Hey all! This week, we are taking you back to West Africa and building on our last episode about a growing jihadist influence in this corner of the world.

Bamako is a city running out of time. With little fuel, the city is entering an existential crisis as neighboring countries and major powers realize the ruling military junta’s days may be numbered, as does Gavin.

Whatever comes after though will likely be worse as this region continues to spiral. For more on what is happening in this part of the world, don’t miss a few of our other episodes.

Last week, we covered the kidnapping of a Christian missionary and pilot in neighboring Niger—in broad daylight. This will give you insight into what is going on on the ground, along with our quick episode about this neighboring country you don’t want to visit right now.

As always, thanks for your support and for listening--and don't forget to subscribe or leave us a review. We truly appreciate it!

Dave and Gavin  

The full travel advisory map can be found here, courtesy of julesdhl on Reddit. (thank you, Stuart!)
We’ve got a short, spontaneous (and timely!) bonus episode! 

This time, Gav and Dave yak and spitball about a map comparing different foreign ministry’s threat assessments of Burkina Faso, a small but critically important country in West Africa. They all bear bad news, but they’re all just a little bit different.

We talk about what this means, and what it portends for the country of upright men.

To hear more about Burkina Faso, check out this episode: The Man of the Hour in West Africa, featuring Stuart.

If you like this style of episode, let us know!

Our map can be found here, courtesy of julesdhl on Reddit. Thank you, Stuart!We’ve got a short, spontaneous (and timely!) bonus episode! This time, Gav and Dave yak and spitball about a map comparing different foreign ministry’s threat assessments of Burkina Faso, a small but critically important country in West Africa. They all bear bad news, but they’re all just a little bit different. We talk about what this means, and what it portends for the country of upright men. To hear more about Burkina Faso, check out this episode: The Man of the Hour in West Africa, featuring Stuart. If you like this style of episode, let us know! shoot us an email at onthefringe.podcast1@gmail.comThanks as always for listening,Dave and Gav

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, Gavin takes a stroll down memory lane and talks in depth about Niger, a key country in the Sahel region of West Africa.

Since October 21, Niger has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Just 100 yards from the Presidential Palace in Niamey, the country’s capital, Kevin Rideout, an American missionary and bush pilot was kidnapped by jihadist terrorists and is currently being held for ransom. Our hearts, thoughts, and sincerest prayers go out to Kevin, his family, and his congregation. 

What does this event mean for the country and the United States (and Americans in Niger) at a critical time for the country? Listen in and find out. 

For more background on West Africa, don't miss our episode with Stuart.
Season 2, Episode 42: The Man of the Hour in West Africa

If you enjoyed the episode, please don’t forget to follow, like, comment, or subscribe to On the Fringe. We sincerely appreciate it!

The flag of Niger was created by verdy_p and can be found here:

On this episode, Gavin takes a stroll down memory lane and talks in depth about Niger, a key country in the Sahel region of West Africa. Since October 21, Niger has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Just 100 yards from the Presidential Palace in Niamey, the country’s capital, Kevin Rideout, an American missionary and bush pilot was kidnapped by jihadist terrorists and is currently being held for ransom. Our hearts, thoughts, and sincerest prayers go out to Kevin Rideout, his family, and his congregation. What does this event mean for the country and the United States (and Americans in Niger) at a critical time for the country. Listen in and find out. If you enjoyed the episode, please don’t forget to like, comment, or subscribe to On the Fringe. We sincerely appreciate it! The flag of Niger was created by verdy_p and can be found here:

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This week, Gav and Dave dive into the Gen Z protests/revolutions/unrest that is currently unfolding across the world and analyze some of the driving factors to this transformative moment that mainstream media is missing and not covering.

We look into how the death of political economic institutions (accelerated by the emergence of AI, amongst other things) is currently creating a social environment where large classes of the population increasingly feel that they have nothing to lose but their chains.

If you haven’t listened to it yet, don’t miss our previous episode, Season 3, Episode 12: the Front Lines of the AI Future featuring Sherman Tylawsky, an expert on civics.

As always, thanks a million for your support! We wouldn’t be here without you.

Reach out with any comments, questions, or fan mail: onthefringe.podcast1@gmail.com

And don't forget to subscribe and leave us a comment on Apple Podcasts. We truly appreciate it! 

All the best from On the Fringe,
Gav and Dave

This week, Gav and Dave dive into the Gen Z protests/revolutions/unrest that are currently unfolding across the world and analyze some of the driving factors to this transformative moment that the mainstream media may be missing out on. We also look into how the death of traditional political and economic institutions (accelerated by the emergence of AI, amongst other things) is creating a social environment where large classes of the population increasingly feel that they have nothing left to lose but their chains.If you haven’t listened to it yet, don’t miss our previous episode, Season 3, Episode 12: the Front Lines of the AI Future featuring Sherman Tylawsky, an expert on civics. As always, thanks a million for your support! We wouldn’t be here without you. Reach out with any comments, questions, or fan mail: onthefringe.podcast1@gmail.comAll the best from On the Fringe,Gav and Dave

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Hey all!

We have an awesome chat today with Sherman Tylawsky, a PhD candidate at the University of Alabama, and Founder of the George Washington Institute.

Sherman is an expert on civics and the Founding Fathers, and the Host of Friends and Fellow Citizens, a podcast you need to check out if you’re interested in the foundation that built America (it’s linked below).

Human to human relationships and shared values have been at the crux of every major human achievement since the dawn of time, and were pivotal to pulling the United States together as a young nation—and keeping it together at times of crisis. 

As AI becomes more common in our everyday lives, how does the United States keep these values relevant in a less-human future? Listen and hear from an expert. Hope you enjoy our chat, and leave us a message or comment to join in!

Thanks a million,

Dave, Gavin, and Sherman

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 11: How The CCP (Communist Part of China) 'fights crime' in the Golden Triangle
(00:00:20) Podcast Starts
(00:02:25) Why these scam farms are in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia
(00:03:25) Why the Chinese Communist Party cracked down
(00:06:19) An overview of the main players
(00:10:07) Why is the Chinese government cracking down now?
(00:11:50) Will China begin to crack down more?
(00:13:41) Why these scam farms just won't go away
(00:14:21) How you fall into their trap

Hey all! This episode piggybacks off our last episode, Season 3, Episode 10: How Scam farms are crippling Thailand’s tourism industry.

In episode 11, Dave and Gav return to the Golden Triangle to talk about an unlucky (crime) family. 
Recently, members of the Ming Organized Crime Group have been sentenced to death in the People’s Republic of China. Among the long list of crimes, their biggest sin was running one of the regions biggest scam centers…and one that made most of its money targeting Chinese citizens, both as forced labor in the scam farms and as victims. 

We hash over the continued geopolitical mess caused by the rise of the scam farm economy in mainland Southeast Asia, cover how it isn’t going away anytime soon, and end with a warning.If you liked the episode, don’t forget to like, comment, subscribe, or share.

Shoot us a message at onthefringe.podcast1@gmail.com

Thanks and take care!

Dave and Gavin

The photo of the 18th National CCP Congress is from Wikimedia and can be accessed here:

(00:00:00) Intro Music
(00:00:20) Intro
(00:01:39) Thailand's big hit post-COVID
(00:03:10) Thailand five years ago (in 2020) versus now (in 2025)
(00:05:45) The number of visitors before COVID
(00:06:35) Thailand's upstart competitor in the region
(00:07:38) One reason Thailand is struggling
(00:08:38) How Thailand's image is being hurt by its neighbors
(00:11:46) What the legalization of Cannabis did to Thailand's tourism industry
(00:15:23) How Thailand's reputation is affected--even if it is not true
(00:16:34) Thailand's top 10 nationalities of visiting tourists
(00:18:29) Will Thailand legalize gambling and look for another silver bullet?
(00:20:17) Why their silver bullets may not work
(00:22:53) Will foreign tourists keep coming to Thailand?
(00:26:17) Thailand's biggest problem in the region
(00:27:55) Why we are covering these scam farms On the Fringe

Hey all! On this episode we look at Thailand, the former juggernaut of tourism in Southeast Asia.

Thailand is a country much loved here on On the Fringe, but lately it has struggled with a key sector in its economy, tourism. 

Whether it’s because of COVID, being in a rough neighborhood, or mixed messaging on key legislation, Thailand has been having a rough time staying competitive in the cut-throat world of global tourism.

This week, Gav and Dave hash out the tourism industry in Thailand, where it’s at, and where it’s going. If you’ve never been to Thailand and want to learn more about the country, or want to understand what is causing people to not visit, don’t miss this episode. 

We’ve done several other podcasts on the Golden Triangle. Listen to them here:

Season 2, Episode 3: Pig Farming in the Golden Triangle

Season 2, Episode 25: It's all coming down

Hey all! On this episode we look at Thailand, the former juggernaut of tourism in Southeast Asia. Thailand is a country much loved here on On the Fringe, but lately it has struggled with a key sector in its economy, tourism. Whether it’s because of COVID, being in a rough neighborhood, or mixed messaging on key legislation, Thailand has been having a rough time staying competitive in the cut-throat world of global tourism. This week, Gav and Dave hash out the tourism industry in Thailand, where it’s at, and where it’s going. If you’ve never been to Thailand and want to learn more about the country, or want to understand what is causing people to not visit, don’t miss this episode. We’ve done several other podcasts on the Golden Triangle. Listen to them here: Season 2, Episode 3: Pig Farming in the Golden Triangle (what this scam called Pig Farming is)Season 2, Episode 25: It’s all coming down (the 7.7 earthquake + initial recovery in Myanmar in March 2025) The Flag of Thailand is from Wikimedia commons.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com

This episode is subscribers only. To listen and get access to an exclusive series, type your email below. Hey all! In this episode, you get a laugh at our expense, and hopefully some helpful advice on how to manage getting your haircut in a foreign country, especially when you have to navigate doing it a foreign language.Listen to how you can avoid gett…

Hey all! Apologies for taking a couple of extra days to get this one out—it’s worth the wait, though!!

In this podcast, we cover the recent protests in Nepal, and dive into what is really going on behind the scenes in the heart of South Asia. 

Nepal might be far off the radar for most people, but for On the Fringe, it’s front and center. Listen to hear what Nepali youth in Kathmandu are fighting for, what drove them to a boiling point, and why they got off Discord and decided to set their world on fire—literally. 

If you enjoyed the episode, please like, comment, share, and subscribe.

We sincerely appreciate it and couldn’t be growing at the rate without YOU!

Thanks a million,

Dave + Gavin

The flag of Nepal on our cover is from Wikimedia and can be accessed here.

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 8: We don't need no education. We don't need impulse control
(00:00:48) Podcast Starts
(00:01:25) Guidance counselors are being replaced
(00:13:30) The slow, painful decline of US public schools

Hey all! This week we’re tackling a BIG issue that you do not want to miss—the use of AI as a counseling service in public schools in the United States.

If you are or know an educator, policy maker, or work with schools, share this episode with them.

Both of us (Gavin and Dave) have years of experience as educators in different countries and share our genuine fears and concerns with news that U.S. public schools will lean more on AI chatbots to fill in for human counselors.

Yes, Mr. Mackey might be getting fired soon for real. And it may not be a good thing, m’kay. 

With future budget cuts coming, and students’ performance declining, will AI soon be replacing teachers too at the dizzying pace that it has replaced going to Google for answers? And, in the very human search for a quick fix, and the ubiquity of AI steamrolling its way into our world, are we creating bigger or unsurmountable problems down the road that we aren't considering? 

Leave us a 1-word review, drop in the comments how you feel, and thanks for listening!


The small bot in the corner is from freepik.com, can be found here, and was crcreated by upklyak

(00:00:00) Season 3, Episode 7: Questions that anyone using AI needs to ask themselves (featuring John Otwell and Kevin Wong)
(00:01:00) Is AI different from other forms of new technology?
(00:06:14) A real-life case of Chat GPT going off the rails
(00:08:50) AI's Security Flaws
(00:18:00) The Silver Bullet?
(00:23:01) What does AI-produced work vs. Human-produced work mean?
(00:33:00) What can AI NEVER replace?
(00:38:00) Can we retrain and fix AI?
(00:41:00) Is AI just a compulsive liar?
(00:45:01) Where does the AI Path ultimately lead the human race?

This week, we’re back at it with another wide-ranging conversation on AI and its effects in our lives. John Otwell Returns to the pod, and he’s joined by Kevin Wong, a seasoned educator and an old friend from Peace Corps. Together, they bring different perspectives to the discussion, balancing curiosity and skepticism as we unpack what more AI integration means for education, society, and how we navigate change.

We begin with the sensational, push past the hubbub, and focus our chat on how AI is already radically changing the workplace and classrooms, and more broadly how people interact with one another.

Our chat goes more philosophical as we explore wider implications of living with constantly evolving technologies in our lives. How do we maintain agency when systems can anticipate our needs and influence our choices?

This question isn’t just abstract—it should be at the forefront of every kitchen table in the world right now. It’s the bread and butter of our chat, and it’s a conversation you don’t want to miss.

We love to hear from our audience. Shoot us a message through substack, or send us an email: onthefringe.podcast1@gmail.com

Here is part 2 of the episode.

We curl up next to our Ouija boards and slap on our thinking caps (we will never tell you if they’re made out of tin foil though!) and dive into the implications of giving aid, the unique moral hazard in this situation of coming to the aid of local Afghans when they need it most, and what might come out of this messy situation.

If you are watching the region, don’t miss this episode that ties together a LOT of things that your usual diet of news and media misses.

If you want to tell us about your dog, or tell us we’re right on the money, missed something or are totally off base, shoot us a message, and don't forget to review. 

The map of Afghanistan in is from Wikimedia, and was created by The Map Lurker.

Hey all! We have broken up this episode into two parts.

We are doubling down on Afghanistan this week.

Part 1 (this part) is about what foreign aid is. If you’ve watched what is happening in the news you have maybe seen the words “commitment” “disbursement” “multilateral” and “bilateral” in the news when countries and NGOs are talking about relief packages.

We go into the basic logistics of how aid is organized in a terrible situation, who is involved (and who isn’t) in helping Afghanistan recover from the earthquake and what they are doing.

Last week, we talked about a $540 million Chinese investment into Afghanistan gone wrong.
Listen to it here to get up to speed.

And, don’t miss part 2, where we talk about the implications, moral hazards, and a few hypotheticals in there as well!

First and foremost, we feel dearly for the poor Afghanis who are now recovering after a 6.0 earthquake that hit east of Jalalabad. Thousands have died and more have been displaced, and from what we can see, help is very slow or nonexistent.

We recorded this before the earthquake struck, and we will definitely be keeping the country on our radar, even though it’s gone off the front pages.

This quick pod takes you through a story that’s flown under the radar between China and Afghanistan—and it will very likely complicate the recovery of this massive earthquake. Listen to learn how and why.If you enjoyed it, don’t forget to subscribe!

And, shoot us a question, leave a comment, share the pod, or drop us a message!

Season 2, Episode 18: Xi's got eyes on you!

Thank you!

onthefringe.podcast1@gmail.com

Hey all! We have a quick episode for anyone who is curious about the airline industry, and in particular, Spirit Airlines.

If you’re subscribed, you can listen to this whenever you want, wherever you want :)

If you haven’t, you’ve only got 48 hours from now. 

The link is below. Thanks for listening! 

We have a quick episode for anyone who is curious about the airline industry, and in particular, Spirit Airlines. If you’re subscribed, you can listen to this whenever you want, wherever you want :) If you haven’t, you’ve only got 48 hours from now. Here’s the link :) Enjoy!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit onthefringepodcast.substack.com/subscribe