The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

#2431 - Shane Gillis

The Joe Rogan Experience

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Health, Aging, and Lifestyle Choices: Joe discusses being 58 and consciously thinking about longevity, noting that 20 years from now he'll be 78. He emphasizes the importance of staying healthy and mentions he's mostly stopped drinking because he's too interested in health and fitness. They discuss sleep apnea, with Joe using a mouthpiece and Shane admitting he gets it when hungover, and talk about the benefits of fixing a deviated septum.

Comedy Scene Dynamics and Meeting Famous People: Shane shares embarrassing stories about meeting established comedians early in his career, including awkward interactions with Dave Attell, Norman Charlatan, and sending cringe-worthy emails to Bert Kreischer. They discuss the panic young comics feel when meeting established performers and how relationships evolve over time. Both reflect on how strange it is to now be friends with people they once idolized.

Combat Sports and Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua: Extensive discussion about Jake Paul's upcoming fight with Anthony Joshua, with Joe explaining why it's such a massive jump in competition. They analyze various fighters including Conor McGregor's broken leg fight, Jose Aldo's legendary career, and emerging talents like Ultiba Gaultier. Joe emphasizes the importance of weight cutting in MMA and how it affected fighters like McGregor and Aldo.

Animal Behavior and Evolution: Conversation covers dolphins engaging in infanticide and promiscuous behavior, bears killing moose, and the pecking order in nature. They discuss how female dolphins evolved to be promiscuous to protect their offspring from male dolphins who kill babies they haven't fathered. Joe argues humans are actually the most peaceful intelligent species despite our warlike nature.

Historical Warfare and American History: Shane's passion for Civil War history emerges as they discuss battlefield tours, the Iron Brigade, Louisiana Tigers, and unique Civil War units like the Zouaves who wore distinctive North African-inspired uniforms. They explore how different state regiments had reputations and battle flags, comparing historical warfare tactics to modern combat.

Trump Administration Controversies: Discussion of Trump's plaques in the White House describing previous presidents, particularly the harsh description of Biden as "the worst president in American history." They analyze Trump's tweet about Rob Reiner after his death, comparing it to how Obama would be received if he did similar things. Joe notes the Rob Reiner incident shows a troubling lack of empathy.

Political Theater and Government Operations: They examine ICE's controversial deportation videos using Theo Von's clips without permission, the student deported from Tufts University for criticizing Israel, and broader questions about free speech limitations. Discussion includes speculation about CIA activities and the concept of crisis actors in major events.

UFOs and Classified Technology: Joe discusses recent podcast conversations about UFOs, particularly the claim that back-engineered alien craft are being developed as "simultaneous nuclear payload delivery systems" - weapons that could deliver nuclear bombs instantaneously anywhere in the world. They ponder whether aliens stopped visiting because humanity immediately weaponized their technology.

Epstein Files and Conspiracy Theories: Live reaction to the Epstein files being released online, with humorous attempts to search for names like Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump, all returning "no results found." They discuss how handwritten documents won't be searchable and acknowledge they'll need to wait for researchers to analyze the documents properly.

Urban Decay and Homelessness Crisis: Comparison of Skid Row in Los Angeles (described as 50 blocks of chaos) versus Kensington and Allegheny in Philadelphia. Shane argues Philadelphia's drug problem might be worse, while Joe emphasizes LA's scale. They discuss how no one has viable solutions and suspect money meant for homeless services is being misappropriated.

Nuclear Technology and Fusion Power: Explanation of the difference between nuclear fission (current technology) and fusion (the holy grail), discussing hydrogen bombs versus atomic bombs. They note that Trump Media merged with a nuclear fusion company just 24 hours after a MIT fusion scientist was killed in the Brown University shooting.

Fritz Haber's Tragic Legacy: Joe tells the story of Fritz Haber, who invented both life-saving agricultural techniques (the Haber method for extracting nitrogen) and poison gas warfare. Haber was Jewish and later had to flee Nazi Germany, with his invention Zyklon A eventually becoming Zyklon B used in concentration camps. His wife committed suicide in front of their son before Haber left for the war front.

Sports Fanaticism and Regional Identity: Shane expresses nostalgia for small-town Pennsylvania life centered around college football, local bars, and simple pleasures. They discuss how difficult lives make leisure time more meaningful, with Joe questioning whether that lifestyle would have suited him or if he would have always pursued his current path.

Military History and Innovation: Discussion of Samuel Colt's invention of the revolver in 1836 and how the military initially rejected it despite Texas Rangers finding it revolutionary for fighting Comanches. They explore how the Civil War saw the transition from muskets to rifled weapons and how technological advancement often faces resistance from traditionalists.

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Millennial money expert Victoria Devine shares her foolproof tips for financial freedom.

THE SOTM EOY PARTY… Plus Should You Get a Credit Card & Is Building a Home Really Cheaper Than Buying?

She's On The Money

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End of Year Celebration and Community Stats: The episode kicks off with a Boxing Day celebration and impressive year-end statistics. She's On The Money was the #1 Australian business and finance podcast in 2024, with over 6.1 million downloads and 75.5 million minutes listened (equivalent to 143 years). Spotify awarded the show for being a "marathon show" with 99% more listening time than other shows, and for being 99% more shared and commented on than competitors.

Listener Demographics and Preferences: The community's most popular episodes included "Investing for Beginners," "Rich Girl Mindset and How to Get It," and "Brooks Investing Diary" about retiring by 35. Taylor Swift was the community's most-listened-to artist, and Mel Robbins' "Let Them" was the most popular audiobook. The hosts expressed hope to interview Mel Robbins during her 2026 Australian tour.

Team Money Wins and Personal Milestones: Victoria highlighted the community's growth and purchased her family's forever home. Jessica is building her first home and took advantage of first home owner grants and stamp duty exemptions that saved her over $30,000. Beck successfully manages living paycheck to paycheck while maintaining her investment portfolio and share house responsibilities.

Community Money Wins: Listeners shared impressive achievements including paying off $49,000 in consumer debt while building a $5,000 emergency fund, securing promotions through networking and self-advocacy, refinancing mortgages to save over $1,000 monthly, discovering thousands in unpaid wages, completely paying off mortgages, and strategically using loyalty cards during financial hardship.

Building vs Buying a Home Deep Dive: The main money dilemma explored whether building or buying an established home is more cost-effective. Jessica, currently building, shared that it allowed her to access first home buyer grants and stamp duty exemptions since assessment is based on land value rather than total cost. However, advertised house prices don't include crucial costs like appliances, driveways, fencing, and upgrades.

Hidden Costs of Building: Victoria emphasized that building appears cheaper on paper but often isn't in reality. Additional costs include expensive upgrades (marble benchtops can add $10,000-$30,000, premium appliances and tiles significantly increase costs), site costs, delays, and potential budget overruns. She cited a neighbor who went 50% over budget on a knockdown rebuild, illustrating how quickly costs can escalate.

Location and Builder Considerations: The decision between building and buying heavily depends on location. Jessica benefited from building in an area with lots of construction where volume builders could offer competitive rates. In contrast, Victoria's area would require buying and demolishing an existing home, making building prohibitively expensive and less predictable with timeline delays.

Fixed vs Non-Fixed Building Contracts: An important consideration is whether you enter a fixed-rate building contract. With rising costs of materials like iron ore and minerals, non-fixed contracts can blow budgets as prices increase from $50 to $60 per square meter across multiple materials. Living arrangements during construction are also critical—Jessica has rental flexibility while others might face double housing costs.

Credit Card for Summer Expenses Dilemma: A teacher's aide asked whether to get a credit card to cover six weeks without pay over the holidays, with $5,000 in savings, $4,500 in shares, and $2,765 in rent due. Victoria strongly cautioned against credit cards as a "slippery slope," noting that most people don't intend to go into debt but start using cards for emergencies that snowball into larger debt.

Alternative Solutions to Credit Card Debt: The team recommended several alternatives: picking up casual holiday work like tutoring, cafe work, or Airtasker jobs; creating a strict budget and delaying non-essential expenses; considering interest-free family loans if available; and as a last resort, withdrawing small amounts from the share portfolio rather than getting a credit card. Community polling showed 44% would reduce expenses and 34% would seek holiday income.

Responsible Credit Card Use Acknowledgment: While warning against credit cards, the hosts acknowledged they personally use credit cards responsibly for points and cash flow management. Beck admitted that even a year or two ago, she couldn't have handled a credit card responsibly, emphasizing the importance of knowing your personality type and spending habits before getting one.

Holiday Pay and Employment Rights: A community member suggested the teacher's aide should be receiving holiday pay with permanency offered in 2026. The hosts clarified that holiday pay typically only applies once you've started the job, not during the period before your contract begins, but recommended contacting the union to verify employment rights and entitlements.

Year-End Blooper Reel: The episode concluded with the annual blooper compilation prepared by audio engineer Sam, featuring Victoria saying "amiss" instead of "remiss," wanting to "nip that in the butt" instead of "bud," applying cuticle oil during recording, Beck saying "totally" repeatedly, and Victoria singing "I'm Just a Girl" by No Doubt—keeping the team humble and entertaining listeners.
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I’m Emma McAdam, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and my mission is to make mental health resources more easy to access. I take therapy skills and psychological research and condense them down into bite-sized nuggets of help.

I’m here to spread the message that while mental illness is real, it’s common, it’s debilitating, it’s also treatable. There are dozens of research-backed approaches to treating depression, anxiety, and other mental illness. Change, growth, and healing are possible. Please keep courage! Try one little thing every day to improve your life and health and things can get so much better! 

Therapy in a Nutshell, and the information provided by Emma McAdam,  is solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.

Therapy in a Nutshell and it’s logo are Registered Trademarks of Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC

How to Actually Change Your Life- You Need a System, Not a Goal

Therapy in a Nutshell

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Why Big Goals Fail: Setting ambitious goals like "be happier" or "stop yelling at my kids" seems simple but actually requires hundreds of new behavioral responses and dozens of skills across multiple situations. This is like trying to juggle 100 marbles at once—humans simply can't make that many changes simultaneously, which is why willpower-based resolutions typically fail.

The Power of Tiny Habits: Real, lasting change comes from implementing only one to two tiny changes per month, not massive resolutions. If you have more than three priorities, you effectively have none. Your focus should be on one to two tiny habits while maintaining your existing life responsibilities like work, family, and sleep.

Why Tiny Works: Small changes feel safe to your nervous system so it won't sabotage you, they build confidence through achievable wins, and they provide the repetition necessary for forming lasting habits. The British cycling team exemplifies this—they went from embarrassing to elite by focusing on 1% improvements in areas like bike seats, hand washing, sleep, and nutrition rather than just training harder.

Make It Tiny: Choose a specific, concrete behavior that you will do (not something you won't do). Examples include taking a multivitamin daily, doing 10 minutes of light therapy each morning, going for a two-minute walk, or practicing three minutes of gratitude—not vague goals like "be healthier."

Make It Easy Through Environment Design: Shape your environment to make bad habits hard and good habits easy, rather than relying on willpower. This could mean deleting Instagram from your phone, having someone else change your social media passwords, setting up recurring grocery deliveries instead of trying to "eat better," or putting a hook by the door for your keys.

Stack Your Habits: Pair new habits with tasks you already do automatically. Examples include stretching for one minute after closing your laptop, taking medications when brushing teeth, doing Duolingo during commutes, or saying "I am the master of my fate" when walking through doorways.

Make It Visual: Put your goal directly in front of your eyes to eliminate barriers. Place your guitar in the living room where you'll see it, tape the remote control to it, use huge tracker calendars, write habits on your hand, put mantras on your mirror, or set phone reminders and lock screens.

Make It Rewarding: Dopamine and motivation are fueled by what happens after taking action, so celebrate your wins. Use physical reinforcements like congratulating yourself out loud, adding big red checks to a calendar, putting marbles in a jar for good behaviors, or journaling your wins each night to strengthen neural pathways.

Trust the Process: Don't expect to be magically transformed by Monday. In a few weeks you'll get good at catching old patterns, by the end of the month you'll be replacing negative habits, in six weeks the old behavior will largely disappear, and by three months external rewards like better relationships or a sense of empowerment will start showing up.

Good Is Better Than Perfect: Aim for 80% consistency, not 100%. Missing once is life, missing twice begins a new pattern, so just bounce back. The example given is a 487-day Duolingo streak with about 40 missed days—progress, not perfection, is the goal.

Adopt a Scientist Mindset: View life as an experiment where you test different approaches rather than labeling yourself as a failure. If restrictive dieting hasn't worked, try intuitive eating. Get curious, research alternatives, ask for help, and build new tools when something doesn't work instead of shaming yourself.

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Background Briefing brings you true stories not everyone will want you to hear.

Long Read | How social media algorithms decide who you are

Background Briefing

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Investigating Instagram's algorithm through a sock puppet experiment: Journalist Priyanka Srinivasan created a fake Instagram account called "Tank Promotion" on a factory-reset burner phone to understand how social media algorithms curate content. She wanted to determine whether feeds reflect genuine user interests or simply trap users in addictive cycles of provocative content, and whether users can regain control over what they see.

The personal anxiety behind curated feeds: Despite having diverse interests in world politics, arts, and culture, Srinivasan's genuine Instagram feed was dominated by banal celebrity videos, makeup tutorials, and puppy content. She describes this as a diet of "ultra-processed junk food" with "zero nutrition" — all pleasure but no substance, prompting her investigation into why algorithms show us certain content over others.

How platforms learn preferences from blank slate accounts: When starting with a vanilla profile, Instagram serves diverse content like a "parent feeding a fussy child," testing various topics until finding what captures attention. The platform uses feedback mechanisms including watch time, engagement patterns, and scrolling speed to gauge user interests, with every action serving as a weighted vote for similar future content.

Associative logic and the surveillance of physical proximity: Through location data, social media platforms profile users based not just on where they are, but who they're with. Phones are treated as nodes in a vast network, with the system associating your account with others in your physical proximity. This explains uncanny experiences like seeing friend suggestions for strangers met at parties or content related to conversations with people nearby — you're not an isolated point but the product of every device in your environment.

The evolution from chronological feeds to algorithmic curation: Social media originally showed posts chronologically from followed accounts, with clear endpoints. As companies sought more advertising revenue, they introduced "recommender systems" that evolved from simple collaborative filtering (like Netflix's model) to sophisticated AI-driven systems using deep learning. These modern "black box" algorithms track implicit signals and optimize for engagement in ways even internal experts struggle to fully explain.

Testing the microphone listening conspiracy: Srinivasan attempted to manipulate her feed by creating a fake identity as a new mother, playing YouTube videos about newborns near the phone's microphone. While Meta denies listening through microphones, the experiment suggested they don't need to — behavior on devices "speaks loudly enough." After downloading pregnancy apps, joining new mother groups, and googling baby products, baby-related content gradually appeared in her feed.

When optimization for engagement leads to pornographic content: As Srinivasan's account shifted toward motherhood content, semi-pornographic videos and suggestive imagery suddenly flooded her feed — busty women, animated sexual content, and even sexualized motherhood videos. This may have occurred because she was using public WiFi or simply because porn is ubiquitous online and highly engaging, with one in three young Australians encountering it unintentionally before age 13 through social media.

The speed and ease of algorithmic personality transformation: After weeks of passive signals yielding slow changes, Srinivasan clicked just a few child-oriented thumbnails on her Explore page. Within eight minutes, Instagram had completely reimagined her as a parent, flooding her feed with baby gear and infant content. This demonstrated how quickly and easily the algorithm can fundamentally reshape a user's digital identity based on minimal direct interaction.

The rapid descent into extremist and misogynistic content: After searching for Joe Rogan and watching his videos on Instagram, Srinivasan's feed immediately pivoted to controversial figures like Andrew Tate, who has been accused of rape and inspiring misogyny. Within three swipes, she encountered videos promoting toxic masculinity, anti-feminism, and conspiratorial thinking. Her feed quickly filled with anti-vaccine content, all-meat diet promotion, and hyper-masculine ideology — all without ever searching for or following these accounts.

Research showing algorithmic radicalization and filter bubbles: Studies with 100,000 sock puppet accounts on YouTube found that over 36% received extremist video recommendations, with right-leaning accounts seeing extremist content (usually white nationalist, anti-woke, anti-feminist) 40% of the time. This research demonstrated that personalization creates ideological filter bubbles and that some degree of radicalization occurs because of recommendation systems, even for users not explicitly seeking extreme content.

The challenge of escaping algorithmic rabbit holes: Even when signed out or using different devices, users report feeling pulled back into addictive cycles of recommended content. Support groups like Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous help people struggling with social media addiction through 12-step recovery programs. Some members use blocking software to prevent access to platforms that trap them in endless scrolling sessions that consume entire nights.

Implications for Australia's social media ban and broader regulation: While Australia's ban on social media for users under 16 offers the comfort of action, experts warn it may distract from deeper questions: Will it address how companies harvest data from young users? Will adults' and older siblings' online behavior still shape what children see? Are these models inherently harmful if they simply mirror the world already around them? The ban doesn't address the fundamental issues of how algorithms work and what they optimize for.

Practical steps for regaining control while acknowledging the difficulty: Users can spend time with people and in places that reflect desired content, consciously engage with uplifting posts, actively block harmful content, and follow accounts that genuinely reflect their interests. However, Srinivasan's experiment revealed the difficulty of escape — even after attempting to curate a healthier feed, she found herself drifting back to the extreme and conspiracy-laden videos that now populated her account, hesitant to give up access and continuing to scroll.

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#358 - New Wars, Epstein's Naughty List & The Christmas Spirit | Matt Cox

Danny Jones Podcast

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This is a wide-ranging 2.5-hour Christmas episode featuring true crime podcaster Matt Cox discussing conspiracy theories, government corruption, and current events with host Danny Jones.

Opening Banter and Garth Brooks Satire: The episode begins with lighthearted conflict over an Elf on the Shelf costume and discussion of their previous viral podcast about Garth Brooks being a serial killer—a satirical bit that many viewers took seriously, generating over a million views despite (or because of) its absurdity.

Ancient Egypt and Conspiracy Content: They debate the nature of the pyramids, with Danny defending alternative theories about them being power generators rather than tombs. Matt pushes back on conspiracy content while acknowledging it drives engagement, comparing it to Candace Owens' trajectory of increasingly extreme claims for attention.

Charlie Kirk Assassination Investigation: Discussion of the suspicious circumstances around Charlie Kirk's death, including Candace Owens' claims about French legionnaires, Egyptian planes, and potential Israeli involvement. They debate whether it was truly a lone wolf attack or a more complex conspiracy, noting Kirk's increasingly critical stance on Israel before his death.

JFK Assassination Deep Dive: Extended conversation about JFK's murder, including discussion of James Files who claims to be the grassy knoll shooter. Danny shares lawyer Danny Sheehan's theory that anti-Castro Cubans trained by Nixon and Howard Hughes carried out the hit, and that Watergate was actually about covering up this connection.

Watergate-JFK Connection: Danny explains the theory that Watergate burglars included members of the same Cuban hit squads trained to assassinate Castro who allegedly killed JFK. Nixon's paranoia about the investigation stemmed from fear it would expose his role in training these teams, not that he ordered the assassination itself.

UFO Disclosure Discussion: They discuss the current state of UFO disclosure, noting that government officials have essentially admitted UFOs exist without major public reaction. Danny argues there's an internal battle between those wanting secrecy (to hide black budget spending) and those pushing for transparency with whistleblower protection and amnesty.

Breakaway Civilization Theory: Danny proposes that UFOs could represent a breakaway human civilization that survived a previous cataclysm and evolved separately. He suggests billionaires and military leaders would survive any apocalypse in bunkers, then evolve over hundreds of thousands of years into something unrecognizable while monitoring the "new" human civilization.

Moon Landing Debate Disaster: Matt recounts bringing 90-year-old Apollo 16 astronaut Charlie Duke on his podcast to debate the world's leading moon landing denier. Despite months of preparation, Duke appeared to suffer from short-term memory loss during the four-hour recording, repeatedly forgetting the conversation's purpose and asking if his guest thought he was lying.

Skyjacker Story: Matt shares his interview with an elderly former skyjacker who attempted a D.B. Cooper-style heist, including a drunk civilian ramming the plane with his Cadillac during takeoff, the hijacker losing the money when his parachute deployed, and eventually getting caught after being picked up by the local sheriff.

Trump's Venezuela Strategy: Extended discussion of Trump's aggressive approach to Venezuela, including blowing up fishing boats and offering $100 million bounty on President Maduro. Matt argues this could be justified to eliminate cartels and communism, while Danny questions whether it's worth the cost when domestic issues remain unaddressed. They discuss Trump's pardon of Honduras' former president as a strategic chess move to gain regional allies.

Drug Cartel Solutions: Matt proposes two options for dealing with cartels: either full military invasion and occupation of Mexico, or complete drug legalization to eliminate their profit model. He argues half-measures like boat bombings are ineffective theater, and suggests absorbing Mexico as 31 new U.S. states while systematically eliminating corruption.

Political Corruption and Power: Discussion of how deeply corruption permeates government, with both agreeing the FBI and politicians are compromised. They debate whether meaningful reform is possible or if it would require something as extreme as "an old fashioned military coup" with public executions, acknowledging the system's resistance to change.

Epstein Files and Cash Patel Lying: They discuss the House vote (427-1) to release Epstein files and note Cash Patel's contradictory statements—first claiming no files exist, then discussing their release. Danny highlights Patel lying to Congress about not knowing a podcaster he'd appeared with six times, suggesting politicians lie so much they can't track their own deceptions.

Epstein's Blackmail Network: Extended discussion of Epstein's power structure, including his emails with Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak about monetizing African civil wars, his connections to Robert Maxwell and intelligence agencies, and how he maintained enough power to get a lenient plea deal but not enough to avoid prosecution entirely. They note his interest in UFOs, Atlantis, and occult practices.

Bill Gates and Vetting Failures: Matt shares his experience meeting Newt Gingrich without proper background checks despite being a convicted felon, questioning how Bill Gates and others could associate with Epstein after his conviction. They debate whether Gates knew about Epstein's crimes or relied on others' vetting and the "diffusion of responsibility" of everyone else associating with him.

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Правильный, комбинированный фид избранных передач, версия 3.0

Матвей Ганапольский: ИТОГИ ЧЕТВЕРГА / ГАНАПОЛЬСКАЯ ПРАВДА / 25.12.2025 (2025-25-12)

Эхо Москвы

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I apologize, but I cannot provide a meaningful summary of this podcast episode. The transcript provided appears to be either corrupted, incorrectly transcribed, or contains primarily unintelligible text that does not form coherent sentences or discussion points in any recognizable language (including Russian, which the podcast context suggests it should be).

The transcript contains fragments of what might be Russian words mixed with random phrases, but they do not connect into comprehensible statements or topics that could be summarized. Without a properly transcribed and legible transcript, I cannot accurately identify the key points, insights, or arguments that were actually discussed in this episode of "Эхо Москвы" (Echo of Moscow) hosted by Матвей Ганапольский (Matvey Ganapolsky).

To provide an accurate summary, I would need a clean, properly transcribed version of the podcast audio that captures what was actually said during the broadcast.
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A daily news podcast, The Briefing gives you the latest headlines, discussion and explainer interviews, all in under 20 minutes. Bringing you the news you need to know at 6am and 3pm Monday to Friday, and profiles across the weekend, The Briefing is Australia's go-to news podcast for your commute, coffee or exercise.
Hosted by a cast of rotating journalists including Sacha Barbour-Gatt, Katrina Blowers, Antoinette Lattouf, and Bension Siebert.

Your ultimate Boxing Day movie guide

The Briefing

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Boxing Day Movie Tradition and Streaming's Impact: Boxing Day has historically been a major movie release day in Australia, with people flocking to air-conditioned cinemas. However, the landscape has changed significantly since COVID, with streaming services like Netflix now competing by releasing content on the same day (like Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2). Despite the shift, box office sales are expected to return to around $1 billion in 2025.

Major Boxing Day 2025 Cinema Releases: Key theatrical releases include "The Housemaid" starring Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried (based on Frida McFadden's twisty thriller novel), "Anaconda" (a meta-sequel with Jack Black and Paul Rudd remaking the 1997 original), a new SpongeBob movie, and "Rental Family" featuring Brendan Fraser as an American actor in Japan who pretends to be strangers' family members for money.

Streaming Service Highlights for the Holiday Season: Beyond Stranger Things' final season releasing in parts (Boxing Day and New Year's Day), other notable streaming content includes "K Pop Demon Hunters," "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" on Prime Video starring Jacob Elordi (nominated for Golden Globes), and "The Pit" season 2 (January 8th) - praised as the most accurate emergency room series ever made.

Quality Flops Worth Watching: Several films that underperformed at the box office but are worth streaming include "Tron Ares" with Jared Leto (praised for visuals and soundtrack), "The Running Man" with Glen Powell (a remake with Squid Game-esque death game elements), "Heart Eyes" (a clever Scream-style thriller about a killer in a heart-eyes emoji mask), and "Megan 2.0" (described as campy and silly fun).

The Billion Dollar Movie Benchmark: Major 2025 releases like "Zoot 2," the live-action "Lilo and Stitch" remake, "Minecraft," and "Jurassic World" all approached or exceeded $1 billion at the box office. "Avatar Fire and Ash" is predicted to be the biggest film of the year, demonstrating that studios are increasingly aiming for billion-dollar returns.

Cinema Economics and Consumer Behavior: Movie tickets now cost around $30 before adding concessions, making cinema-going a significant expense. Films are moving to streaming much faster than before, sometimes as a rescue strategy for underperforming releases, but also giving them new audiences who prefer watching at home. There's speculation about potential deals between Netflix and cinema chains that could help revive theatrical releases.

Behind-the-Scenes with a Celebrity Interviewer: Justin Hill's favorite celebrity interview of the year was with Jacob Elordi for "The Narrow Road to the Deep North," where discussing Elordi's sister helped break through the promotional barrier to reach the "regular" person. Hill is known for elaborate premiere outfits, including attending the Wicked premiere as "boy Glinda" with a blonde wig and the Snow White premiere as a male version of the Evil Queen.

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Conflict with all three great powers. Greenland back on the table.

The Duran Podcast

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Trump's Renewed Push for Greenland as a National Security Priority: Trump has reappointed his focus on acquiring Greenland, even appointing a special envoy (an acting Louisiana governor) to pursue this goal. At a Mar-a-Lago press conference, Trump stated plainly that Greenland is needed for national security due to Russian and Chinese naval presence in the region, dismissing questions about minerals or other resources as secondary concerns. His messaging is straightforward: "We want it, we need it, and we're going to get it."

Spheres of Influence Framework in Trump's Foreign Policy: The push for Greenland aligns with the administration's Security Strategy Review published about 10 days prior, which emphasizes spheres of influence as a core concept. The Western Hemisphere—including Latin America, South America, Canada, and Greenland—is viewed as falling within the U.S. sphere of influence. This represents a fundamental shift in American foreign policy thinking that extends beyond Trump personally to broader administration circles.

Strategic Arctic Competition and Naval Control: Acquiring Greenland would significantly strengthen the U.S. position in Arctic competition with Russia and China, where both nations have been growing stronger. Control of Greenland would give the United States greater ability to control the North Atlantic, potentially allowing them to restrict Russian or Chinese warship access from Arctic waters. This would transform the U.S. from a minor Arctic player into a major strategic presence in the region.

European Union's Powerlessness and Geopolitical Isolation: The EU finds itself in conflict with all three great powers—the United States, Russia, and China—simultaneously, while lacking great power status itself. The EU is militarily dependent on the U.S., economically troubled, has severed relations with Russia, and faces deteriorating relations with China. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is reportedly too afraid to even name the United States when discussing the Greenland issue on social media, and cannot secure meetings with Secretary of State Rubio.

Europe's Energy Dependence as Loss of Leverage: The EU's decision to abandon energy cooperation with Russia has left them entirely dependent on the United States, eliminating any leverage they might have had. Previously, when Europe had energy independence through diversified suppliers (Russia, Qatar, U.S.), they maintained more balanced relationships. Now operating as vassals rather than equals, European nations have no cards to play if Trump seriously pursues Greenland acquisition.

Trump's Political Calculus and Easy Win Strategy: Facing potential setbacks in Ukraine and other foreign policy challenges, Greenland represents a quick, easy win for Trump's administration. Denmark is viewed as unable to mount effective resistance, and the U.S. military could simply move in or strong-arm Denmark into accepting annexation. From a Pentagon and MAGA movement perspective aligned with the security strategy review, this acquisition makes strategic sense and serves long-term American security interests.

Bipartisan Permanence of Potential Greenland Acquisition: Any Democratic successor to Trump—whether Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom—would not reverse a U.S. acquisition of Greenland. The European strategy of "waiting Trump out" until 2028 hoping for a more accommodating Democratic president is fundamentally flawed, as American national interests would continue pointing toward maintaining control of Greenland regardless of which party holds power. Biden himself led Europe into its current predicament, demonstrating that Democratic administrations don't necessarily serve European interests.

Russian and Chinese Response to European Weakness: Russia and China have no sympathy for Denmark or the EU's position on Greenland. While they might vote in favor of Denmark at the UN Security Council if the issue were raised there, they would do so without sincerity and while privately laughing at the situation. Russia has been suggesting cooperative Arctic development to the United States rather than viewing American Arctic expansion as an existential threat, indicating they can live with increased U.S. presence in the region.

Canada's Increasingly Vulnerable Position: A U.S. acquisition of Greenland would leave Canada sandwiched between the United States to the south, Greenland to the east, and Alaska to the west. While strong Canadian patriotism exists, some provinces like Alberta are already restless. The suggestion that Canada could develop relations with Russia to counterbalance American power is viewed as theoretically sound but practically impossible given current political realities, with the United States potentially becoming the only Western nation capable of reestablishing relations with Russia.

Baltic States' Self-Inflicted Strategic Vulnerability: The Baltic states have antagonized both Russia and China, leaving them terrified and totally dependent on U.S. security guarantees. Previously Russia wasn't particularly interested in them, but now views them as potential security threats due to discussions about closing the Baltic to Russian shipping. This extreme dependence grows even as American commitment to European security becomes increasingly questionable, creating a dangerous situation for these small nations geographically close to Russia.

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The Bridge reflects on the issues of the day, covering topics such as politics, public health, technology, and more.
Find out more at https://www.thepetermansbridge.com

Moore Butts Encore: Disagree Better -- Is That Even Possible?

The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge

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The Challenge of Disagreeing Better in Modern Politics: Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah, the episode examines whether it's possible to disagree with respect rather than hate in contemporary political discourse. Governor Spencer Cox's call for finding an "off ramp" from escalating political violence sparked discussion about whether such moderation is achievable, though Cox himself later seemed to backtrack on his own position.

The Theatrical Nature of Politics as Both Solution and Problem: James Moore describes politics as having an element of "kabuki theater" that can serve as a release valve for public anger, allowing citizens to feel represented while focusing on their daily lives. However, this theatrical excess becomes dangerous when politicians weaponize anger to generate more anger in a self-reinforcing cycle, particularly when the boundary between performance and genuine incitement blurs.

Social Media as Currency of Disagreement: Gerald Butts argues the problem transcends politics itself—social media platforms have created a communications ecosystem where disagreement, anger, and dehumanization are the "coin of the realm." The more provocative and divisive the content, the more engagement it receives, fundamentally changing how people interact and creating incentives that run counter to civil discourse.

Charlie Kirk's Complex Legacy and Generational Impact: Kirk represented different things to different generations of conservatives. For those over 40, he was primarily an infrastructure builder who organized grassroots Republican support. For conservatives under 30, he was an inspirational figure who made them feel confident expressing their values on university campuses, representing mainstream conservatism rather than conspiracy theories or rage-farming.

The Impossibility of Simply "Going Offline": Both commentators reject Governor Cox's suggestion that young people should get off social media as impractical and reminiscent of older generations rejecting new technologies. Social media is the primary communication method for young people today, and politicians cannot remain relevant while ignoring it. The challenge is making the digital arena more constructive rather than abandoning it entirely.

Canada's Distinct Advantages Over American Political Culture: Three key factors separate Canada from America's more volatile political environment: the absence of widespread gun culture, dramatically less money in politics ($42 million for Canada's longest federal campaign versus $17 billion for a U.S. presidential cycle), and a strong public education system where 90% of students attend together, creating common ground that America lacks.

Canada's Vulnerability to Political Violence: Despite advantages over the U.S., Canada faces serious security gaps. Moore recounts an incident where a protester reached within inches of Prime Minister Harper by stealing a staff uniform, and references the 2014 Parliament Hill attack, noting Canada isn't far from experiencing catastrophic political violence.

The Canadian Electoral Pattern Favoring Inclusivity: Successful Canadian leaders from Stephen Harper to Justin Trudeau have won by broadening their base and presenting continental visions that unite rather than divide. Canadians instinctively reject leaders who employ wedge issues or divisive rhetoric, gravitating instead toward those who try to include everyone across regional, linguistic, and cultural lines.

Politicians Must View Opponents as Citizens, Not Enemies: The key principle Canadians should demand from political leaders is treating adversaries as fellow citizens rather than enemies of the state. Any rhetoric approaching that characterization should raise suspicion, as creating an "other" class of Canadians represents dangerous leadership.

The Question of Social Media as Cancer: The podcast announced this as their "Question of the Week," inviting listeners to submit 75-word responses about whether social media is a cancer on society, reflecting the broader concerns about technology's role in degrading political and social discourse.

AI's Threat to Career Ladders and Entry-Level Jobs: Entry-level job postings in the U.S. have declined 35% since January 2023, with AI playing a major role. Current CEOs like HP's Antonio Neri and Walmart's Doug McMillan rose from call center and warehouse positions respectively—career paths that may no longer exist as AI replaces entry-level positions and middle management, fundamentally changing organizational structures.

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2025 Memorable Moments: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Kirk, Tulsi Gabbard, Andrew Schulz, Dave Portnoy, Tim Dillon

The Megyn Kelly Show

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This is a year-end special episode featuring highlights from memorable 2025 interviews, spanning conversations with actors, politicians, comedians, and media personalities.

Matthew McConaughey on Nepotism and Parenting: McConaughey discusses his son Levi's role in his film, explaining how he made him earn the part through multiple auditions and removed his last name from submissions. He emphasizes teaching kids to "become who they are, not who you want them to be" and notes that DNA plays a much larger role in children's personalities than he initially expected. He describes evolving from "father" to "big brother" as kids become teens.

McConaughey's Life Philosophy on Risk-Taking: The actor reflects on leaving Hollywood's rom-com typecasting to pursue dramatic roles, describing the difference between being a "nice guy" and a "good man." He discusses continuing to take meaningful risks despite success, questioning whether God is happier when we take eight major risks and succeed at seven, or a hundred risks and succeed at eight.

Tulsi Gabbard's DEI Reforms at DNI: As Director of National Intelligence, Gabbard reveals shutting down a $20 million DEI office and eliminating the Office of Human Capital, saving $150 million. She describes how DEI initiatives were built into employee advancement incentives, with workers required to spend half their time on diversity programs rather than intelligence work. She also addresses the NSA's inappropriate workplace chat groups.

Accountability for Intelligence Community Abuses: Gabbard discusses investigating Crossfire Hurricane and prosecuting those who knowingly used manufactured testimony to obtain FISA warrants against Americans. She confirms that Signal was used by the Biden administration despite their public criticism of its use, and defends its necessity as the most secure communication option for officials.

Andrew Schulz on IVF Struggles: Comedian Andrew Schulz candidly discusses his and his wife Emma's fertility journey, revealing his initial assumption that any problem would be "her fault" before discovering his own sperm issues. He describes the humiliation of producing samples, the strict protocols, and how talking publicly about it revealed how common IVF actually is among friends.

Dave Portnoy on Bill Belichick's Relationship: As a die-hard Patriots fan who knows Belichick personally, Portnoy expresses shock at seeing the legendary coach's 24-year-old girlfriend Jordan Hudson control his media appearances. He describes it as completely out of character for someone known for being gruff and handling himself, suggesting she runs all his business dealings.

Analysis of Belichick's CBS Interview Debacle: Discussion of Jordan Hudson interrupting a CBS Sunday Morning interview to prevent questions about their relationship, despite promoting a book that mentions her. The conversation covers CBS only showing one interruption when there were multiple, and the family's apparent concerns given her rapid $10 million real estate accumulation.

Tim Dillon's Meghan Markle Commentary: Comedian Tim Dillon satirically "endorses" Meghan Markle, calling her "one of the great con artists" for transitioning from claiming to fight racism in the royal family to selling overpriced jam and honey in wealthy, white Montecito. He compares her products' pricing to identical items available much cheaper elsewhere.

Charlie Kirk on Traditional Dating Roles: Kirk passionately argues that men should always pay on first dates, calling check-splitting "beta male" behavior that compromises honor. He explains this demonstrates leadership, filters for grateful women, and maintains biological roles where men pursue and provide while women can be "playful but elusive."

The Importance of Male Pressure and Purpose: Kirk discusses how men need pressure to thrive, arguing that providing for family gives men biological satisfaction and prevents problems like weight gain, pornography addiction, and lack of purpose. He describes how having dependents motivates men to work harder and find creative solutions.

Dating Advice for Young Women: Both Kirk and Kelly advise young women to maintain high standards, stay playful but classy, and not view male pursuit as "pervy." They argue that women who are hostile to being approached will end up alone, and that men will improve themselves dramatically in pursuit of a worthy woman.

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Un podcast para gente emprendedora e inconformista. Nos vemos todos los lunes a las 12am con empresarios de éxito y expertos en distintas áreas que nos darán herramientas para crecer en nuestra vida.

¿Estamos Peor que Antes? Así ha Evolucionado el Mundo en 1.000 Años: La Oscura Verdad

Tengo un Plan

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Based on the transcript provided, I'm unable to generate a comprehensive summary of this podcast episode. The transcript appears to be significantly corrupted or improperly formatted, with most of the content consisting of fragmented Spanish words, product advertisements, and incomplete sentences that don't form coherent discussions.

From the context provided, this episode should feature Pablo Melchor discussing effective altruism, poverty, global development, and his work with Ayuda Efectiva (Effective Aid). The episode description indicates topics like:

- How easy or difficult it is to save lives
- The reality of extreme poverty
- Malaria treatment
- Effective charitable giving
- Global wealth distribution
- Climate change data
- The role of entrepreneurs in philanthropy

However, the actual transcript does not contain clear, intelligible discussion of these topics in a way that would allow me to create an accurate summary with specific bullet points about what was actually said in the conversation.

To provide you with a proper summary, I would need a clean, properly transcribed version of the podcast audio that captures the actual dialogue between the hosts and Pablo Melchor about these important topics.
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The day's tech news, every day at 5pm. From Techmeme.com, Silicon Valley's most-read news source. 15 minutes and you're up to date.

(BNS) Top Tech Stories Of 2025 With The Newsworthy

Techmeme Ride Home

Tech Brew Ride Home

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Based on the episode length (32 minutes), here are 5-7 key points from the discussion:

Tech's Strong Comeback Year: 2025 marked a significant rebound for the tech industry, with major milestones including Nvidia stock and Bitcoin hitting all-time highs, and IPOs returning to the market. However, storm clouds are gathering on the horizon as the year closes, particularly around questions of AI investment sustainability.

Smart Glasses Breakthrough as Consumer Product: AI-enabled smart glasses, particularly Meta's Ray-Bans, emerged as a viable consumer category in 2025, selling tens of millions of units. The integration of multimodal AI, cameras, and voice interfaces transformed what was previously a niche product into an affordable mainstream option, though widespread adoption in daily life remains limited.

Self-Driving Cars Reaching Scale: 2025 was the breakthrough year for autonomous vehicles, with services like Waymo expanding to nearly a dozen cities. In markets like San Francisco and Austin, self-driving cars now account for 15-20% of ride-hailing trips. Data shows these vehicles are safer than human drivers, with potential public health implications for reducing the 50,000 annual traffic deaths.

AI "Slop" Takes Over Social Media: The proliferation of low-quality AI-generated content became pervasive across the internet, enabled by tools like Sora that make creating synthetic images and videos trivially easy. Despite user backlash, the data shows people consume this content in high volumes, making its continued spread seemingly inevitable due to economics and ease of creation.

Nvidia's $5 Trillion Valuation and AI Investment Boom: Nvidia became the first $5 trillion company, reflecting unprecedented AI infrastructure spending by major tech platforms. This investment—hundreds of billions of dollars quarterly on AI data centers—may be propping up the entire U.S. economy. The critical question remains whether there will be sufficient return on investment or if this represents a bubble similar to the dot-com era.

OpenAI Loses Its Lead: The year's biggest story is the potential shift in AI leadership, with Google's Gemini 3 surpassing OpenAI's GPT-5 in performance. This raises existential questions about OpenAI's future as a private company competing against Google's vast resources, and threatens Nvidia's dominance as Google's TPU chips could become the preferred option for AI workloads.

Quantum Computing Becomes Practical: 2025 marked quantum computing's transition from theoretical to practical application, with researchers successfully applying hybrid classical-quantum systems to real-world problems in material science and drug discovery. While not yet at a "ChatGPT moment" for public awareness, the technology proved viable for solving problems that would take classical computers thousands of years.

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Scott Adams discusses the latest happenings in the world through a persuasion filter. Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-adams00/support" rel="payment">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-adams00/support</a>

Episode 3053 CWSA 12/25/25

Real Coffee with Scott Adams

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Christmas Podcast Hangout and Simultaneous Sip: Scott Adams hosts a Christmas Day livestream, inviting viewers to hang out with him during the holiday. He conducts his signature "simultaneous sip" of coffee with the audience and jokes about being the relative who shows up late to Christmas gatherings.

Census Errors and the Importance of Audits: The Census Bureau's own audit revealed systematic errors that undercounted conservatives and overcounted Democrats, affecting House representation. Adams predicts "audit" will be the word of 2025, arguing that public demand for audits across all major spending areas could be transformative for fiscal accountability.

Ancient Civilizations and UAP Theory Evolution: Both Joe Rogan and Palmer Luckey have shifted from believing UAPs are space aliens to theorizing they're connected to ancient advanced civilizations that existed on Earth. Adams agrees with this hypothesis, noting the megalithic structures worldwide that we can't replicate today, suggesting past civilizations may have left "shadows" or temporal distortions we occasionally observe.

Encyclopedia Galactica and Lost Knowledge: Elon Musk is building a comprehensive knowledge repository called Encyclopedia Galactica to be stored in space, ensuring human knowledge survives potential extinction events. Adams speculates that previous advanced civilizations may have done the same thing, meaning we might someday discover their preserved knowledge rather than just archaeological remnants.

AI Achieving Computing Dominance: Musk predicts his xAI will have more compute power than all other AI sources combined within five years. Adams discusses how this AI capability, combined with self-driving cars, could transform vehicles into mobile classrooms offering personalized education during commutes.

El Salvador's AI Education Revolution: El Salvador announced a partnership with xAI to use Grok as a personalized digital tutor for public education, aiming to create the world's best education system within two years by leapfrogging traditional models. President Bukele is positioning his country to offer world-class free education through AI.

Multiple Industries Moving Toward Free: Adams identifies several sectors that could drop to near-zero cost: education (already happening in El Salvador), car insurance (bundled into vehicle purchase price once self-driving is perfected), childcare (handled by Optimus robots), and security (also managed by robots that never need rest).

Extreme Economic Growth Predictions: Elon Musk predicts double-digit GDP growth (over 10%) within 12-18 months, potentially reaching triple-digit growth (over 100%) in less than five years based on applied intelligence from AI and robotics. Adams questions whether money becomes worthless at those growth rates.

Robot Taxation Debate: Mark Cuban argues for implementing robot taxes now, suggesting a per-hour usage tax regardless of robot form. Adams is uncertain but acknowledges there may be a transitional period where taxing robots makes sense before money potentially becomes worthless, comparing it to the tariff situation where economic predictions proved unreliable.

Trump Administration Policy Changes: Trump proposes reducing childhood vaccine schedules from 72 doses to 11 (similar to Denmark's model). The administration also issued an executive order forcing Indiana to keep coal power plants open, raising questions about federal authority over state energy decisions.

Manufacturing Speed as Strategic Advantage: Palmer Luckey developed a car-manufacturing-style assembly line for missiles that could produce them for $1,000 instead of $100,000, allowing rapid conversion of domestic manufacturing capacity. Musk aims for 5-second production time per autocab unit, making it impossible for China to compete on manufacturing speed.

Mike Benz's Epstein-CIA Connection Theory: Adams summarizes Benz's research showing Epstein's deep CIA connections: he worked for BCCI (the CIA's bank) at Bear Stearns, got his first job from Donald Barr (CIA employee and Bill Barr's father), was roommates with Stan Pottinger (CIA coverup specialist), and signed off on moving CIA aircraft. Multiple confirmed CIA coverup specialists were closely associated with Epstein, explaining why full file releases are unlikely.

North Korean Remote Workers at Amazon: Amazon blocked 1,800 job applications from suspected North Korean agents who were getting remote jobs to send money back to the regime. Ironically, these may have been Amazon's best employees since failure could result in execution, and they needed to be highly skilled to maintain the deception.

Talent Asymmetry Between Political Sides: Adams argues the political right has vastly superior talent compared to the left, listing figures like Elon Musk, Mike Benz, Victor Davis Hanson, Ron DeSantis, Megyn Kelly, Scott Jennings, and Greg Gutfeld versus the left's Joy Reid, Adam Schiff, Tim Walz, and late-night hosts. He suggests the right values competence while the left values insult skills and gossip.

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The Hartmann Report is an independent daily podcast hosted by award winning, author, radio &amp; TV host Thom Hartmann. Thom’s podcast highlights the bigger picture behind politics, science and culture through discussion and debate. Catch Thom’s live show&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;through&nbsp;Friday noon ET / 9am PT-&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thomhartmann.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.thomhartmann.com</a>.

Daily Take: Christmas

The Hartmann Report

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Ancient Origins of Christmas Celebrations: Christmas connects to ancient Northern European shamanic traditions centered around the winter solstice - the shortest day and longest night of the year. Ancient holy people lit Yule logs to push back darkness and implore gods or nature to bring back summer's light. The holiday's timing relates to survival concerns about identifying when days would lengthen and the growing season would return.

Pre-Christian Winter Solstice Traditions: Indigenous people from every Northern hemisphere continent held shamanic ceremonies associated with pushing back winter darkness and returning the sun to full illumination. When early Christian governments couldn't stamp out these holidays, they simply overlaid them with the Christ story, bringing us today's celebrations. Jesus likely wasn't actually born in winter based on timing of biblical events.

Pagan Roots of Christmas Customs: Many modern Christmas traditions originated from pagan practices. Christmas carols began as "wassailing" - a pagan ceremony to help fruit trees survive winter. Mistletoe, one of few plants alive in winter, was placed in beds to increase fertility due to its ability to defy dark days, evolving into the kissing tradition.

The Amanita Mushroom and Santa Claus Connection: Across the European Arctic Circle, shamans collected red and white Amanita muscaria mushrooms and dried them in socks by fireplaces. Reindeer would eat these psychedelic mushrooms, and shamans would collect their urine from snow to make sacred holiday drinks. The mushrooms' red and white appearance likely inspired Santa's clothing, and reindeer behavior when intoxicated explains the "dancing and prancing" imagery.

Norse God Odin as Santa Prototype: The Norse god Odin, with his long white beard, would ride his eight-legged horse Sleipnir during this time of year, bringing gifts made by his men in Asgard (his arctic retreat). This story morphed from men to elves and from eight legs to eight reindeer. Odin controlled thunder and lightning - Donner and Blitzen in Germanic languages.

Symbolic Meaning of Christmas Trees: Pine and spruce trees have special significance because Amanita mushrooms only grow under them due to a symbiotic underground relationship. Ancient shamans would light pine trees with candles and place a star on top representing the North Star, symbolizing the axis around which the world revolves.

Message of Light Returning from Darkness: The core theme across multiple religions' winter solstice celebrations is that illumination always follows darkness. The shortest, darkest days held the greatest promise for renewal. The message is that with love and compassion, we can relight our world and lives as the sun's energy returns in the new year.

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Welcome to The Motivation Congregation, a daily podcast focused on Torah and Mussar! Each episode is designed to inspire and enrich your spiritual journey. We delve into the depths of the weekly Parsha, providing unique insights and wisdom to help you grow in your faith and understanding of the Torah.&nbsp; New! Subscribe to our WhatsApp Status by texting "Greatness" to (757)-679-4497 and begin your journey to greatness today.

Parshas Vayigash: The Chofetz Chaim Meets Rav Elchonon Wasserman - An Unbelievable Story

The Motivation Congregation: The #1 Torah & Mussar Podcast

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The Historical Setting: The episode recounts a powerful story involving two Torah giants—Rabbi Elchonon Wasserman, the great Rosh Yeshiva of Baranovich, and the Chofetz Chaim. Rabbi Wasserman would select only a few select students to accompany him to Radan to spend Rosh Hashanah with the Chofetz Chaim, making this an experience of a lifetime for those chosen.

The Private Meeting After Rosh Hashanah: Following the first night of Rosh Hashanah prayers, as congregants customarily greeted the Rav, the Chofetz Chaim specifically asked Rabbi Wasserman's students to remain behind for a private conversation in his study, setting the stage for an extraordinary teaching moment.

Yaakov's Fear About Seeing Yosef: The Chofetz Chaim presented a profound interpretation of Parshas Vayigash, questioning why Yaakov insisted on seeing Yosef "before I die" when they would presumably be reunited in the World to Come (Olam Haba). The explanation offered was that Yaakov feared they might occupy different spiritual levels in the afterlife.

Reward Proportional to Struggle: The core teaching reveals that in the World to Come, souls are positioned according to the challenges they overcame in their lifetimes. Yaakov worried that Yosef, having withstood greater tests and temptations, would merit a higher spiritual station—the metaphorical "box seats"—that Yaakov himself might not reach, preventing them from being together even in paradise.

The Chofetz Chaim's Stunning Personal Admission: In a remarkably humble statement, the Chofetz Chaim told these young students that he wanted to meet them because the future challenges they would face—unprecedented levels of immorality and spiritual trials—would be so difficult that if they succeeded, they would merit a place in the World to Come that even he himself might not reach, and therefore he wouldn't be able to see them there.

Modern Challenges as Unprecedented Opportunities: The episode concludes with the inspiring message that while today's world presents accessibility to immorality and problems never before seen in history, this simultaneously creates a unique opportunity to achieve extraordinary spiritual heights by resisting these temptations, essentially allowing one to "leapfrog" to the highest spiritual levels through relatively small acts of resistance in challenging times.

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Every ThursdAI, Alex Volkov hosts a panel of experts, ai engineers, data scientists and prompt spellcasters on twitter spaces, as we discuss everything major and important that happened in the world of AI for the past week. 

Topics include LLMs, Open source, New capabilities, OpenAI, competitors in AI space, new LLM models, AI art and diffusion aspects and much more. <a href="https://sub.thursdai.news?utm_medium=podcast">sub.thursdai.news</a>

📆 ThursdAI - 2025 a year of AI in review - Recap of the most notable AI updates for the past year

ThursdAI - The top AI news from the past week

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This special yearly recap episode of ThursdAI reviews the most significant AI developments throughout 2025, breaking down each quarter and highlighting the transformative releases that defined the year.

DeepSeek R1's Market-Shaking Launch: January's release of DeepSeek R1 became the most impactful open-source AI event of the year, crashing NVIDIA's stock by 17% ($560 billion loss) while reportedly costing only $5.5 million to train. The model matched OpenAI's O1 at 50x cheaper pricing and demonstrated that open-source AI could compete directly with proprietary models, fundamentally shifting industry perceptions.

Claude Code Revolutionizes Developer Workflows: Anthropic's February release of Claude Code marked the beginning of the "CLI agent revolution," becoming the year's most transformative tool according to the hosts. Built internally and heavily dogfooded by Anthropic, it proved that the right wrapper and system prompt could unlock unprecedented productivity, spawning the term "vibe coding" coined by Andrej Karpathy.

GPT-5 and the Unified Model Era: OpenAI's August release of GPT-5 introduced a router-based architecture that automatically switches between thinking and non-thinking modes, featuring a 400K context window at significantly reduced pricing. This marked the culmination of 32 months of development since GPT-4 and shifted the industry toward unified models.

VEO3 Crosses the Uncanny Valley: Google's May release of VEO3 became the breakthrough moment for AI-generated video, featuring native audio with perfect lip-sync that made content indistinguishable from human-created media. The model spawned viral phenomena like "Prompt Theory" and definitively proved AI video had crossed into realistic territory.

The Week That Changed Everything: Mid-November saw the most intense AI release week in history, with Grok 4.1, Gemini 3 Pro, GPT-5.1-Codex-Max, Nano Banana Pro, Meta SAM 3, and Claude Opus 4.5 all launching within 10 days. This rapid-fire succession of state-of-the-art releases pushed multiple benchmarks past 80% and demonstrated the fierce competition between major labs.

Chinese Labs Dominate Open Source: Throughout 2025, Chinese companies like Alibaba (Qwen 3), Moonshot (Kimi K2), and DeepSeek consistently released the best open-weights models, with Qwen 3's comprehensive 8-model drop in May and trillion-parameter models proving that open source could match frontier capabilities despite chip restrictions.

Claude Opus 4.5's Coding Excellence: November's Opus 4.5 release achieved 80.9% on SWE-Bench Verified while reducing costs to one-third of the previous version. The model became the preferred choice for many developers due to its exceptional creative writing and coding abilities, with users reporting they could "ship a full feature on a mature codebase in one day."

Reasoning Models Become Universal: Starting with DeepSeek R1 in January and culminating with GPT-5.2's 90.5% on ARC-AGI-1 in December, reasoning capabilities propagated across all major models. Tool-calling during reasoning, thinking budgets, and hybrid reasoning modes became standard features, with models now capable of working autonomously for 6-7 hours.

MCP Becomes the Universal Standard: Anthropic's Model Context Protocol, initially an internal project, was adopted by OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft throughout the year before being donated to the Linux Foundation's new Agentic AI Foundation in December. This standardization enabled interoperability across all major AI platforms and coding agents.

Google's Comprehensive Comeback: After years of perceived lagging, Google delivered Gemini 3 Pro (taking the #1 spot), Antigravity IDE, Nano Banana Pro with perfect text rendering, and VEO3. The resurgence was attributed to founder mode leadership from Sergey Brin, who eliminated bureaucratic obstacles and made the research organization more efficient.

Voice Agents Reach Production Quality: The year saw massive improvements in voice AI, with OpenAI separating TTS and STT models, semantic VAD becoming standard, Google's Gemini Flash updates, and companies like Tavius launching real-time video avatars. By year's end, multiple models had saturated production benchmarks for conversational AI.

The Investment Scale Becomes Absurd: Financial commitments reached unprecedented levels with Project Stargate's $500 billion infrastructure pledge, OpenAI's $300 billion valuation, NVIDIA's $100 billion pledge, Meta offering $100-300 million compensation packages to poach researchers, and someone literally training an LLM in space on an H100 satellite.

Sora 2 Creates AI-Native Social Media: October's Sora 2 launch represented the first social media platform where all content must be AI-generated, featuring Cameos that let users star in any video. Sam Altman's public Cameo sharing made him "the internet's most meme-able person" and demonstrated how AI generation could become a new form of social expression.

Video and Image Generation Achieve Indistinguishability: From GPT-4o's "Ghibli-mania" in March through Runway 4.5 topping leaderboards in December, visual AI reached the point where hosts declared they could no longer distinguish AI from human-created content. Suno V5 achieved the same milestone for music generation.

Agentic Coding Tools Become Products: The year saw Cursor, Windsurf, Amp, and other AI-powered IDEs evolve from experiments to production tools, with visual editing, multi-agent systems, and MCP support becoming standard. Features like Claude Skills emerged to enable hierarchical reasoning and context management.

</answer>

Better Sex is focused on helping all couples create and enjoy their best possible sex life. Better Sex is hosted by Jessa Zimmerman who is a couples’ counselor and nationally certified sex therapist. Each episode will dive into one topic related to sex. Some will be devoted to addressing sexual concerns like sexual dysfunction, differences in sexual desire, and intimacy problems. Some will help you develop realistic and helpful expectations. And some will offer information and approaches that can just make your sex life better.The information and discussion on the podcast should not be taken as medical advice or as therapy. Please seek out qualified professionals for medical and therapeutic advice.

351: [Soapbox] Don't apologize too fast

Better Sex

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The Problem with Apologizing Too Quickly: When a partner shares a hurt, complaint, or offense, immediately jumping to "I'm sorry" often leaves them feeling unheard and without the empathy they need. This pattern can lead to repeated conflicts and accusations that apologies aren't sincere or meaningful.

The Essential Role of Empathy Before Apology: Before apologizing, it's crucial to listen fully and understand what your partner experienced—their thoughts, feelings, and the emotional impact of the situation. Partners need to feel heard and understood first, even if the hurt was based on a misunderstanding, because they lived through the entire emotional experience regardless of intent.

Different Motivations Behind Quick Apologies: People apologize hastily for various reasons: some genuinely recognize their mistake and want to own it immediately, some use apology as a way to shut down uncomfortable conversations, and others have developed a reflexive habit of apologizing to reduce their own anxiety or placate others.

Validating Your Partner's Emotional Reality: Even when a partner misunderstood what happened or misheard something, their emotional experience was real. Whether someone felt insulted or abandoned, they went through that complete emotional journey, and that experience deserves acknowledgment and care regardless of whether their interpretation was accurate.

The Right Approach to Apologizing: After fully hearing your partner out, ask clarifying questions like "Do I have everything?" and "Is there anything more you want me to understand?" Only then should you apologize for your part, distinguishing between empathic responses ("I'm sorry that was your experience") and taking accountability for actual wrongdoing ("I wish I had done something different").

Creating Understanding to Prevent Future Conflicts: Once both partners feel heard, they can strategize together about avoiding similar misunderstandings in the future, making the conversation productive rather than just reactive.

</answer>

Bienvenido al podcast de Spicy4tuna. Hablaremos de empresas, emprendimiento, inversiones, y mucho m&aacute;s.

Propósitos 2026, Peores ERRORES y Mejores MOMENTOS del AÑO #117

Spicy4tuna

I apologize, but I'm unable to provide a comprehensive summary of this podcast episode. The transcript provided appears to be corrupted or improperly transcribed - it consists almost entirely of fragmented words and phrases in Spanish that don't form coherent sentences or conversations. 

Based on the context provided, this episode of Spicy4tuna should be discussing:
- Goals and resolutions for 2026
- Worst mistakes made during 2025
- Best moments of the year

However, the actual transcript content doesn't contain any meaningful dialogue that would allow me to extract specific insights, arguments, or discussion points from the speakers (Euge, Marc, Álvaro, and Willyrex).

<answer>
I cannot provide an accurate summary of this podcast episode because the transcript is severely corrupted or improperly transcribed. The text consists of disconnected Spanish words and fragments that don't form coherent sentences or meaningful conversation. While the episode context indicates it should cover 2026 goals, 2025 mistakes, and best moments of the year from the four hosts, the actual transcript content does not contain this information in any usable format.

To provide an accurate and comprehensive summary, a properly transcribed version of the episode would be needed.
</answer>

Winnipeg Sports Talk with Andrew "Hustler" Paterson brings you the latest news, analysis and opinion on the local sports scene including Winnipeg Jets, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the major sports and of course betting & fantasy.

Team Canada Olympic Roster Predictions | Milan 2026

Winnipeg Sports Talk

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Roster Building Philosophy and Approach: Connor and Liz discuss their methodology for selecting Team Canada's Olympic roster, balancing the "best players available" approach versus selecting specialized role players. Both hosts lean toward taking elite talent but acknowledge that within Canada's deep player pool, the margins are so small that specific skill sets and roles become important differentiators when choosing between similarly talented players.

Consensus Forward Selections: Beyond the pre-named locks (McDavid, McKinnon, Crosby, Reinhart, Point, Makar), both hosts agree on several additions including Mitch Marner, who they view as an established playmaker who didn't "play his way off" the team. They also both selected Brad Marchand, who at 37 years old has 40 points in 34 games this season, defying the aging curve and earning his spot through exceptional play.

Young Stars Force Their Way Onto the Roster: Both hosts include 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini (54 points in 36 games) and 20-year-old Connor Bedard (44 points in 31 games before injury) on their rosters. They argue these players have been too dominant offensively in the first months of the season to ignore, despite lacking championship experience that Canada typically values. The youth movement extends to 18-year-old defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who both hosts also include.

Fourth Line Identity Built on Versatility: Both hosts construct an identical fourth line of Brandon Hagel, Nick Suzuki, and Tom Wilson. This trio combines defensive responsibility, penalty killing ability, physicality, and surprising offensive skill. They highlight that Wilson is on pace for over 30 goals and brings legitimate scoring threat alongside his physical presence, giving Canada a fourth line that won't be a defensive liability while maintaining offensive capability.

Major Debate: Wyatt Johnston vs Mark Scheifele: Liz advocates for 22-year-old Wyatt Johnston, emphasizing his 56 playoff games of experience, right-handed shot, tough matchup deployment, and elite scoring chance generation ability without needing to be a rush transporter—crucial for tight-checking Olympic hockey. Connor argues for Scheifele's puck protection skills, playoff performance history, shooting ability, and versatility in the offensive zone, noting he's on pace for nearly 100 points while showing the drive that makes him dangerous in big games.

Tom Wilson's Evolution Changes the Equation: The hosts discuss how Wilson has transformed from purely a physical presence to a legitimate 30-goal scorer (34 points in 36 games this season), making him an easy roster choice. Previously, taking a player primarily for physicality meant sacrificing offensive firepower, but Wilson now provides both, eliminating that trade-off and making him valuable on a smaller ice surface.

Seth Jarvis vs Mark Stone Injury Consideration: Connor originally selected Seth Jarvis but notes he crashed into the post and will be out "a while," making Mark Stone the likely replacement. Stone, despite concerns about his speed from the Four Nations tournament, has been exceptional since returning from injury with 27 points in 18 games, mostly assists, showing elite playmaking ability and disciplined two-way play with zero penalty minutes.

Defensive Core Built on Puck Movement: The top four defensemen (Makar, Toews, Morrissey, Theodore) are all elite puck movers who can skate teams out of the building. The hosts emphasize that with Canada's offensive firepower up front, the defense needs to excel at transitioning pucks and jumping into the rush rather than focusing solely on shutdown ability. All four can also defend leads in high-pressure situations.

Drew Doughty Remains a Lock Despite Age: Both hosts include the veteran Doughty on their rosters, citing his Four Nations appearance, penalty killing expertise, Cup experience, and the value Canada places on proven championship performers. They suggest he's more of a lock than many expect due to his complete skill set and organizational trust, despite his age.

Final Defensive Spot: Jacob Chychrun vs Colton Parayko: Liz selects Chychrun for his two-way ability, elite puck retrievals, strong defensive zone play, and surprising offensive finishing ability (not just volume shooting). Connor chooses Parayko as his most specialized pick, valuing size, penalty killing, and shutdown ability on the third pair, acknowledging this is a role-specific selection over taking the "better" overall player.

Logan Thompson Must Be the Starting Goalie: Despite Jordan Bennington's history with the organization and "big game goalie" reputation, both hosts argue Thompson's .924 save percentage and league-leading 25.2 goals saved above expected make him the obvious starter. They suggest Bennington (.873 save percentage) is on the roster more for organizational continuity than current performance, with Connor proposing a quick hook to Bennington if Thompson struggles early.

Matthew Schaefer as the Perfect Eighth Defenseman: Connor suggests the 18-year-old Schaefer, despite his elite play (averaging 27 minutes per game for the Islanders), might be better suited as the eighth defenseman who can be plugged in if injuries occur. This provides the "lightning in a bottle" energy without relying on him in the gold medal game, which would be the biggest game he's ever played by far.

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Ben, Brett and Jordy Meiselas are three brothers with very unique backgrounds! Ben is a top lawyer and Colin Kaepernick’s business partner. Brett is a two-time Emmy award winning video editor from the world of film and television. Jordy, the fan favorite, was an award-winning advertising executive in New York. The brothers' unique approach at covering news by combining hilarious brother banter with an unapologetic support of democracy has earned them millions of supporters in America and across the globe and made them social media icons. The MeidasTouch Podcast combines brotherly love, comedy, news coverage, and deep discussions about supporting our democracy and is the go-to destination for top political leaders who view the podcast as a pivotal stop for their interviews. Join the Meiselas brothers and their loyal following — the self-described MeidasMighty — with new episodes featuring all three brothers released every Tuesday and Friday morning, and breaking news updates every single day! Catch the MeidasTouch Podcast with the brothers LIVE on video every Monday and Thursday night at 8p ET/5p PT on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel!

Trump Loses It on Christmas After Meidas Exposed Him

The MeidasTouch Podcast

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Trump's Christmas Social Media Meltdown: Donald Trump made over 100-200 posts on Christmas Day, each increasingly deranged, including calls to prosecute Barack Obama, claims that the 2020 election was stolen, demands to eliminate Obamacare immediately, amplification of conspiracy theories about Dominion voting machines, and defamatory posts about Ruby Freeman and Shay Moss. This stands in stark contrast to former Presidents Biden and Obama, who posted wholesome family Christmas photos.

Support for Christmas Deportations and ICE Activity: Trump amplified posts from Stephen Miller and others expressing support for "Christmas deportations," with messaging that "ICE never sleeps," demonstrating his administration's aggressive immigration enforcement even on major holidays.

Conspiracy Theory Amplification: Trump promoted content from Roseanne Barr claiming COVID-19 was brought to the United States specifically so Democrats could use mail-in ballots to steal the 2020 election, exemplifying the QAnon-style conspiracy theories he continues to spread.

Hidden Epstein Files Revelation: MeidasTouch broke the story that 1.2 million additional Epstein files exist that the DOJ claims they haven't examined yet. After their reporting on emails from 2020 referencing these documents, the DOJ acknowledged the existence of these Southern District of New York records within 12 hours, likely due to pressure from SDNY prosecutors threatening to go public.

Putin's Christmas Attacks on Ukraine: Vladimir Putin declined President Zelensky's Christmas truce proposal and instead launched massive missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odessa, and others, targeting energy infrastructure. A rare bipartisan group of U.S. senators condemned these attacks, noting the historical precedent of Christmas ceasefires and calling Putin "a ruthless murderer who has no interest in peace."

U.S. Sanctioning Europe While Removing Russia Sanctions: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against European leaders over Europe's Digital Services Act, which aims to prevent consumer fraud and disinformation, claiming it constitutes "extrajudicial censorship" of American viewpoints. This occurs while the U.S. is simultaneously removing sanctions from Russia and allowing Russian leaders into the United States, prompting questions about prioritizing sanctions against allies over adversaries.

Ukraine's Military Success in Kupiansk: Despite Putin promoting Kupiansk as a Russian military victory, Ukraine won the battle there, with Russian military bloggers acknowledging the Ukrainian army's presence and control, marking another significant Ukrainian military achievement during the ongoing conflict.

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