Interviews with Sociologists about their New Books
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Julia H. Meszaros, "Economies of Gender: Masculinity, "Mail Order Brides," and Women’s Labor" (Rutgers UP, 2025)

New Books in Sociology

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Research Origins and Methodology: Dr. Julia Meszaros conducted 15 years of research on the international dating industry, including 12 years of fieldwork attending "romance tours" organized by A Foreign Affair in Colombia, Ukraine, and the Philippines. These tours bring Western men (primarily American) to meet local women through organized introductions. She also attended matchmaking conferences, followed couples on social media over time, and observed both the U.S.-based company operations and local matchmaking offices abroad to capture different facets of this complex industry.

Theoretical Framework of Gender as Labor: The book challenges the notion of gender as mere performance, instead conceptualizing it as "femininity capital"—an outcome of significant labor and investment. Meszaros uses the term "heteromasculinity" (rather than just masculinity) to specify that heterosexual men base their masculine identity on access to women's labor, including reproductive work, household duties, childcare, and maintaining physical appearance through what society codes as feminine.

Men's Motivations and Complaints About Western Women: The men participating in these tours explicitly complained that American and Western women no longer perform the types of labor they associate with femininity—maintaining small bodies, wearing sexy clothes and high heels, prioritizing family over career, wanting children, and not expecting men to share household responsibilities. These men frame their search for foreign brides as seeking traditional femininity they believe is missing in wealthier Western societies.

Economic Arbitrage in the Dating Market: Men in the industry take a market-based approach to romance, viewing themselves as engaging in "global arbitrage" where their dollars go further in countries like the Philippines, Ukraine, or Colombia. They believe their relative wealth gives them access to more attractive, younger women abroad than they could date in the U.S., essentially purchasing access to a "better quality" partner based on their economic advantage in poorer countries.

The Philippines as a Leading Destination: The Philippines emerged as the most successful location for lasting marriages due to several factors: the 50-year U.S. colonial relationship created English language skills and cultural familiarity; former U.S. military bases gave American men positive memories of the country; it was the materially poorest nation studied, with many women already internal migrants willing to relocate internationally; and divorce is illegal, making marriage culturally serious and permanent.

Ukraine's Appeal Based on Race: Ukraine has been a top destination since the Soviet Union's fall in the 1990s, with industry leaders explicitly acknowledging that race drives much of this preference. White Ukrainian women allow men to avoid their marriage being "obviously" to a mail-order bride, unlike relationships with Asian or Latina women. The stereotype of tall, blonde Slavic women makes Ukrainian women highly desirable in terms of physical appearance to these men.

Colombia's Dangerous Allure: Colombia attracts men through colonial narratives about passionate, sensual Latina women, combined with the country's reputation for danger associated with narco-trafficking. The geographic proximity to the U.S. (a four-hour flight from Miami versus 8-12 hours to Ukraine or the Philippines) makes frequent visits feasible for developing relationships. Many men expressed desires to retire in Colombia, showing deeper attachment to the location than other destinations.

Overlapping Tourism Industries: Meszaros discovered significant overlap between sex tourism and the international dating industry. Men ostensibly on romance tours would also visit strip clubs and hire local sex workers. All three countries studied—the Philippines, Ukraine, and Colombia—are popular sex tourism destinations, and the researcher found these categories of tourists cannot be clearly separated, as many men engage in both activities.

Marriage Outcomes Varied by Country: Filipino marriages showed remarkable durability with no divorces observed among couples followed on social media, even those with large age gaps. Ukrainian and Colombian marriages had higher divorce rates, including cases of financial abuse where husbands would cut off wives' credit cards during arguments. Some men even relocated permanently to Colombia or the Philippines, sometimes after divorces, blurring lines between romance tourists, expats, and retirement migrants.

The Business Model and Local Partnerships: The industry operates through a diverse structure where U.S.-based companies like A Foreign Affair either own local offices or subcontract with local matchmakers in destination countries. These local partners recruit women and organize tours. While 90% of the business actually occurs through online correspondence, the in-person tours serve as the high-profile marketing arm of the industry, though most men never actually travel abroad.

Future Research on Wartime Impacts: Meszaros is pursuing new research on how the Ukrainian war has reshaped the industry. While Ukraine was previously the hub of A Foreign Affair's business with multi-city tours, group tours are now impossible. Some operations continue with individual tours through Poland, but the war has severely impacted the tour business. Ukrainian matchmakers have relocated to countries like Germany and Romania, raising questions about how they conduct matchmaking for refugee women or from third countries.

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Light-hearted conversation with callers from all over about new words, old sayings, slang, family expressions, language change and varieties, as well as word histories, linguistics, regional dialects, word games, grammar, books, literature, writing, and more.
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Word Hoard (Rebroadcast) - 12 January 2026

A Way with Words - language, linguistics, and callers from all over

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Signaling Apologies While Driving: A listener asks how to communicate "oops, my bad" to other drivers when you make a mistake on the road. Suggestions include mouthing "sorry" close to the windshield or using the American Sign Language sign for sorry (a fist rotating clockwise on the chest). The hosts note this is a "gesture gap" in our communication system, unlike clearer hand signals like the steering wheel wave.

Call In vs. Call Out Sick: A Vermont caller asks about the phrase "call out sick" which sounds strange to her compared to "call in sick." The hosts explain this is primarily a geographic difference rooted in the New York City metropolitan area, not generational. Most of the country uses "call in sick" by about a 5-to-1 ratio. The difference comes down to perspective—whether you're calling about being "out" or calling "into" the office. Some regions even use "call off sick," particularly among nurses, paramedics, and firefighters.

Tocayo and Cuate: Spanish Words for Kinship: A caller shares the Spanish word "tocayo" (someone who shares your name), which extends figuratively to mean someone who shares your spirit or outlook. The hosts discuss "cuate," another Spanish term originally meaning a fraternal twin but used for someone who is your twin in spirit or interests. Listeners are invited to share similar words from other languages that express this concept of non-blood kinship.

Shotgun Houses and Their Origins: A listener reading about the American South encounters the term "shotgun house"—a narrow, one-room-wide dwelling with rooms leading directly into each other without a hallway. The hosts explore competing theories about the name's origin: one theory involves landlords collecting rent with shotguns, another connects it to West African Dogon language (togu-na), and researcher John Vlach traced the architectural style to Haitian and West African traditions brought by French Creole fleeing the Haitian Revolution.

Simoleons and Spondulicks: Slang for Money: An editor asks about two terms for large amounts of money. "Spondulicks" (dating to 1847) possibly derives from Greek roots related to shells used as money or from vertebrae resembling stacked coins. "Simoleons" has multiple competing origin theories including semolina (fitting a pattern of food words for money), a British sixpence coin called a "Simon," or the word "simony" mixed with "Napoleon." The first uses appeared in the satirical magazine Puck in mock-biblical prose.

Old English Word Hoard and Daily Life: The hosts discuss the Old English word "hord" (treasure) and "word hoard" (the treasure of words stored inside you). They recommend Hanna Vaideen's book "The Word: Daily Life in Old English," which explores medieval English life through language. Old English poetry features beautiful kennings—compound words like "sky candle" for sun and "whale road" for sea. The language sounds like a mashup of Scandinavian languages and German.

Mollygrubbing: An Appalachian Term: A Kentucky caller asks about "mollygrubbing," meaning to complain for no good reason. The word "molligrub" dates to the 1500s in the UK, originally meaning depression, bad mood, or stomach ache. It may derive from "megrum" (migraine). As a verb meaning to complain, it goes back about 130 years and is found particularly in Southern Appalachian English. The caller's family came from East Tennessee, fitting the geographic pattern.

Gradoo: A Mysterious Word for Gunk: A Cincinnati caller whose father is from Houston asks about "gradoo," used for trash, clutter, or grime. The hosts note receiving many calls about this word, with spellings varying (G-R-A-D-O-O or G-R-A-D-E-A-U). It's common in Louisiana, Texas, and areas with French or Cajun culture. Possible origins include French "gadou" (mud), a Serge Gainsbourg song about mud, or French Canadian "gras du r" (really fatty), though none perfectly explains the current usage.

Feather Merchant: From Military Slang: A Pennsylvania caller asks about "feather merchant," used in her coal mining community to describe trashy or lazy people with junky surroundings. The term originated in mid-20th century US military slang as a dismissive term for civilians—lightweights who didn't face military hardships. While the caller's family had no military connection, the term spread beyond its military origins to mean shirkers or slackers more generally.

Fneorsung: Old English for Sneeze: The hosts share the Old English word for sneeze: "fneorsung" (F-N-E-O-Z-U-N-G), demonstrating the fascinating differences between Old English and modern English vocabulary.

Falconry Vocabulary: Martha shares terms from taking a falconry class, including "haggard" (originally an adult female hawk caught wild, later applied to wild-looking humans), "pride of place" (the airy height from which a falcon swoops, used in Shakespeare's Macbeth), and "feeking" (when a falcon wipes its bill to clean it or sharpen it, possibly from an old German word meaning to clean).

Spanish Naptime Expressions: The hosts discuss regional Spanish terms for napping: "echarme un coyotito" (taking a little coyote) in Mexico, referring to how coyotes curl up for midday naps, and "echar un zorrito" (having a little fox) in Venezuela, which specifically means resting with eyes closed but not actually sleeping.

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Fintech Insider is your ultimate guide to the world of finance and fintech from 11:FS. Our expert hosts, with real industry experience, are joined by the biggest decision-makers, VCs, and reporters from across financial services including Visa, Monzo, Nationwide, JPMorgan Chase, Wise, the Financial Times, and more to discuss breaking news and deep dive into the biggest topics and trends within the industry.
Our weekly news show drops every Monday and tackles the biggest news stories across M&A, open banking, embedded finance, payments, regulation and more. Then, every Thursday our Insights show dives deeper into the hottest topics shaping the industry like AI, regulation, Big Tech, the cost of living crisis, and more. Plus, every other Wednesday our new season of Focus, in collaboration with Visa, takes a closer look at different financial sectors across the Middle East and Europe. Whether you’re already immersed in the world of financial services, or just keen to learn more, this is the #1 podcast for you.
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1028. News: Flutterwave buys Mono, PicPay files for a US IPO, and Jamie Dimon is ready to share JPMorgan’s ‘secret sauce’

Fintech Insider Podcast by 11:FS

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Flutterwave Acquires Mono in Major African Fintech Consolidation: Africa's largest fintech Flutterwave acquired Nigerian open banking startup Mono, bringing together two leading infrastructure companies. While Mono claims 8 million bank account linkages (12% of Nigeria's banked population), panelists questioned this figure, noting it represents connections per account rather than per person, making actual penetration closer to 2-3%. The acquisition highlights both the promise and challenges of open banking in Africa, where regulatory delays and lack of mandated bank API access have forced players to rely on reverse engineering and screen scraping rather than direct integrations.

JPMorgan Launches Special Advisory Services to Compete with Consultancies: JPMorgan announced its Special Advisory Services (SAS) initiative to offer consulting across areas like AI, cybersecurity, real estate selection, and technology procurement to key clients, particularly those considering JPM for IPO advisory. The move appears designed to deepen client relationships and differentiate from competitors in an increasingly active IPO market. However, questions remain about whether JPM can credibly offer expertise outside financial services, potential conflicts of interest when sharing client insights, and whether this will be priced as a loss leader to secure more lucrative investment banking deals.

Brazilian Fintech PicPay Files for US IPO After Successful Pivot: PicPay, Brazil's second-largest digital bank with 66 million clients, filed for a US IPO with $650 million in annualized revenue and recently achieved profitability. The company successfully reinvented itself after Brazil's central bank launched Pix (instant payments), pivoting from a payments-focused model to building a credit business that now represents nearly 50% of revenue. The story underscores Brazil's emergence as a fintech powerhouse, with the top four digital banks each serving over 30 million customers, and highlights how Brazil's innovative central bank has helped expand financial inclusion from 56% to 88% since 2012.

Mercury Applies for National Bank Charter to Control Its Destiny: Mercury, serving over 200,000 companies with $650 million in annual revenue, applied for an OCC national bank charter rather than continuing to rely on partner banks. The timing capitalizes on a favorable US regulatory environment, and the move signals Mercury's confidence in scaling to a size that justifies the valuation multiples expected by venture investors. However, questions remain about whether increased regulatory oversight will make Mercury more conservative about serving international customers and whether the compliance burden will slow innovation compared to operating as a fintech.

Open Banking Regulatory Challenges Vary Dramatically by Market: The Mono acquisition sparked discussion about different regulatory approaches to open banking globally. While the UK mandated bank participation through regulation, the US developed market-led solutions like Plaid, and Nigeria has draft guidelines but limited bank adoption. The challenge in Nigeria is that banks remain hesitant to open APIs, forcing fintechs to use workarounds like screen scraping and portal emulation, which creates inconsistent user experiences. Success requires either regulatory mandates forcing bank participation or sufficient scale to pressure banks into cooperation.

Cash Usage Rising in UK Despite Branch Closures: UK cash withdrawals from ATMs rose for the fourth consecutive year to £4.2 billion in 2025, with the average withdrawal increasing from £113 to £120. This reflects ongoing cost-of-living pressures and serves as a bellwether for how squeezed consumers feel financially. The challenge is that while cash usage increases, bank branches continue closing at about 53 per month, with over 6,600 closures since the trend began, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations and communities who remain reliant on physical banking infrastructure.

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Named 2023 Best Personal Finance podcast by Bankrate.com, The Stacking Benjamins Show has a light and friendly tone. Hosts Joe Saul-Sehy and OG aim to make financial literacy fun for all as they sit around the card table in Joe's Mom's half-finished basement and talk with experts about personal finance, saving, investing, and important money trends. As Fast Company once wrote, the Stacking Benjamins podcast "strikes a great balance of fun and functional." So join Joe and OG every Monday, Wednesday and Friday as they read your letters, discuss major headlines, and throw in some trivia and laughs for free.

Breaking Money Rules and Playing Survivor Pantry SB1789

The Stacking Benjamins Show

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Social Security Claiming Strategy Isn't One-Size-Fits-All: A new study challenges conventional wisdom about waiting until age 70 to claim Social Security benefits. While delaying maximizes monthly payments by 80% compared to claiming at 62, research suggests early claiming may be rational for many households when considering behavioral factors like wanting to spend more during active early retirement years, reluctance to deplete personal savings, and desire to retire and claim benefits simultaneously. However, OG argues that viewing both Social Security and investment accounts as "two buckets of money" reveals that early claiming guarantees one bucket never grows to its full potential, sacrificing substantial guaranteed 8% annual increases plus inflation adjustments.

The Psychology of Spending Down Assets in Retirement: A TikTok creator who retired at 54 after working in the 401k industry shares that while she intellectually understood retirement planning, actually watching savings deplete creates different emotional challenges. The key lesson isn't just whether you have enough money, but how much you'll spend—because outpacing your savings and investment growth leads to running out regardless of your starting balance. This behavioral reality often causes retirees to spend more conservatively than their plans allow.

Investment Return Assumptions Need Reality Checks: After 15 years of exceptional market performance averaging around 15-20% annually, many investors have unrealistic expectations about future returns. A 7% after-inflation return is a reasonable planning assumption, though some advisors controversially use 10%. The only way to beat inflation long-term is to own equities—the companies driving price increases—rather than sitting in cash or fixed income out of fear of volatility. The real risk isn't market fluctuations but inflation eroding purchasing power over 25+ year retirements.

Level Spending Projections Miss Reality: Most financial plans assume consistent spending throughout retirement, but this rarely reflects real life. As net worth grows during accumulation years, lifestyle creep happens even for disciplined savers—not through frivolous consumption but through helping family members, taking family vacations, or increasing charitable giving. Plans must account for variable spending patterns, including higher "go-go years" spending early in retirement and potential decreases later.

The Flexibility Advantage in Social Security Timing: Rather than automatically claiming at any age, treating the decision as "if it's not a hell yes, then it's a no" provides strategic flexibility. During strong market years when portfolios are growing, delaying Social Security preserves that guaranteed income stream. During market downturns, the option to claim becomes more valuable—providing stability when investment accounts are stressed. This approach requires holding Social Security as a backup plan rather than an automatic trigger at any specific age.

Inflation Protection Requires Ownership, Not Cash: Using 3% as a baseline inflation assumption is reasonable, though even small increases from 3% to 4% dramatically impact long-term projections due to compounding. The biggest retirement risk is rising costs of goods and services—milk at $5 per gallon today could be $15 in 25 years. Protection requires owning equities in companies that can adjust pricing for inflation, not hiding in cash or fixed income that guarantees purchasing power erosion.

Reducing Fixed Expenses Creates Retirement Margin: The most impactful retirement preparation involves converting fixed expenses to variable ones, particularly paying off mortgages. A $3,000 monthly mortgage payment requires approximately $50,000 in gross withdrawals annually to cover taxes. Eliminating this fixed cost provides tremendous flexibility to adjust spending during market downturns or increase spending during prosperous years, creating the margin of safety most plans lack.

Behavioral Blind Spots Sabotage Otherwise Sound Plans: A common planning mistake is accelerating portfolio withdrawals before Social Security while intending to reduce them after claiming, but then treating the additional Social Security income as a "bonus" rather than replacing earlier withdrawals. This behavioral trap defeats the entire strategy. Similarly, during strong market years, retirees may mistakenly believe their plan is working if their balance grows, not recognizing they're spending 7% when the market delivered 17%—an unsustainable rate masked by exceptional returns.

The "Work Longer" Plan Often Fails: Younger people frequently assume they'll work longer to compensate for insufficient savings, but this assumption fails to account for changing health, energy levels, and market conditions for employment. Feelings about work, lifestyle, and physical capabilities change dramatically from age 30 to 50 to 70. Plans built on assumptions of consistent preferences and abilities across decades often derail when reality doesn't cooperate.

The Survivor Pantry Challenge Reveals Spending Patterns: Gretchen Rubin's "Survivor Pantry Islands" game involves spending under $40 on groceries for an entire January by consuming already-purchased food. This 17-year tradition serves as a reminder against waste and reveals how much money gets trapped in unused inventory. The exercise parallels broader financial planning lessons about identifying and eliminating excess, reducing convenience spending (like DoorDash's 40% markup), and distinguishing between wants and needs when friction is introduced.

Financial Planning Myths Die Hard: Common misconceptions persist, like the false belief that stock index numbers represent the sum of one share of each component company. In reality, indices use complex calculations involving price-weighted or market-weighted methodologies and divisors that adjust for splits and component changes. Similarly, government inflation statistics are questioned as politically influenced rather than reflecting real-world price increases most people experience in daily purchases.

Building Plans Around Actual Goals, Not Generic Rules: The key takeaway is that accepted financial assumptions aren't universal truths. Rather than following conventional wisdom blindly, plans should start with individual goals and preferences, then build around those using realistic numbers. This means questioning whether "more money" or "more happiness" is the actual objective, since optimizing for maximum wealth often leads to dying with unused resources and missed life experiences.

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Join The New Yorker’s writers and editors for reporting, insight, and analysis of the most pressing political issues of our time. On Mondays, David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker, presents conversations and feature stories about current events. On Wednesdays, the senior editor Tyler Foggatt goes deep on a consequential political story via far-reaching interviews with staff writers and outside experts. And, on Fridays, the staff writers Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, and Evan Osnos discuss the latest developments in Washington and beyond, offering an encompassing understanding of this moment in American politics. Share your thoughts on The Political Scene. As a token of our appreciation, you will be eligible to enter a prize drawing up to $1,000 after you complete the survey. <a href="https://selfserve.decipherinc.com/survey/selfserve/222b/76152?pin=1&amp;uBRANDLINK=4&amp;uCHANNELLINK=2">https://selfserve.decipherinc.com/survey/selfserve/222b/76152?pin=1&amp;uBRANDLINK=4&amp;uCHANNELLINK=2</a>

Trump’s New Brand of Imperialism

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

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Trump's Open Embrace of Imperial Language: Unlike previous administrations that masked interventionist motives with rhetoric about human rights or weapons of mass destruction, Trump explicitly frames foreign intervention in terms of resource acquisition. After the Venezuela operation, he openly stated the goal was to control Venezuelan oil, representing a performative shift from maintaining the appearance of being an impartial "umpire" in world affairs to nakedly pursuing American interests.

The Scope of Contemporary American Empire: The U.S. currently maintains five inhabited territories with over 3 million residents, plus approximately 750 military bases outside the mainland, though the exact number is uncertain as many remain classified. This network of bases represents a more subtle form of power projection compared to traditional territorial annexation that characterized earlier imperial eras.

The Venezuela Operation and Historical Parallels: The seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro mirrors the 1989 Panama invasion to capture Manuel Noriega, though the downstream consequences remain uncertain. While removing an unpopular leader might seem justified abstractly, historical evidence shows U.S. interventions typically lead to ongoing political instability, legitimacy crises, increased crime, and sovereignty conflicts in the affected countries.

Revival of Territorial Annexation Ambitions: Trump's repeated interest in acquiring Greenland represents a return to 19th-century style colonization thinking that had been "off the menu" for decades. Previous presidents from Nixon through Obama fought wars without seeking to annex territory, but Trump and his advisors are openly discussing claiming new lands despite opposition from existing inhabitants and controllers.

The "Donroe Doctrine" and Hemispheric Dominance: Trump's rebranding of the Monroe Doctrine signals a focus on asserting unchallenged American dominance specifically in the Western Hemisphere. While this represents a more modest geographic scope than global hegemony, it invokes earlier imperial traditions and explicitly claims a sphere of influence using language about "our hemisphere."

International Law and Erosion of Norms: Trump's complete disinterest in justifying actions through international law frameworks breaks with decades of U.S. practice. Previous administrations felt obligated to argue their interventions complied with international norms, which helped maintain the broader system. This erosion creates permission for other powers like China and Russia to pursue their own territorial ambitions without fear of coordinated international response.

Imperialism as Masculine Performance: Much of Trump's imperial posturing connects to MAGA movement themes around masculinity and gender roles. Historical parallels exist with late 19th-century American expansionism, which was driven partly by a generation seeking heroic validation. The appeal isn't based on constituency demand or strategic calculation but rather offers psychological redemption through displays of strength.

Political Contradictions Within MAGA: The Venezuela intervention and threats against Greenland create tensions within Trump's base, as figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene view this as betraying "America First" principles. The further operations slide toward nation-building and occupation, the more they contradict Trump's original campaign against such entanglements, potentially alienating supporters who want domestic problems addressed first.

NATO and Alliance System Risks: Threats to take Greenland would effectively mean invading NATO territory, as Greenland is part of Denmark. Trump shows little patience for NATO constraints despite advisors warning about costs, representing a potential breaking point for the alliance system that has structured Western security since 1945.

Economic Crisis and Imperial Diversion: Similar to the 1890s when McKinley's tariffs and economic depression spurred colonial expansion, Trump's self-inflicted tariff-driven economic crisis may be driving aggressive foreign actions as political distraction. The Venezuela operation provided Trump his "first good news day" amid growing domestic political problems, suggesting imperial adventures serve as deflection from policy failures.

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A daily breakdown of the biggest news headlines from around the world -- from the essential to the entertaining -- with reliable analysis you can trust. Episodes feature Mosheh Oinounou (@mosheh) and Jill Wagner reporting the top news of the day, conducting interviews with newsmakers and answering listener questions. 

Iran Firing On Protesters, As Trump Threatens Action; Federal Reserve Criminal Investigation; 10% Credit Card Interest Cap Proposal; 2026 Golden Globes

Mo News

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Iran's Brutal Crackdown on Protesters: Anti-government protests in Iran have entered their third week, with the Islamic regime responding with live fire on demonstrators. Human rights groups estimate at least 530 people killed, though some witnesses suggest the death toll could be as high as 10,000. The regime has shut down the Internet for four days and deployed snipers on buildings to disperse crowds. Trump is considering military action in response and has stated the U.S. stands ready to help, while Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei posted an image goading Trump. Despite the crackdown, Iran has reportedly reached out behind the scenes proposing new nuclear talks.

Criminal Investigation Into Fed Chair Jerome Powell: The U.S. Attorney's office in Washington has opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank's headquarters renovation and whether he lied to Congress about the project's scope. The inquiry was approved by Trump ally Janine Pirro and escalates Trump's feud with Powell over interest rates. Powell released a rare video statement saying this is not about testimony or renovation but about whether the Fed can set rates independently or will be directed by political pressure. His term ends in May.

Trump's Proposed 10% Credit Card Interest Rate Cap: President Trump called for a one-year cap on credit card interest rates at 10%, potentially saving Americans $100 billion annually. The proposal drew immediate opposition from banks and credit card companies who warn it could make borrowing harder and result in 14 million Americans losing access to credit cards. The move requires congressional action, with bipartisan pairs including Josh Hawley/Bernie Sanders and AOC/Anna Paulina Luna having previously introduced similar legislation that faced industry pushback.

Nationwide Anti-ICE Protests Following Renee Good Shooting: Over 1,000 demonstrations were planned across the U.S. following the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. A new video from the agent's perspective was released showing the interaction before the shooting, though it continues to be interpreted differently depending on viewers' existing opinions about ICE. The agency's approval rating has declined significantly, dropping from plus-16 at the beginning of last year to negative ratings, with a majority of Americans now supporting protests against ICE.

Antisemitic Incidents Across the Country: Mississippi's largest synagogue, Beth Israel congregation in Jackson, was targeted in an arson attack that destroyed much of the building including several Torahs. Separately in Queens, New York, protesters outside a synagogue chanted "say it loud, say it clear, we support Hamas here," drawing widespread condemnation across the political spectrum, including from progressive lawmakers like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. New York's new mayor Zoran Mamdani faced criticism for his initially vague response to the incident.

U.S. Military Strikes ISIS in Syria: Twenty U.S. fighter planes attacked several ISIS-linked sites in Syria over the weekend, marking the second round of strikes following a December ISIS terrorist ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one civilian interpreter. The Defense Secretary posted that the U.S. "will never forget and never relent" as ISIS continues to be an issue in Syria.

U-Haul Incident at Iran Solidarity Protest: During an anti-Iranian regime rally in Los Angeles, a driver plowed a U-Haul truck into a crowd of protesters. The truck had signs including "no Shah, no regime" suggesting opposition to both U.S. intervention and the return of the Shah. Two minor injuries were reported, and the LAPD arrested the driver as crowds chased after the vehicle.

Bob Weir of Grateful Dead Dies at 78: The founding member of the Grateful Dead, who co-wrote iconic songs like "Sugar Magnolia" and "Playing in the Band," died from underlying lung issues after being diagnosed with cancer in July. Weir formed the band in 1965 with Jerry Garcia and Phil Lesh, becoming symbols of counterculture and revolutionizing psychedelic rock. The Empire State Building was lit up in tie-dye to honor him.

2026 Golden Globes Winners and Format Changes: The awards show experimented with new elements to maintain relevance amid declining viewership, including podcast-style live commentary, popular music, and adding a best podcast category won by Amy Poehler. Nikki Glaser returned as host for her second year. Major winners included "The Pit" and "Adolescents" in TV categories, while "One Battle After Another" won best comedy film and "Hamnet" won best drama, with Timothée Chalamet taking best actor for "Marty Supreme."
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Questions sociétales, modes de vie, psychologie, famille, éducation, santé, relation amoureuse, sexualité... La vie quotidienne à la sauce Inter avec Ali Rebeihi Rendez-vous sur l'application Radio France pour découvrir tous les autres épisodes.

Quelles sont les bonnes règles d'hygiène et de propreté à la maison ?

Grand bien vous fasse !

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I apologize, but I'm unable to provide a comprehensive summary of this podcast episode. The transcript provided appears to be significantly corrupted or incorrectly transcribed. 

The content consists of:
- Fragmented French words and phrases that don't form coherent sentences
- Complete lyrics to "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (which appears to be misplaced content)
- Disconnected vocabulary words in French that don't create meaningful dialogue

Based on the episode context, this should be a French-language podcast from France Inter about household hygiene and cleanliness rules ("Quelles sont les bonnes règles d'hygiène et de propreté à la maison?"). However, the transcript quality makes it impossible to extract the actual discussion about:
- Proper cleaning techniques
- Hygiene best practices
- Health considerations for household cleanliness
- Expert medical or scientific advice on the topic

To provide an accurate and useful summary, I would need a properly transcribed version of the episode audio that captures the actual conversation between the hosts and guests about household hygiene practices.
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Neurosurgeon and award-winning author Dr. W. Lee Warren, MD delivers weekly prescriptions from neuroscience, faith, and common sense on how to lead a healthier, better, happier life. You can’t change your life until you change your mind, and Dr. Warren will teach you the art of self-brain surgery™ to get it done. His latest book, Hope Is the First Dose, is available everywhere books are sold.

Alcohol Through the Lens of Faith (S13E22)

The Self-Brain Surgery™ Podcast with Dr. Lee Warren

The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast

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Erica Andersen's Journey to Sobriety: Erica grew up in a Christian family and never expected to struggle with alcohol, but developed an unhealthy relationship with drinking that progressed from teenage experimentation to a pattern of excessive consumption in her 20s and 30s. She experienced blackouts and compulsive drinking where she felt she no longer had control over the decision to drink. After several years of trying to quit and multiple false starts, she achieved sobriety five years ago and has maintained it since.

The Book's Purpose and Audience: Freely Sober is written primarily for Christian women (though useful for everyone) who want to reconsider their relationship with alcohol. The book combines memoir, journalism, and practical guidance, encouraging readers to approach the topic with curiosity, self-compassion, and honesty rather than shame or condemnation. Erica emphasizes that the book doesn't mandate sobriety but promises readers will "never think about alcohol the same way again" after reading it.

Medical Evidence Against Alcohol: Modern research has debunked previous claims about health benefits of alcohol. Studies that showed positive cardiovascular effects from wine were sponsored by alcohol companies. Current evidence shows that no amount of alcohol is truly safe for the body—it's always toxic, increases cancer risk in at least seven types, and damages the brain even in small doses.

Connection to Self-Brain Surgery: The conversation links alcohol use to the Ten Commandments of Self-Brain Surgery, particularly "I won't commit malpractice against myself" and "I must love tomorrow more than I hate how I feel right now." Using alcohol to numb difficult emotions represents treating a bad feeling with a bad operation, leading to a "tomorrow tax" of guilt, shame, and physical symptoms.

The Compulsion and Loss of Control: Erica describes how her drinking became compulsive—once the thought of drinking entered her mind, she felt like a robot with no choice but to follow through. This wasn't about moral failure but about how addiction hijacks the brain. She realized that even though nothing catastrophic had happened yet, continuing this pattern while caring for young children posed real dangers.

Cultural and Social Normalization: Drinking is deeply normalized in American culture, especially for mothers ("mommy wine culture"). Even doctors sometimes recommend alcohol for stress relief. This normalization makes it difficult for people to recognize when they have a problem, and creates social pressure where not drinking requires explanation rather than the reverse.

The Surprising Freedom of Sobriety: After five years sober, Erica finds that alcohol rarely enters her mind anymore. She describes experiencing freedom from the "mental oppression" of constantly thinking about drinking, planning around it, moderating it, and feeling guilty about it. This mental space now allows her to deal with other life challenges with greater clarity and discernment.

Spiritual Disconnection When Drinking: The conversation references Ephesians 5:18 about being drunk on wine versus being filled with the Spirit. When alcohol shuts down the frontal lobe, it disconnects the brain-mind interface, making it impossible to communicate effectively with God. Erica recognized that no good would come from her spiritually on nights when she was drinking.

Personal Investigation and Biography: The book encourages readers to become "reporters of their own lives," investigating their personal history with alcohol—how their family talked about it, what assumptions they've absorbed, and what their actual patterns are. This self-investigation provides the information and power needed to make different choices, not from guilt but from knowledge.

The Sober Curious Movement: There are more people not drinking than most realize—they're just not always visible. Since 2020, especially following COVID, the conversation about wellness and sobriety has exponentially multiplied. Restaurants now commonly offer mocktails, and online recovery communities have grown significantly, making sobriety more socially acceptable than ever before.

Grace Over Perfectionism: Erica emphasizes that quitting alcohol isn't a one-day decision but an organic, long-term process involving growth, setbacks, and learning. Even a single day of not drinking counts and matters, regardless of what happens the next day. She encourages readers to embrace this journey without demanding perfection from themselves, comparing it to learning parenting skills—absorbing practices gradually rather than expecting immediate mastery.

The Critical Role of Community: Recovery cannot be done alone—community support is essential. Erica found pivotal help in online recovery meetings (specifically The Luckiest Club) where seeing hundreds of others choosing not to drink daily gave her strength. However, she found these secular groups lacking something for her as a person of faith, which inspired her to write a Christian resource.

New York Times Impact and Reaching Secular Audiences: Erica's article in the New York Times about sobriety reached people across faith backgrounds. One woman told a recovery meeting that the article "saved her life," not knowing Erica was in the virtual room. This demonstrated how writing infused with the Holy Spirit can impact people even in secular outlets, showing that vulnerability and honest storytelling transcends religious boundaries.

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Drilling Into The Details Of Venezuela’s Oil

Science Friday

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Not All Oil Is Created Equal: Oil varies dramatically in composition and quality, ranging from clear, water-like liquids to heavy tar-like substances. The type of oil depends on the geology where it was deposited, and these differences significantly impact both production difficulty and refining processes.

Venezuela's Heavy Oil Reserves: While Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves, much of it is heavy oil with very large molecules that resembles the tar from the La Brea Tar Pits in California. This heavy, viscous oil is much more challenging to extract and process than lighter crude oils like West Texas Intermediate.

Sweet vs. Sour Oil Classifications: Oil is classified as "sweet" or "sour" based on sulfur content. Sweet oil has little to no sulfur, while sour oil contains sulfur and sometimes other contaminants like hydrogen sulfide, requiring significantly more processing at refineries.

Specialized Refineries Required: Not all refineries can process Venezuelan heavy oil. Special refineries with equipment capable of breaking down large molecules are needed, and these are primarily located along the U.S. Gulf Coast. This explains why companies like Chevron would transport Venezuelan oil specifically to Gulf Coast facilities.

Massive Infrastructure Investment Needed: Extracting Venezuelan oil could take 10 years and tens of billions of dollars due to neglected infrastructure. Heavy oil often requires heating underground to make it flow, and depleted wells need pumps installed, significantly increasing "lifting costs" and overall production expenses.

Different Oils Make Different Products: Heavy Venezuelan oil is primarily used to make jet fuel, diesel, and asphalt rather than gasoline. Lighter crudes like West Texas Intermediate are better suited for gasoline production, meaning Venezuelan oil wouldn't directly lower gasoline prices as some have suggested.

Global Oil Trade Complexity: Countries simultaneously import and export oil to match their refinery capabilities with product needs. The U.S., for example, is a net exporter overall but still imports specific types of crude to meet various refining and manufacturing requirements, creating a complex multidirectional flow of different oil grades worldwide.

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Stand to Reason’s Greg Koukl and Amy Hall answer questions on ethics, theology, apologetics, and culture from a Christian perspective. Submit your questions on Twitter using the hashtag #STRask.

Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?

#STRask

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Defending Penal Substitutionary Atonement from Scripture, Not Church Fathers: The claim that Anselm invented penal substitutionary atonement around 1000 AD ignores that this doctrine comes directly from biblical texts, not later church tradition. The early church fathers focused primarily on Christological debates about Jesus's divine and human natures rather than detailed atonement theology, so their relative silence on this topic doesn't invalidate what Scripture clearly teaches about Christ's substitutionary death.

Isaiah 53 as Foundational Evidence for Substitutionary Atonement: Isaiah 53 provides unmistakable language about substitutionary sacrifice, stating that the suffering servant "was pierced through for our transgressions," "crushed for our iniquities," and that "the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him." This passage is quoted and referenced multiple times throughout the New Testament in reference to Jesus, including in 1 Peter where it says Jesus "bore our sins in his body on the cross."

Start with "What" Before Asking "Why": Even if someone cannot fully explain why God chose substitutionary atonement as the mechanism for forgiveness, that doesn't negate the clear biblical testimony that He did. The inability to answer the "why" question doesn't invalidate what the text plainly states. Many aspects of Scripture contain mysteries we don't fully understand, but this doesn't make them untrue.

God's Justice Requires Satisfaction: Romans 3 explains that Jesus was "displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood" so that God could be "just and the justifier" of those who have faith. Propitiation means satisfaction—God's justice demands that sin be addressed, not simply swept under the rug. A judge who ignores wrongdoing is not good or loving but unjust, particularly when God Himself is the one offended by sin (Psalm 51: "against you and you only have I sinned").

The Sacrificial System Prepared the Way: God established the sacrificial system for 1500 years under Mosaic law, preparing His people to understand that blood sacrifice was necessary for atonement. The cross wasn't an arbitrary or sudden development but the culmination of a long-established pattern pointing toward Christ as the ultimate sacrifice.

God as Judge Versus God as Father: Confusion arises when people fail to distinguish between God's relationship with His adopted children versus unrepentant humanity. God is Father to those who have been adopted through faith in Christ (Romans 8, John 1:12), but He stands primarily as Judge to those who have not been adopted. These distinct relationships require different responses—mercy for His children and justice for those who remain in rebellion.

Rejecting Substitutionary Atonement Removes the Gospel: When people deny that Christ's death was a substitutionary payment for sin, they typically replace it with moral example theories—suggesting Jesus merely showed us how to live or demonstrated resistance to empire. This transforms Christianity from good news (Christ has saved you) into bad news (here's a new law you must follow). The gospel becomes legalism rather than grace.

Resolving the Apparent Contradiction Between Romans 10:13 and Matthew 7:21: Romans 10:13 says "whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved," while Matthew 7:21 warns that "not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom." The key principle for understanding this is "never read a Bible verse" in isolation—context reveals these passages address different issues without contradicting each other.

Romans 10 Describes Genuine Saving Faith: The Romans passage explains that salvation comes through confessing Jesus as Lord (acknowledging His divinity) and believing God raised Him from the dead. This is a statement about authentic faith that results in salvation—calling on Jesus as Yahweh, the divine Lord.

Matthew 7 Warns Against Empty Profession: Jesus warns about false prophets who appear in sheep's clothing but are actually wolves. His point is that not everyone who uses the right words ("Lord, Lord") actually has genuine faith—many will claim to have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles in His name, but Jesus will declare "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."

Faith Demonstrates Itself Through Works: Like James 2's teaching that faith without works is dead, Jesus distinguishes between those who merely say the right words and those whose lives demonstrate genuine submission to His lordship. The issue isn't works-based salvation but rather that authentic faith naturally produces obedience as evidence of loving Christ and being truly joined to Him. Those who promote or practice lawlessness while claiming to follow Jesus prove their profession is empty.

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CarCast is twice weekly automotive podcast hosted by Matt “The Motorator” D’Andria, former NFL and WWE superstar, Bill Goldberg, and Vice President Editorial & Editor-in-Chief at Edmunds.com, Alistair Weaver. CarCast explores all aspects of the automotive space from the performance aftermarket to new car buying and the future of the automotive industry. The guys answer your questions, offer advice and feature guests from the automotive industry and celebrity car enthusiasts.

CarCast+Edmunds - We take a look at some of the new vehicles expected in 2026.

CarCast

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BMW iX3 and New Design Direction: The team discusses BMW's new iX3 electric SUV, which debuts BMW's latest technology and design language that will carry over to the new 3 Series. The design is polarizing, with some angles looking great and others questionable, particularly the rear which features oddly repetitive horizontal sections. The interior features a controversial sideways-skewed steering wheel, though a traditional option is available.

Mercedes S-Class and Luxury Sedan Market: A new Mercedes S-Class is coming, representing a significant update to the default luxury chauffeur car. Mercedes has been democratizing technology by introducing features in lower-end models like the CLA first, making it harder to differentiate luxury from mainstream vehicles. The S-Class faces increased competition as big luxury sedans haven't been in the conversation much recently.

Honda Zero Series and Acura RSX EV: Honda is launching its first genuine EV effort with the Zero Series, featuring a sedan and a square-bodied SUV reminiscent of the Honda Element. The Acura RSX EV will debut first on this platform, representing a radical departure from Honda's traditional design with angular, triangle-heavy styling that's far removed from the brand's classic clean lines.

Rivian R2 Compact Electric SUV: The smaller, more affordable Rivian R2 generates significant excitement as a potential mass-market success. It maintains Rivian's distinctive industrial design while being more city-friendly than the large R1S. The team believes this could be a big deal if Rivian can nail the execution, with an order already placed for testing.

Scout Terra Electric Truck: The Scout Terra pickup starts cheap but quickly escalates in price once basic features like a stereo are added, reaching into the low $30,000s. While the modular build concept appeals to people who enjoy customization, concerns exist about whether buyers will choose it over established competitors like the Ford Maverick hybrid at similar price points.

Chevrolet Bolt EV Returns: GM is bringing back the Bolt as a limited production model starting around $30,000 with over 200 miles of range. The team speculates it may use older platform technology, which keeps costs down and explains the "limited production" designation. It could serve well as a second car for multi-car families.

Chevrolet Silverado 5th Generation: Expected late in the year as a 2027 model, the new Silverado will feature a 5th generation GM small block V8, boxier styling for a more rugged look, and hopefully major interior improvements. GM is combining Silverado and GMC Sierra sales to compete more effectively with Ford F-150, with the V8 engine representing a significant investment in traditional powertrain technology.

Ford Mustang GT500 Successor: A new high-performance Mustang is coming to slot between the Dark Horse and GTD, likely featuring the supercharged "Predator" V8. However, Ford may not renew the Shelby license, potentially using names like Boss or Mach 1 instead. Pricing needs to stay under $100,000 to make sense in the lineup.

Corvette ZR1 and ZR1X: The ZR1X combines the ZR1's engine with the E-Ray's hybrid system, producing 1,250 horsepower with sub-2-second 0-60 times and nine-second quarter miles. At around $210,000-$300,000 fully loaded, it's positioned as a relative bargain compared to European supercars affected by tariffs, potentially attracting buyers who might otherwise choose a Porsche GT3.

Honda Prelude Hybrid Coupe: The new Prelude uses the Civic hybrid powertrain combined with Civic Type R components, priced at $42,000 as a single-trim offering. While not a hardcore sports car like the BRZ/GR86, it offers a stylish, different option for empty nesters or younger buyers without kids. The rear seats are extremely tight, making it essentially a two-seater.

Nissan Z Facelift: A refreshed Nissan Z features a significantly improved front end design that's much prettier than the original. This is a rare case where the facelift looks better than the launch model, potentially changing the car's market reception if it had debuted with this design initially.

Jaguar Type 00 Electric GT: The controversial, statement-making electric Jaguar represents a complete brand reinvention with extroverted styling around $150,000+. While the first year may see statement buyers in places like LA, the real test will be sales and residual values after 2-3 years. It's the most interesting car on the list to drive, though concerns exist about releasing it prematurely given EV market challenges.

Jeep Recon Electric Off-Roader: An electric Wrangler alternative with removable doors and a much nicer interior, starting around $65,000. Developed five years ago when EV mandates seemed inevitable, it now enters a market with declining EV demand. The 600+ horsepower seems unnecessary for an off-roader, and the high price compared to traditional Wranglers may limit appeal to niche buyers like surfers in coastal areas.

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Design Matters with Debbie Millman is one of the world’s very first podcasts. Broadcasting independently for over 15 years, the show is about how incredibly creative people design the arc of their lives.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

20th Anniversary celebration with renowned poets Eileen Myles, Elizabeth Alexander, Sarah Kay, and Amber Tamblyn

Design Matters with Debbie Millman

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Eileen Myles on Being a Professional Human: Eileen Myles discusses the unique role of poets as "professional humans" who narrate the postmodern day, explaining that the poet's job is to give voice to everyday experience even when people don't understand what poets actually do. They describe how meeting poet Paul Violi at a café in 1975 changed their trajectory, leading them into New York's poetry scene and to meeting Allen Ginsberg.

Poetry as Translation and Self-Creation: Myles reflects on how becoming a writer required cutting themselves off from their previous life, operating as a "translator" who imports styles between different worlds—bringing male avant-garde styles into queer/lesbian contexts and lesbian reality into mainstream poetry. They see everything they write as containing the DNA of everything else they'll ever write, viewing early work with nostalgia and pride rather than horror.

Elizabeth Alexander's Ballet Discipline: Elizabeth Alexander credits her mother for keeping her in ballet despite wanting to quit, noting that the discipline learned from dance—repeating movements until you can create something beautiful—carries through to every aspect of her life. She recognizes that loving something and being good at it doesn't necessarily mean being talented enough to pursue it professionally, but the practice of discipline remains invaluable.

Finding Voice Through Derek Walcott: Alexander describes how poet Derek Walcott at Boston University looked at her diary filled with "word clouds" and showed her they were poems by adding line breaks. This moment revealed her poetic voice and launched her career, demonstrating Walcott's teaching philosophy that "the poem will find its shape, the line will find itself."

The Particularity of Universal Experience: Alexander explains how art that speaks universally always comes from very particular places. Her poem "Tina Green" about being the only Black girl in her class and having her hair fixed by the only Black teacher she'd had demonstrates how specific, personal experiences can resonate across different identities and create powerful connections.

Sarah Kay and the Universe's Poems: Sarah Kay reads her poem about how "the universe has already written the poem you were planning on writing," inspired by learning that a blue whale's heart chambers are large enough for humans to stand inside. She explores whether originality is still possible in art, concluding that perhaps the poet's role is simply to hold something to the light for a moment rather than invent something entirely new.

September 11th and Finding Community: Kay describes how discovering slam poetry at age 14, shortly after 9/11, gave her a space to process fears and feelings she didn't want to burden adults with. She understood terrorism as someone saying "there is no room for you here," while the poetry community responded by showing her "there is room for you here"—a gift she never takes for granted when people listen to her speak.

Secret Loves Made Public: Kay explains why poetry and theater were "secret loves" in her youth—as a young person who didn't see anyone who looked like her performing, these dreams seemed absurd to voice aloud. Watching the documentary Slam Nation revealed that poetry could be performed, combining her two passions and showing her a possible path forward.

Amber Tamblyn's Poetry as Guardian: Amber Tamblyn credits poetry with saving her from the pitfalls of child stardom, calling it "a third parent" and "a guardian" that allowed her to process feelings of anger, frustration, invisibility, and objectification. She's been writing poetry as long as she's been acting, with the two art forms informing each other—poetry serving as a salve to acting's challenges.

Control and Creative Ownership: Tamblyn articulates how acting offers only partial creative control—interpreting others' words, following directors' visions, and creating work that often never sees the light of day despite full emotional investment. In contrast, writing poetry meant that if she failed, she failed by "100% of my own self expression," giving her agency she lacked as an actress.

Dark Sparkler and Seeking Death: Tamblyn's book Dark Sparkler represented an existential reckoning with spending her life playing other people since age 11. She describes seeking a "metaphorical death"—ending the performative self that pleased adults while an entire part of herself was dying. The book allowed her to explore this invisibility and pain while acknowledging her privilege, using poems about dead actresses to process her own experience.

The Challenge of Celebrity and Poetry: Tamblyn discusses how being taken seriously as a poet was difficult because of her celebrity, noting the judgment actors face when pursuing other creative forms. Having her first poem about Britney Murphy published by Roxane Gay was a breakthrough moment that validated her identity as a poet alongside her acting career.

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Ready to hone your leadership skills and unlock your full potential? Tune in to the Lead On Podcast, where Jeff Iorg dives deep into Biblical leadership.

Hosted by SBC Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg, this dynamic podcast provides insight for seasoned executives, aspiring leaders, or those in ministry who are simply passionate about personal growth. The Lead On Podcast offers actionable, practical tips to help you navigate the complexities of ministry leadership in today's ever-changing world.

From effective communication and team building to strategic decision-making and fostering innovation, each episode is packed with valuable lessons and inspiring stories to empower you on your leadership journey.

Put these principles into practice and Lead On!

Interviewing People for Positions in Your Organization

Lead On Podcast

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Purpose of Job Interviews: Job interviews serve five key functions beyond just evaluating skills: gathering comprehensive information about candidates, testing their communication abilities and how they represent themselves, observing relational skills and interpersonal dynamics, measuring cultural fit within the organization, and assessing whether their skill set matches the position requirements.

Common Interviewing Mistakes to Avoid: Five critical errors undermine effective interviews: failing to prepare thoroughly by not reading submitted materials or developing comprehensive questions, talking too much about yourself instead of focusing on the candidate, asking illegal questions about age, disabilities, marital status, or children (though religious organizations have more latitude on faith-related questions), discussing irrelevant topics unrelated to the job, and using inside jokes or organizational humor that candidates won't understand.

Thorough Preparation is Essential: Effective interview preparation involves three key steps: carefully reading all materials submitted by the candidate including resumes, cover letters, and questionnaires; reviewing the job description to develop task-specific questions (40-60 questions for senior positions); and deciding on the interview format, whether single or series, in-person or video, and individual or group-based.

Maintain Professional Standards Throughout: Interviewers should present their professional best by paying attention to dress, demeanor, location choice, and overall presentation. This is crucial because candidates are simultaneously evaluating you and the organization, making judgments about workplace culture based on how they're treated during the interview process.

Keep the Focus on the Candidate: The candidate should do most of the talking during interviews. Interviewers should remember that interviewing is stressful for candidates who may desperately need the job, deeply want to serve in ministry, or feel spiritual pressure about the opportunity. Be comfortable with silence and avoid "helping" candidates by suggesting answers, as working through difficult questions reveals how they handle challenges.

Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of yes/no questions like "Do you have experience with accounts payable?", ask open-ended questions such as "Describe your experience managing accounts payable and how it differs from your approach to accounts receivable." This allows candidates to fully demonstrate their knowledge, experience, and communication skills rather than providing simple confirmations.

Effective Group Interview Process: When hiring for team-based positions, use a three-stage approach: start with a one-on-one interview between the decision maker and candidate, move to a group interview where general questions are asked and the team can participate, then divide into individual one-on-one sessions between each team member and the candidate. This typically takes about four hours total and produces clear consensus about hiring decisions when the team reconvenes.
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"Mick Unplugged" is a transformative podcast that challenges listeners to move beyond the conventional 'Why' and embrace the empowering realm of 'Because.' Hosted by Mick Hunt, the voice of Modern Leadership, this podcast is designed for leaders, doers, and anyone aspiring to create meaningful impact in both their personal and professional lives. Each episode delves into the principles of Modern Leadership, focusing on discovering your 'Because'—your core driving force—and how it can turn dreams into reality and aspirations into actionable steps. With practical advice, real-life stories, and forward-thinking insights, you’ll learn to make your 'Because' a daily focus, fueling your journey toward success and fulfillment. Whether you’re looking to deepen your motivation, set meaningful goals, or apply modern leadership theories to overcome challenges, "Mick Unplugged" provides the tools, strategies, and insights to guide your path. Subscribe now and start transforming your life with purpose and modern leadership principles.

Why Adversity Can Be a Gift: Jordan Mendoza Breaks It Down

Mick Unplugged

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Turning Adversity Into Opportunity: Jordan Mendoza shares how adversity can be viewed as a gift when you're willing to unpack its lessons. His book "The Life-Changing Power of Adversity" covers five types of adversity—racial, physical, financial, communication, and family—drawing from his own experiences to help readers unlock their potential and build resilience.

Overcoming Racial Profiling at Age 12: At just 12 years old, Jordan was falsely arrested, physically assaulted, and handcuffed by Portland police who mistook him for a Hispanic runaway. Rather than pursuing a lawsuit for money, he chose to have the officers fired instead, demonstrating remarkable empathy learned from watching his mother overcome struggles with being born with only one lung.

The Power of Borrowed Confidence: Jordan credits mentor Brian Schulman with giving him the confidence to start sharing his story publicly. After telling his mother's story to 60 people in 2019, he received positive feedback that motivated him to continue building his brand and helping others find their voice.

Building a Successful Podcast Strategy: Jordan launched the "Blaze Your Own Trail" podcast on January 1, 2020, strategically using COVID-19's accessibility to land high-profile guests like David Meltzer, Heather Monahan, and Mark Victor Hansen. He leveraged multi-platform engagement—commenting on lives, posts, and stories, then following up with voice notes—to secure interviews with people he admired.

Learning From Guests and Making the Leap: After a year of podcasting, Jordan discovered that the successful people he interviewed actually looked up to him for LinkedIn and social media advice. Their encouragement, combined with his local business circle's support, gave him the confidence to leave corporate and bet on himself as an entrepreneur.

The 30-Day Video Challenge: Jordan credits his breakthrough to committing to posting a video every single day for 30 days, freestyling topics on the spot. This intensive practice helped him realize that nobody cares as much as you think—what matters is whether you're adding value or entertainment in that moment.

Ask Questions, Don't Just Take Selfies: Instead of being a "fanboy," Jordan emphasizes asking powerful open-ended questions when connecting with successful people. Celebrities take thousands of photos but remember meaningful conversations. He also advises offering value by identifying blind spots in someone's brand or platform.

The BLAZE Method Framework: Jordan's proprietary method includes: **B**elieve in yourself (when you do, others will too), **L**et go of the past (reflect but don't dwell), **A**ction (creates momentum, consistency, and habits), **Z**estful (maintain enthusiasm and align with God), and **E**levate (invest in faith, coaches, education, health, and family).

Writing for ADHD-Friendly Consumption: Jordan intentionally designed his 100-page book with short chapters and built-in note-taking spaces to accommodate readers with ADHD and short attention spans. His goal was to create a book he himself would actually finish reading.

Everyone Has a Story Worth Sharing: Jordan believes everyone has valuable experiences but most lack the courage to share them. His mission is to help people realize that being vulnerable about their struggles and victories can create meaningful connections and inspire others facing similar challenges.

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The Lawfare Podcast features discussions with experts, policymakers, and opinion leaders at the nexus of national security, law, and policy. On issues from foreign policy, homeland security, intelligence, and cybersecurity to governance and law, we have doubled down on seriousness at a time when others are running away from it. Visit us at www.lawfareblog.com.Support this show <a target="_blank" rel="payment" href="http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare">http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare</a>. <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Lawfare Daily: The Trials of the Trump Administration, Jan. 5

The Lawfare Podcast

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ICE Shooting in Minneapolis and Concerns About Use of Deadly Force: The podcast extensively discusses a fatal shooting by an ICE agent in Minnesota involving a woman known as an "ICE watcher" who was monitoring immigration enforcement activities. New cell phone footage from the agent himself emerged showing he was filming the encounter while shots were fired. Multiple law enforcement experts reviewing the videos question the justification for deadly force, noting the driver appeared to be turning away from the officer, not toward him. The agents' conduct before, during, and after the shooting is characterized as unprofessional, including failure to render medical aid afterward. The FBI initially planned to investigate jointly with Minnesota authorities but later withdrew cooperation, hampering the state's investigation.

Portland CBP Shooting and Claims of Gang Involvement: A separate shooting by Customs and Border Patrol officers in Portland involved two victims who survived. DHS has claimed the individuals were connected to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, though no evidence has been presented. The shooting allegedly occurred during a felony vehicle stop, with authorities claiming a vehicle was used as a weapon. These circumstances raise similar questions about the justified use of deadly force by federal immigration enforcement officers.

Legal Framework for Deadly Force by Federal Officers: The discussion explores the nuanced rules governing when law enforcement can use deadly force, particularly when subjects allegedly use vehicles as weapons. Different agencies have different standards—DOJ agencies require officers to attempt to move out of the way before deploying deadly force, while DHS does not have this requirement. The tactical decisions and de-escalation procedures that should have been employed in the Minnesota case were notably absent.

Minnesota Litigation Over ICE Protest Rights: A lawsuit in Minnesota similar to one filed in Chicago seeks to protect First Amendment rights of protesters and observers of ICE activities. The fatal shooting occurred on the same day the plaintiffs' reply brief was due in their motion for a preliminary injunction, forcing the judge to cancel a scheduled hearing. The case raises questions about whether ICE and CBP are violating constitutional rights of those monitoring their activities.

JGG Case and Venezuelan Deportations Continue to Generate Litigation: The complex JGG case involving Venezuelans deported under the Alien Enemies Act continues to evolve. Chief Judge Boasberg found that 137 Venezuelans sent to El Salvador and then swapped to Venezuela were in constructive U.S. custody and denied due process. He has ordered the government to propose how it will provide the hearings these individuals should have received, with proposals now due after the recent change in Venezuela's government following Maduro's removal.

Maduro Indictment's Implications for Alien Enemies Act Cases: The indictment of Venezuela's Maduro has led to competing interpretations in the Alien Enemies Act litigation. The government argues it reinforces the view of a "hybrid criminal state" controlled by the regime, while the ACLU contends it shows Maduro's actions were criminal rather than military, undermining the legal basis for using the Alien Enemies Act, which requires invasion or predatory incursion by a foreign nation. With Maduro no longer in power, the foundation for the Alien Enemies Act proclamation appears even weaker.

Fifth U.S. Attorney Disqualified for Unlawful Appointment: Judge Lorna Schofield disqualified John Sarcone, the purported U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, for unlawful appointment—the fifth such disqualification in the Trump administration. The case arose from extraordinarily broad subpoenas he issued to New York Attorney General Letitia James's office investigating her prosecution of Trump and the NRA. The judge noted the subpoenas were issued by an unlawfully appointed official against a perceived political adversary of the President, going beyond technical legal issues to question the vindictive nature of the investigation.

Lindsey Halligan Continues to Claim U.S. Attorney Title Despite Court Rulings: Despite Judge Cameron McGowan Curry's rulings that she is not lawfully appointed as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Lindsey Halligan continues to use the title in other cases. A Richmond district judge, David Novak, has ordered her to brief within seven days why she continues calling herself U.S. attorney and whether this violates ethical rules on dishonesty and false statements to tribunals. The government did not obtain a stay of the disqualification order while appealing.

Brian Cole Pipe Bomber Case and Superior Court Grand Jury Workaround: In a high-profile pipe bomb case, federal prosecutors failed to secure an indictment from a federal grand jury before the Christmas break, violating the 14-day detention rule. Rather than release the defendant or hold a public preliminary hearing, they obtained an indictment from a D.C. Superior Court grand jury. This tactic of using Superior Court to bypass federal grand juries has become controversial, with Judge Boasberg previously indicating he wanted the D.C. Circuit to resolve whether this practice is permissible.

Mark Zaid Security Clearance Revocation Blocked by Federal Judge: Judge Ali granted a preliminary injunction blocking Trump's retaliatory revocation of attorney Mark Zaid's security clearance, which is essential to his work representing national security whistleblowers. Trump's executive order listed Zaid along with political adversaries like Letitia James and Liz Cheney for clearance revocation based on "national interest" without proper national security justification. DNI Tulsi Gabbard joked about the revocations being "fun" on a podcast, and the government did not seriously contest the vindictive nature of the action.

Congresswoman McIver's Speech or Debate Clause Defense Rejected: Representative Lamonica McIver of New Jersey, charged with assaulting federal officers while attempting to conduct oversight at an ICE detention facility, failed in her motion to dismiss based on the Speech or Debate Clause. The judge ruled that her physical contact with officers, including allegedly trying to prevent the mayor's arrest, was not protected legislative activity. The case appears headed to trial, though the prosecution is viewed as weak and unlikely to result in conviction by a New Jersey jury.

D.C. Circuit Allows Firing of MSPB Member Despite For-Cause Protections: The D.C. Circuit denied en banc rehearing of a case involving Trump's firing of members of the Merit Systems Protection Board and National Labor Relations Board who had statutory for-cause protections. A conservative panel held these positions could be terminated even under existing precedent, but the full circuit declined to intervene since the Supreme Court is expected to overturn Humphrey's Executor and eliminate for-cause protections for independent agency heads in the pending FTC case.

First Circuit Upholds Injunction Against NIH Indirect Cost Limitations: The First Circuit upheld a district court injunction blocking the Trump administration's attempt to limit indirect cost rates for NIH grants to 15%, which would have significantly impacted universities. The statute clearly prohibits changing rates set by Congress, and while this represents part of the administration's broader attack on universities as alternative power centers, Congress has shown no interest in joining this effort since universities are major employers in many districts.

Growing Pattern of Absurd National Security Justifications: The podcast identifies a troubling pattern where the Trump administration invokes national security to justify actions without genuine justification—from the Mark Zaid clearance revocation to Alien Enemies Act cases to offshore wind farm decisions. This forces courts into an uncomfortable position since they traditionally defer to presidential national security judgments, but the bad faith nature of these invocations is increasingly obvious. The judiciary may need to develop new doctrine for addressing presidential mendacity in national security claims.

Federal Government's Refusal to Cooperate with State Investigations: The FBI's withdrawal from cooperating with Minnesota state authorities investigating the ICE shooting, combined with federal control of the crime scene and forensic evidence, effectively hampers state prosecution. While Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has solicited public footage to continue the investigation, the federal government's refusal to share evidence appears designed to prevent development of facts that would be damaging to the federal officer involved.

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This Week in Tech is the top-ranked flagship tech podcast from TWiT.tv. Every Sunday, Leo Laporte and a roundtable of insiders explore the week's hottest tech news from AI to robots, and PCs to privacy. When it comes to tech, TWiT is IT.

Records live every Sunday at 5:15pm Eastern / 2:15pm Pacific / 21:15 UTC.

TWiT 1066: A Supercomputer in Your Pocket - CES & the Next Leap for On-Device AI Power

This Week in Tech (Video)

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Humanoid Robots Face Reality Check: Despite heavy presence at CES 2026, humanoid robots demonstrated they're not ready for consumer homes. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy was injured when a 170-pound robot from Xeroth fell on her during a demo. Most robots couldn't perform basic tasks like opening a laundry detergent bottle, and many were being controlled remotely rather than autonomously. Purpose-built robots like Roborock's stair-climbing vacuum show more promise than general-purpose humanoids.

AI Chips Advance at Unprecedented Pace: Nvidia announced the Vera Rubin platform six months ahead of schedule, featuring 3.5x faster performance than Blackwell chips while using 4x fewer GPUs for training and providing 10x better inference efficiency. This creates economic pressure for companies to retire recently-purchased Blackwell chips that can't even be powered on due to data center limitations. AMD also announced new Zen 5 APUs with improved AI capabilities.

Physical AI and World Models Emerge: The industry is rebranding robots as "physical AI" and leveraging world models to dramatically reduce deployment time. Siemens demonstrated a digital twin system that reduced robot setup from days to under two hours through simulation. Nvidia released Alpa Mayo, an open reasoning model designed specifically for autonomous vehicles that could accelerate self-driving technology development.

Smart Home Technology Matures: CES 2026 marked a turning point for home automation with Matter and Thread standards finally enabling true interoperability. IKEA made its CES debut with affordable smart home products under $10, while companies like Aqara introduced the first smart lock supporting Apple Home Key's hands-free unlocking using UWB technology. The Alero standard will bring these features to all platforms.

Sustainability Concerns Around AI Infrastructure: Data centers powering AI are consuming massive resources, with a single 2-gigawatt facility evaporating 79 million gallons of water annually. However, efficiency improvements like Vera Rubin's 8x better performance per watt are driving companies toward nuclear power and renewable energy. Economic pressure, more than environmental concerns, is pushing innovation in power efficiency.

Chinese Manufacturers Dominate Consumer Electronics: Companies like Dreamy and TCL are overtaking established brands with rapid iteration and innovation. Dreamy announced it will have the largest booth in CES history for 2027, while TCL took over Samsung's traditional floor space. Chinese robot vacuum manufacturers have effectively displaced iRobot from market leadership with better features at lower prices.

Quantified Self Expands to Toilets: Health monitoring devices proliferated at CES, including toilet cameras that analyze waste, the Withings Body Smart scale measuring metabolic health through foot sweat, and various loneliness-combating robots. While controversial, these devices reflect growing interest in comprehensive health tracking, especially as Apple announced Chat Health for AI-powered health data interpretation.

Automotive AI Sees Major Advances: Mercedes demonstrated level-two autonomous driving capabilities while Rivian announced a comprehensive self-driving initiative including custom chips, LiDAR integration, and a path to level-four autonomy. The company aims to compete with Tesla while offering vehicles under $50,000, potentially marking a breakthrough moment similar to the Model 3 launch.

Foldable Devices Reach Maturity: Samsung's tri-fold Galaxy and other foldable devices finally achieved form factors that feel like regular phones when closed while opening to tablet size. The technology is becoming more durable and affordable, with Apple rumored to enter the market later in 2026, potentially marking mainstream adoption of foldable screens.

Smart Glasses Gain Traction Without Cameras: Meta Ray-Ban glasses demonstrated practical use cases for AI assistants during travel, while various manufacturers focused on audio and display features rather than cameras to avoid privacy concerns. Button controls and physical interfaces proved more important than voice-only interaction, with companies like Even Realities offering teleprompter functionality.

CES Shifts from Consumer to Enterprise Focus: With 145,000 attendees and 4,500 vendors, CES 2026 revealed that 80% of exhibitors now target enterprise or hybrid markets rather than pure consumer products. The show has transformed into primarily an AI and B2B event, with major product launches returning after several years of companies avoiding the show.

Quantum Computing Approaches Commercial Viability: The CES Foundry showcased quantum computing companies moving from laboratory to commercial deployment, with practical applications in AI workloads. While still one to three years from widespread adoption, quantum computers can solve certain problems in a fraction of the time required by traditional GPUs, making them increasingly economically viable.

Emotional Support AI Raises Concerns: Multiple companies introduced AI companions for children and elderly people, from sock-based devices to robotic pets. While addressing real loneliness issues, 50% of surveyed readers expressed discomfort with the concept. The LEQ robot for seniors showed promise by encouraging human interaction rather than replacing it, and studies suggested such devices may increase real social engagement.

Local AI Processing Becomes Reality: Father Robert received an unreleased device containing 256GB of memory and next-generation AI chips, enabling standalone AI processing without cloud connectivity. This represents a major shift toward on-device AI for privacy, security, and cost reasons, with framework systems and other products making local LLM operation practical for enthusiasts and enterprises.
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Get the edge with Hidden Forces where media entrepreneur and financial analyst Demetri Kofinas gives you access to the people and ideas that matter, so you can build financial security and always stay ahead of the curve.

The Mattering Instinct: Our Desperate Need to Find Meaning | Rebecca Goldstein

Hidden Forces

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The Genesis of the Mattering Instinct: Rebecca Goldstein's fascination with the question of mattering began unexpectedly while writing her first novel, "The Mind Body Problem." When her editor asked why her protagonist—who was pretty, smart, funny, and sexually desirable—was so unhappy, Goldstein heard the character answer: "because I don't feel like I matter in the way that most matters to me." This insight, discovered through fiction rather than philosophical inquiry, became the foundation for decades of exploration into this fundamental human longing.

Mattering as Deserving Attention: At its core, mattering means being deserving of attention. This definition is significant because it combines two elements: attention (a scarce resource in what we call the "attention economy") and deservingness (a normative concept involving values and justification). This reveals that humans are fundamentally normative creatures who care deeply about values and whether they are justified in receiving attention—not just from others, but from themselves.

The Distinction Between Subjective and Objective Mattering: While all living creatures biologically matter to themselves (a prerequisite for survival), humans possess a unique capacity for self-reflection that allows them to step outside themselves and ask whether they objectively deserve all the attention they pay themselves. This creates an existential longing—we notice how much attention we give ourselves simply by virtue of being ourselves, and we seek justification for this attention beyond mere biological necessity.

Happiness Versus Fulfillment: The conversation explores the crucial distinction between episodic happiness (moment-to-moment positive emotions measured through daily journals) and long-term flourishing or eudaimonia (assessed through tests like the Cantrell ladder, which asks people to rate their life satisfaction on a 10-step scale). This explains the "parenting paradox"—parents report lower day-to-day happiness than non-parents due to stress, exhaustion, and worry, yet they rate their lives as highly fulfilling and wouldn't trade their situation for a childless existence.

The Critical Role of Early Family Dynamics: Our first experience with mattering occurs in our family relationships, particularly with parents who serve as our initial "mattering adjudicators." These early experiences profoundly shape how we relate to the mattering instinct throughout life. Children are extraordinarily perceptive about where parental attention flows—one mother's son noticed she turned off the kitchen faucet when his brothers asked questions but not when he did, revealing her unconscious preference.

The Four Archetypes: Heroic Strivers: The first continent on Goldstein's "mattering map" consists of heroic strivers—people who pursue internal standards of excellence in intellectual, artistic, athletic, or ethical domains. William James exemplifies this archetype: despite having multiple talents and a medical degree, he suffered debilitating depression in his early twenties until he decided his "first act of free will" would be to believe in free will and commit to a specific mattering project in psychology and philosophy.

The Tragic Case of Alice James: William James's sister Alice serves as a controlled experiment illustrating what happens when a heroic striver lacks outlets for their talents. Possessing the same heightened consciousness and expressive ability as her famous brothers (William the psychologist/philosopher and Henry the novelist), Alice spent her life as an invalid due to psychological symptoms. Only after her death, when her journal was discovered, did people recognize her extraordinary talent—but as a Victorian woman, she had no socially acceptable avenue to pursue a meaningful mattering project.

Depression and the Failure to Matter: The most characteristic statement from people suffering from depression is "I don't matter"—not just subjectively, but objectively. This represents an inability to justify the attention they pay to themselves, leading to self-loathing and an inability to tolerate being in one's own company. Depression can arise both from failing to achieve one's mattering project and, paradoxically, from achieving it and being left without purpose.

The Uncertainty of Mattering: Goldstein deliberately uses the word "longing" rather than "want" or "need" because mattering is something that can never be entirely satisfied. We live with fundamental uncertainty about whether we truly matter objectively, and this doubt varies across individuals and life stages. Some people, particularly those subject to external "mattering adjudicators" (like critics, editors, or reviewers in creative fields), experience these doubts more acutely throughout their lives.

The Diversity of Mattering Projects: Through decades of informal research—talking to people on planes, trains, even men trying to pick her up—Goldstein has found that everyone fits somewhere on her four-continent mattering map (heroic strivers, socializers, competitors, and transcenders). The specific mattering project one chooses dramatically affects the difficulty of appeasing the longing to matter, with those forging new paths or pursuing projects without clear external validation facing particular challenges.
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The Art of Charm is where self-motivated people, just like you, come to learn from the company’s coaches about to how to master human dynamics, relationships, and becoming your best self with the help of Johnny and AJ, the company’s founders. Johnny and AJ bring their 11 years of coaching experience from their famous Bootcamps, where they host clients in Los Angeles from all over the world and they share their stories, best practices and themselves on this weekly podcast. Not only does The Art of Charm help everyday people, including active members of the military, learn how to become higher performers, better spouses, partners, and coworkers, they dig deep into human behavior, the science behind it, and demystify what we do and why we do it.

Is AI Coming For Your Job? | Zack Kass

The Art of Charm

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AI-Induced Identity Crisis for Creatives: Johnny shares his experience using Suno, an AI music tool, which resulted in five to six days of depression as he grappled with his artistic identity. The tool's ability to create high-quality music challenged his sense of uniqueness and purpose as an artist, raising questions about what makes creativity valuable when anyone can generate professional-level work.

Loss of Identity as the Core AI Challenge: Zack argues that identity displacement is the most pressing concern about AI, more so than existential threats or job loss. This manifests both as a creative crisis (if anyone can produce anything, what's the purpose?) and as professionals watch skills they spent decades developing become automated overnight.

The Importance of Shared Cultural Experiences: Despite infinite personalization capabilities, humans crave collective experiences—what Zack calls "the water cooler effect." People watched Game of Thrones even when it became terrible because they wanted to suffer together. This suggests that tastemakers and shared cultural moments will remain valuable even as AI enables unlimited individual creativity.

Physical Community as the Ultimate Antidote: Human happiness has remained constant throughout history: time with friends, family, and physical community. No matter how good music streaming gets, people will pay thousands to see live concerts. This fundamental need for in-person experiences provides optimism that AI won't replace what truly matters to human fulfillment.

The Automation Boundary Question: Zack poses the challenging question: if you could automate everything, where would you stop? This reveals an uncomfortable truth—people want automation for everyone else's jobs but not their own. The longshoremen's 2024 strike exemplified this, demanding protection from automation rather than better pay or safety.

Political Protection vs. Economic Efficiency: Job automation won't follow technological capability but political power. Software engineers are vulnerable despite high pay because they lack unions and public sympathy, while groups like longshoremen can hold the economy hostage. This creates inefficiencies where the "weakest union" determines what gets automated first.

The Distribution Problem: While automation may create abundance, the critical question is how benefits get distributed fairly. This is identified as the most pressing governance issue after AI alignment. The concern isn't just economic—it's about people who invested in education and skills watching that system collapse without receiving the promised rewards.

Cost of Living as Policy Failure, Not Technology Failure: Housing, healthcare, and education are expensive due to political greed and special interests, not technological limitations. Where technology operates freely (electronics, ridesharing), costs plummet. Zack predicts a political reckoning when people realize autonomous vehicles cost $5 but ambulance rides can bankrupt them.

The Danger of Synthetic Intimacy: As loneliness epidemics worsen, people increasingly turn to AI for validation and companionship. However, Zack finds optimism in the fact that synthetic love hasn't made people happy in dystopian films like Blade Runner—the truly haunting scenario would be humans finding genuine contentment in artificial relationships.

Screen Addiction as the Bigger Problem: Beyond artificial relationships, device addiction itself poses a greater threat. Encouragingly, Gen Z is beginning to recognize and reject this addiction, suggesting humans naturally course-correct toward their happiness function. Jonathan Haidt's movement to remove phones from schools shows grassroots solutions working where federal policy fails.

Learning How to Learn vs. Upskilling: Rather than frantically acquiring new technical skills that may become obsolete, Zack advocates pursuing mastery in anything—music, sports, art. The practice of becoming exceptional at something teaches you how to learn and builds resilience for future challenges, which is more valuable than any specific skill.

The Return to Locality: National politics feels increasingly ineffective, but local politicians control critical factors affecting quality of life: zoning laws, schools, bike lanes, healthcare access. Zack encourages holding local officials accountable and investing in physical community, predicting people will rediscover the importance of their immediate surroundings.

Leading With Optimism as Moral Obligation: The book's final principle is that describing a better world is necessary to build one. While acknowledging legitimate concerns, Zack argues we must talk about solutions, not just problems. Historical context shows humans have always feared new technology before adapting, and the underlying economic data doesn't yet show the catastrophic job losses people predict.

Four Principles for the AI Renaissance: Zack's framework for navigating this transition: go outside (physical world matters), be human (lean into what makes us unique), learn how to learn (pursue mastery), and lead with optimism (describe the world you want to build). These principles prioritize human connection and adaptability over technical skills.

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Cultural Commentary from a Biblical Perspective

Monday, January 12, 2026

The Briefing with Albert Mohler

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The Death of CIA Traitor Aldrich Ames: Aldrich Ames, described as the most murderous turncoat in CIA history, recently died in federal custody at age 84 while serving life without parole. As head of counterintelligence for the CIA's Soviet division from 1983, he had access to America's deepest secrets and betrayed numerous agents to the Soviets, resulting in at least 10 executions. He was paid millions of dollars for his espionage activities over nearly a decade before being caught in 1994.

Red Flags the CIA Missed: Despite Ames' mediocre performance record, alcohol problems (like his father before him), and obvious lifestyle discrepancies—including driving a Jaguar and living in a $500,000+ house on a $60,000 salary—the CIA failed to detect his betrayal for years. He even left classified documents on a train at one point yet continued to be promoted. The agency initially suspected another person before eventually identifying Ames as the source of the intelligence leaks.

Ames' Brazen Betrayal and Lack of Remorse: Ames initiated contact with the Soviets himself by walking into their embassy in 1985 and offering intelligence for money. He deliberately gave names knowing the agents would be executed before they could expose him. After his arrest, he showed no remorse and claimed he had shifted his loyalty "to a way of life and a world he considered above the petty concerns of governments," despite calling the Soviet system "beastly and inhumanist."

Moral Complexities of Espionage: The Ames case raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy and morality of espionage from a Christian worldview. While intelligence gathering becomes necessary in a fallen world to protect free societies against genuine threats like Nazi Germany and the USSR, the field attracts morally ambiguous actors and involves inherent deception. The case illustrates how espionage reveals some of the deepest and darkest moral issues imaginable, with agents, double agents, and triple agents making it difficult to discern true loyalties.

Surrogate Mothers Facing Financial Ruin: A Wall Street Journal investigation revealed that many surrogate mothers are being left with massive medical bills from pregnancy complications. One woman, Nia Trent Wilson, who carried a baby for a gay couple from Washington D.C., faced $186,000 in medical bills after complications forced doctors to remove her uterus and fallopian tubes. She went home with the bills while the couple went home with the baby, highlighting the lack of financial protections for surrogates.

The Booming Surrogacy Industry: Surrogacy has surged into a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, with nearly 11,000 surrogates undergoing embryo transfers in 2023—more than double the number from 2014. The U.S. is considered the "wild, wild west" of reproductive technologies due to minimal regulation, and private equity companies are now investing in surrogacy services as a commercial opportunity.

Commodification of Human Life: The surrogacy industry represents the dangerous commodification of human beings, turning babies into products that can be designed, engineered, and contracted for purchase. The industry treats reproduction as just another business transaction, with some babies being picked up by agents immediately after birth as if they were consumer goods rather than human beings made in God's image.

The Moral Crisis of Assisted Reproductive Technology: From a Christian worldview, IVF and surrogacy represent a fundamental moral disaster because they separate reproduction from the God-ordained context of sexual union within heterosexual marriage. These technologies enable same-sex couples and others to have children through means that redefine human dignity and the meaning of parenthood. The existence of a baby—while itself an unalloyed good—does not justify the process by which it was created.

The Church's Failure to Address the Issue: Many Christians, Christian churches, and denominations have failed to recognize or address the profound moral problems with surrogacy and IVF. They often view these technologies simply as means to produce babies without considering the ethical implications of the process itself, just as the existence of a baby has never justified an immoral sexual act.

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A lovingly crafted podcast that reveals the stories behind the world's most recognizable and interesting sounds.

Butterfly in the Synth: Reading Rainbow’s Magical Theme Song

Twenty Thousand Hertz

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The Origin of Reading Rainbow's Theme Song: In 1980, composers Steve Horelick, Janet Weir, and Dennis Neil Kleinman of Patchworks, an experimental electronic music production company in New York City, competed against 10 other music houses to create the theme for a new PBS children's show called Reading Rainbow. They won with their innovative synth-driven approach, which was unusual for children's television at the time.

Crafting Empowering Lyrics: The lyrics evolved through collaboration, starting with Dennis's initial sing-songy version ("A butterfly can touch the sky / A book can take you twice as high"). Janet Weir transformed these into the more energetic and empowering final version: "Butterfly in the sky / I can go twice as high / Take a look, it's in a book / A reading rainbow." The emphasis on "I can" rather than "you can" gave children a sense of personal empowerment.

Creating the Iconic Fluttering Synth Sound: Steve used a rare Buchla 200 series synthesizer with its unique Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator (MARF) to create the opening butterfly sound. Unlike traditional sequencers that play notes in order, the MARF could randomize the sequence while weighting certain notes more heavily, mimicking the unpredictable flight pattern of a butterfly. He combined this with lexicon delay and spring reverb to achieve the magical opening sound.

Technical Challenges of Pre-MIDI Production: Recording the theme in the early 1980s happened just before MIDI was invented, meaning Steve couldn't sync his multiple synthesizers (including a Fairlight CMI, Oberheim 4-voice, and Buchla 200) electronically. He had to manually time everything by hitting the tape machine go button and running to his synths to get them lined up, making the process both challenging and frustrating.

Finding the Perfect Voice: After extensive searching, they cast New York disco singer Tina Fabrique for the classic 1983-2000 version. Despite being known for disco, she brought a joyful, child-friendly energy to the recording that perfectly captured the show's spirit rather than trying to sound "cool."

Multiple Theme Song Versions Over the Years: The theme evolved through several versions—the original 1980 demo with Janet Weir singing (which had an "island-y feel"), the classic 1983 version with Tina Fabrique, a late 1990s version with R&B singer Johnny Kemp (transposed down to key of F to suit his range), and a version with Chaka Khan that featured her playing drums in the initial recording session.

The Mystery Drummer Story: When Chaka Khan's drum recording had technical issues and needed to be redone, Steve found a random drummer in the common area of Westlake Recording studio who volunteered to help. The unknown drummer listened once and "killed it" in a single take—and to this day, Steve still doesn't know who he was.

Cultural Impact and Legacy: Reading Rainbow ran from 1983 to 2006 with 155 episodes, all featuring music produced by Steve Horelick (who wrote about 90% of it). The theme song's success launched his career, leading to work on other children's shows like Shining Time Station and The Puzzle Place. Steve still receives weekly emails from people sharing how the song changed their lives.

The 2025 Revival: Reading Rainbow returned in 2025 as a new digital platform hosted by Michael Threes (known as "Michael the Librarian"), a viral librarian who creates kid-friendly book recommendation videos. The revival features a new version of the classic theme song created by singer-songwriter Bukola and producer Anthony Anderson.

The Valuable Buchla Synthesizer: Steve sold his original Buchla 200 series and MARF module to Danny Carey of the band Tool in the mid-1990s. He later learned that Donald Buchla only made eight of those modules, and they're now worth approximately the price of a Ferrari—leading Steve to jokingly ask Danny to "send it back" if he's listening.

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