Centered From Reality

Smoke on the 2026 Water (with Martin Benes)

Martin and Alex map out their messy 2026 goals while rocking out to “Smoke on the Water”— because Martin’s dad knows the guy who inspired the song, which somehow makes their life planning feel epic.

Russia Enters Venezuela’s Group Chat: Explosions, Tankers, and Diplomatic Standoffs

In this episode, Alex breaks down the latest escalation in Venezuela and why Russia’s renewed involvement is raising regional and global stakes. It explores how recent incidents—from mysterious explosions to oil tanker maneuvering—fit into a broader power struggle, and what the diplomatic fallout could mean for Venezuela, its neighbors, and U.S.–Russia tensions going forward.

2026: Bring Popcorn (with Martin Benes)

Alex and Martin Benes peer into 2026 with equal parts dread and sarcasm: AI running amok (economically), Venezuela doing… something, the midterms probably imploding, and Russia casting its long, brooding shadow over Europe. Predictions are tentative, panic is optional, and laughs are mandatory.

Ballroom First, Reality Later (with Martin Benes)

As the year spirals out, Alex and Martin Benes talk about how Trumpworld splinters, and the conspiracies fade—but the ballroom gets built. They talk fractures, fixation, and the quiet realization that nothing makes sense, except Trumpian priorities.

2025: Some Great Films & Netflix Slop (with Martin Benes)

Alex sits down with his friend Martin to tear through the highs and lows of 2025 culture and movies, roast Netflix for feeling like a nonstop ad for itself, and unite over their mutual hatred of snowshoeing. It all spirals into a near–tattoo moment that somehow didn’t end in regret.

2026 Reasons Why America Can’t Have Nice Things: My 5 Political Predictions

In this episode, I lay out five political predictions for the year ahead—from a World Cup overshadowed by geopolitics and a major North American trade deal, to an AI bubble propping up deeper economic problems. I also explore competing visions for America’s 250th birthday, a Democratic midterm comeback amid leadership uncertainty, and growing fractures inside the MAGA movement revealed at Turning Point USA.

Please Ignore This Episode! (Epstein Files Slop, the Streisand Effect & Bari Weiss at CBS)

Chile Elects Pinochet's Ghost (& the Public Forgets the Horrors)

Political analysts say José Antonio Kast is capable of reviving a long-suppressed Pinochetist current in Chilean politics. They warn that decades after the dictatorship, inadequate education about its violence, repression, and human rights violations has created fertile ground for its return. Alex goes over his many concerns. 

Susie Wiles' Vanity Affair

Beyond the Bernabéu: Real Madrid’s Power Game (+ Xavi Alonso's Dilemma)