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 d...

With the ongoing Iran conflict, Dave and Gavin examine how millions of dollars are being wagered on strikes, leadership challenges, and ceasefires, turning war into a tradable asset for the masses. Learn how simple financial bets and gambling compulsions are now on a collision course with real-world violence...and reality.  If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, or s...

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...

(00:00:00) Why West Africa is struggling and falling to jihadists (00:00:37) The Current State of West Africa (00:03:23) Big challenges in the Sahel Region (00:06:09) The impact of jihadists on local West African communities (00:09:04) Economic and security struggles (00:11:52) The roles of foreign troops in West Africa (00:16:42) Nigeria's ongoing leadership crisis (00:17:59) The need for economi...

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.  In this episode, Gavin and Dave take a hard look at the region that is drifting into a conflict cycle that neither side fully controls. They talk about the security architecture of the individual GCC states, Tehran’s strategy o...

(00:00:00) Season 4, Episode 6: Indonesia, Gaza, and rules of engagement (00:00:32) Podcast Intro (00:01:28) Overview of the Board of Peace Meeting in Washington (00:04:00) What is the the ISF (International Stabilization Force) and who plans to join? (00:06:40) This country backed out from sending troops (00:08:05) The key missing ingredient to stability in Gaza (00:10:27) Why is Indonesia steppi...

(00:00:00) Why South Korean Presidents go to prison: From the Blue House to the big house (00:00:35) A list of Korea's former Presidents (00:02:05) Who is Yoon Suk Yeol? (00:03:05) The reality of seeing what has happened to former presidents of South Korea (00:04:54) The aftermath of another Korean President going to prison (00:07:24) Major problems Korea's right has to solve to stay relevant (00:...

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.  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 week with mis...

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...

The Grand Emperor said it's the literal end of the golden road.  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 Fring...

Prepping for the geography part trivia night just got a LOT harder and more cumbersome.  Hey all! In this quick episode we explore what the end of the CIA World Factbook means for inquiring minds. If you enjoy the short episode, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe or share with your fellow trivia team or geo-bee all stars.

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 a...

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...

(00:00:00) Season 4, Episode 1: The rule of fang and claw (00:00:20) Podcast Starts -- The end of the International Order (00:02:41) Implications of a new world dynamic (00:05:45) What changes for middle / regional powers (00:08:26) Au revoir to liberal institutionalism (00:11:31) Uncertainty is the new name of the game Hey all! We are kicking off season 4 much earlier than we’d thought. Why? Earl...

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 kicked On the Fringe off in the fall of 2024 and posted the first season on our Substack.   Then, we added On the Fringe Podcast on Apple Podcast last January (2025) and have more support, downloads, and interest than we could have imagined. We wouldn’t...

Hello all, from over top of Baffin Island! I’m about as far as north as you can go, and depending on your viewpoint, OpenAI may be just as near the top of Santa’s naughty list next year. Or their bank account may start to climb to new heights too. 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 ChatGP...

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 of AI systems and technology without the human element leads society toward. If you’re curious about our take on it, don’t miss this episode! After you're don...

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 23: Kyrgyzstan, land of mountains, mines, and elections. Featuring Joe Barnes (00:00:21) Podcast Intro, travel, and upcoming elections in Kyrgyzstan (00:04:23) The current political landscape and historical context (00:12:26) Social media usage in elections in Kyrgyzstan (00:16:23) the CSTO's Role in Central Asia (00:20:46) Ethnic Tensions in the Fergana Valley (00:25:...

(00:00:00) The airstrike in Cambodia (00:02:33) The airstrike in Benin Two unexpected turns of events and two growing regional powers are stepping up.  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...

Hey all!  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 that caused the airline to cancel thousands of flights in the last week as well as why these events may have occurred. If you’re interested in India, don’t miss this episode—and if you’re flying to or within India, we wish you the best in gett...

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 21: On the Edge of Everything. The Future of AI, with Derek Crager, CEO of Practical AI (00:00:23) Intro (00:01:05) How we met Derek Crager (00:01:43) Interview starts--How did Derek discover the power of AI (00:04:37) Human first AI (00:07:23) AI's role in developing critical thinking + to help make better decisions (00:10:14) Human first AI in Education (00:18:00) AI...

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 20: Why the state of African democracy matters, featuring Stuart Bolus (00:00:20) Podcast Intro (00:01:09) One of the West's biggest problems with West Africa (00:04:51) Why West Africa doesn't reflect the countries that colonized it, notably France (00:07:50) How this affects the countries' political systems (00:11:10) What democracy often looks like in West Africa (0...

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...

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 19: The twisting and turning tales of Alice...Guo (00:00:20) Podcast Starts (00:00:55) Introduction about Alice Guo (00:04:40) How Alice got caught (00:06:19) Alice's wild getaway through Southeast Asia (00:08:02) key details that the media misses in this story (00:10:40) Big changes in Philippine politics (00:14:50) Big shifts in the Philippines' posture (00:18:11) Cl...