Podcasts about Andaman Islands

Well, we're doing what we normally do - taking the half-way point of the year to SLOW DOWN the recording schedule.What's that? You want to know how we could slow it down more than we have? Fair question.Either way, we wanted to give you some hot, fresh, Melrose Place content.Inspired by this idiot, we used robot to imagine what it would look like if we took a tribe untouched by modern society, and moved them into Melrose Place.Mykhailo Polyakov ID'd US tourist who visited untouched Andaman Islands tribe

Last time we spoke about the second Okinawa Offensive. In the brutal Second Okinawa Counteroffensive, American forces confronted staunch Japanese defenses, with Captain Ryan leading a valiant charge for territory. Despite fierce resistance and heavy casualties, his troops managed to seize crucial ground, enduring intense hand-to-hand combat atop Ryan Ridge. The battle raged on, with American forces fighting through exhaustion and dwindling supplies, while the Japanese, though determined, faced declining morale as they lost ground. The relentless struggle exemplified extraordinary sacrifice on both sides, but it foreshadowed a turning point in the Pacific campaign. As American advances continued, the tide shifted, marking the beginning of the end for Japanese dominance in the region, ultimately paving the way for Allied victory. This episode is the Battle of the Malacca Strait Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  After the failure of their second offensive, the Japanese turned all their energies toward waging a prolonged battle of attrition. Their losses did not impair immediately their defensive capacities; thus the 24th Corps found no weak point in the Shuri defenses resulting from the ill-starred offensive. By throwing fresh troops into the attack of 4 May Ushijima had been able to maintain his strength all along the line. Nor was there any breakdown in his command and staff operation. Front-line units were reorganized without seeming loss of effectiveness; available reinforcements were carefully allotted to existing regiments; local counterattacks were timed for maximum effect. General Ushijima's chief task now was to keep sufficient combat troops at the front to man his Shuri defenses. It was apparent by 7 May that the strength of the remaining regular infantry was not great enough for this task. Consequently, Ushijima converted service units into infantry combat groups. By mixing service troops with the "regulars," he exacted from them their maximum combat effectiveness. "One man in ten will continue with his rear-echelon duties. The remaining nine men will devote themselves to antitank combat training," one order stated. The reorganization of the 32d Regiment, 24th Division, was typical of the resourcefulness of the Japanese. The regimental headquarters received 5 men from the 24th Transport Regiment. The 1st Battalion kept its own surviving members and was allotted all the survivors of the 2d Battalion, 20 men from the 7th Shipping Depot, 90 from the 24th Transport Regiment, and y from the 26th Sea Raiding Squadron. The 2d Battalion was totally reconstituted from the 29th Independent Infantry Battalion and other units. The 3d Battalion was reorganized in a manner similar to that used with the 1st. It was by this process of piecing units together that the 32d Army was able to stay intact long after the original combat units had been virtually destroyed, a capability which at the time American intelligence officers found "baffling." After his offensive failed, the enemy formed a line in which the relative position of the major units was to remain roughly the same until the end of the battle. On the east the 24th Division, reinforced by two independent battalions, held the line as far as Shuri, with its 89th Regiment on the east, its 22d in the center, and its 32d on the west. The remnants of the battered 62d Division were stretched from a point north of Shuri almost to the west coast, holding about one-third of the line. Along the Asa River estuary was a battalion of the 44th Independent Mixed Brigade. The Japanese husbanded their remaining heavy weapons, especially their artillery, as carefully as they meted out their manpower. On 6 May the Japanese 5th Artillery Command directed its units to "revert to the [defensive] situation which held prior to the attack situation of 3 May." Once again the protection of individual pieces was a cardinal feature of enemy operations. Artillery units were ordered to "use ammunition with the utmost economy" and to "wait and fire for effect against vital targets." Along the west coast, preliminary plans were underway for the deployment of General Shepherd's 6th Marine Division to the front lines, while General Del Valle's 1st Marine Division continued its assault on the Dakeshi-Awacha hill complex. Colonel Snedeker's 7th Marines secured the coastal flank after capturing the north bank of the Asa River. Meanwhile, Colonel Arthur Mason's 1st Marines focused their efforts on the western approaches to the Dakeshi hill defenses, but they were ultimately repulsed by the tenacious Japanese defenders around Hill 60. In the Awacha Pocket, Colonel Griebel's 5th Marines faced fierce opposition, resulting in only modest territorial gains. To the east, after successfully fending off multiple strong enemy counterattacks, General Bruce's 77th Division advanced 800 yards south toward Hill 187, establishing control over the southern slope of the Maeda Escarpment. Finally, operations in General Arnold's 7th Division area were confined to robust patrols aimed at securing the approaches to Conical Hill and eliminating the remaining fragments of the failed Japanese counteroffensive. Convinced that the Japanese had nearly exhausted their fresh reserves, General Buckner began planning a comprehensive assault on the Shuri defenses with his two corps. On May 7, General Geiger was assigned to command the 1st Marine Division within the 24th Corps front and oversee the southern movement of the 6th Marine Division, with General Buckner taking direct tactical control of the two-corps assault. Heavy rains on the morning of 7 May delayed the projected IIIAC advance until tanks were able to negotiate the muddy terrain. In the 1st Marines' zone, the new regimental commander, Colonel Arthur T. Mason, ordered 3/1 to support the attack of the 2d Battalion on Hill 60 with all available weapons (four battalions of artillery, a fire support ship, and 81-mm. and 60-mm. mortars) by firing into the enemy reverse slope defenses. All morning long the regiment's mortars concentrated on the enemy position, and at 1400 when tanks finally reached the front lines the battalion attacked with Company E in assault. Artillery fire covered the foot of the objective while mortars and assault guns blanketed the crest and reverse slopes. The company swept to the top of Hill 60 by 1422 in a vivid demonstration of "the effect of properly massed, supporting fires in front of assault troops." Once the company entered the impact zone, however, and supporting fires were shifted to other targets the enemy defenders emerged from their caves and engaged the Marines in hand grenade duels. The fighting was at such close range that it was impossible to keep enough grenades on the line, and the marines used rifle butts against Japanese who tried to storm their position. Gradually the volume of Japanese fire of all types "grew noticeably stronger and progressively more intense so that it was evident that the enemy was receiving large reinforcements." The troops lost their hold at one point, then fought their way to the top again, yet the continuing Japanese fire from the reverse slope of Nan Hill was the decisive factor. The threat of a strong counterattack measured against the dwindling strength of Company E forced Lieutenant Colonel Magee to adjudge the company's advanced position untenable and to order a withdrawal to the previous night's lines. To the west, the 5th Marines steadily advanced approximately 400 yards in the Awacha Pocket, while the 77th Division gained up to 500 yards of enemy territory despite increasingly fierce resistance. By the end of the day, Colonel Coolidge's 305th Regiment had relieved the weary 307th. On the east coast, Colonel Green's 184th Regiment resumed its southward push, quickly capturing Gaja Ridge and William Hill, but faced greater opposition as they approached the western flanks of Conical Hill. Meanwhile, Colonel Pachler's 17th Regiment continued its assault toward Zebra Hill but could only secure How Hill and make incremental gains on Kochi Ridge, depleting their strength. The following day, as General Bradley's replenished 96th Division prepared to relieve the 7th, the 184th Regiment managed to occupy the forward slope of Easy Hill near Kibara without armored support. Throughout the rest of the 10th Army front, relentless cold rain effectively canceled planned offensive operations, leading the 1st Marines to focus on dismantling enemy positions on Nan Hill. Colonel Schneider's 22nd Marines took over from the 7th Marines along the Asa River just as news of the victory in Europe reached the infantry units, prompting a somewhat indifferent reaction from the rain-soaked soldiers preoccupied with the ongoing fighting in Okinawa. Exactly at 1200 every available artillery piece and naval gun fired three volleys at vital enemy targets to apprise the Japanese of the defeat of their Axis partner. On May 9, Japanese kamikaze pilots launched a series of scattered attacks, damaging the carrier Formidable and two destroyers. In preparation for Buckner's general offensive, the 22nd Marines patrolled their front to identify suitable crossing sites over the Asa River. Meanwhile, with Nan Hill fully cleared, Mason's 2nd Battalion renewed its assault on Hill 60, while the 1st Battalion advanced into the high ground to the east, successfully capturing their objective this time. Reinforced by elements of the 7th Marines, the 5th Marines also launched another attack on the Awacha Pocket but continued to encounter fierce resistance. In response, Griebel was tasked with reducing the Awacha defenses using two battalions, while Snedeker's reinforced 7th Marines pressed the offensive southward. To the east, General Bruce focused his efforts on the 305th Regiment's sector, resulting in the 3rd Battalion securing a foothold on Hill 187. The 17th Regiment, which had fought tenaciously to capture Kochi Ridge and the high ground west of Conical Hill, was relieved by Colonel Dill's 382nd Regiment. Concurrently, Colonel May's 383rd Regiment moved into forward assembly areas behind the 184th and on May 10, took over the positions north of Conical Hill. Both fresh regiments of the 96th Division were then able to destroy enemy strongpoints that had impeded the progress of the weary 7th Division and capture key hills that protected the approaches to Conical. On the west coast, after stealthily constructing a footbridge across the Asa during the night, three companies of the 22nd Marines successfully crossed the river. However, two Japanese "human demolition charges" emerged from hiding and rushed the south end of the footbridge, destroying it. Despite the challenges, the attack south toward the town of Asa continued, successfully establishing a bridgehead that stretched 1,400 yards long and 350 yards deep by the end of the day. To the east, the 1st Marines launched an assault on the western end of Dakeshi but were pushed back by intense enfilading fire from the ridge. Similarly, although the 7th Marines initially advanced rapidly against scattered opposition, they were ultimately forced to withdraw under heavy Japanese fire. Behind them, after fending off two fierce night counterattacks, the 5th Marines failed to isolate the Awacha Pocket but made significant strides, penetrating deep into the heart of the Awacha defenses. Meanwhile, the 305th Regiment captured additional high ground leading toward the crucial road junction north of Shuri, where the reorganized and reinforced 32nd Regiment had established its primary defenses. The remnants of the 62nd Division were gradually being withdrawn toward Shuri, with General Suzuki's fresh 44th Independent Mixed Brigade taking over the western sector. On May 11, General Buckner initiated his general offensive against Shuri, planning to envelop the town from both the west and east. However, this offensive was preceded by Admiral Ugaki's sixth mass Kikisui strike, during which 150 kamikazes launched successful attacks on American shipping. That morning, the 721st Kokutai's Sub-Lieutenant Yasunori Seizo led six kamikazes out of Kanoya. By 10:02, Admiral Mitscher was informed of possible bogeys infiltrating the returning TF 58 strike to reach the US carriers. Two minutes later came an overhead Corsair's sudden frantic warning: “Alert! Alert! Two planes diving on the Bunker Hill!” Almost immediately, Yasunori's Zero dove out of low overcast toward Bunker Hill and released its payload. The 550lb bomb pierced the flight deck, exited the side of the hull, and exploded above water. Simultaneously, Yasunori's Zero caromed into the center of Bunker Hill's flight deck, its gas tank exploding among 34 manned, armed, and fully fueled US fighters, before careening blazing over the side. One minute later, Yasunori's wingman Ensign Ogawa Kiyoshi roared past Bunker Hill, climbed steeply into a roll, and then dove straight at the carrier. Ogawa released his 550lb bomb, which scored amidships and exploded in the gallery deck, slaughtering much of Mitscher's staff. Simultaneously, Ogawa deliberately slammed his Zero into Bunker Hill's island just 100ft from Mitscher. Mitscher's operations officer, Commander Jimmy Flatley, had just left the gallery deck when Ogawa's bomb struck, searing his back. Mitscher had observed the entire attack in silence, and just then emerged from the bridge to gaze at the blazing flight deck. The Flag Plot was choked with billowing smoke and Mitscher's chief-of-staff, a gasping, wheezing Commodore Arleigh Burke, ordered it evacuated. A third Zero then dove on Bunker Hill, but anti-aircraft fire sent it blazing into the sea close aboard. Aboard Bunker Hill, a cascade of gasoline explosions erupted from burning planes aft, while tracers sprayed haphazardly from detonating machine gun ammunition. Speed fell to 10kts and as the crew began intensive firefighting efforts, a slight list developed. Cruiser Wilkes-Barre and three destroyers came alongside to fight fires and rescue 300 men forced overboard, yet most of Bunker Hill's fighter pilots had been asphyxiated in their ready room. By 11:30, however, damage was largely stabilized. Nevertheless, Bunker Hill had lost 393 men killed and 264 wounded. Although horribly outnumbered, the Americans' Corsair CAP shot down 50 attackers before the Japanese got through at 0800hrs. Over the next 90 minutes the two violently maneuvering destroyers would claim a combined 42 kills before Evans was disabled by four kamikaze hits. Minutes later Hugh W. Hadley was knocked out by her third kamikaze hit. With his ship dead in the water and blazing uncontrollably, Hugh W. Hadley's Commander Mullaney ordered all available colors hoisted: “If this ship is going down, she's going down with all flags flying.” Escorting the destroyers were three LCS(L)s and one LSM(R), who themselves combined to splash 14 Japanese planes before the action mercifully ended. All six ships survived, but the destroyers were towed to Kerama Retto, having suffered a combined 60 killed and 94 wounded. East of Okinawa, a G4M Betty bomber and four Ki-43 Oscars attacked RPS-5 at 0800hrs. One plane crashed destroyer-minelayer Harry F. Bauer (DM-26)'s stern, the kamikaze miraculously “plowing through the rack of depth charges and shoving them into the sea with none of them exploding.” Escorting LCS(L)-88 splashed two Oscars, the second scoring a posthumous 220lb bomb hit on her which killed nine and wounded seven. Back on the west coast, supported by tanks and artillery, the 22nd Marines advanced toward Amike. Their 3rd Battalion established control of the high ground overlooking Naha after an 800-yard advance, while the 1st Battalion gained the coral ridge in front after a series of costly assaults. The 2nd Battalion further extended the line to connect with the 1st Marine Division. Del Valle's advance was spearheaded by Mason's 2nd Battalion, which successfully secured a foothold on the high ground west of Wana despite a heavy artillery bombardment. In constructing the Wana position the Japanese had "taken advantage of every feature of a terrain so difficult it could not have been better designed if the enemy himself had the power to do so." With this natural advantage, the enemy had so organized the area that in order to crack the main line of resistance it was necessary for the 1st Marine Division to wheel towards Shuri and attack directly into the heart of the city's powerful defenses. Any attempt to drive past Shuri and continue the attack to the south would mean unacceptable losses inflicted by artillery, mortar, automatic-weapons, and rifle fire coming from the heights that commanded the division's flank and rear areas. The southernmost branch of the Asa Kawa wandered across the gently rising floor of Wana Draw and through the northern part of Shuri. The low rolling ground bordering the insignificant stream was completely exposed to enemy fire from positions along the reverse slope of Wana Ridge and the military crest of the ridge to the south. At its mouth Wana Draw was approximately 400 yards wide, but it narrowed drastically as it approached the city and the ridge walls closed on the stream bed. Guarding the western end of the draw was Hill 55, rugged terminus of the southern ridge line. The hill bristled with enemy guns whose fields of fire included the whole of the open ground leading to the draw. Defending the Wana position was the 64th Brigade of the 62d Division with remnants of the 15th, 23d, and 273d Independent Infantry Battalions, the 14th Independent Machine Gun Battalion, and the 81st Field Antiaircraft Artillery Battalion under its command. The 7th Marines advanced approximately 800 yards, establishing a firm hold on Dakeshi Ridge, while the 5th Marines eliminated the last organized resistance in the Awacha Pocket. In the center of the front, Bruce's two regiments needed to coordinate more closely with neighboring divisions than with one another. As a result, the 305th Regiment advanced up to 500 yards against fierce resistance, while Colonel Smith's 306th Regiment struggled to make headway against the formidable defenses of Chocolate Drop Hill and Wart Hill. To the east, after repelling a series of night counterattacks, the 382nd Regiment consolidated its positions on Zebra Hill and continued probing toward the Dick Hills area and the ridges northwest of Kuhazu. The 383rd Regiment quickly secured Easy and Fox Hills, subsequently capturing the summit of Charlie Hill. However, over the next two days, efforts by the 1st Battalion to dislodge the defenders from the top would be thwarted by withering fire from King Hill, while the 2nd Battalion cleared Gaja Ridge and the twin villages of Tobaru and Amaru. On May 12, Dill's 3rd Battalion executed a successful assault, capturing Baker Hill, although the 1st Battalion's attack on Dick Baker was repelled by the defenders. To the west, the 306th Regiment only provided support for the advance of the 305th, which faced difficult terrain in the broken ground west of Route 5, managing to gain about 500 yards. Meanwhile, the 7th Marines solidified their hold on Dakeshi Ridge against sporadic opposition, but the 1st Marines found themselves pinned down while trying to improve their positions west of Wana. The vulnerability of the 6th Marine Division to direct fire from the western slopes of the Shuri massif resulted in significant losses for Schneider's 2nd Battalion as it fought to seize the high ground overlooking Naha, ultimately being repelled from Sugar Loaf Hill. Meanwhile, the 1st Battalion advanced steadily in the center, capturing the high ground north of Asato, while the 3rd Battalion secured commanding positions and conducted patrols through the suburbs of Naha. At sea, scattered kamikaze attacks damaged Admiral Spruance's flagship, the battleship New Mexico, and inflicted further damage on two additional destroyers the following day. In retaliation, Mitscher directed Task Force 58 to strike Kyushu once again. Back on Okinawa, as Schneider's 3rd Battalion reconnoitered the northern suburbs of Naha, the 2nd Battalion launched another unsuccessful attack on Sugar Loaf Hill. In light of this resistance and the heavy casualties suffered by the 22nd Marines, Shepherd ordered Colonel Whaling's 29th Marines to reinforce the effort, but they could only position themselves northwest of Makabe. To the east, while the 1st Marines faced heavy losses and were repelled at the mouth of Wana Draw, the 7th Marines finally secured Dakeshi Ridge. In the center, the 305th Regiment continued its determined advance into the extremely rugged terrain north and northeast of Shuri, whereas the 306th Regiment once again failed to capture Chocolate Drop Hill and Wart Hill. Coordinated with this, the 382nd Regiment attacked the Dick Hills, successfully securing Dick Baker and Dick Able against light opposition, but ultimately being pushed back from the latter. Further east, May's 2nd Battalion launched a frontal assault on Conical Hill, successfully reaching the northeast crest of the ridge, where it repelled several heavy Japanese counterattacks. Back at sea, Task Force 58 launched another strike on Kyushu during the early hours of May 14. In response, the Japanese dispatched 28 kamikazes alongside 40 escorts, inflicting heavy damage on Mitscher's new flagship, the carrier Enterprise, in what would become known as the last action of the Gray Ghost.  At 05:25, some 28 Zeros, armed with 1100lb bombs, sortied from Kanoya towards Mitscher's carriers cruising 130nm southeast of Kyushu. 40 fighters escorted them. Around 06:45 Enterprise detected 4 incoming bogies. 3 were shot down over TF 58, but the fourth, flown by Sub-Lieutenant Tomiyasu Shunsuke, continued closing. Using clouds for cover, Tomiyasu approached Enterprise from astern. Already struck by flak, at 06:57 Tomiyasu's blazing Zero suddenly appeared 200ft above Enterprise, which erupted with anti-aircraft fire. Although seeming to have overflown his target, Tomiyasu suddenly snap-rolled his burning Zero onto its back and dove almost vertically into Enterprise's flight deck. Observing from Enterprise's exposed bridge wing, Flatley rushed back inside and shouted to take cover just as Tomiyasu's kamikaze hit. The thunderous explosion blew Enterprise's forward elevator 400ft in the air, rattled the carrier's bridge, and flung shrapnel against her island. As Flatley emerged from cover he observed an unsmiling Mitscher, arms crossed, standing amid the smoking wreckage. “Jimmy,” Mitscher growled, “tell my Task Group commanders that if the Japs keep this up they're going to grow hair on my head yet.” Enterprise remained on station, but her flight deck was out of action. TF 58 splashed 3 more planes before Japanese attacks ended at 08:00. That evening TF 58 retired from Kyushu. The following morning, May 15, Mitscher transferred to carrier Randolph, his third flagship in 5 days. Enterprise would detach for repairs in the United States on May 16, having lost 14 dead and 68 wounded. Her war too was over. Honestly for those of you who might not know, the USS Enterprise is the most decorated ship of all time, an absolutely insane history. She was so impressive, my patreons voted for me to do an exclusive episode on her and it took two full episodes to do. If you are interested in the history of the USS Enterprise, please check out my exclusive podcast. At Okinawa, as positions on Conical Hill were being consolidated, May's 1st Battalion renewed its attack on Charlie Hill, successfully securing a foothold at its northern end, which was later extended down the southern slope. Simultaneously, Company L launched an assault on King Hill, managing to capture the entire crest. To the west, Dill's 1st Battalion attacked and captured Dick Able and Dick Right, although they had to relinquish Dick Right after a vigorous Japanese counterattack. The 3rd Battalion also advanced toward Dick Right, establishing a tenuous hold on the position. Further west, the 306th Regiment committed its last remaining strength, a composite battalion, to advance beyond Wart Hill, but it was quickly cut down by overwhelming flanking fire. Similarly, the battered 305th Regiment made little progress in the rugged terrain. Meanwhile, the 7th Marines advanced to within 100 yards of the ridge crest north of Wana, where they were ultimately pinned down by heavy fire. Concurrently, the depleted 1st Marines launched an assault that captured the western tip of Wana Ridge, aided by tanks and artillery, though a fierce night counterattack forced them to withdraw before being relieved by the fresh 5th Marines. Along the coast, the 22nd Marines successfully pushed toward the north bank of the Asato River, but the main action was poised to occur at Sugar Loaf Hill. Though Schneider's 2nd Battalion successfully seized the forward slopes of the protective hills north of Sugar Loaf, including Queen Hill, they faced intense enemy fire whenever they attempted to maneuver around or over these hills to launch an attack on Sugar Loaf itself. Nevertheless, the Marines pressed on, and by nightfall, a group of about 40 men under Major Henry Courtney managed to storm the hill, throwing grenades ahead of them and subsequently digging in at the summit to withstand a night of heavy mortar fire and constant counterattacks. This attack was further supported by the 29th Marines, which, after overcoming initial hardships, secured the forward slopes of the hill northeast of Sugar Loaf. During the early hours of May 15, the embattled group atop Sugar Loaf gratefully welcomed the arrival of reinforcements, though it was not before Major Courtney heroically fell while leading a grenade assault against the defenders on the reverse slope. Despite the reinforcements, enemy pressure on Sugar Loaf intensified, ultimately forcing the battered Marines off the hill. This triggered a fierce Japanese counterattack across a 900-yard front, compelling Schneider's 2nd Battalion to relinquish the ground immediately north of Sugar Loaf. Fearing a breakthrough, elements of his 1st Battalion seized the hill northwest of Sugar Loaf to help blunt the force of the enemy counterattacks, while the 3rd Battalion relieved the exhausted 2nd across the line. Additionally, the 29th Marines not only played a significant role in repulsing the enemy counterattack but also effectively strengthened its hold on the high ground north of Half Moon Hill.  To the east, while the 7th Marines reorganized and cleared out Dakeshi, the 5th Marines launched their first tank-infantry assault against Wana Draw. At 0630 on 15 May the 5th Marines completed the relief of the 1st, and Colonel Griebel assumed command of the zone of action west of Wana. The 2d Battalion was in assault with the 3d in close support and the 1st in reserve. On the recommendation of the regimental and battalion commanders of both the 1st and 5th Marines, the division decided to subject the high ground on both sides of Wana Draw to a thorough processing by tanks and self-propelled 105mm howitzers before 2/5 attempted to advance across the open ground at the mouth of the draw. With Company F of 2/5 providing fire teams for protection against suicide attackers, nine tanks from Company B, 1st Tank Battalion spent the morning working on the positions at the mouth of the draw. The tanks drew heavy small-arms, mortar, artillery, and AT fire, and accompanying infantry was dispersed to reduce casualties. Because of the open area of operation, the fire teams were still able to cover the tanks at relatively long-ranges. Both sides of the draw were honeycombed with caves and the tanks received intense and accurate fire from every sector at their front. During the morning one 47mm AT gun scored five hits on the attacking armor before NGF silenced it. About noon the tanks withdrew to allow an air strike to be placed in the draw and then return to the attack in reinforced strength. Naval gunfire again silenced a 47mm gun that took the tanks under fire, this time before any damage was done. With the approach of darkness the tanks pulled out of the draw pursued by a fury of enemy fire. The 5th Marines, convinced "that the position would have to be thoroughly pounded before it could be taken," scheduled another day of tank-infantry processing for Wana Draw before making its assault. In the center, the battered 305th Regiment continued its relentless advance through the irregular terrain west of the main Ginowan-Shuri highway. Simultaneously, Colonel Hamilton's 307th Regiment finally relieved the exhausted 306th and launched simultaneous attacks on Flattop and Chocolate Drop Hill. The 3rd Battalion slowly maneuvered toward the northern base of the Drop and the north slopes of Flattop, while the 2nd Battalion advanced toward Ishimmi Ridge through the open highway valley. Concurrently, the 382nd Regiment supported the assault on Flattop with its own attack against Dick Hill, successfully capturing its crest but failing to cross the skyline. Meanwhile, the 383rd Regiment struggled to make progress against intense enemy fire from the hill complex southwest of Conical's peak, although some elements managed to advance up the northwest spur from King Hill amid thick mortar fire.  Now, it's time to shift our focus from Okinawa to the sea, where we will cover the last destroyer actions of the Second World War. At the beginning of February, with the Southwest Area Fleet staff isolated in the Philippines, Vice-Admiral Fukudome Shigeru formed the 10th Area Fleet to defend the shores of Indonesia and Indochina. The 10th Area Fleet was comprised of the remnants of the 2nd Striking Force. This consisted of the two converted battleship/aircraft carriers Ise and Hyuga, forming the carrier squadron, and the two heavy cruisers Ashigara and Haguro, forming the 5th Cruiser Division. Two more heavy cruisers, Takao and Myoko, were at Singapore where both had reached sanctuary after being badly damaged in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Myoko had made one attempt to escape back to Japan in December 1944, but had been torpedoed by the US submarine Bergol on the 13th, and had then returned to Singapore. The cruiser Oyodo joined the fleet from February 5 to 20 and a fourth cruiser, Isuzu, joined on March 25 but lasted barely a fortnight before being sunk, on April 7, in a coordinated attack by the US submarines Charr, Gabilan and Besugo, with peripheral assistance from the British submarine Spark. In February Ise and Hyuga were also recalled and sailed on the 10th from Singapore, bound for Japan, carrying aviation spirit and other war materials. With such valuable cargoes the Japanese took great care to safeguard their passage and, by a combination of good luck and bad weather, both evaded numerous attacks by air and by submarine and reached Moji on the 19th. Haguro and Ashigara, and one old destroyer, Kamikaze, were now the only sizable warships left in the 10th Area Fleet to protect the troop evacuations. At this stage, the Japanese aimed to hold Java, Borneo, and Sumatra for as long as possible while planning their main defensive efforts in Malaya and Indochina. Consequently, they began withdrawing their garrisons from the outlying islands of the Moluccas, Timor, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and the scattered islands of the Panda and Arafura Seas. Anticipating a similar evacuation of Japanese garrisons in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Admiral Arthur Power's East Indies Fleet had dispatched destroyers on a series of anti-shipping sweeps in the Andaman Sea, successfully destroying several relief convoys. On May 10, Fukudome decided to commence the evacuation of the Andaman Islands, dispatching Vice-Admiral Hashimoto Shintaro's heavy cruiser Haguro and destroyer Kamikaze to deliver supplies to the islands and return with troops back to Singapore. Additionally, a secondary convoy consisting of one auxiliary vessel and one subchaser was organized to perform the same mission for the Nicobar Islands. As Allied intelligence uncovered these plans, Vice-Admiral Harold Walker's Force 61, primarily composed of the battleships Queen Elizabeth and Richelieu and four escort carriers, sailed from Trincomalee to intercept the Japanese ships. However, the Japanese were unwilling to risk a battle, and upon receiving an air reconnaissance warning, they returned to Singapore. Nonetheless, Walker decided to remain in the area, awaiting reinforcements in case the enemy regained the confidence to launch another sortie. On May 14, Fukudome finally resolved to carry out the evacuation again, this time first sending forward his secondary convoy to the Nicobars. This force managed to reach the islands unmolested during the day and successfully embarked 450 troops before setting sail for Penang, although they were later spotted by a patrolling Liberator. In response, Walker dispatched the 21st Aircraft Carrier Squadron and the 26th Destroyer Flotilla to conduct an air and sea sweep off Diamond Point aimed at intercepting and destroying the enemy. On the morning of May 15, some Avengers encountered Haguro and Kamikaze as they returned to the Malacca Strait. As Captain Manley Power's destroyers rushed to the area, three Avengers launched by the escort carrier Shah attacked Haguro with bombs in the afternoon, causing minimal damage that only compelled Haguro to alter its course eastward. However, this diversion effectively allowed the destroyer force to intercept Hashimoto's convoy during the night. As the flotilla closed in on the enemy during the early hours of May 16, Hashimoto reacted desperately by fleeing at full speed to the north, thwarting Power's carefully laid ambush. Soon after, however, Haguro turned to port, crossing paths with the destroyer Venus, which was closing in at full speed from the west. Surprisingly, Venus failed to launch its torpedoes, prompting Hashimoto to turn south and back into Power's trap.  Haguro's violent turn away changed the situation dramatically. Saumarez now found the enemy racing down towards her port side at a relative speed of nearly 60 MPH. Kamikaze, following astern of Haguro, passed so close in front of Saumarez from starboard to port that Captain Power had to swing his ship hard to starboard and back to port again to avoid her. Kamikaze passed very close down Saumarez' port side and was taken under fire by both main and close range armament. Opening with star-shell, Saumarez shifted fire to Haguro herself at 0108, the enemy replying with main and secondary armament. The two enemy ships could now be clearly identified from Saumarez' bridge, Haguro at about 5,000 yards and Kamikaze about 2,200 yards range. ‘We had a glimpse of the cruiser by starshell, but now it was dark. She looked pretty big and her direction easy to see by her bow-wave and wash. Inclination vague but obviously broad. I thought she was going very fast. Her side was shining like a wet wall, with the reflection of her own starshell from behind us, I think.' To Lt. Reay Parkinson, also in Saumarez, Haguro ‘seemed to tower above us like a sky-scraper and her guns were depressed to their lowest angle'. Haguro's fire was accurate and splashes from near misses drenched the bridge personnel, binoculars and sound-powered telephones. But, as Captain Power philosophically remarked, ‘if you are only getting wet there is nothing to worry about'. However, Saumarez was unfortunately not merely getting wet. At about 0111, when Captain Power was just considering turning to fire, ‘one boiler got hit. There was a lot of steam and smoke amidships and a sort of queer silence. The ship was obviously slowing down and I thought she was going to stop.' Saumarez' torpedo tubes had been trained to starboard, ready for the bow attack, with torpedoes angled to run 70° left. There was no time to train the tubes to port. Captain Power swung his ship to port ‘like a shotgun' and at 0113, as Saumarez was slowing down but still swinging hard to port, a salvo of eight torpedoes was fired at Haguro's beam, at a range of 2,000 yards. Still under heavy fire, Saumarez continued her turn to port to open the range, telegraphs being put to ‘Full Ahead' to get the utmost speed from whatever engine power remained. A minute after Saumarez' attack, Verulam made an unmolested attack from 2,000 yards on Haguro's port bow, firing eight torpedoes. Saumarez and Verulam were rewarded by three hits, shared between them  ‘very distinct, three gold-coloured splashes like a Prince of Wales' feathers, more than twice as high as her bridge'. Now Haguro was under fire from the destroyers and everywhere she turned there was another destroyer waiting. At 0125 Venus fired six torpedoes and scored one hit. Two minutes later Virago, ordered by Captain (D) to ‘Finish her off', fired a salvo of eight torpedoes and obtained two hits. She reported that the cruiser's upper deck was now awash. Missed torpedoes were racing all over the battle scene; in Venus, at the height of the action, the Engineer Officer and the Chief ERA in the engine-room actually heard the whirring sound of two torpedoes passing very close along the ship's side. Saumarez had retired some five miles to the north-west to collect herself and examine damage. The engine telegraphs were still at ‘Full Ahead', and Saumarez withdrew further than Captain Power had intended. Vigilant had been rather ‘left in the cold' and squeezed out by the other destroyers and was not able to attack until 0151 when she fired eight torpedoes, with one probable hit. Haguro was lying motionless in the water, in her last throes. ‘The rest of the flotilla were snarling round the carcass like a lot of starving wolves round a dying bull. I was too far away to make out what was going on and told them all except Vigilant (who I knew had torpedoes) to come away and join me, with a view to getting formed up and the situation in hand. Of course they did nothing of the sort. I should not have done myself.' Venus was ordered to ‘Close and make a job of it' and at 0202 administered the coup de grace with her two remaining torpedoes. At 0206 Venus signalled that the cruiser had sunk. Haguro had gone, in a position about forty-five miles south-west of Penang. Fifty miles away, Cumberland and Richelieu had had tantalising glimpses of starshell and lights but were too late to take part. Saumarez transmitted Vs for Victory and Captain Power signalled: ‘Pick up survivors. Stay no more than ten minutes.' Kamikaze sustained slight damage from the gunfire but managed to escape, returning the following day to rescue approximately 320 survivors. Nevertheless, over 900 Japanese soldiers lost their lives in the battle, including Vice-Admiral Hashimoto and Rear-Admiral Sugiura Kaju. While the evacuation of the Nicobar Islands was successful, the evacuation of the Andaman Islands proved to be a resounding failure. By the end of the war, with the food situation in the islands becoming critical, the Japanese committed several atrocities against the civilian population. This included the transportation of 300 so-called “useless mouths” to the uninhabited Havelock Island, off South Andaman, where all but eleven of them perished. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. During the intense Battle of the Malacca Strait, Japanese forces attempted a desperate evacuation, facing relentless Allied attacks. Despite fierce resistance, the Allies advanced strategically, leading to significant Japanese losses. Caught in critical confrontations, the Japanese ultimately succumbed, marking a pivotal moment in the Pacific war and shifting the tide toward Allied victory.

Global markets plunge in reaction to President Trump's tariffs, South Korea's court upholds President Yoon's impeachment, The EU and Central Asian nations deepen ties in their first-ever summit, An Israeli strike kills a Hamas commander in Lebanon, A New Zealand committee rejects the Treaty Principles Bill, President Trump claims Iran wants direct talks amid mounting tensions, Donald Trump fires high-level national security officials, The Pentagon launches an investigation into Pete Hegseth's Signal use, A US tourist is arrested for visiting an isolated tribe in the in the Andaman Islands, and Africa's first AI global summit kicks off in Rwanda. Sources: www.verity.news

PRESS REVIEW – Friday, April 4: We bring you reactions from South Korea after the constitutional court upholds parliament's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. What comes next for the disgraced leader? Also, we look at reactions from Hungary after Prime Minister Viktor Orban withdraws his country from the ICC. Plus: a US tourist is arrested after leaving a can of Diet Coke for an isolated tribe in the Andaman Islands and King Charles plays a carrot instrument in his first public outing since being hospitalised. We bring you early reactions from the South Korean press after President Yoon Suk Yeol was officially removed from office. All eight constitutional judges voted to uphold the impeachment ruling against Yoon in a verdict handed down this Friday. The Korea Herald offers us an autopsy of his career. It notes that he was once touted as an anti-corruption investigator, but no one thought he would meet the same fate as ex-president Park Geun-hye, whom he helped put behind bars. The conservative leader was impeached by parliament last December after an ill-fated move to impose martial law, albeit for only six hours. It nonetheless plunged South Korea into a political and financial crisis: soldiers were deployed to government sites, clashes with citizens ensued and the unrest evoked painful memories of military rule. The Korea Times focuses on the jubilation of South Koreans, millions of whom are celebrating the president's ouster. The paper also looks at what's to come. Yoon will leave office with no possibility of appealing. He'll lose special privileges like a presidential pension or a national burial. More importantly, he'll face multiple criminal investigations, including for treason. Probes into scandals could also begin. He will face legal accountability, and possibly prison time if found guilty. Fresh elections will be held in two months. In the editorial pages, a lot of reactions came in before the verdict but are still noteworthy. Hanyoreh, a liberal paper, urged the court to remove Yoon from office. It's the only way to restore the nation's trust and fulfill its role as the last bulwark of the constitution, the paper added. JoongAng Daily, a conservative paper of reference, focused more on its call for calm and unity after the court's ruling. It reminds readers that Korean democracy was built on the sacrifices of the citizens and urged citizens to "end this turmoil" by accepting the court's ruling.Next, we look at reactions after Hungary's announced withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced the decision amid an official visit by Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu to Hungary, which is the first EU country to leave the ICC. The German-language Hungarian website Budapester Zeitung goes with the headline "Danke Viktor", echoing comments by Netanyahu thanking Orban for his decision. The daily reminds us that Orban invited Netanyahu last November after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Orban reiterated his criticism of the court, saying it has not been impartial for years and functions as a political court. The Jewish News Syndicate, a conservative news syndicate of Israeli and Jewish news, hails Orban for "systematically standing up against EU policies selected by the elite in Brussels and West European capitals". It adds that those who stand up against Islamic radicalism and progressive globalist order can thank Netanyahu, Donald Trump and Viktor Orban. For one cartoonist though, Berend Vonk, the red carpet rolled out for Netanyahu in Hungary is merely the blood that the men have shed through their ruthless politics.In other news: the New York Post reports that India has arrested an "idiotic" US tourist for visiting a remote tribe in the Andaman Islands. The 24-year-old influencer travelled for nine hours in a rubber dinghy to reach the North Sentinel islands. He tried to get the tribe's attention by blowing a whistle and left soda and a coconut as an offering, before being arrested. As the Post reports, the man fashions himself as a daredevil traveller, having travelled to Afghanistan and posed with the Taliban. The hunter-gatherer tribe on the Sentinel Islands are extremely isolated and therefore have no immunity from modern diseases. The last person to visit them, a Christian missionary who tried to convert them, was promptly killed. So you could say this tourist got lucky!Finally, Britain's King Charles III has made his return to public duties after a brief period of hospitalisation related to his cancer treatment. The king returned to public service with a heartwarming video of him with the London Vegetable Orchestra. They are the UK's only musical ensemble to play instruments made of local vegetables. Take a look at this video of King Charles playing the most royal of vegetables: the carrot, filmed by the royal family's cameraman!

The Sign of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle chapter 12 The Strange Story of Jonathan Small, narrated by Isaac BirchallSubscribe on YT or Join the Book Club on Patreon and support me as an independent creator :Dhttps://ko-fi.com/theessentialreadshttps://www.patreon.com/theessentialreadshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfOFfvo05ElM96CmfsGsu3g/joinSUMMARY: Watson heads back to Baker Street and shows Jones and Holmes the empty Treasure Chest. Small barks a laugh, and says that he emptied the gems into the river when he realised that they were going to catch him, and says that the only people with a right to the treasure and the men that make up "the Sign of the Four."Holmes then presses Small to start his story. He was born into a poor farmer family in Worcestershire. He joined the British army after getting into some trouble with a girl, and was sent to India. After leaving training, his leg was bitten off by a crocodile, and was forced to leave the forces. After recovering, his superior got him a job on a plantation looking over the workers. His boss was kind, but soon a revolt started in India, and the workers turned against the masters and Small was forced to flee to Agra. In Agra he joined a volunteer corps set up in an old fort. He served here as a guard, and had two Punjabi men under his command. One night, the two ambushed him, and told him to be either with or against them. When he agreed, they told him about the treasure, and told him that a man was coming that night to Agra. When the man arrived, they attacked the man with the chest, and hid both the body and the treasure after making a tally of the jewels inside. Sadly for the men, the body was soon found, and they were all arrested and sent to work camps, and after a while were sent to the Andaman Islands. Here, Small was given a bit more freedom, and became close to the doctor. He over heard the doctor and the army guards playing cards, and heard two of them slowly lose more and more money, Morstan, and Sholto.Small then told the two about the treasure, and said that if they could go and get the treasure and help the members of the Sign of the Four escape, then they could have their fair share of the treasure too. Sholto goes to collect the Treasure, and then doesn't return... Small knows that he has stolen the Agra Treasure, and vows to get his revenge. He soon came into contact with one of the Natives, and helped heal him back to health after being wounded. He soon told the man, Tonga, of the Treasure, and asked to help him escape in his canoe. The two escape, and after a long while, make their way to London. Small finds out about Sholto, and goes to investigate; Sholto passes away when he see's Small's face in the window. Small then employs a man inside the house to give him information about the Treasure. One day he hears that it was found, and he takes Tonga with him to take it back. They get the treasure, Sholto is taken out, and then Holmes' chase began.SEO stuff that I really don't want to have to do...Join me for another immersive narration of this classic detective story from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Swede Anders Kreuger is a curator, writer & educator. He has been the director of the renowned Kohta Gallery in Helsinki since 2019. Prior to that, he was the senior curator at HKA, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp, the director of the Malmö Art Academy, & was a member of the Programme Team for the European Kunsthalle in Cologne. He was a founding member of the Nordic Council of Minsters Information Office in Vilnius, served as the director of the Nordic Arts Center in Helsinki & has served on the editorial board of the London-based art journal Afterall as well as the Ghent journal A Prior.   He has also worked as an independent curator, organizing numerous exhibitions throughout Europe.  He has taught at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen, Royal College of Art in London, & other European art academies. Served as an advisor to the Raqs Media Collective at Manifesta 7 in Bolzano. Anders Kreuger regularly writes essays for catalogues & journals, & has edited numerous publications. He has been deeply & personally immersed in words, reading, & language since his childhood experiences immersed in reading children's books. As a curator he thrives on how words affect his work as a curator & loves working with, for & through people as his way of constructing a situation that allows the viewer to become immersed in an exhibition.   I met Anders in Helsinki through Martti Aiha, the acclaimed Finnish artist known as Mara, a long time friend of my wife, librettist Maija-Leena Rems. Mara, sadly recently deceased, was on the founding board of Kohta Gallery. Anders & I had many conversations about shamanism & the influence of the oldest ideas on the contemporary world. Growing from this shared interest, Anders created the gallery show, Charlie Morrow, A Gathering which included Winter Solstice Celebration with musicians around the world. Currently, he is curating the Yes & No Tation gallery show which is paired with Sound Circus, a public event.  Subjects discussed: Telepathy, AI, immersion, written language, thought before language, reading minds, inducing immersive states, seeing images in objects, shamans, origin & development of language, Chomsky, galleries, curation, museums, cave paintings, dream singing, desire to connect, Stalin, Finland, comparative linguistics, arbitrariness of the linguistic sign, Cratylus, Andaman Islands, Navajo, Elias Canetti, Fascism, Trumpianism, color theory, Kandinski, & so much more…

Step into the fog-shrouded world of London's late afternoon, where a restless Sherlock Holmes crackles with newfound energy and a mystery hangs in the thick, oppressive air. In this pivotal chapter of The Sign of the Four, the great detective emerges from a bout of fevered research ready to unravel the thorny puzzle that has ensnared Miss Morstan and entangled the memory of her vanished father. A delicate paper once hidden away, a whisper of intrigue from distant Andaman Islands, and the shadowy presence of the late Major Sholto all combine to hint at a truth far deeper and more dangerous than anyone first imagined.In this episode's reading, the atmosphere is thick with suspense and ripe with unanswered questions: Who summoned them here, and why? What secrets does that strange diagram hold? And what could possibly tie together the strange legacy of Sholto, the vanishing Morstan, and the tantalizing promise of “justice” waiting just out of sight? This chapter dares you to follow Holmes deeper into the mystery—and offers the perfect taste of the adventure that's about to unfold. Turn down the lights, lean in, and prepare to be ensnared by the spell of The Sign of the Four.

In this special in-person edition of "The xMonks Drive," I have the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Krishna Madappa, President of The Institute of Science, Spirituality & Sustainability, for a conversation that will completely change the way you see water. After years of Zoom interviews, this episode is a milestone as we shift to face-to-face conversations, bringing a deeper, more human connection to the show.Born in the Andaman Islands and with a background spanning continents, Krishna has spent over 35 years exploring the intelligence of water—not just as a life-giving resource, but as a conscious, living force. With expertise in Ayurveda, Bio-Energy, and Psycho Neurobic Sciences, Krishna's work bridges the gap between science and spirituality, delving into water's ability to carry trauma and its potential for healing through his groundbreaking JEEVA device.Join me as we explore Krishna's lifelong passion for reviving ecosystems, from soil to human life, and his visionary contributions to the science of water, bio-energy, and global consciousness. This conversation is packed with wisdom and insight into how water, the essence of life, holds the key to our wellbeing—and how we can transform our relationship with it.Follow us on our Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xmonks.ecosystem/Follow me On YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHsytOG-7i57hrSwB7fNkcwFollow me On LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gauravaroragrv/

This is The DX Mentor podcast. I hope to help those hams trying to move up the DXCC ladder as well as those that at on the DXCC Honor Roll. As fast as technology is moving, no one can keep up on it all. I am here to help. #DX #Hamradio In this episode of The DX Mentor, our #DX gurus, will discuss: VU2VKU, Krish, (aka W4VKU) and his DXpedition to Lakshadweep and to Andamann. The questions that were discussed and answered were: How did you get into Ham Radio? Why start chasing DX? Why decide to BE the DX? What other DXPeditions have you been on? Specifically, lets talk about VU7A - Lakshadweep Located in the Arabian Sea off of the West coast of India Just above the equator - HOT Approximately 12/4 to 12/15. Lets talk about VU4N - Andaman Island Located in the Bay of Bengal on the East coast of India, closer to Thailand than to India Approximately 12/16 to 12/26 Resources mentioned include: Southwest Ohio DX Assoc. https://www.swodxa.org DX Code of Conduct : https://www.dx-code.com/ Daily DX https://www.dailydx.com/ DX Engineering https://www.dxengineering.com/ Icom https://www.icomamerica.com/ IC-905 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-905/ IC-9700 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-9700/ IC-7610 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7610/ IC-7300 https://www.icomamerica.com/lineup/products/IC-7300/

Its still hot and summery here in NewZealand and the Cicadas are in full song.Here is a story from the Andaman Islands about the Cicada who loves to play his drum; and how this affects the whole balance of nature!You can find our audios and books to purchase at https://imagined-worlds.net/story-shopOr join the live monthly Batt Cave storytelling club at https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027/tiers Or if you are an educator for children 0 - 8 years subscribe to 'Batt on the Mat' - a monthly online, professional development storytelling and arts programme https://imagined-worlds.net/batt-on-the-matAnd finally, if you enjoyed our podcast, please share with friends and write a review. Or make a donation to support what we do here https://ko-fi.com/tanyabatt0027Kia Ora!

LBC Irregulars: A Sherlock Holmes Podcast Episode 11: “The Six Napoleons” & “The Sign of Four” This episode we are joined by professor, podcaster, and award winning author Van Allen Plexico. Will Kathy learn Italian and figure out what happened? Will Jarrod survive the intense boat chase? Will Van start a new career as a freeze frame model? Listen in and you could possibly win a trip to the exotic Andaman Islands with our podcast trio! #LBCIrregulars Let us know what you think! Email the show at contact@longboxcrusade.com This podcast is a member of the LONGBOX CRUSADE NETWORK: LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/longboxcrusade Visit the WEBSITE: http://www.longboxcrusade.com/ Follow on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LongboxCrusade Follow on INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/longboxcrusade Like the FACEBOOK page: https://www.facebook.com/LongboxCrusade Subscribe to the YOUTUBE Channel: https://goo.gl/4Lkhov Subscribe on Apple Podcast at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-longbox-crusade/id1118783510?mt=2 Thank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed this episode of LBC Irregulars: A Sherlock Holmes Podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/longbox-crusade/message

What happens when your neighbours become strangers overnight? The world is witnessing dramatic shifts in where people call home, who their neighbours are, and the very definition of "community."  In this episode of the Lausanne Movement Podcast, we explore how churches can rise to the challenge and reimagine what it means to build community in the midst of migration, refugee crises, and global urbanisation.  We are joined by our expert guests: Dr. Matthew Niermann: Analyses global trends in communities on the move, based on the findings from Lausannes forthcoming State of The Great Commission Report. Dr. Sam George: Discusses the crucial role of Diaspora communities in fulfilling the Great Commission. Together, we'll explore: How migration and refugee movements are reshaping communities. The challenges and opportunities churches face in ministering to people on the move. How Diaspora communities are taking the gospel everywhere in the world. The practical steps churches can take to engage Diaspora communities. Embrace the challenge of reimagining community!  Subscribe now and join the conversation. Learn how your church can build bridges with refugees, empower Diaspora communities, and contribute to the Great Commission in an ever-changing world. For further information about the Lausanne Movement, please visit our webpage: https://www.lausanne.org   Find out more: https://lausanne.org/networks/issues/diasporas https://www.global-diaspora.com/   Dr. George Bio: Dr. Sam George, originally from the Andaman Islands in India, was born to Christian parents from the heritage of Kerala's St. Thomas Christians. Dr. George holds degrees in mechanical engineering and management and spent a decade working across Asia and the US. His academic pursuits continued at Fuller and Princeton Seminaries. Over the following twenty years, George was instrumental in founding two family-focused organisations: Urban India Mission and Parivar International. He earned his PhD in theology from Liverpool Hope University (UK), specialising in family, church, and diaspora studies. Presently, he lectures on global migration, diaspora missions, and world Christianity, contributing extensively through articles, book chapters, and books. George resides in the northern suburbs of Chicago, USA, with his wife, Dr. Mary M. George, and their two sons.

From Papua New Guinea to the Andaman Islands, Indigenous languages are under threat. An Indian linguist helped preserve one language family.

From Papua New Guinea to the Andaman Islands, Indigenous languages are under threat. An Indian linguist helped preserve one language family.

Last time we spoke about the landing at Saidor and the drive against Sio. The Australians were still advancing across Shaggy Ridge when General MacArthur unleashed an amphibious assault against Saidor to cut off the Japanese escape and isolate Sio. Numerous features were seized up the large ridge and the Americans successfully amphibiously assaulted Saidor and seized their airfield. General Adachi placed the 51st and 20th divisions under the command of General Nakano, who was tasked with advancing to Gali to try and secure a new supply point. Meanwhile efforts were made to try and contain the new threat in Saidor while simultaneously holding back the Australians in the south. Over on new britain the airdrome was seized as Colonel Katayama launched a failed counter attack against the Marines. The Marines tossed back the attack and began their own advance further inland. This episode is Ledo Road Offensive Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  The Americans had landed at Cape Gloucester, Saidor and were carrying out massive attacks against Rabaul. As we had seen previously, on November 5th, aided by bad weather, a surprise air raid was made by the USS Saratoga and Princeton, led by Rear-Admiral Frederick Sherman that inflicted heavy damage to 4 cruisers within the harbor; Maya's engine room was smashed by a bomb killing over 70 men; a 500 lb bomb hit Mogami; Takao took 2 500 lb bomb hits while 3 500 lb bombs narrowly missed Atago killing 23 seamen and caused severe damage to the ship's plating. 2 other cruisers and 3 destroyers also suffered light damage. Captain George Chandler flying a P-38 fighter pilot described how “There were B-24 bombers up high and B-25 bombers attacking right down on the deck dropping ‘frag' bombs on the airplanes along the runways … we did our best work at high altitude, but we also took part in combat a thousand feet off the ground.” The devastation caused Admiral Miniechi Koga to withdraw his forces to Truk, thus ending the IJN threat to Bougainville. A Japanese naval officer would later admit that they had given up on Bougainville mainly because of “the serious damage received by several Second Fleet cruisers at Rabaul by carrier attack …” The successful  raid against Rabaul left Halsey ecstatic. “It is real music to me and opens the stops for a funeral dirge for Tojo's Rabaul.” On November 8th, reinforcements led by Rear-admiral Alfred Montgomery task force 38, with the new fleet carriers USS Bunker Hill, Essex and Independence. With the added carrier strength on November 11th, a follow up air raid was made seeing the IJN cruiser Agano torpedoed and badly damaged, while 35 Japanese aircraft out of 120 launched in a counter attack against the carrier force were shot down. Montgomery would not lose a single ship. Admiral Koga's decision to send carrier pilots to bolster Rabaul had quite literally blown up in his face. Koga's air fleet had lost 43 of its 82 Zeros, 38 of its 34 Vals, 34 of its 40 Kates and 6 Judy spotter planes. Over 86 of his 192 experienced pilots and crew had perished, and he had only inflicted minimal damage to Nimitz fleet, it was a disaster. Yet the fantastical reports from Japanese pilots kept pouring in, claiming the air battles over Bougainville were infact won by the IJN air forces. Newspapers in Japan reported victories that added up to the destruction of 5 American battleships, 10 carriers, 19 cruisers and 7 destroyers. The reality was the destruction of 2 cruisers, the USS Birmingham and Denver. By mid november Vice Admiral Kusaka was finding it difficult to sustain attacks against allied convoys feeding supplies to Empress Augusta Bay. On November 12th, Rabaul only had 113 Zero's of which only 59 were operational. Crews were suffering from malaria and other diseases, no one was granted rest as they were limited in personnel and under constant attack. The quality of ground crews and pilots was deteriorating every week.  From November 12 through December 16, the daytime skies over the Gazelle Peninsula remained relatively quiet, as the US carrier forces had departed to support operations in the Central Pacific. AirSols received a new commander on the November 20th, Major General Ralph Mitchell who continued to support operations in Bougainville and General Kenney's Fifth Air Force was supporting preparations for the landings in western New Britain. The lull gave Admiral Kusaka a brief opportunity to recuperate as replacements began to arrive from the Marshalls and Truk. The Imperial Japanese Navy would take six months to replenish its carrier pilots with less well-trained and inexperienced replacements. In the meantime the carrier fleet itself, Japan's most expensive and precious strategic asset, was forced to remain idle in Truk as Nimitz began his island hop through the Central Pacific Meanwhile the Torokina airfield had become crude but operational. The Seabees had created a single 4750 foot by 200 foot strip. It lacked taxiways, hardstands and buildings, but by December 10th it could launch aircraft. Soon the Seabees would carve 2 additional landing trips in the jungle 3 miles further inland. The first would be a mile long, the second 8000 feet or so for bombers. Unlike the Japanese airfields on the Gazelle Peninsula which would take more than a year to complete, both of these American airfields took a month. You often hear, especially from marine veterans of the pacific, praise for the Seabees, such a colossal advantage in logistics paved the way to victory. A massive fighter sweep was launched on December 17 consisting of 32 Corsairs, 24 F6Fs, and 24 RNZAF Kittyhawks from airfields at New Georgia and Vella Lavella who rendezvoused at Torokina, topped off their fuel tanks, and hit  Rabaul. The strike was led by Major Greg “Pappy” Boyington, the commanding officer of Marine Fighter Squadron 214, better known by its nickname, the "Black Sheep Squadron". The three types of aircraft had different flying characteristics and different cruising speeds. The Kittyhawks, slowest of the bunch, took off first. The plan was for them to come in at 15,000ft, and lure out the Japanese. Next came the Hellcats, flying above the Kittyhawks. And the last were the Corsairs, who flew top cover. It was a long flight over open water, calculated to make the pilot of a single-engine aircraft nervous. If the engine failed it was a long swim home. They were intercepted by 35 Zeros, with the Kittyhawks getting the first jump on them. After the Kittyhawks made their first pass, shooting down a Japanese fighter, the advantage switched over to the more agile  Zeros. The Kittyhawk squadron leader's plane was fatally damaged and a second Kittyhawk went down after colliding with a Zero. Remarkably, both pilots survived. Meanwhile the Hellcats and Corsairs, at high altitudes, were coming up empty. The Corsairs circled Lakunai field finding no targets. Pilot Boyington exchanged insults with an English-speaking Japanese officer over the radio, but despite his challenges found no targets in the air. When all aircraft returned to base, the score was even. Two Kittyhawks and two Zeros were lost; one each due to the collision and one shot down by both sides. It was a rather disappointing fighter sweep, but would become just one of many against Rabual over the course of the next 3 weeks. The next raid came two days later seeing 48 B-24s launched, but 32 were forced turned back. The remaining 16 bombers escorted by 51 were intercepted by 94 Japanese fighters, yet they also suffered from the bad weather. Less than half made contact with the enemy. In the resulting fight, 5 Zeros were shot down and 10 allied aircraft were lost, but only two were shot down. The other eight were due to a mid-air collision and landing mishaps, all near home. The weather persisted to be so bad, it was only on the 23rd another sortie could be launched. B-24s escorted by Corsairs and Hellcats bombed Lakunai. Radar gave the Japanese some early warning and nearly 100 Zeros were scrambled. 60 made contact with the bombers after they hit Lakunai. No bombers were lost, but 2 Corsairs were shot down in the ensuing dogfights. Yet the Americans had a twist, they followed up the raid with a fighter sweep of 48 Corsairs. They arrived 15 minutes after the bombers left, surprising the airborne Japanese fighters, most of whom lacked radios. 6 Zeros were shot down, several others damaged and only 2 Corsairs lost.  2 days later, another fighter sweep preceded by bombers was launched claiming 18 aircraft kills, but it was probably closer to 5. In comparison the Japanese pilots would claim 55 kills, a number greater than the american force sent. On the 27 another sweep was launched against Cape Gloucester downing 7 Japanese aircraft for one American. 28 Corsairs returned the next day but this time the Japanese held the advantage, sandwiching the Marines between 2 large groups of Zeros. 3 Corsairs were shot down, but so were 3 Zeros, with 2 others badly damaged. On 30th 36 Liberators escorted by 20 Hellcats and 20 Corsairs, bombed Rabaul. 1 B-24 was lost on the raid, hit by antiaircraft fire. No air combat occurred. On New Years day 15 B-24s and 68 escorting fighters met heavy fighter opposition. 40 Zeros had been sent to Rabaul from Truk, manned by veteran pilots. 1 B-24 was shot down, and two others badly damaged. On January 2 48 US fighters raided and on the 3rd another 44. The two sweeps took out a handful of fighters. The last sweep was on the 5th seeing another 2 zeros downed. Meanwhile back on December 24th, Admiral Sherman's task force 37 raided Kavieng. The operation had two purposes, 1) was to distract attention from the landings at Cape Gloucester and 2) to interdict sea traffic between Truk and Rabaul. The 5000-ton naval transport Tenyru Maru was sunk and several other ships were damaged. After this task force 37 made several raids against Kavieng through January 4th. They managed to shoot down 10 Japanese fighters, damaged IJN cruiser Noshiro and destroyers Fumizuki and Satsuki. On Janaury 6th, the bomber strip at Piva became operational, thus Rabaul was now within range of allied light and medium bombers, basically it was pounding time.   On January 7th, 16 Avengers and 24 Dauntless raided Tobera airfield. From medium altitudes the Avengers dropped 2000lb pounds smashing the paved runways. The Japanese managed to shoot down 3 fighters and one dauntless, but Tobera was temporarily not operational. It was the first time any Rabaul airbase was neutralized from bomb damage. This would be followed up on the 11th by a low level attack against Vunakanau by B-25's, damaging 8 parked aircraft. Then on the 14th, Simpson Harbor was attacked by 16 Avengers , 36 Dauntless and fighter escorts. The Japanese tossed 84 fighters but the allies held such a tight formation it was difficult to get at the bombers. 2 bombers were lost before reaching Lakunai; 1 to a mid-air collision and 1 to antiaircraft fire. When the Allied aircraft finally arrived, clouds shielded Lakunai so the bombers switched to targeting the ships in Simpson Harbor. The Avengers carried 2,000lb bombs, limiting their effectiveness. Regardless, they landed hits on the 15,400-ton-displacement oiler Naruto, and thus ended its goal of becoming the Hokage. . . sorry folks could not resist that one. The destroyer Matsukaze was also damaged alongside 5 other vessels.    AirSols came back to hit simpson harbor and blanche bay 3 days later sinking  the Komaki Maru, Kosei Maru, Yamayuri Maru, Hakkai Maru and Iwate Maru. To take down the combined 30,000 tons of shipping AirSols lost 8 P-38s, 1 Hellcat, 1 F4U, 1 Avenger, and 1 Dauntless. The rest of January saw so many raids, sometimes 2-3 on the same day, thus I can't spend the entire podcast listing their actions, but the losses were brutal. For the Americans they would lose 23 aircraft between January 23rd-30th, for the Japanese it was around 37. By the end of the month, Rabaul was being bled dry of planes, thus the rest was withdrawn to Truk with around 40 pilots. To make up for the withdrawal, Admiral Koga brought over the air groups of carriers Junyo, Hiyo and Ryuho on the 25th adding 62 zeros, 18 vals and 18 kates to Admiral Kusakas dwindling forces. Does that not sound like performing the exact same action that saw such devastating losses in late december to early january? Yes, yes it does.    Moving over to New Britain, General Shepherd had just smashed the Japanese positions along Suicide Creek. While seizing Suicide Creek some Americans captured a Japanese dispatch saying “It is essential that we conceal the intention that we are maintaining positions on Aogiri Ridge. Concerning the occupation of this position, it is necessary that Aogiri Yama is maintained.” While making arrangements for the Japanese assault against Target Hill one, Lieutenant Abe had occasion sent field dispatches to Warrant Officer Kiyoshi Yamaguchi, one of his platoon leaders. The dispatch mentioned command post locations, hour of attack, and other orders. Yamaguchi, with that seemingly incredible indifference to basic security which the Japanese so often demonstrated, simply stuck the dispatch in his pocket and carried it with him to the assault. Marines found it on his body the following morning, thereby gaining their first inkling of the existence of a terrain feature which appeared as such on none of their maps but upon which the Japanese appeared to place great importance, for reasons not yet clear. Aoigiri Ridge was not in the American maps and it was currently held by the 2nd battalion, 53rd regiment and 2nd battalion, 141st regiment. Behind the ridge was a wide trail leading to Magairapua, connecting Matsuda's HQ with Borgen Bay. The trail was heavily used and concealed extremely well from American aircraft. Back over at the American lines, by January 5th, the 3rd battalion, 7th marines had pulled back into the reserve, allowing the weapons company, 7th marines to occupy the extreme left along the shore to prepare for Shepherds offensive against Hill 150. The new formation launched their attack at 11am on the 6th. Tanks surged forward to smash a roadblock held by the 2nd battalion, 141st regiment on the left trail. Artillery was deployed on a nearby hill hitting the Japanese lines as A company tried to break through but was quickly pinned down by the roadblock. The tanks eventually burst through the roadblock sending the Japanese packing.   The americans advanced through the increasingly swampy terrain, facing weaker resistance. B company crossed a small stream and stormed Hill 150 during the afternoon, securing it. Further right, C company and the 3rd battalion, 5th marines were surprised to be held up by extremely heavy fire from the until then unknown feature, Aogiri ridge. The men had no other choice than to pull back to a safe distance to dig in as they reported back the presence of the heavily fortified position. The Japanese would unleash carnage upon the men for 2 days whenever they tried to press forward. On the 7th the commanding officer of the 3rd battalion, 5th Marines, was wounded and replaced by Lt Colonel Lewis Walt. The next day, Walk's men were cautiously inching forward under heavy enemy fire through dense jungle, when they first encountered the ground rising in steepness. At this point Walt realized the feature had to be Aogiri Ridge.    On the 9th, the assault battalions resumed their attacks, this time with heavy artillery support against Aogiri ridge. Walt was reinforced with Companies K and L from the 7th marines, but the advance was extremely slow and painful. Two Japanese bunkers were knocked out with white phosphorus grenades, but that ended the limited gains. Walt personally began pushing a 37mm gun excruciating foot by foot up Aogiri ridge, firing a volley of canisters every few feet. Somehow he managed to get the gun up the steep slope into a decent position to sweep the ridge, allowing the gain of a foothold on the crest of Aogiri. The loss of the ridge was a huge threat to Matsuda and Katayama's positions, so the latter decided to throw his reserves in a desperate but ferocious counterattack.   At 1:15am on the 10th, Katayama sent his recently arrived 3rd battalion to attack the reverse slope. However the Marines held firm and would end up repelling 5 consecutive banzai charges with a fury and persistence unparalleled in the campaign. On the 4th try a Japanese major and two company officers succeeded in knifing through the Marine cordon almost to Colonel Walt's fox hole, 50 yards behind the front line. At that instant one of two short rounds in a 60-round artillery barrage burst in a tall tree almost directly overhead, and the major died there, sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. The 5th charge was blunted by artillery and the Japanese finally cut their losses and pulled back. The Japanese had suffered immense casualties, seeing all 3 of their battalions depleted, forcing Katayama to pull off Aogiri ridge that very night. The morning of the 10th saw Walk's men securing the feature and then discovering the vital Magairapua trail. The marines went to work mopping up the area until January 12th, whereupon Shepherd planned to seize Hill 660. The feature was guarded by the 6th company, 141st regiment supported by a number of guns of the 30th machine cannon company. The fresh 3rd battalion, 7th marines, led by lt colonel Henry Buse Jr were to perform the main assault, with the 1st battalion extending the perimeter behind them. To help the effort, the weapons company,7th marines of Captain Buckley would begin constructing a roadblock between the eastern base of Hill 660 to the shore of Borgen Bay, hoping to cut off the defenders escape route.   At 08:00am on the 13th, after artillery, mortars and the 5th Air Force performed a bombardment of the area, the last Marine offensive commenced. A intricate system of small arms and automatic weapon positions going up the summit unleashed fire upon the marines, quickly pinning down I company. L Company attempted swinging to the right, but were also pinned down. Engineers worked a light tank forward far enough to place fire across a gorge demolishing the more troublesome enemy weapons. By late afternoon, together with artillery supporting fire, the pinned-down companies were rescued and withdrawn for the night. Meanwhile the Weapons company worked with their bulldozer, by 1030 they had skirted the eastern base of the hill and set up an all-around perimeter. There they dug in clearing fields of fire for about 60 yards to both north and south, placing their half-tracks and tanks in supporting positions. The only opposition they encountered during the advance was by two Japanese machine guns and emplaced near the summit of the hill. With all said and done they successfully cut off the Japanese line of retreat.  On the morning of the 14th, the 3rd battalion resumed their assault, with their leading companies advancing to the right working their way up. One unit nearly got atop the crest before coming under fire from heavy machine guns. They got to a position where they could bring 60mm mortars to bear, and went to work neutralizing the machine gun positions before a final surge carried them across the summit. The Japanese fled down the crest heading east, coming straight into the line of fire of the Weapons company below. The result was a terrible rout, seeing many escape to the safety of the swamps to the hills southeast. By the end of the 14th, the marines had seized Hill 660 and were performing mop up operations through the following day. At 5:30am on the 16th, Katayama ordered the 6th and 11th companies, 141st regiment to counter attack Hill 660. Soon the marines were face to face with a large banzai charge, seeing the fighting getting up close and personal. But small arms, rifles, 60mm mortars and 81mm artillery broke the Japanese. Over 110 Japanese bodies would be found after the fight. This ended Shepherds offensive, as the remnants of Colonel Sumiya's forces began to arrive to the Borgen Bay area. Over the next few days, the exhausted 7th marines were relieved by the 5th marines and 2nd battalion, 1st marines who had recently been recalled after completing their mission at Green Beach.  After suffering the defeated in Borgen Bay, General Sakai decided to order the 1st battalion, 54th regiment to reinforce Talasea and for Matsuda to launch a last ditch effort, a suicidal one at that, to obliterate the enemy. But the men were in no condition for such an offensive, thus Katayama elected to postpone it for now. Since every man was needed for the defense of Borgen Bay, Colonel Sato took the remainder of his commander and departed Rooke Island to join the main body. Now that Hill 660 was secured, the Americans began a new method of patrolling; this time their patrols would specifically seek out and destroy what was presumed to be exhausted Japanese units, before the division would attack the defensive line at Borgen Bay-Itni river. Yet that is it for new Britian, as we are going to be traveling over to the CBI theater. Between November 22 to December the 1st, two conference were held between the Allied leaders. The first was the Cairo or “sextant” conference on November 22-26th, between President FDR, Sir Winston Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek. The second was held in Tehran on November 28-December 1st between FDR, Churchill and Joseph Stalin. You might be asking, why did they all not meet up together. The crux of it was the Soviet-Japanese neutrality Pact and to a lesser extent, though probably not in Chiang Kai-Shek's mind, Stalin was aiding the CCP. Because the Soviets had not declared war on the Japanese, it would not look to good if they met with the leader of China, likewise Chiang Kai-shek was not too forthcoming to meet with Stalin. The easy fix was to just have two different conferences. Overall the conferences did not really touch too much upon the Pacific war. But Stalin did promise to declare war on Japan within ninety days after the end of the European War. In return he demanded military and logistical concessions in Manchuria, maintenance of Outer Mongolia under Soviet control as well as sovereignty over the Kuril Islands that stretched from north of Japan to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. When Chiang Kai-shek heard about this he had suspicious and noted “The influence of this conference on China will be great. I hope Roosevelt isn't plotting with Churchill and Stalin against me.” Soon his suspicion would turn to anger when he discovered there were secret protocols relating to Manchuria.  Stalin had made some assurances to Mao Zedong that once the Soviets were in the war against Japan, they would have forces to bear down into China to help tip the scale for the CCP against the NRA. Yet after the war, it would seem promises made by Joseph Stalin were not always kept.  Another important aspect of the conferences was the British decision to cancel Operation Buccaneer, the invasion of the Andaman Islands, because Admiral Mountbatten's landing crafts were required for landings in southern france. The Joint chiefs of staff were livid at this, because it came at the same time the Japanese were reinforcing Burma. FDR overruled them and agreed to the British decision and this in turn greatly pissed off Chiang Kai-Shek. Yet at the same time, the Cairo declaration had lifted up the morale for the Chinese army and people to continue their war against the Japanese. The declarations made by the Tehran conference implied publicly that the CBI theater was all but abandoned to the mercy of Japan's air and land forces. Thus it would be no coincidence the Japanese thought it ripe to launch an all-out offensive against China.  In the meantime, the rather aggressive Admiral Mountbatten was trying to salvage what he could of the situation. To try and please Chiang Kai-Shek, he proposed Operation Pigstick. The operation was something Mountbatten had wargamed a bit, it was to be a landing on the southern Mayu peninsula aimed at hitting Akyab. He began assigning landing craft for the amphibious operation, only to be immediately slapped down by Alanbrooke and told to return 3 fast tank landing crafts that were direly needed for operations against Italy. Mountbatten hoped to retain 2 slower tank landing craft, but Cunningham requested them. Pigstick was to be 2 divisions plus 2 brigades who would be used in a southward advance down the peninsula and 1 division in an amphibious assault aimed at surrounding and destroying not less than 20,000 Japanese. An additional landing similar to PIGSTICK, could perhaps be launched in the Ramree-Cheduba area, could take staging areas that would put 15 Corps within reach of Rangoon. Speaking of Ramree, if any of you have heard this kind of myth about over 1000 Japanese being eaten by crocodiles on that island, over on my personal channel the pacific war channel I did a full investigation into the so called “ramree island massacre” story. A little sad about its performance not going to lie. Dramatically improved my lackluster animation skills for it, came out really well and I did a silly impersonation at the beginning, anyways check it out its a fun one! Alongside Pigstick, Mountbatten changed the Tarzan operation into Operation Gripfast, calling for an offensive on north and central Burma with an airborne landing at Indaw to sever the Japanese line of communications to Myitkyina. But now Chiang Kai-Shek was very wary of anything British, so he rejected the plans on December 19th. Alongside pissing off Chiang Kai-Shek, his estranged wife, Joseph Stilwell was also again angry with the British, particularly Mountbatten. At one point Mountbatten proposed moving certain American units into the Hukawng valley to help the offensive there and Stillwell burst out ‘I should like it placed on record that I am responsible for the training of all American forces in this theatre and I am the person to decide when they are adequately trained and can move forward.' Mountbatten replied: ‘I accept that in principle, but would remind you that these troops are being trained under British officers. I am responsible for operations and will decide when units move into the fighting lines. In other words, general, I should like to place on record that I am Supreme Commander out here and what I say goes.' Stilwell took it good-humouredly and laughed. ‘We none of us dispute that,'”. That day Stilwell wrote a letter to his wife, referring scathingly to Mountbatten as ‘the glamour boy. He doesn't wear well and I begin to wonder if he knows his stuff. Enormous staff, endless walla-walla but damn little fighting . . . And of course the Peanut is unchanged. The jungle is a refuge from them both.' The men would all share some screaming matches against another, until Stilwell would shock everyone by exclaiming “I am prepared to come under General Slim's operational control until I get to Kamaing.” It was a truly bizarre idea, Mountbatten asked how such a thing would work, and both Slim and Stilwell asked to discuss the matter amongst themselves. The two men would agree on tactical essentials such as getting more Chinese divisions for the Ledo force and to use the Chindits to assist in hitting Myitkyina. Slim and Stilwell shook hands and Stilwell said to him ‘I would fight under a corporal as long as he would let me fight.' Slim would later reflecte ‘In practice this illogical command set-up worked surprisingly well. My method with Stilwell was based on what I had learnt of him in the Retreat – to send him the minimum of written instructions, but, whenever I wanted anything, to fly over and discuss it with him, alone. Stilwell, talking things over quietly with no one else present, was a much easier and more likeable person than Vinegar Joe with an audience. Alone, I never found him unreasonable or obstructive. I think I told him to do something he did not approve of on only two or three occasions, and on each he conformed, I will not say willingly, but with good grace.' In the end Operation Pigstick never became a reality, because the landing crafts were needed for the Italian campaign and thus the hope of meeting Chiang Kai-sheks continued demand for an amphibious operation was gone. It was almost like the British never intended to go through with such a thing in the first place, woops that is just my opinion. Meanwhile the British-Indian command elected to start a new operation in Arakan. The brutal hard-won lessons of 1st Arakan battle had been absorbed in India Command, with senior British officers determined to avoid similar mistakes. The new operation was the subject of meticulous reconnaissance, planning, and rehearsals. A series of lectures, war games, models of the grounds and syndicate discussions were held for commanders, staff and regimental officers whom carefully considered countering Japanese offensive tactics and assaulting prepared defensive positions like those witnessed at Donbaik. A carefully planned programme of continuous, progressive and intensive training was put in hand for all corps and divisional fighting, support and administrative troops to practice necessary skills, including using brigade boxes, aerial resupply and the infiltration and envelop- ment of enemy positions. This comprehensive training programme culminated in intensive rehearsals and combined arms training with artillery, tanks and close support aircraft carried out near Lohardaga, over ground resembling Arakan, simulating attacks on mock Japanese defensive positions on jungle-clad hills. General Auchinleck assigned the 15th corps, reconstituted at Ranchi with the 3 best trained divisions available: Major-General Harold Briggs' 5th Indian Division; Major-General Frank Messervy's 7th Indian Division and Major-General Christopher Woolner's 81st West African Division.The 26th Indian Division formed the corps reserve. Command of the 15th corps would be given to Lt General Philip Christison. The plan called for the 5th and 7th Indian divisions to advance along the summit of the Mayu range towards Maungdaw and Buthidaung while the 5th and 6th west african brigades would provide flanking protection. On November 1st, the 2 Indian divisions began their advance and by mid november would make contact with a Japanese outpost.As the 7th Indian division advanced astride the Kalapanzin River they ran into stiff resistance. Efforts to dislodge Japanese defenders near Awlanbyin and Letwedet, showcased the formidable difficulties that attacking Japanese defensive bunker positions presented. Most were built on razor-back ridges, through which were burrowed fire positions, affording a limited approach, while the reverse slopes protected troops from view and bombardment. With the precipitous Goppe Pass initially only suitable for porters, pack transport and pack artillery, 7th Indian Division quickly devised other methods to overcome enemy defenses, since normal stereotyped, set-piece attacks stood little chance of success without supporting field artillery. Aircraft proved an ineffective substitute, moreover, with dive-bombing having only a transitory effect since the broken terrain and dense jungle absorbed blast leaving defenses and morale largely intact unless a lucky direct hit was made. The Indian forces began to infiltrate and bypass the well-entrenched Japanese defenses, giving the impression they would soon unleash a frontal attack upon them at any moment. General Messervy's would say of the action  “'We will undoubtedly have a Neapolitan sandwich of British - Japs - British, but it will be one made by ourselves, and with the initiative in our hands it will soon be transformed to British - British - Jap.” They were gaining ground and with it valuable combat experience. On the night of November 30th, the 15th Indian Corps commenced large-scale operations to drive in the Japanese outpost line astride the Mayu Range. A series of brisk skirmishes were fought by 33rd Indian Infantry Brigade on the jungle-cloaked ridges south of Awlanbyin quickly evicting small determined parties of Japanese infantry from carefully prepared platoon and company defensive localities. This was by no means an easy task since most heavily camouflaged positions were built atop steep hillsides overlooking paddy fields that provided an open field of five and difficult going for advancing troops. Earlier directions about infiltration paid off in practice. An attack on Awlanbyin west redoubt from the rear through thick jungle achieved complete surprise. Although a neighboring Japanese position initially held out, its garrison withdrew on 2nd December after being cut off. The 33rd Brigade columns  crossed the Ngakyedauk Chaung and occupied the area from Ngakyedauk village to the ridge about 1.5 miles north-west of Sinohbyin village. By December3rd, they extended the area of operation to the hills overlooking Maungyithaung and Sinohbyin. The 89th Brigade, meanwhile, pushed forward down Tatmin Chaung and established forward positions on the hills south of the chaung, one mile west of Tatmingyaungywa. By mid-month, 7th Indian Division had reached the main enemy positions covering the Tunnels and Buthidaung, and the opening of the Ngakyedauk Pass to wheeled traffic in late December considerably eased resupply and allowed the divisional artillery to join the formation. However, both the Indian divisions were under orders not to get engaged in serious fighting with the Japanese, so the advance stopped there. It is also important to note, in November 1943,  Spitfires were deployed in Bengal for the first time. The 615th and 617th squadrons were based in Chittagong to protect the vital port and also to cover the Arakan. Within one month, the Spitfires destroyed four Japanese photographic reconnaissance aircraft. Previously, the Dinah's range, speed and height had enabled them to fly with impunity over the Allied forward bases and the Hurricanes were unable to catch them. The Japanese reacted by sending out fighter sweeps in order to test the Spitfires and whittle down Spitfire strength. However, by the end of December, the Japanese lost 22 aircraft, another 33 were damaged, and the Allied loss was only 13 aircraft. The greatest air battle occurred on the last day of 1943. On that day, No. 136 Squadron destroyed 12 and damaged 11 when a mixed force of Japanese fighters and bombers attempted to attack the light naval force along the Arakan Coast. The Japanese carried out one strategic attack when on 5 December 1943, 60 bombers and fighters, including some naval aircraft, in two waves bombed Calcutta. The Japanese lost two aircraft and another five were damaged. The three and a half squadrons of Hurricane fighters, including half a squadron of night fighters which were defending the area lost five aircraft and another six were damaged.  To the west the 5th Indian Division had also encountered stiffening resistance from Japanese outposts as it advanced southwards along the coastal plain towards Maungdaw, through the foothills further north and along the spine of the jungle-clad Mayu Mountains. They soon discovered that overcoming Japanese bunker defenses presented particular difficulties. As the division would report "The great difficulty in attacking Jap "hill top" positions lies in the concealment of the actual bunker or weapon pit' one brigade commander later wrote, and in the practical impossibility of deploying attacking troops in thick jungle, particularly where the approach runs along the top of a razor backed ridge.' In each case, patrols infiltrated between these localities isolated them from supplies and reinforcements with the result that Japanese normally gave up ground without a contest. A newsletter prepared by the HQ of 5th Indian Division reported: 'The only way to deal with the Jap def positions is by INFILTRATION. Recent experience has shown that the Jap has produced nothing new in def tactics... It is almost physically impossible in hilly and thick country to have every post covered by another, the posts can be eliminated piece- meal by infiltration tactics.' After the outline of the main Japanese defenses became apparent this approach was also increasingly applied at brigade level. At the end of December 1943, the 5th Indian Division held the area from the sea to the crest of the Mayu Peninsula and the 7th Indian Division moved into the Kalapanzin Valley. By the end of the month they reached Maungdaw. The advancing 5th Indian Division discovered that frontal assaults could not be completely avoided, however, when Japanese troops were determined to stay put. During this advance, the 161st Brigade moved to the high ground to the northeast of Bakkagona about five miles to the north of Razabil. On 30th December, 161st Indian Infantry Brigade assaulted Point 124, but the 4/7th Rajputs were held up by dense jungle and heavy mortar and machine fire and suffered heavy casualties. For six days assaults continued with the forward infantry regularly reaching the Japanese defenses before being driven off by showers of hand grenades and supporting machine-gun from every other enemy defensive position within range. Only after a 'policy of strangulation, starvation, and attrition was adopted', did its defenders withdraw. The 5th Indian Division immediately began probing the main Razabil defenses, while its 123rd Indian Infantry Brigade patrolled the western foothills of the Mayu Range and northern side of Razabil, particularly two hill positions dubbed Wrencat and Wrenkitten. To do so an indirect approach was again advocated by Major-General Harold Briggs in note on tactical policy issued on 4th January, stressing the importance of patrolling to identify positions held by the Japanese and infiltration to seize vital ground in their flanks or rear that would either provoke Japanese counterattacks or force a withdrawal. Meanwhile Stilwell arrived to Shingbwiyang on December 21st and assumed command of the Chinese forces in India. To relive the trapped battalion of the 112th regiment at Yupbang Ga, Stilwell and General Sun planned to send the entire 114th regiment to break the Japanese center at Yupang Ga to rescue the 112th, then hook north to envelope the northern fragment of the Japanese defensive line. On December 24th, they unleashed artillery and launched the infantry into the Japanese lines. The 114th regiment managed to envelop the Japanese right flank by the afternoon and soon a breakthrough emerged allowing for them to make contact with the 112th. Sun's men then surrounded the Japanese pocket during the night and would wipe them out the next morning. And thus the Chinese had gained their first victory at Yupbang Ha, though the Japanese still held the river crossing, so Stilwell began plans for another assault set after Christmas. On December 28th, Sun ordered 3 battalions to attack the north, while the 1st battalion, 112th regiment would sweep to the right, getting behind the 3 Japanese outer strongpoints. The chinese forces rapidly broke the Japanese outer defenses creating a breach while the 1st battalion, 114th regiment broke through the river defensive line. The Japanese tossed a large counterattack, but it would be repelled by the night time. Now Yupbang Ga was in allied hands as the surviving Japanese companies split into smaller groups trying to hold out for many days. With the fall of Yupbang Ga, the Japanese were forced to withdraw from Sharaw Ga as well, so elements of the 2rd battalion, 113th Regiment were be able to seize it by December 30. In the meantime, as the 22nd Division's 65th Regiment had been sent towards the Taro Plain to try and secure the southern flank, the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 114th Regiment had been sent south to cross the Tanai Hka at the Kantau ford in an effort to cut off the enemy withdrawal line. By the end of 1943, with the loss of 315 killed and 429 wounded, Sun's 38th Division had gained complete control of the Tarung Hka.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Things were deteriorating for the Japanese on New Britain as American Marines were seizing features and gradually pushing them into Borgan Bay. Within the CBI theater a ton of drama amongst the high commanders was surprisingly not resulting in disaster, as operations in Burma were kicking off with great results. Perhaps Burma could be saved.

Gary Krane reveals the contents of Professor Winslow's notes from his 1948 expedition to the Andaman Islands.

Last time we spoke about landings against Arawe, the continuation of the Bougainville campaign and some new action in the CBI theater. Despite a rubber boat disaster, the operation against Arawe went off successfully seeing another allied landing taking the Japanese by surprise. Now the Japanese would be forced yet again to launch a counter attack hoping to dislodge the allied forces from a new beachhead. Over on Bougainville the Marines performed some assaults against hills such as Hellzapoppin ridge to expand the perimeter enough so the Army boys would have an easier time of taking over. Over in the CBI theater, the onion man Wingate was given the task of expanding his chindits and the Americans wanted their very own chindit force. Stilwell decided the time was ripe to unleash a minor offensive in Burma and soon saw what looked like a weakened Japanese perimeter was in fact very strong. This episode is Drive on Sio Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  Last time we saw General Cunningham's men successfully landing at Arawe where they hoped to build a new PT boat base. Troop A was supposed to land an hour before the main landing to cut the coastal road near Umtingalu village and Troop B would land at Pilelo island to cover the main passage to the harbor. Troop A was a disaster. Their 15 rubber boats were met with 25 mm dual purpose guns that sank 12 boats, killed 12 men and wounded another 70. Troop B was more successful landing on Pilelo and capturing the radio station before engaging in a fire fight. For the main landing at House FIreman Beach, there was little resistance. Sporadic machine gun fire was silenced by rockets as the men landed. The Japanese tossed some air strikes to hit further landings and convoys, but allied CAP managed to limit the damage.  A few days after the landing, the Komori Detachment reached the village of Didmop along the Pulie River where they paused to reorganize and rally the incoming survivors fleeing the landing area. The difficult terrain and river crossings prevented Komori and his men from assembling into offensive positions until December 25th. Meanwhile back on the 18th, the 1st battalion, 141st regiment began an advance from the Itni region aboard 7 barges. Unfortunately for them, two LCVP's bearing 19 men on patrol had been sent by Cunningham to Cape Peiho. The two forces ran into another and after an exchange of gunfire the US soldiers abandoned their LCVP's and retreated back along the Arawe coast. Another patrol traveling by LCVP was also fired upon by Japanese barges near Umtingalu that same day, but was able to return to Cape Merkus. On Christmas night, 100 men of the Komori detachment assaulted the main line of defense across the neck of the peninsula. The inexperienced American cavalrymen of the 112th managed to repel, albeit with some difficulty. The attack prompted General Cunningham to believe Komori was in charge of the lead element of a much larger force, most likely enroute from Gasmata. He therefore requested reinforcements and General Krueger responded by dispatching a company of the 158th infantry by PT Boats. Meanwhile the lack of results from the attack prompted Komori to defer further attacks until the arrival of Major Tobuse's battalion. On the 27th, allied intelligence indicated the Japanese had retaken Meselia and Umtingalu, prompting Cunningham to withdraw all outposts and patrols within the main line of defense. The 2nd battalion, 158th regiment were sent to reinforce the beachhead while Komori and Tobuse finally made contact with another. The first order of business to contain the growing American perimeter. Both commanders believed the Americans sought to repair the unserviceable Lupin Aerodrome. 700 yards from the US line the Japanese established a series of alternate positions taking advantage of the terrain and concealment making it difficult to spot. Cunningham would remark "This is not an organized position in the accepted sense of the word, it consists apparently of shallow trenches and deep fox holes… The ground is covered with a thick green mat about 12 to 18 inches in depth which makes observation absolutely impossible… Officers and men… report that they have not seen a single Japanese and that they are unable to locate machine guns firing on them from a distance of 10 to 20 yards.” From these positions the Japanese harassed the Americans using mortar and automatic weapons fire. Whenever the Americans tried to pinpoint where the fire was coming from the Japanese would simply switch positions to another. Within these parameters only limited skirmishing was carried out for the next few days.  On January 4th, Komori reported repulsing a strong American and two days later received his first citation from Emperor Hirohito for his heroic achievement. Meanwhile a much frustrated Cunningham began sending reports to Krueger he could not spot the enemy and was convinced continued attacks would simply result in further casualties. By January the 9th he reported 75 dead, 57 wounded and 14 missing. He requested Kreuger send him some tanks and on the 9th he received the 1st marine division's 1st tank battalion from Finschhafen. The 1st Tank Battalion had been left behind at Finschhafen because of transportation shortage and limited range for tank operations in the inhospitable terrain of the Cape Gloucester region. Eventually Rupertus would also release the rest of the tank company then in reserve at Cape Gloucester to help out. The Marine tanks and Army infantry quickly worked out the details of how they would go about combined operations. The morning of January 16th kicked off with a squadron of B-24's followed by another of B-25s bombing the Japanese positions. This was followed up by artillery and mortars and then two 5 tank platoons began their assault against a 500 yard front. Behind the tanks were infantry of the 158th and despite the swampy terrain and thick vegetation, the tank-infantry stormed forward. The Japanese resisted ferociously, grounding two tanks that had to be destroyed lest the Japanese seize them later. The Americans destroyed the enemy's positions, crushing numerous automatic weapons and a 75mm mountain gun. But the Americans had no orders to hold any positions, so they destroyed and pulled back to their perimeter for the night. The following morning the Americans resumed the attacks with flamethrowers eliminating small pockets of resistance still remaining. Komori still obsessed with defending Lupin aerodrome to the last man ordered a withdrawal, but not before radioing to the brigade HQ "fight till the glorious end to defend the airfield" which earned him a second Imperial citation on February 7. During these actions the Americans suffered 20 dead, 40 wounded and two tanks. For Komori's men they had 116 dead and 117 wounded. For the next 3 weeks the fighting would deteriorate into a matter of patrol skirmishes, with Komori triumphantly reported back to HQ how the airfield was still in Japanese hands. The reality however was the Japanese were heavily outnumbered and lost control of the air and sea. How many men Komori commanded remains difficult to figure out as no documents were captured after the operation. It appears unlikely there were more than 1000 under his command. Early in the operation the Japanese were supplied by airdrop, often during daylight in view of the Americans. Yet as the Americans tightened their grip over the sea and air more, Komori became increasingly dependent on the trickle of supplies coming over the tortuous trail from Iboki. Carrying and distributing these supplies imposed still more of a drain on his manpower, and he withdrew his headquarters to Didmop to give more attention to this phase, leaving direct defense of the airfield to Major Tobuse. Yet that is all for Arawe for today, because we need to travel back over to New Guinea. Wareo had fallen and now the Australians were advancing upon Fortification Point as General Katagiri's 20th division were retreating towards the northern coast. The 20th division would arrive at Zagaheme and Orarako on the 22nd and 25th respectively. With these movements occurring the Australians now felt the time was ripe to launch an offensive against Sio. On December 20th, General Wootten ordered the 20th brigade to advance through the 4th brigade's positions and begin a rapid pursuit towards Sio. The next day, Brigadier Windeyer had his men advance towards Wandokai while Wootten was reorganizing his forces to allow the coastal advance to continue. Meanwhile the 24th brigade took over the Gusika-Wario-Sattelberg area; the 4th brigade took over the Fortification Point-Masaweng River area; the 26th brigade advance down the coast and would be ferried to the mouth of the Masaweng to support Windeyer's advance. The Australians enjoyed the advantage of aerial support in the form of Bostons, Mitchells, Marauders, Airacobras and Thunderbolts who continuously hammered the Japanese with bombs and strafing runs. Alongside this allied PT boats harassed the Japanese barge fleet, between the 9th and 13th they would sink 23 barges along the coast, mostly south of Sio. Despite the air and sea support the overland advances were particularly rough on the men. From fortification point to Kapugara gorge the coastal track ran along a flat kunai ledge some hundred yards wide, between the sea on each side with sharp coral terraces. They had little cover along the line of the advance. There were also few natives inhabiting the area. The men of the 20th brigade were not in great condition when they began the pursuit. They were stricken with malaria and Colonel Simpson anticipated the enemy might hit their left flank so he dispatched two companies to travel parallel with the main coastal advance and those guys had some even rougher terrain to travel. There was little water to be had along the coast and the long kunai fields increased the heat exponentially. The men occupied Hubika on the 22nd without opposition. The allied engineers would find the gorge beyond Hubika would prevent any progress by the tanks, so the troops would have to proceed without their support. By nightfall the 2/13th battalion would advance another 3000 yards facing no opposition. They got around 1500 yards past Wandokai when suddenly mortar and artillery fire rained down upon them. This was Captain Yoshikawa's 1st battalion, 80th regiment who unleashed a bombardment for 2 hours upon the advancing Australians. Though it appeared like there was a major fight on their hands, it was only rearguard actions. Yoshikawa and his men were retreating towards Ago that night.  Christmas would see Windeyer receive the gift of further artillery reinforcements for his advance. The 62nd battery and 2/12th field regiment came over and on Boxing day Colonel Miyake would decide to abandon Ago and continue the retreat towards Kanomi. On the night of the 26th a company from a boat battalion of the 592nd EBSR, alongside an Australian radar detachment landed on Long Island. This was Operation Sanatogen, the mission was to set up a radar station and observation post on Long Island to help with the landing at Saidor and thwart Japanese barge movements. The Japanese had never placed a garrison on Long Island, but it was used as a staging point for barges moving between Rabaul and Wewak.  At 9am on the 27th, 18 Mitchells and 12 Bostons bombed and strafed the Walingai and Kanomi areas before Windeyers resumed his advance. The 2/13th advanced through Ago and occupied Walingai unopposed by the end of the day. The next day saw Australian patrols running into Japanese positions around Kanomi. At 11:15am a patrol of the 2/13th was fording a creek when they were fired upon. The patrol saw at least 14 Japanese retreating north around Blucher Point as they fired vicker guns and mortars upon them. During the afternoon the allied began a heavy artillery bombardment. The speed at which the Australians were advancing was providing results as the Japanese were forced to further withdraw towards Kalasa. Yet the Australians were stretching their logistical lines forcing Wootten to halt the forward units for 2 days. The two day delay allowed General Katagiri to get his men past Kalasa and reach Sio without any hindrance. On new years eve the 2/15th resumed their advance finding slight resistance around Nanda. At 5:30pm the 2/15th were fired upon by a few bands of Japanese and responded with artillery fire forcing them away. To avoid unnecessary casualties the Australians halted at the last creek before Nanda and resumed the march on new years day. The 2/15th then passed through Kwamkwam and captured Sialum Island during the afternoon of the 2nd. Sialum lies around half way between Fortification Point and Sio and it afforded the Australians a decent area to build a large supply dump on its sheltered. Yet the advance to Sio was not the only one going on, on New Guinea.   Since the battle of John's Koll and Trevor's Ridge, General Nakai's detachment were forced to withdraw farther back into the hills. The Nakai detachment were now clinging to Shaggy Ridge the Kankirei Saddle and the area between the Faria River, Madang and Bogadjim. At Kankirei, Nakai dispatched Captain Ohata Masahiko's 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion, 26th Field Artillery Regiment. General Nakai told Ohata that ‘the enemy is extremely sensitive to the use of artillery fire arms so that the artillerymen are expected to cooperate closely with the infantry men until the very end”.Ohata recalled “I realized what was expected from our commander, and he also said please take good care of your life. It took more than twenty years to train one artillery officer, but a gun is only material. We can replace the gun, but not an artilleryman.' There is a very reasonable explanation for Nakai's order. The IJA artillery field manual indicated their field guns were more valuable than artillerymen. In article 10 it said ‘The gun is the life of the Artillery. Therefore, the Artilleryman must live and die with the gun, and share the honor and shame together with the guns. One must continue to fight until the end'. Nakai at this time prohibited suicide and it seems was trying to save the lives of his artillerymen, lest they die for the sake of their guns. The main Japanese position was at Shaggy Ridge, a 4 mile long spur dotted by several rocky outcrops where the Japanese troops established numerous strong points. From the Pimple, a large rocky peak rising around half way along the crest of Shaggy ridge, the Japanese found it extremely sturdy to defend. The feature often saw a mist envelope it adding to its defensive capabilities.  As the Japanese clung to their heights, the Australians were busy developing their new main base at Dumpu. Airstrips, roads, bridge, culverts and numerous buildings were being worked on and with the recent acquisition of the Ramu valley they were also building a forward air base at Gusap. The only major offensive against Shaggy Ridge came in late October.  In accordance with Vasey's advice, Brigadier Dougherty prepared to attack the southernmost peak of Shaggy Ridge on the 20th. For three days from the 17th Dougherty's patrols crept as near as they could, and early on the 20th, Captain Whyte the F.O.O. of the 54th Battery, directed the fire of his guns on to the Japanese position.  At midday forward units reported that they were within five yards of a four-strand barbed-wire fence; the Japanese position on a kunai covered Pinnacle was about 30 yards away. Between the enemy position and his men, there was a steep gully about 100 feet deep with precipitous slopes on both flanks . The Japanese hand cut fire lanes through the kunai and were dug in and heavily bunkered from the cliff face. Through the clever use of artillery fire, the Australians tricked the Japanese into retiring temporarily to gain shelter. The artillerymen varied the rate of fire so it was never the same, while platoons stormed specific ridges, gaining ground without casualties.To defend his western flank, General Vasey dispatched  the 2/7th to Kesawai 1 and the 2/6th to Kesawai 2. Yet the role of the 7th division for the time being was really limited to patrol activities. On 23rd October a section of the 2/2nd Commando Squadron led by Lieutenant Doig crossed the Ramu and moved up the Urigina Track next day, seeking a way east to the Mataloi-Orgoruna area. Lt Doig entered this new territory on the 25th and by 9 a.m. trees across the track near Orgoruna suggested that the Japanese might be in possession. Between 25th and 31st October Captain Haydon's company of the 2/25th Battalion tried to reach the Japanese track between Paipa and Kankirei. After moving up the Evapia River and then through rugged unmapped country for 4 days the patrol leader was forced to return as he realized that it would be impossible for him to reach his objective without further rations. On the 29th the 2/7th Commando Squadron, an engineer, Captain Gossip of the 2/6th Field Company, and two others left to patrol a road from the Ramu Valley across the Finisterre Ranges towards the Japanese road. This patrol returned on 1st November reporting that there was no possibility of making a road from the Kesawai area towards the Japanese roadhead.  Lieutenant Maxwell of the 2/6th Commando Squadron, performed a three-day reconnaissance towards Yokopi , walked right into an enemy defensive position on the first day out, saw five Japanese looking at him from about 20 yards away, and retired before they could fire at him.  Sergeant Berrell of the Papuan Battalion led his section, three men from the 21st Brigade, and 50 native carriers on a 13 days' patrol into the ranges to patrol enemy movement in the Kankirei area. He returned on 11th November without having found a worthwhile observation post near Kankirei. On the 20th October MacAdie sent a patrol from the 2/2nd Squadron to Josephstaal to find out whether the Japanese were there, and whether a strip could be constructed. Accompanied by Sergeant-Major England of Angau, Lieutenant Green's small patrol of five troopers, 32 native carriers and five police boys left for Sepu where it remained until setting out on the main journey on 3rd November. The route chosen by Green and England did not follow the known native tracks as the Australians wished to avoid any contact with Japanese patrols. The journey would take nine days. Over at Atemble, where the Japanese were known to be in some strength, was bypassed and, although there were tracks of Japanese horsemen at Sambanga and reports from natives that the Japanese did occasionally patrol the area between Atemble and Josephstaal and Madang, there were no encounters. On 13th November Green arrived at Josephstaal, which was not occupied and which had only been visited occasionally by small enemy patrols in recent months. The patrol returned to base on 26th November.    On December 2nd a patrol of 42 men from the 2/33rd Battalion led by Lieutenant Scotts set out, urged on by Eather's hope that it would be able to blaze a track into the heart of the Japanese defenses at Kankirei from the west and get a prisoner. Moving up the Mene River Valley and across the 5500 Feature, Scott established a base on a steep ridge. The next day he moved down a spur to some native huts where the dense jungle was replaced by kunai and then crossed into another spur, where they established an observation post. Meanwhile a patrol from the 2/2nd Pioneer Battalion was attempting to observe the Kankirei Saddle area from the east. On the 7th Lieutenant White led out eight Pioneers, two Angau warrant-officers and 20 natives from Bob's Post following the Japanese Mule Track north to Toms' Post. Next day the patrol moved on along a well-surveyed track, and, about 1,500 yards beyond Toms' Post, saw a strong enemy position ahead on a high feature astride the track. On the 9th and the morning of the 10th White tried to work round to the north of the enemy position to carry out his original task, but dwindling rations, heavy rain, and rugged country forced his return to the track. Accompanied by two men White then advanced along the track but after 20 minutes he came under heavy fire. The three men ran back down the hill which they had been climbing but White was hit by machine-gun fire and fell. All of these patrol actions helped prevent the Japanese from penetrating south and figured out generally where the Japanese were in numbers. On November 9th Vasey relieved the 21st brigade at the front with the 25th brigade. Along with this the 2/6th commando squadron and a Papuan company were sent to reinforce the front while the 2/7th command squadron was withdrawn. And with that, after nearly 10 months since Lt Rooke and his platoon of the 2/7th battalion had arrived on the airstrip at Bena, the Bena Force ceased to exist. They had 12 deaths, 16 wounded and 5 men missing but claimed to have killed over 230 Japanese. They helped build the Garoka airfield; over 78 miles of motor transport road between Bena and Garoka, Sigoiya, Asaloka and Kainantu and produced maps of completely unknown areas In his final report MacAdie wrote: “The force fulfilled its task. Every enemy patrol which crossed the Ramu River was driven back with casualties, and very determined enemy attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties. In addition the enemy lost many men in ambushes on tracks north of the Ramu River... There is no doubt that the enemy regarded this force as a menace to his flank, and little doubt that the size of the force was grossly overestimated.” Now the 2/2nd Commando Squadron would assume the responsibility for the defense of the Bena-Garoka area. November would see the start of an intense hide and seek artillery duel. The Australian artillery was attempting to neutralize the Japanese 75mm guns. Captain Ohata's had placed two gun emplacements on the outskirts of Shaggy ridge in a position that protected the ridgeline in the front. The first emplacement were not entirely concealed and thus quickly became a target. Fortunately the guns survived as the Australian fire hit their shields mostly. Captain Ohata thought he could conceal their muzzle flashes by firing lower. The second gun emplacement was completely covered by shelter yet Ohata would remark ‘However the footsteps of the soldiers who were coming in from the behind the position were spotted by the search airplane. We were indeed astonished by their way of finding the gun position.' By the end of November General Nakai was preparing to hit Kesawai and counterattack towards Dumpu. In early December patrols from the 2/16th were probing Shaggy Ridge. Vasey intended to perform a diversion to attract the Japanese attention away from other pending operations in New Guinea and New Britain. An idea was floated around to have Brigadier Dougherty raid Kankirei, but that's it for New Guinea as major events were unfolding for the CBI theater. Over in Tokyo, on November 5th and 6th the Greater East Asia Conference was being held. Attendees included Hideki Tojo for Japan, Zhang Jinghui for Manchukuo, Wang Jingwei for the Republic of China based in Nanjing, Ba Maw for Burma, Subhas Chandra Bose for Free India, Jose P Laurel for the Philippines and Wan Waithayakon for Thailand. Notable exclusions would be that of Korea and Taiwan, whom the Japanese had annexed and did not want to give any political autonomy to. There was also Vietnam and Cambodia who were not invited so as to not offend the Vichy French government who was still claiming French Indochina to be under their rule. There was also Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, but Japan figured they would be simply annexing these regions as their natural resources were now the lifeblood of the empire. Of the attendee's, Suhas Chandra Bose was only present as an observer as India was still a British colony and the representative of Thailand under strict orders from Plaek Phibunsongkhram was to emphasize on every possible occasion that Thailand was not under Japanese domination, but in fact an allied nation. You might be asking why did Plaek Phibunsongkhram not attend such a grand event himself, well he actually feared if he were to leave Bangkok he would be ousted.  Hideki Tojo made a grand speech, greeting each of the participants and praising the spiritual essence of Asia in opposition to the materialistic civilization of the west. To give you a taste of this meeting here are some of the dialogue amongst participants. Tōjō Hideki stated in his speech: "It is an incontrovertible fact that the nations of Greater East Asia are bound in every respect by ties of an inseparable relationship". Ba Maw of Burma stated: "My Asian blood has always called out to other Asians… This is not the time to think with other minds, this is the time to think with our blood, and this thinking has brought me from Burma to Japan." Jose Laurel of the Philippines in his speech claimed that "the time has come for the Filipinos to disregard Anglo-Saxon civilization and its enervating influence… and to recapture their charm and original virtues as an Oriental people." Subhas Chandra Bose of India declared: "If our Allies were to go down, there will be no hope for India to be free for at least 100 years".   Overall the meeting was characterized by praise of solidarity and condemnation of western imperialism, but in terms of how Asia was going to come together and economic development and such, there really was no meat to any of it. Tojo simply kept reiterating how great Pan-Asianism was against the evils of the white devils. Yet for all the talk of asian unity, the Japanese governments actions were anything but that. The Japanese viewed themselves as racially superior to that of the other asian nations. They saw themselves as the Great Yamato Race and that they were destined to rule over the other asian peoples, similar to a father and son relationship. To actually go off the script so to say, I happen to have covered this topic extremely thoroughly in a 4 part series I did on my patreon about General Ishiwara Kanji. You see, Hideki Tojo's main military/political rival was Ishiwara Kanji, and all of the greater east asian stuff was literally stolen from Ishiwara.   Ishiwara, for those unfamiliar, is someone I believe had an unprecedented impact on global history. Ishiwara pretty much single handedly began WW2 I would argue. He was a very bizarre figure who came to the realization after WW1 that the entire world would be engulfed in what he called “the final war”. To prepare Japan against this apocalypse he believed Japan had to seize Manchuria for her resources, to empower the empire so it could face the United States. He also believed it was absolutely necessary to ally with China and that everything needed to be done to create a harmony between the two peoples. Ironically after Ishiwara caused the invasion of Manchuria, it all in his view got out of hand and he was tossed aside by people like Tojo. He spent the entire war openly criticizing Tojo and the policies of Japan while trying to create this Pan-Asian league, and Tojo simply copied what he was doing, gave it a different name and made sure to eliminate the elements about allying with China and stopping the war with her. Ishiwara is a fascinating figure and to be honest I was so happy with the 4 part series I told on my patreon I might be releasing it on my Youtube channel and on my personal podcast server soon.   Now back to the conference, in the words of Indian Historian Panjaj Mishara  “the Japanese had revealed how deep the roots of anti-Westernism went and how quickly Asians could seize power from their European tormentors”. Tokyo hoped that a major demonstration of Pan-Asianism would lead China to broker peace with Japan and thus join them in a war against the west. A major theme of the conference was that Chiang Kai-Shek was not a proper asian and that no Asian would ally themselves to the white devils. As you can imagine the speeches made by Tojo emphasized how evil Britain and the United states were, yet at the same time praised Nazi Germany. Here are parts of Tojo's speech.   “The need of upholding international justice and of guaranteeing world peace is habitually stressed by America and Britain. They mean thereby no more and no less than the preservation of a world order of their own, based upon division and conflict in Europe and upon the perpetuation of their colonial exploitation of Asia. They sought to realize their inordinate ambition in Asia through political aggression and economic exploitation; they brought on conflict among the various peoples; they tried to destroy their racial integrity under the fair name of education and culture. Thus, they have to this day threatened constantly the existence of the nations and people of Asia, disturbed their stability, and suppressed their natural and proper development. It is because of their notion to regard East Asia as a colony that they harp upon the principles of the open door and equal opportunity simply as a convenient means of pursuing their sinister designs of aggression. While constantly keeping their own territories closed to us, the peoples of Asia, thus denying us the equality of opportunities and impeding our trade, they sought solely their own prosperity. The Anglo-American ambition of world hegemony is indeed a scourge of mankind and the root of the world's evils.”   “As regards the situation in Europe, we are very glad that our ally, Germany, has still further solidified her national unity and, with conviction in modern times. As regards the situation in Europe, we are very glad that our ally, Germany, has still further solidified her national unity and, with conviction in sure victory, is advancing to crush the United States and Britain and to construct a new Europe. The War of Greater East Asia is truly a war to destroy evil and to make justice manifest. Ours is a righteous cause. Justice knows no enemy and we are fully convinced greater of our ultimate victory.”   Meanwhile the allies held the Sextant Conference in Cairo between November 22-26th. This conference established China's status as one of the four world powers, kind of a cheeky jab at Japan and a means to sway Chiang Kai-Shek from surrendering. At the conference plans were made for an offensive in Burma codenamed Operation Champion with sub operations Tarzan and Buccaneer. Lord Mountbatten presented  three plans of action. First Operation Tarzan called for 4 Indian divisions of the British 14th army group's 15th army  to concentrate their forces in Chittagong and cross the Maungdaw-Buthidaung line in mid-January. The next year they would capture the Burmese coast in order to defend Chittagong and occupy Sittwe on the Burmese coast. Then three divisions of the 4th Army, would assemble at Imphal and move east with the objective of destroying Japanese lines of communication and advancing to Arak and various parts of Sidon in northern Burma. In March, the Chindits long-range infiltration force would be parachuted into Burma, behind the Japanese lines while the Chinese Expeditionary Force (CEF) in India would cross the Ho Kang Valley and advance eastward into Myitkyina. The Chindit special forces would then support the Chinese forces and occupy Bhamo in April, while the Yunnan Army would begin operations on March 15 and advance to Lashio in April to join the British forces at Lashio and Bhamo. In the Bay of Bengal, a massive amphibious offensive would also be launched, with 3,000 British and American long-range infiltration troops participating.   Operation Musket would see the capture of Cape Sumatra and Operation Buccaneer was to be an amphibious operation to seize the Andaman Islands in order to cut off the Japanese supply lines. Chiang kai-shek expressed support for Tarzan, but once again insisted for it to be coupled with a massive naval operation in the Bay of Bengal. Though the British were reluctant to do this, US pressure eventually convinced them to land on the Andamans. The Chiefs of Staff then agreed to drive Japan out of Burma and reopen land links with China, with Stilwell conducting the ground attack in the north and Mountbatten commanding the amphibious landings in the south.    The American delegation told Chiang kai-shek that for the following six months, only 8900 tons of supplies could be flown to China via the Hump route each month, even though Chiang continuously pushed for 10000 tons. In the end, President Roosevelt promised to increase the airlift supply to China to 12000 tons, and also promised that B-29 Superfortress bombers would bomb Japan from Chinese bases. By the way if you are interested in the beginnings of the bombing campaigns against the Japanese home islands, please check out the podcast I did with Dave from the cold war channel over on my youtube channel. It is actually B-29's operating in India and China that kicked it all off, and its not often talked about.    Many of the resolutions and promises, would not be really implemented. Politically, many arrangements were also made for the postwar international situation. Roosevelt and Churchill supported the territorial claims of the Republic of China, such as returning Taiwan and Manchuria to the Republic of China and deciding to allow Korea to become independent "in due course". The Cairo Declaration, however, made no specific mention of the future of the Ryukyu Islands. China of course wanted them, but the US believed that the Ryukyu Islands could be left to Japan after the war if they were completely demilitarized. It was also agreed between China and the US that Lushun would be used as a public military port for the Americans after the war, and that Dalian would become a free port. Roosevelt also consulted Chiang kai-shek on the possibility of the abolition of the Japanese imperial system along with the emperor, Hirohito, but Chiang kai-shek mentioned that the cause of the war was the Japanese warlords, and that the issue could be left to the Japanese people to decide for themselves after the war. The Americans did not want France to return to Indochina and offered Chiang kai-shek control of French Indochina; but he publicly declined, as Chiang kai-shek strongly advocated the independence of Korea and wanted to assist in the independence of Vietnam. Roosevelt firmly supported Chiang kai-sheks efforts to end imperialism in East Asia. To end the conference off, on December 1, the Allies issued the Cairo Declaration, demanding Japan's unconditional surrender and the return of all occupied lands.    I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. And so the drive to Sio was raging on, the Japanese were not being given a moment to breathe as they continued their withdrawal further north. Back over in Japan, Tojo was trying to win over China, but the allies were making sure to keep Chiang Kai-shek firmly in the fold in a 4d game of global chess.

Meet Darran, a seasoned fishing maestro and charter guide nestled in the enchanting Andaman Islands. Hailing from the farthest reaches, Darran brings a treasure trove of wisdom on reeling in what we term exotic fish, yet he deems them routine bounties of the sea. Join us as we dive into a fascinating discourse with Darran, exploring distinct techniques and diverse aspirations that define the life of a guide in this far-flung corner of the globe. Gain insights into the artistry of angling, unravel the mysteries of the deep, and traverse across oceans to glean a unique perspective on the world of fishing.

Why does it seem like civilisations - sometimes great distances apart - made similar discoveries at almost exactly the same time? Whether it's the invention of the wheel, agriculture or early forms of writing, there seem to be parallels everywhere you look. Does it provide evidence for a kind of cultural clock that moves civilisations towards a converged form of progress? In this week's podcast, we discuss ancient civilisations and progress. We take a closer look at convergent evolution, the Andaman Islands, Fermi paradox, AI, aliens and the Arecibo message and ponder if globalisation ended this phenomenon. Finally, we share our favourite moments of contact between different civilisations. A few things we mentioned in this podcast: - The Aztecs - A Clash of Worlds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8JVdpWCKeM - Sid Meier's Civilization Advances Chart https://forums.civfanatics.com/attachments/civ1tech-png.458650/ - Cradle of Civilization https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_civilization - Neuroscience, Evolution and the Sapient Paradox: The Factuality of Value and of the Sacred https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2606703/pdf/rstb20080010.pdf - Aztec Technology https://aztecsandtenochtitlan.com/aztec-civilisation/aztec-technology/ For more information on Aleph Insights visit our website https://alephinsights.com or to get in touch about our podcast email podcast@alephinsights.com

Climate finance and technology is one of India's priorities as part of its ongoing G20 presidency. Financing the climate transition of developing countries and the Global South is a complex but critical issue, as is the development, transfer, and sharing of critical climate technologies. What should India's climate finance and technology strategy be? What role will the various pools of capital—private, public, philanthropic, impact, and multilateral development banks—play in mobilizing the necessary climate financial support for this transition? Will the new World Bank president, Ajay Banga, succeed in leveraging private capital for climate and ultimately make the Bank fit for purpose for the coming decades? Which areas of climate technology should India prioritize? Will India's EV, solar, green hydrogen, and biofuels push suffice to position it as a climate leader? What lessons can India learn from the journeys, strategies, and priorities of other countries?In this episode of Interpreting India, Varad Pande joins Anirudh Suri to discuss these key issues around India's climate finance and technology strategy.--Episode ContributorsVarad Pande is a partner at BCG. Formerly, he was a partner with Omidyar Network India.Anirudh Suri is a nonresident scholar with Carnegie India. His interests lie at the intersection of technology and geopolitics, climate, and strategic affairs.--Additional ReadingA Comprehensive Framework for India's Climate Finance Strategy by Anirudh SuriThe Case for a Comprehensive Indian Climate Bill by Anirudh SuriWhy Banga  Being a Corporate Czar is Good for World Bank: Activists Are Wrong Because ex-Mastercard Boss Can Mobilise Climate Finance by Tapping Private Sector Capital by Anirudh Suri--

It's official! I am a certified open water diver! After what was an insane week in the Andaman Islands, I'm here to give my insights about what it was like to go through the basic open water diver course. Everything from equipment, to fitness levels to how I felt after each dive. Much love and appreciation to the team at Gypsy Divers in Havelock Island for making this a memorable experience. I am positive that I'll be back in the water very very soon. Like, share and comment. Find us on our Instagram page for more… https://instagram.com/thetwobrospodcast?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Madhuri Ramesh is a faculty member at the School of Development at Azim Premji University. Madhuri has worked in deserts, rainforests, coasts and islands, she's a herpetologist who turned to political ecology for her PhD and later work. Her research in the Andaman Islands focuses on nature-society relations, and the consequences of these negotiations for conservation and sustainability.

In this episode, Susan Mathews speaks to Dr Kartik Shanker, who was inspired to begin a career in ecology by an ancient reptile, a sea turtle that crawled ashore late one night in Madras (now Chennai). As faculty at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, his focus is the ecology and evolution of frogs, reptiles, birds, plants, and marine fauna. His group works on evolutionary biogeography of different taxa, and on the ecology and behaviour of mixed species groups of birds and reef fish. He has recently initiated work on sharks and rays off the Indian coast, and on reef associated organisms in the Andaman Islands. In a wide-ranging conversation, we talked about how he started off with evolutionary ecology around three decades ago, through sea turtle walks which continue till date. We discussed conservation in India, the often exclusionary and elitist ways in which programmes and schemes are rolled out, the differences between terrestrial and marine paradigms, and the importance of working with local communities. Shanker spoke of his love of writing, both fiction and non-fiction and the research and collegiality at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, the joy it gives him, and the sea change ethos of the work they do at the Dakshin Foundation. He also talks about the new book he is working on in the area of paleobiogeography. The Subverse is the podcast of Dark ‘n' Light, a digital space that chronicles the times we live in and reimagining futures with a focus on science, nature, social justice and culture. Follow us on social media @darknlightzine, or at darknlight.com for episode details and show notes.  

Have you heard of the indigenous Sentinelese people of the Andaman Islands? They are one of the few remaining "uncontacted" tribes living off the coast of India. Join host Sandeep Parikh and learn about the incredible story of Dr. Madhumala Chattopadhyay, an Indian anthropologist who ventured on a friendly visit to the Sentinelese in 1991. What happened? Let's go find out! About the Host Sandeep Parikh is an American writer, director, actor born to Indian immigrants. He is the founder of Effin Funny Productions, a content company focusing on alternative stand-up comedy. About Honest History Honest History creates award-winning books, magazines, and this show for young historians across the world. Our mission is to inspire kids to create a positive impact on history themselves. Learn more at honesthistory.co and @honesthistory. Credits This episode was written by Heidi Coburn and produced by Randall Lawrence. Original theme music was written and recorded by Luke Messimer. More Enjoy this episode? Share with your friends and don't forget to rate and review. See you next time!

Aamina Ahmad, Uzma Aslam Khan, NoViolet Bulawayo, Lance Knobel Three supremely talented writers with a global perspective will open our eyes to historical and contemporary cycles of oppression and resistance. Booker Prize finalist NoViolet Bulawayo (“We Need New Names,” “Glory”) has constructed a postcolonial fable in which animals stand in for humans. Uzma Aslam Khan's “The Miraculous History of Nomi Ali” is set in the Andaman Islands during the Japanese occupation of WWII. And Aamina Amhad (“The Return of Faraz Ali”) explores the social labyrinths of Lahore through the eyes of a displaced man.

Ep 99 OverviewIn Episode 99, Chris answers a listener question regarding the ss Rotterdam, the fifth Holland America Line ship to bear the name of its home city, now a floating hotel and museum in Rotterdam. PLUS we round out the show with the latest news from Cunard, Holland America Line, Carnival, Ponant, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Fred. Olsen and Quark Expeditions.Support the showListen, Like, Subscribe & Review on your favourite podcast directory.Share the podcast with someone you think will enjoy the showBuy Me A Coffee – This podcast is only possible thanks to our supporters, simply buying a coffee keeps us on air. It is just like shouting your mate a coffee, and we consider our listeners close mates. https://bit.ly/2T2FYGXSustainable Fashion – choose a TBCP design or design your own… all using organic cotton, green energy and zero plastic https://bit.ly/32G7RdhListener QuestionsSteve in Auckland asks Chris about the ss Rotterdam (5th Rotterdam ship for Holland America Line), asking if she is now a hotel in Rotterdam?  ss Rotterdam, Rotterdam: https://ssrotterdam.com/Hotel New York, Rotterdam: https://hotelnewyork.com/hotel-new-york/history/Image Credit: ss Rotterdam. Wikimedia, cc-by-2.0Cruise NewsThree queens in OzCunard has revealed that all three of its Queens will be visiting Australia during its newly unveiled 2023/24 itineraries.The bulk of local sailings will be undertaken by Queen Elizabeth, which will homeport Down Under for 105 days between 27 Nov 2023 and 10 Mar 2024. Elizabeth's highlights will include a series of short roundtrip voyages from Melbourne and Sydney, new Queensland voyages from Sydney to Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Cairns and Port Douglas, as well as an inaugural South Pacific voyage from Sydney.Meanwhile Queen Mary 2 will stop by Australia during its 108-day World Voyage on 17 Feb 2024, while Queen Victoria will do similarly on her global voyage, calling in Sydney on 03 Mar 2024.Queen Elizabeth's 105-day homeport season Down UnderExtended explorations of Australia and New Zealand await guests sailing on Queen Elizabeth in 2023 and 2024. The luxurious ship is starting her Australian residency with a 6-night voyage from Fremantle on 27 November 2023 before embarking on a series of short break and roundtrip voyages from Melbourne and Sydney totalling 47 ports of call. Some of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth's season include an all-new 10-night exploration of Queensland's incredibly magnificent coast and islands, the ship's inaugural 14-night roundtrip calling into exotic ports of the South Pacific, and Cunard's highly sought-after Christmas and New Year voyage to New Zealand. Queen Elizabeth then departs Sydney en-route to Japan on 10 March 2024 finishing her 105-day homeport season Down Under.Season highlights:All new Queensland voyages from Sydney to Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Cairns and Port DouglasInaugural South Pacific roundtrip voyage from Sydney, including Isles of Pines (New Caledonia), Lautoka (Fiji), Suva (Fiji), Port Vila (Vanuatu), Luganville (Vanuatu), Noumea (New Caledonia)Queen Elizabeth's popular Christmas Voyage to New Zealand spending NYE in AucklandExploration of the Sapphire Coast with a port call in EdenOvernight port calls in Hobart, Wellington and AucklandQueen Anne's maiden voyageQueen Anne is scheduled to call at more than 32 ports across the world during her maiden season, all sailing out of Southampton. Following her maiden voyage to the enchanting city of Lisbon, the newest Queen will embark on a collection of enticing sailings in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Northern Europe as well as an Eastbound Transatlantic Crossing.Holland America Line Adds a Season of New Cruises to AustraliaIn anticipation of the ports in Australia and New Zealand fully welcoming cruise ships back to their shores, Holland America Line opened bookings for a season of new itineraries aboard Westerdam starting in fall 2022. The new voyages, offered from Sept. 25, 2022, through March 13, 2023, explore Australia's rich culture, the lush landscapes of New Zealand and the enchanting history and culture of Southeast Asia. Two new cruises conclude the Alaska season and reposition the ship Down Under from North America. Itineraries in Australia and New Zealand sail roundtrip from Sydney, Australia, or between Sydney and Auckland, New Zealand, and include scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park. A special Holiday Cruise departing Dec. 20 celebrates the New Year exploring New Zealand.Highlights of the new itineraries:Nov. 8: 15 days, roundtrip from Sydney. Ports include Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton (Christchurch), Kaikoura, Wellington, Napier, Gisborne, Tauranga (Rotorua), Auckland and Waitangi, all in New Zealand, with scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.Nov. 23: 13 days, roundtrip from Sydney. Ports include Eden, Port Arthur, Hobart (overnight), Adelaide (overnight), Penneshaw, Melbourne and Phillip Island, all in Australia.Dec. 6: 14 days, Sydney to Auckland. Australian ports include Melbourne and Hobart; New Zealand ports include Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Lyttelton (Christchurch), Kaikoura, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga (Rotorua), with scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.Dec. 20 Holiday Cruise: 14 days, Auckland to Sydney. Ports include Tauranga (Rotorua), Napier, Kaikoura, Lyttelton (Christchurch), Port Chalmers (Dunedin), Hobart and Melbourne, with scenic cruising in Fiordland National Park.Jan. 3: 16 days, Sydney to Singapore. Ports include Newcastle, Airlie Beach, Cairns and Darwin, Australia; Komodo Island, home to the infamous Komodo Dragon; and Lembar, Lombok, and Benoa, Bali, both in Indonesia. A highlight of this voyage is two days spent scenic cruising in Australia's Great Barrier Reef where guests can marvel in the coral cays and sun-soaked islands above the surface, along with the thousands of reef systems below water.Feb. 3: 11 days, roundtrip Singapore. Ports include Phuket, Thailand (overnight); Port Blair, Andaman Islands, India; and the Malaysian ports of Porto Malai, Langkawi; Georgetown, Penang; Malacca and Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur).Feb. 14: 13 days, roundtrip Singapore. Ports include Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Probolinggo, Surabaya and Semarang (Borobudur), on Java, in Indonesia; Komodo Island; Benoa and Celukan on Bali; ending with an overnight at Singapore.Feb. 27: 14 days, Singapore to Yokohama (Tokyo), Japan. Ports include Puerto Princesa, Boracay and Manila, Philippines; Kaohsiung and Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan; and Ishigaki, Naha and Kochi, Japan.Book Back-to-Back Cruises with a Collectors' VoyageRanging from 24 to 51 days, Collectors' Voyages are perfect for avid explorers seeking a more extensive cruise experience. The voyages combine back-to-back, nonrepeating itineraries and represent the best per-day value for guests.Carnival Cruise Line Announces First Sailing Out of AustraliaIn exciting news for cruise fans, Carnival Cruise Line today announced its first cruise back in Australian waters in over two years, with the cruise on sale now.Departing from Sydney on 02 October 2022, guests on board will have the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the fabulous Carnival Splendor on this three-day getaway cruise.With over 45 onboard activities to explore including the exhilarating Green-Lightning thrill-slide, family-friendly shows, delicious dining experiences and more, Carnival Splendor's first Australian cruise in over 930 days is the perfect sampler to reignite your love for cruising.Carnival celebrates the restart of its entire fleet With the departure of Carnival Splendor from the Port of Seattle today, Carnival Cruise Line celebrates the restart of its entire fleet of ships and Carnival becomes the first major cruise line in the U.S. to achieve that milestone.Carnival Splendor is the 23rd and final Carnival ship to welcome guests back on board after Carnival's resumption of cruising from the U.S. last July.  Guests are set to depart from Seattle, Wash. today on an eight-day Alaska cruise, completing an impressive and successful restart of guest operations and setting the pace for the rest of the U.S. cruise industry. Carnival Splendor's summer itineraries to Alaska are part of a three-ship deployment, along with Carnival Spirit from Seattle and Carnival Miracle from San Francisco – the largest-ever cruise program Carnival has sailed to Alaska.Le Ponant to cruise Kimberley in 2023Ponant has announced the Australian debut of its iconic three-masted ultra luxury yacht Le Ponant (pictured), which will cruise the Kimberley region next year.New bespoke itineraries will showcase the region's stunning beauty aboard the sailing yacht, which has capacity for just 32 passengers after a major refit which has doubled the size of its staterooms.Exclusive features include a private scenic flight aboard one of Paspaley's vintage Gurmman Mallard flying boats to take guests to or from their embarkation point, as well as access to Paspaley's pearl operations in Kuri Bay.The deployment will see Le Ponant operating in the Kimberley alongside two of her fleetmates, with Le Laperouse and Le Soleal to also return for next year's Kimberley season.Bookings will open later this month for the season, which will operate between Apr and Oct 2023 along with a curated complementary selection of pre- and post-cruise land arrangements featuring upmarket accommodation in Western Australia, such as El Questro Station, Berkeley River Lodge, and more. Three Additional Princess Cruises Ships Return to ServiceThree additional Princess Cruises ships are returning to service welcoming guests back onboard – Crown Princess, Island Princess and Royal Princess. This milestone marks a total of 12 ships, 80 percent of the fleet, that will have resumed cruising since July 2021, for the world's leading international cruise line.Island Princess departed Ft. Lauderdale on April 27 on a Panama Canal cruise; Royal Princess sailed from Vancouver on May 2 for the popular “Voyage of the Glaciers” Alaska season; and Crown Princess is scheduled to depart Seattle on May 7 for a summer program of Inside Passage Alaska cruises.Island Princess – Panama Canal – Departed Ft. Lauderdale on April 27Celebrating the 55th anniversary of the cruise line sailing to the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal, Island Princess departed on a 14-day Ocean-to-Ocean Panama Canal voyage from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles on April 27, and will return on a subsequent voyage from Los Angeles to Ft. Lauderdale on May 11. Princess first sailed to the Panama Canal in 1967 aboard Princess Italia. Island Princess will then depart Ft. Lauderdale for Europe, sailing various British Isles, Northern Europe (including Iceland and the Arctic Circle) and Mediterranean voyages.Royal Princess – Alaska – Departed Vancouver on May 2Sailing on the cruise line's top-rated “Voyage of the Glaciers” itinerary, Royal Princess departs on back-to-back northbound and southbound cruises from Vancouver and Whittier (Anchorage). Every sailing includes two days of glacier viewing featuring Glacier Bay National Park, plus Hubbard Glacier (southbound) or College Fjord (northbound). Port visits include Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway. These cruises can also be combined with one of the cruise line's 20 cruisetour options featuring an unforgettable land tour visiting the magnificent Denali National Park and Princess Wilderness Lodges.Crown Princess – Alaska – Scheduled to Sail from Seattle on May 7Departing on Saturdays from Seattle, Crown Princess is scheduled to depart on 19, seven-day Inside Passage voyages to Alaska through September 10, 2022. She will then move to Los Angeles for a season of California Coast and Hawaii sailings.Return to Service Schedule – All 15 Princess ShipsThe cruise line's fleet of 15 ships are currently sailing or are scheduled to return to service by September 2022.Wonder of the Seas arrives for European DebutThe world's newest wonder, Royal Caribbean International's Wonder of the Seas, arrived in Barcelona, Spain, to kick off a summer full of memorable holidays in Europe. The fifth in the cruise line's revolutionary Oasis Class line-up sets course for the Mediterranean on 7-night cruises from Barcelona and Rome beginning Sunday, 8th May. With a combination of brand-new thrills and signature favourites on board, Wonder is the getaway where holidaymakers of all ages can make memories as they sail to explore sought-after destinations such as Florence, Naples and Capri, Italy; Provence, France; and Malaga, Spain.Wonder's western Mediterranean sailings will continue through October, rounding out a summer splash in Europe with eight action-packed ships, including Odyssey of the Seas – also marking its first season in Europe. In November, Wonder will return to the U.S. to sail from its new year-round home in Port Canaveral, Florida, to explore the Caribbean and The Bahamas, including the cruise line's private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.Azamara Onward Officially Joins Azamara Fleet Following Monte Carlo Naming CeremonyAzamara, an upmarket cruise line and leader in Destination Immersion® experiences, has officially added Azamara Onward to its now four-ship fleet today following a festive naming ceremony in Monte Carlo. The christening ceremony was led by the President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas, and Azamara Onward Godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and lifestyle brand Wanderful.On the embarkation day of Azamara Onward's maiden voyage, the ship's traditional christening ceremony was held shipside at the Port of Monte Carlo, attended by Azamara's loyal partners, with a warm welcome toast by Cruise Director Eric De Gray, musical performance by Chœur d'enfants, and blessings by Rabbi Howard Apothaker and Father John McCrone. Azamara President, Carol Cabezas and Godmother, Beth Santos, each delivered meaningful words to attendees followed by the Godmother's ceremonial bottle breaking tradition to close out the christening of Azamara Onward and to bring good fortune to the vessel in its future voyages.Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines unveils new hand-crafted program of cruising for 2023/24Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has unveiled its full program of cruising for 2023/24, with more than 100 hand-crafted sailings and the introduction of new Journey Navigators across its fleet of smaller ships.The new program includes opportunities to witness Norway's famous Langfoss Waterfall in the spring, when the water is at its heaviest, explore the remote islands of the Azores, and visit Lapland in the summer months.Durations range from two to 93-nights, with regional departures from Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth, Southampton, Dover, London Tilbury and Belfast. In addition, the program features the return of a fly-cruise program, with Braemar to be based in the Caribbean for the winter months.Quark Expeditions Announces Start of its Arctic 2022 SeasonQuark Expeditions, launched its Arctic 2022 season on May 3, 2022, with a 7-day “Spitsbergen Highlights: Expedition in Brief” voyage. This much-awaited sailing also marked the inaugural Arctic voyage of Ultramarine, Quark Expeditons' game-changing new ship.Quark Expeditions' Arctic 2022 season features diverse regions, including Spitsbergen, Greenland and the Canadian High Arctic, on multiple small polar vessels.And moreJoin the show:If you have a cruise tip, burning question or want to record a cruise review get in touch with us via the website https://thebigcruisepodcast.com/join-the-show/ Guests: Chris Frame: https://bit.ly/3a4aBCg   Chris's Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChrisFrameOfficialPeter Kollar: https://www.cruising.org.au/Home Listen & Subscribe: Amazon Podcasts: https://amzn.to/3w40cDcApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2XvD7tF Audible: https://adbl.co/3nDvuNgCastbox: https://bit.ly/2xkGBEI Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/2RuY04u I heart Radio:  https://ihr.fm/3mVIEUASpotify: https://spoti.fi/3caCwl8 Stitcher: https://bit.ly/2JWE8Tz Pocket casts: https://bit.ly/2JY4J2M Tune in: https://bit.ly/2V0Jrrs Podcast Addict: https://bit.ly/2BF6LnE Hosted on Acast. 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GB2RS News Sunday the 8th of May 2022 The news headlines: Could you join the RadCom Editorial team? IARU Region 1 wants your bright ideas for the hobby RSGB Convention bookings open If you are interested in becoming part of the RSGB RadCom Editorial team, the Society is recruiting for a Managing Editor and a Technical Editor. There is further information about both roles on the Society's website at www.rsgb.org/careers. The IARU Region 1 is looking for ideas that could lead to more licensed radio amateurs. Draft proposals are welcome by the 31st of May. The best ideas will be shared with the proposing teams so they can work on a more detailed project on 10th June. Details are at iaru-r1.org. The RSGB is holding an in-person Convention again between the 7th and 9th of October at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, Milton Keynes. Booking is now open and, if you book by the 31st of August, you can take advantage of the early-bird discounts. For further information see rsgb.org/convention. Canada's amateur radio regulator has granted amateurs in Canada the right to use special callsigns in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee for the period of the 14th of May to the 14th of July. For example, VE3 calls become VX3, VA7 becomes VG7 and so on. The special callsigns may also be used during the IARU World HF Championship Contest. Today, Sunday the 8th of May is the deadline for young radio amateurs to apply to represent their country and national society at this year's Youngsters on the Air, or YOTA, summer camp. The camp will be held in Croatia from the 6th to the 13th of August. To apply, you need to be a Member of the RSGB, aged between 15 and 25. For further information see rsgb.org/yota. The digital TV repeater, GB3JV, has undergone some major upgrades. A new 70cm reduced bandwidth TV input and a new repeater controller have been added. Justin, G8YTZ, the repeater keeper, hopes the upgrades will encourage more users. Listeners may be interested to know there is an article in the CQ-TV magazine, number 275, about the repeater controller. More at gb3jv.co.uk. A reminder that the RSGB's summer programme for Tonight@8 begins tomorrow, Monday the 9th of May. Mark Haynes, M0DXR will talk about contesting. He will explain how this aspect of amateur radio can not only be a good test for your station but also a great way to make lots of QSOs with many countries in a short period of time. You can watch and ask questions live on the RSGB YouTube channel or find out more on the Society's website at rsgb.org/webinars. And now for details of rallies and events Please send your rally and event news as soon as possible to radcom@rsgb.org.uk. We'll publicise your event in RadCom, on GB2RS, and online. Today, the 8th, the Lough Erne ARC Annual Rally will be held at the Arena @ Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea Road, Lisnaskea BT92 0JZ. Doors open at 11.30 am for the public. Facilities are available on-site for breakfast, lunches and tea & coffee. Next Saturday, the 14th, the Barry ARS Rally will take place at Sully Sports & Social Club, South Road, Sully near Barry CF64 5SP. Open to the traders from 7.30 am and to the public from 9.30 am, admission is £2.50. There is free parking on site. Now the DX news Mike, W6QT plans to be active as DU3/W6QT from Subic Bay in the Philippines until the 15th of September. He will operate SSB and FT8 on the 6 to 80m bands. QSL via W6QT. The log will be uploaded to Logbook of The World and Club Log. Ilya, R5AF and Igor, R4FCN will be active as EX/R5AF and EX/R4FCN from Kyrgyzstan until the 14th of May. They will operate CW, FT8 and some SSB on the 10 to 40m bands. QSL cards will be sent to everyone via the bureau. They also plan to upload to Logbook of The World, eQSL, HamLog and Club Log. Three operators will be active as 5P1EG from Romo Island, EU-125, until the 14th of May. They will operate CW, SSB and digital modes on various bands. QSL via SP1EG. Yuris, YL2GM will be active as VU4W from the Andaman Islands, AS- 001, until the 16th of May. Look for activity on the 10 to 160m bands CW, SSB, RTTY and FT8 Fox and Hounds mode. QSL via Club Log's OQRS or direct to YL2GN. Now the Special Event news Northwest Group Amateur Radio Club in Londonderry are activating GB0AEL as part of the 90th Anniversary of Amelia Earhart's landing in Londonderry. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. They will activate GB0AEL from the 13th to the 30th of May. More information on qrz.com under the callsign GB0AEL. GB0SCW will be on the air from Stone Cross Windmill, East Sussex between 10 am and 5 pm on the 7th and 8th of May. They plan to use SSB on the 3.5, 7 and 14MHz bands, as well as 2m and 70cm FM. There may also be HF operations from a car parked on the windmill grounds during the evenings. See qrz.com for more details. Other special event stations to look for during the next week are GB2WTM from Woodbridge Tide Mill and GB1TLB from Torbay. GB2PHC will be operating from Macclesfield and GB5CBH from Broad Hinton. Finally, from the Ofcom data, GB2IPA will be on the air from Southwold. Now the contest news Running for 24 hours next weekend, the 432MHz to 245GHz contest ends at 1400UTC today, the 8th. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also running for 24 hours is the ARI International DX Contest. This finishes at 1200UTC today, the 8th. Using CW, RTTY and SSB on the 3.5MHz to 28MHz bands, where contests are permitted, the exchange is signal report and serial number. Note that Italian stations will also give their Province code. Three contests are due to take place today, the 8th of May. The UK Microwave Group Low Band Contest runs from 0800 to 1400UTC. Using all modes on the 1.3 to 3.4GHz bands, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Also running between 0800 and 1400UTC is the 10GHz Trophy contest. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Finally, for today, the 8th, the Worked All Britain 7MHz Phone Contest runs from 1000 to 1400UTC. Phone modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and your Worked All Britain location. On Monday the SSB leg of the 80m Club Championships runs from 1900 to 2030UTC. The exchange is a signal report and serial number. The 432MHz FM Activity Contest runs from 1800 to 1855UTC on Tuesday. It is followed by the all-mode 432MHz UK Activity Contest from 1900 to 2130UTC. The exchange is the same for both, the signal report, serial number and locator. On Wednesday it is the 432MHz FT8 Activity Contest running from 1900 to 2100UTC. The exchange is your report and 4-character locator. Thursday sees the 50MHz UK Activity Contest taking place between 1900 and 2130UTC. Using all modes, the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Next Sunday, the 15th, the 70MHz CW contest runs from 0900 to 1200UTC. The exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. The UK Microwave Groups millimetre-wave contest runs from 0900 to 1700UTC next Sunday, the 15th. Using all modes on the 24, 47 and 76GHz bands the exchange is signal report, serial number and locator. Now the radio propagation report, compiled by G0KYA, G3YLA, and G4BAO on Friday the 6th of May 2022. Last week was characterised by solar flares. At the time of writing, we have seen more than 50 since the 1st of May, including one high-energy X-class flare. This occurred on the 3rd of May at 1325 hours and caused a radio blackout over much of the Atlantic. Luckily, the Kp index has remained low, which has enabled the ionosphere to develop. And solar flux indices have been steadily climbing and reached 130 by Thursday. There have been many reports of good propagation. It has been a simple case of being in the right place at the right time. Ten metres has been open well into the evening at times, as well as providing paths to Australasia in the morning. At other times people have reported the band as being dead. We have also seen the beginnings of the Sporadic-E season with reports that 10 metres has been wide open to Europe at times. Hopefully, this will develop as the month goes on. Next week, NOAA predicts that the SFI may dip before climbing back into the 120s. However, the US Air Force says that it will just continue to rise, perhaps hitting 140. This seems more plausible going on past performance. Geomagnetic conditions are predicted to be quiet with a Kp index of two. However, it would only take one Earth-facing coronal mass ejection to spoil this entirely. And now the VHF and up propagation news. Starting with Tropo news, this weekend sees the new week starting with high pressure right over the British Isles. This high will drift slowly southeast into the continent by midweek, centred over the Balkans. There should be some reasonable Tropo paths, especially to the south into France and northern Spain. This will be fairly short-lived because, starting midweek, a weakening cold front brings rain to northwest Britain and breaks up into showers as it moves south. This brings the prospect of some rain scatter for a while and as per last week, this is likely to peak in the afternoon. After these showery days, another high appears by Friday to end the week, gradually transferring to the North Sea with a further chance of Tropo. Bear in mind that these weather forecasts are 10 days out so there are bound to be differences in the models. From midweek, some models retain the showery risk for longer. Summer Sporadic-E, or Es, propagation is well underway with some early reports up to 2m by Chris, G0DWV who heard an IV3 briefly on 2m before dropping back into the noise. We have had many hints of the new season, mostly on 10m and 6m. Just to remind you that Es activity tends to come in two periods, mid-morning and again late afternoon/early evening. Remember the daily blog on Propquest.co.uk, which gives the current day's prospects as well as an EPI (Es Probability Index) map to allow you to plan your shack activity. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is tailing off now but the Make More Miles on the VHF website suggests that meteoroids released from the minor planet 2006GY2 may cause activity on the 15th of May around 1020UTC. Apparently, the stream should be dense, so worth a look. The Moon has passed peak declination and we are a week away from next Sunday's perigee. The week's trend will therefore be for shorter Moon windows and peak elevation and falling path losses. 144MHz sky noise is low this week, slowly rising and reaching 400K next Sunday. And that's all from the propagation team this week.

This week we're taking a look at King Kong (2005), Peter Jackson's epic three-hour remake of the 1933 classic. We talk about the biology and evolution of island ecosystems, but we should have had a physicist guest host this episode because this movie can't seem to help breaking the laws of physics! Get in touch with us! Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast Facebook: @SotSAPodcast Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sotsa/ Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com In this episode: Apes are monkeys – deal with it: https://paoloviscardi.com/2011/04/21/apes-are-monkeys-deal-with-it/ Monkeys travelled to South America by raft: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/monkeys-raft-across-atlantic-twice-180974637/ Insular Dwarfism – the “Island Rule”: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/219453/islands-give-rise-evolutionary-giants-dwarfs/ Human “hobbit” species, Homo floresiensis and Homo luzonensis: https://www.livescience.com/mysterious-hobbits-human-lineage-identity.html The North American House Hippo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TijcoS8qHIE Gigantopithecus, the largest ape that ever lived: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/160106-science-evolution-apes-giant How big can mammals get? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHe1wmEaYWo King Kong defies physics: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-king-kong-should-have-been-blue-whale-180962603/ The Square-Cube Law: https://sketchplanations.com/the-square-cube-law American missionary killed by indigenous people of the Andaman Islands: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46313965 Giant Wētā, the largest living insect: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/invertebrates/weta/ Why aren't there giant insects today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l79FuGuk1qE

This week we're taking a look at King Kong (2005), Peter Jackson's epic three-hour remake of the 1933 classic. We talk about the biology and evolution of island ecosystems, but we should have had a physicist guest host this episode because this movie can't seem to help breaking the laws of physics! Get in touch with us!Twitter: @SotSA_Podcast Facebook: @SotSAPodcastLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/sotsa/ Email: screensofthestoneage@gmail.com In this episode:Apes are monkeys – deal with it: https://paoloviscardi.com/2011/04/21/apes-are-monkeys-deal-with-it/ Monkeys travelled to South America by raft: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/monkeys-raft-across-atlantic-twice-180974637/ Insular Dwarfism – the “Island Rule”: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/219453/islands-give-rise-evolutionary-giants-dwarfs/ Human “hobbit” species, Homo floresiensis and Homo luzonensis: https://www.livescience.com/mysterious-hobbits-human-lineage-identity.html The North American House Hippo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TijcoS8qHIE Gigantopithecus, the largest ape that ever lived: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/160106-science-evolution-apes-giantHow big can mammals get? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHe1wmEaYWoKing Kong defies physics: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-king-kong-should-have-been-blue-whale-180962603/The Square-Cube Law: https://sketchplanations.com/the-square-cube-lawAmerican missionary killed by indigenous people of the Andaman Islands: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-46313965Giant Wētā, the largest living insect: https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/invertebrates/weta/ Why aren't there giant insects today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l79FuGuk1qE

Tanmay Wagh is a marine ecologist with the Dakshin Foundation who has been working in the Andaman Islands since 2013. Ever since, he's been a part of various projects related to coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses and dugongs, elasmobranch fisheries and leatherback turtles. At the moment, in addition to being on the outset of his PhD, he is also the Project Coordinator of the Marine Programme as part of the Long Term Ecological Observatories programme of the MOEFCC. Twitter: @TanmayWagh5 Articles: 1. Protected areas and benthic characteristics influence the distribution of the Vulnerable bumphead parrotfish in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India 2. Observations on the female flowers and fruiting of Tape Grass from South Andaman Islands, India

Nitya Prakash Mohanty is a herpetologist who has spent the last decade studying frogs and lizards, asking interesting questions about their patterns of invasion and sleep! He began his foray into wildlife with a master's from the Wildlife Institute of India, wherein he studied spotted deer and frogs in the Andaman Islands. After a PhD and a postdoc in South Africa, Nitya is currently doing more post-doctoral research at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Twitter: @NityaPM The new study that we chatted about in this episode: Urban lizards use sleep sites that mirror the structural, thermal, and light properties of natural sites To listen to our longer conversation from Season-1, head over to these links on Spotify / Google Podcasts!

This week, The Musafir Stories speaks with a dear friend, traveler and host of the podcast Baap beeti, Vaibhav Dewan!Today's destination: Darjeeling and Kalimpong!Nearest Airport: Bagdogra Airport, IXBNearest Railway Station: New Jalpaiguri, NJPPrerequisites - NAPacking - Make sure to carry warm clothes and accessoriesTime of the year - April, September-October is a good timeLength of the itinerary: 6-7 daysItinerary Highlights:Vaibhav shares his itinerary around Darjeeling and Kalimpong, traveling with a toddler! The journey starts with a flight to Bagdogra or New Jalpaiguri, depending on your mode of transport.The team hails a cab ride from the station to reach Darjeeling. The first day is spent seeing around the area, including the Cable car/ropeway, which is one of the longest in Asia.The area near Chowrasta and the Mall road are full of tourists along with eateries as well as local shops to shop for souvenirs as well as restaurants and cafes.A visit to St.Joseph's school, North Point is also well worth the time, and is the location of the popular bollywood flick, “Yaariyan”Tenzing Norgay Rock and Gombu Rock are other attractions in memory of the famous Sherpa mountaineers, Tenzing and Gombu Norgay.While in Darjeeling, make sure to try out the world famous Darjeeling tea. A visit to a tea estate also helps one understand the history of tea as well as the numerous types of tea grown in this area.The local markets around the mall road also have a variety of momos sold by locals, make sure to try that out.Other nature related places that should make it to your itinerary include Rock Garden, which has a variety of plants and trees and involves a small trek to a waterfall.Next up on the itinerary was a trip to the Dali monastery, along with the museum - a great chance to interact with the monks and understand the buddhist religion and culture. There are other popular monasteries like Ghum, Aloo bari, Bhooti Basti among others.A visit to Darjeeling is incomplete without experiencing the Darjeeling Himalayan railway - make sure to take a joy ride on the popular ‘toy train'. A short trip to Batasia loop is a must do - the location of the popular hit “mere sapno ki rani' starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore! The railways are also a UNESCO world heritage site!Next stop is the Japanese peace pagoda built by the Nipponzhan Myohoji foundation to promote peace in the aftermath of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Another important point of interest is Tiger Hill, one of the most visited spots to get a view of Mt. Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world at 8586m, after Mt. Everest and Mt.K2.Some popular eateries in the area include Keventers, Glenarys, Kunga's, Nathmull's, HImalayan coffee, Margaret's deck. Also don't forget to try the local spicy chilli - Daale, but try at your own risk!Kalimpong is not too far away from Darjeeling but provides an offbeat experience compared to it's more popular sibling. Places to check out include Lamahatta park, Durpin monastery, Cacti park and pineview nursery, Graham's homeschools, Morgan house and Crookety, Mangal Dham among others.Links:Vaibhav's podcast - Baap Beeti: https://open.spotify.com/show/5cELVD4HYXq0sAQ2lSKaccInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/pregnantpapa/Twitter: https://twitter.com/dewanekhaasLink to the Andaman Islands episode: https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/show/the-musafir-stories-india-travel-podcast-yg3r-RgjYIgajKrExt2J2/episode/99-andaman-islands-with-vaibhav-dewan-mznq-IqY1WlDHPAvAzyb7?startTime=0Photo by Joy Amed on UnsplashFollow the Musafir stories on:Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=enwebsite: www.themusafirstories.comemail: themusafirstories@gmail.comYou can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

Welcome to my Fubar lair! In this episode of Fubar Ferret I talk about what gifts I would bring to an ancient tribe and how Fubar is Fubar Ferret???? Thanks for listening on all platforms! The Sentinelese are an uncontacted tribe living on North Sentinal Island, one of the Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean. They vigorously reject all contact with outsiders but LOVE Playboy.

This week, the World-Weary women investigate spooky islands with dark and terrible histories. Violet presents Australia's Murder Island: aboard the Dutch merchant ship Batavia, a psycho-pirate orchestrates a violent mutiny resulting in the bloody massacre of over 100 shipwreck survivors. Cassiopeia explores the colonial horror story of Ross Island, an abandoned penal colony in the Andaman Islands.

Krishna Anujan is a community ecologist and nature enthusiast, and she's is studying the effect of biodiversity on tropical forest functioning in the Andaman Islands for her PhD at Columbia University. She regularly communicates science to the public through popular articles in English and Malayalam. Twitter: @KrishnaAnujan Popular Writing: What does the climate crisis mean for the Andaman Islands? Ecology and Natural History of the Andaman Islands (8-part series) Foraging Food: Eating Wild in the Andaman Islands Scent of a forest: Inhaling the Wonder of Blooms, Leaves and Fruits Un-Gorilla, Un-Adventure: The Realities of Fieldwork Other articles by Krishna, including her series in Mathraboomi (Malayalam) Publications: Trophic complexity alters the diversity–multifunctionality relationship in experimental grassland mesocosms Positive correlations in species functional contributions drive the response of multifunctionality to biodiversity loss Violet Cuckoo in the Andaman Islands Shownotes: IISER-Pune, Divya Vasudev, Ramana Athreya, Nandini Velho, Ajith Kumar Angela Saini's Superior and Inferior Island Biogeography Theory The left-brain & right-brain idea is a myth Productivity (ecology) Garjan (Dipterocarpus sp.), Kala Lakdi (Diospyros sp.) File Drawer Problem (Publication bias / negative results) Women in ecology mentoring scheme (British Ecological Society)

Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of the Sentinelese, the most isolated tribe on Earth. Nestled in the northern Andaman Islands of India, this indigenous group remains untouched by modern civilization, preserving their unique way of life. Discover why their self-imposed isolation has been a key to their survival and learn about the harsh realities faced by nearby tribes due to external contact. #Sentinelese #isolatedtribe #indigenouspeople #AndamanIslands #uncontactedtribes #nativegroups #explorers #tribalsurvival Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 161, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: Chick Lit 1: In an L. Frank Baum novel, Billina the hen is blown overboard from a steamship along with this girl. Dorothy. 2: 6 Californians read and discuss "Persuasion", "Emma" and 4 other novels in Karen Joy Fowler's novel her "Book Club". Jane Austen. 3: A sisterly rivalry to give Henry VIII a male heir is the basis for this Philippa Gregory historical novel. The Other Boleyn Girl. 4: A giant's hen lays golden eggs in many versions of this story. "Jack and the Beanstalk". 5: This HBO series originated with Candace Bushnell's newspaper column. Sex and the City. Round 2. Category: Prime Ministers Of Israel 1: The 2 Yitzhaks. Rabin and Shamir. 2: The only one commemorated with a one-woman Broadway play. Golda Meir. 3: The founding father after whom Tel Aviv's airport is named. Ben-Gurion. 4: This Nobel Prize winner was Prime Minister of Israel of twice: once in the '80s and once in the '90s. Shimon Peres. 5: Then serving as prime minister, he was a mourner at Anwar Sadat's funeral in 1981. Begin. Round 3. Category: Realm Of The Senses 1: Sounds can cause discomfort above about 100 of these units. decibels. 2: The lingual papillae are the main locale for this sense. taste. 3: In the brain, the smell of perfume goes to this "bulb". the olfactory bulb. 4: If yours is "absolute", you know your ABCs ( and DEFGs) by ear. pitch. 5: Planning prudently, or hyperopic. farsighted. Round 4. Category: Notable Weddings 1: This star of "Honeymoon in Vegas" and "Leaving Las Vegas" married Patricia Arquette in 1995. Nicolas Cage. 2: People magazine said she dyed her veil in coffee to match her beige dress when she married Arthur Miller in 1956. Marilyn Monroe. 3: Chynna Phillips, whose mama and papa are John and Michelle, married this Baldwin with his brothers in attendance. William (Billy) Baldwin. 4: Bart Conner must think she's a perfect 10; he married her in Romania in 1996. Nadia Comaneci. 5: This "Mayflower Madam" wore pale pink at her wedding, saying, "White would have been ludicrous". Sydney Biddle Barrows. Round 5. Category: It Comes With The Territory 1: Tokelau, a territory of this country, is over 1,000 miles north of its Noeth Island. New Zealand. 2: In 1896 George Carmack, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie found gold in this territory. Yukon Territory. 3: In 1858 the British established this type of colony on India's Andaman Islands. Penal colony. 4: The price paid for these Caribbean islands in 1917 was $25 million, over 3 times what Alaska cost. Virgin Islands. 5: Australia has an uninhabited territory named for this sea off its northeast coast. Coral Sea. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!

Nitya Prakash Mohanty is a herpetologist who has spent the last decade studying frogs and lizards, asking interesting questions about their patterns of invasion and sleep! He began his foray into wildlife with a master's from the Wildlife Institute of India, wherein he studied spotted deer and frogs in the Andaman Islands. After a PhD and a postdoc in South Africa, Nitya is currently doing more post-doctoral research at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Twitter: @NityaPM Popular Media: Mind the tadpoles: No survival of native larval frogs in the presence of invasive Indian bullfrog tadpoles Indian bullfrogs take to invasive behaviour early in Andamans Sleep Ecology of Reptiles (video) Journal Articles: Non-native populations and global invasion potential of the Indian bullfrog Hoplobatrachus tigerinus: a synthesis for risk-analysis Shrinking before our isles: the rapid expression of insular dwarfism in two invasive populations of guttural toad (Sclerophrys gutturalis) Watch out where you sleep: Nocturnal sleeping behaviour of Bay Island lizards Impact of invasive spotted deer (Axis axis) on tropical island lizard communities in the Andaman archipelago Shownotes: Nandankanan Zoological Park Postgraduate Programme in Wildlife Science, Wildlife Institute of India Andaman and Nicobar Environment Team NITI Aayog's megacity plan for Little Andaman alarms conservationists

By popular demand, Samo Burja is my first repeat guest on this podcast. You've been asking for him, so when he wrote a great piece in Palladium Magazine, Why Civilization Is Older Than We Thought, I had to ask him back on. Much of the piece is specifically about Göbekli Tepe, an ancient site in Turkey that predates the Neolithic, dating to 11,600 years ago. Burja focuses on how our preconceptions shape how we understand the world and interpret data. For example, at first, archaeologists thought that the site must date to the Byzantine period, 1,000 years ago, based on the nature of the monumental objects. Their artistry and grandeur seemed beyond the ability of ancient people, let alone Paleolithic ones. The bigger picture is that perhaps we misunderstand our Paleolithic past because we assume that Pleistocene hunter-gatherers were similar to relict populations in the Kalahari, the Congo and the Andaman Islands. The reality is that during the Pleistocene, hunter-gatherers occupied the rich, fertile lands now occupied by farmers. Their societies and cultures may have been much more sedentary than we can imagine today. Burja suggests that the elements of agriculture and complex society may be much older than we today assume. They might even go back to the beginning of modern humans outside of Africa, 50,000 years ago. Get ready to challenge your priors!

What do the movies Vertigo and Mulholland Drive have in common? How do you make Nuoc mam? Does the term “totalitarian agriculture” bother you? Or do you prefer “dominant economy”? We read a letter from a listener and we contemplate the contemplative life. All that and ice cream!   We would love to hear from you, please email us your thoughts, ideas, recommendations or complaints here:   theagency.podcast@gmail.com   “Totalitarian agriculture dictates that we make radically more food than what we immediately need. Quinn (1996) coined the term “in order to stress the way it subordinates all life forms to the relentless, single-minded production of human food” (p. 247). The central imperative is to expand food production, nothing else. Succeeding other, more sustainable forms of food production 10,000 years ago, totalitarian agriculture quickly became the prevailing method of feeding ourselves. It continues to displace obscure holdouts of former food production methods — Afghanistan's Kochi nomads or the Sentinelese hunter-gatherers of the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, for instance. These cultures are fading away. Totalitarian agriculture transcends political ideologies and geographic boundaries, uniformly occupying East and West, Left and Right. Human wellbeing and general social progress are sometimes happy byproducts of this system and are used to justify it. But improvement of the human condition has nothing to do with totalitarian agriculture's animating tenet of perpetual growth. We know wellbeing is not a goal of totalitarian agriculture because perpetual food expansion also inflicts tragic human suffering on a global scale, stripping most of us of leisure time, health, social contact, and dignity. It's important to note that agriculture is not inherently totalitarian; tribal societies have practiced sustainable forms of agriculture for millennia. These models can yield humble stores, but they do not care about growing the population or expanding into new territory. Only the modern strain of agriculture — shaped, accelerated, and purveyed to every corner of the earth over the last ten millennia — is totalitarian (Quinn, 1996, p. 253–255).” from 'A Cosmic Tragedy' by Aaron Hedge.

Picture the therapeautic touch of grainy sand tickling through your feet, while you sip on sweet coconut water...that's Andaman Islands for you! Join us as we virtually travel to Radhanagar beach in Havelock, explore Kala Patthar, laze around in Neil Island, and peek into the volcanoes of Barren Islands. As India battles the second wave of COVID-19, it's time for us to stay home, stay safe, and get vaccinated. To satiate the travel itch, Travel + Leisure India takes you to dreamy lands, #OnePlaceAtATime Produced by Japleen Kaur Edited by Aditya Mehrotra

V tomto (z technických príčin dosť krátkom) podcaste budeme hovoriť o nebezpečnej hube, ktorá sa správa ako kvasinka a o tom, kam sa možno podela voda z Marsu. Pseudocast 496 na YouTube Zdroje A deadly fungus behind hospital outbreaks was found in nature for the first timeCandida aurisEnvironmental Isolation of Candida auris from the Coastal Wetlands of Andaman Islands, IndiaMost of Mars’ missing water may lurk in its crustLong-term drying of Mars by sequestration of ocean-scale volumes of water in the crust

Hace unos años, un joven misionero fue matado por una tribu aislada en una isla del Océano Indio. ¿Quién vive ahí? ¿Es cierto que nadie los ha contactados todavía? En 10 minutos les cuento una historia larga 60mil años… y al final les pongo una pregunta ética. Fuentes:El Pais del 15 de agosto 2019 “El caso sin resolver del misionero asesinado en la isla Sentinel del Norte” https://elpais.com/internacional/2019/08/09/actualidad/1565355310_249071.html Podcast: “Behind the Bastard”, The Accidental Genocide of the Andaman Islands (parts one and two) https://www.iheart.com/podcast/105-behind-the-bastards-29236323/episode/part-two-the-accidental-genocide-of-30294593/ 

Limited time offer!! One month of free access to The Great Courses Plus:http://thegreatcoursesplus.com/musafirLecture: How to Speak Effectively in an setting: (Start your free trial before hitting this link)https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/how-to-speak-effectively-in-any-settingThis week, The Musafir Stories speaks to Vaibhav Dewan, host of the pregnant papa podcast, Baapbeeti! Today's destination: Andaman Islands!Nearest Airport: Veer Savarkar International Airport, Port Blair (IXZ)Nearest Railway Station: NAPrerequisites - NAPacking - Pack your beachwear! Time of the year - October through January.Length of the itinerary: 8 daysItinerary Highlights:- Vaibhav kicks off his journey from Port Blair where he explores the important points of interest including the Cellular Jail. There is also a sound and light show in the evening at the cellular jail premises.- Another POI that you should not miss out on is Chidiya Tapu, popular for its birds as well the beautiful sunsets. There is also a trek to suicide point that you can easily do from here.- The next pitstop includes Wandoor beach as well as Mahatma Gandhi Marine park to learn more about corals and marine life. Another option is to take a jetty ride to Jollyboy island.- Next on the agenda is a tour to the Ross Island - the former administrative capital of Andaman Islands during the British rule. The island still has a lot of ruins of buildings from the colonial era. There is also a sound and light show here that has been newly started.- The next point of interest is Neil island or Shaheed Dweep - about 47kms from Port Blair. You have to book a ticket on the government ferry here that can be time consuming (in case you don't want to opt for private options). Neil island is popular for beaches like Ramnagar beach, Sitapur beach, Laxmanpur beach and Bharatpur beach. The beaches here have some stunning sunsets that one should not miss. There is also a natural bridge formation called as Howrah bridge that has a lot of corals in the vicinity.- The next and final island stop is to Havelock island or Swaraj Deep! It is one of the bigger islands and is popular for cafes and eateries, as well as its laid back vibes. Radhanagar beach, which is rated as the most beautiful beach in India and 7th in the world is a popular attraction, with smooth white sands and blue waters. Other popular beaches here include Elephanta beach. The island has a lot of options for adventures sports, including Scuba diving certification courses and kayaking.Links:Link to Vaibhav's podcast: Baapbeeti - a pregnant papa podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/5cELVD4HYXq0sAQ2lSKaccFollow Vaibhav on :Twitter: https://twitter.com/dewanekhaasIG: https://www.instagram.com/dewanz/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vaibhavdewanPhoto by Deepak Kumar on Unsplash Follow the Musafir stories on:Twitter : https://twitter.com/musafirstories?lang=enFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/themusafirstories/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musafirstoriespodcast/?hl=enwebsite: www.themusafirstories.comemail: themusafirstories@gmail.comApple podcasts -  https://apple.co/2LPtTA3Google podcasts - http://bit.ly/2toY7ljwebsite - http://bit.ly/2xFZqOVSaavn - https://bit.ly/2J5rIqiSpotify - https://spoti.fi/2HLPSViGaana - http://bit.ly/2NClUYYpocketcasts - https://bit.ly/2xu3Ewgcastbox - https://bit.ly/2sqBDQiOvercast - https://bit.ly/2LN9wnfStitcher Radio - https://bit.ly/2JiBbhwaudioBoom - https://bit.ly/2oZZowSTuneIn - https://bit.ly/2xyQH4aRadioPublic - https://bit.ly/2snY9u0iHeartradio - https://ihr.fm/2xvOG8RDeezer - https://bit.ly/2L7GmOo

The Indian Revolutionary Movement The first signs of the revolutionary movement can be traced back to 1847 when 5000 peasants rose against the British East India Company (EIC) in Kurnool district (Andra Pradesh) under the leadership of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. They were protesting against the changes made to the traditional agrarian system. Jugantar Party The revolutionary movement was not organised till the 20th Century. The first signs of its organisation can be noticed in 1905, during the partition of Bengal. The Jugantar party was formed in April 1906 by Aurobindo Ghosh, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta, Lal Bal Pal, Subodh Chandra Mullick. They collected and manufactured bombs. The Jugantars sent some of their members for training abroad, too. But the attempted murder of a district judge in Muzaffarpur resulted in the arrest of many of them. They planned to revolt against the British during the First World War with the help of Indians living abroad. It relied on the clandestine landing of German arms and ammunitions in the Indian coast, which never materialised. They supported Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement while conducting revolutionary activities. Hindustan Socialist Republican Association It was established in October 1924 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh by revolutionaries like Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chatterjee, Chandrashekhar Azad, Yogendra Shukla and Sachindranath Sanyal. They aimed to throw out the British and establish the Federal Republic of the United States of India. The Kakori train robbery is one of the notable mutinies by the group. It led to the hanging of Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Lahiri. The group reorganised under Chandrashekhar Azad with new members of the likes of Bhagat Singh, Bhagwati Charan Vohra and Sukhdev and renamed themselves the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). They killed Saunders, a police officer involved in the lathi-charge that killed Lala Lajpat Rai. Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru threw a bomb inside the Central Legislative Assembly. It was followed by their trial and hanging on 23 March 1931. Abhinav Bharat Secret Society It was a secret society started by VD Savarkar and GD Savarkar in 1904. It was involved in many revolutionary activities until its disbandment in 1952. One of the popular deeds of the society was the assassination of Lt. Col. William Curzon-Wyllie on 1 July 1909. After the existence of the society was unearthed, Savarkar was transported to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands in 1910. Kotwal Dasta It was formed by Veer Bhai Kotwal with around 50 members during the Quit India Movement. They cut down electric pylons to cripple the industries and railways. Around 11 pylons were cut from September to November 1942. Previous episode mentioned in this episode: 074: Oh beer, oh beer! Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here. Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here. Image by Rueben lys

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From earthquake in Andaman Islands to popular English TV show Friends reunion being rescheduled, we have handpicked the top news updates that were skipped by the mainstream media today. Here are the most important stories that were #LostInTheClutter. Download the app to read more such overlooked stories. Download app: https://bit.ly/32gH2vp

In Island Dreams, Gavin Francis examines our collective fascination with islands. He blends stories of his own travels with psychology, philosophy and great voyages from literature, shedding new light on the importance of islands and isolation in our collective consciousness. Comparing the life of freedom of thirty years of extraordinary travel from the Faroe Islands to the Aegean, from the Galapagos to the Andaman Islands with a life of responsibility as a doctor, community member and parent approaching middle age, Island Dreams riffs on the twinned poles of rest and motion, independence and attachment, never more relevant than in today's perennially connected world. Illustrated with maps throughout, this is a celebration of human adventures in the world and within our minds. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pbliving/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pbliving/support

In this episode I catch up with Tanaz Noble from the gorgeous Andaman Islands! Commonly known as Tenacious Tanaz by her fellow paddlers, she is absolutely a delight to speak with as she takes me through her journey - from almost dropping out of college to experimenting as a bartender and much much more. She is the first female solo kayaker from India and has managed to Kayak 70 Nautical miles in just 36 hours - smashing records! She speaks of how the stars were her compass when at the sea, how she's witnessed the things you see in movies like Avatar and other absolutely magical stuff. Tune in and be amazed by her truly engaging stories. Like, subscribe and share if you liked this episode! Half-fry and toast is streaming across: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kONWot5747PtDIe4R5wSW?si=0-9kA0nLTdmzUKXz-7BGUA Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/half-fry-and-toast/id1515345000 JioSaavn: https://www.saavn.com/s/show/half-fry-and-toast/1/Oo5uC3ztmkk_ ©️ 2020, KARISHMA DASWANI. All rights reserved.

North Sentinel Island is one of the Andaman Islands, but normal people cannot visit there and whoever visited the island never returned back. lets hear the mysterious story of that in Malayalam podcast.Malayalam PodcastHorror Stories MalayalamHorror malayalamMystery Malayalam podcastMalayalam StoriesYoutube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvLdcej_7W3IEtMx-e-rOeA

In the South Asian archipelago known as the Andaman Islands, aboriginal tribes thrived for 60,000 years before the onset of British colonialism nearly wiped them out. Best selling novelist Aimee Liu struggled for years to set a book there, but got nowhere until she finally had the opportunity to visit the islands and learn of Read More

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aimee Liu is the author of numerous bestselling novels as well as nonfiction books on medical and psychological topics. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Review of Books, Ms., and many other publications. She is on the faculty of Goddard College's MFA in Creative Writing Program at Port Townsend, WA. Aimee grew up in Connecticut but spent two of her earliest years in India. Her father was born in Shanghai, the son of a Chinese scholar-revolutionary and his American wife. You just might find a few of these threads in her novels! She received her BA from Yale University, studying painting. After setting visual art aside for decades, she's recently come roaring back into this medium, courtesy of Instagram! You can find her current "PhoPaintings" @aimeeeliu. Aimee returned to grad school to earn her MFA from Bennington Writing Seminars. She worked as a flight attendant, edited business and trade publications, and was an associate producer for NBC's TODAY show before turning to writing full-time. She lives in Los Angeles. ABOUT THE BOOK - GLORIOUS BOY Glorious Boy is a tale of war and devotion, longing and loss, and the power of love to prevail. Set in India's remote Andaman Islands before and during WWII, the story revolves around a mysteriously mute 4-year-old who vanishes on the eve of Japanese Occupation. Little Ty's parents, Shep and Claire, will go to any lengths to rescue him, but neither is prepared for the brutal and soul-changing odyssey that awaits them. Visit her website at www.aimeeliu.net Facebook: @AimeeLiuBooks; Twitter: @aimee_liu Instagram: @aimeeeliu

Contact us on Twitter: @LLunch11Contact us on Email: gary@gmacwriter.comCheck out my website: https://gmacwriter.comRogue Krispy Kreme Donut Shop: 1:33Flying Dogs: 4:31Port Blair and the Andamans: 7:35

Today we’re feeling the waves under us and the sun on our faces; it’s episode 3! First, Phoebe tells us about John Chau, a missionary who was dangerously persistent with the locals in the Andaman Islands. Then, Ashley tells us about Emma Kelty, a badass Amazon kayaker who was most definitely NOT a drug trafficker. Intro music: "Airplane, Seat Belt Beep, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org

“from their East Indian colonies” [RESI]   "Asian" isn't a term that pops up in the Sherlock Holmes canon. And yet we meet a handful of individuals who lived in or interacted with residents of the largest continent on the planet. We hear of Asian countries such as Japan, China, Afghanistan, Andaman Islands, Ceylon, the Dutch East Indies, India, Tibet, Nepal, Persia, Siam, Malay, Singapore, Turkey, and Syria. Who were some of these people and why do so many of their stories involve something nefarious? It's just a trifle.   Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show.  We're available everywhere you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, and RadioPublic. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles151 Before the East India Company (Lapham's Quarterly) Get your own "Signs of Four" merchandise from our store. Over 20 designs to choose from on mugs and a variety of colored t-shirts. HURRY! This store closes at the end of 2019.   Sponsor The BSI Press   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0   --  

Teenagers Deyan and Rushil travelled on their own to the Andaman Islands for scuba diving. Listen to their stories.

This episode is the interview with Chetana Purushotam, a marine biologist. Chetana is the head of marine education and conservation at DIVEIndia, headquartered at the Andaman Islands. She has a masters degree in wildlife biology and conservation. Apart from marine life, she has also studied Draco lizards and amphibians. Her current work revolves around connecting people with the ocean by educating them about the marine ecosystem. Host - Aasif Iqbal J. Editor - Muthuselvi K. Original Soundtrack - Karthikeyan KC. Producer - Mango Education. Check out the show notes here: http://bit.ly/MangoPod

Rakhi, Senior Manager at Barefoot Holidays shares information about the must-visit places in the Andaman Islands.

With over 500 islands, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, with its turquoise beaches and tropical forests has been facing extreme weather events in the recent past. From tsunami to cyclonic storms, these islands have seen it all. Such extreme weather events impact the livelihood of farmers living here, as agriculture is one of the key economic activities for the locals. With no borewell, canals, dams, or huge rivers and streams, the farmers face a humungous challenge every day. Central Island Agriculture Research Institute's scientists engaged with farmers to protect the land and water, and also ensure farmers gained sustainable income through smart climate-resilient farming.

Barefoot Holidays is destination management company specialising in the Andaman Islands. If you want to plan a holiday in the Andaman, visit www.barefootholiday.com or send your enquiry to holidays@barefootindia.com or call on 080 4001 2210.

We have our original 10K Dollar Bae, Danny Loranca as our guest googler this week! It's loads of laughs as Alison makes some interesting choices in the Andaman Islands, and Lulu lives it up in Minneapolis, Minnesota! Check it out!FOLLOW US:FacebookInstagramYoutubeTwitterWebsiteApple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotifyStitcherSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/10KDollarDay/)

This is the story of the most dangerous island in the Andaman Islands archipelago. A stone-age tribe believed to be 30,000 years old is thought to be the direct descendants of the first human population that migrated out of Africa.

About two decades ago, Samit Sawhny, Director of Barefoot Group, visited the Andaman Islands as a backpacker and months later, he decided to set up a resort on Havelock Island.

Romulus Whitaker - Serpentine World The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series Welcome to The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Inside Science Series, I'm Paul Vogelzang and this is episode #362. When human and venomous snake habitats connect, the results are often lethal. Snakebites, according to acclaimed herpetologist Romulus Whitaker, have become a complex problem, earning the designation of a Category A “Neglected Tropical Disease” from the World Health Organization. As part of our Smithsonian Associates Inside Science & Technology series, we are joined today by Herpatologist, scientist, and Emmy award winner Romulus Whitaker. Rom Whitaker who lives in India has been recognized for his many herpetological and conservation endeavors, including founding India's Madras Crocodile Bank. He won an Emmy Award for his 1996 National Geographic documentary, King Cobra, about the world's largest venomous snake. Also, he received a Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2008 for establishing 2 field stations in the rainforests of South India and the Andaman Islands. Join me for a fascinating discussion about his work on snakebite mitigation, India's iconic snakes, and his ongoing efforts to preserve reptile habitats. Little wonder a species of Indian boa, Eryx whitakeri, was named in his honor. Please welcome to The Not Old Better Show, via internet phone, herpetologist, scientist, educator, Romulus Whitaker. For more information about tickets and other details, please check out: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/romulus-whitakers-serpentine-world For more information about The Not Old Better Show, please go to: https://notold-better.com

This is Episode 52 of the State of the Theory Podcast. Politics. Power. Popular Culture. And other stuff, probably. In this series, we’re like super nerdy philosophical DJs: mashing up Serious Academic Questions with the most topical news and trends in pop culture. Each week, we’ll tackle a new topic and collide it with ‘critical theory’ (we’re pretty loose with our definitions, though, so expect the unexpected). Our aim is to destroy the stuff we know, explore the stuff we don’t and unsettle everything we think we know about the world. We take the obvious, the commonsensical, the certain, and then we rip it all to shreds. We are your theory doctors and we are always on call. In this episode, the first of a two-parter on historic tourism, we discuss the relationship between the past and the present in tourist attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg, Llancaiach Fawr, Edinburgh Dungeons and Cellular Jail, Andaman Islands. Along the way, we mention “Reading the Past” by Catherine Belsey (https://www.macmillanihe.com/page/detail/reading-the-past-tamsin-spargo/?sf1=barcode&st1=9780333771228&loc=au&priceCode=nz) and “Marking Time” by Paul Rabinow (https://press.princeton.edu/titles/8532.html) Our theme music is "The Face of God" by The Agrarians (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/The_Agrarians/The_Jovial_Shepherd/The_Face_of_God) State of the Theory is brought to you by Hannah Fitzpatrick and Anindya Raychaudhuri Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stateofthetheorypodcast) or Tweet us @drhfitz and @DrAnindyaR

This week we're joined by writer, author, and publisher Tom Vater and freelance writer and reporter Laure Siegel We speak about Tom and Laure's backpacking adventures, hitchhiking & surviving the Kathmandu earthquake, trapped whilst reporting on a tattoo convention. Laure tells us how she got into journalism, and how she came to interview Barrack Obama. We discuss the serial killer Charles Sobhraj, legalizing weed, the Andaman Islands, enhanced CIA interrogation in Thailand following 911 and everything in between! What an episode! You can catch up with Tom here: http://www.tomvater.com/about https://twitter.com/tomvater?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor https://www.telegraph.co.uk/authors/t/tom-vater/ and Laure here: https://twitter.com/lauresiegel?lang=en Join in the conversation with Mickey, Willy, James and Jordan and keep up to date with what's going on in our FB group https://www.facebook.com/thisstrangelifepodcast Email us at thisstrangelifepodcast@gmail.com https://thisstrange.life/#pod twitter.com/strangelifethis www.instagram.com/strangelifethis/ Please remember to subscribe, rate and review to the POD! #kathmandu #serialkiller #charlessobhraj #andamanislands #CIA #enhancedinterrogation #legalizeweed #adventure #asia #hitchhike #Bangkok #psychedelics #holidays #meditation #digitalnomad #Thailand #expat #conspiracy #health #lastpodcastontheleft #thehighersidechats #grimerica #theovon #brendanschaub #conspiracies #crypto #bitcoin #ethereum #ghosts #aliens #joerogan #jre #comedy #Trump #KanyeWest #truecrime

Catherine is here today with Davina Mackail. Davina is a Hay House author of the book The Dream Whisperer. She is a Spiritual educator, Shamanic seer, Feng Shui and space-clearing expert where she has encountered endless miracles in people's lives from the application of Feng Shui and Shamanic principles and now shares these incredible tools with others. Davina's greatest intention is to unlock the gateway to our most glorious self. This has led to a lifelong study of the human mind, metaphysics, quantum physics, consciousness, philosophy, psychology, dreams and shamanism – a passion that is as much part of her being as breathing. Her diverse business and medical background with an eclectic career history that includes a qualified nurse and a counsellor, a director of a commercial radio station, many years as a company director in the telecommunications industry and CEO of a 60-seat call centre specialising in technical support for ISP's. Davina discovered Feng Shui when working in Hong Kong and China in the early 1990's and subsequently trained for and acquired a Professional diploma in the practise and Spirit of Feng Shui. Throughout her corporate years she remained committed to her parallel universe of energy work, studying and experimenting.  Davina's Shamanic quest began in 1992 when she undertook an extraordinary adventure which took her from Moscow to Mongolia, through China and Hong Kong across Tibet to Nepal, India, Bangladesh and finally the Andaman Islands. The trip was life changing, and incorporated at least one near death experience, which in many cultures is seen as the shaman's mark of initiation. Find out more about Davina Mackail Visit Davina's Website Connect with Davina Mackail on Facebook Follow Davina on Twitter @davinamackail Follow Davina Mackail on Instagram @davinamackail It's now time to tune into this one very adventurous soul. ENJOY!

In the last episode, we discussed talked mostly about the history of the Andaman islands in general, and not North Sentinel Island specifically. In Part Two, Robert is joined again by Andrew Ti (Yo Is This Racist) to discuss the Sentinel Island in detail.   Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

In episode 37, Robert is joined by Andrew Ti (Yo Is This Racist) to discuss the history of the Andaman Islands. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Ayyyyyyye we back baby!!! Summer Jam Screen: Africa, oh no what is you doing, baby? https://face2faceafrica.com/article/israel-turns-to-ghana-to-back-its-bid-for-a-seat-at-the-african-union https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/israel-deportation-african-asylum-seekers-cruel-and-unlawful-amnesty-international-a8403501.html https://atlantablackstar.com/2018/11/11/folks-concerned-after-china-opens-13th-police-station-in-south-africa/ Don't bring that missionary ish round the Andaman Islands: https://www.vibe.com/2018/11/christian-organization-arrest-against-indigenous-tribe-killing-missionary-trespasser/ https://www.vibe.com/2018/11/missionary-killed-with-arrows-after-trespassing-on-indigenous-island/ Selling Hope Like Dope: Gene editing that makes the kids HIV resistant http://fortune.com/2018/11/26/chinese-researchers-genetic-engineering-babies-crispr-hiv/ Hold This L: Who ever the fuck called the deputies and told them about a Bank of America atm malfunctioning... https://abc13.com/finance/witnesses-bank-of-america-mistakenly-giving-out-$100-bills/4764837/ Not All Heroes Wear Ca[es: The kitchenista for blessing my thanksgiving with a couple of her recipes! https://www.instagram.com/thekitchenista/?hl=en http://www.kitchenistadiaries.com/p/instagram.html Health Over Wealth: A Quote from Stephen King Questions/Comments/Feedback: DuragsAndBoatshoes@gmail.com

In this episode, Neil, Natalia, and Niki discuss segregation academies, the death of an American missionary, and the declining market share of lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show:  Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith, who is in a runoff contest to hold on to her Senate seat, sparked backlash when she made an offhand comment about a “public hanging” that many perceived as racist. The fact that Hyde-Smith attended a “segregation academy,” as reported by this Jackson Free Press article Natalia recommended, shed important light on how she developed such a worldview. Last week, American missionary John Allen Chau was killed when he traveled to the remote island of North Sentinel. Niki recommended this viral thread by Twitter user @RespectableLaw on the historical context for the hostility of the Sentinelese to outsiders. Neil discussed the case of evangelical Jim Elliot, who was killed on a mission in Ecuador. Natalia recommended Sadatru Sen’s book, Disciplining Punishment: Colonialism and Convict Society in the Andaman Islands and Jonathan Zimmerman’s Innocents Abroad: American Teachers in the American Century. Lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret is losing market share, and CMO Ed Razek hasn’t been shy about disdaining new upstarts like Third Love. Natalia cited this Slate article about the founding of Victoria’s Secret to cater to men’s shopping needs. Natalia also recommended Elizabeth Matelski’s Reducing Bodies: Mass Culture and the Female Figure in Postwar America and this episode of the Sexing History podcast about “sweater girls.”    In our regular closing feature, What’s Making History: Natalia discussed the new movie Ralph Breaks the Internet. Neil recommended Natalie Escobar’s Atlantic article, “The Changing Ways Parents React to Their Kids Coming Out of the Closet.” Niki shared Joe Pinsker’s Atlantic article, “The 30-Year Reign of Lunchables.”

Happy Cyber Monday! What's the point with personal privacy, a new European army, China's NEW Social credit system and the American Missionary killed in the Andaman Islands off India. Tune in. Listen, share! Thanks for listening

Even with the globalized world we live in, there are an estimated over 100 uncontacted tribes of people, living with minimal interruption from the outside world. Some, with histories going back as far as the Stone Age. Today, on The What If? Podcast, we explore two of the most famously isolated groups of people in the world, and discuss how the came to both be - and how they attempt to stay - in isolation. This week, we'll explore North Sentinel Island and the Sentinelese, along with the Jarawa tribes of the Andaman Islands, an Indian territory in the center of the Indian Ocean. We'll learn about what we know about their customs, their hostility towards others, the threats they face, and a whole lot more. Get double the episodes every week by joining our Patreon.  Hit up our store for hoodies, tees, hats, and more. Leave us a voicemail at 612-246-4614. Send us an email: hi@whatifpodcast.com

John Shaughnessy has solved the mystery of the ancient pyramids built all over the world. Amazing lost scientific knowledge on how the moon is a grandmother clock that regulates large cycles on Earth, like ice-ages and interglacial periods. If you're interested in the civilizations of the ancient past, Shaughnessy proposes a revelatory, mind-blowing new theory... MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Why the Pyramids Were "Really" Created by Brandon Ellis GUEST LINKS - JOHN SHAUGHNESSY Pyramid Gravity Force 1 Video lecture Pyramid Gravity Force: How the Earth's Pyramids Work by John Shaughnessy There is Something About the Moon... by Wendy Salter and John Shaughnessy HOST LINKS - SLADE ROBERSON Slade's Books & Courses Get an intuitive reading with Slade Automatic Intuition BECOME A PATRON https://www.patreon.com/shiftyourspirits Edit your pledge on Patreon TRANSCRIPT John: Well, I'm John Shaughnessy. I come from Massachusetts. I grew up in Massachusetts a few miles outside of Boston, downtown Boston in a small suburb. I first got introduced into space, generally the... whatever you want to call it, the Cosmo. I got a part time job working on the weekends at the Museum of Science. And in the Museum of Science, they have a place called the Planetarium. I was taking tickets. I sold tickets to the Planetarium show and I just fell in love with it. I was doing special effects. I was involved with running around during the show and changing slides in the old Don Howard projectors. I had to place myself Saturday, Sunday mornings, I'd get in there early. I had to place myself, this big giant sized projector, I could... After I knew what I was doing, I was click shutting the lights down and having my own light show and... That lasted about two years but it sowed a seed in me. Later on, like, I've always had, say, psychic anomalies that would just come in and I would know stuff before it happened or... to the point where I freaked out my friends I was hanging out with. You know, I just shrugged it off, made a joke out of it, because I didn't know what was actually happening. Back in the day, you didn't have a class in middle school on how to deal with your psychic personality, you know what I mean? Slade: I still don't think they have that on the curriculum. John: Yeah! You know, there's reasons for it, you know? It scares the hell out of people. Well, the ones that are in control, anyhow. That all being said, I joined the navy. It was my first geographical cure and you know, jumped into the service. I was on a small ship, the USS Miller and we did a couple of major cruises. I was at three 6-month deployments. One of them, it was like a small shakedown cruise just going up and down the eastern seaboard, say, from Halifax to Puerto Rico and maybe down to the Bermuda Triangle. One particular day in the Bermuda Triangle, I had an event and that kind of shook me to the core. You know, we're a mighty ship and it was a clear blue day. Not a cloud in the sky and the ocean was the same colour as the sky, really. You couldn't tell where the horizon began and end. We just lost power - this mighty ship with backup generators, batteries. Everything just went completely dark, still, quiet. There was no waves. Just amazing, and it was about 10 minutes of just sitting there. The eerie thing is it wasn't a lot of talking. It was like we were just looking into each others' eyes, because we had little battery lights that lit up so you could catch people's faces. It was like a show made up of mimes, you know? We were just looking at each other. It was, What's going on? What's happening here? So it was pretty profound. After we got the power back, generators finally kicked on. We got going and really, there was no real investigation that actually came down to the crew. I wasn't an Officer. I was just an enlisted man, so it kind of triggered something in me and I started chasing the paranormal, you know? One of my favorite books back then, I forget the author, it was 'The Probability of the Impossible'. It was like, maybe hundreds of incidences where things just defied logic and science. So I just got hooked into that and the Bermuda Triangle. There was a lot of books back then of the Bermuda Triangle and von Däniken. It was Erich von Däniken's work I grabbed a lot. Chariots of the Gods. Started reading a lot. I was always interested in the unknown, the mysteries. If somebody couldn't figure something out, I'd show up. But if everybody had it all figured out, it didn't interest me. So any puzzle or conundrum wasn't working right or something like that, I kind of enjoyed solving those problems. It's just how my brain worked and a lot of times, I would get intuitive... I'm the type of guy who would get from A to C without going to B. A lot of areas in my mind.. I have the mind where I can put things together inside my brain. I don't have to draw things. I can just, you know, build up systems and troubleshoot without having to do the hard work on the bench, so to speak. I can walk it through and all that while working and kind of works like that. So I got into the power industry. I'm retired right now. I got into generating electricity at the utility level. Gas turbines and boilers, steam turbines, so pretty large machines. 100,000 horsepower. I got into hydroelectric dam operations. I used to supervise, I was a supervisor in the big utilities, Con Edison Northeast Utilities, and retired now. So that's good. So I can put more of my work into my real passion and that's these leftover enigmas that seem to be sprinkled all over the planet. One particular time I got into... I was watching, getting into the pyramids. I touch topics and I just dig deep into them. I read all I could. I just get obsessed with it and I just hit a wall. I just hit a block. I was fascinated with gravity early on. I thought that was an awesome field to get into and try and unlock and basically get some kind of anti-gravity machines going. I did a lot of experiments. I was able to manipulate the weight of an object in an apothecary scale with rotating mass. As I got deeper and deeper into this, I would be reading Einstein's theory of special relativity, a lot of Tesla's work. Self-taught, really. Whatever I kind of got obsessed with, I just dug into it until I got to the bottom or got bored with it and couldn't get any further. One particular day I came into the living room. The TV was on and Michio Kaku's a pretty famous physicist out of New York. He was cutting right to a commercial and he kind of just, the last words he said as I was doing the dead drop into the lazyboy was, 'We still don't know what these pyramids are doing!' Then it just went off to a commercial. I muted it like I usually do. I just had an epiphany in my brain, just a thought going, I wonder what's on the other side of Giza? You know, the Giza Plateau pyramids. I've always had globes around me. If you came into my house, there's globes, atlases, maps and things of that nature. So I was pretty up on geography and, like I said, I got a little bit of training when I was 16 at the Museum of Science because I was obsessed with how the universe worked. So I got up, I walked across the living room, looked at the globe. There's a floor-mount globe about a three feet high and I found Giza and I spun it 180 degrees. Same latitude. Not antipodal, latitude. My finger landed right on a Hawaiian island chain, right? So that's strange. Just my background in gravity and the tidal lock with the moon and things like that automatically clicked in subconsciously, like this, the only real connection here is gravity. It's such a large distance. Therein lies the basis, the foundation of a theory that I've put out into the world with books, videos, talks, conferences and so on and so forth. So as time went on, next couple of weeks, my brain was just set on fire. I was driving down the road writing down notes. It's like you got this proverbial download of 30,000 words in about 5 minutes. And you're like back-engineering what you just took in kind of, type of thing. Because it was pretty profound. You know, the hair on the back stands up, on your neck stands up. You get the shivers. You know you're on to something. Long story short, I started saying, If Giza lines up with Hawaiian hot spots, what are the other pyramids doing? You know. So you gotta back out of my early theory that there's a connection between the two and say, Well if there's a connection between those two there's gotta be a connection to the other ones. Lo and behold, every time I went to a large cluster of pyramids, a large pyramid, 180 degrees and on the same latitude, there would be a volcano that aligned with it. So the pyramid at sundown in Mexico aligned with Mount Sigiriya in Sri Lanka, which is an ancient volcano. It has a, if you can believe it, an alien-shaped, elongated, not alien, elogated shape skull for a magma plug, and it's got huge claws at the base of it and nobody knows where it came from, who built it or anything. They rival the size of the Spinx, so that's interesting. Then I went over to the Chen pyramids, a large cluster of pyramids and that aligned with the... ironically, the Bermuda Island, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, it was made up of two ancient dormant super calderas that actually make up that island. And then there's El Tigre. It lines up with the Andaman Islands. Down in Guatemala, those pyramids are twice as high as Giza. As I said, El Tigre, the other name escapes me but... La Dante. It was like, 'Okay, these pyramids are lining up with these volcanos, or this strip of volcanic islands, or another island with a volcano.' So after I get up to 20, and then 30, and then 40, I said, 'Okay, alright. There's definitely a connection here.' And I'm like, at the time I didn't have it all figured out. I don't know if I have it all figured out now but I'm pretty deep into the theory. I was like, 'Okay, what's driving this...' My mind at the time, I just felt like gravity was static on the earth, that my concept of gravity was static gravity like, we have the gravitational field and it's x amount of meters per second, the force of it, and... After writing the book, I wrote my book and then a lot of times you get as much information as you have, and you have to get it out of you. You have to put it in writing and so I put my first book out, Pyramid Gravity Force. During that process of putting that all together, if you look at the cover of my book, it's the earth, the moon, and a large pyramid. A large super-imposed pyramid on the planet earth and I got a little one-line diagram that goes from the pyramid down to the core and back out to the moon. So that's where the gravitational energy was coming from that was actually connecting these spots together. Now, at this particular geographical time, geological time, sorry, geological time frame that we're in right now, the Nile Valley pyramids are aligned with the Hawaiian hot spot. That particular alignment is active right now. That in and of itself is, I call the Hawaiian hot spot the Magma Relief Valve of the planet in that particular location. It's the only constant erupting volcano because it's artificially controlled from the large pyramids on the other side of the planet. So basically we spin through the gravitational field of the moon, and that is the perpetual motion. This is a perpetual motion energy machine and you get the feedback from that energy when you go down to the ocean and see the tides roll in and roll out. I mean, this is a massive energy connection between this heavenly body we call the moon. So I said, 'Okay, it is the engine, the mechanics behind the system that basically lowers the gravitational field. When the pyramids of the Giza plateau spin through the moon's gravitational field, it lowers the gravitational field under the Hawaiian hotspot and allows that magma to dribble out. Now, granted, different alignments out there in the solar system like we just went through, not to get off topic. I gotta watch out or we won't be coming back. I mean, this is a real weird alignment anyway. I'll just touch this. Hopefully I can get back to where I was going. Slade: I'll bring you back in a minute. I'll bring you back. John: Well, I mean, this is where I've sold a minimum in conjunction with that, at the same time, we have all the planets on one side of the sun. You have this huge draw of gravitational pull collectively by all the planets, and that's why... Consequently, we have this very hot summer that we just went through. On top of when the sun is at a solar minimum, it actually puts out more radiation. It's actually hotter. Most people can probably identify.. when they walk outside, it feels like someone's jumping on your head. Slade: Yup. John: Pushing down on you. It's like someone's deflecting your field. It's like you're carrying a 50lb backpack around everywhere you go. Slade: It's making us feel a little crazy, right? John: Oh yeah, definitely. It's a lot of energy coming in and most people probably intuitively will just duck in from one shaded place to the next. From one air conditioning place to the next just to stay out of it. Anyway, so that all being said, getting back to the moon and the pyramid here. When we spin through the, the alignment of the pyramids and the Giza Plateau, they're set up in the Orion configuration, or dogleg. The smallest pyramid cuts into the moon's gravitational field. Because we spin in to the moon's gravitational field. So what this does, this way they have it set up, so if you can visualize, the earth spins in to the moon's gravitational field, it sets up the Fibonacci vortex, okay? And then the other larger two pyramids, GP2 and GP1, follow suit and flow through it. Now that creates a huge gravitational vortex in that zone and it goes through the planet and lowers the gravitational field on the Hawaiian hot spot and allows the magma to freeflow . That all being said, that's kind of the mechanics of what's going on with Hawaiian hot spot and the Giza Plateau pyramids. Slade: So it's controlling the volcanic forces at work in the earth, right? It's stabilizing something, right? Like what's the purpose here? John: When you step back, the god built the planets. If you go back and all the, you go into the ancient texts, it was built by higher minded beings, God, whatever you choose. And you put a planet together like Earth, you're gonna ask, What are my biggest challenges here? One of the biggest challenges on earth is magma control, like controlling tectonic plate slips. Most of our volcanism, volcanic activity on the planet are, build up pressure, explode, kill everything for a hundred miles around and seal it back up again. So that all being said, I mean you've got the Ring of Fire, which we have, you know, consistent volcanic activity. And right in the middle of the Ring of Fire is the relief valve of the Hawaiian hot spot. So it's actually, when we do go into these alignments I just alluded to this past summer, well since April. We went in, all the planets are on one side of the solar system. When that happens, going back just 120 years, you can go back thousands of years now, but just the last 120 years that actually happened SIX times. Every time that happened, we had a 3000% increase in volcanic activity on the planet. So, stepping back, your inner solar system, your planets in the solar system and it's affected by outside gravitational influences by the planets. So you're the host planet for intelligent life. So you want to keep it calm. So what you do is, you build some pyramids and you create this relief valve using the gravitational force of the moon, which is the biggest player of gravity on the planet. The other planets do increase and decrease that force, but nevertheless the moon is the biggest gravitational force. When these energies come into play on the planet, and create magma pressure, and especially in intergalacial pressure like right now we're in the warm up period, so you're in expansion, the poles are rising, the plates are getting squished together on the equatorial region because of heavier ocean. So you get a lot of... we're going from pumpkin-shaped to spherical-shaped. So you're in a constant changing environment. So this tool, this mechanism, this engineering, that's been on the planet for eons, I think it comes and goes. These things have been, probably have been rebuilt before. These pyramid systems, they've been rebuilt as the little ones underneath have been... As a technology comes back into the human consciousness and mainstream grabs it and says, 'Hey, these things are important. We'd better do something about this.' They're actually playing a critical role in our survival. And that re-emphasizes the rebuild and the physics and everything else that comes along with this. To sum that up, that's what this is. It's terraforming, and it's also, I hate to use the word geo-engineering, because it's got a bad rap lately, but it's geo-stabilizing. In essence, when you get control over... You saw that amount of magma come out of the Hawaiian hot spot just recently because the alignment of the planets and solar minimum piggyback. And that alignment we had a lot of magma... If you didn't have the Hawaiian hot spot, the lower gravitational field with the pyramids and the Nile valley manipulating that and allow that magma just to flow out freely, and after that the Hawaiian hot spot just sealed up for a year or so. It'd have been a catastrophic explosion beyond biblical proportions. We could have been going into the Stone Age a lot sooner, so... And what that particular location does, it lowers the lower mantle and upper mantle pressures and allows it to bleed out. And it prevents super calderas like Yellowstone Super Caldera from erupting. There's another giant super caldera in South America. So there's a reason behind the madness. All the magma. No pun intended. But there's a reason behind magma control so that's what it's all about. That's kind of where I've pulled this all into some serious scientific theory. And what backs up my gravitational theory is the moon and the high tide. A lot of people aren't aware that on the moon side, you get the high tide. On the moonless side, 180 degrees opposed to it, you get a high tide also. I call that the moonless high tide. So you get the moonless high tide and a moon high tide. Therein lies the evidence. Physical, repeatable, observable evidence that this is how gravity works on the planet. Recently, just recently, like the last couple of weeks, Russian scientists released a study and got published, I think, by Itmo University, I forget the name of the university in Russia. They built the Giza GP1 to scale using the same material. And what they did was they submerged it in bath of, not a bath, they submerged it with electromagnetic energy. And what they were able to find was, the three chambers inside the pyramids, the king's chamber, the queen's chamber and the subterranean chamber actually were focal points, okay? They were concentrating the energy inside these focal points. And then they did the same thing with the non-ionizing radiation, we know it as radio waves, some form of radio wave. They got the same result. They published the result. I put a, it's in my book, you know, the different language but the pyramids of subatomic particle lenses and they published the videos on YouTube in my name on pyramids being lenses. And I've also put down, in the chambers were the focal points. I've gone out and spoke about this. I had a Russian interview on, it was like their version of the History channel. I got about 15 minutes. They were really great. They do a lot of great graphics, bring in my theories and about four years ago, three years ago I think it was, three or four years ago, so I got on Russian TV and I got to expel on that. Somebody must've been listening, 'Maybe this guy's got something going', they were actually pretty advanced in their search for understanding what the pyramids do and what it's all about. So that all being said, that came back recently to me as, okay, proof positive, your theory's right in a lot of aspects. They're actually coming back with physical repeatable evidence that are being done in controlled labs. So the next step is getting the industry to, the mainstream paranormal New agers to look at these alignments that are... There's a connection between the pyramids and volcanoes. These things are... You're not putting 6 million tons of stone together to run a couple of light bulbs, you know? It's just... It's not... And I'm not putting down anybody that comes up with theories of what have you, because it's those theories that we all build our theories on. You know. Get higher and try to figure out what's going on. Slade: So what is this... What's coming up? What does this mean? You talked about the fact that this is controlling the ice ages, right? There's going to be a pole swap at some point, correct? John: Well I'm probably the only one out there that's not in the pole-swap camp. Slade: Okay. John: But I'll tell you why. Getting into my science there, and looking at the planet and knowing how the subatomic particles flow, just like the astrophysics did, theoretical physics community and all the what do you call it, neuron, electrons, galvatron, croutons, whatever. They all come in from the poles and they go out the equatorial region and they rotate back in, just like magnetic flux line, they call it. That's so famous. That image of the magnetic field on the planet that creates the Van Allen belts and so on and so forth. But what these, I call them 'planet builders', what they've done is they've created a huge... The Antarctica continent is shaped like a hexagon, just like Jupiter and Saturn. In effect, it kind if ties in with the tetrahedron. So it's a tetrahedron. In my book, the tetrahedron, the shape of this particular continent, sets up to be a subatomic land. It's like a giant pyramid. It concentrates the inflow of subatomic particles in the southern hemisphere of the South pole. Now if you look at the North pole, there's nothing really up there. It's water. Ice. There's no giant land, so... What you have to visualize is that you're going to have a higher flow coming in to the North pole and a slower flow coming in to the South pole, because the continent is right there. Antarctica. So what that does is slows down the subatomic flow. And it also slows down, or blocks the flow, to singularity. So you have a larger, say like a 70% of subatomic flow in the North and 30% in the South. But the flows are actually going at different velocities. So this is what locks in the magnetic field. Slade: So this is maintaining the magnetic field and it's also ultimately making the planet more habitable? John: Right. Slade: Without it, it'd be too chaotic and volcanic for us to even be here. John: Yeah, exactly. So it's all part of a huge system. Anywhere you go, any continent you go to. That's why I'm a naysayer on the magnetic pole swap because the people that built this planet, that did the last rebuild terraforming, they're geniuses. They're not gonna... They don't want to come back and rebuild pyramids every year. They do it and they make it last. And they see the human consciousness when it needs to be and when we get to that level so we can understand the technology and re-utilize it and build it and re-build it. And things of that nature. Slade: Let's talk about that for a second. So first of all, let me ask you: When you talk about the planet builders, are we talking Atlantis, Lemuria, Ancient Aliens kind of concept? Where do you come in in that whole thing? Do you think somebody came here and set this all up for us? John: Yes. Slade: Well tell me a little bit about that. Because you're obviously a very science-minded guy, but then you also, you do mention Edgar Cayce. And you talked about how you were intuitive, that you get these downloads, which was crazy because this is the first time you and I ever talked, but the people who listen to this show, that's something we talk about a lot. So when you say it's coming into the consciousness, talk to me about, are you one of the people who's bringing this through currently? Do you see yourself as, okay, I'm meant to bring this information in and put it back into human consciousness? John: Yes. Yes, I feel with the trying to stay humble and keeping your ego in check is like... And yeah, I feel that my information is radical. It's new. It's not mine. This stuff was already here, you know? I'm just saying, 'Hey, I think this is the way these things work.' And this is the proof that I have. This is the physical evidence. So yes. I think there's a, it's part of the human consciousness. We get seated at different ages in the human history. This last go from the ice age into the intergalacial period was, I feel that was when humanity peaks at the peak of the intergalacial period. And then we go into the ice age and we drop off and we forget everything. Only to come back and do it again the next intergalacial period. Hopefully we won't be on the oil economy. We got sidetracked into this oil economy by some corrupt individuals. But anyways... Slade: So this is waves of rise and fall of human civilization, right? John: Right. Slade: Okay. John: Yeah. Like it's, I'll just make a point. Michael Cremo, I don't know if you know. He's done a lot of work and he's got a lot of evidence that modern man has been down here for a minimum of half a million years. There's evidence all over the place that supports this. Obviously it's buried because it goes up against the narrative, whatever the narrative is, at any particular day, so... It's just a rise and fall of humanity. Now to come into this environment, you have to take the physical form of a human being. Whether it's just walk-ins or people just coming in to you who are what have you, or you're just a real mature soul and you've ascended to a real high level of consciousness. You've got the Buddha, Gandhi... You have a lot of very mature souls. Jesus Christ and going on and on and on. I'm just talking. There's a lot of them. I'm not getting everybody obviously. I don't want to offend anybody. Just saying, there's... We get seated with these master, these masters, really, of human consciousness. And in the middle of that, we get people like Tesla, Einstein, Newton, Galileo, a lot of the Greek philosophers, you know. They come in and they pass a message along. They bring in ideas, technology, concepts, sciences, and things of that nature. So it's just a re-circulation of the human consciousness on the planet. And it's like the old proverbial saying that your soul is here to have a human experience, not the other way around, you know? So... And I think it's a tool for growth. For the spirit, if you believe in reincarnation. You know, you keep coming back and hopefully every time you come back, you utilize that space and time to ascend to a higher state of consciousness. Then maybe eventually you don't have to come back. You can just sit up on the moon and watch the big show. Slade: So in your theory, the information that you're accessing, is kind of held in the collective consciousness. Some people call it the Akashic Records. There's some other dimension where this knowledge exists and different ones of us tap into it and... I actually think a lot more people tap into it than we even give credit for. You know, there are those Ascended Masters that are kind of like the rock stars. Then there's a bunch of us that do it a little bit here and there, right? Just humbly, you know, thinking of it that way. John: Yeah. It's a collective group. Yeah, I wouldn't be where I was at... Maybe I'm supporting somebody I don't know, and they're going to come up with something that's going to add to it and... You know, the Russian scientist's doing this research and then... The time spans are amazing. I mean, you're only down here for a short amount of time and all of a sudden, you're starting to get this wave of science, you know? And it's all coming together collectively from different parts of the world. And from places you'd never expect. It's like, we're a very small pocket of humanity. People in this new age, 'truth seekers', they call them, I call us. We're not satisfied with the story. We're lifting up the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, going behind the curtain to see who's running the machine, you know? So we're a small pocket. We do add to the human family. We do add a consciousness that helps, will help in the future, I think, to navigate us through changes that are coming. And that's what I think it's all about. Slade: Do you think there's something we're supposed to do in particular, like, do the pyramids need to be refurbished in some way? Do they need to be maintained or something like that? John: Right, I mean, my mind's always going on about that. Where are we at? What do we need to do? Are we at a critical stage right now? Four years ago, they came up with there's three times the amount of water trapped in the transition zone between the upper and the middle mantle. And I'm thinking, so that ties in to the volcanism. That ties in to the magma control. A lot of times, I just get overwhelmed. I have to jump on the couch and take a nap. Slade: Do you think we're in danger of breaking something? John: Yeah, I think we're going up fast. The only thing I can say to sum up where I'm at, the science and everything. And I go back to the icicle sample. Thank god for the icicle samples. Because we can get some grounded, we can ground our thoughts on this particular source of time. It goes back a million some odd years, but... They've done a great job showing intergalacial periods and ice ages. For the most part, it's like clockwork. It's like 104,000 ice age. 13,500 on average for the intergalacial period. That all being said, all the ice is not going to melt in intergalacial period. If that ice is 1,000,000 years old, we just came out of the ice age 13,500 years ago, something big is... A lot of people are going to wait for the ice to melt. But my theory in my other book, 'There Is Something About the Moon' gets into the physics of what controls the ice age. And that is, as the ocean rises, the gravitation - this is common knowledge - the moon's gravitational field is shifting from the glaciers and the polar caps... The actual claw... There's actually five images on the moon and that tells a whole story also but anyway... So transfer to the hard surface of the ice to the girth of the ocean. What that does is it, it in effect is causing the earth to tilt from 23.5 or 23.4 to, it's gonna go to 19.4. And Tiwanaku, the Gate of the Sun, the name escapes me now, but that's 4 degrees off. The Gate of the Sun, the sun is supposed to rise in the middle of it, and it will once we get back to the ice age tilt. The ice age tilt goes from 23.5 to 19.4 degrees, and then the sun will rise up in that Gate in Tiwanaku. I think it's in Tiwanaku. But anyway, long story short, there's a highway in Mexico and they've been marking the summer solstice sun at high noon and it's been travelling 100 miles, feet, north.. south.. Let me back up a bit I'm stepping on my words here. They're actually marking it and they're marking the tilt. They're acknowledging the tilt is changing. So we are going to a lower tilt. Now I mean, you gotta go like a thousand miles to get one degree. It's a pretty significant move. We don't think it is. You know, 23 to 19, you wouldn't think it'd be that big, but it's actually a significant drop, a significant movement. And the sun actually coming up over the Tropic of Cancer in the summer, what do you call it, solstice. The summer solstice in the southern hemisphere. So what's going on is that the solstices are squeezing the Tropics, the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn will move to 19. And what that does is lowers the light on the upper latitudes, both in the north and southern hemisphere. And essentially, we're going into ice-building mode, okay? So this is the control mechanism that the moon also ties into. It's a multi-faceted engineering system that protects the planet. So if we're melting faster because of human activity, which we probably are because of the higher greenhouse gases that they surmise based on the previous ice core samples, we are way off the charts. We're going to accelerate the melting of the ice and it's going to hit what I call is the high water mark. And I think maybe [unintelligible] island out in the Pacific might be the high water mark island. It's only 5 feet high. I mean, 5 feet's a lot of water but it is... As the water increases in volume on the earth, you're gonna get more of a larger degree tilt in a period of time. So instead of 100 feet a year, you could be getting a quarter mile. At some point, it's gonna really pick up pretty quick. And that'll launch us into the Ice Age. But this is a good thing! Because we're in an environment where you can't flat-line. Because there's so much energy, you know, the sun, the Milky Way galaxy, the planets... You're either going up or down. And that's just the nature of the beast that we're here. Hopefully we attain higher level of technology that operates on the natural energy that the planet makes besides burning stuff. We're in the burn-scorch technology. Slade: Yeah. It does seem like there's probably some better stuff we could be using. My mind is spinning out as you're talking. I'm thinking about, you know, maybe I'm getting downloads too. But I'm seeing all these potential explanations for what we call astrology, I'm seeing how a lot of this ancient architecture that we have, the Henges and all this stuff that the Aztecs left behind. They really are some kind of calendars or... Like you were talking about, they're marking the stuff on a highway but that's like the really scratching on the chalkboard version of something that has been left behind for us, right? John: Mmhmm. There's a book by Derek Cunningham. He surmised that the Sacsayhuamán, you know the saw-toothed walls up there, and I did the same thing. We're different theories but he's kind of, said there was a language being... Those shapes of blocks are actually a language. Slade: Ooo! Interesting! John: Again, it's like a lot of these little tiny pockets of information. These people come in, they do the download, and they're gone. You know? So it's up to the next generation to come in and pick up and keep putting this together. But I think it's all experimentation. That whole plateau up there is literally instrumentation of where we are in the ice age, or intergalacial period, and you can actually measure the degree of tilt on a lot of these obelisks. The three big power centres: You've got the Vatican, Washington, and some other place that escapes my mind. It has these obelisks and they actually measure the tilt. That's what those giant obelisks do. You can keep an eye on and measure what's going on. There's a huge one in St. Peter's Square where I've been before. That all being said, there's instrumentation all over the place. You got Stonehenge. You got the pyramids. You got the temples. The temples are, haven't completely been transcribed as a lot of... There's information on the moon. You know, the images on the moon also tell a story of where we are in the intergalacial period. There's a famous stele with Akhenaten and Nefertiti. They're with their three children. They have a disc and they have the lines coming down. At the end of every one of those lines, is a saying, iconography of the moon, the claw, right? So you have this claw coming down. And you go through, this is actually a very short period in the span of time between the ages. This is actually just a very rare point in time on earth. The intergalacial periods are very short span of time. A normal weather pattern is an ice age on the planet. 100,000 years building ice and you know, it's habitable, humanity survives it, and life does flourish, but obviously not, you know, a mile under a glacier, but... That all being said, as far as I'm concerned, a lot of the hieroglyphs and steles and images in Egypt, because Egypt seems to have a huge amount of information on the moon and Mars and a few things. Past life on the planets. So essentially, that stele, that round circle in the middle is the moon, okay? And we rock back and forth. And you can read the moon as it comes up out of the ocean or out of the horizon with the naked eye. Any higher than that you have to get binoculars because you have a lensing effect when it comes up out of the ocean. But that tells us where you are in a time on the... There's two clocks. You got the moon clock, which I bring in through with my research with co-author, researcher, Wendy Salter, we kind of put this whole thing together on what the moon is. So there's a way of reading where you are in the intergalacial period and the ice ages. Just to sum that up. Now the other big clock is the wobble of the earth, where you know it's a 26,000 year old clock (approximately, it's a little less than that). That actually is the only time we really have besides the moon. Like, if we didn't have wobble, we wouldn't really have any real time clock. Because we're just in a Milky Way band just floating around the centre of the Milky Way galaxy and all the stars remained the same. If you didn't have that wobble, you wouldn't have the change, the zodiac houses where the sun rises up in the zodiac house. We're in Pisces right now, going into Aquarius. So those are two giant clocks. So it's like the wobble was made on purpose, to give us time. For me, every time I get into, you know, why is it like that? And it comes back with an answer. That's the answer I got for the wobble. It's not like a defect. It's not... Everything is perfect on this planet. The solar system is absolute perfection. The highest level of knowledge. Universal knowledge. Slade: Wow. Okay. Just to sum up for everyone because, again, we're just scratching the subject here, and possibly starting like, 10 different conversations that I could go on. John: You gotta take it easy on the listeners, you know? Slade: I'm going to link to all these things in the show notes for everyone. But just to break it down so everyone knows where to go to get more information. You've got a free YouTube video of a lecture that you gave. It's a pretty good length. The main book that we're talking about here called 'Pyramid, Gravity, Force - How the Earth's Pyramids Work'. And then you co-authored with Wendy Salter, a book called 'There is Something About the Moon'. What are you working on next? John: Just the last couple of weeks, I brought in some discoveries on what controls the solar minimum. The irony here is, the orbit of Jupiter is 11 years. The solar minimum is 11 years. It's like, Hello! Is anybody paying attention? Even though the earth rotates past Jupiter 11 times, it only comes in direct alignment between Jupiter and the sun, the last 11 years, right before the solar minimum, so it comes into direct alignment between the sun and Jupiter. And so basically I put a paper out. I put a video out and I do try to get my stuff published. I put stuff out and I send it to the journals and hopefully someday they'll get it through. But the bottom line is that what a lot of people don't understand is Jupiter is not in orbit around the sun. It's like a binary orbit between these two bodies, like they actually wobble on each other's axises, or elliptic orbits, rather and they kind of bounce out and around each other. So Jupiter's movement actually creates a corkscrew orbit of the sun and that also has an 11 year cycle on it also. But long story short, what happens when the earth gets in between Jupiter and go full circle, going back to the point I wanted to make, once the earth gets directly in line with Jupiter and the sun, it actually blocks the gravitational field and kind of filters it, it lowers it. That is the source of all the turbulence on the sun, the sun storms, the black spots, the giant magnetic storms. Once the earth comes in front of it, the sun just goes into this pure fusion environment. This fusion or fission. I always get the two mixed up. But anyway, it just goes into a ball and there's no spots at all for three or four months. Sometimes six months, it depends. So it actually shuts down all that turbulence. Once the earth passes out, it's like two or three months later, the torque begins between these two giant heavenly bodies and you get the massive storms. So that was a recent discovery that I've just brought in and... It's tough. I'm not in academia, so I'm outside. But I think that's where you do the most work. I don't have any constraints. Nobody's saying I can't say this and... I can say whatever I want. I don't have to.. Slade: Right. John: So this is like what's good for me and I think it seeds the, whatever you call it, the mainstream world of academia. It resonates out and they'll grab it and, you know, put something together with it. I mean, we need to know these things. We really need to get on top of what effect these planets are having on our environment. Because we're in a critical stage where we're pretty critical with the heat. There's a lot of environments that are changing yearly, rapidly, very fast and... Prior to that, I put a system together to forecast volcanic activity a little tighter with the alignments with planets and the moon and the moon's Metonic cycle. It's a huge influence on, say, volcanic eruption. So like right now, the prediction system we have right now, the USGS (United States Geological Survey), every country that has a volcano has some kind of prediction. Basically it's like, Okay if it's rumbling, they put a warning out to the local people, societies that are living at the foothills of these volcanoes. Guatemala, we lost a lot of people just this past summer. They put the warnings out to them and the people there are saying, 'Well it's been rumbling the last 10 years. Nothing happened.' I'm trying to get someone to help me build a software because all this information is available. What you can do is, you can go back the last time a volcano erupted and you can time stamp it and go back and say, Okay, get the time stamp on the last time it erupted. Go back to a solar simulator and find out where the positions of the planets were. And then also go back to the moon's Metonic cycle. And what it is is, and this is what I've done is, I've gone back and looked at where that eruption was and I went back and saw they were in the same alignment that it was 400 years ago. I don't know the date off the top, just to make a point. And so, what this does is you can go to these people and say, 'Hey look. We know it's been rumbling the last 20 years. 100 years. Nothing's every happened, but the last time it did erupt, the planetary alignments were in this position and the moon was in this particular part of the Metonic cycle.' So you have more concern. So you're coming in with a little bit more heavier warning than 'You should get out of here.' Slade: Yeah. John: It's tough for people to just pick up and take off. Their whole lives' are around these volcanoes. So that's kind of what I'm working on. I'm working on that type of thing. I'm working in on tying in this new ocean system into my volcanic theory that said three times the ocean are locked up in this material called ringwoodite. It's a blue crystal-type looking thing but it actually has a high percentage of water in it. It's equivalent.. the numbers are wild. One of the numbers was three times the equivalent of the surface ocean volume is trapped in this lime. Trying to figure out, is this something we need to be concerned with? It's a huge amount of water and my thing is, seeing that all the ice doesn't melt, we know that because, you know, going back a million years, we've had 10 ice ages with this ice that doesn't melt. And then you have the Biblical flood stories from every ancient text. And I'm thinking, Does this water that's trapped in that section of the planet, is this something that somehow ruptures and bleeds out to the surface for 40 days and 40 nights and goes back down, you know? Slade: Yeah! Ohmygod. John, this is all so truly truly fascinating. We're just scratching the surface here. I want everyone to go and check you out so that they can see the amount of research and detail there is behind all these stories and theories. Tell us where we can go to find you online. John: I'm on Facebook under my name John Shaughnessy. My websites are http://www.pyramidgravityforce.com/ and http://www.tisatmoon.com which is abbreviation for There Is Something About the Moon. You can go there too and that'll link you up. Both my books you can get on Amazon, Kindle or Lulu books. Yeah you can get my emails also. I'm available. Contact links are on those two sites. I have 62 videos on YouTube and yeah, I'm pretty much out there. Google 'John Shaughnessy'. Put 'Pyramid' or 'moon' behind it because there's a lot of John Shaughnessys. I guess we have a reputation of breeding like rabbits. There's thousands of them. So you want to get the right guy. Put pyramid and moon in and you'll get me. Slade: I'll be sure to put all those links that you just mentioned. Make them really easy for people just to click on. John Shaughnessy. Thank you so much for taking some time this morning to talk to me. John: Alright. Really appreciate you having me on too, Slade. Thanks again. Maybe we'll do it again soon.

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.69″][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=”http://www.strangefulthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Banner_1200x250.jpg” url=”http://www.strangefulthings.com” animation=”off” _builder_version=”3.0.69″ show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” border_style=”solid” custom_margin=”||1.5em|” /][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”3.0.69″][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title featured_image=”off” text_orientation=”center” _builder_version=”3.0.69″ title_font=”Amatic SC|on|||” title_font_size=”52px” /][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”3px|0px|54px|0px”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.0.69″ background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” border_style=”solid”] This week, Christy takes us to the Andaman Islands in search of tropical paradise and finds only VIOLENCE AND MURDER! We take a look at the Sentinelese people who inhabit North Sentinel Island in the Bay of Bengal, who viciously refuse contact from outsiders and will straight up kill castaways! Jenn has found her people!   The Sentinelese People Also, as promised, the Youtube video mentioned in the show. (The referenced moment begins at 1:05)     AND Johnny Castaway! (Click to visit the download page) Johnny Castaway! (Click for Download Page)   [/et_pb_text][et_pb_audio audio=”http://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/strangefulthings/S2E16.mp3″ title=”Murder Island” artist_name=”Strangeful Things” album_name=”Season 2 – Episode 16″ _builder_version=”3.0.69″ title_font=”Amatic SC|on|||” title_font_size=”46px” caption_line_height=”1em” background_image=”http://strangefulthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/night-in-a-mysterious-forest-with-fog-PECGGCU.jpg” custom_css_main_element=”box-shadow: 5px 5px 10px gray;” custom_css_audio_title=”text-shadow: 5px 5px 7px black” background_color=”#01579b” background_layout=”dark” border_style=”solid” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ custom_padding=”2px|0px|4px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_post_nav in_same_term=”off” prev_text=”%title” next_text=”%title” _builder_version=”3.0.69″ title_font=”|on|||” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section] The post Bay of Bengal – Murder Island appeared first on Strangeful Things.

Dr. Krishna Madappa is a shaman, Ayurvedic specialist, educator, essential oil clinician, researcher, and storyteller, based in Taos, New Mexico. His research in engineering and the bio-field explores subtle energies and frontier sciences. As a Holistic Consultant, Krishna is dedicated to awakening awareness through continued studies on Human Energy Fields, water, sound and light. He is the President of The Institute of Science, Spirituality & Sustainability, based in Taos, New Mexico. Krishna was born and raised in the Andaman Islands and educated in India, USA and Russia in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ayurveda, Bio-field sciences and business management. He is totally immersed in scientific explorations, education and transmissions that integrate Science and Theosoulistic (spirituality) evolution of human.  Krishna travels globally conducting lectures on the science, spirit and art of light, He offers experiential learning intensives, GDV training and retreats along with small group and individual sessions, enriching and empowering the lives of all he meets.

Last Spring I had a chance to take a workshop with David Garrigues at his institute in Philadelphia.   I was impressed by the impetus of his enthusiastic movements, the passion in his way of teaching, and the softness (I cried like a baby) of the chanting part.   David touches a nerve with the devotional side of yoga because when you sit through a chanting session and he is playing the harmonium and singing mantras you "feel things".      It would be very hard not to.  In my case I cry like a sissy...   It's really embarrassing for me.  We talk about it in the podcast, but I still wish I could hide when my emotions go raw like that.       He is easy to approach even if dead-serious about the practice, because he has a great sense of humor, which is necessary, wouldn't you say?   The ONE THING I really got from David was to use support for the shoulder stand.     I don't buy into the no-props anymore. Not after his workshop, because I can see, and feel the difference when I do it with two blankets underneath me.     The "gesture" or the full expression of the pose can be accessed much better when there is support because the body gets help in getting straight and there is a lot less strain in the neck.   Another thing that David had me see differently is that a pose, an asana, is a lot more than just a pose...   It is a GESTURE. A symbol, a yantra, a work of art...       That simple definition "GESTURE" made me look at the whole practice differently...    Even as I am getting into a pose, any pose, I feel like I am gesturing in, forming something, co-creating together with the space around me.   And I know that this can sound vague...    But the more we do asanas, the more we begin to see the profound inner world they take us into, and that is what fascinates me about David's special way of teaching.   WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT   What brought David to the practice almost 35 years ago In the Summer of 2013 David survived a pretty intense car accident, what he experienced. Why is it that in our 30s we might want more poses but at 40 more pranayama? David recently wrote about the practice of yoga being only for spiritual purposes, not emotional or physical healing, I asked him how is that so What was the inspiration behind writing Vayu Sidhi Why did he call it Vayu Sidhi?   The role of devotion, and why is it that I always cry when people chant? The surprising short poem that took David a long time to understand - I have to say, the poem stayed with me for a long time... simple and so very real, so no b/s.     About David   Website  Twitter Workshops Facebook YouTube Instagram Institute in Philadelphia       Books and DVDs by David Garrigues   Download of The Primary Series (Class lead by David)  Vayu Sidhi Beginning The Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series Traditionally Counted Vinyasa A Guide To Ashtanga Yoga Pranayama Ashtanga Yoga The Intermediate Series Disk 1   Upcoming Book Edited By Joy:   This is what Joy says about it: Maps and Musings is a book of yoga based off of David's journal entries, finalized articles he's written, interviews he's done with me, brilliant notes of struggle and inspiration written on envelopes or pieces of scratch paper, poems and sutras he identifies with, and of course his drawings that redefine yantra and asana. The book will be released this May.           Books / Authors that David Recommends   Healing Back Pain: The Mind Body Connection By John Sarno Mind Over Back Pain by John Sarno    TRANSCRIPT Claudia Altucher:    So hello, and welcome to the Yoga Podcast.  I am thrilled to have with me today David Garrigues.  David is the director of the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia.  He's one of a few teachers in the United States to be certified to teach the ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga System by the late Pattabhi Jois who is the founder of this system.  He teaches workshops all over the world and he has several instructional DVDs on the primary and the intermediate series of ashtanga yoga, as well as a book that comes together with the DVD on the fourth limb pranayama, the branch of breathing.  And he has also recorded two devotional or kirtan CDs called Jaya Sat Guru and Bad Man Bhakti.                                    David, welcome.  Thank you for joining us today in the Yoga Podcast.   David Garrigues:       Thank you for having me, Claudia.   Claudia Altucher:     So let me ask you a question right off the bat.  Is Garrigues a Spanish name?  Do you have any Spanish connection?   David Garrigues:       [Laughs] It's a Basque name.  So right near – it's in the Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain, but I think it's on the French side.   Claudia Altucher:        So we're not related.  Not a chance [Laughs].   David Garrigues:      I don't think so.  But I had a bass teacher once that he insisted it was Garrigues.  So who knows?   Claudia Altucher:        Who knows?   David Garrigues:      Yeah [Laughs].   Claudia Altucher:      So David, you started practicing yoga about 25 years ago.  Is that fair to say?   David Garrigues:          Well, even more.   Claudia Altucher:        Even more.   David Garrigues:         Yeah.   Claudia Altucher:      Can you remember what brought you into it?  What was it that – why yoga?  What happened?   David Garrigues:      I can remember it perfectly because it was a very amazing thing happened.  I was young.  I was sixteen.  So that was 30 – more than 35 years ago.  A friend, he – I was a dishwasher.  That was my first job when I was sixteen years old at a restaurant.And there's always an eccentric dishwasher that's, like, older, they – 'cause it's just kind of a job you can do.  And so there was another guy, a dishwasher, an older guy, and he was into all kinds of crazy stuff, but he was into yoga.  And he took me out to a park and taught me the Surya Namaskara, the Sun Salutation outside.  I just – I loved it.  I thought it was incredible and I started doing it by myself outside on the beach every morning.   Claudia Altucher:   Where were you then?   David Garrigues:    I was in West Seattle.  I lived – I'm from Seattle and I lived on Alki Beach in West Seattle, and I would go out in this little park and do it.  And I even wrote a paper about it in – for my school and I called it "The World Is A Sacrament".  So I got – it was very devotional and it took – me, right away I took to it and was just sixteen years old and didn't know anything about it.  And I actually continued to practice the Sun Salutation without knowing anything else about yoga for some years, actually.   Claudia Altucher:   So there was a devotional component that got you right away?  You sensed there was something in it for you?   David Garrigues:     Yeah.  Yeah.   Claudia Altucher:    That's very interesting.    David Garrigues:     Yeah.   Claudia Altucher:     Now, if I may fast forward, you had this story recently.  In the summer of 2013 you were driving in New Mexico and you had a pretty intense car accident.    David Garrigues:     Yeah.  Yeah.  Yep.   Claudia Altucher:     And what happened?  Tell me.   David Garrigues:     Well, it was a real freak thing because it was in the middle of summer in New Mexico on the highway and was going reasonably fast and all of a sudden we came across something I'd never encountered 'cause I'm not from there, but an unbelievable hail storm.  Radical.  Giant balls of hail and a torrential downpour.  Unbelievable.  It went from clear to like that to you couldn't see twenty feet in front of you.  And it was just – the cacophony of weather.  Whoa.  And I tried to stop, tried to put on the brakes, and it totally didn't work.  We started swerving totally out of control at 75 miles an hour.  Totally out of control.                                   And so we were – fishtail to one side, and Joy's there next to me.  She's going, "We're okay."  Then we swerved to the other side.  Three times.  Just all the way across the road, completely thinking –   Claudia Altucher:   Oh, my gosh.   David Garrigues:    – the thing was gonna – if it would have – it could have rolled.  It could have easily just caught and rolled.  And then there was other cars too that were off – that had already spun off to the – off the road.  And so finally it slowed down enough that it righted and we – and then – but I ended up off of the road going really fast on the grass.   Claudia Altucher:        Wow.  Jeez.   David Garrigues:   [Laughs]  And then finally it came to a stop and that wasn't over then because there was, like, three feet of water.  The car started sinking in the water.  And I tried to open it and it was like water started coming in the car.  So I – somehow I managed to back up and get out of it and drove off and nothing happened.  Not a scratch or anything, but…   Claudia Altucher:   That's almost a miracle 'cause when you go into water and mud backing off doesn't just happen.   David Garrigues:    No, I know.  It was [laughs]…   Claudia Altucher:   That's incredible.  And I just want to say Joy [Marzec] is your partner who's also an amazing yogi,  movie director, and an amazing person.  But what I got from your newsletter is that when this was happening, which is terrifying, you had some insights –   David Garrigues:    Yeah.   Claudia Altucher:     in this because you kind of confronted death right there.   David Garrigues:      Yes   Claudia Altucher:   And you said here, I have it, "In those few lucid moments, I saw my shadow clearly and I saw that my shadow contributed to me being in this dire situation.  I saw the wrongness of my impatience, my continual dissatisfaction, the kind that hinders, not helps."  And that's an eye-opening moment there.  When you're confronted with death, you…   David Garrigues:    Yeah.     Claudia Altucher:    It really puts things in perspective, doesn't it?   David Garrigues:    Yeah.   Claudia Altucher:        Well, I'm glad you're here.    David Garrigues:   Yes.  And it's amazing when that veil gets ripped out like that and how lucid that is.  And then when I talk to other people about it, it's so hard because when the danger's over, you remember and you take something with you, but then also, I don't know, it's so strange how that work, the maya, the illusion.  It's so easily comes back that you get impatient again.  But I definitely learned from that and it stuck what me, some of that.   Claudia Altucher:   I guess that's why we call it a daily practice, having to come back to what's real.  "Okay, I'm still facing death.  There's no need to rush [Laughs]."  It's very hard for me.   David Garrigues:     Right. And the practice exactly brings you back to that.  Every day.     Claudia Altucher:   You also said something recently that caught my attention.  When it comes to the difference in practice through age, you say, "At 30 I want more and more Asanas, I want more practice.  At 40, I want my pranayama."  What happens as we age with the yoga practice as we grow older?   David Garrigues:    It's not as much as I want my pranayama.  It's more I definitely explored the Asana in a different way and I'm not as drawn to the transitions.  I'm drawn to the Asana itself and to what – and to being there in that place.  And so – and that, to me, was, I guess, unexpected because of how physical I am and how athletic I've been and just how much I love movement and dynamism and how much – that's one of the reasons I really love ashtanga is the flow and the real amazing transitions that link everything together.                                  But certainly, aging has just made that less important, the flow and  the movement, and made the stillness and the breathing and the exploration of the position – this is different than pranayama.  It's actually like I'm interested in the very basic shapes like triangle and shoulder stand and what they reveal meditatively within internal awareness and consciousness and breathing.  And it's something very different than a sitting practice or even a pranayama practice because it is still a shape, and it's something – and there's variety involved in it.  When you do inversions, that's really different than a seated type of work.  And so it's just coming to love that more.  And fewer Asanas.    Claudia Altucher:   I feel the same way.  I'm 46 right now and I find that the more I step on the mat and the pranayama practice grows, the breathing practice grows, then it – I don't even need to do so many postures because you start to get kind of more juice out of each of the postures.  You identify new things happening in the body.  So I guess would you say the Asana has enough in it to bring you inwards from being totally out there and thinking about where the next paycheck comes from to going really to that central axis that you talk about and to focus your energy within you?   David Garrigues:   I do.  I say, for me, there's – because it's combining so many important elements that – 'cause there is a seated kind of meditation type of aspect that would not require Asana that – other than sitting, but it's more than that because it is physically expressive.  And I also liken – I think Asana is yantra.   Claudia Altucher:   What is yantra?  What does that mean?   David Garrigues:    Yantra is like mantra, but it's – so mantra is mind instrument, so it's a corolla of the mind, a sacred sound that you utter. And yantra is a – it has to do with form and order and a physical device for meditation or shape.  And so Asana is that.  It's a shape or a form, a certain ordered-pattern form and there's an aesthetic quality to it to.  That it has something compelling to the eye or to the senses.  And so for me, that's why the Asana can do what you're saying.  It draws you in completely because it has so much interest for somebody that – I don't know.  There's an aesthetic aspect to it, right?   Claudia Altucher:    Yes.   David Garrigues:   And that's included in movement and posture that is particularly compelling to me.   Claudia Altucher:  I was lucky enough to participate in one of your workshops earlier this year and you were calling it a gesture.  It's not just a pose that you're doing.  It's a gesture.    David Garrigues:   Yeah.   Claudia Altucher:  And you said the difference between a beginner student and an intermediate student – do you remember what you said?  You said it's the gesture.   David Garrigues:    It's the…   Claudia Altucher:    You said is that you maintain these – I guess the yantra, we could say.  Would that be fair to say?   David Garrigues:   Yeah.  And that the yantra – to make a yantra, a skillful yantra, is to make a gesture.  And that gesture has – like mudra, the word mudra, which is an important…   Claudia Altucher:   What does that mean, mudra?   David Garrigues:    Mudra is – well, it means seal or it has many meanings, actually, but it means like a stamp.  So you – like a king when he signs his thing, he leaves his stamp.  That's a mudra.  But it's also a gesture, like a hand gesture they have.  The classic mudras are like dancers.  Indian dancers do all the hand gestures or all mudras.  And then in yoga they have those – the classic ones too for meditation and things.  But it's a broader term that any – all the transitions between the postures in the ashtanga system they're gestures.  So you gesture  between the posture.  And they're alternating, opposing patterns, those gestures, that they're – so your gestures reveals one pattern when you inhale and another pattern when you exhale, and those are opposing patterns.                                   But then the Asana itself is a gesture.  And in that way, it can be a kind of very slow unfolding gesture.  It could take ten minutes to complete this gesture that is headstand or whatever you're working on.   Claudia Altucher:   And then these opposing forces that happen, say, for example in the down dog where your heels are going to the ground and the seat bones are aiming towards the ceiling or even in the headstand where you're inverted and everything is upside down, learning to breathe in the face of these opposing forces, I guess that's part of what yoga is all about, right?  Even when you step off the mat –   David Garrigues:    Yeah.  Yes.   Claudia Altucher:        – maintaining that equanimity.  I think you talk about equanimity in your book as well.    David Garrigues:    Yeah.  And so that – and it's a very curious thing, opposing forces, because they – in one sense, if you get – go right to the root of it, of yoga, the source of all that is you is completely equanimous.  In fact, it seemed as, like, all equal, everything, like there's a unity that exists.  And then what actually starts kind of creation or manifestation is imbalance.  So form is based on imperfection and in that sense, like ignorance in a way.  And so those – and the opposing forces are the quintessential pair that come right from that equanimity.  And that – and so all the forms get created from just those two original forms like the yin and yang.                                   And so what's interesting is you have to use those opposing forces to get to the unity, to get back to it, to kind of return to this source that we've forgotten.  And so the – that's how you do it, with breathing, with the inhalation and the exhalation.  And like what you're saying, by stamping the heels down and lifting the sitting bones up or pushing the thigh bones back as you resist.  They're everywhere, those.  And then you learn how to use those to get, to find that center line, that elusive middle that is dynamic.    Claudia Altucher:   and I suppose when you add all of these elements and you just go to regular practice, you step on the mat.  But with this kind of knowledge, then it becomes a whole exploration trip into just the Sun Salutation [Laughs].  It's amazing how much can go into it, right?   David Garrigues:    Totally.  Yes.   Claudia Altucher:   It's incredible.  You said that in the book "Vayu Siddhi", by the way, that you wrote, and which to to me is total poetry.  I find you to be a poet because the descriptions are very vivid, there's a lot of – the way you write is just very – it's very well written.  And you said that the inspiration for this book came to you during a period of immobilization.   David Garrigues:    Yes.   Claudia Altucher:   What happened to you?  How did this book come to life?   David Garrigues:    You won't believe this.  So we – it was after Guruji [Patthabhi Jois] passed away, my teacher.  And the next time I went to India after he passed away, I was supposed to go to Mysore and Joy and I got to Bangalore, that's the city that you fly into to go to Mysore, and we – for some reason I couldn't go there.   I got totally – just I couldn't go.  And so we decided – I started looking for other places we could go and we ended up going to this place really remote.  It's called the Andaman Islands.  So it's a set of islands that are off the coast of – the East Coast of India and they're completely remote.  There's Aboriginal tribes living on some of the islands.  It's just crazy wild and you have to get – you fly in a plane and then you go in a boat.                                   And finally we – so we went there and I was gonna focus on my practice and we ended up staying at this place where there was a yoga shala up – you walked up these stairs and it overlooked the jungle and everything.  And so I was amazingly stoked for this kind of time just to retreat and do that.  And then I also – there was surfing there [Laughs].  So I got a little bit distracted with some surfing.  And for some reason, a really – I don't know, within one week, less than a week, I was working on Twist, the stand –    Claudia Altucher:   I'm not even gonna ask what that is.  I'm not sure I want to know [Laughs].   David Garrigues:    Well, it's a twist, but I trenched my back, tweaked it really bad.    Claudia Altucher:     Oh.         David Garrigues:     I could barely walk.   CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TRANSCRIPT

Overview of Amsterdam Island as one of the top DXCC most wanted. Not activated for 15 years. 1979 - Spratley Islands, first DXpedition. Memories of contacts with Amsterdam Island, with Tristan da Cunha Island, Andaman Islands.

Welcome to Episode No54 of the Rubber Stamped Series. In preparation for my 6hr set at the Dubai Princes Cup Polo this weekend I went record shopping for some pumping Rubber Stamped Main Room House. I liked the tunes so much i could not resist recording a cheeky mix. I start my music production course on 4th April after i return from a 9 day trip to the Andaman Islands. I am really looking forward to starting to make some music so hopefully it wont be long before I can use in my own mixes. Anyway enjoy the mix and remember to turn it up. Rubber