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Before disappearing into his day off, the East Coast Radio Fugitive revealed his ultimate way to unwind: zero company, and a pot of Bombay Duck Curry. Carol was caught completely off guard because she has never heard of such a curry before , so she turned to the ECR KZN listeners for answers… and, of course, they had plenty to say.
International award-winning author, poet, musician, and publisher Jeet Thayil joined us in Zurich for a wide-ranging conversation on his work, his observations of the sudden disappearance of Bombay's opium world, the growing role of politics in Indian literature and the ways poets, novelists, and essayists engage with today's political developments, to ongoing debates around language in Indian literature, the conversation made clear just how significant a role literature can play in society.Plus: readings from his latest book The Elsewhereans and recent poems.Jeet is in conversation with political geographer Jasnea Sarma during this live Asia Society Switzerland event.Find all information on our flagship STATE OF ASIA Address and Conference, taking place on Nov.4/5 in Zurich, on our website here.Stay up-to-date on all events and activities at Asia Society Switzerland: subscribe to the newsletter and support our work by becoming a member.--STATE OF ASIA is a podcast from Asia Society Switzerland. Published: September 25, 2026Host/Editor: Remko Tanis, Managing Editor, Asia Society Switzerland
UBC creative writing professor and award-winning playwright Anosh Irani (BFA'02, MFA'04) joins From Here Forward to talk about adapting Rohinton Mistry's Giller Prize-winning novel A Fine Balance for Toronto's Crow's Theatre. Anosh shares what "truthfulness" over faithfulness means in adaptation, how opening-night previews reshape a script, and how his UBC MFA years shaped his career as a novelist and playwright.Links & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:A Fine Balance TicketsLearn more about Anosh IraniUBC School of Creative WritingContact CarolContact JeevanFrom Here ForwardPodium Podcast Company (00:00) - Introduction (02:48) - Meet Anosh Irani (03:59) - Discovering A Fine Balance (06:08) - Bringing A Fine Balance to the stage (07:36) - Rediscovering the characters through adaptation (08:33) - Faithfulness, truth, and the art of adaptation (11:41) - The collaborative process of playwriting (14:18) - How UBC shaped Anosh as a writer (16:16) - Finding his way from poetry to novels and plays (17:46) - Vulnerability, courage, and inhabiting other characters (19:09) - Building resilience as a writer (22:44) - Writer's block, patience, and discipline (24:08) - Growing up with storytelling (28:28) - Conclusion
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Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay get their frank and beans stuck in their zippers while rushing to talk about one of the funniest movies of all-time, 'There's Something About Mary.' Bombay starts off the episode by recalling a date hookup that got messy on several levels. Then the boys dive into this Farellelly Brothers classic that's jam-packed with standout performances, but it's Matt Dillon's bumbling scumbag private eye Healy who walks away as the MVP. From resuscitating a dog he drugged, to complaining about his "damn Nepalese coins," he's constantly finding the best say-the-wrong-thing humor in his performance. Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz is effervescently stunning, and charming as the eponymous Mary, as she has to ground the film while surrounded by raging lunatics, all while hitting great comedic notes. It's no wonder this film brought out wild aisle-rolling reactions from audiences when it hit theaters in the late '90s and redefined gross out comedy, but still maintaining enough heart and charm. Ben Stiller's starring role is a career-best physical performance, as he convincingly portrays getting his junk wrapped up in his zipper, and fights a dog in one of the funniest uses of a dummy ever caught on camera. That's all without mentioning Chris Elliott's genius comedic timing, and Harland Williams' gonzo 7 Minute Abs cameo. Similar to moviegoers in the '90s, this episode will have you rolling around so much with laughter that you'll be calling everyone "roller pig."
Last time we spoke about the fall of Hong Kong. As dawn broke on December 20, 1941, Japanese battalions tightened their grip on Hong Kong Island. While the defenders fought desperately at Repulse Bay Hotel, Wongneichong Gap, and the heights around Mount Nicholson and Mount Cameron, piecemeal counter-attacks by exhausted Canadians, Royal Scots, Rajputs, and Hong Kong Volunteers were shattered by rain, darkness, and poor coordination.Resistance stiffened at Stanley Peninsula, but ammunition ran low and hope faded. On Christmas Eve, the Japanese stormed St Stephen's College hospital. They bayoneted wounded soldiers in their beds, murdered doctors, and raped nurses in an orgy of horror that became known as the St Stephen's Massacre.On Christmas morning—forever "Black Christmas"—Governor Young surrendered the colony after seventeen days of fighting. As white flags rose, Rear-Admiral Chan Chak and a small party made a daring escape by sea under fire, eventually rescued by Chinese Communist guerrillas of the East River Column who would save hundreds more lives in the months ahead. #219 The Malayan Campaign Part 1: Bicycle Blitzkrieg 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. Now in the last episode we spoke about the battle of Hong Kong, which of course was fought on Chinese territory and did involve Chinese participation. I took some time to think about what aspects of the early Pacific War should be covered in depth here, ie: what pertains the most to the Chinese experience. We are not going to talk about the Philippines or Dutch East Indies, but the Malayan campaign and fall of Singapore I would argue need to be dived into. There was a lot of ethnic Chinese participation in this campaign. No worries after this brief series on the Malayan Campaign we will be jumping back to China. Following World War One, Britain sought to counter growing Japanese ambitions by establishing a major naval base in Singapore during the 1920s. The location offered strategic advantages, particularly its exemption from the Washington Naval Treaty's non-fortification clause, making it ideal for housing a powerful deterrent fleet. The plan was straightforward: maintain overwhelming naval superiority to discourage Japanese expansion. Yet this calculation proved dangerously optimistic. Japanese aggression accelerated throughout the 1930s, while the European war's outbreak in 1939 drained Britain's resources, leaving its Far Eastern colonies—Malaya, Burma, and Hong Kong—dangerously exposed. Churchill remained convinced that Japan would not strike in 1941, prompting him to channel reinforcements toward the Mediterranean theater. The defensive strategy hinged on buying time; should Japan attack, British forces would delay the enemy while holding Singapore as a fortress until relief arrived. This plan contained a fatal flaw: Britain lacked the capacity to actually send reinforcements to the region. Commander-in-Chief Robert Brooke-Popham led Britain's Far Eastern Command from Malaysia, acutely aware of the challenge ahead. Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival commanded ground forces comprising 31 poorly trained infantry battalions—approximately 88,600 personnel total—largely untrained for jungle warfare. These troops were distributed across three divisions. Air defense proved equally problematic. With only fourteen squadrons flying outdated aircraft, the RAF faced a critical shortfall. Squadrons were scattered across multiple airfields: Vickers Vildebeest and PBY Catalina aircraft at Seletar; Bristol Blenheims at Tengah; Brewster Buffalos at Sembawang and Kallang; further Buffalos and Blenheims at Sungei Patani; Lockheed Hudsons at Kota Bharu; and additional Blenheims at Kuantan and Alor Setar. Allied units occupied three strategic zones. The Indian 11th Infantry Division under Major General David Murray-Lyon held northern Malaya, defending airfields and the Thai frontier from positions near Kota Bharu, Jitra, and Alor Setar. These installations remained lightly garrisoned and vulnerable. The Indian 9th Infantry Division occupied central Malaya, tasked with holding delaying positions at Jitra and Gurun—positions themselves poorly constructed and uncoordinated. Australia's 8th Division under Gordon Bennett anchored the south near Mersing and Johor, forming the last line before Singapore's fortress. Singapore itself bristled with coastal defenses and commanded a substantial naval garrison, expected to repel any Japanese approach. A week before Japan's offensive erupted, Churchill sent Force Z to Singapore—the battleship Prince of Wales, battlecruiser Repulse, and four destroyers. Despite vigorous objections from admirals, particularly Captain William Davis, who warned the Prince of Wales without air cover would be "a hostage to fortune," Churchill overruled them, seeking to project confidence and maintain American goodwill. Admiral Sir Tom Phillips commanded Force Z. Known as "Tom Thumb" for his diminutive stature, Phillips sparked controversy—critics labeled him a "desk admiral"—yet Field Marshal Smuts called him "an admirable choice" and American Admiral Thomas Hart praised his administrative acumen. Phillips' record was mixed. He advocated astutely for tank deployment in Malaya and correctly questioned the Brewster Buffalo's effectiveness, urging Hurricanes instead. Yet he fatally underestimated the threat aircraft posed to capital ships, believing the Prince of Wales' anti-aircraft batteries could defend a maneuvering vessel. An unnoticed handicap compounded this: tropical humidity had disabled the Prince of Wales' fire-control computer before she ever fired. Force Z reached Singapore on December 2, 1941, amid misplaced confidence. Nineteen-year-old Richard Smith recalled: "Everyone believed the Japanese fleet was made of rice paper and string. We assumed we would crush them effortlessly." Churchill's public declaration seemed to goad Japan into action. Admiral Yamamoto responded decisively, dispatching thirty-six Mitsubishi bombers to reinforce existing aircraft and ordering intensive training for "ship-killing"—specialized torpedo and bombing attacks. Three air groups, led by Miyauchi, Nakanishi, and Shoji, trained relentlessly in low-level runs and ocean navigation. Phillips, stripped of air cover, commanded only aging destroyers alongside his capital ships. The stage was set for disaster. In November 1940, the German raider Atlantis captured the British steamer Automedon in the Indian Ocean, seizing documents destined for Air Marshal Brooke-Popham that exposed Singapore's vulnerabilities. The Germans shared this intelligence with Japan in December. By January 1941, the Japanese had also broken British Army codes, revealing the weakness of Singapore's defenses and enabling them to plan an invasion accordingly. The invasion of Malaya followed an audacious strategy devised by Colonel Tsuji Masanobu. Japanese forces would conduct amphibious landings in southern Thailand and northern Malaya, then push 400 miles through jungle terrain toward Singapore. The 25th Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Yamashita Tomoyuki and initially comprising two divisions, led this operation, supported by Admiral Kondō Nobutake's 2nd Fleet, which provided convoy escort. Thailand's strategic position was crucial; the British could not defend it, offering Japan a favorable staging ground. Marshal Plaek Phibun, Thailand's leader, had informally agreed to allow Japanese passage but simultaneously negotiated with British and American diplomats, creating uncertainty. A second force, the 15th Army under Lieutenant-General Iida Shōjirō, was preparing to invade Burma through Thailand. If the Thai withheld passage by December 7, these forces would advance directly from Indochina. Brooke-Popham devised Operation Matador to counter the Japanese threat. This ambitious plan called for the 11th Indian Division to preemptively seize Singora and Patani—critical Thai ports essential to Japanese invasion plans. The operation's centerpiece was capturing the Ledge, a key terrain feature south of Patani. Control of the Ledge would allow British forces to block roads from Patani, securing retreat routes for the 11th Division and denying the Japanese access to rear areas. Failure would expose the British to encirclement and force withdrawal from Perak and Kedah. However, Matador faced insurmountable obstacles. Britain was uncertain whether Thailand would resist or accommodate Japan, and invading neutral Thai territory risked driving the Thai government into Japanese arms. Command hesitation, combined with poor intelligence, created fatal delays. Matador was never approved. Instead, authorities authorized Operation Krohcol, a scaled-down alternative named after the town of Kroh. This operation tasked a small British-Indian force with advancing into southern Thailand to capture the Ledge, destroy bridges and roads, and delay Japanese movements. Though far less ambitious than Matador, Krohcol represented Britain's final attempt at preemptive action. It would be activated only after Japan opened hostilities, but by then, opportunity had already slipped away. On December 4, Japanese transport ships escorted by Admiral Kondō's fleet departed Hainan Island toward their objectives. Two days later, British reconnaissance spotted the fleet, but Brooke-Popham lacked authorization to intervene—he could only alert his forces. At 23:00 on December 7, Japan issued an ultimatum to Thailand, demanding passage and giving a two-hour response window. Unable to locate Prime Minister Phibun until late morning, Thailand was invaded hours later. From Indochina, Japanese Imperial Guards and the 55th Division landed at Phra Tabong and pushed northwest toward Aranyaprathet. The 5th Division's regiment landed at Patani while the division's main force seized Singora, quickly overwhelming Thai defenders. From Saigon, elements of the 15th Army conducted additional naval landings across Thailand but encountered unexpectedly fierce Thai resistance that stalled their progress. Just before Pearl Harbor came under attack, the Japanese 18th Division landed at Kota Bharu. The defenders—the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade under Brigadier B.W. Key, supported by artillery from the 21st Mountain Battery and the 73rd Field Battery—faced a daunting task. The 3/17th Dogra Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel G.A. Preston, held a 10-mile coastal stretch fortified with mines, barbed wire, and pillboxes overlooking the narrow beaches of Badang and Sabak, separated by estuaries and surrounded by creeks, lagoons, and swamp islands. The Dogras unleashed devastating fire as Japanese landing craft approached at midnight. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed that enemy pillboxes "responded with such overwhelming force that our men lying on the beach, partially submerged in water, could not lift their heads." The first waves were pinned down, with casualties mounting from artillery, machine gun fire, and Allied aircraft from nearby airfields. British Hudsons bombed the invasion fleet and stranded soldiers, sinking one Japanese transport and destroying seven of their own aircraft in the process. The defenders inflicted heavy casualties, but intense hand-to-hand combat eventually breached the line's center by 03:45, threatening the nearby airfield. Simultaneously, 17 Japanese bombers attacked Singapore with minimal damage and 61 casualties, surprising the British with evidence of enemy long-range aircraft. Japanese fighters and bombers dominated the skies over Kota Bharu and northern Malaysian airfields, demonstrating clear air superiority. Amid the chaos, counterattacks by Malayan battalions failed, forcing the British to destroy northern airfields to prevent capture. The defenders retreated from the beaches to Kota Bharu itself that night. As confusion engulfed British headquarters, Operation Krohcol commenced at 15:00. This scaled-down preemptive operation aimed to delay the Japanese invasion by securing and destroying the Ledge—a six-mile road carved through steep hillside with a sheer drop into a river. Blowing this section would severely impede enemy advance. The force consisted primarily of the 3/16th Punjab Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Moorhead, supplemented by engineers, traveling in Marmon-Herrington trucks provided by the Australian Motor Transport Company. Krohcol was undermanned from the start; the 5/14th Punjab Regiment and artillery battery failed to arrive on schedule, forcing the column to proceed without them. Crossing the border at Kroh, Indian troops encountered determined resistance from Thai police under Major Prayoon Rattanakit in Betong. These roadblocks delayed the Indian advance for two full days while Prayoon's officers simultaneously engaged Japanese forces at Patani. After several hours of combat, Japan and Thailand reached an armistice by midday, with Phibun granting Japan passage, though Thai forces remained neutral. Japanese forces at Patani, navigating poor roads but facing no opposition, began their advance toward the Ledge—approximately 60 miles distant—initiating a critical race against Krohcol to determine who would occupy this vital position first. Meanwhile, renewed fighting erupted at Kota Bharu as Japanese forces infiltrated around British strongpoints, causing alarm among commanders. By December 10, with the situation deteriorating, defenders received authorization to abandon Kota Bharu and withdraw south to Machang. Just hours after the Pearl Harbor attack, Admiral Phillips ordered Force Z to intercept Japanese invasion forces in the South China Sea without air support. Phillips believed he could "finish quickly and escape to the east before the Japanese could organize a significant attack." Ten Brewster Buffaloes were assigned to support the fleet, but he departed without requesting their cover. Force Z failed to locate the Japanese fleet, which had moved northwest into the Gulf of Siam. By afternoon on December 9, Japanese submarine I-65 detected Force Z, followed by reconnaissance aircraft. When Phillips altered course toward Kuantan, crews grew complacent. Bert Wynn recalled shipboard conversation centered on sinking Japanese warships. A flag officer remarked to CBS correspondent Cecil Brown, "Oh, but they are Japanese. There's nothing to worry about." That evening, Brown questioned whether the British were overconfident given Pearl Harbor. Officers conceded theoretically but remained dismissive. One replied, "We just don't think the enemy is much good. They could not beat China for five years." At 11:00 AM on December 10, Japanese aircraft struck. Three waves of Nell and Betty bombers from Indochina, after more than five hours aloft, approached from the horizon. With no air support—Phillips had maintained radio silence—defense rested entirely on anti-aircraft batteries. Nells attacked at 12,000 feet, dropping 250 kg bombs. Repulse twisted violently, evading most, but one struck her seaplane deck, killing two dozen men instantly. At 11:30, seventeen Nells attacked at wave-top level, focusing on Prince of Wales. Nine aircraft divided their approach, flying below 100 feet from both bows. The ship's inexperienced anti-aircraft crews, hampered by inoperable radar from tropical humidity, struggled to track targets. Once torpedoes were released, the planes sped away, losing only one aircraft. A single torpedo struck Prince of Wales near the outer propeller shaft. When restarted, water flooded engine room B. Auxiliary power failed, halting drainage and causing an 11.5-degree list to port. Her 5-inch guns became powerless; she slowed to 15 knots, severely crippled. At 12:20, twenty-six Bettys attacked in coordinated "anvil" assaults with simultaneous torpedo drops on both bows. Repulse evaded initially but two or three torpedoes found their mark. One crew member recalled, "Suddenly there was a massive explosion. I immediately knew we'd lost Repulse, for within seconds she took on a frightening list to port, so rapid no amount of counter flooding would save her." Captain's last order: "You've put up a good show, now save yourselves." At 12:23 PM, Repulse rolled over and sank stern-first, her enormous hull protruding vertically from the water. Men jumped into oil-blackened water; many drowned during hours of waiting while destroyer escorts frantically retrieved survivors. Cecil Brown described it as "a confusing, macabre game"—orange flames, white tracers, and gray aircraft "astonishingly close, like butterflies pinned on blue cardboard." With Repulse gone, bombers concentrated on the damaged Prince of Wales. At 12:44, a 500 kg bomb struck between her stacks where wounded crew sheltered, causing devastating casualties. Men ordered to abandon ship faced drowning if trapped below deck. Destroyers rushed in to save swimmers, though HMS Express nearly capsized in rescue efforts. Ten Buffaloes arrived as Prince of Wales sank—too late. One pilot recalled, "After an hour, lack of petrol forced me to leave, but during that hour I had seen many men in dire danger waving, cheering and joking, as if they were holiday-makers waving at a low-flying aircraft. It shook me, for here was something above human nature." In just over an hour, the battleship era ended: 47 British officers and 793 men perished, including Admiral Phillips. Repulse's captain later acknowledged, "The enemy's attacks were undoubtedly carried out magnificently and pressed home effectively. The high-level bombers maintained tight formation and did not veer off course." By December 10, Krohcol reached Betong, just 26 miles from the Ledge. However, a Japanese ambush caught them off-guard near the target, forcing retreat when they were only a mile away. The 5th Division's regiment reached the Ledge by midday, dealing the Indians significant casualties. By December 13, Krohcol was pushed back to Kroh, the operation failed. Meanwhile, the 5th Division advanced south from Singora toward Jitra. Major-General David Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division's weak defensive positions at Jitra's road junction, unaware that the critical Alor Setar airfield had already been abandoned. His forces—6th Indian Brigade holding a 10-mile coastal sector, 15th Brigade covering the road, and 28th Brigade in reserve—had sent two delaying detachments on December 9. On December 11, Japanese tanks overwhelmed these covering battalions, inflicting heavy casualties. Murray-Lyon committed his reserves prematurely, leaving Alor Setar lightly defended. That night, Japanese tanks reached the main position north of Jitra, with the 5th Division following. Heavy fighting ensued between Japanese armor and demoralized Indian troops. British defenses penetrated around 06:00, forcing successive Indian units to be overrun. Murray-Lyon repeatedly requested withdrawal permission. At 19:30 on December 12, General Percival finally approved. Due to poor communication and confusion, the 11th Indian Division suffered heavy casualties but disengaged by December 13, withdrawing to Gurun. The primary British defenses in northern Malaya had been breached, the 11th Division severely weakened, and the Japanese advance down the peninsula had begun unstoppably. Percival's first significant defense occurred at Jitra on December 11th, intended to push the Japanese as far north as possible and protect remaining Allied airfields. The Japanese quickly overwhelmed the Indian defenders, and Colonel Tsuji observed the engagement firsthand: "Our tanks were ready on the road, and the twenty or so enemy armored cars ahead were literally trampled underfoot. The enemy armored cars could not escape by running away, and were sandwiched between our medium tanks. It was speed and weight of armor that decided the issue." Major General Murray-Lyon commanded the 11th Indian Division. A World War I veteran, he had served with distinction in the Highland Light Infantry, earning the Military Cross for bravery in Flanders and the Distinguished Service Order for his actions at Moeuvres. The citation stated: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. When the enemy attacked and penetrated the line after intense fighting and continual bombing attacks, by his courage and personal example he succeeded in driving them out and held his position against further heavy attacks with splendid coolness and determination." This was no desk officer, but a frontline commander faced with an impossible task. Murray-Lyon's division appeared formidable on paper but was severely compromised. It contained only two regular British battalions—the Leicestershire and East Surrey Regiments—with the remainder consisting of four newly raised Indian Army battalions and three inexperienced Gurkha battalions. The Gurkhas, though renowned as elite soldiers, were primarily composed of 18-year-old recruits fresh from deployment. Like all Allied forces in Malaya, the division lacked tanks while facing an enemy flush with armor. After only days of intense combat, Murray-Lyon sought permission to withdraw, convinced the Japanese forces greatly outnumbered him. Ironically, Yamashita's army was outnumbered two to one. The Japanese commander employed Blitzkrieg tactics inspired by his time as a military attaché in Berlin, coordinating air and ground forces with remarkable precision. His approach involved fast-moving tanks, bomber aircraft deployed as mobile artillery, and—most unusually—bicycle-mounted infantry. Prior to the invasion, Japanese planners decided bicycles were ideal for the tropical jungle terrain. Rather than shipping thousands, they seized bicycles from the local population. The offensive typically began with bombing raids on Allied defensive positions, followed by tanks smashing through. As defenders retreated, bicycle infantry continuously harassed and attacked, while coastal amphibious assaults flanked positions along the shore. Colonel Alfred Harrison of the 11th Indian Division reflected on the psychological toll: "Fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese achieved in these few weeks included a psychic side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." Yamashita had rehearsed these tactics extensively on Hainan Island, conducting exercises in amphibious landings, bridge destruction and repair, and jungle operations. The bicycle innovation proved revolutionary—troops covered greater distances more quickly with less fatigue, repeatedly outflanking British forces who found themselves pushed off roads and encircled. The rapid movements created a psychological multiplier effect; British commanders, mistaken about enemy numbers, believed they faced far larger forces than actually present. This "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," as it became known, echoed Mongol tactics—a single swift force striking multiple targets so quickly that enemies believed they faced several armies. Tanks were crucial to this success. The British had deployed no tanks to Malaya before the war, a fatal omission. Combined with bicycle infantry, Japanese armor allowed them to engage British forces before defensive positions could be established. Percival authorized withdrawal from Jitra, directing troops south to Gurun, but those defenses remained unfinished and the Japanese advance was too rapid. Percival later reflected in his memoir, War in Malaya: "This withdrawal would have been difficult under the most favorable conditions. With the troops tired, units mixed as the result of the fighting, communications broken and the night dark, it was inevitable that orders should be delayed and that in some cases they should never reach the addressees. This is what in fact occurred. The withdrawal, necessary as it may have been, was too fast and too complicated for disorganized and exhausted troops, whose disorganization and exhaustion it only increased." From the start, British forces stretched too thinly across a 14-mile front in challenging terrain—dense jungle on the right flank, monsoon-soaked rice fields and rubber plantations in the center, mangrove swamps to the left. Yamashita's concentrated attacks breached the line. Repeated retreats cost both personnel and equipment, as overrun positions offered no opportunity for evacuation and bicycle infantry prevented orderly withdrawal. The Jitra defeat exposed a fundamental strategic error: deploying under-resourced troops across Malaya's entire breadth rather than establishing a shorter, more defensible line further south, which could have shortened British supply lines while lengthening Japan's—a disadvantage the Japanese could not exploit. The Allied retreat continued southward to the Gurun area, though the chaotic withdrawal from Jitra itself inflicted more casualties than the fighting had—many frontline units never received withdrawal orders, while others became lost crossing the Bata River. Murray eventually fell back to the Muda River, establishing defensive positions along the Krian River some thirty miles south. Percival, increasingly desperate, realized his entire strategy had depended on holding the Japanese as far north as possible to minimize air threats to Singapore. The rapid Japanese advance made this impossible. Reluctantly, he ordered a general withdrawal south of the Perak River, while his field commanders pleaded for reinforcements they would never receive. Though Percival had an Australian division in Johor, he refused to commit them north, fearing a Japanese naval invasion further south could threaten Singapore itself. As Yamashita's 25th Army advanced westward toward Penang, Japanese bombers subjected the island to daily raids. British command, recognizing the island as indefensible, evacuated European residents on December 17th—leaving the local Malay population to face the Japanese. Mrs Muriel Reilly's recollection captures the moment's bitter legacy: "it still hurts to think how the white race 'let down hundreds of similarly faithful servants who trusted in us, and looked to us for protection from the hated Japanese." The abandonment had strategic consequences. In their haste, the British left massive stockpiles of arms and supplies in Penang that fell directly into Yamashita's hands. More profoundly, local Malays turned against their former colonial rulers. Some historians now argue "the moral collapse of British rule in Southeast Asia occurred not at Singapore, but at Penang." Under subsequent Japanese occupation, Penang endured three years and eight months of hardship—food shortages, rampant hyperinflation from the "banana dollar," and systematic repression including comfort women camps and the Sook Ching massacres targeting Chinese communities the Japanese feared might become guerrillas. The Japanese occupiers' fears about Chinese resistance were prescient. Among the Chinese communities of Malaya and Singapore, anti-Japanese sentiment had been building for over a decade. Since Japan's 1937 invasion of China, ethnic Chinese populations had viewed Tokyo with deep hostility. The Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931, followed by the escalating horrors of the Second Sino-Japanese War, had created a reservoir of determination to resist Japanese expansion wherever it might emerge. As British colonial authority crumbled, this sentiment transformed from passive resentment into active organization. The Battle of Jitra exposed a fundamental miscalculation: attempting to defend all of Malaya with an undersized army. A more strategic withdrawal to Johore would have shortened British supply lines while extending Japan's. As December ended, Murray-Lyon was dismissed from command—a casualty of circumstance. He had spent weeks preparing for the cancelled Operation Matador while neglecting proper defenses at Jitra and Gurun. At fifty-one, this decorated soldier, who had earned the Military Cross and Distinguished Service Order in the Great War, became a civilian during Britain's darkest hour. He was replaced by Brigadier Archibald Paris, equally inexperienced in jungle warfare, who paradoxically proved more effective by facilitating the retreat of Murray's division while inflicting unexpected casualties on overconfident Japanese units. By December 26th, the Japanese 5th Division and 4th Guards Regiment crossed the Perak River, preparing an assault on Kampar. This position was crucial—located halfway between Penang and Kuala Lumpur, its terrain was unsuitable for tanks and difficult to outflank, offering a rare opportunity to make a stand. Paris gathered infantry battalions, many composed of Jitra and Gurun survivors: British battalions from the Leicesters and East Surreys, along with Jat and Punjabi units including Sikhs. The 12th Brigade hastily dug trenches, strung wire, and cleared fields around Kampar's ridges to improve visibility. After three weeks of continuous fighting and retreat, the defenders' morale had collapsed. Colonel Alfred Harrison observed on Christmas Day: "fatigue had stretched the men's mind to the limit and the moral ascendancy which the Japanese had achieved in these few weeks included a 'psychic' side. The troops were beginning to attribute almost supernatural powers to the Japanese." The Japanese, by contrast, had grown accustomed to victory and approached each engagement with unshakeable confidence. Yamashita employed German-inspired tactics using aircraft as mobile artillery—vital in terrain where conventional gun placement was impossible. Engagements began with bombing raids on Allied positions, followed by frontal assaults to establish a line, then flanking maneuvers through jungle to encircle defenders. When the assault came from the western coastal roads, Japanese tanks struck the 12th Brigade along a three-mile rural stretch near Gopeng. Small arms and heavy machine gun fire erupted as infantry dismounted from trucks and spread into the brush. Some tanks advanced alone onto a bridge near Dipang, where they encountered defenders with Lanchester submachine guns and Bren gun carriers equipped with anti-tank rifles. Lt Colonel Ian Stewart noted the grim reality: "the anti-tank rifle made no impression against the Jap mediums, while their 37 mm guns went through our armour like paper." The Japanese tankers, closing their hatches in the oppressive subtropical heat—what they described as a "Turkish bath"—approached cautiously, aware of potential counterattacks. British defenders fired desperately at vision slits, their bullets ricocheting uselessly. A 2-pounder anti-tank gun destroyed a single tank, prompting Japanese armor to withdraw and wait for infantry support. Meanwhile, two hundred defenders on the opposite side prepared to destroy the bridge. Fortunately, Kampar's shallow water allowed most to wade across a mile downstream. Stewart's 12th Brigade had purchased time. The British established a strong perimeter around Kampar Hill, resembling a "goose egg" on the map. Their artillery, better supplied than the Japanese equivalent, was concealed in the jungle with two hundred rounds stacked beside each gun. The 15th/6th Brigades occupied the low ground where the road and railway ran through town. Unlike earlier battles where Japanese forces kept defenders pinned with close contact, Kampar's expansive fields of fire and terrain offered space to maneuver—a rare advantage the British would finally exploit. Major General Saburo Kawamura led the attack on Kampar with his 9th Brigade. On December 31st, he probed the 28th Gurkha Brigade entrenched on the hill. Japanese howitzer fire drew return artillery that effectively repelled their advances. At midnight on New Year's Eve, Lt. Colonel Augustus Murdoch ordered a 12-gun salute fired at the Japanese—perhaps a cheeky gesture. Seven hours later, Kawamura launched his main assault on the western side targeting the trunk road. The brunt fell on a newly formed British battalion, the Leicesters and East Surreys, under Lt. Colonel Esmond Morrison. The 48-year-old, though some dismissed him as a "polo-playing playboy," proved a serious soldier despite his peacetime reputation, frequently sharing front-line dangers with his men. Japanese infantry emerged from the mist carrying mortars. Mortar fire became intense—one casualty was a company commander whose jaw was shattered by a splinter. However, observation officers from the 88th Field Regiment pinpointed Japanese advances, unleashing devastating artillery fire. Colonel Masanobu Tsuji observed "a continuous stream of casualties coming back down the hill to safety, either carried on stretchers or supported on the shoulders of comrades who were themselves wounded." Japanese artillery pieces were covertly moved through secondary jungle to hide their positions. During the fighting, one of Morrison's lieutenants encountered Japanese soldiers in a trench, fired his revolver, and retreated. A gunnery driver named Walker, noticing a nearby Bren position overrun, exited his vehicle armed with a Thompson submachine gun and launched a surprise attack, forcing the Japanese to retreat—earning him a medal. Troop Sergeant Major Hugill, commanding an outlying observation post connected by field telephone, received a distinguished conduct medal for calmly calling in protective artillery fire while cut off. When the attack subsided, he encountered isolated Japanese soldiers who had captured a Vickers-Berthier machine gun. Hugill gathered five infantrymen and led a bayonet charge to reclaim it. Emergency commissioned officer Lt. Edgar Newland commanded a platoon of 30 men in one of the most forward positions. His platoon was surrounded for much of the battle yet successfully repelled numerous assaults over two consecutive days. General Percival specifically praised Newland and his men. Newland received a Military Cross; his platoon sergeant, Euan McDonald, received a distinguished conduct medal. After two days, Japanese forces captured part of Thompson's Ridge. Morrison ordered two platoons of Sikhs and Gujars to bayonet charge under mortar fire. Tragically, 34 soldiers died, including their 21-year-old commander, Charles Lamb, killed in the initial charge. Captain John Graham lost both legs to a grenade but continued encouraging his men, throwing grenades at Japanese trenches before bleeding to death—but they had retaken the position. Courage, artillery, and terrain proved insufficient. Yamashita decided to outflank Percival with seaborne landings on the Malayan west coast. He transported 40 small craft by rail to Alor Star and ordered landings near Telok Anson, 30 miles southeast of Kampar. If successful, he would cut off Percival's 11th Indian Division defending Kampar. Yamashita devised a three-pronged attack: the Imperial Guards Division would paddle down the Perak River into town; another force would approach from the west on landing craft entering from the opposite direction; a third would move up the Bernam River and march north toward Telok Anson. Lt. General Takuro Matsui commanded the landings. While Kampar held, 1,500 of Matsui's men crowded onto landing craft. One steamer towing ten craft went too far south, attempting the Selangor River defended by a Jat battalion with artillery. The Japanese were repelled, losing one to three craft before moving north. In Perak, four landing rafts ran aground on a sandbar and required rescue. A British patrol boat spotted them but left to report—no action followed. Percival later remarked: "unfortunately neither the navy nor the air force were able to take advantage of this unique opportunity." Despite setbacks, Japanese forces landed and advanced on Telok Anson. On January 2nd, they encountered the 3rd Indian Cavalry and 1st Independent Company under Stewart, equipped with armored cars and Thompson and Bren guns. They inflicted significant casualties but with only 250 men couldn't hold. Stewart ordered delaying actions instead. Telok Anson fell, leaving Kampar defenders at risk of encirclement. Although Kawamura's forces showed no signs of breaking after four days of fighting, Paris feared his main supply route had been cut. He requested permission from Percival to withdraw to the Slim River defensive line. Paris prioritized preserving troops over territory: "With no reserves in hand, we were still in a position of being unable to accept major losses." The 12th Brigade held while Paris organized the division's withdrawal. An unusual discovery emerged during delaying actions: Brigadier Stewart found the body of a dead European cyclist in British uniform. Earlier, a Punjabi sentry had shot a man on a bridge attempting to grab his Thompson. Both were likely German deserters from Vichy Indo-China's Foreign Legion, in contact with the Nazi embassy. The British Legation in Bangkok had warned of such infiltrators offering sabotage and espionage assistance. Percival was particularly struck by the German who tried single-handedly to disarm a sentry and seize a bridge. The 12th Brigade discovered another European body—a German political refugee and former mining engineer who had disappeared weeks earlier. Exhausted after three weeks of near-constant combat, the 12th Brigade continued delaying actions. Japanese air forces wreaked havoc on vehicles; Stewart estimated half his casualties—around 90 killed and wounded from 4,000 troops—resulted from aerial attacks. Stewart expressed satisfaction: "It had been an eminently successful battle," though it was more a series of brief skirmishes than traditional battle. Kampar fell when Telok Anson was captured. Percival might have committed Australian brigades from Johore or garrison battalions from Singapore, but concentrating forces at Kampar risked prompting Yamashita to attack elsewhere. The Kampar defenders retreated 30 miles to the Slim River. Tsuji reluctantly acknowledged Yamashita's breakthrough was impressive, if risky. On the east coast, defenders faced more resistance at Kuantan. Percival clung to the airfield, determined to deny the Japanese RAF facilities and limit their ability to strike at reinforcement convoys approaching Singapore. The first convoy from Bombay, carrying the half-trained 45th Brigade under Brigadier Horatio Duncan, was 24 hours away. The 22nd Indian Brigade, led by Brigadier George Painter, defended Kuantan against the Takumi detachment of the 18th Division. One battalion, commanded by a veteran of Kota Bharu, fortified the airfield with barbed wire and trenches. When Takumi's forces approached, the Japanese encountered 4.5-inch howitzer fire inflicting significant casualties. The defenders fought fiercely, each equipped with six grenades instead of two, creating deadly chaos. Tsuji noted the airfield "was obstinately defended," particularly at night when grenades rolled into confined trenches with devastating effect. Word reached the defenders that General Barstow's entire 9th Indian Division was retreating through Kuala Lipis-Jerantut-Raub. The 22nd Brigade demolished installations and prepared to withdraw, though their rearguard risked encirclement. One night, investigating his southern flank with Captain Ian Grimwood, battalion commander Cumming spotted Japanese soldiers climbing barbed wire meters away. Armed with a .455 Webley revolver, Cumming and Grimwood faced seven Japanese soldiers charging with bayonets. They fired as they were knocked down, killing all attackers, but Cumming suffered two bayonet wounds to his stomach. Grimwood dragged him to battalion HQ for first aid. As the airfield was overrun, Cumming ordered withdrawal. A grenade or mortar round knocked him unconscious. He regained consciousness in a vehicle where Private Albel Singh reported a Japanese roadblock ahead. Spotting a fallen tree creating passage, Cumming ordered Singh to charge through. Machine gun fire rained down; Cumming was hit again with a shattered arm, possibly from an anti-personnel mine, while Singh endured a .256 armor-piercing bullet through both thighs yet maintained control, driving 30 miles per hour. The vehicle arrived at brigade HQ covered in blood from six occupants. Cumming would receive the Victoria Cross for his heroism. Painter held the airfield long enough for reinforcements to approach, though it cost much of one of the best Indian battalions. Painter, fixated on flanking fears, believed it "better to lose half a battalion than an entire brigade." The 22nd Indian Brigade lost a third of its strength but retreated by January 3rd. While this unfolded eastward, Yamashita's forces advanced south. Defenders prepared a new defensive line at Trolak, five miles north of Slim River. Reinforcements had arrived; the 45th Brigade was immediately dispatched to repel the enemy's advance on Kuala Selangor, which held another crucial airfield. Whether defenders could withstand Yamashita's onslaught remained to be seen. While British forces retreated in disarray toward Singapore, another chapter was quietly beginning in the shadows of the collapsing colonial order. On December 25, 1941—Christmas morning, even as Governor Young raised the white flag over Hong Kong—Chinese volunteers in Singapore formalized their resistance. That day, the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, officially known as Dalforce, was established under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Dalley. Dalforce emerged from urgent necessity. As the Japanese invasion accelerated and British defenses crumbled, recruitment of local Chinese volunteers escalated dramatically. What had begun as an informal volunteer effort in 1939 now crystallized into organized military structure. The initial cadre of 200 volunteers swelled to 4,000 members as the invasion reached Singapore's doorstep. These were not professional soldiers—Dalforce members came from the Chinese civilian population, motivated by the knowledge that Japanese occupation would target them specifically. Many lacked military training; some were armed only with sporting firearms due to critical shortages of military weapons. Supply ships intended for Dalforce, such as the SS Empress of Asia, were sunk before their cargo could reach Singapore. Yet the volunteers pressed forward, organizing themselves despite severe handicaps: makeshift uniforms, inadequate equipment, and internal divisions between Communist and Kuomintang factions, each trained separately by British officers. Dalforce would soon earn the nickname "Dalley's Desperadoes" from British forces—a name reflecting both affection for their fierce combat effectiveness and incredulity that such a hastily assembled, poorly equipped force could fight with such determination. Unlike the demoralized British and Indian troops retreating southward, these Chinese volunteers were not defending a colonial order they had experienced as oppressive. They were fighting for their homes, their families, and their survival against an enemy they had every reason to fear and oppose. As the Malayan Campaign entered its final phase and the focus shifted to Singapore itself, Dalforce would play a role that British military historians had largely overlooked but that Chinese participants would never forget. 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 December 1941, Japan invaded Malaya. British commanders placed their faith in "impregnable" Singapore, but disaster struck immediately. On December 10, Japanese bombers sank Force Z—battleships Prince of Wales and Repulse—in a stunning air attack.Using tanks and bicycles in a lightning "Bicycle Blitzkrieg," Japanese troops shattered Allied lines at Kota Bharu and Jitra, sending exhausted British, Indian, and Australian forces reeling southward in chaos.
Kate Moss and DeHuff are bonded by the fact that they both would rather play a dead body on Law & Order: SVU, than play a role that involved speaking.Fort Lauderdale elementary school was sent into chaos after fart spray was released - sending three kids to the hospital. DeHuff explains why those kids will now have a rough life.A Miami woman threw a bucket of feces on her neighbor she accused of sleeping with husband.Florida man was arrested after he was caught wearing just G-string underwear and sneakers outside of his car in a Target parking lot. Is this not America?!Arthur Layne Lundeen of Tucson, forced American Airlines flight 618 from Dallas to Newark to land prematurely in Baltimore because he was being a racist / homophobic jerk-hole.Snoop Dogg's ice cream brand, Dr. Bombay, is hiring an “international ice cream taster” to work for three months for a total of $30,000 in pay.A listener sent in a crazy emergency story that will make you think twice about eating a peanut.Check out OWLPIPEID.COM, RIGH NOW!!
Thank you for watching! Tune in next week to follow the gang around the island of Mahim. Created ByAdi LodhaDeveloped WithJonathan Mathew (Jona) Siddharth LodhaAman NathaniDirectorJonathan Mathew (Jona) Creative Producer & Senior EditorVinayak ChhabraDirector of PhotographyKartikeya GargCastAdi LodhaSiddharth LodhaAryana DalalJehangir HavaldarAman NathaniProducerNinaad Shaunak BhattProduction HouseMatch Cut Films Co.Head of ProductionKartik IyerLine ProducerSameer KambleProductionManoj MohapatraAman Kumar Singh1st Assistant DirectorVickie Fernandes2nd Assistant DirectorShehzad ShaikhJunior EditorAryan PhodkarEdit SupervisionJonathan Mathew (Jona) Adi LodhaAudio Post-ProductionAryan PhodkarAdi LodhaBackground scoreAdi LodhaScript developmentSiddharth LodhaRitika TemkarJonathan MatthewPaolomi DharamshiProduction Design, Graphics & PropsDrishti JainAdditional Graphic DesignJonathan Mathew (Jona) Vinayak ChhabraAnimatorsAravind MuralidasMudita SinghCamera OperatorsAryan PhodkarDaniel AbrahamSairaj WagheNarain KishoreCamera & EquipmentAditya AcharekarAccord EquipmentsKV RentalsLocation ServicesRanvir RajputSanskriti FilmsSpot TeamSudheer & TeamTransportationAastha CarsMade Possible With Support FromSeven Islands Pure Malt Whisky
Pro wrestling referee Matty Bombay joins the show and chats growing up in Connecticut, sports as a kid, discovering professional wrestling in his youth, how he decided to become a referee as well as talking the promotions he's worked for such as Alley Fights, PAPW, BST, Pure Vanguard Wrestling and talks some of the competitors he's had the opportunity to be in the ring with such as ECW legend Little Guido, Donovan Dijak, Jeremy LaCroix, Corey Duke and so much more!
Did Mysore possess a high-seas navy capable of challenging the Royal Navy? In this episode, Ramjee Chandran uncovers the history of Tipu Sultan's 1796 naval ordinance (Hukumnamah). Moving beyond coastal defense, Tipu sought to construct a blue-water fleet, establish a Board of Admiralty, and forge a maritime alliance with revolutionary France—a bold strategic shift that directly alarmed the British high command and hastened the fall of Mysore. Key Details from the Script: 1796 Political Context: Debt cleared and sons returned by 1794; Tipu abolished the puppet Maharaja position upon Chamaraja Wadiyar IX's death in 1796 to assume direct, absolute sovereignty. Blue-Water Strategic Shift: Expanding on Hyder Ali's 1763 coastal dockyards, Tipu pivoted from a "brown-water" coastal defense to a "blue-water" deep-sea fleet to attack British supply lines and target Bombay by sea. The French Connection: Planned a joint naval strategy with revolutionary France to challenge British maritime dominance and restore open trade corridors. The 1796 Ordinance (Hukumnamah): Established a 11-member Board of Admiralty (Mir Yams) across three dockyard divisions (Mangalore, Basavarajadurga, Sadashivgad) to build 40 ships—including 20 massive 80-gun battleships featuring tiger figureheads. British Alarm & Outcome: Prompted Governor-General Wellesley to call for seizing Mysore's coast in 1798; by 1799, British forces found only 19 smaller craft, leaving it uncertain whether the 20 major battleships were never built or erased from records. We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Prestige Group, that makes this podcast possible. Follow The History Of Bangalore on social, here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofbangalore/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfBangalore Twitter: https://twitter.com/HistoryOfBLR YouTube: https://youtube.com/@HistoryOfBangalore?si=mnH3BsYfI4BUU234 iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-history-of-bangalore-163453722/ Follow Ramjee Chandran on Instagram and Twitter: @ramjeechandran The theme music for the show was composed by German-Indian Koln based percussionist, Ramesh Shotham. Ramjee Chandran's photos by Asha Thadani. RESEARCH AND SOURCES: All our episodes are based on published research and archive records. To request information about our sources, write to hob@explocity.com. Let us know if you are a researcher (either institutional or independent) and also provide some information about why you need this information. Researchers will get priority. We only have time to engage serious, academic queries so please understand if we do not respond to casual requests.
Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay prove the juice is worth the squeeze as they talk about the ultra-2000s comedy, 'The Girl Next Door.' Bombay starts it off by recalling how when he was a little kid he would stare out the window hoping to see someone saying, and eventually his wish sort of came true. Then the boys discuss a film that is packed with incessant needle drops, and is dripping with 2004-ness to the point you can smell the Axe body spray and envision the FHM write up about the movie.They ponder why Elisha Cuthbert, who was on the verge of superstardom, never became a bigger star — and if her reluctance to be nude on film played a part. Obviously, the movie borrows heavily from the '80s teen romp masterpiece, 'Risky Business,' and shares more DNA with that project besides the plot. Both are cases of a cast that would go onto bigger things with the lead Emile Hirsch flirting with Oscar glory in the late 2000s, Paul Dano becoming one of the most respected character actors in Hollywood, and Timothy Olyphant — who steals the show here — becoming a bonafide A-lister. Perhaps you had to be there, but 'The Girl Next Door' is a perfect time capsule for its era.
The SPL's resident podcast host Sam Tongue takes a deep dive into two poems by one of Britain's most beloved poets, Imtiaz Dharker. Imtiaz Dharker - a Pakistani-born poet who grew up in Glasgow, then moved to Bombay as an adult before returning to Britain - was awarded the Queens' Medal for Poetry in 2014. Themes in Dharker's poetry include questioning what is meant by home, personal freedom, geographical and cultural displacement, communal conflict and gender politics. Carol Ann Duffy said, "Whether Imtiaz Dharker writes of exile, childhood, politics or grief, her clear-eyed attention brings each subject dazzlingly into focus. She makes it look easy, this clarity and economy, but it is her deft phrasing, wit and grace that create this immediacy.” The two poems savoured, discussed, examined in some depth in this podcast, are from her 2018 collection Luck is the Hook and can be read here: Bairn Stitch
History of Mumbai | Bombay to Mumbai, Kanheri Caves & the Seven IslandsHow did Bombay become Mumbai? In this episode of the India Unveiled Podcast, explore the history of Mumbai—from the ancient Kanheri Caves and Buddhist heritage to the Seven Islands of Bombay, colonial influence, trade, and the origin of the names Bombay and Mumbai.This is the story of how a group of coastal islands grew into Mumbai, India's financial capital and the City of Dreams. If you love Indian history, Maharashtra history, Mumbai heritage, or stories behind India's famous cities, this episode is for you.Follow India Unveiled Podcast for more forgotten stories, historical places, and untold chapters from India's past.Instagram: @me.rakesh | @indiaunveiled.podcastSEOHistory of Mumbai, Mumbai history podcast, History of Bombay, Bombay to Mumbai, Why Bombay became Mumbai, Mumbai name origin, Bombay name origin, Kanheri Caves history, Kanheri Caves Mumbai, Seven Islands of Bombay, ancient Mumbai history, Mumbai heritage, Mumbai historical places, Maharashtra history, Indian history podcast, India Unveiled Podcast, Mumbai City of Dreams history, Buddhist caves in Mumbai.
Episode #10 is now available everywhere! Showcasing the songs from Ottawa bands: "Something" by Oddeline https://oddeline.com "Restless Leg Syndrome" by CURL https://curl.band "Cliché" by Sun Dried Flies https://sundriedflies.ca "Bombay" by Banezean https://www.instagram.com/banezean The South Hood Stereo is Ottawa's local music showcase podcast, dedicated to amplifying the voices and songs of the city's vibrant artists. As the sister show to the long-running Ego & Vice Podcast, it carries forward a tradition of championing independent talent while carving out its own identity as a platform centered exclusively on music. Hosted by Ego & Vice Podcast creator, Mike Mitani, alongside Max Trepanier from Ottawa band The New Hires, the show shines a spotlight on emerging and established acts across genres. Each episode curates tracks from local bands and artists, giving them a stage where their music can be heard, appreciated, and discovered by new audiences. Our mission is simple: to help Ottawa's musicians reach more ears and get the recognition they deserve. Whether you're a longtime supporter of the local scene or just looking for fresh sounds, The South Hood Stereo brings the community together... one song at a time. **If you would like your song showcased on The South Hood Stereo, please contact: Egoandvice@gmail.com All music is used with permission from the artists. Egoandvicepodcast.comEgoandvice@gmail.com
When a broken heart turns into a blueprint, one woman can quietly change the fate of thousands. In this episode, Christine sits down with Sister Lucy Kurien, the visionary founder of Maher (“Mother's Home”), an interfaith, caste-free network of homes for women, children, and men in India. Called to ServeSister Lucy Kurien was born in 1956 in Kolayad, Kannur District, Kerala, India. After several years of formal education, at age 14 she moved to Mumbai, where she was profoundly distressed by the appalling poverty and squalor in the city. Having carried a strong inner desire for justice since childhood, she felt a deep calling to make a difference in the lives of the poor and famished around her. In 1980, she joined Sisters of the Cross, a religious order. It was a difficult decision that meant giving up the bliss of an independent and free life. After 4 years of training, she was professed to the order.The Birth of MaherSister Lucy started Maher activities in a small home in Vadhu Budruk, near Bhima Koregaon on the Ahmednagar highway. Her tireless efforts and the work of the dedicated staff led to the expansion of Maher activities to nearby areas. These include the villages in Shirur, Haveli and Khed talukas, as well as the city of Ratnagiri, Miraj & Satara in Maharashtra. Beyond Maharashtra, Maher has established homes in Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Karnataka, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. In 2011, unable to ignore the plight of abandoned men on the streets, Maher opened its first home for destitute, aged, and mentally challenged men. Today Maher reaches the life of the poorest of the poor through as many as 25 different outreach projects, including 672 village self-help groups and 75 interfaith, caste-free homes that currently shelter 996 children and 292 men and over 798 destitute women. Since its founding, Maher has provided care and shelter for more than 6200 children, 6,500 women, and 850 men.In this conversation, you'll hear how Sister Lucy transforms heartbreak into practical compassion—turning love into food, shelter, education, mental health care, and long-term dignity.Press play to hear Sister Lucy's extraordinary story and what it truly means to be “the medicine and refuge” in a hurting world—and if her work moves you, please donate to Maher. Your listening amplifies her message; your giving helps keep “Mother's Home” open for those who have nowhere else to turn.(00:00:00): Introduction to Sister Lucy as a Living Practitioner of Love and Founder of Maher(00:04:10): Sister Lucy's Childhood in Kerala and First Exposure to Urban Poverty in Bombay(00:08:28): Choosing Religious Life(00:10:40): The Pivotal Domestic Violence Incident and Sister Lucy's Overwhelming Guilt and Rage(00:16:57): Leaving Institutional Security to Follow Her Mission with No Money or Personnel(00:18:09): Building the First Maher Home(00:21:20): Maher as Interfaith and Caste-Free(00:23:27): “I Am Not Leaving Anyone, I Am Including Everything” as a Core Spiritual Move(00:26:45): Story of the Woman Chained to a Tree and Misunderstandings of Mental Illness as “Possession”(00:34:51): Scale of Maher's Current Work: Homes for Women, Men, Children, and Education Outcomes(00:35:54): Patriarchy, Gender Disparities, and Slow Change for Women in India's Villages(00:38:01): Meeting Pope Francis and Asking Him to Ordain Women and Support Women Religious in the Villages(00:41:04): Calling for Equal, Not Overpowering, Feminine Leadership—Win-Win Rather Than Reversal of Dominance(00:43:16): Sister Lucy's Vision at 30 Years of Maher: Preparing Next-Generation Leadership and Inviting Others to Learn and Replicate the Maher Model(00:46:43): Focusing on the One Thing You Can Do Instead of Being Paralyzed by Global Pain(00:50:35): Invitation to SupportHelpful links:Sister Lucy Kurien - Founder of Maher. Help Maher Change Lives! Learn how to donate at this linkFollow on Facebook @maher.ashram.indiaLearn more about The Reverence Fund on Rosebud Woman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay say, come with them if you want to live, as they discuss James Cameron's action masterpiece, 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day.' Bombay starts off the episode by recalling how his overzealousness, and love for this movie brought him on a misguided attempt to see the sequel on a date. Then the boys dive into one of the most relentlessly cool films ever made. They recall their life-altering moviegoing experiences of seeing this in theater as little kids, and how the T2 phenomenon swept the nation. All of it was made possible by Cameron, a true cinema dictator, who strove for perfection while recalibrating what mainstream action could achieve. There's the mall fight with T-800 and T-1000 that made jaws drop, which segued into an incredible chase scene, and the feat was repeated multiple times including a 45 closing that included three ludicrous action set pieces seamlessly stitched together. At the time the boundary-pushing CGI visuals — and mind boggling inventiveness — altered movies, but today it's the practical FX that endure, as the director had no issues putting real human lives in danger to achieve the perfect shot. At the heart of the film is Linda Hamilton's physical, and emotional, transformation from a timid wallflower to a terminator-esque killing machine with one purpose: to deliver an enthralling picture. Loving this episode is easy money.
Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay have a bad day turn to worse, and worse, and worse while discussing the criminally underrated actioner, 'Ambulance.' Bombay kicks off the episode by telling a story about meeting an excited Michael Bay at a party, and how his real-life enthusiasm bleeds through to his work. Then the boys dive in on one of the best films of the decade, an action movie that bares all the tension-building tropes of a classic thriller. They discuss how impressive it was to see Bay return to his roots and pull off incredible stunts with practical FX, and all on a relatively modest $40 million budget. For the film, the seasoned director brought his favorite co-star which was hundreds of drones. This technology appeared to allow Bay to fully achieve his vision of Bayhem. The movie's pacing is dialed up to an 11, and Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a wonderfully gonzo performance that is also cranked up. Eiza Gonzalez is given one of her meatier roles to date, and manages to go toe-to-toe with Gyllenhaal — whose run before this movie was one of the greatest ever seen by a modern actor. Besides the propulsive action all the trademark Bay touches are there including overstuffed amount of characters, and juvenile humor, but it all adds to the charm of this comparatively stripped-down installment in the Bay oeuvre.
The Tim Conway Jr Show Hour 3 (8.4) A packed hour. Let's move. ⚡ We open with spooky season kicking down the door in August — Spirit Halloween stores are popping up nationwide.
In this conversation, we are entering an Indian Ocean world connected by steamships, telegraphs, pilgrimage routes, and print. From Bombay and the Gulf to Cairo and Mecca—and onward to Moscow and Geneva—merchants, scholars, activists, and political exiles debated a question that still feels urgent: how can different communities live together without being reduced to permanent majorities and minorities? Bombay sits near the center of our story. Under British rule, it was a major imperial port. But it was also a meeting place where Indian Ocean merchants financed publications, hosted traveling scholars, and helped ideas cross borders. At the same time, British censuses and representative politics produced a striking paradox. South Asia contained the world's largest Muslim population, yet Muslims were increasingly classified as a political minority within India. Dr. Roy Bar Sadeh is a historian of modern South Asia and the broader Islamic world, joining the University of Oxford in September 2026 as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of History and at St Antony's College. He is currently a Lecturer at the University of Manchester. His many articles and forthcoming book with University of Chicago Press, Muslims and the Minority Question: A Global History of South Asia, 1856–1947, follow the people who refused to accept that minority label as their political destiny. Along the way, we'll talk about food and language, Gulf pearl merchants and printing presses, rival plans for Mecca, an unlikely Soviet-Saudi partnership, and the search for protection beyond the nation-state. Host: Dr. Ahmed Y. AlMaazmi, an assistant professor of history at New York University Abu Dhabi. Co-host: Dr. Mohammed Alsudairi, a Lecturer of Politics and International Relations of the Arabic-speaking world at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. 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
In this conversation, we are entering an Indian Ocean world connected by steamships, telegraphs, pilgrimage routes, and print. From Bombay and the Gulf to Cairo and Mecca—and onward to Moscow and Geneva—merchants, scholars, activists, and political exiles debated a question that still feels urgent: how can different communities live together without being reduced to permanent majorities and minorities? Bombay sits near the center of our story. Under British rule, it was a major imperial port. But it was also a meeting place where Indian Ocean merchants financed publications, hosted traveling scholars, and helped ideas cross borders. At the same time, British censuses and representative politics produced a striking paradox. South Asia contained the world's largest Muslim population, yet Muslims were increasingly classified as a political minority within India. Dr. Roy Bar Sadeh is a historian of modern South Asia and the broader Islamic world, joining the University of Oxford in September 2026 as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of History and at St Antony's College. He is currently a Lecturer at the University of Manchester. His many articles and forthcoming book with University of Chicago Press, Muslims and the Minority Question: A Global History of South Asia, 1856–1947, follow the people who refused to accept that minority label as their political destiny. Along the way, we'll talk about food and language, Gulf pearl merchants and printing presses, rival plans for Mecca, an unlikely Soviet-Saudi partnership, and the search for protection beyond the nation-state. Host: Dr. Ahmed Y. AlMaazmi, an assistant professor of history at New York University Abu Dhabi. Co-host: Dr. Mohammed Alsudairi, a Lecturer of Politics and International Relations of the Arabic-speaking world at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies
In this conversation, we are entering an Indian Ocean world connected by steamships, telegraphs, pilgrimage routes, and print. From Bombay and the Gulf to Cairo and Mecca—and onward to Moscow and Geneva—merchants, scholars, activists, and political exiles debated a question that still feels urgent: how can different communities live together without being reduced to permanent majorities and minorities? Bombay sits near the center of our story. Under British rule, it was a major imperial port. But it was also a meeting place where Indian Ocean merchants financed publications, hosted traveling scholars, and helped ideas cross borders. At the same time, British censuses and representative politics produced a striking paradox. South Asia contained the world's largest Muslim population, yet Muslims were increasingly classified as a political minority within India. Dr. Roy Bar Sadeh is a historian of modern South Asia and the broader Islamic world, joining the University of Oxford in September 2026 as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of History and at St Antony's College. He is currently a Lecturer at the University of Manchester. His many articles and forthcoming book with University of Chicago Press, Muslims and the Minority Question: A Global History of South Asia, 1856–1947, follow the people who refused to accept that minority label as their political destiny. Along the way, we'll talk about food and language, Gulf pearl merchants and printing presses, rival plans for Mecca, an unlikely Soviet-Saudi partnership, and the search for protection beyond the nation-state. Host: Dr. Ahmed Y. AlMaazmi, an assistant professor of history at New York University Abu Dhabi. Co-host: Dr. Mohammed Alsudairi, a Lecturer of Politics and International Relations of the Arabic-speaking world at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
In this conversation, we are entering an Indian Ocean world connected by steamships, telegraphs, pilgrimage routes, and print. From Bombay and the Gulf to Cairo and Mecca—and onward to Moscow and Geneva—merchants, scholars, activists, and political exiles debated a question that still feels urgent: how can different communities live together without being reduced to permanent majorities and minorities? Bombay sits near the center of our story. Under British rule, it was a major imperial port. But it was also a meeting place where Indian Ocean merchants financed publications, hosted traveling scholars, and helped ideas cross borders. At the same time, British censuses and representative politics produced a striking paradox. South Asia contained the world's largest Muslim population, yet Muslims were increasingly classified as a political minority within India. Dr. Roy Bar Sadeh is a historian of modern South Asia and the broader Islamic world, joining the University of Oxford in September 2026 as an Associate Professor in the Faculty of History and at St Antony's College. He is currently a Lecturer at the University of Manchester. His many articles and forthcoming book with University of Chicago Press, Muslims and the Minority Question: A Global History of South Asia, 1856–1947, follow the people who refused to accept that minority label as their political destiny. Along the way, we'll talk about food and language, Gulf pearl merchants and printing presses, rival plans for Mecca, an unlikely Soviet-Saudi partnership, and the search for protection beyond the nation-state. Host: Dr. Ahmed Y. AlMaazmi, an assistant professor of history at New York University Abu Dhabi. Co-host: Dr. Mohammed Alsudairi, a Lecturer of Politics and International Relations of the Arabic-speaking world at the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies
Mumbai is home to the world's second-largest concentration of Art Deco buildings - yet few people know how or why it happened. In this episode, architect and sustainability practitioner Parineeta Katgaonkar traces the rise of Art Deco in Bombay, from reclaimed land and modern housing to jazz culture, Bombay Deco, and the city's evolving identity. A conversation about architecture, culture, memory, and the making of modern Mumbai. Watch the full episode of A Century of Stories: India featuring Parineeta Katgaonkar - out now!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Dancing in Mumbai's Rain: A Monsoon Adventure on Marine Drive Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2026-07-31-07-38-20-hi Story Transcript:Hi: मरीन ड्राइव की ताजी हवा में हल्की सी नमी थी।En: There was a slight dampness in the fresh air of Marine Drive.Hi: बारिश के मौसम में मुंबई एक अलग ही रूप ले लेता है।En: During the rainy season, Mumbai takes on a completely different form.Hi: निष्ठा बंबई की इस पहली यात्रा में, मानसून की बारिश में एक दिन आराम से बिताने की चाह में थी।En: Nishta, on her first visit to Bombay, was eager to spend a relaxing day in the monsoon rains.Hi: उसने गर्म चाय के साथ मरीन ड्राइव पर बैठकर समुद्र की लहरों को देखने की योजना बनाई थी।En: She had planned to sit on Marine Drive with a hot cup of tea and watch the waves of the sea.Hi: उसके साथ कॉलेज का पुराना दोस्त रोहन था, जो पहले से ही मुंबई की तेज जिंदगी का मजा ले रहा था।En: With her was her old college friend Rohan, who was already enjoying the fast-paced life of Mumbai.Hi: वहीं, उसका नया सहकर्मी कार्तिक भी था, जिसने मुंबई में उसका स्वागत करने का जिम्मा लिया था।En: Also present was her new colleague Karthik, who had taken on the responsibility of welcoming her to Mumbai.Hi: कार्तिक का स्वभाव कुछ अधिक प्रतिस्पर्धी था, लेकिन उसकी निष्ठा के प्रति एक दोस्ताना भावना भी थी।En: Karthik's nature was somewhat more competitive, but he also had a friendly attitude towards Nishta.Hi: वहीं, जैसे ही तीनों मरीन ड्राइव पहुंचे, तेज़ बारिश शुरू हो गई।En: As soon as the three of them reached Marine Drive, heavy rain began.Hi: रोहन का स्वभाव कुछ ज्यादा ही मस्तीखोर था।En: Rohan's nature was a bit too playful.Hi: उसने जोश भरे स्वर में कहा, "बारिश में भीगने का असली मजा मुंबई में ही है।En: He said with enthusiasm, "The real fun of getting drenched is in Mumbai itself.Hi: चलो नाचते हैं।En: Let's dance."Hi: "कार्तिक ने थोड़ा व्यंग्यात्मक अंदाज में कहा, "निष्ठा को उसके पहले दिन का तैयार रहना चाहिए।En: Karthik said in a slightly sarcastic tone, "She should be prepared for her first day.Hi: वो भला कैसे इसका मजा ले सकती है?En: How can she enjoy this?"Hi: "निष्ठा के चेहरे पर हल्की सी चिंता की लकीर उभर आई।En: A slight thread of concern appeared on Nishta's face.Hi: उसे अंदाजा था कि अगर उसने रोहन की बात मानी, तो उसका मनपसंद दिन बरबाद हो सकता है।En: She guessed that if she listened to Rohan, her favorite day might be ruined.Hi: परंतु, उसके दिल के एक कोने में एक उत्साह भी था जो इस अनुभूति का अनुभव करना चाहता था।En: However, there was also an excitement in a corner of her heart that wanted to experience this feeling.Hi: थोड़ा सोचने के बाद, निष्ठा ने अपने मन की आवाज सुनी और बोली, "चलो, देखते हैं इस बारिश में क्या खास है।En: After thinking for a while, Nishta listened to her heart and said, "Let's see what's special in this rain."Hi: " बारिश की बूंदें अब और भी तेज हो गई थीं।En: The raindrops had now intensified.Hi: तीनों समुद्र के किनारे दौड़ने लगे।En: The three of them started running along the seashore.Hi: पानी की बूंदें जब उनके चेहरे पर पड़तीं, तो वो बारिश की ताजगी को महसूस करते।En: When the water droplets hit their faces, they felt the freshness of the rain.Hi: हंसी-मज़ाक के साथ वो मरीन ड्राइव की उस जगह पहुँचे जहाँ लहरें ज़ोर से टकराती थीं।En: With laughter and fun, they reached that spot on Marine Drive where the waves hit hard.Hi: रोहन ने निष्ठा की आँखों में झांकते हुए कहा, "देखा, मैंने कहा था ना, यही असली मजा है।En: Rohan looked into Nishta's eyes and said, "See, I told you, this is the real fun."Hi: " कार्तिक भी अब इसी अनुभव में खो गया था और उसने पहली बार निष्ठा की सेवरिटी को सराहा।En: Even Karthik was now lost in this experience and appreciated Nishta's vivacity for the first time.Hi: निष्ठा ने उन दोनों को देखकर मुस्कुराते हुए कहा, "शायद जिंदगी का असली सुख इसी में है, अनपेक्षित क्षणों को जीने में।En: Nishta looked at both of them and said with a smile, "Perhaps the real joy in life lies in living those unexpected moments."Hi: "वो मरीन ड्राइव की उस शाम को कभी नहीं भूल पाई।En: She could never forget that evening at Marine Drive.Hi: उस दिन उसने सीखा कि कभी-कभी अनचाहे पल भी हमारी जिंदगी का हिस्सा बन जाते हैं।En: That day, she learned that sometimes undesired moments also become a part of our lives.Hi: अब वो मुंबई की खुली बाहों में अपने नए सफर के लिए तैयार थी, निश्चिंत और आशवस्त।En: Now she was ready for her new journey in the open arms of Mumbai, carefree and assured. Vocabulary Words:dampness: नमीeager: चाहrelaxing: आराम सेresponsibility: जिम्माcompetitive: प्रतिस्पर्धीenthusiasm: जोशsarcastic: व्यंग्यात्मकconcern: चिंताexcitement: उत्साहraindrops: बूंदेंseashore: समुद्र के किनारेvivacity: सेवरिटीunexpected: अनपेक्षितundesired: अनचाहेcarefree: निश्चिंतassured: आशवस्तmonsoon: मानसूनwaves: लहरोंfast-paced: तेजdrenched: भीगनेplayful: मस्तीखोरprepared: तैयारintensified: तेजlaughter: हंसीhit: टकरातीappreciated: सराहाjoy: सुखliving: जीनेforgot: भूल पाईjourney: सफर
A bright, modern house in the south of England. No history of violence. No death on the premises. And yet something lives in it — not a ghost, not a presence you could name, but a weight that settles over everyone who stays there. A grief that belongs to no one in the house. A judgement passed somewhere else, by someone else, for reasons the walls should know nothing about. The question is not what haunts the house. The question is what was done to the dead. "The House Surgeon" was first published in Harper's Magazine in September 1909 and collected in Actions and Reactions later that year. Rudyard Kipling was born in Bombay in 1865, awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907, and remains one of the most widely read English writers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. ⭐ Join my Patreon ⭐ https://patreon.com/barcud Go here for a library of ad-free stories, a monthly members only story and early access to the regular stories I put out. You can choose to have ghost stories only, or detective stories or classic literature, or all of them for either $5 or $10 a month. Many hundreds of hours of stories. Who needs Audible? Or, if you'd just like to make a one-off gesture of thanks for my work https://buymeacoffee.com/10mn8sk
For a very special episode 150, Andy S and Brandon Bombay finally decide it's time to meet god, as they cover a Degen Cinema staple, and one of the greatest modern films, 'Sicario.' Bombay is the first through the door as he recalls an insane night out that led to randomly meeting dancers at a hotel, and ended with him watching 'Sicario.' Then the boys get into this beast of a film that was the true arrival of Denis Villeneuve as the greatest director of the 2010s. With cinematography that looked to have been captured by a higher power, which it is virtually was by Roger Deakins at the top of his gave, and an unforgettable gripping score from the maestro Jóhann Jóhannsson. The guys share their surprise that this certifiable classic never received true awards buzz, especially for the always incredible Benicio del Toro who delivered arguably his most memorable performance. He's a terrifying entity released on the world alongside Josh Brolin's Matt Graver who are trying to restore order. Meanwhile Emily Blunt is the audience's POV as she attempts to navigate a new job in a terrifying landscape, all with physical gusto. There are numerous unforgettable set pieces including the border crossing's masterclass in tension, the night vision tunnel cross, and the dinner table scene denouement. Fair warning to our listeners that they may want to seek out a podcast where the rule of law still exists, cause this is a pod for wolves now.
‘If you're concerned about your own children, what is your responsibility? Amusement? Entertainment? Pleasure? That seems to be the road that everyone is following.' This episode on Children has four sections. The first extract (2:45) is from Krishnamurti's second discussion with teachers in Ojai 1977, and is titled: Our Responsibility to Children. The second extract (20:10) is from the third discussion with teachers in Ojai 1975, and is titled: Can Children Live Without Conflict? The third extract (47:58) is from Krishnamurti's eighth discussion with teachers in Ojai 1983, and is titled: What Is the Future for Our Children? The final extract in this episode (1:05:02) is from the first question and answer meeting in Bombay 1985, and is titled: Do You Love Your Children? The Krishnamurti Podcast features carefully selected extracts from Krishnamurti's recorded talks. Each episode highlights his different approaches to universal and timeless themes that affect our everyday lives, the state of the world and the future of humanity. This episode's theme is Children. Upcoming themes are Detachment and Harmony. This is a podcast from Krishnamurti Foundation Trust. Please visit our website at kfoundation.org, where you can find a popular collection of quotes, a variety of featured articles, along with a wide selection of curated material in the Index of Topics. This Index allows easy access to book, audio and video extracts. Our online store stocks the best of Krishnamurti's books and ships worldwide. We also offer free downloads, including a selection of booklets. You can also find our regular Krishnamurti quotes and videos on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook at Krishnamurti Foundation Trust. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review or rating on your podcast app.
Gaurav Shinde lives and sails on Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada. He was entered in the 2022 GGR with "Good Hope," his Baba 35, but injured his shoulder on the way to France and had to drop out of the race. His need for adventure was cultivated by his late grandfather at a very early age, starting with climbing and hiking in the Western Ghats of India. Gaurav was introduced to sailing at the Sea Cadet Corps Training Ship Jawahar and found what he was born to do. After winning several offshore sailing championships in India, Gaurav decided to take on the challenge of the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race in 2013-14. He sailed on the Mission Performance team and was part of the team in their highest finishing position in the race. We talk about recovering from his shoulder injury that kept him out of the 2022 GGR, sailing in Bombay, racing on Lake Ontario, dealing with a broken jib halyard in a storm, making important decisions, adventure, what works on Lake Ontario, converting hisboat back to a family cruising yacht from a GGR boat, varnishing, sailing in India, his plans to sail to India, helping frineds get miles, the route from Toronto to India, the beauty of a forgiving boat, electronics, Starlink, the 2026 GGR and the skippers, dream boats, he tells the story of how he injured his shoulder before the 2022 GGR, finding the silver lining behind injuries, and more.
In 1972, Led Zeppelin traded the studio for Mick Jagger's driveway and the Rolling Stones' recording truck, after a detoured trip to Bombay reshaped their sound. Join Janda on the new episode of Behind The Song as she dives into the making of "Dancing Days," from its Eastern-tinged riff to the lyric that's baffled fans for 50 years: the lion standing alone with a tadpole in a jar. Plus: the critics who hated the Houses Of The Holy album, the tour that broke box office records anyway, and the unlikely afterlife this song had in 90's. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay make your wishes come true and tackle the horror box office phenomenon, 'Obsession.' Bombay breaks the ice by mentioning how the film gave him flashbacks to the most chaotic and unhinged first date he ever went on.Then the fellas head to the music store to discuss a movie that has been described as 'Tales From the Crypt' for Zoomers, and why that rocks. Of course Inde Navarrette's powerhouse performance as Nikki deserves all the accolades. She not only sells the physical horror of this monkey's paw fable, but delivers subtleties that capture how devoted love can truly devolve into a mental illness. Unfortunately, she is paired with the milquetoast Bear, whose faux-fake guy persona — and lack of any defining personality traits — make him beyond unbearable. While Curry Barker's runaway smash hit may not reinvent the genre, it does treat both mainstream audiences, and horror sickos alike, to a bonkers third act that is all wrapped together with a feel-bad ending. Similar to the end credits, this episode will leave you audibly sobbing (with laughter, not tears).
Hello Hello Hello!Overcoming the righteous elitism that plagues the day-to-day operations of Queen is Dead, Amartya, Cris, and Varun convene to discuss the evolution/regression of one of Bombay's most significant production houses: Yash Raj Films. More precisely, the decline in YRF's output is examined through their two major franchises – the Dhoom series and the Spy Universe. A broad discussion segues into observations about music and themes and filmmaking and dissing QID's in-house YRF-esque dramatic hero Dhruv Krishna Goyal before arriving at Production #7 of the Spy Universe – Alpha, helmed by Shiv Rawail and starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, with support from Anil Kapoor and the re-ascendant Vijay Singh aka Bobby Deol.Spoilers for two franchises that no one cares about (as per Dhruv).TIME CODESIntro - [00:00 - 05:31]Bottom of the Barrel ("War 2") - [05:31 - 16:30] The Appeal of the Spyverse (up until "Pathaan") - [16:30 - 24:04] The Appeal of the "Dhoom" Franchise (Minus "Dhoom 3") - [24:04 - 45:30]What Happened to the Music?! - [45:30 - 53:46]The Demise of the Spyverse (post-"Pathaan") - [53:46 - 01:37:00] The Lethal Ladies (and the Three Bored Audience Members) of "Alpha" - [01:37:00 - 02:29:28] Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.You can follow us on Letterboxd at -CRIS: https://letterboxd.com/crislim/.VARUN: https://letterboxd.com/varunoakbhakay/.AMARTYA: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/.
For over 170 years, trains have carried people, goods, and stories across the subcontinent. India's railways are more than steel tracks and locomotives — they are the veins of a nation. In this episode, we journey through the history and significance of Indian Railways: from the first passenger train between Bombay and Thane in 1853, to the sprawling network of over 68,000 kilometers today.We'll explore how the railways stitched together distant regions, enabled farmers to reach new markets, and gave pilgrims access to holy cities. We'll look at iconic trains like the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and the Palace on Wheels, as well as everyday journeys where strangers share food and stories.Beyond transport, the railways became a cultural symbol — immortalized in Bollywood songs, literature, and the soundscape of whistles and chai vendors. Economically, they remain the backbone of industry, moving coal, steel, and food grains. Politically, they symbolize unity in diversity, carrying millions daily across caste, class, and region.From colonial beginnings to modernization projects like metros and bullet trains, Indian Railways embody both tradition and progress. This is the story of how trains became not just a mode of travel, but a mirror of India itself.Instagram: @samarthchittaTwitter: @samarthchittaEmail: samarth.chitta@gmail.com
A monster stalks Puerto Rico in The Beast of Borken #1, octogenarians try to save a baby kaiju in Hidden Springs #2, and then we go deep on Godzilla: The Half-Century War — giant monsters, war stories, and some of the best kaiju art around. RSS Feed Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) Thanks for listening to the Major Spoilers Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. REVIEWS HIDDEN SPRINGS #2 Writer: Rob Williams Artist: Nil Vendrell Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: June 24, 2026 As a group of octogenarian ex-celebrities try to shepherd a baby kaiju to safety, they're found by military agents who try to capture it—with devastating results! As the Hollywood has-beens are caught in the crossfire, they have to ask themselves, just what are they willing to sacrifice to save an alien creature? BEAST OF BORIKEN #1 Writer: Julio Anta Artist: Daniel IriZarri Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: July 1, 2026 A thrilling new True Weird series from Tiny Onion by co-creators Julio Anta (Frontera; Sí, Se Puede) and Daniel Irizarri (Xino, Cementary Kids Don't Die) bringing el Chupacabra to life! In contemporary Puerto Rico, Loli Flores is a fierce activist fighting the overdevelopment of the island by outside investors. When a ground-breaking ceremony is violently interrupted by a supernatural force, Loli discovers that the stories of el Chupacabra are not just echoes from the past, but a brutal protector of generations extending back to the indigenous people of the island. As Loli uncovers the horrors firstand, el Chupacabra is on a parallel path with elemental destruction left in his wake. This issue includes a haunting True Weird short story by Justin Jordan, Tony Akins and Aditya Bidikar! TRADE DISCUSSION GODZILLA: THE HALF-CENTURY WAR Writer: James Stokoe Artist: James Stokoe Publisher: IDW Publishing Cover Price: $29.99 Follow one man's journey from the moment Godzilla's reign of destruction begins and continues over his lifetime, one battle after another. The year is 1954 and Lieutenant Ota Murakami is on hand when Godzilla makes first landfall in Japan. Along with his pal, Kentaro, Ota makes a desperate gamble to save lives...and in the process begins an obsession with the King of the Monsters that lasts 50 years ranging from Ghana, Bombay, and maybe the end of the world! At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching require significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep Major Spoilers strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today. If you know someone who loves comics, share this post and episode with them!
Turning Pain Points Into Innovation | Dr. Prakash Gatta FULL DESCRIPTION Dr. Prakash Gatta is a foregut and esophageal surgeon who built his hospital's surgical program from zero — and then built two healthcare technology companies from the pain points he kept running into in the OR. In this episode of BOSS: Business of Surgery, host Dr. Amy Vertrees talks with Dr. Gatta about what happens when surgeons stop waiting for someone else to solve the problems they see every day. Company #1: Uncover — Dr. Gatta serves as VP of Clinical Affairs for this AI-powered surgical documentation platform. Uncover analyzes intraoperative video in real time and generates detailed, accurate operative notes automatically. Poor operative notes correlate with worse patient outcomes and cause 15-20% undercoding on procedures — a financial gap that affects both surgeon compensation and hospital facility fees. Uncover closes that gap by turning video into documentation, identifying missed CPT codes, modifier 22s, and APC codes that surgeons never capture. Company #2: EmpowerMedical.ai — Dr. Gatta founded this physician financial transparency platform to answer a question most surgeons have never been able to ask: how much money do I actually generate for my hospital? Using publicly available CMS data and hospital-disclosed pricing, the platform converts a surgeon's case list into a complete financial picture — professional fees, facility revenue, payer mix, DRGs, APCs, and contribution margin. A surgeon performing 124 high-level hernia repairs generates $464,000 in professional fees and $12 million in total system revenue. Most surgeons have no idea. Dr. Gatta wants to make this tool free for all trainees entering practice. The conversation also covers Dr. Gatta's remarkable personal story: born in India, raised in Kuwait during the Gulf War, self-evacuating as a 13-year-old refugee, medical school in Bombay, and arriving in the US in 2000 for surgical training under pioneer Lee Swanstrom in Portland.
ThePrintAM: Why Bombay High Court's nod to Preity Zinta's AI deepfake suit against Google, Meta & X matters
Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay welcome you to the revolution, as they talk about '90s action favorite, 'Under Siege.' Bombay starts it off by recalling the time he saw this movie as a kid and had an awkward exchange with a friend's mom during the infamous cake scene. Then the boys get things cookin' as they discuss how this may be not only Steven Seagal's overall best flick, but his most likeable performance. That comes partially because he takes a backseat to Tommy Lee Jones' delightfully unhinged bad guy role that sees him spouting off anti-establishment phrases while dressed as a '60s rocker. It helps that his right hand man is portrayed by the always deliriously delectable Gary Busey, who kills a commanding officer while in outrageous drag. Seagal's sidekick throughout the whole ordeal is the charmingly adorable Erika Eleniak who treats everyone to some gratuitous nudity in a scene that the guys argue may be Top 5 most replayed scenes of the VCR era. Add in Andrew Davis' assured action direction, that features Seagal delivering some all-time brutal kills for a studio film, and you have an unforgettable action movie, and episode.
How did a storm-battered Spanish ship, a Dundee harbour, and a grocer's wife with a pan full of unsaleable bitter oranges accidentally create one of the first registered trademarks in British history — and a product that would end up on breakfast tables from Edinburgh to Bombay? Why did the family fortune from that single kitchen experiment eventually pay for the restoration of Avebury, one of the greatest prehistoric monuments in Europe? And what does any of this have to do with Paddington Bear and Monty Don?Join John and Patrick as they tell the story of Scotland and marmalade — the Keiller factory, the empire in a jar, and the most consequential use of unsaleable citrus in history...----------In Sponsorship with J&K Fresh.The customs broker who is your fruit and veggies' personal bodyguard. Learn more here!-----------Join the History of Fresh Produce Club for ad-free listening, bonus episodes, book discounts and access to an exclusive chatroom community.Support us!Share this episode with your friendsGive a 5-star ratingWrite a review-----------Subscribe to our biweekly newsletter here for extra stories related to recent episodes, book recommendations, a sneak peek of upcoming episodes and more.-----------Instagram, TikTok, Threads:@historyoffreshproduceEmail: historyoffreshproduce@gmail.com
Having one of the most recognizable and beloved celebrities in the world attached to your brand seems like it should be an easy win. But getting someone to buy once is one thing. Getting them to buy again is the real test. Cordell Broadus (Snoop Dogg's son) and his business partner Sam Rockwell explain what it actually takes to build an ice cream brand like Dr. Bombay, one that delivers value beyond a famous face. In this episode, they break down how to make a celebrity partnership work on a deeper level and how to work with celebrities in a way that's authentic, not just convenient. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Check out our corporate subscription plan: https://the-ken.com/corporate-teams/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=corporate-subscriptionsPart 1 of Rohin Dharmakumar's conversation with Riyaaz Amlani is the origin story: why a returning UCLA grad decided Bombay was missing "places to be," how Mocha became Social, and what it actually takes to keep a restaurant group alive for 25 years in the highest-mortality business there is. The shisha ban, the private-equity money that never arrived, COVID, the marble hustle at age six, and the real engine underneath it all: people.CHAPTERS00:00 Intro: 95% fail by year two — and the man who didn't01:46 Why Mocha in 2001: a city missing "places to be"03:23 Bombay the "coolest cousin"; South Bombay snobbery moves to Bandra05:05 The MTV / Gen X generation and a West-facing India07:47 UCLA, entertainment management, and learning to live culture11:29 What "Handmade" and "Impresario" mean14:13 The business today: 80 restaurants, 900 cr, 5,500 people15:29 Why restaurants die; learning from the community18:02 People vs processes — and why he keeps returning to people19:32 Social: the millennial third space and the shisha ban25:41 The Gen Z puzzle; Saltwater to Bandra Bourn; evolution vs revolution30:46 Real estate: location vs locality and India's "80 pockets"32:32 The metric that matters: AOV x covers x table turnaround35:33 COVID and surviving "mass-extinction events"39:17 The town hall: the team takes 40% pay to save the company40:51 What losing a restaurant feels like; the discipline to quit42:44 Mental model: 4-5 engines to ride economic cycles46:42 The marble business and hustling from age 1251:20 Bowling alleys & Phoenix Mills: people buy time together53:44 Self-rating: 7.5 as a parent, 5 as a CEO55:15 Building a restaurant vs building an organization56:15 The HR crisis: severe attrition, talent going abroad58:44 The one thing he can't delegate: layouts and property selection1:00:49 Becoming a "boardroom warrior" against his will KEY COMPANIES & BRANDSImpresario Handmade Restaurants; Mocha; Social; Saltwater Cafe/Grill; Bandra Born; Cafe Coffee Day; Phoenix Mills "Bowling Company"; Amoeba; UCLA. KEY CONCEPTSThird spaces; "handmade" at scale; West-aspirational MTV-generation culture; people vs processes; AOV x covers x table turnaround; frequency as a metric; location vs locality / "80 pockets"; evolution vs revolution; mass-extinction events & resilience; working-capital-negative business; building a restaurant vs building an organization; restaurant-industry attrition; the layouts/property selection he won't delegate.
How the sound of the female playback voice impacts Bollywood's cultural, musical, and cinematic environment. Drawing on sound studies and performance theory, scholar Shikha Jhingan explores the discursive nature of the female playback voice in Bombay film songs in The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema: Voice, Body, Technology (Wayne State UP, 2025). Mapping the production, circulation, and reception of the voices of singing stars—notably Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle—Jhingan situates the singing voice as a cinematic object with limitless possibilities of distribution and dispersal. She employs the perspectives of a diverse range of listeners across a vast media landscape to illustrate how the affective charge of the female playback voice, combined with developments in audio technology, has led to a gradual expansion of opportunities for women in film, popular music, and media and audio production. With nuanced exploration of the way the human voice becomes intertwined with devices such as the microphone, radio, cassettes, and digital technologies, Jhingan argues for the sonic excess of the female voice beyond the narrative and visual. The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema is an authoritative addition to the field of sound studies with implications for gender studies, performance studies, and cinema studies. 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
How the sound of the female playback voice impacts Bollywood's cultural, musical, and cinematic environment. Drawing on sound studies and performance theory, scholar Shikha Jhingan explores the discursive nature of the female playback voice in Bombay film songs in The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema: Voice, Body, Technology (Wayne State UP, 2025). Mapping the production, circulation, and reception of the voices of singing stars—notably Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle—Jhingan situates the singing voice as a cinematic object with limitless possibilities of distribution and dispersal. She employs the perspectives of a diverse range of listeners across a vast media landscape to illustrate how the affective charge of the female playback voice, combined with developments in audio technology, has led to a gradual expansion of opportunities for women in film, popular music, and media and audio production. With nuanced exploration of the way the human voice becomes intertwined with devices such as the microphone, radio, cassettes, and digital technologies, Jhingan argues for the sonic excess of the female voice beyond the narrative and visual. The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema is an authoritative addition to the field of sound studies with implications for gender studies, performance studies, and cinema studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies
How the sound of the female playback voice impacts Bollywood's cultural, musical, and cinematic environment. Drawing on sound studies and performance theory, scholar Shikha Jhingan explores the discursive nature of the female playback voice in Bombay film songs in The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema: Voice, Body, Technology (Wayne State UP, 2025). Mapping the production, circulation, and reception of the voices of singing stars—notably Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle—Jhingan situates the singing voice as a cinematic object with limitless possibilities of distribution and dispersal. She employs the perspectives of a diverse range of listeners across a vast media landscape to illustrate how the affective charge of the female playback voice, combined with developments in audio technology, has led to a gradual expansion of opportunities for women in film, popular music, and media and audio production. With nuanced exploration of the way the human voice becomes intertwined with devices such as the microphone, radio, cassettes, and digital technologies, Jhingan argues for the sonic excess of the female voice beyond the narrative and visual. The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema is an authoritative addition to the field of sound studies with implications for gender studies, performance studies, and cinema studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film
Jagged with Jasravee : Cutting-Edge Marketing Conversations with Thought Leaders
How did four Indian men in a 1942 garage defeat British monopolies? Discover the hidden strategy behind India's biggest paint empire.In 1942, India's paint market was a colonial franchise. Asian Paints bypassed rich distributors to empower rural dealers directly. They integrated mainframes a decade before ISRO and built an untouchable supply chain. Today, new competitors like Birla Opus are testing this 82-year-old moat. Understanding this journey reveals how true business ecosystems are built.
Send us Fan MailI Am That (Nisargadatta Maharaj): Abide in “I Am,” Non-Dual Awakening & the Fire of EarnestnessIn this episode, Dr. Downes and Adam Rizvi discuss Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's Advaita Vedanta classic I Am That and his non-dual teaching to “abide in the I AM.” They describe Nisargadatta's background as a Bombay cigarette vendor, his fiery demeanor, and how he realized freedom after three years of single-pointed trust in his guru's simple instruction, without mantras or scripture. They explore key ideas from the book's Q&A dialogues: the “inner teacher” as the witness of mind, the shift from identifying as a body moving through time and space to recognizing all experience arises in awareness, and the importance of repeatedly returning to the immovable sense of being. They also unpack “earnestness” as intense longing—orientation, intensity, sincerity, and consistency—and recommend reading short passages nightly.00:55 Introducing I Am That01:19 Who Was Nisargadatta04:02 Why This Book Matters05:27 Lineage and Anti Scripture08:00 Abide in I Am Practice11:51 Effort and Awareness14:32 Reading a Key Passage18:59 Time Space as Experience25:36 Making It Practical28:52 Habit of Returning30:03 Earnestness and Desire31:34 Inner Renunciation33:36 Awakening Drive Question34:30 Earnestness Explained37:19 Fire for Awakening41:10 Embers Into Intensity43:17 Mystics Across Traditions46:13 Sufi Ishq and Fana47:55 Quote Off Returns48:54 Beyond God Concept54:06 Reading Practice Tips56:20 Closing and CigarettesSupport the showCopyright 2026 by Letters to the Sky
How the sound of the female playback voice impacts Bollywood's cultural, musical, and cinematic environment. Drawing on sound studies and performance theory, scholar Shikha Jhingan explores the discursive nature of the female playback voice in Bombay film songs in The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema: Voice, Body, Technology (Wayne State UP, 2025). Mapping the production, circulation, and reception of the voices of singing stars—notably Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle—Jhingan situates the singing voice as a cinematic object with limitless possibilities of distribution and dispersal. She employs the perspectives of a diverse range of listeners across a vast media landscape to illustrate how the affective charge of the female playback voice, combined with developments in audio technology, has led to a gradual expansion of opportunities for women in film, popular music, and media and audio production. With nuanced exploration of the way the human voice becomes intertwined with devices such as the microphone, radio, cassettes, and digital technologies, Jhingan argues for the sonic excess of the female voice beyond the narrative and visual. The Female Playback in Bombay Cinema is an authoritative addition to the field of sound studies with implications for gender studies, performance studies, and cinema studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies
India's most loved storyteller. His most personal podcast yet.In this landmark episode of the Mashq Records Podcast, I sit down with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali for a rare conversation that goes far beyond cinema.For the first time, Imtiaz Ali opens up about his upcoming film with Diljit Dosanjh, "Main Vaapas Aaunga", and shares why Diljit reminds him of artists like Jordan from Rockstar and Amar Singh Chamkila.We dive deep into the worlds of Rockstar, Tamasha, Laila Majnu, Amar Singh Chamkila, love, heartbreak, spirituality, Bhagavad Gita, Kashmir, creativity, Gen Z, storytelling, and the search for meaning.He breaks down the iconic guitar burning scene in Rockstar, the emotional truth behind Jordan and Heer, the re release success of Laila Majnu, his love for Kashmir, his obsession with mountains, and why he believes God exists within us.From Bombay dreams to Sufism, from art and pain to hope and freedom, this is Imtiaz Ali at his most honest, philosophical, and reflective.This is not just a podcast.This is a masterclass on storytelling, life, love, spirituality, and cinema.Timestamps:00:00:00 Teaser 00:03:35 Introduction 00:05:40 Bombay and love story 00:08:40 Window seat 00:09:35 Pahadu Kai uss paar wali duniya 00:11:15 Imtiaz Ali's obsession with Mountains00:12:35 Story behind Rockstar?00:14:40 Pain in art?00:16:48 Guitar burning scene in Rockstar!00:21:28 Rockstar kissing scene!00:23:40 Rockstar 2?00:24:15 Reallife Rockstar?00:27:07 Diljit Dosanjh Rockstar or Amar singh Chamkila?00:28:07 Biopic on Diljit Dosanjh?00:28:45 Hope in Life?00:31:18 What is life?00:33:05 Love with Kashmir!00:36:00 WAZWAN (Kashmiri Food) 00:37:55 Laila Majnu ReRelease 00:40:00 Laila Majnu Music 00:41:00 Avinish Tiwari (Majnu) 00:42:55 Peer Baba in Tamasha 00:45:00 Nimaz Scene in Laila Majnu 00:46:52 Bhagwat Geeta Shaped my life?00:51:02 Agar duniya mai Kuch Nhi hota too Kya hota?00:53:32 Amar Singh Chamkila?00:54:40 Diljit Dosanjh in Amar Singh Chamkila!00:55:32 Upcoming film in Kashmir? 00:56:25 Genz?00:57:25 Imtiaz Ali's College Life?00:58:50 Boy to Man? 00:59:12 Dil Doodna? 01:00:30 Message for aspiring Storytellers! Copyright: Mashq Records – PodcastHost: RJ Umar Nisar | www.instagram.com/rj_umar_nisarFor Sales & Podcast Inquiries: umar@mashqrecords.in
Ever done something stupid to get back at an ex? We heard some wild stories today, including one about a man who 'came' all over his ex's clothes and a woman who sold all her ex's belongings to their next door neighbor. Ellen Degeneres joined us on the show today (sort of) to host a Lez-off between Klein and Ally. Klein claims he's a better lesbian than Ally because of all the lesbian 'content' he's consumed over the years (aka porn.) A five-question showdown determined a clear winner. We heard perhaps the funniest old person voice during Old People Secrets today. A woman who attributes her long life to sugar and the Irish Times. Jake has some drama with his 'succulent girlfriend.' She's not happy about the Funner Summer Challenge where he was given the task of having a one night stand with a stranger. Is there trouble in not-paradise?
“Be optimistic about the boom, but don't buy the stock.” — Liaquat Ahamed on the AI bubble Yesterday, Alexander Starritt argued that the 2008 financial crash ruined the lives of his generation. But compared with the great crash of 1873, 2008 looks like a tremor. The Pulitzer Prize-winning economic historian Liaquat Ahamed has a new book out today, 1873, which presents this 19th century economic crash as the first truly global financial crisis. In 1870, three globalising infrastructure projects were completed in quick succession: the US transcontinental railroad, the Suez Canal, and the Trans-India railroad linking Bombay to Calcutta. Into this newly integrated global economy, the Franco-Prussian War injected a trillion-dollar-equivalent indemnity that the Rothschilds helped France raise — and the resulting dramatic capital flows produced three simultaneous bubbles in Berlin, Vienna, and New York. A French journalist named Jules Verne worked out that for the first time, you could circumnavigate the globe in less than eighty days. Around the world in one global economic crisis. The lesson for posterity, Ahamed warns, is that the authorities made a catastrophic error by doubling down on the gold standard, producing decades of deflation that triggered an anti-semitic and anti-globalist populism, and ultimately led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. So what does that tell us about today's AI boom, which is about to be rocketed by three trillion-dollar IPOs? Be optimistic about the boom, the wise Ahamed says. But don't buy the stock. Five Takeaways • Jules Verne and the First Global Economy: In 1870, three iconic infrastructure projects were completed: the US transcontinental railroad, the Suez Canal, and the Trans-India railroad linking Bombay to Calcutta. A French newspaper noted that for the first time, a traveller could circle the globe in less than eighty days. Jules Verne read the article and found his next novel. The point for Ahamed: this moment marked the creation of a genuinely integrated global economy for the first time in history. And with global integration came the first global financial crisis. The boom of the 1850s and 1860s was not irrational. It reflected real economic growth. The crash came from what happened next. • The Trillion-Dollar Indemnity and Three Simultaneous Bubbles: Under the peace treaty ending the Franco-Prussian War, France was required to pay Germany an indemnity worth the equivalent of $1.2 trillion in today's money. With the help of the Rothschilds, France raised this sum in six months. The resulting capital injection caused the Berlin and Vienna equity markets to rise 200–300 percent. Simultaneously, European capital fleeing the war flowed into US railroad construction, inflating that bubble further. A third bubble formed in foreign borrowing on the London capital markets, as money chased yield in countries that should never have been given credit. Three bubbles, one crash. • The Wrong Lesson from 1873: Gold Standard Orthodoxy: When the crash came, the authorities made a catastrophic error: they concluded that the gold standard had worked because the 1850s and 1860s boom had happened under it. They failed to see that the crash itself was partly produced by the gold standard's rigidities. The resulting decade of deflation crushed farmers, debtors, and ordinary people across Europe and America, fuelling anti-globalist populism. The same orthodoxy — applied by Montagu Norman and others in the 1920s — helped cause the Great Depression. We always fight the last war. • The Rothschilds: Scapegoated Despite Being Innocent: The Rothschilds were at the centre of the 1873 boom as the world's leading bond underwriters. Presciently, they kept a low profile during the most speculative phase of the bubble. When the crash came, they were viciously scapegoated — part of the wave of antisemitism that swept Europe in the wake of the depression. Ahamed's irony: the Rothschilds were blamed for a crisis they had been cautious enough to partially avoid. The story of 1873 is, among other things, a story of how financial panic turns into political persecution. • The AI Boom: Be Optimistic, Don't Buy the Stock: Andrew's final question: should we buy Anthropic and OpenAI when they go public? Ahamed's answer, via the lesson of every bubble from 1873 to 1929 to the dot-com era: bull markets are usually driven by real fundamentals — until the last phase, when they become untethered. The 1920s were rational until 1927; the dot-com era was rational until 1997. The dilemma: the last irrational phase may still produce 40 percent gains. Ahamed's advice: be optimistic about the AI boom. It reflects real productivity growth. But don't buy the stock. About the Guest Liaquat Ahamed is a financial historian and investment manager. He graduated with degrees in economics from Cambridge and Harvard, worked at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., and had a twenty-five-year career as a professional investment manager based in London and New York before turning to writing. He is the author of 1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World (Penguin Press, June 2, 2026) and Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World (winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize, the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Gold Medal, and the Financial Times Best Business Book of the Year). He lives in Washington, D.C. References: • 1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World by Liaquat Ahamed (Penguin Press, June 2, 2026). • Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed (Penguin Press, 2009) — the Pulitzer Prize-winning predecessor, referenced throughout. • Episode 2928: Alexander Starritt on Drayton and Mackenzie — directly referenced at the opening; the 2008 companion. • James Surowiecki, “Why Stocks Keep Going Up,” The Atlantic — referenced in the final exchange. About Keen On America Nobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,900 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting. WebsiteSubstack
‘When you are constantly in struggle, constantly in conflict, constantly competitive, you must inevitably wear yourself out, both psychologically and physically.' This episode on Competition has four sections. The first extract (2:48) is from Krishnamurti's third talk at Rajghat in 1963, and is titled ‘Can We Live Happily in This Competitive World?' The second extract (11:42) is from the fourth question and answer meeting in Ojai 1980, and is titled ‘Why Are We Competitive?' The third extract (25:05) is from Krishnamurti's third talk in Paris 1961, and is titled ‘Competition and Conflict'. The final extract in this episode (39:31) is from the first talk in Bombay 1980, and is titled ‘This Terrible Competitive Spirit'. The Krishnamurti Podcast features carefully selected extracts from Krishnamurti's recorded talks. Each episode highlights his different approaches to universal and timeless themes that affect our everyday lives, the state of the world and the future of humanity. This episode's theme is Competition. Upcoming themes are The Past, Challenge and Sanity. This is a podcast from Krishnamurti Foundation Trust, based at Brockwood Park in the UK, which is also home to the Krishnamurti Retreat Centre. Situated in the beautiful countryside of the South Downs National Park, The Krishnamurti Centre offers retreats individually and in groups. The focus is on inquiry in light of Krishnamurti's teachings. Please visit krishnamurticentre.org.uk for more information, including our volunteer programme. You can also find our regular Krishnamurti quotes and videos on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook at Krishnamurti Foundation Trust. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a review or rating on your podcast app.