The Talking Ass

Vago Muradian is one of the world’s premier defence and national security journalists and host of the podcast Defense & Aerospace Report . Over his long and illustrious career he has interviewed and gained insights from top strategists, politicians and military leaders. In this episode, Vago teaches us about the current global security landscape, the nature of modern warfare, and the challenges fa...

Happy New Year, bud! Jake Abhau, former Director of Growing Operations for a major cannabis manufacturer, is here to teach us about growing weed successfully in a hostile climate (legally and otherwise). Through hard work and crazy hours in the unforgiving tundra of North Dakota, he helped take a company from a shipping container to a research facility and finally to a massive buyout. Jake grew up...

In this holiday special of The Talking Ass, Danny and Sylvia travel to various Christmas Islands. Yes, apparently there are more than one. First, however, listener feedback must be ridiculed and a zebra consumed, because everyone knows you can't visit Eastern Europe without eating one. What? Anyway, there is some interesting actual learning in this one (shockingly). Follow The Talking Ass on your...

The Talking Ass has finally found its own golf reporter, and he is a fun one! Ernie has been involved in building some of the most prestigious courses in the world and has worked in the industry since he was a teenager. After learning about the culture of Swedish speaking Finns, we delve into various aspects of golf, from the intricacies of sustainable golf course design to the evolution of equipm...

The now AWARD-WINNING podcast The Talking Ass is recording in international waters with our attorney, the elusive Ronald R. Rosenberg. Aside from smuggling contraband across international borders and traveling under assumed identities, we are on our best behavior. We discuss the achievements of the pod, the implications of media monopolies, and cultural shifts regarding progress and regress in soc...

Our favorite adventurer and superhero Racheli Aye is back! While training for a HYROX race in Australia, she made a stealth visit to the mountains of Pakistan as a Jewish American woman. In addition to educating us about what it’s like to train hard with endometriosis, 'Rae-Rae' has some juicy takes on Pakistan and the emerging tourism scene there. Danny also shares his own incredibly impr...

After a quick detour into listener feedback and the Epstein leaks, Danny and Sylvia discuss the MTV shutdown and the end of an era in Western popular culture. Danny also tells a forgotten story about Sea Monkeys and finishes with a trifecta of top 10 public service announcements. Follow The Talking Ass on your favourite platform and send your hate mail to talkingasspodcast@gmail.com or get in touc...

Alan Gates and Richard Borley are retired firefighters with decades of experience in rescuing people and animals alike. We explore their journey into the profession, hear some tales of dramatic rescues and learn about the evolution of firefighting techniques and standards. The discussion highlights the emotional toll of the job and the camaraderie among firefighters, while also addressing the risk...

Welcome to Season 4 of The Talking Ass! We hope you learned something from the first couple of episodes and are ripe to receive some of that silliness and weirdness you've missed so much. Sylvia is reading about World War I, Danny has lost his sense of morality but gained a superhuman sense of smell, and Attorney Ronald R. Rosenberg is worried about the legality of our gambling advice. Listener fe...

This week we are lucky to host Tania, a fashion executive from the very top of the retail world. We explore the multifaceted world of fashion, discussing the evolution of trends, the influence of pop culture, and the intersection of fashion with technology and sustainability. How is AI shaping consumer behaviour and why is conscious consumption important? And apparently there are also sweatshops o...

Our resident NFL expert and Fantasy Football embarrassment Sami is back for a quick mid-season review of the league. Both Danny and Sami have a lot to apologise for, as we got some things wrong in our season preview. However, we also have plenty to be proud of, as some teams and individuals have proven just as disappointing as we thought they would be. The conversation culminates in predictions fo...

We close out Season 3 with a wild one! After Sylvia and Danny are done with their intro filled with all-important Peru and Estonia updates, our Federal Correspondent Big Daddy Z teaches us a thing or two about chemicals in the water supply. A warning is in order, however: this one deteriorates into more silliness than is normally advisable. We also discuss the government shutdown and what that rea...

Our Icelandic correspondent Joakim is fresh out of the chilly Atlantic and dipping into his volcanic jacuzzi. With a warm cup of fermented shark urine in hand, he helps us understand this strange and remote island. We dive into the unique culture and lifestyle of Iceland, discussing everything from the country's rich history and traditions to its modern-day quirks, such as the absence of McDonald'...

We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming with a cautiously optimistic analysis of the biggest and best news in a long, long time. World leaders are lambasted and lauded in the same sentence, somehow, and there is also a healthy dose of Talking Ass branded silliness. Follow Talking Ass on your favourite platform and send your hate mail to talkingasspodcast@gmail.com or get in touch through...

What do Lidl sneakers have to do with a Bon Jovi sex scandal and Elton John's views on gun control? As you may have guessed, this one gets out of hand...and then immediately back under control, only to spiral into madness again. However, we do remember to read out some listener emails and address the growing beef between two former guests on the show. Follow Talking Ass on your favorite platfo...

Lisa Johnson, co-founder of Been There Got Out , shares her insights on navigating high conflict divorces, the signs of domestic violence, and the importance of strategic communication in family court. She discusses her personal journey through a tumultuous marriage, representing herself in challenging legal battles, and the emotional toll of divorce. Lisa emphasizes the need for education on heal...

The Ryder Cup was almost as exciting as the new Talking Ass activity on X (Twitter): Talking Ass Podcast (@talkingasspod) / X. This show has officially joined the dark side and it has been a wild first few days. Danny and Sylvia also let Scottie Scheffler and Bryson hear some tough truths, and somehow it all has a lot to do with Kates Winslet, Beckinsale and Hudson. Listener feedback is thoroughly...

Justin McDonald is a professor of economics, a true money guy and a rumoured "econ wizard" who has some things to say about your password reusage. His impressive career in the field of payment fraud (and later craft beer and education) serves as a prime example of what you can achieve if you stay away from people like Gary from the Cayman Islands. We discuss fraud prevention, fraud techniques, the...

Danny has more mistakes to apologize for and Sylvia is desperately holding on to her final marbles. Listener feedback is thoroughly inspected but ultimately ignored. We also tease upcoming episodes and reveal our new dream sponsor for the show. Send your hate mail to talkingasspodcast@gmail.com or get in touch through the website ⁠ talkingasspodcast.com⁠ . For exceptional website building, SEO and...

Why is it that Avi Loeb is so obsessed with Finnish baseball? This and many other pressing questions are answered by Kovi Rose and Benjamin Salles from the sublime podcast Science, Actually Presents: The Nerd and the Scientist . We discuss the importance of science communication, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the public perception of these topics (among some other silliness). Visit Kov...

A lot of jokes fall flat in this one, as we tackle listener feedback and react to events in Qatar and the NFL (among other things). Talking Ass has also discovered a nemesis who steals our ideas for an inferior podcast. Follow Talking Ass on your favourite platform and send your hate mail to talkingasspodcast@gmail.com or use the contact form on the website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Talking Ass Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For ex...

The radiant and wonderful PinkRabbi Laila is here to shower us in some accessible, fun and modern conceptions of faith. Her journey of finding a home in religion and becoming a rabbi is almost as fascinating as her obsession with the colour pink! We discuss pluralistic Judaism, the evolving role of women in religion, and the recent rise in antisemitism. The conversation also touches on gendered la...

Friend of the show Jeffrey van Leeuwen is back for an intense, thought-provoking discussion (appropriately punctuated by some plain silliness). We dissect all the hot topics, including religion and science, the nature of truth and the Secret Service, before delivering some wildly outdated movie reviews. But first Sylvia delivers her Nelson Mandela Quiz and Eminem sues Meta. Find Jeffrey's excellen...

Kaj "Tico" Takolander is in charge of the passenger operations of a major European port that services almost 10 million passengers annually. He joins us to share stories and insights from a long career in the maritime industry and to set us straight on its current state. We discuss adapting to new challenges, including the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Tico also reveals how sew...

Danny and Sylvia engage in a lively discussion that spans various topics, including feedback from listeners, cultural commentary on national symbols, political discourse surrounding immigration, and an exploration of Antigua and Barbuda. They also touch on the serious issue of missing persons in Antigua, suggesting community responsibility in addressing this crisis. Follow Talking Ass on your favo...