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PODCAST

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters, Jen & Chris Fenton

Jen & Chris Fenton

Join a powerhouse married couple—empty nesters turning their kitchen table into a hub for unfiltered conversations on life"s big questions. She"s a dedicated inner-city charter school director, elected official, and former school board president; he"s a seasoned media executive, professor, and author. Together, with decades of experience in parenting, politics, public service, and purpose, they sip wine, share a meal, and dive deep into current events, cultural shifts, geopolitical headlines, and

society & culture relationships

All Episodes

42:15

Ditching Canadian Winters for Jimmy Buffett Chilling,...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/03/05

Empty-Nesting Parents, Picture this: Imagine it's Spring Break, and the sun-soaked beaches of MANHATTAN BEACH are calling louder than any alarm clock. In this explosive episode of PLATE AND PONDER, we dive headfirst into the ultimate frat house and lacrosse-team frenzy—think epic beer pong tournaments & beach dice where the stakes are high, the laughs are endless, the sunsets are perfect, and the spills are legendary. Fraternity life and bro-bonding comes alive with stories of brotherhood...

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40:35

SPRING BREAK MAYHEM: Johnny Drama, AI Slop,...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/03/01

EPIC SPRING BREAK BOMBSHELL: McGill Prodigy Hudson Waldorf Spills VC Secrets, AI Revolution Hype, and Hollywood Obsessions That'll Blow Your Mind! Ever wonder how a college kid turns Spring Break chaos into a launchpad for billionaire dreams? We snagged Hudson for 45 minutes of PURE FIRE on Plate & Ponder – and it's UNMISSABLE! Here's the JUICY scoop: AI Takeover Alert! Why Gen Z is THRILLED about AI flipping the world upside down – and why YOU should be too! Success Hacks Exposed:...

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48:22

Reigniting Community, Faith, Values, & Patriotism in...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/26

On this episode of "Plate & Ponder" we dive into tough subjects on a secular level with very special guest, Pastor Bryon Bos of Manhattan Beach's South Hills Church.... This episode is for everyone -- whether atheist, Jewish, Christian, or whatever... That's the beauty of Bryon, as he explores some of the most difficult challenges from a unique perspective but within a secular discussion. The Need for Community: From the MB Rotary, to the Pickle Ball leagues, to the booster cl...

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39:55

RIP Eric Dane & James Van Der Beek: Their Lasting...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/22

Finally... the moment so many listeners have made so clear that they wanted back - and ASAP... Jen Fenton is on the mic - again! She's back from across-the-Pond and shaking things up. We are fully audio this episode, but we will be back to video soon enough. Plate & Ponder's technical team is working around the clock to make that happen! Until then though, we hit some great, and very meaningful subjects: 1 - The highly impactful and thoroughly touching lessons shared by both Eric Da...

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36:29

PLATE & PONDER - "Florida's MrBeast, GREG COHEN,...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/16

Florida Real Estate is a hot topic to so many, so this episode brings to light some of the true reality of that volatile, yet valuable market. Even better, it allows me to catch-up with one of my longest-time besties, GREG COHEN - we're talking a 50-year relationship! Not kidding!! Don't worry though, Jen will be back for the next episode. But I will say that it was fun catching-up with my boyz across the country while my amazing wife journeyed across the pond... Not only did we cover Flori...

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35:12

PLATE & PONDER - "Producer Emile Gladstone Talks...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/15

With Jennifer Empty-Nesting in Europe, I Plate & Ponder with former Uber-Agent-now-turned-film-producer, Emile Gladstone, who recently moved to the South Bay after he and his family were directly affected by last year's tragic Palisades fire. Our multi-decade relationship has led to many-a-deep-conversations over hundreds of bottles of wine and cigars, and this discussion continued the tradition. While watching a terrific sunset and eating some spicy sausage pizza from REDWOOD PIES, we ta...

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33:04

PLATE & PONDER - "Live from London! UK Cabs & Slang,...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/13

Jennifer Fenton joins Plate & Ponder LIVE FROM LONDON!!! Yeah, it may be Presidents Day Weekend here in USA, but across the Pond, they're still a bit sore from that whole "taxation without representation" issue, and the fact that we didn't play by the rules during that pesky little war... I mean, did they really expect us to also stand in formation in formal (and quite restrictive) garb to shoot our muskets??? It was an away-game for them, so we got to choose the jerseys (and snipe from t...

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41:16

PLATE & PONDER - "Childhood Bestie: Billy Mac & True...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/13

Ok, I get it... Everyone LOVES Jennifer... BUT, she's off to Europe with her father and sister for a VERY WELL-DESERVED father-daughter(s) vacation, so I'm home alone........ So what's better than exploring empty-nesting with my favorite people from my 54 years of life... So why not start with one of my original besties, Billy Mac! He has been empty-nesting for a long time, and boy does he share some amazing lessons and advice on how to successfully deal with this crucial and magnificen...

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26:25

PLATE & PONDER - "Super Bowl Halftime Episode w/ Bad...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/09

We'll make it fast, so we can get back to the second half... but Jen and I joined up with the Phil & Katie Brodkin to broadcast live from a luxury box high above the field... providing an alternative to the various other halftime shows occurring during America's Favorite and Most-Watched Game - THE SUPER BOWL! Yeah, we talk about our favorite plays during the first half, our favorite dances during Bad Bunny's (and Kid Rock's) performance(s), our favorite celebrity commercials, our least f...

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39:30

PLATE & PONDER - "Bitcoin Bonanza, Dairy Queen...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/06

Oh my... the world seems to be spiraling, but we just continue to plate... and ponder... And yes, our daughter wants more care packages, and our son, when booking his flight back to LA for Spring Break with 5 of his friends... decided to take multiple layovers in order to find the absolute BEST AIRPORT BARS! But that's not even the serious subjects... What are, you ask? Well: 1 - Putting a Dairy Queen walk-up in downtown Manhattan Beach... where, most importantly, the smallest size to order i...

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39:19

PLATE & PONDER - "Grammys Fashion, Jeffrey Epstein, &...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/02/03

Oh boy... Oh Boy, does Chris want to talk about all things Jeffrey Epstein... The most symbolic figurehead and instigator of the America's populist movement -- on both the right and the left! Epstein personifies the complete breakdown of confidence by the masses in our financial, judicial, and government system... And all we continue to learn about Epstein continues to foster more and more distrust and skepticism, as well as make those with Tin Foil Hats more emboldened and accurate (as crazy...

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38:02

PLATE & PONDER - "News-Cycle A.D.D., Heated...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/30

Well... that was a fun episode... yes, Jen almost called it off when I went on too long about our favorite 37 global markets, but eventually, we got into the groove and boy did we take off! Our most heated debates were over: 1 - A Heated Rivalry and whether content needs to always be "universal" or can it play to a niche. 2 - The insanely massive attention deficit disorder that our current news-cycle possesses and why there is ZERO follow-up to any story, whether it's: Bulter, PA Assassinatio...

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37:37

PLATE & PONDER - "Bernie Sanders, Sundance,...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/26

Ok... A real bummer recording a show after watching the LA Rams lose a tight one... Congrats to the Patriots and the Seahawks (and to the USC QB who will bring home a ring in two weeks!).... On today's episode, we fight thru it and keep the energy high, discussing: Uncle Bernie Sander's (Bad?) Breath. Jay Peak Ski Resort closing for the first time ever due to extreme cold. (300 inches of snow and counting!) Sundance Film Festival moving to Boulder, CO next year. The Storm of the Century. Spri...

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40:52

PLATE & PONDER - "TikTok, Netflix, China, & Knowing...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/24

Sorry for the delay between episodes, but Chris had to bolt out of Nashville last night before the winter storm OF THE CENTURY... and things were quite busy during the days prior... That said, we delivered on this one! Hope it was worth the wait! Not only do we give a shout-out to Nashville's incredible music scene, but we hit the topics that affect us all... and we do it with GUSTO: TikTok - why the heck is it still in the USA? Netflix - boy, do they know us well! And they prove it aga...

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39:12

PLATE & PONDER - "Live It Up! You'll Never Regret...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/19

First things first, sorry about my sneeze on the last episode. Apparently a few listeners almost drove off the road after being surprised with that monstrous bellow! Secondly, we've been busy living life - empty-nester style!... And what a crazy weekend for us. Not only did we stay out past 10pm, but we made it til 1am -- TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW! An EPIC Country Music Concert and an even more adventurous fling with a speakeasy behind a barber shop and the 80's/90's cover bands that resided behind...

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38:01

PLATE & PONDER - "ICE... ICE... Baby... BIG Problems...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/15

First off, Jen gets feisty with some really fun banter... We had a very energetic dinner discussing what to talk about during this episode... And it spilled into the episode itself! And that makes it extra fun! Serious topics include: Iran ICE MN Law Enforcement Police Proper Training China And, Then we bring it back to more fun banter. And a full-out Mic drop! Please follow, download, enjoy, review, and spread the word!

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38:02

PLATE & PONDER - "Golden Globes, Iran, Minnesota, &...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/12

Welcome to our second episode of this already intriguing year of 2026! Yes, we hit on Minnesota, Iran, and Venezuela as part of our serious subjects, but... Importantly... we pivot towards more fun and enjoyable topics like the Golden Globes, our favorite films of the year, Tim Chalamet, GLADIATOR, the Sky Bar, etc..... AND, even better, Jen dives into her personal George Clooney story! But alas, when we can't deny the anxiety filling the air around the globe and also here in the USA anymore,...

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39:37

PLATE & PONDER - "The 2026 Kickoff & HOW BOUT THEM...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/10

Sorry about the delay between episodes, but we were in 5th gear enjoying the final week of hanging with high-energy college kids before the... the.... super sad... send-off!...... And that, just happened, TODAY! So what better way to get over that emotional distress than to KICK OFF 2026 with another EPIC episode of our podcast! During this 39 minutes, we cover: THE MIAMI HURRICANE'S AWESOMENESS JOHNNY DEPP HARD ROCK STADIUM CAPACITY AND TICKET SALES FOR THE NATTY BEIJING'S SOFT POWER PROWESS...

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39:45

PLATE & PONDER - "Reflections on 2025 / Epic Family...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2026/01/01

So much to cover... So little time... First off, we just spent 4 days hibernated with the Brodkin family in Fallbrook, CA. 4 Acres of awesome outdoor fun and a pretty darn cool pad to boot... And nothing too pricey either. The important part: Getting two families together to spend quality time together while our four, college-age kids are all home. Priceless! No horse in this race (IE, we are not promoting this property for any other reason than it was fun, and we recommend ...

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34:50

PLATE & PONDER - "2025: Reflections, Resolutions, &...

PLATE & PONDER: Dialogue & Debate w/ Empty Nesters,... ·

2025/12/29

Phil and Katie Brodkin (w/ a cameo by Jenna Brodkin) join us again as we breakdown this past year and our excitement for the upcoming one! It's hard to believe, but yes, it's almost 2026! Serious subjects include: 1 - What we are thankful for. 2 - Habits we want to continue and build further upon. & 3 - The importance of both resilience and reflecting on accomplishments. And we add some fun shout-outs and epic banter in this episode too... Please download, follow, enjoy, and review... Hap...

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