On the Fringe

A belated Eid Mubarak, Happy Easter, and Happy Passover to all. The last three weeks have come at a very sensitive time for hundreds of millions of people in the Middle East. Despite all of the differences, many still find faith as a cornerstone of their lives, especially when all looks lost. Regardless of what you believe, let’s all keep hope close and remember the night is darkest just before da...

Dave and Gav take apart the rise of prediction markets during wartime, where financial bets and gambling compulsions are on a collision with real-world violence…and reality. With the ongoing Iran conflict, they examine how millions of dollars are being wagered on strikes, leadership challenges, and ceasefires, turning war into a tradable asset for the masses. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forg...

This week, Gav and Dave, joined by guest Leo Andolsek take a wide-angle view of the Balkans. Leo cuts through the noise in modern media to unpack the layered history, cultures, and persistent tensions of this fascinating corner of Europe. Our chat connects the past and present in plain terms, winding through the rise and collapse of Yugoslavia and tiptoeing past the fault lines that still define r...

In this episode, Dave and Gavin talk to old friend of the pod, Stuart Bolus, about the state of West Africa and how it got to where it is today. In this wide ranging conversation, we talk about the economic crisis underpinning the jihadi violence tearing the Sahel apart, the colonial problems that lead to this, and how that economic crisis coincides with larger social and demographic problems that...

The Gulf States (from east to west: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar UAE, Oman) are at the center of an accelerating confrontation between the US and Israel, and Iran. Iran is forcing their hand to end their longstanding neutrality and to choose a side. Which side will they choose? In this episode, Gavin and Dave take a hard look at the region that is drifting into a conflict cycle that neithe...

The Board of Peace held its 2026 annual meeting in Washington, DC, gaining capital commitments and additional members. During the meeting, five member countries on the Board of Peace (Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo, and Kazakhstan) have all pledged to send troops to the Gaza Strip. In this episode, Gavin and Dave dive into why these countries intend to commit troops to the International Stabi...

Hey all! In this bonus episode, Gavin and Dave look at why so many former presidents of South Korea leave the Blue House under a cloud of investigation or prosecution or just plain bad luck, and why this pattern may be getting harder to break. And, argue that this mix of geopolitical tension and demographic decline makes the presidency of the Republic of Korea more unstable and less forgiving than...

This week, Gav and Dave dive headlong into the weird, wonderful world of prediction markets; giant online betting platforms where you can put a wager on just about anything under the sun. These new multi-billion dollar markets seem to be incentivizing people to bet on anything. In this quick bonus, we take a quick dive into a story of two Israelis with military connections being charged this last...

In this episode, Gavin and Dave move the spotlight to Africa, where the Saudi–UAE rivalry is less than subtle and where a flare-up might have a major impact on your world. As it has played out, the UAE has backed, funded and supplied weapons and mercenaries to the RSF, one of the two competing factions in the Sudanese Civil War; the other faction, the Sudanese Armed Forces, are increasingly depend...

In this episode Dave and Gav dig into the increasingly heated rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two monarchies that once moved in lockstep, but are now violently competing for regional dominance. What began as a strategic partnership, most visibly in Yemen after 2015, has evolved into a contest over leadership of the Gulf, influence in OPEC+, and control of trade routes. S...

A well-known hotel in Macau just ripped out its iconic showpiece as gold prices are at (nearly) record highs. Learn why this is happening and what this means going forward for the Special Administrative Region of China. If you liked the short, let us know and smash that like button! We appreciate it. All the best from us on the Fringe! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with o...

Hey all! In this quick episode we explore what the end of the CIA World Factbook means for inquiring minds, and AI-generated content. If you enjoy the short bonus episode, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe or share with your fellow trivia team or geo-bee all stars. We sincerely appreciate it :) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to b...

Hey all! We are going back to a topic that we’ve followed since the beginning of On the Fringe—scam farms in Southeast Asia. Some of our first episodes covered these scam farms and organized crime in the region, including the wild tales of Alice Guo, former mayor of Banban in the Philppines. These bad guys are using the latest technology, modern-day slavery, and cunning tactics to get you, the ave...

This week, Dave and Gavin take a look into a new organization, that seems to be a real harbinger of things to come. Initially pitched as a ‘technocratic government’ for Gaza, the initial concept of an executive board has snowballed into an organization with a charter as vague as its members are colorful. United by a vision of governance that is action-oriented and personality-based, the Board of P...

Hey all! We are kicking off season 4 much earlier than we’d thought. Why? Early Saturday morning, the international rules-based order, or what was left of it, expired both painfully and suddenly with the removal of Nicolas Maduro (and his wife) from Caracas to New York City. In this episode, we focus, not on the events of that early morning raid, but of its potential and actual ramifications for i...

Hey all! Happy 2026! Gavin and I wish you all the best in your endeavors this year—and we would love to hear about them (and how we can help!) We started the On the Fringe Substack last January (2025) and have more downloads and interest than we could have imagined. We wouldn’t be here without you guys and can’t thank you enough for your support. We literally started with 0, and have had over 6,00...

Hello all, from over top of Baffin Island! I’m about as far as north as you can go, and depending on your view point, OpenAI may be just as near the top of Santa’s naughty list for next year. We’ve got a short bonus episode that’s been under the radar in the West, and front page news in India. OpenAI’s mobile version of ChatGPT called ChatGPT Go is now free in India for a full year for new subscri...

Hey all! This week on On the Fringe, Dave and Gavin yack about a recent incident in Reno, Nevada, where a man was misidentified by using AI technology. We jump into the uses and misuses of AI in the modern world, and what increased reliance without the human element leads society toward. If you’re curious about our take on it, don’t miss this episode! Check out some of our more recent episodes abo...

This week, Dave and Gav brought back Joe Barnes, friend of the pod and guest on our episode about neighboring Kazakhstan to talk about Kyrgyzstan. Joe dives into a deep backstory about the Kyrgyz Republic, and why the country has taken off economically in the last few years. One reason—it’s absolutely beautiful and an incredible value for your money. We also discuss what has changed in Kyrgyz civi...

Hey all! We’ve got a quick episode for you and two events we will likely be covering in our next season in greater depth. In the first part, Dave and Gav talk about what’s going on between Thailand and Cambodia. In the second part, Gavin goes on a tear and gets to the bottom of a murky situation in Benin. As always, thanks for listening and joining us On the Fringe! All the best, Dave and Gav This...

Hey all! We are not coming at you as “Moody in Mumbai” or “Desperate in Delhi,” but we feel for those who are. Over the last couple of weeks, IndiGo, India’s largest airline has suffered from major operational setbacks. We’re diving into the most recent one, a change in the law for crew rest, that caused the airline to cancel thousands of flights in the last week as well as why these events may ha...

This week, Dave and Gav talk with Derek ‘DC’ Crager, the CEO of Practical AI. Derek is at the forefront of building what he describes as ‘human-first’ AI and makes the pitch that AI has to be tailored to human needs. We talk about the uses and misuses of AI technology, where it could make a real difference in people’s lives, and not only for improving productivity. If you’re curious about future t...

On this episode, we brought back Stuart Bolus from last season to talk about the state of African democracy. You’ll learn what it looks like, why it is fragile, and how it differs from country to country, along with local insight (including how illiterates can legitimately vote and how they work as elected officials—yes, that’s not a typo!) Shoot us a message, leave us a comment, or send us your f...

For this bonus episode, Gav and Dave talk about a real interesting response to a recent Gallup poll in which 40% of American women between the ages of 15-44 declared their interest in leaving the United States permanently. If this doesn’t cause you some concern, you might be looking at a different number. Share below or shoot us an email about what you think means and if we’re off base here. We’d...

This week Gav and Dave return to one of the first stories we covered here on On the Fringe, the story of Alice Guo, one-time mayor of Bamban in the northern Philippines, erstwhile inmate in the Filipino prison system. We dive into the bare bones of who she is, how she wound up as mayor, and why she just got sentenced to life in prison, along with diving into how this informs larger narratives play...