Podcasts about Japanese

Woody, Buzz, and Jessie are back - and they're making us freak out about social media! Join Griffin, David, Ben, and Marie as they discuss Andrew Stanton's latest film - this summer's blockbuster hit Toy Story 5. David gets to talk about being a parent. Marie and Ben get to talk about wanting to be parents. And Griffin gets to talk about his special interest - the Toy Story franchise. Special thanks to Nick “Tiger” Wiger (Doughboys, How Did This Get Played?) and Aiko Tanaka (@aikocomedy) for help with the Japanese translations. Read Sucker: My year as a degenerate gambler By McKay Coppins Watch Please take Toy Story 4 away from me by Jenny Nicholson Read: Toy Story Confronts a Nightmare of Modern Parenting By David Sims Sign up for Check Book, the Blank Check newsletter featuring even more “real nerdy shit” to feed your pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive content you won't want to miss out on. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook!  Buy some real nerdy merch Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Baerwald is a famous songwriter who's worked with artists like Joni Mitchell and Sheryl Crow. But when he uncovered a family history filled with spies, music, and wartime secrets … David went from notes to novels and wrote a sweeping historical debut. The Fire Agent fictionalizes the story of Ernst Baerwald, David's real grandfather. In 1900, Ernst was recruited to become a spy. His work took him across two continents and through two world wars, and his life became an adventure involving Japanese gangsters, the fight against fascism and numerous pivotal moments in history. This week, David tells Mattea Roach about espionage in the 1900s, his love of Japan and how the novel brought his family back together. Liked this conversation? Keep listening:Anarchists have bigger hearts than you think Emma Donoghue boards a train destined for disaster Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (8-3-2021), PWTorch's Kelly Wells and Tom Stoup cover Dexter Lumis fighting for Indi Hartwell's love, Zoey Stark and Io Shirai at a Japanese restaurant, Dakota Kai's excellent promo, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Tetsuko 'Tess' McKenzie was on her way to the train station on 6 August 1945 to catch a train into central Hiroshima with a friend. By chance, she missed the train — a twist of fate that saved her life. She later married an Australian soldier, moved to Australia, and began a new chapter as one of the country's Japanese war brides. This story was first published in July 2025. - Tetsuko McKenzie（愛称・テスさん）さんは、1945年8月6日、友人とともに広島市内へ向かう汽車に乗るため、駅へ向かっていました。しかし、たまたま一本前の汽車に乗り遅れたことで、命をつなぐことになります。その後、オーストラリア兵と結婚するため海を渡り、「戦争花嫁」としてオーストラリアで新たな人生を歩みました。2025年8月放送。Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

Fires on all sides, as France and Spain battle blazes, Europe swelters under high temperatures, and the U.S. sees its third heat dome in a month. Environmentalist Bill McKibben explains how we can still get on top of the climate change challenge, if we act now. And, reflecting on Emmett Till's legacy, and the life he could have had, in a new exhibition "If Emmett Till Lived." Curator Sarah Elizabeth Lewis and Till's cousin, Reverend Wheeler Parker Jr., join the program. Then, learning lessons about sleep, from one of the world's most sleep deprived nations. Hanako Montgomery tries out the whacky inventions Japanese inventors are coming up with to improve our sleep quality. Author Dave Eggers discusses his new novel "Contrapposto" and the dangers AI poses to children and teens. Plus, it's not just the western world feeling the impact of the climate crisis as across Africa extreme weather, from droughts to floods, is making life perilous. From Christiane's archives, a look back at the 1992 emergency U.S. military intervention to end a devastating famine in Somalia. Air date: August 01, 2026 Guests: Bill McKibben Sarah Elizabeth Lewis & Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. Dave Eggers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Greener Grass is too absurdist for Noah, Andy has explosive diarrhea (not related to the cyclosporiasis outbreak), and Tim takes his family to fondue. [CONTENT WARNING] TANcast features mature language and immature hosts but is NOT a representation of the stand up act of Tim Babb. Listener discretion is advised. Get official TANcast T-shirts, mugs, hats and more in the official TANstore: http://www.zazzle.com/tancast No TANlaughs this week Send your jokes and/or e-mails to all of us at: YourMom(at)TANcast.com ***SHOW LINKS*** I have a bad case of Diarrhea – Japanese learning English https://youtu.be/CKjaFG4YN6gThe post TANcast 764 – A Little Diarrhea As A Treat first appeared on TANcast.

On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about some of the more creative ways people in Japan are battling the intense summer heat.

On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about the 2926 Kumamoto earthquake and how you can help.

The dollar plunged below 157.50 yen for the first time in about two and a half months in New York trading on Friday as the Japanese and U.S. authorities reportedly intervened in the foreign exchange market in coordination to stem the yen's depreciation.

The Japanese government has decided to revise its nuclear energy policy guidelines to include a target of rebuilding two to five nuclear power reactors by the 2040s.

In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of the backrooms and liminal horror, analyzing the new film Exit Eight and its connection to the YouTube series by Kane Parsons. Join us as we delve into the creative process, storytelling techniques, and the eerie atmosphere that makes this genre so compelling. In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of Japanese horror films, video game adaptations, and the creative process behind innovative storytelling. Join us as we discuss Exit Eight, Backrooms, and the impact of independent filmmaking on the horror genre.

In this podcast, Richard Jerram talks about The Makoto Murders, living in Tokyo, Japan, winning the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger Award, and much more. [3:15] Early life lessons growing up. [6:00] The best and worst things about taking a creative writing MA. [10:15] Retirement from work as an economist and decision to pursue writing fiction. [11:45] Arriving in Tokyo, Japan in 1987. [14:55] The Makoto Murders launch event. [17:25] The Makoto Murders elevator pitch. [20:20] Writing a novel with a sociopathic protagonist. [28:15] Japan setting. [29:35] Planning and writing process for The Makoto Murders. [34:55] Workshopping two endings. [37:10] Including specific details to Japan. [38:50] Next books and projects. [43:55] Advantages and disadvantages of living in Japan, Singapore, and London. [45:30] Becoming fluent in Japanese. [49:10] Life and art imitating one another: winning the Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger Award. [54:00] Landing a literary agent. [58:10] Film and TV rights. Full podcast show notes are available here: https://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tih-673-richard-jerram-on-the-makoto-murders-living-in-tokyo-japan-and-winning-the-crime-writers-associations-debut-dagger-award Support This Is Horror Podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishorror

Support NEStalgia directly by becoming a member of our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/Nestalgia  Members at the $5 and above level get access to our brand new show NEStalgia Bytes. A look at the famicom games you can play without any Japanese knowledge! For More NEStalgia, visit www.NEStalgiacast.com

learn how to talk about shopping for groceries while enjoying a manga read-along

France’s interior minister says optimism remains even as firefighters work to get the blazes in southwestern France under control. Then: we head to Mallorca for the opening of a new Mandarin Oriental. Plus: a conversation with the president of Japanese eyewear brand Globe Specs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump has announced what he described as a historic agreement aimed at the complete disarmament of Hamas and all armed groups in the Gaza Strip. A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on 28 July, with rescue efforts continuing in the affected areas. European football's governing body has warned it will boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if FIFA proceeds with a proposal to bring private investors into the tournament. - トランプ大統領は、イスラム組織ハマスとガザ地区のすべての武装勢力の完全な武装解除に向けた歴史的な合意に達したと発表しました。熊本県熊本地方を震源とするマグニチュード7.1の大地震が28日発生。被災地では現在も救助活動が続いています。FIFAがワールドカップに民間投資家を参加させる計画を提案したことをうけ、ヨーロッパサッカー連盟は、計画が進められた場合、ワールドカップなどのFIFA主催大会をボイコットすると表明しました。1週間を振り返る週間ニュースラップです。Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

President Donald Trump has announced what he described as a historic agreement aimed at the complete disarmament of Hamas and all armed groups in the Gaza Strip. A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on 28 July, with rescue efforts continuing in the affected areas. European football's governing body has warned it will boycott FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, if FIFA proceeds with a proposal to bring private investors into the tournament. Recorded 31 July. - トランプ大統領は、イスラム組織ハマスとガザ地区のすべての武装勢力の完全な武装解除に向けた歴史的な合意に達したと発表しました。熊本県熊本地方を震源とするマグニチュード7.1の大地震が28日発生。被災地では現在も救助活動が続いています。FIFAがワールドカップに民間投資家を参加させる計画を提案したことをうけ、ヨーロッパサッカー連盟は、計画が進められた場合、ワールドカップなどのFIFA主催大会をボイコットすると表明しました。1週間を振り返る週間ニュースラップです。7月31日収録。Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

US Treasury Secretary Bessent said the yen has substantially overshot equilibrium and the US views excess yen volatility as unhealthy, while he added that the yen is very undervalued and that Japan may have intervened in currency markets on Thursday.Nikkei sources said Japan's government and BoJ intervened in the FX market yesterday by buying yen and selling dollars, while desks conducted rate checks.BoJ kept rates unchanged at 1.00%, as expected, through an 8-1 vote, with board member Takata the dissenter who proposed a 25bps rate hike; little move in Japanese assets on the announcement.After-hours US earnings saw Amazon (AMZN) rise almost 10% whilst Apple (AAPL) fell over 6%.APAC stocks were mostly higher following the tech-inspired momentum stateside; European equity futures indicate a positive cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.8%.Looking ahead, highlights include French/Italian/EU Inflation Flash (Jul), German Unemployment Rate (Jul), Canadian GDP (May), US University of Michigan Final (Jul). Speakers include BoJ Governor Ueda, BoE's Pill, Fed's Hammack, Logan & Kashkari. Earnings from AbbVie, Chevron, Credit Agricole & NatWest. Scope Ratings update on Switzerland rating.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

The US and Israel are considering a land blockade of Iran to increase economic pressure, senior Israeli sources told The Telegraph. The plan could involve urging neighbouring countries and regional partners to restrict border crossings and trade.Iran's IRGC said two offending tankers were hit and stopped, and four offending tankers quickly changed course. Additionally, the IRGC said the Strait of Hormuz is closed, and any transit and movement will be possible only with the coordination of the IRGC Navy. BoJ kept rates unchanged at 1.00%, as expected, through an 8-1 vote, with board member Takata the dissenter who proposed a 25bps rate hike. Little move seen in Japanese assets following the announcement and Governor Ueda press conference. US equity futures are firmer, with Amazon surging pre-market (+12%) after reporting faster AWS growth.Fixed income benchmarks are mixed and way off best levels as energy prices rebound following recent reporting of a land blockade and hit tankers (Brent +0.3%).Looking ahead, highlights include Canadian GDP (May), US University of Michigan Final (Jul). Speakers include BoE's Pill, Fed's Hammack, Logan & Kashkari. Earnings from AbbVie & Chevron. Scope Ratings update on Switzerland.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

On this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, we dive into the complex and rapidly shifting dynamics of Japan's economy and why the entire world—especially investors—needs to pay close attention. Jeff Snider and guest Andre Jik unpack the unraveling of Japan's legendary economic resilience, explaining how decades of low interest rates created a global liquidity engine now threatening to go into reverse. The conversation explores the cascading impact of Japan's monetary moves, from the yen carry trade to the unprecedented pressures forcing Japanese wealth to return home. We break down the psychology driving economic decisions, the looming possibility of authoritarian interventions, and why changes in Japan's bond and currency markets could send shockwaves through everything from US Treasuries to your own retirement account. Whether you're a market watcher or just trying to understand how faraway headlines can hit your wallet, this episode builds a mental map for navigating one of the most important—and misunderstood—economic stories of our time.Quince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodWhatnot: Download the Whatnot app today and get free shipping on your first order.ATT Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.comEthos: Get a free quote at https://ethos.com/impactSurfshark: Go to https://surfshark.com/bilyeu or use code BILYEU at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark!Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderIncogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impact Pique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impactNetsuite: For the first time ever you can try NetSuite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to https://NetSuite.ai/Theory. Built for every industry. Ready for every boardroom.Sign up for my AI Masterclass: https://tombilyeu.com/ai-masterclass?utm_campaign=TBS-Livestream&utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social Check us out wherever you get your podcasts:Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1nARKz2vTIOb7gC9dusE4b?si=a8daffd2bf1f48fdApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tom-bilyeus-impact-theory/id1191775648Do you need my help STARTING a business? Join me here inside ZERO TO FOUNDER: (https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder)Get the exact systems, mindset shifts, and principles that built a $1B brand delivered straight to your inbox every week. Subscribe for free (https://tombilyeu.com)Check out our Video game - Project Kyzen: (https://projectkyzen.io/)Catch Me Streaming on Twitch - (https://twitch.tv/tombilyeu)Link to IT discord: https://discord.gg/TZKJ2etPbTTom's Favorite Things List: https://amzn.to/41Ftt7eFor Business inquiries: connect@impacttheory.comFOLLOW TOM:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeuYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Late August/Early September 1942 is all about the Japanese sending more troops to Guadalcanal and the Americans trying to stop them. All for the next big battle. Want to go beyond the battlefield with The History of WWII Podcast? Dive deeper into the war with exclusive bonus episodes, expert interviews, and commercial-free listening for just $5/month! Every penny supports the show and keeps the history coming. https://worldwariipodcast.net/members/ Donations are always welcome and help keep the History of WWII Podcast free for all. https://bit.ly/3UuTZxU  Follow The History of WWII Podcast: RSS – https://feeds.megaphone.fm/history-of-world-war-ii Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/wwii45 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/rayharrisjr/ TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@wwiiguy YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@historyofwwiipodcast8712 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn what it means to go "above and beyond"Get the full story and learning resources: https://plainenglish.com/expressions/above-and-beyond--Plain English helps you improve your English:Learn about the world and improve your EnglishClear, natural English at a speed you can understandNew stories every weekLearn even more at PlainEnglish.comMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com

learn 10 most romantic ideas for a date

The Prime Minister has confirmed the Federal Government will end its temporary fuel excise discount as planned. A suspected bird flu case has been identified near one Australia's largest sea lion breeding colonies, raising concerns the endangered species may be at risk of extinction. At least 18 people have been confirmed dead and more than 60 injured, since a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu this week. News from today's live program (1-2pm). - 中東情勢の悪化に伴う燃料価格の高騰への対応策として導入された、オーストラリアでの燃料税の半減措置が、予定通り８月２日をもって終了します。国内最大規模のアシカの繁殖地の近くで、鳥インフルエンザに感染したとみられるケースが確認されたことを受け、絶滅が危惧されているアシカへの悪影響が懸念されています。日本の熊本県を震源に28日に発生した強い地震で、犠牲者の数は今後増える見通しです。2026年７月30日放送。Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3.Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1.Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS　Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

Are you looking to save time, make money, and start winning with less risk? Then head to https://www.ovtlyr.com.Learn more about OVTLYR: https://youtu.be/TUCbD5KovlcThe headlines make it sound like the financial world is falling apart... Japan, collapsing currencies, rising bond yields, and predictions of a global crisis. But how much of it is real... and how much is just fear designed to grab your attention?This conversation breaks down one of the biggest macroeconomic stories making the rounds online: Japan's monetary policy and its potential impact on U.S. markets. From the yen carry trade and rising Japanese interest rates to Treasury yields and global liquidity, the discussion separates the facts from the hype while explaining why traders should be careful about believing every viral market prediction they see online.One of the biggest takeaways from this episode has nothing to do with Japan itself. It's about learning to think critically. Just because someone sounds confident doesn't mean they're right. Whether it's YouTube gurus, anonymous social media accounts, or sensational headlines predicting the end of the market, successful traders rely on evidence, probabilities, and disciplined investing—not fear-driven narratives.There's also a great discussion on inflation versus deflation, why Japan kept interest rates near zero for decades, how the yen carry trade influenced global markets, what rising bond yields could mean for stocks, and why having a disciplined investment strategy matters far more than reacting to every economic headline.✅ Japan's economy, the yen carry trade, and rising interest rates✅ How Japanese bond yields could impact U.S. markets✅ Inflation, deflation, and global monetary policy explained✅ Separating market facts from sensational headlines✅ Trading psychology, critical thinking, and disciplined investingIf you've ever seen a viral market prediction and wondered whether you should actually believe it... this episode will help you cut through the noise and focus on what really matters.Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBhwK-VWsxYSubscribe to OVTLYR for disciplined trading strategies that actually make sense.

In his book, “Smarter, Faster, Better,” author Charles Duhigg describes an automotive factory launched as a joint venture of two Japanese and American auto manufacturers. The new factory incorporated new operating processes, training long-time auto workers to take responsibility for stopping the production line when they saw a defect on a vehicle. In one anecdote, ... The post Servant Leader appeared first on Unconventional Business Network.

Crude oil takes another wild ride while equities whipsaw around earnings, the Fed, and geopolitical uncertainty on this episode of This Week in Futures Options. Mark Longo is joined by Dan Gramza of Gramza Capital Management to break down the latest action across the futures and futures options markets. They discuss the dramatic reversal in crude oil, the outlook for the major equity indices following a volatile week for tech, unusual December upside options activity in the Nasdaq-100, and what the options market is signaling in natural gas. Plus, single stock futures are back! Mark and Dan discuss CME Group's new single stock futures on names including NVIDIA, Tesla, and Apple, why previous attempts at SSFs struggled in the U.S., and whether this new generation of products could finally catch on. They also examine the big move in the Japanese yen, central bank intervention, and the latest options activity across FX. It's another packed tour of the movers, volatility, skew, and unusual options activity lighting up the futures markets this week.

Emprendemos una nueva y amorosa travesía global, presentando muy interesantes novedades discográficas con aires japoneses, caribeños, italianos, polacos, húngaros, balcánicos, palestinos, ibéricos, tayikos, afganos, australianos y taiwaneses. We set out on a new and loving global journey, presenting very interesting new releases with Japanese, Caribbean, Italian, Polish, Hungarian, Balkan, Palestinian, Iberian, Tajik, Afghan, Australian and Taiwanese airs. – Minyo Crusaders - Hokkai bon uta - From Japan with love – Orquesta Akokán - No me voy - América! – Officina Zoè - Marinaru - Mari e marenne – Muzykanci - Mój koń nieborak / My poor hapless horse - Shtetl – Budapesme - Ibraim odza - Makedonija – Faris Ishaq - Ard - Jasad – Luis Giménez Amorós - Makan - Makamatik vol. 2 – Panjshanbe Maftun - Che che afghani - Made in Lyublino: Afghan songs – Panjshanbe Maftun - Ze sar-e kuy-e to - Made in Lyublino: Afghan songs – East of West - Overseas - Velella – TBT (Taiwu Ballads Troupe) - Semulu (Tears of longing) [+ Sauniaw Tjuveljevelj] - Kivaljuq Faris Ishaq ( Fadi Dahabreh)

There's a growing backlash after Fifa announced plans to sell stakes in a $20bn subsidiary to manage its competitions. The EU's sports chief accused Fifa of relentless and corrosive commercialisation of football, while European football's governing body UEFA said the World Cup was not an "asset to trade". Also: after the resumption of fighting between the US and Iran, we hear more about a militia group in Iraq which was targeted in US-Saudi strikes. At least 14 people are now known to have died in the earthquake that struck the Japanese island of Kyushu. Russia's Federal Security Service has charged the ‌Telegram founder Pavel Durov with facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant. We speak to one of the people who helped rescue horses from an equestrian centre caught up in the wildfires in France; videos of them galloping through the town have gone viral. The actor and musician Jared Leto is facing allegations of criminal sexual conduct by four women. Nepal says its tiger population is bouncing back... and why raving in a sauna is becoming popular in major cities around the world.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: Fifa President Gianni Infantino during World Cup 2026 press conference Credit: Reuters/Henry Romero

Tony Schiavone has seen a lot in professional wrestling, but even he may not be prepared for this trip down memory lane! On this wild edition of What Happened When, Tony and Conrad welcome one of AEW's most unforgettable personalities, Dr. Luther, The Butler, to revisit the brutal, blood-soaked world of Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling (FMW) in Japan. Luther shares firsthand stories from one of the most violent eras in wrestling history as the guys watch some of his most savage FMW battles. From death-defying bumps and barbed wire mayhem to the unique culture of Japanese hardcore wrestling, you'll hear behind-the-scenes stories that only someone who lived it can tell. How did Luther survive some of the most dangerous matches ever contested? What was it really like working in FMW? And what memories still stand out all these years later?     THIS WEEKS SPONSORS BLUECHEW - When you buy two months of BlueChew Gold, you get the third FREE with promo code WHW. You will also receive an additional 10% OFF + Free overnight shipping on your first order. Visit http://BlueChew.com  for more details and important safety information MUD/WTR - Start your new morning ritual & get up to 43% off your @MUDWTR with code WHW at mudwtr.com/WHW! #mudwtrpod SQUARE - Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at www.square.com/go/whw #squarepod PODCAST HEAT - Want to grow your business with the power of podcast advertising? Reach loyal, engaged audiences through trusted host endorsements across the Podcast Heat network. Learn more at PodcastHeat.com SAVE WITH CONRAD - Stop throwing money away by paying those high interest rates on your credit card. Roll them into one low monthly payment and on top of that, skip your next two house payments. Go to https://www.savewithconrad.com  to learn more.

From learning Mandarin with nothing but a notebook and a pen on the streets of Wuhan to losing $650,000 of his own money before ever raising outside capital, Sean Weisbrot shares hard-won lessons on cross-cultural dealmaking, bootstrapping versus fundraising, and why LinkedIn visibility now matters for founders and their teams. Sean is the founder of SparkVox, a tool that turns content executive teams are already creating into LinkedIn posts in their own voice, and the host of We Live to Build, a podcast with roughly 235,000 subscribers and more than 320 interviews with seven and eight figure brand owners. He has helped create over $100 million in value across his network and generated more than $15 million in revenue for his own businesses, all while living in China, Vietnam, and now Portugal. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: You'll discover how a single misstep with a business card or a signing pen can cost a deal before it starts, why 320 founder interviews convinced Sean that bootstrapped founders tend to be happier than funded ones, and how a $400,000 gap between what one investor promised and delivered helped sink his last company. Sean also explains how he now runs a business on roughly $50 a month using AI, and why he believes every founder and executive needs a visible presence on LinkedIn. SEAN'S JOURNEY: Sean had no entrepreneurial role model growing up. What moved him was a pull to leave the US, and after missing a deadline for a teaching program in Japan, he landed in China instead and stayed for ten years, learning Mandarin street vendor by street vendor with a notebook and a pen. His first real deal came in 2016, connecting an American founder with a Chinese investor for a $150,000 raise and earning a $7,500 commission. From there he built a $15 million consulting business helping Chinese and Western companies raise money from each other in the blockchain space. His next venture, a tech company built to compete with Slack, taught him a harder lesson. He put in $650,000 of his own money before raising a $1 million seed round, and a $400,000 shortfall from one investor became a major factor in the company's failure. COVID and a divorce followed, which is part of what led him to Portugal for a fresh start. KEY INSIGHTS: Deal culture varies sharply across countries, down to details like how a business card is received. Corey shared a parallel story about a 1980s deal that nearly stalled at signing over missing ceremonial pens. Founder happiness tracks closely with how a company was funded. Across 320-plus interviews, Sean found bootstrapped founders were generally happier than those who raised capital. A funding gap can sink a company as fast as a bad decision can, as Sean's own $400,000 shortfall proved. AI has collapsed the cost of running a business. Sean's infrastructure now costs about $50 a month, down from roughly $1,000 a month at his last company. Visibility has become a gatekeeper for access, with investors now expecting founders to be active on LinkedIn before they'll even take a call. Perfect for founders weighing whether to bootstrap or raise capital, business leaders working across cultures on deals, and anyone trying to build an authentic presence on LinkedIn. FOR MORE ON THIS EPISODE: https://www.coreykupfer.com/blog/seanweisbrot FOR MORE ON SEAN WEISBROT: https://www.welivetobuild.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanweisbrot/ FOR MORE ON COREY KUPFER https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreykupfer/ https://www.coreykupfer.com/ Corey Kupfer is an expert strategist, negotiator, and dealmaker. He has more than 35 years of professional deal-making and negotiating experience. Corey is a successful entrepreneur, attorney, consultant, author, and professional speaker. He is deeply passionate about deal-driven growth. He is also the creator and host of the DealQuest Podcast. Get deal-ready with the DealQuest Podcast with Corey Kupfer, where like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders converge, share insights and challenges, and success stories. Equip yourself with the tools, resources, and support necessary to navigate the complex yet rewarding world of dealmaking. Dive into the world of deal-driven growth today! Episode Highlights with Timestamps:[00:00:00] - Introduction and Sean's background [00:04:20] - Sean's first professional deal in China [00:09:13] - Cultural differences in dealmaking between the US and China[00:26:22] - The capital raising journey behind his last tech company[00:41:03] - What SparkVox does and who it serves [00:53:23] - What freedom means to Sean Guest Bio:Sean Weisbrot is the founder of SparkVox, which turns content executive teams are already creating, sales calls, internal trainings, podcast appearances, into LinkedIn posts in their own voice. He is also the host of We Live to Build, a podcast with roughly 235,000 subscribers and more than 320 interviews with seven and eight figure brand owners. Sean has helped create over $100 million in value across his network, generated more than $15 million in revenue for his own businesses, and raised over $8 million for his businesses and clients. He has angel invested in nine companies with two exits. Fluent in Mandarin, he lived in China for ten years and Vietnam for five before settling in Portugal, where he now lives with his family. Related Episodes: Episode 337 - Jonathan Gardner: Cultural due diligence and what gets lost in translation across German, Japanese, and Chinese deals Episode 370 - Gerry Hays: Democratizing venture capital and when founders should raise versus bootstrap Episode 350 - Tom Dillon: When NOT to take venture capital money and alternative funding sources Keywords/Tags: Cross-cultural dealmaking, bootstrapping versus venture capital, LinkedIn content strategy, AI-powered content creation, blockchain fundraising, founder visibility, personal branding, remote entrepreneurship, cultural due diligence, capital raising

This week, Taylor, Sandy, Doug Jordan and Taddea Richard discuss the untimely death of a valued listener, Jason Alexander's sex crimes, a Japanese tragedy/miracle, Emma Roberts illustrious wedding, Koby Bryant's pompadour, vomit on the set of Hot Ones and much, much more! An all new segment of Sight Unseen—featuring Young Washington (2026) and Pinocchio Unstrung (2026)—debuts!

At least five people have been killed after a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture...US says it thwarted a multiple ballsitic missile attack on its Middle East bases...Iran offers new plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz... - 昨日午後4時27分頃、熊本でマグニチュード7.1の地震が発生し、現地では自衛隊による救助活動が続いています。アメリカ中央軍は、中東のアメリカ軍を狙ったイランの弾道ミサイル攻撃を迎撃し全てのミサイルを撃ち落としたと発表しました。事実上の封鎖状態が続くホルムズ海峡の管理をめぐり、イランは自国のより強い監視下にある水域へ航路を変更する新たな航行案をオマーンに提案したと明らかにしました。Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast.  Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

Miyako Matsui was an English teacher at a junior high school in Japan. She is currently the first Japanese person to serve as President of AFMLTA (The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers' Associations), the national organisation representing language teachers in Australia. What is AFMLTA? - 日本で中学校の英語教員だった松井美弥子さん。現在、オーストラリアの言語教育者を代表する全国組織 AFMLTA (The Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations) のプレジデントを日本人で初めて務めています。AFMLTA とはどのような団体なのでしょうか？Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3.Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1.Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

Japanese firefighters say many people are trapped inside a shopping centre after a powerful earthquake in the southern prefecture of Kumamoto, on Kyushu island. Witnesses say there was an explosion and fire at the mall after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake. Also: French firefighters have likened efforts to contain wildfires there as a David versus Goliath struggle, despite some progress tackling blazes ravaging parts of France and Spain. We report from the front line of Ecuador's war against drugs. The French football star, Zinedine Zidane, has been appointed as the coach of the men's national team. And how to become a Big Ben apprentice. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk Photo: Aerial view showing the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre, after the earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture Credit: Kyodo via Reuters

A label. A management team. Two sheriff's departments. Every one of them had a piece of the picture, and prosecutors say the relationship at the center of it began when Celeste Rivas Hernandez was young enough that the number alone ends most conversations.Long before the d4vd preliminary hearing, David Burke sat down for an interview and explained a character he had invented. He said he was writing a manga about a detective. The detective had an evil version of himself who showed up at random moments. That version committed murders. The detective then had to solve them.He named the character Itami, which means pain in Japanese. He called him an agent of chaos and compared him to Tyler Durden in Fight Club.Then he put him in the work. A bloody knife in one video. An animated sequence in another. A video before his debut album in which Burke drags a body and loads it into the trunk of a car.Tony and Robin use that as the doorway into a bigger question: who was this young man before any of it? Homeschooled after seventh grade. Gospel music only until thirteen. A social life built entirely inside gaming lobbies. Signed to a major label at seventeen with a valuation in the millions and no anchor anywhere near him.They also give the other argument its full weight. Violent art is not proof of violence, and treating lyrics as confessions is how innocent people get railroaded.But prosecutors allege Burke did the specific thing his character was written to do, and a whole machine of executives and managers watched a nineteen-year-old sell his own darkness without anyone asking what was underneath it.Burke has pleaded not guilty and denies all wrongdoing through his attorneys. Celeste Rivas Hernandez was fourteen years old.END_LINKSJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDISCLAIMERThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#D4vd #DavidBurke #TrueCrimeToday #Itami #CelesteRivasHernandez #TrueCrime #MusicIndustry #Interscope #Psychology #TrueCrimePod

Does becoming a billionaire turn one into an insufferable jerk, or is that an innate quality they bring to the position?Big-name billionaires – like Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg – literally flaunt their irrepressible jerkism, but the disease seems to inflict their entire class of über-rich corporate royals. Its telltale symptoms are not their grandiose mansions and yachts, but their sudden impulse to instruct us regular people on how to think. In particular, they're now demanding that we get out of their way so they can remake society in their image.Jensen Huang, for example, a Silicon Valley techno-whiz who heads Nvidia, now the world's richest corporation. He's demanding that we transform our economy and social structure into a new order of AI dominance, piously chiding those of us who're angry about AI's destruction of our jobs, communities, water, farmland, and democracy itself. Tut-tut, the gabillionaire scolds, you petty people must “create new social norms” to advance AI.Then there's the little-known honcho of SoftBank, a multi-trillion-dollar Japanese tech powerhouse trying to impose AI supremacy worldwide. He's now asserting a corporate “morality” of wealth, calling people who question AI “foolish.” He philosophizes that TechWorld “will transform our lives completely and do so in a way that generates profits.”For whom? For billionaires, of course. So there you have a clear statement of the values and goals of AI profiteers: More for them, no matter the cost to everyone else. SoftBank's imperious boss laughs at those of us who dare question his vision of an AI plutocracy, calling us fools who are “spitting upward.”No sir, look again. We are spitting straight at you.Do something!Want to join the rebellion against AI billionaires? Check out Public Citizen's work on Big Tech and other corporate monsters: https://www.citizen.org/topic/consumer-worker-safeguards/big-tech/Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

The most devastating number in this case is not a dollar figure and it is not a piece of forensic evidence. It is how old Celeste Rivas Hernandez was when prosecutors say David Burke first found her online.Who was David Burke before any of this? That is the whole conversation, and Tony and Robin do not take the easy route through it.He was homeschooled after seventh grade. Gospel music only until thirteen. Almost everything social in his life happened through a screen. His mother pushed him to stop crying about copyright strikes and make his own songs, and two years later he was seventeen, still in high school, and signed to Interscope.Nobody handles that at seventeen. But the part that stops people cold is what he built alongside the career.Burke created an alter ego and named him Itami, which is Japanese for pain. He described the character on camera as an agent of chaos, an evil version of himself in a blindfold. The idea came from a manga he was writing about a detective whose alter ego commits murders, murders the detective then has to solve. His own comparison was Tyler Durden in Fight Club.He put it in the videos. A bloody knife. A woman described as the ghost of the person the character killed. An animated sequence where the character takes an arm. And a video in which Burke drags a body and loads it into a car.The counterargument matters and it gets its due here: violent art proves nothing by itself, and thousands of artists make it without ever harming a soul.But prosecutors allege Burke did the exact thing the character did. Tony and Robin follow that line all the way back — the isolation, the money, the industry that sold the darkness and never asked a single question.Burke has pleaded not guilty. Celeste Rivas Hernandez was fourteen years old.END_LINKSJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/ Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodDISCLAIMERThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.HASHTAGS#D4vd #DavidBurke #HiddenKillers #Itami #CelesteRivasHernandez #TrueCrime #HiddenKillersPodcast #MusicIndustry #Fortnite #TrueCrimeFans

James Hollis, Ph.D., was born in Springfield, Illinois. He graduated from Manchester University in 1962 and Drew University in 1967. He taught humanities at various colleges and universities for 26 years before retraining as a Jungian analyst at the Jung Institute of Zürich, Switzerland, from 1977 to 1982. He is currently a licensed Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, D.C. He served for many years as Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas, and was Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington until 2019. He now serves on the Jung Society of Washington's Board of Directors. He is a retired Senior Training Analyst for the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, was the first Director of Training at the Philadelphia Jung Institute, and is Vice President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation. Additionally, he helped create the Jungian Studies program at Saybrook University in California, where he served as a professor. He lives with his wife, Jill—an artist and retired therapist—in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Together, they have three living children and eight grandchildren. He has written a total of 23 books, which have been translated into Swedish, Russian, German, Spanish, French, Hungarian, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian, Korean, Finnish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Farsi, Japanese, Greek, Chinese, Serbian, Latvian, Ukrainian, Czech, Estonian, and Arabic. Topics Discussed In This Episode: Exploring loneliness, isolation, and solitude (00:03:48) James's journey into Jungian Psychoanalysis (00:09:36) Navigating life's forks: decisions and changes (00:15:18) Understanding the face of suffering (00:19:03) Discipline in creative practices (00:33:23) Understanding and embracing anxiety (00:37:59)  Facing childhood fears and emotional growth (00:43:43) The significance of dreams in self-discovery (00:46:27) Finding meaning throughout life's journey (00:52:10) artistdecoded.com jameshollis.net

In this episode of Productivity Smarts, host Gerald J. Leonard welcomes Edi Matsumoto, a visionary artist, former nurse practitioner, and bestselling author of Otter Therapy: 50 Whimsical Whisker Moments for the Soul. After spending nearly 30 years in healthcare, Edi made the courageous decision to leave a career she loved and embrace her true calling as an artist, transforming burnout into a life filled with creativity, joy, and purpose. Together, they explore how aligning your work with your passions can dramatically increase productivity, resilience, and fulfillment. Edi shares the pivotal moments that shaped her journey, from volunteering with Mother Teresa and navigating the changing healthcare system to discovering her artistic talent, opening her own gallery, and creating her signature "Otter Therapy" collection that has delighted people around the world. Gerald and Edi discuss the importance of mentors, coaches, and supportive relationships in helping us recognize gifts we often overlook in ourselves. They also dive into the Japanese concept of ikigai, explaining how discovering the intersection of your talents, passions, purpose, and livelihood can create a more meaningful and productive life. Whether you're feeling burned out in your career, searching for greater purpose, or looking for practical ways to reconnect with joy and creativity, this episode offers inspiring stories and actionable insights to help you create a life that's aligned with who you truly are. Ready to discover your own ikigai? Listen now and learn how embracing your gifts can transform both your productivity and your life.   What We Discuss [00:00] Productivity Smarts introduction [02:04] Meet Edi Matsumoto [04:53] Leaving healthcare to pursue art [08:02] Burnout, courage, and starting over [10:08] Why joy fuels productivity [12:15] Opening an art gallery without business experience [13:59] Finding a unique artistic niche [16:12] Creating the Otter Therapy movement [17:03] Why coaching accelerates success [20:05] Seeing the gifts you can't see yourself [22:19] Lessons learned from Mother Teresa [27:33] Turning work into a calling [28:04] Staying creative without burning out [30:27] Shifting your mindset in seconds [34:08] Simple ways to restore joy and energy [36:15] Discovering your ikigai [39:14] Living in alignment with your purpose [40:34] Where to find Edi and Otter Therapy [42:36] Final thoughts and subscribe   Notable Quotes [09:46] "I just love my life right now. I do what I love, and I'm still able to serve people and heal people." – Edi Matsumoto [17:23] "When we're inside the bottle, we can't see the label." – Gerald J. Leonard [21:22] "Sometimes it takes another person to see your gift." – Edi Matsumoto [27:25] "If you find your calling and it becomes your job, you'll never work a day in your life." – Gerald J. Leonard [34:37] "You can change your thoughts. You can change your mood instantly." – Edi Matsumoto [38:59] "Once you find alignment, productivity flows naturally." – Edi Matsumoto [40:24] "Life is short. Don't do what other people expect you to do. Do what you want to do." – Edi Matsumoto   Resource and Links Edi Matsumoto LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edi-matsumoto-781696140 Website: edimatsumoto.com Gallery: Edi Matsumoto Art & Design Gallery, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Book: Otter Therapy: 50 Whimsical Whisker Moments for the Soul   Productivity Smarts Podcast Website - productivitysmartspodcast.com   Gerald J. Leonard Website - geraldjleonard.com Turnberry Premiere website - turnberrypremiere.com Scheduler - vcita.com/v/geraldjleonard   Kiva is a loan, not a donation, allowing you to cycle your money and create a personal impact worldwide. https://www.kiva.org/lender/topmindshelpingtopminds

He big! And you can treat yourself or a loved one to a BIG snack box from TokyoTreat & Sakuraco! These curated collections of Japanese snacks make the perfect gift for any occasion. Use code "JORYJO" for $5 off your first #TokyoTreat box through my link: https://team.tokyotreat.com/watchingonepiece and #Sakuraco box: https://team.sakura.co/watchingonepiece Join our Discord: http://discord.gg/WSv2KW34rk This episode came out early for our Patrons! Thank you for supporting on Patreon! We Are! on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/wearewatchingop.bsky.social

It's the 19th century, and a village in northern Michigan is the setting for Adam Bolton's strange, decrepit house, called Haggard House by the community. He's eleven, and his strictly religious mother only allows him to attend the village school after he promises not to be friendly with the other children. They're heathens, she tells him. Adam builds an imaginary house in his mind, so when he meets a little girl who likes him, he can imagine her there. His father is a respected carpenter who leads a sad life because of Adam's over-pious, angry and bitter mother. As a young man Adam escapes for a few years and doesn't learn of his father's murder until he returns. And when he goes against his mother's wishes to marry the woman he loves, everyone pays a price in this well-written tale of madness and piety. Elisabeth Rhoads is the Vice-President of the second largest branch of the California Writers Club—Orange County. Since 2021, she has been a volunteer juror for the Scholastic Writing Awards. She holds her BA in Theatre and has recently been accepted into Chapman University's Creative Writing MFA program, starting in Fall of 2026. Originally from Michigan, she spent two summers working on Mackinac Island, which only allows transport by horse and carriage, foot, or bicycle. Her time on this history-soaked island deeply influenced her, and has inspired many stories, including, in part, Haggard House (Bodger Books, 2025)—and is featured briefly in the novel. She is the author of one novel and has begun a short story series on her Substack, in which she writes a new story each month, based on subscriber prompts. Now living in California with her husband, she enjoys learning Japanese, fermenting foods of all types—although mainly kombucha—and pretends to enjoy exercise-related activities, such as kayaking and running. As someone who grew up within a strict, religious home, her writing reflects the Victorian influences that made up a large part of her family's reading habits, such as Charles Dickens, the Brontë sisters, and Edgar Allen Poe. She hopes that modern readers will find much to connect with, as these old-world literary influences combine with her now much broader view of the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

review how to say something is "not" something

learn how to say something is "not" something

Have you heard of Poetry Slam? Komoru Nakauchi, an actor and writer, has won first place in a Japanese competition and will be competing in the world championships again this year. In August, he will be coming to Sydney and holding free workshops titled ‘Play with Japanese! Words and Creative Expression Workshop', aimed at everyone from primary school students to adults, at the Japan Foundation, Sydney. - ポエトリースラム（自作詩の朗読の競技会）を知っていますか？日本の大会で１位となり、昨年に続いて今年も世界大会に出場するのが、俳優で作家の中内こもるさんです。Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3.Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast.  Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page! - SBSの日本語放送は火木金の午後１時からSBS3で生放送！火木土の夜10時からはおやすみ前にSBS1で再放送が聞けます。SBS日本語放送ポッドキャストから過去のストーリーを聞くこともできます。無料でダウンロードできるSBS Audio Appもどうぞ。SBS 日本語放送のFacebookとInstagramもお忘れなく。

“The ultimate defeat of Japan [will] be accomplished by blockade, bombing, and assault.”This is the story of American island hopping—or should we say leapfrogging?—through Pacific waters. By 1943, the Japanese are settled in for the long haul, no matter what it may cost. America sees some successes like new skip bombing techniques at the Battle of the Bismarck sea, but a change of strategy is needed for real gains. American leaders General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral William "Bull" Halsey launch Operation Cartwheel, a strategic campaign of amphibious landings designed to neutralize Japanese strongholds like Rabaul, Papua New Guinea without attacking head-on. Meanwhile, even though the Solomon Islands are still an active war zone, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt undertakes a morale-boosting tour, visiting every wounded soldier she possibly can. Just a few short months later, Americans win the brutal Battle of Tarawa at great cost, a decisive victory that exposes the devastating realities of island warfare to those back home. Is each tiny island in the Pacific worth this much death? Or can another path be found? ____Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com andgo deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendationsjoin discussions in our Facebook communityget news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette come see a live showget HTDS merchor become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks.HTDS is part of Audacy media network. IInterested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com.

Last time we spoke about the Japanese offensive at Changsha. In late September 1941, fighting in China had become a brutal struggle of endurance. Japanese forces kept pushing forward, but China—though battered by heavy losses—refused to yield. Help from abroad was slowly beginning to matter. American aid reached China through groups like the Red Cross, and volunteers later associated with the Flying Tigers offered crucial support to Chinese operations. Against this backdrop, Changsha in Hunan became the center of a dangerous autumn campaign. Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist leadership treated the city as strategically vital, knowing that its fate could influence the wider course of the war. In the end, the resistance at Changsha showed China's key advantage: resilience. The city's defense helped slow the Japanese advance, break up momentum, and create uncertainty as the campaign continued.   #212 The Autumn Battle of Changsha, 1941 Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, 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 the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia 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 where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In late September 1941, the war in China had already entered its fifth year. By then the conflict had lost whatever remained of novelty and had settled into something harsher and more exhausting: a long war of attrition fought across enormous distances, under conditions of chronic shortage, strategic uncertainty, and repeated local catastrophe. Japan still possessed formidable military strength. Its armies could strike hard, move fast, and exploit superior firepower, air support, and communications in individual campaigns. Yet the larger shape of the war had begun to change. China had not collapsed. The Nationalist government still stood. Chinese armies, however battered, still held the field. The line between survival and defeat remained dangerously thin, but it had not broken. This was the situation in which the autumn campaign in Hunan and Hubei unfolded.   The struggle around Changsha did not occur in isolation. It belonged to a wider military and political moment. In Europe, the war had already expanded into a continent-wide convulsion. Germany and the Soviet Union were locked in a massive struggle after the German invasion in June. Leningrad was under threat, Kiev had become the scene of disaster, and the approach of the battle for Moscow suggested that still greater bloodshed lay ahead. Stalin had pressed Churchill to open a second front in Europe and had been refused. The global balance of war was shifting, but not yet in any way that guaranteed relief to China.   In Asia, Japan continued to press forward. The pressure on China remained immense. Yet by mid-1941 China's position, though still precarious, no longer looked quite as desperate as it had in earlier years. International sympathy had grown. Material aid, however limited, was beginning to take more concrete form. In July, the American Red Cross sent China medical supplies worth millions of dollars. In August, more than a hundred retired American pilots and mechanics came together to aid China against Japan. The air unit they formed, later celebrated as the Flying Tigers, meant more than aircraft and personnel alone. It signaled that China's war was no longer quite so isolated. That change in atmosphere did not produce calm in Chongqing. It sharpened urgency.   For Chiang Kai-shek, the possibility that the international situation might slowly improve for China carried with it a hard implication: China had to endure long enough to benefit from it. That meant surviving not in abstract terms, but in particular places, against particular offensives, at moments when a local defeat might have consequences far beyond the immediate battlefield. In the autumn of 1941, one of those places was Changsha. Changsha had long occupied an outsized place in the military geography of the war. It stood as the capital of Hunan, a hinge between regions, and a vital position in the defense of central China. Its security affected the Xiang River basin, communications across the province, and the broader defensive posture shielding approaches toward the wartime capital. To lose it, even temporarily, would be more than a symbolic blow. It would threaten the larger balance of the front in south-central China and test whether Japanese offensives could still force dramatic strategic results.   At the same time, the battle for Changsha was not a simple contest between one Chinese army and one Japanese army facing each other across a fixed line. It was part of a larger operational struggle linking the Ninth War Zone with supporting actions from the Third, Fifth, and Sixth War Zones. It involved frontal resistance, hurried reinforcement, mobile defense, rear harassment, and the constant effort to turn Japanese momentum into Japanese overextension. Chinese commanders were trying not merely to survive a blow, but to absorb it, stretch it, and eventually strike back against an enemy whose speed could become a liability once supply lines lengthened and formations dispersed. This was the burden resting on the Military Commission in Chongqing.   There, while reports arrived in fragments and maps were revised hour by hour, Chiang Kai-shek spent long stretches in the operations room watching the situation in Hunan and Hubei develop. He had already ordered the various war zones to support the Ninth War Zone's operations, and now he followed the campaign with intense concentration. His attention moved repeatedly toward reports from the Sixth War Zone and Chen Cheng's counteroffensive toward Yichang, for Yichang was tied not only to local fighting in Hubei but also to the defense of the Yangtze approach and therefore to the security of Chongqing itself. In his mind, Hunan and Hubei had become the focal point of China's war effort in that season.   Meanwhile at the front, the situation was deteriorating fast. Japanese forces pressing into northern Hunan had already imposed severe strain on the Chinese defense. Blocking units had been battered back. Communications were uncertain. Some formations fought stubbornly but could not hold; others dissolved more quickly than hoped. The Japanese advance toward Changsha created exactly the kind of crisis Chinese commanders feared most: one in which the enemy moved with enough force and speed to threaten a major city before a coherent defensive response could be reassembled. Chinese units had to be thrown into action as they arrived, often after exhausting marches, often with incomplete knowledge of the situation, and often under immediate pressure from artillery, aircraft, and aggressive infantry assaults. Yet even at this dangerous stage, the campaign contained an opportunity as well as a threat.   The deeper Japanese units pushed into Hunan, the more exposed their rear became. Supply depots, transport lines, and communications stretched farther behind the spearhead. Chinese formations that had been driven aside were not always destroyed; some remained capable of reappearing to strike roads, depots, and isolated detachments. If Changsha represented the visible center of the struggle, the enemy rear represented its hidden vulnerability. The Chinese aim, therefore, was not simply to defend passively around the city. It was to combine stubborn resistance in front with harassment and disruption behind, so that Japanese advance would become increasingly difficult to sustain. The battle that followed unfolded under these pressures: a threatened city, a strained but unbroken defense, commanders forced to improvise under severe danger, and a wider international war that made every local decision feel heavier than the ground on which it was taken.   This subtle improvement in China's larger situation did not mean safety. China was still battered, under-resourced, and vulnerable. Japanese forces still possessed enormous advantages in mobility, firepower, and air power in many sectors. Large parts of the country remained occupied or threatened. Yet by mid-1941 something in the atmosphere had changed. In July, the American Red Cross sent China medical supplies worth millions of dollars. In August, more than a hundred retired American pilots and mechanics came together to aid China in its struggle against Japan. The air unit they formed would become famous under the name by which China knew them: the Flying Tigers. Their significance exceeded their immediate tactical value. They represented a visible sign that China was not entirely abandoned to isolation.   For Claire Chennault, romantic, aggressive, and optimistic by temperament, the new situation encouraged increasingly bold thoughts. For the first time he included in his planning the idea that Japanese home territory might one day be bombed from bases in China. Such schemes were ambitious and perhaps premature, but their very existence reveals an altered horizon of possibility. A country that imagines striking back is already psychologically in a different position from one concerned only with preventing collapse.     Yichang mattered directly to the fighting in Xiangbei, but it also mattered independently. It was tied to the security of the Yangtze approach and therefore to the defense of Chongqing. It belonged not only to the immediate problem of battlefield maneuver but to the larger question of whether China could do more than absorb Japanese offensives. Could Chinese forces exploit enemy overstretch? Could Japanese advances be turned into liabilities? Could local counterattacks and rear harassment generate effects greater than the raw size of the forces involved? By September 1941, these questions were no longer hypothetical. They were urgent. In Chiang's mind, Hunan and Hubei had become the focal point of China's war effort in that season.   The struggle around Changsha was central to that effort. From Chongqing, Chiang telegraphed Commander Xue Yue of the Ninth War Zone with instructions that made both the danger and the opportunity plain. The message emphasized that the enemy in northern Hunan, though still pressing hard, had already been bravely intercepted by Chinese units and was now exhausted, with lines of advance increasingly difficult to sustain. This, Chiang argued, created an excellent opportunity for Chinese forces to strike at the enemy's rear and seek annihilation rather than mere delay. He urged officers and soldiers alike to remain determined to destroy the enemy. Even if Japanese troops advanced to the vicinity of Changsha itself, Chinese forces were to renew their efforts, maintain their confidence in victory, and prevent the enemy from establishing a foothold.   The telegram also pointed to the broader operational picture. Japanese troops drawn from the sectors of the Fifth and Sixth War Zones had been committed to the invasion of northern Hunan, leaving their rear areas dangerously exposed. The Third, Fifth, and Sixth War Zones had launched supporting offensives on the twenty-third. Therefore, the Ninth War Zone had to strike resolutely and fiercely, preventing the Japanese from coordinating their forces and frustrating any attempt to occupy Changsha. The message was at once exhortation and operational logic. It reflected the core Chinese problem in the campaign: the Japanese thrust was dangerous and had to be blocked, but the very speed and depth of that thrust could also expose the attacker. Yet by the time Chiang sent his instructions, the danger around Changsha was already severe. After the 74th Army had been beaten back, there was no major Chinese force north of the city that could confidently block the Japanese advance in a straightforward, stable line. The Japanese 4th Division, together with the Hayabuchi Detachment, had defeated the 95th Division of the Chinese 37th Army and pushed toward Changsha. The prospect that the city might fall, at least temporarily, was no longer remote.   In response, Xia Chuzhong's 79th Army from the Sixth War Zone was ordered to move toward the city. Its vanguard was Wang Jiaben's 98th Division. That movement was a forced march in the literal sense. It was not a flourish of language but an admission of emergency. Troops were pushed beyond ordinary endurance because there was no time to gather strength under favorable conditions. Changsha could not wait for convenience, rest, or ideal concentration. Either reinforcements arrived in time to fight immediately, or they arrived too late to matter. Wang Jiaben was no stranger to battle. A veteran officer from the Yunnan Army, he had fought the Japanese repeatedly—more than twenty times since the outbreak of the War of Resistance. He belonged to that generation of commanders who had been shaped by the fragmented military politics of Republican China but whose careers were now being rewritten by the national emergency of the anti-Japanese war.   During the First Battle of Changsha, he had already distinguished himself. He led troops in a counterattack along the Tongcheng line in southern Hubei and intercepted retreating Japanese forces at Longmenchang and Changshoujie, killing more than a thousand enemy soldiers. He had experience, reputation, and a sense of what it meant to fight in the Changsha theater. This time he marched from Changde, driving his division forward with all possible speed. By noon on September 26 the 98th Division reached a position about two kilometers northeast of Changsha. There was scarcely time to settle the men. No careful preparation was possible. They had arrived because the city was in danger, and battle began almost at once. At dusk the division engaged the Hayabuchi Detachment.   The fighting continued until late in the night without decisive result. That in itself was costly enough. Troops who have just completed a punishing march are already close to the limits of their endurance. To be thrown immediately into combat magnifies every weakness: thirst, fatigue, confusion, and the difficulty of building fieldworks under pressure. What the soldiers of the 98th Division could do that night, they did with their hands and whatever tools they had. They scraped positions out of the earth. They assembled makeshift cover. Officers moved along the line trying to impose order on terrain that had become a battlefield almost as soon as it was occupied. At dawn on September 27 the Japanese intensified the pressure from the air.   More than twenty aircraft bombed the 98th Division's positions, tearing apart the earthworks that officers and soldiers had spent the night constructing. Bombing had a double effect. Physically, it damaged positions, wounded men, and disrupted preparations. Psychologically, it reminded defenders that they were being observed from above and struck by an enemy against whom they could often do little in the sky. Immediately after the bombing came a fierce infantry assault. Wang Jiaben and several other commanders went down to their respective regiments to supervise the fighting personally. This was dangerous, but under such circumstances commanders often believed that presence itself mattered. When fieldworks are collapsing, shell bursts are continuous, and communications are unreliable, authority must sometimes be carried by a body rather than a wire. The defenders held.   Again and again the Japanese attacked. Again and again they were repulsed only to reorganize and come on once more. Every minute the Chinese line remained in place was bought with blood. Fallen and wounded men were carried rearward in what seemed an endless stream. The cost of resistance accumulated visibly before the eyes of those still fighting. By noon even water could no longer be delivered to the front. That detail reveals the intensity of the battle more clearly than many grander statements could. A line that cannot be supplied even with water has reached a condition of severe strain. During brief pauses in the fighting, officers and soldiers pulled out dry rations and chewed them slowly, swallowing with difficulty while they waited for the next attack. Such moments are among the most characteristic in battle: not the long, smooth continuity imagined in peacetime rhetoric, but brief interludes of miserable necessity between explosions. At two in the afternoon the crisis deepened sharply.   A unit of the Japanese 4th Division worked its way behind the 98th Division's position and attacked from the rear. This was the kind of tactical development every defending commander dreads. A force can endure heavy frontal pressure if its line remains coherent and its rear reasonably secure. But when enemy troops appear behind a position, the entire structure of defense begins to dissolve. There, behind the line, were more than a hundred Chinese wounded awaiting evacuation. Japanese soldiers attacked them with bayonets. One of the wounded Chinese soldiers, already beyond ordinary capacity for resistance, rushed forward and detonated a grenade against a Japanese attacker. It was an act of desperation, but also of defiance. The episode captures something essential about the tone of the battle around Changsha. This was not a neat engagement between organized lines alone. It was a desperate collision in which even the badly wounded were drawn into last resistance. For Wang Jiaben, however, the tactical reality was impossible to deny. If he stayed where he was, the division might be annihilated. Personal courage could not alter encirclement. Resentfully, bitterly, and under the kind of pressure that leaves permanent scars on a commander's memory, he ordered retreat. When he led the survivors off the battlefield, fewer than half his men remained.   Reinforcements from another direction now entered the struggle. The Provisional 2nd Army of the Seventh War Zone dispatched the Provisional 8th Division under Zhang Junsong. At seven in the evening on September 27, Zhang's force arrived at Zuojiatang on the eastern outskirts of Changsha. Personnel of the Ninth War Zone waiting there reported grim news: a Japanese detachment had already entered the city that afternoon, and another detachment was only three kilometers away. The situation invited rashness. A commander arriving near a threatened city at dusk, with reports that the enemy is already inside, may feel compelled to hurl troops forward immediately in a gesture of resolution. Yet night fighting in an urban approach without adequate reconnaissance can turn courage into waste. Zhang Junsong considered the matter carefully. He concluded that to rush blindly into the city at night would likely produce confusion and heavy losses. Instead he first sought to strike the enemy outside the city. His troops deployed quietly and crept forward through the darkness, launching a probing attack. But they soon discovered that the Japanese were fully prepared and not vulnerable to easy surprise. The line could not be broken. With no prospect of success, the force withdrew.   The moment is revealing because it shows how narrow the margin had become. Chinese commanders were trying to recover initiative while still groping through uncertainty. Reports were incomplete, Japanese dispositions difficult to fix, and every hour dangerous. On the evening of September 28, the 79th Army's 6th Provisional Division occupied Yuelu Mountain west of Changsha. From that height officers and soldiers looked across the Xiang River toward the city. Changsha, for the first time, was in Japanese hands. The emotional force of that sight can only be imagined. Changsha had lived for years under threat. It had been defended, contested, prepared, and feared. The possibility of its loss had hovered over military planning and public consciousness alike. Now the danger had become fact. A city that had stood as an object of effort and anxiety was visibly occupied by the enemy. No single feeling could have governed the men who saw it. There must have been anger, shame, weariness, and dread—but also stubbornness. For in war a city seen in enemy hands is not always simply lost. Sometimes it is a summons.   Late that night Zhao Jiping, commander of the 6th Provisional Division, received a telegram from Xue Yue. He read it and then stood before the map for a long time. Days of anxiety began to lift. He was not alone in that reaction. Many Chinese generals involved in the campaign had felt that they were fighting a confused and chaotic battle. Japanese movements had been broad, rapid, and difficult to pin down. The Ninth War Zone had thrown numerous units into blocking actions, yet both well-regarded formations and weaker, improvised units had repeatedly failed to hold. After ten days of combat, Chinese losses were heavy. But Japanese forces too had been worn, stretched, and damaged. Only now, as the Japanese reached the apparent culmination of their advance, did the Ninth War Zone begin to recover rhythm. Chaos did not disappear, but it became more legible. The possibility of a more ordered counteroffensive emerged.   In the early hours of September 29, Zhao Jiping issued the order to force a crossing of the Xiang River and attack the enemy in Changsha. The preparations consumed the entire day. River crossings under combat conditions are among the most delicate operations in war. Boats must be assembled or found. Units must be organized into waves. Timing matters. Surprise matters. The location of landing points matters. The men themselves matter most of all, because they must sit exposed in fragile craft knowing that the real test will begin not in the middle of the river but at the far bank. Late that night the division crossed secretly by boat in six groups. The crossing itself went well enough. The river did not betray them. The groups made progress in darkness. Yet everyone involved understood that smooth movement on the water did not guarantee success. The crucial question was what waited at the landing points. It was expected that the troops going ashore at Daximen would be first to meet the Japanese. Once battle began there, the rest of the crossing accelerated.   Chinese soldiers landed, attacked fiercely, and drove the enemy back from the riverbank. The momentum of the assault mattered. In such moments hesitation on shore can doom an entire crossing, but aggression can seize a foothold before the defender fully stabilizes. By the time Chinese forces entered the city, dawn was breaking. Then came street fighting. Changsha had ceased to be an objective on a map. It became again what cities become in war: a place of corners, walls, alleys, debris, smoke, and sudden death. Fighting in a city strips away much of the abstraction through which campaigns are often remembered. Streets channel movement. Buildings become cover, obstacles, or traps. Distances shrink but danger multiplies. A few men behind masonry can delay many more. Noise magnifies confusion. The city itself seems to fragment into a hundred separate battlefields. For Changsha, the long season of anxious anticipation ended in direct flame.   Yet to understand the campaign only through the struggle at Changsha would be incomplete. While the city drew attention as the central prize, another set of operations was unfolding across Hunan and Hubei—less dramatic in appearance perhaps, but strategically significant. These were the actions of the 27th Army Group under Yang Sen. If the fighting around Changsha demonstrated the pressure of frontal battle, Yang Sen's operations illustrated another principle entirely: the stubborn, opportunistic use of weaker forces to harass, sting, and trouble a stronger enemy from behind. The 27th Army Group was composed largely of Sichuan troops. Their presence speaks to one of the larger political transformations of the war. Republican China had long been fractured by regional militarism. Armies had often owed stronger loyalty to commanders, provinces, or local power structures than to any unified national command. Yet the anti-Japanese war compelled a partial reordering of those loyalties. Many warlord forces, however imperfectly integrated, now turned their weapons outward under Nationalist command.   There were exceptions. Some men, like Han Fuqu, had preserved their own strength at the cost of military responsibility and lost both opportunity and honor in doing so. But in the main, especially among middle and lower-ranking officers and ordinary soldiers, the imperative of national survival overrode provincial identity. Men from distant regions marched and fought in terrains not their own because the war no longer permitted a narrow conception of interest. Yang Sen himself was an old warlord soldier, one of those figures formed in the fractured military world of earlier decades. By 1941 he was deputy commander of the Ninth War Zone and commander-in-chief of the 27th Army Group. Along the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border he had long been cautious in his operations.   At the beginning of the northern Hunan battle, his troops proved unable to withstand the force of the Japanese offensive and retreated in disorder into mountains and forests. That fact should not be softened. They were pushed back. But retreat did not mean disappearance. This is where Yang Sen's role became important. Once the main Japanese force had advanced far ahead, the troops that had scattered began to reemerge. They knew the terrain. They knew the roads, villages, passes, and wooded approaches. If they could not defeat the Japanese in a grand collision, they could search for openings behind the advancing columns.   On September 20, as the Japanese main force drove into the heart of northern Hunan, Yang Sen led elements of the 4th, 58th, and 20th Armies in pursuit for an entire day. The main body of the 4th Army had already been badly beaten at the Xinqiang River line, and only the 60th Division, recently transferred from the 37th Army, remained relatively intact. That single fact sharply defined the weakness of his means. He was not pursuing with fresh and powerful forces prepared for a decisive encounter. He was pursuing with fragments, survivors, and such units as still retained some offensive potential. But the Japanese, intent on rapid advance southward, paid too little attention to what followed behind them. That was the opening Yang Sen needed.   On the morning of September 21, the 60th Division acted on information supplied by an old beggar. Such details often sound almost literary, but they remind us that war in China was never fought by armies alone. Villagers, refugees, peddlers, guides, boatmen, and the destitute all participated in the circulation of military knowledge. A beggar could see what a reconnaissance officer had missed. On the basis of that tip, the 60th Division launched a surprise attack on the supply depot of the Japanese 40th Division at Zhangjiayuan. Division Commander Dong Yu led the action.   The Chinese quickly overwhelmed the more than three hundred Japanese troops guarding the depot. Once they broke in, they discovered an astonishing quantity of matériel: shell boxes, ammunition, food, medicine, gasoline, explosives, protective clothing, telephone wire, body bags, stretchers, and more, all stacked beneath heavy canvas. For men accustomed to scarcity, it must have seemed almost unreal. Dong Yu, delighted, is remembered as exclaiming to his deputy commander, "It's practically a department store!" The line has a momentary comic brightness in the middle of war, and that is part of why it survives. But its deeper significance lies in what it reveals. A modern army advancing deep into hostile territory is sustained by accumulation—ammunition, fuel, wire, medicines, rations, transport materials. To seize such a depot is not merely to take objects. It is to grasp the hidden skeleton of movement. Dong Yu then issued a one-word order: "Move."   At once the whole division became a swarm of carriers. Officers and soldiers grabbed whatever they could and began hauling the captured supplies away. The scene must have been one of extraordinary improvised energy—riflemen transformed into laborers, war reduced for a moment to the brute physical act of lifting, dragging, and carrying. They moved like ants dismantling a storehouse. But there was too much to remove and too little time. Before even two regiments had completed the work, the Japanese returned in force. Enraged, they sent more than a dozen aircraft to bomb the troops carrying off the captured crates, while over a thousand infantrymen rushed in on the ground. Dong Yu immediately ordered the men to abandon what remained and destroy it. Amid deafening explosions, the 60th Division withdrew from Zhangjiayuan. The Japanese pursued hard, driving them back into the mountains before finally stopping. Measured purely in terms of territorial occupation, the action changed little. The Chinese did not hold the depot. They were forced back again. But judged in operational terms, the raid mattered. Supplies had been captured, destroyed, or disrupted. Japanese rear security had been embarrassed. Time and energy had been consumed in response. In a campaign where the Japanese were racing south and depending increasingly on stretched lines, such harassment was not trivial.   After September 23, Yang Sen expanded these efforts. He sent whole divisions to harass the Japanese rear while also dispatching battalions and companies to ambush supply columns and disrupt transport lines. This was not the kind of warfare that produces neat dramatic maps in conventional military histories. The actions were scattered, local, opportunistic, and often inconclusive. Yet precisely for that reason they can be misunderstood. Not every useful military action ends in the destruction of an enemy division. Sometimes its value lies in forcing a stronger opponent to spend attention where he had hoped to spend only momentum. These operations were costly and uncertain. Small Chinese units striking roads and depots risked encirclement or aerial punishment. Yet they possessed one advantage: they did not need to win a grand battle to matter. They needed only to make movement harder, supply more precarious, and the rear less secure.   On September 25, even after the 26th and 37th Armies had suffered defeat elsewhere, Yang Sen gathered the troops that still retained some offensive capacity and launched another attack. In these actions, the 90th Division captured Wukou; the 59th Division reached the north bank of the Miluo River; the 60th Division advanced to Donggang; and elements of the 58th Army controlled the Yuanba–Zheyangqiao highway line by the twenty-sixth. These gains were not the dramatic centerpiece of the campaign. But they formed part of the cumulative pressure on Japanese operations. Every road contested from the rear, every convoy threatened, every depot exposed, and every forced diversion of troops weakened the enemy's ability to convert tactical advance into stable success.   The battlefield was fluid enough that Yang Sen's headquarters itself had to keep moving—from the Miluo River northward to Pingjiang. Mobile headquarters in such conditions lived under constant uncertainty. Reports arrived late or contradictory. Rumors outran facts. The front could bend in unpredictable ways. A command post that seemed safely behind the line in the morning might by afternoon lie only a few kilometers from enemy forces. Years later Mao Jiuyin, who had then served as an operations staff officer under Yang Sen, recalled the old commander's outward behavior in those dangerous days. Yang Sen, Mao remembered, was always joking with the people around him and could still laugh and talk during battle. On one occasion he even joked with his bodyguard about putting chili oil in his tea. To younger staff officers, such behavior appeared almost absurd.   Yet they knew how dangerous their situation often was. Sometimes they were only a few kilometers from the main Japanese forces. There is more than anecdote in this memory. Old commanders often cultivated a style of ease under danger not because they felt no fear, but because they believed visible calm itself was part of command. Men take emotional bearings from those above them. A commander who panics spreads panic faster than any enemy breakthrough. Yang Sen was sixty years old during the Second Battle of Changsha, and he liked to remark that he was five years older than Chiang Kai-shek. Age had not removed him from the front. His function in the campaign was not to shatter the enemy in one decisive frontal blow. It was to persist, reappear, sting, and remain troublesome. The 27th Army Group followed the Japanese nearly all the way to the outskirts of Changsha.   They did not fight many large set-piece engagements. That was never their main value. But the Japanese could not ignore them. If Japanese units turned and tried to hit them directly, they tended to dissolve into the landscape. If the Japanese pushed on and ignored them, they reappeared to sabotage roads, hit supply lines, and create alarms in the rear. Even Japanese official histories later described them memorably. They called them "like a swarm of annoying flies." The phrase was meant as contempt. But as so often happens in war, an insult became an accurate description of effect. If these Chinese troops could not be tigers in formal battle, they could still become intolerable as flies. And under certain conditions—fatigue, heat, uncertainty, stretched supply, shaken morale—flies can become more oppressive than an enemy would like to admit.   When later generations look back on campaigns, they often search for a single explanatory image. But the fighting of September 1941 resists reduction to one symbol alone. What gives the campaign its force in memory is not one isolated episode, but the convergence of several pressures at once: a city under threat, a command trying to coordinate multiple fronts, exhausted reinforcements thrown directly into battle, Japanese forces advancing quickly but becoming increasingly vulnerable the farther they pushed, and Chinese troops in the rear refusing to disappear after defeat. Seen from Chongqing, the campaign was a matter of telegrams, maps, and the management of strategic risk. Seen from the front, it was a matter of thirst, mud, broken fieldworks, sudden bombing, exhausted marching, and the uncertainty of whether the next order meant reinforcement, retreat, or death. Seen from the Japanese side, it was initially an aggressive advance toward an important objective, but one increasingly troubled by stretched supply, difficult terrain, and the persistent reappearance of Chinese forces behind the line of movement.   At the same time, the campaign reveals a Chinese war effort that had become more resilient than in the earliest years of the conflict. The Japanese advance toward Changsha was dangerous and at moments appeared close to success. Chinese blocking forces suffered severe defeats. Units arrived exhausted and were hurled into action at once. Commanders lost men at devastating rates. Changsha itself briefly fell into enemy hands. And yet the city was not simply surrendered as an accomplished fact. Chinese forces regrouped. Orders were coordinated across war zones. Reinforcements marched at desperate speed. Counterattacks were mounted. Forces west of the Xiang prepared and crossed back into the city. Elsewhere, troops under Yang Sen gnawed at the Japanese rear and made advance more costly than a map of front lines alone might suggest. This combination of desperate frontal resistance and incessant rear harassment was one of the characteristic strengths of China's resistance in this stage of the war. China could not always match Japanese power in one concentrated blow. But it could absorb, delay, fragment, and trouble that power across space and time. That is why the struggle around Changsha in late September 1941 deserves to be remembered not merely as a sequence of engagements, but as a layered event in which tactical battle, morale, logistics, political endurance, and international context all converged.   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. In late September 1941, Japan pushed deeper into China, but Chinese forces—supported gradually by international help—kept resisting. Changsha in Hunan became the central point of the conflict, seen as vital to strategic control in south-central China. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Hunan and Hubei, Yang Sen's 27th Army Group—often using smaller, opportunistic actions—reappeared behind Japanese lines to disrupt depots and convoys. Even when Chinese gains were temporary, the cumulative pressure delayed Japanese momentum.       

For too many bartenders, sake remains one of the most intimidating sections of the back bar, with confusing labels and endless categories making it hard to know where to even begin. Luckily, this week we are joined by Yoko Kumano and Kayoko Akabori, co-founders of the beloved Japanese beverage shop Umami Mart and authors of Everyday Sake: The Go-To Guide for Choosing, Pairing, and Serving. Together they have made it their mission to demystify sake and make it approachable for everyone, from curious first-timers to seasoned industry pros. So tune in as they break down how to navigate the category with confidence, from choosing the right bottle to pairing it with food and serving it in both modern and traditional settings. Umami Mart: https://umamimart.com/ Get the book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/769406/everyday-sake-by-yoko-kumano-and-kayoko-akabori/ ____________________________________ Join us every Monday as acclaimed bartender, Erick Castro, interviews some of the bar industry's top talents from around the world, including bartenders, distillers & authors. If you love cocktails & spirits then this award-winning podcast is just for you. SUPPORT US ON PATREON: Get early access to episodes, exclusive bonus episodes, special content and more: https://www.patreon.com/BartenderAtLarge WATCH OUR VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/bartenderatlarge FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: Erick Castro: www.instagram.com/HungryBartender Bartender at Large: www.instagram.com/BartenderAtLarge FOLLOW US ON TIKTOK: Erick Castro: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungrybartender?_t=ZT-8uBekAKOGwU&_r=1 Bartender at Large: www.tiktok.com/BartenderAtLarge  

This week: The term “explosive diarrhea” captured the nation's attention, turning all eyes toward the company linked to a major cyclosporiasis outbreak. Felix Salmon, Elizabeth Spiers, and Emily Peck discuss the much-talked about food poisoning story and the PR flubs of Trump-aligned Taylor Farms. Then, the hosts give an update on Trump's latest attempt to keep his beloved tariffs alive after the Supreme Court ruled his original plan illegal. And finally, they react to the Japanese prime minister's recent claim of sleeping zero to three hours a night.In the Slate Plus episode: Is Diet Coke embracing “fridge cigarettes"? Want to hear that discussion and hear more Slate Money? Join Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you'll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the Slate Money show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the summer of 1958, phantom fires struck the Tuck family's Talladega, Alabama home more than fifty times — bread igniting on its own, single garments bursting into flame, sulfur-smelling fires that followed the family across three homes before a nine-year-old confessed to a scheme that never explained the blaze witnessed by police in the yard, or the fires that started when the boy was gone.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/paranormalflamesREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yc4nrtujFEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: In the late 1950s, the Tuck family of Alabama found themselves at the center of a terrifying ordeal as mysterious fires spontaneously erupted in their home. Despite their best efforts to escape the flames, the fiery phenomenon followed them from one residence to another, consuming their possessions and leaving them homeless. We'll look at this case and other similar ones where the seeming explanation is nothing short of paranormal. (Paranormal Flames) *** In the sleepy Kentish hamlet of Charing, a centuries-old mystery unfolds every May Day. As the clock strikes midnight, ghostly children emerge from their moss-encrusted graves, their ethereal feet dancing to the silent fiddle's tune. It's all part of the "Night of the Dancing Feet." (Dancing After Death) *** Before his wife's murder in June 2009, Eli Weaver had numerous affairs with women he met through online dating sites, where he called himself an "Amish Stud." But only one mistress was willing to kill for him. (Eli Weaver, Amish Stud and Murderer) *** The American West evokes iconic images often seen in movies: bold adventures, noon shootouts, resolute sheriffs and marshals maintaining order, and the cavalry arriving just in time. However, the history of the Wild West, replete with myths and stereotypes, presents a more complex and sometimes disturbing reality about justice in that era. (Wild West Justice) *** On the morning of July 13, 1997, the body of Denise Johnson was discovered inside her burning childhood home in Kill Devil Hills, NC. Emergency responders quickly realized they weren't dealing with a simple arson, but a murder as well.  Now, more than two decades later, the case remains unsolved. (The Unsolved Murder of Denise Johnson) *** Hachishakusama, often referred to as the "Japanese Slender Man," is a haunting figure from Japanese urban legends that rivals the terror of her American counterpart. While the Slender Man has gained a cult-like following and has even inspired real-life horror stories, Hachishakusama's tale is equally spine-chilling and capable of keeping you up at night. (The Japanese Slender Man)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = The Foreboding00:01:21.690 = Show Open00:04:30.483 = Paranormal Flames00:23:29.009 = The Unsolved Murder of Denise Johnson ***00:37:06.405 = Dancing After Death (Night of the Dancing Feet)00:44:39.904 = Wild West Justice ***00:54:40.356 = Eli Weaver, Amish Stud and Murderer01:03:17.535 = The Japanese Slender Man ***01:08:47.360 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:BOOK: “Ablaze – The Mysterious Fires of Spontaneous Human Combustion” by Larry E. Arnold:https://amzn.to/3UqdhmzBOOK: “A Killing In Amish Country” by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris: https://amzn.to/44wghmb“Paranormal Flames” source: Marcus Lowth at UFO Insight: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4eb8xht2“The Unsolved Murder of Denise Johnson” source: Jacob Shelton at Ranker: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8t3b7p“Dancing After Death” by Ken DaSilva-Hill submitted directly to Weird Darkness and used with permission“Wild West Justice” source: Christy Box at Weird History: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p8db9vj“Eli Weaver, Amish Stud and Murderer” source: Hannah Reilly Holtz at AllThatsInteresting.com:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4jfmybjh“The Japanese Slender Man” source: Curry L Mitchell at ListVerse: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdd7fthz(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: May 01, 2024