1351: Alcohol | Skeptical Sunday

1351: Alcohol | Skeptical Sunday

On this Skeptical Sunday, Jessica Wynn reveals how Big Alcohol ran Big Tobacco's playbook to sell you a Group 1 carcinogen as self-care. Cheers! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Jessica Wynn [https://jessicawynn.substack.com/]! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1351 [https://jordanharbinger.com/1351] On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: * Group 1 means top-shelf danger. Strip away the vineyard branding and alcohol is just ethanol, a carcinogen shelved beside asbestos and plutonium, causally tied to at least seven cancers. The WHO now states what almost no drinker realizes: there is no safe level. * Why the red wine health halo crumbles under real scrutiny. The studies that crowned moderate drinking heart-healthy were warped by the sick-quitter flaw, lumping already-ill ex-drinkers in with lifelong abstainers. Apply stronger genetic methods and the protective effect simply vanishes. * How the industry runs Big Tobacco's playbook down to the same PR firms. invent personal responsibility as a liability shield, coin Drink Responsibly, fund flattering research, and lobby cancer warnings off labels that have not changed since 1988. * Who profits and who absorbs the damage. Alcohol factors into 40 to 60% of violent crime and roughly 13,000 traffic deaths a year, at a cost near $380 billion, yet the harm falls hardest on women and lower-income communities while the industry stays insulated. * What actually works is already proven. Scotland's minimum pricing cut alcohol deaths, cancer-specific warning labels shift behavior, and medications like naltrexone curb cravings. Gen Z is drinking less and building real sober-friendly spaces. Learn the facts, then decide for yourself. * Connect with Jordan on Twitter [https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/THEJORDANHARBINGERSHOW]. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com [jordan@jordanharbinger.com] and let him know! * Connect with Jessica Wynn at Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamjessicawynn/] (and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/NeverMetJessicas]!), and subscribe to her newsletters: Between the Lines [https://jessicawynn.substack.com/] and Where the Shadows Linger [https://storiesbywynn.substack.com/]! And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here [https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1] — even one sentence helps! * Sign up for Six-Minute Networking [https://jordanharbinger.com/course] — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course [https://jordanharbinger.com/course]! * Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/] newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom! * Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger [https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/]! This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/]: * Revolve Man: 15% off: revolve.com/jordan, code Jordan [https://www.revolve.com/jordan] * Wayfair: Start renovating: wayfair.com [https://www.wayfair.com/] * Progressive Insurance: Free online quote: progressive.com [https://www.progressive.com/] * Quiltmind: Email jordanaudience@quiltmind.com to get started or visit quiltmind.com for more info [https://www.quiltmind.com/] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

1350: Survived the Service, But Mom Makes Him Nervous | Feedback Friday

You survived a brutal childhood and built a beautiful life, but your toxic mom won't stop the guilt trips. Cut her off for good? It's Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger [https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger]) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi [https://twitter.com/GabeMizrahi]) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com [friday@jordanharbinger.com]. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1350 [https://jordanharbinger.com/1350] On This Week's Feedback Friday: * Your 24-year-old stepson, degree in hand, depression in tow, just quit his retail job with nothing lined up, and you're picturing a future of closed doors and video-game screaming. You want his dad to crack the whip, but you're scared to say a word yourself. So how do you light a fire you can't build? * Your father-in-law's IRA was supposed to split three ways, until your husband mysteriously vanished from the paperwork, leaving his two sisters holding his third. They're dangling half as a tax-free "gift." Is this an honest estate-planning slip or something with sharper edges — and do you lawyer up? * You took the management job everyone swore you were built for. A year in, the title fits like a hot, itchy costume you can't wait to shed. The petty stuff — loud ringtones, an unemptied trash can — wrecks you more than the big problems. Now you're stepping back into less pay and dread. Are you doomed? * Recommendation of the Week: In Waves and War [https://www.netflix.com/watch/82047468] — a Netflix documentary trailing former Navy SEALs — guys allergic to anything touchy-feely — as severe PTSD and brain injuries push them toward psychedelic-assisted therapy in vetted clinics. Watching these hardened men crack open is harder to look away from than you'd expect. * You beat odds most people never face: a brutal childhood, and a mother whose love always came tangled with chaos and addiction. After years of painstakingly rebuilding things with her, her latest spiral forced you to choose your own family and step away. Now you're in therapy, wondering if this makes you horrible. * Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com [friday@jordanharbinger.com]! * Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger [https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger] and Instagram at @jordanharbinger [https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger]. * Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi [https://twitter.com/GabeMizrahi] and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi [https://www.instagram.com/gabrielmizrahi/]. And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here [https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1] — even one sentence helps! * Sign up for Six-Minute Networking [https://jordanharbinger.com/course] — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course [https://jordanharbinger.com/course]! * Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/] newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom! * Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger [https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/]! This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/]: * Chime: Open an account in two minutes: chime.com/jhs [https://www.chime.com/jhs] * Factor: 50% off first box: factormeals.com/jordan50off, code JORDAN50OFF [https://www.factormeals.com/jordan50off] * IQBAR: 20% off: Text "Jordan" to 64,000 [https://www.eatiqbar.com/] * Mint Mobile: Shop plans at mintmobile.com/jhs [https://www.mintmobile.com/jhs] * Castbox: Find, organize, and subscribe to the world's best podcasts: castbox.fm [https://castbox.fm/] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

1349: Valerie Fridland | Why We Talk Funny and What Our Voices Reveal

You don't just speak with an accent, you hear with one. Linguist Valerie Fridland reveals how your voice leaks your class, your past, and your biases. Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1349 [https://jordanharbinger.com/1349] What We Discuss with Valerie Fridland: * The Pan Am bomb threat that sent the wrong man to prison. How a grumpy cargo handler spent nine months locked up over recorded threats, until legendary linguist Bill Labov proved the real caller was from Boston, not New York, using a single vowel feature the accused could never have known to fake. * Why nobody is actually accent-free. What separates an accent (sound only) from a dialect (grammar, vocabulary, and sound), why the people who swear they sound normal simply can't hear themselves, and how you don't just speak with an accent, you listen through one too, filtering everyone else. * Why Britain has a different accent every few miles. How a thousand extra years of history, clan rivalries, and geographic separation bred dense regional accents across the UK, while colonial America's mixing of settlers who had to cooperate to survive flattened everything into one uniform sound. * How class quietly engineers the way we talk. Why a vahse costs more than a vase, how R-dropping and that posh 'ah' vowel migrated from London to New England, why nearly every sound change starts with the working class and creeps upward, and where Hollywood's fake transatlantic accent came from. * What your own voice reveals once you start listening. Notice how you talk differently from your parents, the slang you've absorbed online, and how you shift speech depending on who's around. Research shows motivation and exposure, not innate talent, drive accent learning, so accents aren't mistakes. * And much more... And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here [https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1] — even one sentence helps! * Sign up for Six-Minute Networking [https://jordanharbinger.com/course] — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course [https://jordanharbinger.com/course]! * Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/] newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom! * Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger [https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/]! This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/]: * BetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordan [https://www.betterhelp.com/jordan] * ButcherBox: Free protein for a year + $20 off first box: butcherbox.com/jordan [https://butcherbox.com/jordan/] * Paka: Paka hoodie & crew socks: go.pakaapparel.com/jordan [https://go.pakaapparel.com/jordan] * Marathon Rewards: Sign up today: marathonrewards.com [https://www.marathonarcorewards.com/] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

1348: Medical Tourism | Skeptical Sunday

Though cheap surgery overseas sounds like the ultimate life hack, Nick Pell takes a scalpel to the potential perils of medical tourism on Skeptical Sunday. Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher Nick Pell [https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/author/nicholas-pell]! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1348 [https://jordanharbinger.com/1348] On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: * How the "ultimate life hack" hides a brutal trade-off. Flying abroad for a 70% discount on a medical procedure means leaving behind malpractice law, insurance, and safety oversight. The money you save is often the safety net you lose, with no undo button and no legal recourse when something goes wrong. * Why medical tourism brokers act more like salesmen than surgeons. Anyone can call themselves a "facilitator" with zero licensing, then pocket 10 to 40 percent commissions for steering you toward the highest-paying clinic rather than the cleanest one, often with an influencer doing the marketing. * What the glossy recovery photos leave out. Survivorship bias buries the waterborne infections, wounds that won't close, and fatal embolisms. BBLs are the deadliest cosmetic procedure on record, and many botched jobs land back in US ERs, where your premiums quietly cover the six-figure repair. * Why the darkest edge of this market runs on organ harvesting. Chinese sites promise new kidneys in weeks, a timeline that's biologically impossible unless you know when a donor will die. Investigators tie it to forced harvesting from Falun Gong and Uyghur detainees treated as living spare parts. * How to vet a clinic before you book the flight. Start with CDC medical tourism alerts, confirm JCI or ISAPS accreditation, and verify the surgeon's license on an official government registry. Insist on hospital admitting privileges, and budget two to four weeks of recovery before flying home. * Connect with Jordan on Twitter [https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger], and YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/THEJORDANHARBINGERSHOW]. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com [jordan@jordanharbinger.com] and let him know! And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here [https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1] — even one sentence helps! * Sign up for Six-Minute Networking [https://jordanharbinger.com/course] — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course [https://jordanharbinger.com/course]! * Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/] newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom! * Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger [https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/]! This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/]: * Zazzle: 25% off first order: Zazzle.com [https://www.zazzle.com/] * ConciergeMD: 20% off all services/memberships: conciergemdla.com/jordan, code JORDAN [https://conciergemdla.com/?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Jordan&utm_campaign=JordanHarbinger+] * SimpliSafe Home Security: 50% off + 1st month free: simplisafe.com/jordan [https://simplisafe.com/jordan] * Whatnot: Start selling today: whatnot.com/sell [https://www.whatnot.com/sell] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

1347: Grandma's Adoption Blocks Custody Option | Feedback Friday

Your friend's mom talked her into giving up her baby, then adopted the child and won't return her. Can it be legally undone? Welcome to Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger (@JordanHarbinger [https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger]) and Gabriel Mizrahi (@GabeMizrahi [https://twitter.com/GabeMizrahi]) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, register your feedback, or tell your story on one of our upcoming weekly Feedback Friday episodes, drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com [friday@jordanharbinger.com]. Now let's dive in! Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1347 [https://jordanharbinger.com/1347] On This Week's Feedback Friday: * Can Gabe fend off being chilly in Chile with a warm bowl of (vegan) chili? He may tell us, or he may not. Perhaps his story is altogether more death-defying and sure to have you on the edge of your seat, but you'll only know if you don't skip ahead to about 26 minutes and 35 seconds! * Your young friend clawed her way back from heartbreak and depression after her baby's father vanished — only to learn her own mother quietly adopted the child and now refuses to give her back. Intercepted mail, surrendered custody, and her church branded a cult. Is there any path home to her daughter? * Your daughter handed her husband the family finances for 21 years and trusted every word — until one credit report detonated the whole story. The $85k in savings? Gone. Secret high-interest loans, hidden cards, lies about his bonuses, $75K in debt, and she's staying. So where did the money go? * Recommendation of the Week: Freezing your credit [https://www.usa.gov/credit-freeze] — a free, fast, legally guaranteed way to lock down your credit report (and your kids') against identity theft and synthetic ID fraud. * Jordan and his 80-year-old dad have a heart-to-heart about the benefits of therapy even in later life on this special Father's Day BetterHelp-sponsored segment. * Have any questions, comments, or stories you'd like to share with us? Drop us a line at friday@jordanharbinger.com [friday@jordanharbinger.com]! * Connect with Jordan on Twitter at @JordanHarbinger [https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger] and Instagram at @jordanharbinger [https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger]. * Connect with Gabriel on Twitter at @GabeMizrahi [https://twitter.com/GabeMizrahi] and Instagram @gabrielmizrahi [https://www.instagram.com/gabrielmizrahi/]. And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here [https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1] — even one sentence helps! * Sign up for Six-Minute Networking [https://jordanharbinger.com/course] — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course [https://jordanharbinger.com/course]! * Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/] newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom! * Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger [https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/]! This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors [https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/]: * BetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordan [https://www.betterhelp.com/jordan] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].