WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

Nejc Trušnovec is a War Analyst who is closely following the Ukraine War. I've interviewed him three times on the WanderLearn Show.

Watch it on YouTube!

November 2023 Interview

Nejc reflects on how his 7/7/2022 Ukraine War predictions fared.

He also shares his 2024 predictions for the Russo-Ukrainian conflict.

Lastly, we end by talking about how the 2023 Israeli War will impact Ukraine. 

March 2022 Interview

We recorded this on March 27, 2022.

Jump to our 7/7/22 conversation about the Ukraine war.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

04:00 Current War Situation

05:50 Tactics

14:00 Are we rushing to judgment?

17:00 What's next?

19:10 What will happen to Putin?

23:00 Best News Sources

24:00 Final predictions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-BITpsCH4U

 

 

Nejc's Top 3 War News Sources

Battlefront Forum

Military Land

Understanding War

 

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Podcast Swap! Francis Tapon appeared on the Travel Tribe X Podcast and we're re-airing the episode on the WanderLearn Podcast feed!

Enjoy this one-hour interview, where Jordan Chmiel Twardowski interviews Francis Tapon.

Subscribe to the Travel Tribe X Podcast on any podcast app, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

Or search for Travel Tribe X on whatever app you're using to read this! 

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

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My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

You debate someone daily. It could be your partner, friend, co-worker, boss, or an anonymous a*****e on social media.

Debates can be exhausting and unproductive, especially if you're debating someone close-minded and inflexible. I've made controversial points about:

• Abortion


• What's a reasonable number of unarmed police shootings?


• Leopard hunting

Therefore, I have plenty of experience debating intransigent people.

In the past, I would waste time debating religion (I have a BA degree in Religion) and other taboo subjects, but lately, I've developed a new technique to avoid having useless discussions.

I reveal my simple tactic below that you can employ when you're talking about:

• The JFK assassination


• UFOs


• 9/11


• COVID


• Or any other third-rail discussion

Lastly, look in the mirror! Make sure you apply the same question to yourself! Maybe you're the stubborn one! Tell the other person what evidence you want to see before changing your mind.

Watch the YouTube Video

I hope it's helpful! If so, share!

 

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

A subscriber wants to know: what is the ideal writing space?

It takes me 5-10 years to pump out a book, so I'm a lousy author to answer this question, but I'll try.

I answer the question in a three-minute video.

This house in California's Trinity Alps was nearly perfect because it lacked mobile phone coverage.

However, it had Internet. 

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Avalanche expert Robert Hahn appeared on an earlier WanderLearn episode. 

In last week's show, he and his Malagasy wife discussed the difference between Malagasy and American culture.

This week, we talk about:

Pakistan Culture

00:00 Why Pakistan?

01:30 Where Robert went

04:30 Safety

07:00 India relations

12:12 Surprises

 

Watch Video on YouTube!

 

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Avalanche expert Robert Hahn appeared on an earlier WanderLearn episode. Back then, he was single.

Now, he's brought this Malagasy wife to join him in one of the two episodes below. After we recorded, she preferred that I not share her name. 

Madagascar vs. USA Culture

00:00 How they met

00:30 What shocked her

02:15 What shocked Robert

05:45 Couples in the USA vs. Madagascar

08:40 Fady = Forbidden Taboo

11:30 Body shape preferences

15:00 Madagascar's Future

Watch Video on YouTube!
More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

A WanderLearn listener asked me:

"Why do people come to the United States to escape racism if there is systemic racism in the USA?"

In this show, I answer that question in 6 minutes.

Watch the Video on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKc2nQ4HXmg 

Podcast

For more on racism in the USA, hear what Rejoice Tapon says.

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

NJ Ayuk has written a provocative book called A Just Transition: Making Energy Poverty History with an Energy Mix. 

Akuk sums up his book in 6 words: "Gas First. Solar and Wind Later."

Here are some memorable parts of the book:

• 16% of the world is African, but they produce 3% of emissions. 


• "Africa has supplied oil and gas to the world--while neglecting its own needs."


• Carbon emits "nearly twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as natural gas per unit of energy."


• More than 600 million people in the Sub-Sahara have no access to electricity.


• "The dignity of work goes a long, long way in building a strong, sustainable community."


• "Africa has 40% of the world's solar energy potential."

He sums up his book in a sentence: "We cannot ignore the needs of millions in our zeal to prevent climate change."

Africa shouldn't have to be energy poor

I'm not a climate doomsday activist. Most doom-and-gloom apocalyptic scenarios that many environmentalists forecast are overly negative.

Yes, the world is warming.

Yes, it's primarily human-made.

However, just as the Netherlands thrives despite being below sea level, most coastal metropolises will use technology to deal with sea level rise.

Farmers will grow different crops. Canadians will grow what farmers in Nebraska grow, and Nebraskans may grow tropical fruits.

In short, humanity will do what it's always done: adapt.

It won't be fun; we wish we were wiser; maybe 1 billion will die or get displaced, but we'll survive.

And yes, thousands of plant & animal species will suffer. It may be the sixth mass extinction event. But humans will survive it.

In short, part of me is fine with Ayuk's idea of Africa blasting tons of natural gas into the atmosphere because you must consume energy to get rich.

Ayuk suggests that humanity's ship is sinking, and Africa should be able to drink the alcohol with everyone else while the ship goes down.

Indeed, why does the rest of the world get to spew out greenhouse gases while Africans have to refrain or use solar/wind, which aren't 100% competitive yet?

I understand.

However, there are three problems

1. Africa will suffer more than any other continent from global warming since it is already the hottest continent. Therefore, they are shooting themselves in the foot by increasing greenhouse cases.

Ayuk cites that gas emits half the greenhouse gases of coal, but that's not a big difference. If it were 10x, I'd be impressed. But since Africans are growing from 1.1 billion to 4.4 billion this century, they need something better than gas.

2. As Ayuk rightly observes, Africa has abundant wind/solar capacity. Africa could lead in renewable, clean energy just like they leapfrogged others when they skipped landlines and went straight to mobile. Africans innovated on mobile money because they were early adopters. 

Instead, Ayuk wants to copy the energy dinosaurs in the rich world who are already innovating in wind & solar. Africans will again be forced to buy wind & solar tech from abroad since they didn't invent it when they could because they were too busy burning their gas.

3. Ayuk has deep financial interests in African natural gas companies and apparently nothing in wind & solar. On August 1, 2023, his LinkedIn profile states:

"Mr. Ayuk concentrates particularly on the structuring, local content, documentation and negotiation of oil, gas and petrochemical transactions.  His clients include oil and gas producers, operators, petrochemical manufacturers, oil field services companies and financing parties in the energy industry. He has played a key role in negotiating and documenting the purchase and sale of upstream and midstream oil and gas assets, farmins, farmouts, volumetric production payments and other drilling fund and development dollar investment arrangements, as well as petrochemical project development, asset acquisition and divestiture and joint venture investments. The Oil and Gas Year Publication recognized him as "a shrewd, street-smart, savvy dealmaker and major asset"​ and Chambers and Partners recognized him as an "important player"​ and a "tremendous resource"-an acknowledgement bestowed upon him by his peers in the industry."

Verdict

Ayuk is deep in bed with the oil and gas industry. He's made millions from that industry. Of course, he will champion Africa exploiting all their natural gas resources even if it leads to worse global warming. Ayuk has enough money to buy a few mansions in Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia, and Russia to escape the heat.

As Upton Sinclair said, "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." 

1/10 stars.

#AJustTransitionMakingEnergyPovertyHistorywithanEnergyMix

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Sym Blanchard & I look into our crystal balls to assess global politics. Sym listens to countless political podcasts during his long hikes. I love to debate his reflections.

00:00 Presidential Election 2024

02:40 Ukraine War

04:00 Israel & Palestine

09:50 Taiwan

Watch the Video
Previous episodes featuring Sym

Listen to my first interview with Sym.

 

Connect with Sym Blanchard on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

 

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe

Sym Blanchard is a 70-year-old thru-hiker who completed America's Triple Crown hike in 2023! He's section-hiked all the sections of the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail!

Sym Blanchard has been a vegan for the last 10 years. He just got diagnosed with osteoporosis. 

Although I still encourage veganism and vegetarianism, his tale emphasizes the importance of carefully watching your nutrition.

Timeline

00:00 Vegan gets osteoporosis

02:50 Diet changes

05:50 Long-term decline

13:13 Plans for 2024

Watch the Video

 

Previous episodes featuring Sym

Listen to my first interview with Sym.

 

Connect with Sym Blanchard on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

More info

To leave an anonymous voicemail that I could use on the podcast, go to SpeakPipe.com/FTapon

You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com.

If you like this podcast, subscribe and share! 

On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on:

• Facebook


• Twitter


• YouTube


• Instagram


• Tiktok


• LinkedIn


• Pinterest


• Tumblr

My Patrons sponsored this show!

Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon

Rewards start at just $2/month!

Affiliate links

Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free!

In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken. 

Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees!

For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

Get full access to Francis Tapon at ftapon.substack.com/subscribe