual freedom, of individual inspiration, getting past obstacles, because you can do it — you have that belief that you can do it.There's a version of this podcast where we spend a half hour talking about The Towering Inferno. I just want you to know that it's very hard for me not to derail the conversation into talking about The Towering Inferno. I will not do that, but let me ask you this, the movie is about flight, it's about westward expansion, but that movie, it came out for the bicentennial, we'd gone through a tumultuous, let's say past 10 years: You had Vietnam, there's social unrest, you had Watergate. And the movie really must have just seemed like a breath of fresh air for people.As you put the movie together, and wrote it, and filmed it, did you feel like you were telling a message other than just about our connection with flight? It really seemed to me to be more than that, a movie about aspiration, and curiosity, and so forth.It was, and pretty much all of our films have been that positive spirit, “You can do it” kind of movie. Even our surfing films that we started with 20 years, maybe 10 years before To Fly!, you end up with that spirit of the human's ability to go beyond. And obviously celebrating the bicentennial and the beginning of democracy here in this country and the fact that we were celebrating 200 years of democracy, of individual freedom, of individual inspiration, getting past obstacles, because you can do it — you have that belief that you can do it.Of course, this was right there when everyone had felt, okay, we went to the moon, we did all kinds of great things. We were inventive and a lot of that spirit of invention, and curiosity, and accomplishment came from the fact that we were free as individuals to do it, to take risks. So I think To Fly! had a lot of that as part of it.But the interesting thing, I thought, was I had one meeting with Michael Collins, who was the director of the Air and Space Museum and the astronaut who circled the moon as Neil and Buzz Aldrin were on the moon walking around, and here he is, hoping that these two guys will come back to him so that the three of them can come back to Earth — but they'd never tested the blast-off from the moon's surface, and they didn't know 100 percent that it was going to work, and that was the weirdest feeling.But what Collins told me in my single meeting that I had with him, he said, “Look, I've got a half an hour for you, I'm building a museum, I've got two years to do it.” And I said, “Look, one thing I want to know is how much facts and figures do you want in this movie? We've got a little over a half an hour to do this film. The audience sits down in your theater, what do you want me to do?” And he said, “Give me fun. Give me the IMAX experience. I don't want any facts and figures. I don't want any dates. I don't want any names. I've got plenty of those everywhere else in the museum. People are going to be sick of dates and names. Give me fun, give me adventure.” And I said, “Oh gosh, we know how to do that because we started out making surfing films.” and he goes, “Do that. Make me a surfing film about aviation.” It was probably the best advice, because he said, “And I don't want to see you again for two years. Bring me back a film. I trust you. I've seen your films. Just go out and do it.” And that was probably the best management advice that I've ever received.So you weren't getting notes. I always hear about studios giving filmmakers notes. You did not get notes.The note I got was, “We love it. Put it on the screen now.” What they did do is they gave me 26 subjects. They said, “Here's the things that we think would be really cool in the movie. We know you can't use 26 things because that's like a minute per sequence, so you pick which of those 26 to stick in.” And I said, “What I'm going to do then is make it chronological so people will somewhat understand it, otherwise it's going to be confusing as heck.” And he said, “Great, you pick.” So I picked things that I knew I could do, and Jim, of course, was right there with me all the time.Then we had a wonderful advisor in Francis Thompson who at that time was an older filmmaker from New York who had done a lot of world's fair films, hadn't ever done IMAX, but he'd done triple-screen films and won an Academy Award with a film called To Be Alive! and he advised us. Graeme Ferguson, as I mentioned, advised us, but we selected the different sequences, probably ended up with 12 sequences, each of which we felt that we could handle on our meager budget.It was delightful that Conoco put up the money for the film as a public service. They wanted to be recognized in the bicentennial year, and they expected that the film was going to run for a year, and then of course today it's still running and it's going into its 50th year now. And so it's one of those things that was one of those feel-good moments of my life and feel-good moments for the Air and Space Museum, Michael Collins, for everyone involved.Competing views of technology (25:50)Our film was the feel-good, be proud to be an American and be proud to be a human being, and we're not messing up everything. There's a lot that's going right.When rewatching it, I was reminded of the 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio, which also had a very famous scene of a 747 looming at the camera. While yours was a joyous scene, I think we're supposed to take away an ominous message about technology in that film. That movie was not a celebration of flight or of technology. Have you wondered why just six years after To Fly!, this other film came out and conveyed a very different message about technology and society.I love Koyaanisqatsi, and in fact, we helped work on that. We did a lot of the aerial shooting for that.I did not know that.And Godfrey Reggio is an acquaintance, a friend. We tried to actually do a movie together for the new millennium, and that would've been pretty wild.Certainly a hypnotic film, no doubt. Fantastic.Yeah. But their thesis was, yeah, technology's gotten beyond us. It's kind of controlled us in some fashions. And with the time-lapse sequences and the basic frenetic aspects of life and war and things like that. And with no narration. That film lets the audience tell the story to themselves, guided by the visuals and the technique. Our film was absolutely a 100 percent positive that the 747 that we had was the number one 747 ever built. Boeing owned it. I don't think they'd started selling them, or they were just starting to use them. Everyone was amazed by the size of this airplane, and we got to bolt our IMAX camera on the bottom of it, and then it was such a thrill to take that big 747.The guy took off from Seattle and the pilot said, “Okay, now where do you want to go?” I said, “Well, I want to find clouds. And he goes, “Well, there's some clouds over next to Illinois. We could go there,” so we go two hours towards Illinois. And I'm in a 737 that they loaned us with the IMAX camera in a brand new window that we stuck in the side of the 737, just absolutely clear as the sheet of glass, just a single pane, and the camera's right up against that piece of plexiglass and with the 40-millimeter lens, which is a 90-degree lens.So I said, “We've got to fly the 737 really close to the 747 and through clouds so that the clouds are wisping through, and so the 747 is disappearing and then appearing and then disappearing and then appear, and we have to do this right at sunset in puffy clouds, these big cumulus clouds.” And so they said, “We can do that, let's go find it!” The two guys who were piloting were both military pilots, so they were used to flying in formation and it was a delight. We shot roll, after roll, after roll and got some of those moments where that 747 comes out into light after being in the white of the cloud are just stunning. So we made the 747 look almost like a miniature plane, except for the shot from underneath where you see the big wheels coming up. So it was a really cool, and I don't know what it cost Boeing to do that, but hundreds of thousands, maybe.Another public service.But they got it back. Obviously it was a heroic moment in the film, and their beautiful plane, which went on to sell many, many copies and was their hero airplane for so many years.Yeah, sure.It was a fun deal. So in comparison to Koyaanisqatsi, our film was the exact opposite. Our film was the feel-good, be proud to be an American and be proud to be a human being, and we're not messing up everything. There's a lot that's going right.I feel like there's a gap in what we get out of Hollywood, what we get out of the media. You don't want just feel-good films. You don't want just celebrations. You want the full range of our lives and of human experience, but I feel like, Koyaanisqatsi is about being out of balance, I think we've gotten out of balance. I just don't see much out there that has the kind of aspirational message with To Fly! I'm not sure what you think. I feel like we could use more of that.Yeah, I'm hopeful that I'm going to be able to make a movie called A Beautiful Life, which is all about the same thing that I was talking about, the freedom that the individual has here in America. I was hopeful to do it for the 250th anniversary, but I'm not going to get it done by that time next year. But I want to do that movie kind of as a musical celebration of almost a “family of man” sort of movie located around the world with various cultures and positive spirit. I'm an optimist, I'm a positive person. That's the joy I get out of life. I suppose that's why Jim and I were perfect to make To Fly! We infused beauty into everything that we tried to do.On sale everywhere The Conservative Futurist: How To Create the Sci-Fi World We Were PromisedMicro ReadsPlease check out the website or Substack app for the latest Up Wing economic, business, and tech news contained in this new edition of the newsletter. Lots of great stuff! Faster, Please! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fasterplease.substack.com/subscribe

Part 2 of All Bones Considered: Laurel Hill Stories #078 Beer heir Grover Cleveland Bergdoll was an early adaptor to flight and it is his Wright Brothers biplane that suspends from the ceiling of the Franklin Institute. He was also the most notorious American Draft Dodger during the Great War. You met Hobart Amory Hare "Hobey" Baker in an earlier podcast when fellow guide Paul Sookiasian and I talked about his athletic prowess; I return now to discuss his life as a pilot, and add new information uncovered only last year by ESPN. Benjamin Lee II eagerly shipped off to be a flier before he finished his college days at Penn. His plane went down and his body never found. He has a cenotaph at Laurel Hill East. 

01:03:21 – Vaccine Industry Circling the Drain Trump suddenly calls on Pfizer and Moderna to “justify the success” of COVID shots. Analysts argue this is more about salvaging biotech profits than concern for public health. 01:13:56 – Trump the “Father of the Vaccine” Clips replay Trump bragging about Operation Warp Speed while later trying to shift blame to pharma. Commentary highlights the hypocrisy of taking credit when convenient and disowning failure when exposed. 01:24:59 – Japan's Vaccine Death Surge Japan, once highly compliant with mRNA rollout, now leads the world in excess deaths. Studies tie the crisis directly to repeated shots, sparking comparisons to black particulates found in tainted vaccine batches. 01:37:59 – Court Reopens Myocarditis Death Case A federal court reopens a lawsuit over a 24-year-old who died from vaccine-induced myocarditis, spotlighting Pentagon involvement in Operation Warp Speed and exposing legal loopholes shielding pharma and government from liability. 02:07:28 – Trump Tariffs Ruled Illegal A federal appeals court strikes down Trump's “reciprocal tariffs,” ruling that his use of emergency powers was unconstitutional and potentially forcing billions in refunds. 02:20:54 – AI as Political Weapon Trump allies deploy artificial intelligence to investigate enemies, raising warnings of Stalin's “find me the crime” updated with modern surveillance. 02:27:09 – BRICS Unites Against Trump India, Russia, and China respond to Trump's tariffs with closer cooperation, accelerating the creation of a parallel financial system. 02:29:24 – Trucker Visa Showdown A deadly crash by an Indian trucker triggers U.S. visa scrutiny, while India defends migrant drivers who undercut wages and send billions abroad. 02:49:33 – Infowars Purges Anti-Trump Voices Reports surface that Owen Shroyer was fired from Infowars for criticizing Trump, sparking charges that Alex Jones protects Trump at all costs. 03:04:23 – Alex Karp's Technocratic Republic Palantir CEO Alex Karp's new book is framed as a blueprint for a dystopian technocracy, blending despair about Silicon Valley with calls for “hard power” governance. 03:12:22 – Wright Brothers vs. State “Innovation” The Wright brothers' success is contrasted with government failure, used to argue that real innovation comes from individuals and free markets, not state subsidies. 03:19:07 – Meta-Constitution: Hidden World Government Global governance is said to already operate through NGOs, ISO standards, and digital ID systems—creating binding control without elections or constitutions. 03:41:17 – Vegas Shooting & Gun Control The Las Vegas massacre is revisited as Trump's pretext for banning bump stocks by executive order, setting precedent for future gun control. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-david-knight-show--2653468/support.

01:03:21 – Vaccine Industry Circling the Drain Trump suddenly calls on Pfizer and Moderna to “justify the success” of COVID shots. Analysts argue this is more about salvaging biotech profits than concern for public health. 01:13:56 – Trump the “Father of the Vaccine” Clips replay Trump bragging about Operation Warp Speed while later trying to shift blame to pharma. Commentary highlights the hypocrisy of taking credit when convenient and disowning failure when exposed. 01:24:59 – Japan's Vaccine Death Surge Japan, once highly compliant with mRNA rollout, now leads the world in excess deaths. Studies tie the crisis directly to repeated shots, sparking comparisons to black particulates found in tainted vaccine batches. 01:37:59 – Court Reopens Myocarditis Death Case A federal court reopens a lawsuit over a 24-year-old who died from vaccine-induced myocarditis, spotlighting Pentagon involvement in Operation Warp Speed and exposing legal loopholes shielding pharma and government from liability. 02:07:28 – Trump Tariffs Ruled Illegal A federal appeals court strikes down Trump's “reciprocal tariffs,” ruling that his use of emergency powers was unconstitutional and potentially forcing billions in refunds. 02:20:54 – AI as Political Weapon Trump allies deploy artificial intelligence to investigate enemies, raising warnings of Stalin's “find me the crime” updated with modern surveillance. 02:27:09 – BRICS Unites Against Trump India, Russia, and China respond to Trump's tariffs with closer cooperation, accelerating the creation of a parallel financial system. 02:29:24 – Trucker Visa Showdown A deadly crash by an Indian trucker triggers U.S. visa scrutiny, while India defends migrant drivers who undercut wages and send billions abroad. 02:49:33 – Infowars Purges Anti-Trump Voices Reports surface that Owen Shroyer was fired from Infowars for criticizing Trump, sparking charges that Alex Jones protects Trump at all costs. 03:04:23 – Alex Karp's Technocratic Republic Palantir CEO Alex Karp's new book is framed as a blueprint for a dystopian technocracy, blending despair about Silicon Valley with calls for “hard power” governance. 03:12:22 – Wright Brothers vs. State “Innovation” The Wright brothers' success is contrasted with government failure, used to argue that real innovation comes from individuals and free markets, not state subsidies. 03:19:07 – Meta-Constitution: Hidden World Government Global governance is said to already operate through NGOs, ISO standards, and digital ID systems—creating binding control without elections or constitutions. 03:41:17 – Vegas Shooting & Gun Control The Las Vegas massacre is revisited as Trump's pretext for banning bump stocks by executive order, setting precedent for future gun control. Follow the show on Kick and watch live every weekday 9:00am EST – 12:00pm EST https://kick.com/davidknightshow Money should have intrinsic value AND transactional privacy: Go to https://davidknight.gold/ for great deals on physical gold/silverFor 10% off Gerald Celente's prescient Trends Journal, go to https://trendsjournal.com/ and enter the code KNIGHTFind out more about the show and where you can watch it at TheDavidKnightShow.com If you would like to support the show and our family please consider subscribing monthly here: SubscribeStar https://www.subscribestar.com/the-david-knight-showOr you can send a donation throughMail: David Knight POB 994 Kodak, TN 37764Zelle: @DavidKnightShow@protonmail.comCash App at: $davidknightshowBTC to: bc1qkuec29hkuye4xse9unh7nptvu3y9qmv24vanh7Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-david-knight-show--5282736/support.

Our analysts Adam Jonas and Alex Straton discuss how tech-savvy young professionals are influencing retail, brand loyalty, mobility trends, and the broader technology landscape through their evolving consumer choices. Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Adam Jonas: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Adam Jonas, Morgan Stanley's Embodied AI and Humanoid Robotics Analyst. Alex Straton: And I'm Alex Straton, Morgan Stanley's U.S. Softlines Retail and Brands Analyst. Adam Jonas: Today we're unpacking our annual summer intern survey, a snapshot of how emerging professionals view fashion retail, brands, and mobility – amid all the AI advances.It is Tuesday, August 26th at 9am in New York.They may not manage billions of dollars yet, but Morgan Stanley's summer interns certainly shape sentiment on the street, including Wall Street. From sock heights to sneaker trends, Gen Z has thoughts. So, for the seventh year, we ran a survey of our summer interns in the U.S. and Europe. The survey involved more than 500 interns based in the U.S., and about 150 based in Europe. So, Alex, let's start with what these interns think about fashion and athletic footwear. What was your biggest takeaway from the intern survey? Alex Straton: So, across the three categories we track in the survey – that's apparel, athletic footwear, and handbags – there was one clear theme, and that's market fragmentation. So, for each category specifically, we observed share of the top three to five brands falling over time. And what that means is these once dominant brands, as consumer mind share is falling – and it likely makes them lower growth margin and multiple businesses over time. At the same time, you have smaller brands being able to captivate consumer attention more effectively, and they have staying power in a way that they haven't necessarily historically. I think one other piece I would just add; the rise of e-commerce and social media against a low barrier to entry space like apparel and footwear means it's easier to build a brand than it has been in the past. And the intern survey shows us this likely continues as this generation is increasingly inclined to shop online. Their social media usage is heavy, and they heavily rely on AI to inform, you know, their purchases.So, the big takeaway for me here isn't that the big are getting bigger in my space. It's actually that the big are probably getting smaller as new players have easier avenues to exist. Adam Jonas: Net apparel spending intentions rose versus the last survey, despite some concern around deteriorating demand for this category into the back half. What do you make of that result? Alex Straton: I think there were a bit conflicting takes from the survey when I look at all the answers together. So yes, apparel spending intentions are higher year-over-year, but at the same time, clothing and footwear also ranked as the second most category that interns would pull back on should prices go up. So let me break this down. On the higher spending intentions, I think timing played a huge role and a huge factor in the results. So, we ran this in July when spending in our space clearly accelerated. That to me was a function of better weather, pent up demand from earlier in the quarter, a potential tariff pull forward as headlines were intensifying, and then also typical back to school spending. So, in short, I think intention data is always very heavily tethered to the moment that it's collected and think that these factors mean, you know, it would've been better no matter what we've seen it in our space. I think on the second piece, which is interns pulling back spend should prices go up. That to me speaks to the high elasticity in this category, some of the highest in all of consumer discretionary. And that's one of the few drivers informing our cautious demand view on this space as we head into the back half. So, in summary on that piece, we think prices going higher will become more apparent this month onwards, which in tandem with high inventory and a competitive setup means sales could falter in the group. So, we still maintain this cautious demand view as we head into the back half, though our interns were pretty rosy in the survey. Adam Jonas: Interesting. So, interns continue to invest in tech ecosystems with more than 90 percent owning multiple devices. What does this interconnectedness mean for companies in your space? Alex Straton: This somewhat connects to the fragmentation theme I mentioned where I think digital shopping has somewhat functioned as a great equalizer in the space and big picture. I interpret device reliance as a leading indicator that this market diversification likely continues as brands fight to capture mobile mind share. The second read I'd have on this development is that it means brands must evolve to have an omnichannel presence. So that's both in store and online, and preferably one that's experiential focus such that this generation can create content around it. That's really the holy grail. And then maybe lastly, the third takeaway on this is that it's going to come at a cost. You, you can't keep eyeballs without spend. And historical brick and mortar retailers spend maybe 5 to 10 percent of sales on marketing, with digital requiring more than physical. So now I think what's interesting is that brands in my space with momentum seem to have to spend more than 10 percent of sales on marketing just to maintain popularity. So that's a cost pressure. We're not sure where these businesses will necessarily recoup if all of them end up getting the joke and continuing to invest just to drive mind share. Adam, turning to a topic that's been very hot this year in your area of expertise. That's humanoid robots. Interns were optimistic here with more than 60 percent believing they'll have many viable use cases and about the same number thinking they'll replace many human jobs. Yet fewer expect wide scale adoption within five years. What do you think explains this cautious enthusiasm? Adam Jonas: Well actually Alex, I think it's pretty smart. There is room to be optimistic. But there's definitely room to be cautious in terms of the scale of adoption, particularly over five years. And we're talking about humanoid robots. We're talking about a new species that's being created, right? This is bigger than just – will it replace our job? I mean, I don't think it's an exaggeration to ask what does this do to the concept of being human? You know, how does this affect our children and future generations? This is major generational planetary technology that I think is very much comparable to electricity, the internet. Some people say the wheel, fire, I don't know. We're going to see it happen and start to propagate over the next few years, where even if we don't have widespread adoption in terms of dealing with it on average hour of a day or an average day throughout the planet, you're going to see the technology go from zero to one as these machines learn by watching human behavior. Going from teleoperated instruction to then fully autonomous instruction, as the simulation stack and the compute gets more and more advanced. We're now seeing some industry leaders say that robots are able to learn by watching videos. And so, this is all happening right now, and it's happening at the pace of geopolitical rivalry, Sino-U.S. rivalry and terra cap, you know, big, big corporate competitive rivalry as well, for capital in the human brain. So, we are entering an unprecedented – maybe precedented in the last century – perhaps unprecedented era of technological and scientific discovery that I think you got to go back to the European and American Enlightenment or the Italian Renaissance to have any real comparisons to what we're about to see. Alex Straton: So, keeping with this same theme, interns showed strong interest in household robots with 61 percent expressing some interest and 24 percent saying they're very or extremely interested. I'm going to take you back to your prior coverage here, Adam. Could this translate into demand for AI driven mobility or smart infrastructure? Adam Jonas: Well, Alex, you were part of my prior coverage once upon a time. We were blessed with having you on our team for a year, and then you left me… Alex Straton: My golden era. Adam Jonas: But you came back, you came back. And you've done pretty well. So, so look, imagine it's 1903, the Wright Brothers just achieved first flight over the sands at Kitty Hawk. And then I were to tell you, ‘Oh yeah, in a few years we're going to have these planes used in World War I. And then in 1914, we'd have the first airline going between Tampa and St. Petersburg.' You'd say, ‘You're crazy,' right? The beauty of the intern survey is it gives the Morgan Stanley research department and our clients an opportunity to engage that surface area with that arising – not just the business leader – but that arising tech adopter. These are the people, these are the men and women that are going to kind of really adopt this much, much faster. And then, you know, our generation will get dragged into it eventually. So, I think it says; I think 61 percent expressing even some interest. And then 24 [percent], I guess, you know… The vast majority, three quarters saying, ‘Yeah, this is happening.' That's a sign I think, to our clients and capital market providers and regulators to say, ‘This won't be stopped. And if we don't do it, someone else will.' Alex Straton: So, another topic, Generative AI. It should come as no surprise really, that 95 percent of interns use that tool monthly, far ahead of the general population. How do you see this shaping future expectations for mobility and automation? Adam Jonas: So, this is what's interesting is people have asked kinda, ‘What's that Gen AI moment,' if you will, for mobility? Well, it really is Gen AI. Large Language Models and the technologies that develop the Large Language Models and that recursive learning, don't just affect the knowledge economy, right. Or writing or research report generation or intelligence search. It actually also turns video clips and physical information into tokens that can then create and take what would be a normal suburban city street and beautiful weather with smiling faces or whatever, and turn it into a chaotic scene of, you know, traffic and weather and all sorts of infrastructure issues and potholes. And that can be done in this digital twin, in an omniverse. A CEO recently told me when you drive a car with advanced, you know, Level 2+ autonomy, like full self-driving, you're not just driving in three-dimensional space. You're also playing a video game training a robot in a digital avatar. So again, I think that there is quite a lot of overlap between Gen AI and the fact that our interns are so much further down that curve of adoption than the broader public – is probably a hint to us is we got to keep listening to them, when we move into the physical realm of AI too. Alex Straton: So, no more driving tests for the 16-year-olds of the future... Adam Jonas: If you want to. Like, I tell my kids, if you want to drive, that's cool. Manual transmission, Italian sports cars, that's great. People still ride horses too. But it's just for the privileged few that can kind of keep these things in stables. Alex Straton: So, let me turn this into implications for companies here. Gen Z is tech fluent, open to disruption? How should autos and shared mobility providers rethink their engagement strategies with this generation? Adam Jonas: Well, that's a huge question. And think of the irony here. As we bring in this world of fake humans and humanoid robots, the scarcest resource is the human brain, right? So, this battle for the human mind is – it's incredible. And we haven't seen this really since like the Sputnik era or real height of the Cold War. We're seeing it now play out and our clients can read about some of these signing bonuses for these top AI and robotics talent being paid by many companies. It kind of makes, you know, your eyes water, even if you're used to the world of sports and soccer, . I think we're going to keep seeing more of that for the next few years because we need more brains, we need more stem. I think it's going to do; it has the potential to do a lot for our education system in the United States and in the West broadly. Alex Straton: So, we've covered a lot around what the next generation is interested in and, and their opinion. I know we do this every year, so it'll be exciting to see how this evolves over time. And how they adapt. It's been great speaking with you today, Adam. Adam Jonas: Absolutely. Alex, thanks for your insights. And to our listeners, stay curious, stay disruptive, and we'll catch you next time. If you enjoy Thoughts on the Market, please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today.

In this special Daily Thunder, Eric and Nathan reflect upon their current series and mention that we are currently taking a three week break from Daily Thunder. We jump back into Spiritual Lessons from the Wright Brothers and the Awful Fear of the Lord on September 10.

Huffman Prairie represents a significant chapter in the Wright Brother's story, but a “Huffman Prairie” chapter is certainly not unique to them. It's a chapter that each of us must pass through. And how we pass through it defines whether or not we fulfill our high calling and actually fly.

The Wright Brothers accomplished something on December 17, 1903 that changed the course of history. And yet, no one believed them. Their hometown of Dayton didn't pull together a big parade to welcome the boys home from Kitty Hawk—no one was in a celebratory mood. In fact, one in every hundred Daytonians believed the brothers had actually accomplished what they said that they had accomplished. Moments like this are not uncommon in the landscape of the Christian experience. Often the very things we are laboring overtime to see accomplished in our life by the Holy Spirit are not understood, believed, or appreciated by those closest to us. What would the proper response to such strange indifference be?

The Christian life is all about faith. But, what many Christians don't realize is that it is not just the presence of faith that causes the Christian to triumph. It's the testing of that faith; the proving of that faith as genuine that showcases the power of heavenly triumph. December 17, 1903 was a day of triumph. It was the first day of human controlled flight. And that triumph only lasted twelve short seconds. But those twelve seconds were the first twelve seconds of the trillion seconds of triumphant flight to follow. Often the first breakthrough in the living out of the Christian life is only a twelve second flight. But, let's cherish our twelve seconds of impossible living and allow it to be the foundation of the eternity of triumph to follow.

When we think of the Wright Brothers, we think of two extraordinary men that pulled off an impossible feat all by their lonesome. And that is correct . . . sort of. There was actually a third person involved in this amazing accomplishment, but he is rarely ever discussed and, still to this day, is relatively unknown. His name was Charlie Taylor. It was Charlie that built the first plane engine. And without that miracle engine, human controlled flight simply would not have taken place. In the work of salvation, the Father and the Son get a good deal of our focus (as they deserve). But there is a Third Person involved in the saving of our souls that is mysteriously and purposely hidden in the process. And without this Third Person, we would all still be lost.

The Wright Brothers were not dashing, debonaire men. They were not highly educated nor were they confident with the lady folk. They were simple men. And the adjective used to describe them more than any other was “humility.” The other leading aeronautical geniuses at the time were highly financed, highly educated, and highly snooty. Samuel Langley, the director of the Smithsonian Institute had one goal: to beat the Wright Brothers. Langley had everything needed for success. He had loads of money, loads of intelligence, and loads of scientific helpers. But, the one thing he lacked was humility. And that cost him everything.------------» Take these studies deeper and be discipled in person by Eric, Leslie, Nathan, and the team at Ellerslie in one of our upcoming discipleship programs – learn more at: https://ellerslie.com/be-discipled/» Receive our free “Five Keys to Walking Through Difficulty” PDF by going to: https://ellerslie.com/subscribe/» For more information about Daily Thunder and the ministry of Ellerslie Mission Society, please visit: https://ellerslie.com/daily» If you have been blessed by Ellerslie, consider partnering with the ministry by donating at: https://ellerslie.com/donate/» Discover more resources, books, and sermons from Eric Ludy by going to: https://ellerslie.com/about-eric-ludy/

In 1896-1897, thousands of Americans across 19 states witnessed mysterious airships with strange occupants, bright lights, and impossible technology – decades before the Wright Brothers' first flight and 50 years before Roswell – in what became history's first documented mass UFO sighting.Join the DARKNESS SYNDICATE: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateIN THIS EPISODE: When students at a Catholic primary school in Uganda began exhibiting mass possession symptoms — crawling on their bellies, barking, and chanting their teacher's name — an enraged mob burned down the accused educator's home and killed his livestock, pointing at him as the cause of the demonic possession. (Uganda's Demon Possessed Primary School) *** New research suggests that time travelers would return from their journeys with completely wiped memories due to the reversal of entropy, making it impossible to remember or prove they ever traveled through time at all. (Time Travel Memory Loss) *** When Austrian soldiers bought schnapps from local traders one night in 1788, a drunken dispute among the troops escalated into full-scale panic that caused 100,000 soldiers to attack not the enemy, but themselves in history's most absurd friendly fire incident. (The Friendly Fire Defeat of Karansebes) *** In separate South African hospitals, two physically disabled men vanished from their beds only to be discovered dead in inaccessible ceiling spaces days later, leaving investigators with an impossible mystery and families without answers. (Dead Patients In The Ceiling) *** Between 1896 and 1897, thousands of Americans reported seeing mysterious flying machines in the skies – decades before powered flight was supposed to exist. (The 1897 UFO Wave)ABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Lead-In00:02:32.628 = Show Open00:04:48.093 = The 1897 UFO Wave00:28:07.168 = Uganda's Demon Possessed Primary School00:36:47.713 = Time Travel Memory Loss00:43:41.956 = The Friendly Fire Defeat of Karansebes00:59:23.253 = Dead Patients In The Ceiling01:10:24.250 = Show CloseSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…The 1897 UFO Wave: https://weirddarkness.com/americas-first-ufo/Uganda's Demon Possessed Primary School: https://weirddarkness.com/mazibaschool/Time Travel Memory Loss: https://weirddarkness.com/time-travel-memory-loss/The Friendly Fire Defeat of Karansebes: https://weirddarkness.com/battle-of-karansebes/Dead Patients In The Ceiling: https://weirddarkness.com/dead-patients-ceiling-mystery/=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: July 07, 2025NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is NOT an AI voice.EPISODE PAGE at WeirdDarkness.com (includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/1897UfoWave

This special 4th of July Progrum features the fellas reminiscing about their favorite American moments and traditions. They share personal anecdotes and iconic historical clips, from the Wright Brothers' first flight to the Miracle on Ice, discussing moments that embody American ingenuity, resilience, and patriotism.    Join the fellas as they count down the greatest moments on film, and watch their analysis of unforgettable scenes, like Trump's assassination attempt.    PLUS your comments and a fond farewell to the beloved Spaghetts. Good luck, Nick!   00:00 - Happy 4th of July & Patriotic Beginnings 08:00 - Iconic American Moments: NASCAR & Creed 12:15 - The Great "First in Flight" Debate 18:15 - Defining Moments: Miracle on Ice & Bin Laden 29:57 - Trump's "Fight, Fight, Fight" & American Resilience 36:00 - Iwo Jima, Moon Landing 45:30 - Your Comments from YouTube 54:30 - A Fond Farewell to Spaghetts   Our Sponsors: -Help Trump get his big, beautiful, bill. Go to https://protectprosperity.com/ -Find out the true power of America's oil and natural gas. Go to https://lightsonenergy.org/