Podcasts about Chen

What if you were born knowing the spirit world was real? In this episode, Sandra is joined by Chenée Fournier, an evidence-based medium and Angel channel who has been sensitive to the spirit realm her entire life. Chenée shares her journey of learning to bridge the dimensions and the powerful, loving messages she receives. Listen to her "goosebump" stories of undeniable proof, including the two "sheriff" angels who appeared at the foot of her bed, and the incredible, specific details a baby in spirit shared about butterfly hair clips and a game of bingo. Discover how our loved ones use signs, the loving support we all receive from our spirit guides, and how we are all channels for our own divine soul.  * Learn more about Chenée and her work at her website: https://cheneefournier.com Thanks for listening! Connect with Sandra:  * Website (Free book by joining the 'Insiders Club, Free empowering Sunday Gatherings with medium demonstration, Mediumship Classes & more): http://wedontdie.com *Patreon (Early access, PDF of over 750 episodes & more): Visit https://www.patreon.com/wedontdieradio  *Don't miss Sandra's #1 "Best of all things afterlife related" Podcast 'Shades of the Afterlife' at https://bit.ly/ShadesoftheAfterlife

In this very special episode of Transform Your Life, hosts Teresa and Tonya sit down with renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Charlie Chen to talk all things breast surgery—and to share some exciting personal news: Teresa is officially on the countdown to her own procedure with Dr. Chen, happening September 3rd in San Diego.Dr. Chen, who previously transformed Teresa's life by removing her 47-pound apron after massive weight loss, will now help her take the next step in her journey with Motiva breast implants. Together, they discuss what goes into preparing for breast surgery after weight loss, how Motiva's unique technology supports natural-looking results, and the emotional impact of making changes that align with how you feel inside.From surgery prep tips to body confidence after weight loss, this conversation is full of practical advice, heartfelt moments, and the excitement of starting a brand-new chapter.

Yes, it's absolutely safe to say it. The NIH says it. The NSF says it. Even the Francis Family Associate Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering himself admits it on the latest episode of the best podcast in higher education: In the field of rapid immunodiagnostics, one name lights up the sensors more than any other... Pengyu Chen. 

Recently, using data from the Japanese infrared telescope AKARI,  Dr. Amos Y.A. Chen and his collaborators published a paper in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia which predicts the approximate positions of two massive Planet 9 candidates. To arrive at their conclusions this team carefully searched the AKARI observations for objects which over the course of months change their positions relative to distant stars and galaxies.   Further  observations are required to determine if either of these move like a Planet 9 or if instead they are some other type of distant astronomical object. 

Don't forget to Like & Subscribe to GET SIMPLIFIED!Jozef Chen is a BJJ prodigy—rising from amateur training environments to elite status in just five years. With technical mastery, an analytical mindset, and groundbreaking achievements, he's one of the most exciting young grapplers today. He gets back together with the team to prep for CJI as their -77kg member.Instagram @jozefchenjjMarek Health:

This was a live recording with Jenn Suen Chen, author of "Dim Sum and Faith: How Our Stories Form Our Souls." We talked about story, spirituality, and how our cultural narratives shape who we are and who we're becoming. The author's deepest prayer is that the book would serve as a resource for deeper discussion around growing in our relationship in Christ and with one another. Her ultimate desire is that Asian American and Christians globally would experience the love of God in deeper ways through the book.Check out this new book!• Read a free chapter at the publisher's book page https://www.ivpress.com/dim-sum-and-faith• Buy on amazon at https://amzn.to/4lv8PPd - available in print, kindle, and audiobook• Buy at B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dim-sum-and-faith-jenn-suen-chen/1146378006• Win a free print copy of this book https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/220113507-dim-sum-and-faith (enter by August 19, 2025)Connect with Jenn Suen Chen:• website https://www.jennsuenchen.com• instagram https://www.instagram.com/jennsuenchenJenn Suen Chen was previously on 5 episodes of Erasing Shame @https://erasingshame.com/tag/jenn-suen-chen/

Every June, there is a significant cultural event in Malaysia, which is called the Gawai Dayak Festival, highly celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season and give thanks to the Iban agricultural God, Raja Simpulang Gana. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Prof. Julie Yu-Wen Chen from the University of Helsinki talks to Dr. Gregory anak Kiyai, an expert of indigenous ethnic heritage from the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Malaya, about the Iban indigenous people in Malaysia and the meaning of Gawai Dayak for them. In the photograph of this episode, listeners can see an image taken by Dr Gregory anak Kiyai during fieldwork with the Iban community in 2019. There is a group of Lemambang, revered ritual specialists and custodians of Iban customary law, seen here gathered in a longhouse setting. Typically, elderly Iban men, or Lemambang, are deeply knowledgeable in traditional Iban customs and serve as important cultural figures. They are often consulted for their wisdom and lead significant ceremonies and rituals in the longhouse, especially during Gawai Dayak. On the Nordic Asia Podcast website, Dr Gregory anak Kiyai provides an image of the Lemambang, dressed in traditional Iban ceremonial attire known as baju burung (Iban woven jacket), woven using kebat or sungkit techniques. These garments bear sacred motifs inherited from their ancestors. Their headdresses, called lelanjang, are adorned with feathers from the burung ruai (Argusianus Argus), symbolising reverence to the Iban war God, Aki Senggalang Burung. Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Asian studies coordinator at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen is one of the Editors of the highly-ranked Journal of Chinese Political Science. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity. 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

Every June, there is a significant cultural event in Malaysia, which is called the Gawai Dayak Festival, highly celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season and give thanks to the Iban agricultural God, Raja Simpulang Gana. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Prof. Julie Yu-Wen Chen from the University of Helsinki talks to Dr. Gregory anak Kiyai, an expert of indigenous ethnic heritage from the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Malaya, about the Iban indigenous people in Malaysia and the meaning of Gawai Dayak for them. In the photograph of this episode, listeners can see an image taken by Dr Gregory anak Kiyai during fieldwork with the Iban community in 2019. There is a group of Lemambang, revered ritual specialists and custodians of Iban customary law, seen here gathered in a longhouse setting. Typically, elderly Iban men, or Lemambang, are deeply knowledgeable in traditional Iban customs and serve as important cultural figures. They are often consulted for their wisdom and lead significant ceremonies and rituals in the longhouse, especially during Gawai Dayak. On the Nordic Asia Podcast website, Dr Gregory anak Kiyai provides an image of the Lemambang, dressed in traditional Iban ceremonial attire known as baju burung (Iban woven jacket), woven using kebat or sungkit techniques. These garments bear sacred motifs inherited from their ancestors. Their headdresses, called lelanjang, are adorned with feathers from the burung ruai (Argusianus Argus), symbolising reverence to the Iban war God, Aki Senggalang Burung. Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Asian studies coordinator at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen is one of the Editors of the highly-ranked Journal of Chinese Political Science. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

Full article: Associations of Breast Cancer Method of Detection With Tumor Characteristics, Treatments, and Overall Survival: A Propensity-Score Matched Analysis Research into the method of breast cancer detection can help inform screening guidelines. Osvaldo Berlina, MD, discusses the AJR article by Chen et al. that uses a propensity-score matched analysis to understand associations of method of detection with survival outcomes.

In this episode, John Chen, MD, PhD, joins Ogul Uner, MD, to share his experience in neuro-ophthalmology. In the case discussed, a 32-year-old woman presented with decreased vision and pain in her right eye for 1 week, and examination revealed a rapid afferent pupillary defect. The patient also mentioned she had experienced numbness in her right arm 1 year ago. Dr. Chen explains why he would suspect retrobulbar optic neuritis in this case, and what his next steps would be to confirm that diagnosis and treat the patient.

The origins of our food and foodways are usually not well known and can sometimes be hard to track down. After all, how do you figure out the origins of something that's been around for centuries? On this week's show, we learn the history behind dishes that define our American cuisine and the traditions surrounding them. We begin with Dr. David Shields of the University of South Carolina. His book, "The Culinarians" explores the lives and careers of those who had a hand in creating the first age of American fine dining. Then, we find out whether whiskey is bourbon or bourbon whiskey? We're joined by author and spirits historian Fred Minnick. He answers that question for us as well as who really taught Jack Daniel to distill. Next, we speak with Gabrielle Langholtz, author of "America: The Cookbook." Gabrielle's encyclopedic tome explores our nation's identity through the immigrant stories and recipes that created American food as we know it. Finally, we learn the history of Chinese restaurants in the U.S. with U.C. Irvine professor, Yong Chen. Chen's book, "Chop Suey, USA," follows the history of Chinese cuisine in America – from the first four restaurants in California during the Gold Rush, to the nearly 50 thousand Chinese restaurants found across the country today. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

The origins of our food and foodways are usually not well known and can sometimes be hard to track down. After all, how do you figure out the origins of something that's been around for centuries? On this week's show, we learn the history behind dishes that define our American cuisine and the traditions surrounding them. We begin with Dr. David Shields of the University of South Carolina. His book, "The Culinarians" explores the lives and careers of those who had a hand in creating the first age of American fine dining. Then, we find out whether whiskey is bourbon or bourbon whiskey? We're joined by author and spirits historian Fred Minnick. He answers that question for us as well as who really taught Jack Daniel to distill. Next, we speak with Gabrielle Langholtz, author of "America: The Cookbook." Gabrielle's encyclopedic tome explores our nation's identity through the immigrant stories and recipes that created American food as we know it. Finally, we learn the history of Chinese restaurants in the U.S. with U.C. Irvine professor, Yong Chen. Chen's book, "Chop Suey, USA," follows the history of Chinese cuisine in America – from the first four restaurants in California during the Gold Rush, to the nearly 50 thousand Chinese restaurants found across the country today. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Stell dir vor, du könntest als Führungskraft noch gezielter auf die Stärken deiner Teammitglieder eingehen – gerade bei denjenigen, die eher leise oder introvertiert wirken. In dieser spannenden Podcastfolge von „Stimme wirkt!“ mit Dr. Sylvia Löhken erfährst du, wie du Menschen mit unterschiedlichen Persönlichkeitsstrukturen besser wahrnimmst und gezielt Raum für ihre Kompetenzen schaffst. Sylvia Löhken, Expertin für Intro- und Extraversion, spricht darüber, warum Introversion keine Ausrede für mangelnde Kommunikation ist und wie gerade die stillen Kräfte in deinem Team ihre ganze Wirkung entfalten können, wenn du als Führungskraft gezielt darauf eingehst.Du bekommst Impulse dazu, wie du als Leader Meetings, Gespräche und Entscheidungsfindungen so gestaltest, dass auch ruhigere Persönlichkeiten gehört werden und ihre Energie sinnvoll einbringen. Du lernst, wie kleine Veränderungen – zum Beispiel mehr Ruhe im Gespräch zuzulassen oder ganz bewusst Pausen einzubauen – für mehr Tiefgang, Klarheit und gegenseitige Wertschätzung sorgen. Gerade im Umgang mit Druck oder fordernden Zeiten erfährst du, wie du durch kluge Kommunikation Verbundenheit und Sicherheit stärkst.Außerdem gibt es praktische Tipps, wie du selbstbewusst Gesprächslenkung übernimmst und nicht in typische Kommunikationsfallen tappst, die gerade introvertierte Teammitglieder oft ausbremsen. Für deinen Führungsalltag nimmst du Ideen mit, wie du Raum – im mentalen, sprachlichen und räumlichen Sinn – schaffen kannst, um echtes Potenzial zu entfalten.Hör unbedingt rein, wenn du erfahren möchtest, wie du als Führungskraft durch gezielte Kommunikation, Feingefühl und neue Perspektiven die Stimme in deinem Team zum Klingen bringst – und damit für mehr Teamgeist, Innovation und erfolgreichen Umgang mit herausfordernden Situationen sorgst! . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gesprächspartner von Arno Fischbacher ist auch in dieser Episode Andreas K. Giermaier von https://lernenderzukunft.com/Dein Voicecoach Arno Fischbacher begleitet Dich auf Deinem persönlichen Weg von Stimm-Besitzer zum Stimm-Benutzer!✅ Hast Du Fragen? Schreib an podcast@arno-fischbacher.com✅ Du willst mit mir persönlich sprechen? Gern: https://arno-fischbacher.com/espresso

Every year, hundreds of films are produced in Hengdian, a once-obscure township in Zhejiang province that is now often referred to as "China's Hollywood".Few people realize, however, that the ascent of Hengdian — and the broader transformation of Zhejiang as a cultural powerhouse — was shaped earlier when Xi Jinping served as the province's Party secretary.In 2003, months after becoming secretary of the Communist Party of China Zhejiang Provincial Committee, Xi visited Hengdian at a moment when its sprawling film sets were growing rapidly, but the industry lacked support for deeper integration across the production value chain.Private capital was still restricted from entering critical areas such as film production and distribution."He encouraged us to explore boldly and vigorously develop the film and cultural industry," recalled Xu Tianfu, vice-president of Hengdian Group.Soon after Xi's visit, Zhejiang authorities launched a provincial task force to study reforms, which led to the creation of China's first national-level film industry pilot zone in Hengdian in 2004.The move marked a turning point in widening investment opportunities for the cultural sector and laid the groundwork for what is now one of the world's busiest film production hubs.In 2005, the provincial Party committee, under Xi's leadership, adopted "eight projects" to build Zhejiang into a province with strong culture.The projects span eight areas — civic quality, cultural excellence, cultural research, cultural preservation, cultural industry promotion, cultural infrastructure, cultural communication and cultural talent development.As China pushes to build itself into a nation strong in culture, the projects have provided key references and are a critical component of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, analysts said.The thought, first put forward at a two-day national meeting on the work of public communication and culture in October 2023, highlighted the need to meet the people's increasingly diverse, multitiered and multifaceted spiritual and cultural needs, and enhance the supply of services and products, in order to strengthen people's sense of cultural fulfillment and happiness.Chen Ye, former vice-president of the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said the eight projects reflected Xi's belief that cultural development is central to modernization."His strategic vision, forward-looking ideas, political courage and pragmatic approach laid a solid foundation for preserving cultural heritage and promoting contemporary cultural development," she said.In Zhejiang, the results have been more than palpable. More than 5,000 film and television companies operate across the province. Since 2003, the added value of Zhejiang's cultural industries has risen from 44.2 billion yuan ($6.15 billion) to over 615 billion yuan. Their share of the province's GDP has more than doubled, to over 7 percent.The province is now home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, five national archaeological parks, 281 nationally protected heritage sites and 926 registered village museums.One of the most notable preservation efforts has focused on the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City, a Neolithic site on the outskirts of Hangzhou.Preserving heritageDuring a 2003 visit, Xi was briefed on the status of the preservation of the site — a hub for a rice-cultivating and jade-worshiping culture dating back 4,300 to 5,300 years."The Liangzhu archaeological site is a sacred testament to China's 5,000-year civilization and a rare, invaluable treasure. We must ensure its preservation with the utmost care," Xi said during the visit.He ordered the expansion of the preservation zone, halted nearby quarrying and called for the site to be prepared for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over the next decade, archaeological work accelerated alongside policy, legal and ecological support, and in 2019, Liangzhu was inscribed on the World Heritage List.Preservation of intangible heritage was also elevated under Xi's tenure in Zhejiang.In 2005, when he visited a Kunqu Opera troupe in Yongjia county, the troupe had been struggling to survive since losing public funding in the 1980s.After watching the performance and speaking with veteran actress Lin Meimei, Xi initiated a provincial-level plan to rescue the centuries-old Kunqu Opera.The troupe was granted heritage status and allocated funding of 1 million yuan per year. Today, it stages more than 200 shows annually and has worked with a vocational college to train new performers."We are full of gratitude," Lin said. Now recognized as a national inheritor of Kunqu Opera, she added: "The flame of Kunqu Opera in Yongjia has not gone out. We've lived up to the legacy entrusted to us by our forebears."Innovation mattersXi's emphasis on cultural innovation also extended to the animation and gaming sectors.In 2005, he visited the China Academy of Art, where he highlighted the broad potential of the animation sector and the strength for Hangzhou to build a "city of animation".That same day, he toured Zhejiang Zhongnan Animation Co, now one of the largest original animation companies in China."Animation should not be measured purely in financial terms," Xi told Wu Jianrong, chairman of Zhongnan Group, of which Zhongnan Animation is a subsidiary."It provides young people with healthy spiritual nourishment. Chinese civilization has over 5,000 years of history — you can create animated works featuring our national heroes," Xi said.Encouraged by Xi's remarks, Zhongnan produced a series of animations and began exporting them.That year, Hangzhou hosted the inaugural China International Cartoon & Animation Festival, generating over 10 million yuan in on-site sales and 3 billion yuan in potential deals.Xi later wrote to national regulators to help secure Hangzhou as the event's permanent home and supported the creation of a dedicated organizing office.Hangzhou is now home to more than 270 animation and gaming companies, employing over 12,000 people. The city is the birthplace of the hit video game Black Myth: Wukong, and 227 internet-based animated series produced in the city were licensed in 2024, accounting for 34.45 percent of the national total.Across Zhejiang, there are more than 300,000 private cultural enterprises — up from fewer than 45,000 in 2003.Chen, the former vice-president of Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said that Xi's cultural initiatives during his tenure in Zhejiang and the landmark achievements in the new era highlighted the importance of sustained efforts to deliver cultural development outcomes that truly benefit the people."It also indicated that the implementation and evaluation of cultural initiatives should prioritize the production of more high-quality outcomes to meet the cultural rights and interests of the broadest segments of the population."

Former Coralogix VP of Products and OverOps co-founder Chen Harel joins Dash0's Mirko Novakovic for a candid look at the observability industry — past, present and future. They unpack the early days of production debugging, the realities of scaling in a crowded market and the behind-the-scenes of big-name acquisitions. From surviving startup cycles to navigating enterprise politics, Chen shares what he's learned from a decade of building, selling and staying competitive in one of tech's most unique spaces.

En este episodio lo último en salud y fitness edición de julio 2025, vamos a platicar de varios temas que sin duda son bastante interesantes.Veremos si la melatonina puede hacerte más rápido (sí, leíste bien), cómo el ejercicio actúa como un antioxidante natural en tu cuerpo, los beneficios del entrenamiento de fuerza para mujeres mayores con obesidad sarcopénica, qué pasa cuando combinas ayuno intermitente con superávit calórico, y hasta cómo la jardinería en realidad virtual puede mejorar la cognición en adultos mayores.Este mes nos enfocamos en estudios que no solo tienen buena base científica, sino que también puedes aplicar en tu día a día. Mi idea es que al terminar este episodio tengas información clara, basada en evidencia, pero que también puedas usar de inmediato. Sin tanta teoría complicada y con consejos que realmente funcionan.Referencias: 1.      Mahdi, N., Delleli, S., Jebabli, A. & Maaoui…, K. B. Melatonin Supplementation Enhances Next-Day High-Intensity Exercise Performance and Recovery in Trained Males: A Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study. Sports (2025).2.      Xie, Y., Gu, Y., Li, Z., Zhang, L. & Hei, Y. Effects of exercise on different antioxidant enzymes and related indicators: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Scientific Reports (2025).3.      Guo, C., Dai, T., Zhang, H., Luo, M. & Gao…, J. Effect of resistance training on body composition and physical function in older females with sarcopenic obesity—a systematic review and meta-analysis of …. Frontiers in Aging … (2025).4.      Blake, D. T., Hamane, C. & Pacheco…, C. Hypercaloric 16: 8 time-restricted eating during 8 weeks of resistance exercise in well-trained men and women. Journal of the … (2025).5.      Chuang, I. C., Abdullahi, A., Chen, I. C. & Wu…, Y. R. Effects of immersive leisure-based virtual reality cognitive training on cognitive and physical function in community-based older adults: A randomized controlled trial. Digital … (2025).

This episode is a bit different, because in this episode you host Ana Tajder will tell you her guest's mother's story. To Ana's big shock, because of technical difficulties with recording between US and China, the recording of this beautiful interview turned out blank. But Ana believed mama Chen's inspiring story had to be shared, so she shared it herself, using notes she took during the interview. Ana's guest is a Beijing based artist and industrial design professor Xue Hongyan. Xue talks about her mom Chen who, after a life of hard work in a factory, started her own business at 50. Listen for a glimpse into a life of a working-class woman in China, and for important lessons on hard work, resilience, and courage to start a new professional phase in your 50s.  Subscribe to Ana's new "Mama Loves…” newsletter here.  To contact Ana, to be a guest, or suggest a guest, please send your mail to: info@thankyoumama.net For more about “Thank You, Mama", please visit: http://www.thankyoumama.net Connect with Ana on social media: https://www.instagram.com/anatajder/ https://www.facebook.com/ana.tajder  

In the Philippines, rice serves as a fundamental component of the diet, typically accompanying most meals as either white or brown rice. It is also a key ingredient in various snacks and desserts. Consequently, the Philippines ranks among the top countries globally in rice per capita consumption, alongside nations like China and India. However, the majority of rice produced are modern varieties, which are intended for mass consumption, and differs from traditional varieties. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Julie Yu-Wen Chen, a Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Helsinki, engages in a discussion with Floper Gershwin Manuel about traditional rice in the Philippines and the initiatives aimed at its preservation. Floper Gershwin Manuel is currently a PhD student at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand taking up PhD in Sociology and Anthropology. His research interests include heritage and museum studies, rural and agricultural communities, cultural mapping, and gender and youth in agriculture and heritage work. Floper is also a Faculty at the Department of Social Sciences in Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He has served as Head for the university's Center for Central Luzon Studies, which also manages the CLSU Agricultural Museum. Prior to working at CLSU, Floper has worked at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, where he worked on projects related to the Rice Science Museum and other studies related to rice and culture. Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Asian studies coordinator at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen is one of the Editors of the highly-ranked Journal of Chinese Political Science. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity. 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

Hue Chen, President of Saglo Companies, stopped by to drop some serious shopping center knowledge. From his early days as a leasing agent to leading one of South Florida's most active retail owner-operators, Hue's journey is a masterclass in grit, hustle, and long-term vision.A fixture at ICSC and a forward-thinker in applying AI to real estate, Hue shares how he's stayed ahead of the curve while scaling a portfolio and building lasting relationships in the CRE world.Tune in to hear how to rise through the ranks, lead with energy, and stay sharp in a rapidly evolving industry.Connect with usWant to dive deeper into Miami's commercial real estate scene? It's our favorite topic—and we're always up for a good conversation. Whether you're just exploring or already making big moves, feel free to reach out at felipe@builtworldadvisors.com or give us a call at 305.498.9410. Prefer to connect online? Find us on LinkedIn or Instagram—we're always open to expanding the conversation. Ben Hoffman: LinkedIn Felipe Azenha: LinkedIn We extend our sincere gratitude to Büro coworking space for generously granting us the opportunity to record all our podcasts at any of their 8 convenient locations across South Florida.

In the Philippines, rice serves as a fundamental component of the diet, typically accompanying most meals as either white or brown rice. It is also a key ingredient in various snacks and desserts. Consequently, the Philippines ranks among the top countries globally in rice per capita consumption, alongside nations like China and India. However, the majority of rice produced are modern varieties, which are intended for mass consumption, and differs from traditional varieties. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Julie Yu-Wen Chen, a Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Helsinki, engages in a discussion with Floper Gershwin Manuel about traditional rice in the Philippines and the initiatives aimed at its preservation. Floper Gershwin Manuel is currently a PhD student at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand taking up PhD in Sociology and Anthropology. His research interests include heritage and museum studies, rural and agricultural communities, cultural mapping, and gender and youth in agriculture and heritage work. Floper is also a Faculty at the Department of Social Sciences in Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He has served as Head for the university's Center for Central Luzon Studies, which also manages the CLSU Agricultural Museum. Prior to working at CLSU, Floper has worked at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, where he worked on projects related to the Rice Science Museum and other studies related to rice and culture. Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Asian studies coordinator at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen is one of the Editors of the highly-ranked Journal of Chinese Political Science. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity. Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/southeast-asian-studies

In the Philippines, rice serves as a fundamental component of the diet, typically accompanying most meals as either white or brown rice. It is also a key ingredient in various snacks and desserts. Consequently, the Philippines ranks among the top countries globally in rice per capita consumption, alongside nations like China and India. However, the majority of rice produced are modern varieties, which are intended for mass consumption, and differs from traditional varieties. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Julie Yu-Wen Chen, a Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Helsinki, engages in a discussion with Floper Gershwin Manuel about traditional rice in the Philippines and the initiatives aimed at its preservation. Floper Gershwin Manuel is currently a PhD student at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand taking up PhD in Sociology and Anthropology. His research interests include heritage and museum studies, rural and agricultural communities, cultural mapping, and gender and youth in agriculture and heritage work. Floper is also a Faculty at the Department of Social Sciences in Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He has served as Head for the university's Center for Central Luzon Studies, which also manages the CLSU Agricultural Museum. Prior to working at CLSU, Floper has worked at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, where he worked on projects related to the Rice Science Museum and other studies related to rice and culture. Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Asian studies coordinator at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen is one of the Editors of the highly-ranked Journal of Chinese Political Science. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/food

本期节目，我们以斯坦福跨性别生物学教授琼·拉夫加登的著作《进化的彩虹》为起点，一起探索生物世界里那些“非模板”的性别角色和广泛存在的同性性行为。为什么在进化中看似“不利于”繁殖的同性性行为没有被淘汰？它仅仅是“意外”还是隐藏着不为人知的进化优势？我们还会将目光投向人类本身，回顾从备受争议的“同性恋基因”Xq28研究，到近年来大规模的全基因组关联分析（GWAS），科学是如何一步步揭示性取向的复杂性的。当我们试图用简单的模板去框定复杂的生命时，这个模板本身才是问题所在。⏰ 时间轴00:26 《进化的彩虹》，开启一场关于生物多样性、性别与性的科学探讨。06:48 打破性别模板：从雄性可变雌性的小丑鱼，到“爸爸怀孕”的海马，再到拥有“假阴茎”的雌性鬣狗，见识自然界中颠覆想象的性别角色。16:21 人类的性别光谱：Facebook上的56种性别选项是什么？聊聊间性人群体在“二元论”社会中所面临的困境。21:05 动物界的同性性行为：以倭黑猩猩和日本猕猴为例，看同性间的亲密行为如何成为化解矛盾、巩固联盟，甚至只是为了“Have Fun”的社交方式。30:04 同性恋的进化优势？黑天鹅的雄性配对会共同“偷蛋”育雏，其后代存活率竟远高于异性家庭。33:24 “同性恋基因”为何存在：探讨适应性假说、基因多效性以及“叔叔假说”，揭示同性恋可能带来的隐性繁殖优势。40:12 科学如何研究同性恋：回顾从1993年备受争议的X染色体“同性恋基因”研究，到2019年近50万人的大型GWAS分析，科学认知发生了怎样的变化？46:59 最终的思考：我们总是试图寻找某个“致病基因”，这是否源于一种想把“非模板”病理化的倾向？也许，多样性本身就是答案。故事征集正在听节目的你是否有过性别认同的艰难时刻呢？你与同性朋友是否有超越友谊的联结呢？如果你愿意与我们分享你的故事，欢迎在shownotes中填写问卷给我们投稿。

In the Philippines, rice serves as a fundamental component of the diet, typically accompanying most meals as either white or brown rice. It is also a key ingredient in various snacks and desserts. Consequently, the Philippines ranks among the top countries globally in rice per capita consumption, alongside nations like China and India. However, the majority of rice produced are modern varieties, which are intended for mass consumption, and differs from traditional varieties. In this episode of the Nordic Asia Podcast, Julie Yu-Wen Chen, a Professor of Chinese Studies at the University of Helsinki, engages in a discussion with Floper Gershwin Manuel about traditional rice in the Philippines and the initiatives aimed at its preservation. Floper Gershwin Manuel is currently a PhD student at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand taking up PhD in Sociology and Anthropology. His research interests include heritage and museum studies, rural and agricultural communities, cultural mapping, and gender and youth in agriculture and heritage work. Floper is also a Faculty at the Department of Social Sciences in Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. He has served as Head for the university's Center for Central Luzon Studies, which also manages the CLSU Agricultural Museum. Prior to working at CLSU, Floper has worked at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, where he worked on projects related to the Rice Science Museum and other studies related to rice and culture. Julie Yu-Wen Chen is Professor of Chinese Studies and Asian studies coordinator at the Department of Cultures at the University of Helsinki (Finland). Chen is one of the Editors of the highly-ranked Journal of Chinese Political Science. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Asian Ethnicity.

With over 7 years of experience teaching Chinese language in the UK, Chen Baiyan opens up about the joys and challenges of cross-cultural teaching, how she creates immersive lessons abroad, and her top tips for mastering Chinese—no matter where you are. Tune in to hear Ms. Chen's insights!(04:36) What's the best way to begin learning Chinese?(09:46) How do UK students respond to cultural activities in Chinese classes?

Your business is growing, and you've got new agents excited to get out in the field! In this episode we've got tips and strategies for training downline agents. Read the text version   Developing an Agency – Your Guide to Getting Started   Contact the Agent Survival Guide Podcast! Email us ASGPodcast@Ritterim.com or call 1-717-562-7211 and leave a voicemail.   Ritter Blog: 4 Tips for Making a Better Insurance Sales Pitch How to Get Health and Life Insurance Continuing Education Credits as an Agent How to Recruit Insurance Agents to Your Downline The Best Books for Insurance Agents The Ritter Blog Tips for Becoming a Top Producing Insurance Agency What Are Insurance Hierarchies & How Do They Work?   Podcast Episodes: Level Up: The Value of Sales Shadowing for New Insurance Agents Setting Up Your Insurance Business Structure ft. Frank Lavery & Justin Abodalo Should You Hire an Assistant for Your Insurance Business? The Agent Survival Guide Podcast   Additional Resources: Events with Ritter Insurance Marketing FREE eBooks & Guides for Insurance Agents Integrity Tools & Resources Knight School Training for Agents MA & PDP Compliant Sales Checklist Meet Your Ritter Sales Team Ritter Docs Agencies Ritter Insurance Marketing on YouTube Ritter Summits   References: “7 Types of Learning Styles and How to Teach Them.” Teachable, https://teachable.com/blog/types-of-learning-styles. Accessed 8 July 2025. Chen, Jessica. “10 Best Virtual Meeting Platforms & Software (Tried & Tested).” Teambuilding.Com, 12 Feb. 2025, https://teambuilding.com/blog/virtual-meeting-platforms. “40 Reflection Questions.” Edutopia, https://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-stw-replicatingPBL-21stCAcad-reflection-questions.pdf. Accessed 8 July 2025. Herrity, Jennifer. “Collaborative Learning: Center for Teaching Innovation.” Indeed, 26 Mar. 2025, https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/benefits-of-collaborative-learning. “Health Care Insurance Coverage for Self-Employed Individuals.” HealthCare.Gov, https://www.healthcare.gov/self-employed/. Accessed 8 July 2025. Pollick, Michael. “How Do Birds Learn How to Fly?” All Things Nature, All Things Nature, 4 June 2024, https://www.allthingsnature.org/how-do-birds-learn-how-to-fly.htm. “Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?” Internal Revenue Service, https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee. Accessed 8 July 2025. Gutierrez, Karla. “Mind-Blowing Statistics Prove the Value of Employee Training - Shift E.” Shift Learning, https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/statistics-value-of-employee-training-and-development. Accessed 8 July 2025. Ayoola, Elizabeth. “Self-Employed Retirement Plans: Know Your Options.” NerdWallet, 3 Jan. 2025, https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/retirement-plans-self-employed. Colin Burton. “The 5 Most Effective Teaching Styles, and How to Adapt Your Style.” THINKFIC, 7 Oct. 2024, https://www.thinkific.com/blog/teaching-styles/. Chapman, Tom. “Top 10: Supply Chain Management Platforms.” Supply Chain Magazine, Bizclik Media Ltd, 5 June 2024, https://supplychaindigital.com/digital-supply-chain/top-10-supply-chain-management-platforms. Gellerman, Erica. “The Complete Guide to Independent Contractor Taxes.” NerdWallet, https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/small-business/independent-contractor-tax-guide. Accessed 8 July 2025.   Follow Us on Social! Ritter on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/RitterIM Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/ritter.insurance.marketing/ LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/company/ritter-insurance-marketing TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ritterim X, https://x.com/RitterIM and YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/user/RitterInsurance     Sarah on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sjrueppel/ Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/thesarahjrueppel/ and Threads, https://www.threads.net/@thesarahjrueppel  Tina on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-lamoreux-6384b7199/   Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency.

Our MissionAt the Oneness Institute, our mission is simple yet profound:To help people heal naturally, live clearly, awaken deeply —through a practice once kept secret for thousands of years.In today's fast-paced world, pain, fatigue, anxiety, and burnout have become the norm. For the younger generation, screen addiction and disconnection only make things worse.According to the World Health Organization, there are over 55,000 known diseases—yet many have no effective treatment. For rare diseases alone, 95% lack an FDA-approved cure, This reality shows why we need a new path—not more treatment, but a return to something deeper.Oneness is that return.Rooted in ancient wisdom and refined over generations, Oneness unites stillness and movement, energy and awareness, body and mind. It doesn't fight the body—it helps it remember how to heal.Our goal is to share Oneness with 100 million people worldwide."There's no greater reward than seeing the light return to a student's face—the joy, the hope—and watching them begin to lift others as well"-LD ChenWant to be a guest on Book 101 Review? Send Daniel Lucas a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/17372807971394464fea5bae3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, we explore AI and crypto wallets with Ram Kumar from Open Ledger and Eowyn from Trust Wallet. As AI reshapes wallet interfaces, we discuss the "fat wallet thesis" and more:-How Trust Wallet Plans to Integrate AI Without Compromising Self-Custody-The Security Risks of AI-Powered Wallets-OpenLedger's Vision for Rewarding Data Contributors-Why Generic AI Will Never Work for DeFiLet's get into it.The Rollup------Website: https://therollup.co/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1P6ZeYd9vbF3hJA2n7qoL5?si=7230787bb90947efPodcast: https://therollup.co/category/podcastFollow us on X: https://www.x.com/therollupcoFollow Rob on X: https://www.x.com/robbie_rollupFollow Andy on X: https://www.x.com/ayyyeandyJoin our TG group: https://t.me/+8ARkR_YZixE5YjBhThe Rollup Disclosures: https://therollup.co/the-rollup-discl

In this transformative episode, Glenda Chen shares her journey from a seven-figure finance executive struggling with burnout to finding true fulfillment by aligning her inner worth with outer success. After a near-death experience, being hit by a bus during a business trip, Glenda completely rewired her approach to success and now helps high-achieving women break free from validation-seeking cycles through her work with Phoenix Realms and the Theta Collective. Her powerful insights into self-acceptance and redefining success offer a masterclass for anyone who feels empty despite external achievements. Episode Highlights"Success without self-worth is empty" - Glenda discovered that no amount of external validation could fill the void of not knowing and accepting herself.Changing your environment doesn't necessarily mean quitting your job - sometimes it means changing the conversations you have and investing in personal development.Glenda asks a powerful question of her clients: "Am I free to be me?" -revealing that many successful people feel trapped inside their achievements.Self-image is the key to sustainable success - we can change everything externally, but we will never outperform our internal concept of ourselves.By knowing herself better, Glenda transformed from a "no bullshit, cut the chitchat" executive to a calmer, more effective leader her colleagues recognize as being fundamentally changed.Personal development isn't just for leaving corporate life - Glenda uses her insights to mentor younger executives and create less toxic work environments.Featured on This Show:Click here to find out how to work with meClick here to access valuable free resources for coaches Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candymotzek/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/candy-motzek/Glenda ChenFor over two decades, Glenda thrived in the financial industry, earning seven figures and achieving the accolades many dream of. Yet behind the polished success was an exhausting pursuit of worth one tied to constant achievements, external validation, and the belief that more work meant more value. A near-death experience forced her to confront a truth many high-achieving women face: Success does not feel as good as it looks, and success without self-worth is an empty victory. This realization led her on a journey to rewire the subconscious mind, break free from perfectionism, and reclaim success on her own terms. Now, as the founder of Phoenix Realms and The Theta Collective, Glenda helps professional women release self-judgment, rewrite their internal programming, and create wealth and success without burnout. By integrating neuroscience, subconscious reprogramming, and high-performance coaching, she empowers women to align their inner worth with their outer success.Glenda will share how your self-image shapes your entire reality and why shifting your internal identity is the missing key to achieving wealth,...

In this episode, we explore the surprising power of storytime to shape who children become. Grounded in rigorous research from Mar, Lee, Larsen, and Chen, we unpack how reading storybooks to children aged 3 to 8 can measurably boost empathy, honesty, and kindness. Through clever experiments — from broccoli vs. cookie mind games to sticker-sharing challenges and honesty tests inspired by George Washington — scientists have shown that stories aren't just entertainment. They're training grounds for the heart. But not all stories work the same: human characters outperform animals, and tales that reward good behavior beat those that punish the bad. Most powerful of all? Consistent, shared reading with emotional discussion over time. Whether you're a parent, educator, or just someone who believes in the transformative magic of books, this episode offers practical insight and hope: that empathy isn't just taught — it's told.

What if ancient wisdom held the key to healing your body, quieting your mind, and unlocking a more peaceful, purposeful life? In this powerful discussion, LD Chen reveals the life-changing practice of Oneness, an ancient healing method that helped him recover from chronic illness and now inspires a global movement toward true well-being. Tune in for an inspiring discussion with LD Chen on his new book Oneness: The Simple Self-Healing Secret You Were Never Supposed to Know.  Moments with Marianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate!  https://www.kmet1490am.comLD Chen is an entrepreneur and fourth-generation lineage holder of Dacheng Quan, a Chinese martial art. After a near-death experience at 32 and years of battling chronic illness, he discovered Oneness—a simple, ancient healing practice that transformed his life. A disciple of Grandmaster Yu Hongkun and Head Coach of the Oneness Institute for America and Europe, LD now dedicates his life to sharing this practice globally. Since immigrating to the U.S. and completing his Executive MBA at NYU Stern, he's on a mission to help  100 million people heal and thrive through Oneness.  https://onenessinstitute.orgOrder Oneness on Amazon: https://a.co/d/eMDvh8y For more show information visit: https://www.mariannepestana.com

I dag har jeg med meg professor Maja-Lisa Løchen – ekspert på forebyggende medisin, med en imponerende karriere som forsker, formidler og overlege ved Hjertemedisinsk avdeling ved UNN. Hun er også instituttleder ved Institutt for klinisk medisin ved UiT.Vi snakker blant annet om hva forskningen sier om tobakkbruk og hvorfor det ikke er ufarlig å røyke eller snuse «bare av og til» og hvordan snus kan påvirke både sædkvalitet og fosterets helse.Maja-Lisa deler også sin kunnskap om barn og fedme og hvorfor ansvaret ikke kan legges på enkeltbarn eller familier alene. Hva har egentlig skolemat og samfunnsstruktur med barnas helse å gjøre?For mer fra Maja-Lisa:https://uit.no/ansatte/maja-lisa.lochenØnsker deg en nydelig uke!AnnetteFølg meg gjerne på:Instagram.com/dr.annettedraglandFacebook.com/drannettedraglandhttps://youtube.com/@drannetteDisclaimer: Innholdet i podcasten og på denne nettsiden er ikke ment å utgjøre eller være en erstatning for profesjonell medisinsk rådgivning, diagnose eller behandling. Søk alltid råd fra legen din eller annet kvalifisert helsepersonell hvis du har spørsmål angående en medisinsk tilstand. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Cynthia Chen, a fellow Reader & Runner, shares some of her piping hot takes about the reading life. She also discusses how she got back into reading after an eight year hiatus and tips for people who want to get back into reading. She gives a lot of really great book recommendations for Chicago books and we talk about how annoying it is when the geography of Chicago is incorrect.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy's reading:  Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa The Rich People Have Gone Away by Regina Porter The House on the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune    Books Highlighted by Cynthia: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker  Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  Eastbound by Maylis de Kerangal Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner  Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai  The Chicago Neighborhood Guidebook by Martha Bayne Running While Black by Allison Mariella Désir BFF: A Memoir of Friendship Lost and Found by Christie Tate    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Night of the Living Dummy (Goosebumps #1) by R.L. Stine Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky  The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream by Dean Jobb  Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano  River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure  Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin  Atomic Habits by James Clear  The Battle of Lincoln Park by Daniel Kay Hertz The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

Universities in China have long produced doctors, engineers, lawyers, educators and business professionals. Now one in Hunan province will produce barbecue chefs.长期以来，中国的大学培养了医生、工程师、律师、教育工作者和商业专业人士。现在湖南省有一家将培养烧烤厨师。Yueyang, a city known for its succulent barbecue cuisine, has launched the first barbecue college in China to standardize the booming industry and boost local economic growth.岳阳是一个以多汁的烧烤美食而闻名的城市，它开设了中国第一所烧烤学院，以规范蓬勃发展的行业，促进当地经济增长。Yueyang Open University has joined hands with the Yueyang Barbecue Association to create China's first vocational education platform dedicated to barbecue.岳阳开放大学与岳阳市烧烤协会携手打造中国首个烧烤职业教育平台。A strategic agreement, which also involves the local government, has initiated the creation of the Yueyang Barbecue Research Institute and the Yueyang Barbecue Industry College, whose goals are to train specialized talent, standardize culinary and business practices, and promote the well-known barbecue sector.一项也涉及当地政府的战略协议启动了岳阳烧烤研究所和岳阳烧烤产业学院的创建，其目标是培养专业人才，规范烹饪和商业实践，促进知名烧烤行业的发展。The initiative reflects a deep ambition, said Yue Yanhua, Party secretary of Yueyang Open University. "The institute is expected to transform what is now a store-based barbecue economy into a more structured and integrated industry chain," he said.岳阳开放大学党委书记乐艳华表示，这一举措反映了一种雄心壮志。他说：“该研究所有望将现在以商店为基础的烧烤经济转变为一个更加结构化和一体化的产业链。”The institute will take the lead in drafting the "Yueyang Barbecue Industry Standard", and develop talent evaluation methods as well as outline a development plan, he added.他补充说，该研究所将牵头起草《岳阳烧烤行业标准》，制定人才评估方法，并制定发展规划。Barbecue has become a central part of the catering economy of Yueyang, which is home to more than 2,000 barbecue shops and their 50,000 employees, with an estimated annual output exceeding 2 billion yuan ($280 million).烧烤已成为岳阳餐饮经济的核心部分，岳阳拥有2000多家烧烤店和5万名员工，估计年产值超过20亿元人民币（2.8亿美元）。Jiang Zongfu, vice-president of Yueyang Open University, said the establishment of the barbecue college is a response to employment challenges faced by local residents, especially young people.岳阳开放大学副校长姜宗福表示，烧烤学院的成立是为了应对当地居民，尤其是年轻人面临的就业挑战。"Many junior high school graduates who enter the labor market struggle to find appropriate opportunities," he said, adding that barbecue jobs have become popular because of their low entry threshold and relatively high income potential.他说：“许多进入劳动力市场的初中毕业生很难找到合适的机会。”他补充说，烧烤工作之所以受到欢迎，是因为他们的进入门槛低，收入潜力相对较高。The initiative has been met with some skepticism. Some people are wondering if formal education in the field would actually help sustain the barbecue industry.这一倡议遭到了一些怀疑。有些人想知道，该领域的正规教育是否真的有助于维持烧烤行业。"I'd like to adopt a wait-and-watch approach here," said a local barbecue shop owner surnamed Chen. "The essence of the art of barbecue lies in long-term practical experience. Handling certain tastes requires years of honing skills."当地一位姓陈的烧烤店老板说：“我想在这里采取观望的态度。”。“烧烤艺术的精髓在于长期的实践经验。处理某些口味需要多年的磨练技巧。”However, Jiang, vice-president of the university, said that the institute will study and plan the development of the entire barbecue industry chain, including the production of seasonings, meat handling, vegetable processing, logistics and operations — all of which require skilled workers.然而，该大学副校长姜表示，该研究所将研究和规划整个烧烤产业链的发展，包括调味品生产、肉类处理、蔬菜加工、物流和运营，所有这些都需要熟练的工人。The Yueyang Barbecue Industry College promises to fulfill the need for skilled workers in the field and also provide a structured training system tailored for diverse groups.岳阳烧烤产业学院承诺满足该领域对技术工人的需求，并为不同群体提供量身定制的结构化培训体系。Starting this year, the college will partner with the local human resources bureau to provide 10 days of free government-funded training for some 300 unemployed people. Short-term courses and entrepreneurship instructions will prioritize hands-on learning of the skills needed to start small barbecue businesses.从今年开始，该学院将与当地人力资源局合作，为约300名失业人员提供为期10天的免费政府资助培训。短期课程和创业指导将优先考虑动手学习创办小型烧烤企业所需的技能。Starting next year, the college will enroll 50 to 100 junior high school graduates annually for a full-time vocational program lasting three years. For the general public, it will offer courses spanning from six months to one year, aiming to train 1,000 barbecue specialists within three years.从明年开始，该学院每年将招收50至100名初中毕业生参加为期三年的全日制职业课程。对于普通公众，它将提供为期六个月至一年的课程，旨在三年内培训1000名烧烤专家。The curriculum is being jointly developed by the university and the association. Two core courses — one on barbecue craftsmanship and the other on business management — are currently in preparation. They will combine theory and practice and will be delivered jointly by university professors, experienced barbecue practitioners and local business owners.该课程由大学和协会联合开发。目前正在准备两门核心课程，一门是烧烤工艺，另一门是商业管理。他们将理论与实践相结合，由大学教授、经验丰富的烧烤从业者和当地企业主共同授课。"This is a new field for formal education," said Qiao Binbin, secretary-general of the Yueyang Barbecue Association. "Senior barbecue chefs from leading restaurants will design course content, covering food preparation techniques, hygiene, handling of materials, store operations and online marketing."岳阳烧烤协会秘书长乔彬彬说：“这是正规教育的一个新领域。”。“来自领先餐厅的高级烧烤厨师将设计课程内容，涵盖食物准备技术、卫生、材料处理、商店运营和在线营销。”The instructors will include master grillers and livestreaming experts, who will inform students about traditional and digital business environments. The association will coordinate with around 50 local barbecue businesses to provide internships and job opportunities for graduates.讲师将包括烧烤大师和直播专家，他们将向学生介绍传统和数字商业环境。该协会将与约50家当地烧烤企业协调，为毕业生提供实习和就业机会。Unlike cities such as Zibo in Shandong province and other places in northeastern China, Yueyang is taking a different route in the barbecue sector. Representing the southern school of Chinese barbecue, Yueyang's local cuisine is deeply rooted in the region's culinary traditions, which establishes it as a renowned brand, she said.与山东省淄博市和中国东北其他地方不同，岳阳在烧烤行业采取了不同的路线。她说，岳阳的当地美食代表了中国烧烤的南方流派，深深植根于该地区的烹饪传统，这使其成为一个知名品牌。However, the industry faces challenges such as inconsistent standards, limited professional training, and a growing skills gap. The initiative is expected to help improve the standards and promote the brand.然而，该行业面临着不一致的标准、有限的专业培训和日益扩大的技能差距等挑战。该倡议有望帮助提高标准，推广品牌。"The Yueyang barbecue industry has grown rapidly in recent years, but the standards vary widely," Qiao said. "Everyone uses the name, but there's little consistency. We need unified standards and professional talent to carry the industry forward."“岳阳烧烤行业近年来发展迅速，但标准差异很大，”乔说。“每个人都用这个名字，但几乎没有一致性。我们需要统一的标准和专业人才来推动行业向前发展。”The launch of the barbecue research institute and industry college follows a policy shift at the national level.烧烤研究所和工业学院的成立是国家层面政策转变的结果。In May, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security proposed 17 new occupations that included barbecue chef. This marked the first formal recognition of this field of culinary art and signaled a need for regulation.今年5月，人力资源和社会保障部提出了17个新的职业，其中包括烧烤厨师。这标志着这一烹饪艺术领域首次得到正式认可，并表明需要监管。culinaryn.烹饪/ˈkʌlɪnəri/skepticismn.怀疑态度/ˈskeptɪsɪz(ə)m/

In the generative AI revolution, quality data is a valuable commodity. But not all data is created equally. Sarah Guo and Elad Gil sit down with SurgeAI founder and CEO Edwin Chen to discuss the meaning and importance of quality human data. Edwin talks about why he bootstrapped Surge instead of raising venture funds, the importance of scalable oversight in producing quality data, and the work Surge is doing to standardize human evals. Plus, we get Edwin's take on what Meta's investment into Scale AI means for Surge, as well as whether or not he thinks an underdog can catch up with OpenAI, Anthropic, and other dominant industry players. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @echen | @HelloSurgeAI Chapters: 00:00 – Edwin Chen Introduction 00:41 – Overview of SurgeAI 02:28 – Why SurgeAI Bootstrapped Instead of Raising Funds 07:59 – Explaining SurgeAI's Product 09:39 – Differentiating SurgeAI from Competitors  11:27 – Measuring the Quality of SurgeAI's Output 12:25 – Role of Scalable Oversight at SurgeAI 14:02 – Challenges of Building Rich RL Environments 16:39 – Predicting Future Needs for Training AI Models 17:29 – Role of Humans in Data Generation 21:27 – Importance of Human Evaluation for Quality Data 22:51 – SurgeAI's Work Toward Standardization of Human Evals 23:37 – What the Meta/ScaleAI Deal Means for SurgeAI 24:35 – Edwin's Underdog Pick to Catch Up to Big AI Companies 24:50 – The Future Frontier Model Landscape 26:25 – Future Directions for SurgeAI 29:29 – What Does High Quality Data Mean? 32:26 – Conclusion

talking with news reporter from nbc connecticut hon his journey and his story how he got started to where he is now at NBC Connecticut been in the news game for 10 years very great story and very great episode

Die Wahlen zur Volkskammer der DDR am 18. März 1990 waren nicht nur eine politische Richtungsentscheidung – nach 40 Jahren diktatorischer Bevormundung bedeuteten sie für die Menschen in der DDR auch einen Akt demokratischer Selbstermächtigung. Dass nach den Jahrzehnten der SED-Diktatur und nur vier Monate nach dem Fall der Mauer wieder ein freigewähltes demokratisches Parlament in Ostdeutschland zusammentrat, markiert einen der zentralen Erfolge im Prozess der Selbstdemokratisierung der DDR, der mit der Friedlichen Revolution eingesetzt hatte. Wählen inmitten des Umbruchs: Welche Zukünfte versprachen Plakate, Programme, Personen und Parteien im Frühjahr 1990? Mit welchen Erwartungen gingen die Menschen an die Wahlurnen? Wie viel Vertrauen hatten sie in die neue demokratische Praxis, wie viel in die Zukunft? Zum 35. Jahrestag wollen wir neue Fragen an die historische Wahl stellen, welche die Menschen in der DDR 1990 hatten und trafen. Zugleich blicken wir auf Wahlkämpfe, Wahlverhalten und Wahlergebnisse in Zeitenwenden: Wie mächtig sind Zukunftsversprechen, wenn die Welt im Wandel ist? Wie wirken Erfolge und Enttäuschungen fort? Wie viel Einfluss hat die Politik aufs „Morgen“? Gemeinsam mit Expertinnen und Experten, Zeitzeugen der Volkskammerwahl und jungen Wählern diskutieren wir in der zweiten Veranstaltung unserer Reihe „Zurück in die Zukunft!“, wie wir als Gesellschaft unsere Zukunft wählen können.

This edition of Unearthed! continues, this time covering the mixed items we call potpourri, shipwrecks, edibles and potables, books and letters, and exhumations. Research: Agencia Brasil. “Cave Paintings Discovered in Rio de Janiero Park.” 4/13/2025. https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/educacao/noticia/2025-04/cave-paintings-discovered-rio-de-janeiro-park Anderson, R. L., Salvemini, F., Avdeev, M., & Luzin, V. (2025). An African Art Re-Discovered: New Revelations on Sword Manufacture in Dahomey. Heritage, 8(2), 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020062 Archaeology Magazine. “5,000-year-old Bread Buried in Bronze Age House.” 6/4/2025. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/06/04/5000-year-old-bread-buried-in-bronze-age-house/ Archaeology Magazine. “Fried Thrush Was a Popular Street Food.” 6/6/2025. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/06/06/fried-thrush-was-a-popular-roman-street-food/ Arnold, Paul. “Dentist may have solved 500-year-old mystery in da Vinci's iconic Vitruvian Man.” Phys.org. 7/2/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-dentist-year-mystery-da-vinci.html Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). “New revelations on sword manufacture in 19th-century Dahomey, West Africa.” Phys.org. 5/11/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-revelations-sword-19th-century-dahomey.html Black, Jo. “Cut-price Magna Carta 'copy' now believed genuine.” BBC. 5/15/2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm23zjknre7o Boucher, Brian. “Antique Condom on View at the Rijksmuseum Riles Christian Group.” ArtNet. 6/26/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/antique-condom-rijksmuseum-christian-protest-2661519 Brown, Mark. “Rare wall paintings found in Cumbria show tastes of well-off Tudors.” The Guardian. 4/4/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/04/rare-wall-paintings-found-in-cumbria-show-tastes-of-well-off-tudors Carvajal, Guillermo. “The Oldest Vanilla Pod in Europe, Used in Alchemical Experiments, Discovered at Prague Castle.” LBV. 3/31/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/03/the-oldest-vanilla-pod-in-europe-used-in-alchemical-experiments-discovered-at-prague-castle/ Carvajal, Guillermo. “Thrushes Were the “Fast Food” of Romans in Imperial Cities, Not an Exclusive Delicacy for Banquets.” LBV. 6/3/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/06/thrushes-were-the-fast-food-of-romans-in-imperial-cities-not-an-exclusive-delicacy-for-banquets/ Carvajal, Guillermo. The Spectacular Tomb of the Ice Prince, a Medieval Child Buried in an Ancient Roman Villa, Frozen for Study.” LBV. 5/25/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/05/the-spectacular-tomb-of-the-ice-prince-a-medieval-child-buried-in-an-ancient-roman-villa-frozen-for-study/ Chen, Min. “Roman Villa in Spain Yields More Than 4,000 Painted Wall Fragments.” ArtNet. 4/21/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/roman-villa-villajoyosa-wall-fragments-2634055 Chen, Min. “These Medieval Manuscripts Were Bound With an Unlikely Animal Hide.” ArtNet. 4/12/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/clairvaux-medieval-manuscripts-sealskin-2630996 Chen, Min. “Think Shakespeare Left His Wife? This Newly Discovered Letter Tells a Different Story.” ArtNet. 4/28/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-anne-hathaway-marriage-letter-2636443 Chen, Min. “This 6th-Century Bucket Discovered at Sutton Hoo Is More Than It Seems.” ArtNet. 5/22/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sutton-hoo-bromeswell-bucket-not-bucket-2648124 Dartmouth College. “Archaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming.” Phys.org. 6/5/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-archaeologists-uncover-massive-year-native.html Davis, Josh. “Ancient humans ritually feasted on great bustards as they buried their dead.” Phys.org. 4/17/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-ancient-humans-ritually-feasted-great.html Drenon, Brandon. “Tulsa plans $105m in reparations for America's 'hidden' massacre.” BBC. 6/2/2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dqnz37v1wo Equal Justice Initiative. “City Announces Reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre.” https://eji.org/news/city-announces-reparations-for-tulsa-race-massacre/ “Researchers estimate that early humans began smoking meat to extend its shelf life as long as a million years ago.” 6/3/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1086138 Fox, Jordan. “Anthropologist uncovers the 11,000-year history of avocado domestication.” Phys.org. 6/24/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-anthropologist-uncovers-year-history-avocado.html Fratsyvir, Anna. “Ukraine grants Poland permission to exhume 1939 war graves in Lviv.” The Kyiv Independent. 6/11/2025. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-grants-poland-permission-to-exhume-1939-war-graves-in-lviv/ Giuffrida, Angela. “Two near lifesize sculptures found during excavations of Pompeii tomb.” The Guardian. 4/1/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/two-near-lifesize-sculptures-found-during-excavations-of-pompeii-tomb Guardian staff and agencies in Lima. “Peru drops plan to shrink protected area around Nazca Lines archaeological site.” The Guardian. 6/9/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/peru-nazca-lines-protected-area Hamilton, Eric. “Ancient Andes society used hallucinogens to strengthen social order.” EurekAlert. 5/5/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1082461 Hashemi, Sara. “Ancient Chinese Poems Reveal the Decline of a Critically Endangered Porpoise Over 1,400 Years.” Smithsonian. 5/6/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-chinese-poems-reveal-the-decline-of-a-critically-endangered-porpoise-over-1400-years-180986570/ Hung, Hsiao-chun. “Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300 km of Pacific Ocean.” Phys.org. 6/26/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-remote-cave-discovery-ancient-voyagers.html Hunt, Katie. “125,000-year-old ‘fat factory’ run by Neanderthals discovered in Germany.” CNN. 7/4/2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/04/science/neanderthal-fat-factory-germany Hurriyet Daily News. “5,000-year-old bread unearthed in Küllüoba goes on display.” 5/23/2025. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/5-000-year-old-bread-unearthed-in-kulluoba-goes-on-display-209487 Jarus, Owen. “We finally know why Queen Hatshepsut's statues were destroyed in ancient Egypt.” LiveScience. 6/23/2025. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/we-finally-know-why-queen-hatshepsuts-statues-were-destroyed-in-ancient-egypt Kuta, Sarah. “Did a Neanderthal Who Lived 43,000 Years Ago Paint a Red Nose on a Rock That Looked Like a Face?” Smithsonian. 6/2/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-a-neanderthal-who-lived-43000-years-ago-paint-a-red-nose-on-a-rock-that-looked-like-a-face-180986704/ Kuta, Sarah. “How Researchers Discovered a 168-Year-Old Dutch Shipwreck Off the Coast of Australia in Underwater ‘Blizzard’ Conditions.” Smithsonian. 5/16/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-researchers-discovered-a-168-year-old-dutch-shipwreck-off-the-coast-of-australia-in-underwater-blizzard-conditions-180986637/ Kuta, Sarah. “Tourists Are Stuffing Coins Into the Cracks of the Giant’s Causeway, Damaging the Iconic Site in Northern Ireland.” Smithsonian. 6/4/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tourists-are-stuffing-coins-into-the-cracks-of-the-giants-causeway-damaging-the-iconic-site-in-northern-ireland-180986745/ Kuta, Sarah. “Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?” Smithsonian. 4/23/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-1940s-car-discovered-wreck-american-naval-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180986485/ Larson, Christina. “Ancient DNA confirms New Mexico tribe's link to famed Chaco Canyon site.” Phys.org. 4/30/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-oral-histories-dna-picuris-pueblo.html Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “A Life-Sized Statue of a Bejeweled Ancient Priestess Is Unearthed in Pompeii.” ArtNet. 4/2/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-life-sized-statue-of-a-bejeweled-ancient-priestess-is-unearthed-in-pompeii-2627176 Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Rare Artwork by Emily Brontë Scooped at Auction by Museum.” 4/11/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rare-artwork-by-emily-bronte-scooped-at-auction-by-museum-2631133 Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Vatican Brings ‘God’s Architect’ Antoni Gaudí One Step Closer to Sainthood.” ArtNet. 4/15/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vatican-antoni-gaudi-one-step-closer-to-sainthood-2632185 Leahy, Diana. “Depictions of the Milky Way found in ancient Egyptian imagery.” 4/30/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-depictions-milky-ancient-egyptian-imagery.html MacKay, Mercedes. “'It's a mystery that's hung over our area for 50 years': Salem, Illinois, exhuming grave of unknown Amtrak train derailment victim.” KDSK. 3/13/2025. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/salem-illinois-exhuming-grave-of-unknown-amtrak-train-derailment-victim/63-2770a303-4e54-4647-8b13-dff304b93e30 net. “Magna Carta at Harvard dates to the Year 1300, historians find.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/magna-carta-at-harvard-dates-to-the-year-1300-historians-find/ net. “Medieval Merlin Manuscript Fragment Revealed Through Digital Unfolding.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/medieval-merlin-manuscript-fragment-revealed-through-digital-unfolding/ net. “Medieval Mystery Solved: Sutton Hoo Bucket Was a Cremation Vessel.” 6/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/06/medieval-mystery-solved-sutton-hoo-bucket-was-a-cremation-vessel/ net. “Rethinking Rye: Study Reveals Medieval Cultivation Was Intensive and Strategic.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/rethinking-rye-study-reveals-medieval-cultivation-was-intensive-and-strategic/ net. “Tudor Wall Paintings Uncovered in Northern England Lodge.” 4/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/tudor-wall-paintings-uncovered-in-northern-england-lodge/ Mira, Chad. “Multiple bodies found in exhumed Salem, Ill., grave.” Fox2. https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/multiple-bodies-found-in-exhumed-salem-ill-grave/ Organization of American Historians. “Statement in Response to Secretary Order 3431 and Censorship of History in the National Park Service.” 6/18/2025. https://www.oah.org/2025/06/18/statement-in-response-to-secretary-order-3431-and-censorship-of-history-in-the-national-park-service/ Oster, Sandee. “New Holocene Aboriginal rock art style identified in recent study.” Phys.org. 4/29/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-holocene-aboriginal-art-style.html#google_vignette Oster, Sandee. “Study provides new insights into medieval sex workers and childcare.” Phys.org. 5/22/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-insights-medieval-sex-workers-childcare.html “Exhumations in Volhynia. Wróblewska on the beginning of work in Zboiska.” 6/23/2025. https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/ekshumacje-na-wolyniu-wroblewska-o-poczatku-prac-w-zboiskach org. “Race to save Sweden's 17th century warship in preservation project.” 4/9/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-sweden-17th-century-warship.html Pinotti, Thomaz et al. “Picuris Pueblo oral history and genomics reveal continuity in US Southwest.” Nature. 4/30/2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08791-9 Public Library of Science. “Italians spent thousands of years perfecting grape cultivation, ancient seeds show.” Phys.org. 4/23/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-italians-spent-thousands-years-grape.html Radio Prague International. “Rare Roman soldier’s wrist purse discovered in South Moravia.” 6/24/2025. https://english.radio.cz/rare-roman-soldiers-wrist-purse-discovered-south-moravia-8854920 Shams, Housnia. “Work begins to exhume remains of 800 dead babies at unwed mothers’ home in Ireland.” 6/17/2025. https://www.irishstar.com/news/ireland-news/work-begins-exhume-remains-800-35409145 SO 3431 - Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3431-restoring-truth-and-sanity-american-history Sweeney, Rory Mac. “Leonardo's Vitruvian Man: modern craniofacial anatomical analysis reveals a possible solution to the 500-year-old mystery.” Journal of Mathematics and the Arts. 3/28/2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513472.2025.2507568 The History Blog. ‘Installation of Vasa’s new support structure begins.” 4/14/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72910 The History Blog. “16th c. mural found on the Grand Canal.” 4/15/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72918 The History Blog. “3,500-year-old bronze daggers found in corn field.” 4/1/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72799 The History Blog. “First English cheese treatise digitized, transcribed.” 5/1/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73045 The History Blog. “Life and death of little “Ice Prince” revealed.” 5/26/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73246 The History Blog. “Oldest baked bread flying off the shelves.” 5/29/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73273 The History Blog. “Roman soldier’s bronze wrist purse found in Czech Republic.” 6/25/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73467 University of Leeds. “Curd your enthusiasm: Secrets of oldest book on cheese revealed.” Phys.org. 4/28/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-curd-enthusiasm-secrets-oldest-cheese.html University of St. Andrews. “New tool to identify toxic pigments in historic books.” Phys.org. 6/6/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-tool-toxic-pigments-historic.html#google_vignette Vargas Ariza, Daniela et al. “The Cobs in the Archaeological Context of the San José Galleon Shipwreck.” Antiquity (2025): 1–6. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/cobs-in-the-archaeological-context-of-the-san-jose-galleon-shipwreck/66532DCA302A8C08A1EBFE4AC7E4E6C1 Wexler, Ellen. “The Only Black, All-Female Unit to Serve Overseas in World War II Receives the Congressional Gold Medal.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-only-black-all-female-unit-to-serve-overseas-in-world-war-ii-receives-the-congressional-gold-medal-180986528/ Whiddington, Richard. “A 19th-Century Condom With a Bawdy Print Makes Its Museum Debut.” 6/3/2025. ArtNet. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/old-condom-erotica-rijksmuseum-show-2652526 Whiddington, Richard. “A Lost WWI Submarine Is Discovered ‘Remarkably Intact’ After 100 Years.” ArtNet. 5/27/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-lost-wwi-submarine-is-discovered-remarkably-intact-after-100-years-2649437 Whiddington, Richard. “Archaeologists Identify France’s Deepest Shipwreck.” ArtNet. 6/20/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/france-deepest-shipwreck-camarat-4-2659029 Whiddington, Richard. “Nazca Lines Under Threat? Peru’s Downsizing Plan Sparks Alarm.” Artnet. 6/3/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/nazca-lines-reduced-reserve-plan-2652342 Whiddington, Richard. “Who Designed the Bayeux Tapestry? Its 93 Penises Offer Clues.” 5/2/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bayeux-tapestry-93-penises-offer-clues-2639001 Wizevich, Eli. “By Shoving a Bed Frame Against the Door, This Pompeii Family Tried to Survive Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-shoving-a-bed-frame-against-the-door-this-pompeii-family-tried-to-survive-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180986608/ Wizevich, Eli. “It could take years for archaeologists to properly excavate and preserve the delicate wooden vessel, which likely became shipwrecked.” 4/30/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-rare-medieval-boat-discovered-over-18-feet-below-sea-level-in-barcelona-180986524/ Wong, Jun Yi. “The Afterlife of Hatshepsut’s Statuary.” Antiquity 99.405 (2025): 746–761. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/afterlife-of-hatshepsuts-statuary/F22D001E29438008136B6DA04F57C627 Zeilstra, Andrew. “Mediterranean hunter gatherers navigated long-distance sea journeys well before the first farmers.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079385 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This installment of Unearthed! starts with lots of updates! And then some art-related unearthings, and a few things at the end that fall under the category of adult content. Research: Agencia Brasil. “Cave Paintings Discovered in Rio de Janiero Park.” 4/13/2025. https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/educacao/noticia/2025-04/cave-paintings-discovered-rio-de-janeiro-park Anderson, R. L., Salvemini, F., Avdeev, M., & Luzin, V. (2025). An African Art Re-Discovered: New Revelations on Sword Manufacture in Dahomey. Heritage, 8(2), 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8020062 Archaeology Magazine. “5,000-year-old Bread Buried in Bronze Age House.” 6/4/2025. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/06/04/5000-year-old-bread-buried-in-bronze-age-house/ Archaeology Magazine. “Fried Thrush Was a Popular Street Food.” 6/6/2025. https://archaeology.org/news/2025/06/06/fried-thrush-was-a-popular-roman-street-food/ Arnold, Paul. “Dentist may have solved 500-year-old mystery in da Vinci's iconic Vitruvian Man.” Phys.org. 7/2/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-dentist-year-mystery-da-vinci.html Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). “New revelations on sword manufacture in 19th-century Dahomey, West Africa.” Phys.org. 5/11/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-revelations-sword-19th-century-dahomey.html Black, Jo. “Cut-price Magna Carta 'copy' now believed genuine.” BBC. 5/15/2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm23zjknre7o Boucher, Brian. “Antique Condom on View at the Rijksmuseum Riles Christian Group.” ArtNet. 6/26/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/antique-condom-rijksmuseum-christian-protest-2661519 Brown, Mark. “Rare wall paintings found in Cumbria show tastes of well-off Tudors.” The Guardian. 4/4/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/apr/04/rare-wall-paintings-found-in-cumbria-show-tastes-of-well-off-tudors Carvajal, Guillermo. “The Oldest Vanilla Pod in Europe, Used in Alchemical Experiments, Discovered at Prague Castle.” LBV. 3/31/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/03/the-oldest-vanilla-pod-in-europe-used-in-alchemical-experiments-discovered-at-prague-castle/ Carvajal, Guillermo. “Thrushes Were the “Fast Food” of Romans in Imperial Cities, Not an Exclusive Delicacy for Banquets.” LBV. 6/3/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/06/thrushes-were-the-fast-food-of-romans-in-imperial-cities-not-an-exclusive-delicacy-for-banquets/ Carvajal, Guillermo. The Spectacular Tomb of the Ice Prince, a Medieval Child Buried in an Ancient Roman Villa, Frozen for Study.” LBV. 5/25/2025. https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2025/05/the-spectacular-tomb-of-the-ice-prince-a-medieval-child-buried-in-an-ancient-roman-villa-frozen-for-study/ Chen, Min. “Roman Villa in Spain Yields More Than 4,000 Painted Wall Fragments.” ArtNet. 4/21/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/roman-villa-villajoyosa-wall-fragments-2634055 Chen, Min. “These Medieval Manuscripts Were Bound With an Unlikely Animal Hide.” ArtNet. 4/12/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/clairvaux-medieval-manuscripts-sealskin-2630996 Chen, Min. “Think Shakespeare Left His Wife? This Newly Discovered Letter Tells a Different Story.” ArtNet. 4/28/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/shakespeare-anne-hathaway-marriage-letter-2636443 Chen, Min. “This 6th-Century Bucket Discovered at Sutton Hoo Is More Than It Seems.” ArtNet. 5/22/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/sutton-hoo-bromeswell-bucket-not-bucket-2648124 Dartmouth College. “Archaeologists uncover massive 1,000-year-old Native American fields in Northern Michigan that defy limits of farming.” Phys.org. 6/5/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-archaeologists-uncover-massive-year-native.html Davis, Josh. “Ancient humans ritually feasted on great bustards as they buried their dead.” Phys.org. 4/17/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-ancient-humans-ritually-feasted-great.html Drenon, Brandon. “Tulsa plans $105m in reparations for America's 'hidden' massacre.” BBC. 6/2/2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dqnz37v1wo Equal Justice Initiative. “City Announces Reparations for Tulsa Race Massacre.” https://eji.org/news/city-announces-reparations-for-tulsa-race-massacre/ “Researchers estimate that early humans began smoking meat to extend its shelf life as long as a million years ago.” 6/3/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1086138 Fox, Jordan. “Anthropologist uncovers the 11,000-year history of avocado domestication.” Phys.org. 6/24/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-anthropologist-uncovers-year-history-avocado.html Fratsyvir, Anna. “Ukraine grants Poland permission to exhume 1939 war graves in Lviv.” The Kyiv Independent. 6/11/2025. https://kyivindependent.com/ukraine-grants-poland-permission-to-exhume-1939-war-graves-in-lviv/ Giuffrida, Angela. “Two near lifesize sculptures found during excavations of Pompeii tomb.” The Guardian. 4/1/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/01/two-near-lifesize-sculptures-found-during-excavations-of-pompeii-tomb Guardian staff and agencies in Lima. “Peru drops plan to shrink protected area around Nazca Lines archaeological site.” The Guardian. 6/9/2025. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/peru-nazca-lines-protected-area Hamilton, Eric. “Ancient Andes society used hallucinogens to strengthen social order.” EurekAlert. 5/5/2026. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1082461 Hashemi, Sara. “Ancient Chinese Poems Reveal the Decline of a Critically Endangered Porpoise Over 1,400 Years.” Smithsonian. 5/6/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-chinese-poems-reveal-the-decline-of-a-critically-endangered-porpoise-over-1400-years-180986570/ Hung, Hsiao-chun. “Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300 km of Pacific Ocean.” Phys.org. 6/26/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-remote-cave-discovery-ancient-voyagers.html Hunt, Katie. “125,000-year-old ‘fat factory’ run by Neanderthals discovered in Germany.” CNN. 7/4/2025. https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/04/science/neanderthal-fat-factory-germany Hurriyet Daily News. “5,000-year-old bread unearthed in Küllüoba goes on display.” 5/23/2025. https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/5-000-year-old-bread-unearthed-in-kulluoba-goes-on-display-209487 Jarus, Owen. “We finally know why Queen Hatshepsut's statues were destroyed in ancient Egypt.” LiveScience. 6/23/2025. https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/ancient-egyptians/we-finally-know-why-queen-hatshepsuts-statues-were-destroyed-in-ancient-egypt Kuta, Sarah. “Did a Neanderthal Who Lived 43,000 Years Ago Paint a Red Nose on a Rock That Looked Like a Face?” Smithsonian. 6/2/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/did-a-neanderthal-who-lived-43000-years-ago-paint-a-red-nose-on-a-rock-that-looked-like-a-face-180986704/ Kuta, Sarah. “How Researchers Discovered a 168-Year-Old Dutch Shipwreck Off the Coast of Australia in Underwater ‘Blizzard’ Conditions.” Smithsonian. 5/16/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/how-researchers-discovered-a-168-year-old-dutch-shipwreck-off-the-coast-of-australia-in-underwater-blizzard-conditions-180986637/ Kuta, Sarah. “Tourists Are Stuffing Coins Into the Cracks of the Giant’s Causeway, Damaging the Iconic Site in Northern Ireland.” Smithsonian. 6/4/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tourists-are-stuffing-coins-into-the-cracks-of-the-giants-causeway-damaging-the-iconic-site-in-northern-ireland-180986745/ Kuta, Sarah. “Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?” Smithsonian. 4/23/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-was-1940s-car-discovered-wreck-american-naval-ship-that-sank-during-world-war-ii-180986485/ Larson, Christina. “Ancient DNA confirms New Mexico tribe's link to famed Chaco Canyon site.” Phys.org. 4/30/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-oral-histories-dna-picuris-pueblo.html Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “A Life-Sized Statue of a Bejeweled Ancient Priestess Is Unearthed in Pompeii.” ArtNet. 4/2/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-life-sized-statue-of-a-bejeweled-ancient-priestess-is-unearthed-in-pompeii-2627176 Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Rare Artwork by Emily Brontë Scooped at Auction by Museum.” 4/11/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/rare-artwork-by-emily-bronte-scooped-at-auction-by-museum-2631133 Lawson-Tancred, Jo. “Vatican Brings ‘God’s Architect’ Antoni Gaudí One Step Closer to Sainthood.” ArtNet. 4/15/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/vatican-antoni-gaudi-one-step-closer-to-sainthood-2632185 Leahy, Diana. “Depictions of the Milky Way found in ancient Egyptian imagery.” 4/30/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-depictions-milky-ancient-egyptian-imagery.html MacKay, Mercedes. “'It's a mystery that's hung over our area for 50 years': Salem, Illinois, exhuming grave of unknown Amtrak train derailment victim.” KDSK. 3/13/2025. https://www.ksdk.com/article/news/local/salem-illinois-exhuming-grave-of-unknown-amtrak-train-derailment-victim/63-2770a303-4e54-4647-8b13-dff304b93e30 net. “Magna Carta at Harvard dates to the Year 1300, historians find.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/magna-carta-at-harvard-dates-to-the-year-1300-historians-find/ net. “Medieval Merlin Manuscript Fragment Revealed Through Digital Unfolding.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/medieval-merlin-manuscript-fragment-revealed-through-digital-unfolding/ net. “Medieval Mystery Solved: Sutton Hoo Bucket Was a Cremation Vessel.” 6/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/06/medieval-mystery-solved-sutton-hoo-bucket-was-a-cremation-vessel/ net. “Rethinking Rye: Study Reveals Medieval Cultivation Was Intensive and Strategic.” 5/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/rethinking-rye-study-reveals-medieval-cultivation-was-intensive-and-strategic/ net. “Tudor Wall Paintings Uncovered in Northern England Lodge.” 4/2025. https://www.medievalists.net/2025/04/tudor-wall-paintings-uncovered-in-northern-england-lodge/ Mira, Chad. “Multiple bodies found in exhumed Salem, Ill., grave.” Fox2. https://fox2now.com/news/illinois/multiple-bodies-found-in-exhumed-salem-ill-grave/ Organization of American Historians. “Statement in Response to Secretary Order 3431 and Censorship of History in the National Park Service.” 6/18/2025. https://www.oah.org/2025/06/18/statement-in-response-to-secretary-order-3431-and-censorship-of-history-in-the-national-park-service/ Oster, Sandee. “New Holocene Aboriginal rock art style identified in recent study.” Phys.org. 4/29/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-holocene-aboriginal-art-style.html#google_vignette Oster, Sandee. “Study provides new insights into medieval sex workers and childcare.” Phys.org. 5/22/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-insights-medieval-sex-workers-childcare.html “Exhumations in Volhynia. Wróblewska on the beginning of work in Zboiska.” 6/23/2025. https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/ekshumacje-na-wolyniu-wroblewska-o-poczatku-prac-w-zboiskach org. “Race to save Sweden's 17th century warship in preservation project.” 4/9/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-sweden-17th-century-warship.html Pinotti, Thomaz et al. “Picuris Pueblo oral history and genomics reveal continuity in US Southwest.” Nature. 4/30/2025. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08791-9 Public Library of Science. “Italians spent thousands of years perfecting grape cultivation, ancient seeds show.” Phys.org. 4/23/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-italians-spent-thousands-years-grape.html Radio Prague International. “Rare Roman soldier’s wrist purse discovered in South Moravia.” 6/24/2025. https://english.radio.cz/rare-roman-soldiers-wrist-purse-discovered-south-moravia-8854920 Shams, Housnia. “Work begins to exhume remains of 800 dead babies at unwed mothers’ home in Ireland.” 6/17/2025. https://www.irishstar.com/news/ireland-news/work-begins-exhume-remains-800-35409145 SO 3431 - Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History https://www.doi.gov/document-library/secretary-order/so-3431-restoring-truth-and-sanity-american-history Sweeney, Rory Mac. “Leonardo's Vitruvian Man: modern craniofacial anatomical analysis reveals a possible solution to the 500-year-old mystery.” Journal of Mathematics and the Arts. 3/28/2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513472.2025.2507568 The History Blog. ‘Installation of Vasa’s new support structure begins.” 4/14/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72910 The History Blog. “16th c. mural found on the Grand Canal.” 4/15/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72918 The History Blog. “3,500-year-old bronze daggers found in corn field.” 4/1/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/72799 The History Blog. “First English cheese treatise digitized, transcribed.” 5/1/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73045 The History Blog. “Life and death of little “Ice Prince” revealed.” 5/26/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73246 The History Blog. “Oldest baked bread flying off the shelves.” 5/29/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73273 The History Blog. “Roman soldier’s bronze wrist purse found in Czech Republic.” 6/25/2025. https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/73467 University of Leeds. “Curd your enthusiasm: Secrets of oldest book on cheese revealed.” Phys.org. 4/28/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-04-curd-enthusiasm-secrets-oldest-cheese.html University of St. Andrews. “New tool to identify toxic pigments in historic books.” Phys.org. 6/6/2025. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-tool-toxic-pigments-historic.html#google_vignette Vargas Ariza, Daniela et al. “The Cobs in the Archaeological Context of the San José Galleon Shipwreck.” Antiquity (2025): 1–6. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/cobs-in-the-archaeological-context-of-the-san-jose-galleon-shipwreck/66532DCA302A8C08A1EBFE4AC7E4E6C1 Wexler, Ellen. “The Only Black, All-Female Unit to Serve Overseas in World War II Receives the Congressional Gold Medal.” Smithsonian. 4/30/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-only-black-all-female-unit-to-serve-overseas-in-world-war-ii-receives-the-congressional-gold-medal-180986528/ Whiddington, Richard. “A 19th-Century Condom With a Bawdy Print Makes Its Museum Debut.” 6/3/2025. ArtNet. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/old-condom-erotica-rijksmuseum-show-2652526 Whiddington, Richard. “A Lost WWI Submarine Is Discovered ‘Remarkably Intact’ After 100 Years.” ArtNet. 5/27/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/a-lost-wwi-submarine-is-discovered-remarkably-intact-after-100-years-2649437 Whiddington, Richard. “Archaeologists Identify France’s Deepest Shipwreck.” ArtNet. 6/20/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/france-deepest-shipwreck-camarat-4-2659029 Whiddington, Richard. “Nazca Lines Under Threat? Peru’s Downsizing Plan Sparks Alarm.” Artnet. 6/3/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/nazca-lines-reduced-reserve-plan-2652342 Whiddington, Richard. “Who Designed the Bayeux Tapestry? Its 93 Penises Offer Clues.” 5/2/2025. https://news.artnet.com/art-world/bayeux-tapestry-93-penises-offer-clues-2639001 Wizevich, Eli. “By Shoving a Bed Frame Against the Door, This Pompeii Family Tried to Survive Mount Vesuvius’ Eruption.” Smithsonian. 5/13/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/by-shoving-a-bed-frame-against-the-door-this-pompeii-family-tried-to-survive-mount-vesuvius-eruption-180986608/ Wizevich, Eli. “It could take years for archaeologists to properly excavate and preserve the delicate wooden vessel, which likely became shipwrecked.” 4/30/2025. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-rare-medieval-boat-discovered-over-18-feet-below-sea-level-in-barcelona-180986524/ Wong, Jun Yi. “The Afterlife of Hatshepsut’s Statuary.” Antiquity 99.405 (2025): 746–761. Web. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/afterlife-of-hatshepsuts-statuary/F22D001E29438008136B6DA04F57C627 Zeilstra, Andrew. “Mediterranean hunter gatherers navigated long-distance sea journeys well before the first farmers.” EurekAlert. 4/9/2025. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1079385 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last time we spoke about a major Chinese counter offensive at Shanghai. "Black Saturday," saw over a thousand civilians killed. In response, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek launched Operation Iron Fist on August 17, aiming to exploit weaknesses in Japanese defenses but failing due to disarray and entrenched opposition. Amid mounting pressure, Chinese commanders redirected their strategy toward Yangshupu, seeking to breach Japanese lines along the Huangpu River. The 36th Infantry Division, newly trained by German advisers, launched a surprise assault on August 19, but inexperienced troops faced relentless Japanese fire, struggling to hold their positions. As casualties mounted, the Japanese executed strategic landings at Chuanshakou and Wusong, capturing key points with minimal resistance. The battle at Baoshan became emblematic of their resistance, where a handful of defenders vowed to fight to the last man, encapsulating the desperation and bravery of those battling under the shadow of impending defeat.    #159 The Battle of Shanghai Part 4: The Battle for Luodian Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the early days of September, a profound sense of resignation descended upon the senior Chinese commanders as the Japanese troops captured stronghold after stronghold along the riverbank, first Shizilin, then Wusong, and finally Baoshan. Despite the resignation among their leaders, the rank and file remained resolute in their determination to defend every inch of Chinese soil. The fighting along Wusong Creek, extending west from Wusong, became particularly brutal. “There were huge numbers of deaths on both sides, and the water of the creek turned red,” wrote Chinese official Wang Jieshi in his diary. “The saying about ‘rivers of blood' became a grim reality.” Meanwhile the Japanese were landing more reinforcements, such as the Tida detachment on September 6. The next day Tokyo HQ authorized the dispatch of the 9th, 13th and 101st divisions and the Shigeto Detachment to Shanghai. That same day over 10 Japanese infantry battalions were ordered to advance from Northeast China to Shanghai. The situation was dire for the Chinese. Not only were their frontline units struggling in battle, but they were also sustaining exceptionally high casualties. By early September, Yao Ziqing's 98th Infantry Division had suffered 4,960 casualties, including a regimental commander killed and another wounded. Throughout the battle for Shanghai, various units within the division received reinforcements up to four times. Upon arrival, these reinforcements were quickly armed and sent directly to the front lines. As recalled by Fang Jing “Some were injured almost immediately after arriving. When they reached the hospital, they had no idea which unit they belonged to.” The string of defeats and setbacks significantly affected morale within the Chinese Army, particularly among senior officers. While the lower ranks generally showed a willingness to continue the fight, high-ranking officials exhibited waning resolve. “All my soldiers have been sacrificed. There's nobody left,” Xia Chuzhong, commander of the 79th Division, lamented in a phone call to Luo Zhuoying, head of the 18th Army, part of the 15th Army Group. In response, Luo Zhuoying urged, “Aren't you still standing? Hold your ground and fight.” Having lost Baoshan the next defensive position was the small town of Luodian, the transportation center connecting Baoshan, downtown Shanghai, Jiading, Songjiang and several other towns via highways. The successful defense of Luodian was crucial for the security of Suzhou and Shanghai. On August 29, German adviser Alexander von Falkenhausen warned Chiang Kai-shek that the town needed to be held at all costs, describing it as "the most crucial strategic point.”. Chiang Kai-shek was determined to hold on to Luodian. He personally summoned senior commanders to the 3rd War Zone headquarters in Suzhou, emphasizing that the town must be retaken at all costs. In response, the commanders deployed entire divisions to the battle for Luodian. During one of several Chinese assaults, Qiu Weida, a regimental commander in the 51st Infantry Division, led a night attack on the southern part of Luodian. Moving quietly through the darkness, the Chinese force, about two companies strong, approached a Japanese camp, most of whose soldiers were asleep. The Chinese launched a swift attack, giving the Japanese no chance to react. They shot and bayoneted soldiers while they were still lying down, successfully taking over the camp and preparing for a counterattack. When the Japanese responded, the Chinese staged a fighting retreat, deliberately luring the enemy into an open area where well-armed soldiers lay in ambush. As the Japanese advanced, Qiu Weida signaled with a flare, a pre-arranged signal to open fire. Infantry weapons of various calibers joined in the assault. As dawn broke, Qiu raised his binoculars to survey the scene, which was a disturbing sight, covered with a tangled mass of dead and dying bodies. The Japanese commanders launched what they hoped would be the decisive blow to break out from the Baoshan perimeter. Elements of the 3rd Division were tasked with moving down the road toward Liuhang and occupying Yanghang. Meanwhile, the 11th Division's Amaya Detachment, which had arrived in Wusong on September 2, was to seize Yuepu, a village on the other strategic road leading west from Baoshan that blocked access to Luodian and the opportunity to link up with other units of the 11th Division fighting in the area. This operation aimed to create the necessary space for a full assault on Shanghai, and the Japanese dedicated every available resource to the effort. The artillery barrage began before dawn on September 1, with Japanese guns of all calibers participating. For more than two weeks, the Japanese had been able to disembark supplies at landing sites along the Yangtze and Huangpu Rivers. After daybreak, air raids intensified unusually, with the Japanese seemingly deploying all available aircraft in this narrow part of the front. Eventually, the Japanese infantry prepared to launch their attack. While this was simply the latest in a series of Japanese assaults, the sheer tenacity displayed indicated to the Chinese that this time was different. However, after an entire day of fighting, little territorial gain was made. The defenders fought with a determination bordering on fanaticism, despite a total lack of air and artillery support, effectively utilizing the obstacles created by canals that cut through the heavily cultivated area. By sunset, the Japanese had advanced no further than the eastern edge of Yuepu, although the village had been completely destroyed by artillery fire. Yanghang remained firmly in Chinese hands. In the countryside between the two western roads leading from Baoshan, Japanese units had only managed to occupy territory where their artillery and aircraft had utterly obliterated the defenders. To an outsider, it might seem that the Chinese could breathe a sigh of relief. However, from the perspective of Chinese commanders, the situation was vastly different. Their primary concern was the Japanese superiority in artillery. The contested area north of Shanghai consisted mainly of low-lying rice and cotton fields with relatively few trees, offering insufficient camouflage for all but the smallest units. This allowed Japanese naval gunners on the elevated waters of the Yangtze and Huangpu to sometimes directly observe Chinese troops. Even when there was no direct line of sight from the ships in the rivers, they were aided by the directions of observers patrolling in aircraft or hovering in balloons over the horizon. The Chinese had long realized that exposing their units to continuous attack from naval guns played directly into the Japanese hands. They understood that they needed to move away from the riverbank and the lethal fire of the IJN Although the decision to withdraw would have been made sooner or later, it was hastened by the relentless Japanese pressure on the two roads from Baoshan, as their loss would create a breach between Zhang Zhizhong's 9th Army Group in the Shanghai area and Chen Cheng's 15th Army Group to the left. General Gu Zhutong, a member of Chiang Kai-shek's inner circle who had recently been appointed deputy commander of the 3rd War Zone, witnessed how some of the best divisions were being decimated in the defense of Yuepu and Yanghang. Meanwhile, Zhang Zhizhong was pushing for the withdrawal of troops in Yangshupu, which risked becoming a dangerously exposed salient if a breach occurred. The order for the two Chinese army groups to withdraw came late on September 11. Under the cover of darkness, the bulk of the divisions pulled back to positions reinforced by reserves in the preceding days. As thousands of soldiers moved several miles to the rear, the Japanese remained unaware that anything unusual was occurring, and the entire movement took place without enemy harassment. Only skeleton crews remained in the original Chinese positions. By the morning of September 12, the new frontline stretched from the North Railway Station to the eastern edge of Jiangwan, bent west of Yanghang and Luodian, and extended north to the banks of the Yangtze. Unbeknownst to them, the Japanese had become masters of heavily contested areas from Yangshupu in the south to Yuepu in the north. The Chinese military leadership attempted to explain to the public that it had no choice but to withdraw and had never seriously expected to be able to push the Japanese back into the Yangtze, given the hundreds of naval guns at their disposal. A military spokesman said “The objective of the Chinese command was to delay and harass the landing. It was never hoped that we would permanently repel the landing.” The Chinese expressed confidence in their new positions, even comparing them to the Maginot Line along the French border with Germany, which of course would become rather ironic. The Japanese now controlled the entire left bank of the Huangpu River from Yangshupu to the mouth of the Yangtze. They had access to several good roads, some interconnected, which could serve as supply lines for future attacks. Additionally, they could exploit a large number of modern Chinese wharfs and docks, setting the stage for a steady flow of reinforcements.  On the 12th, Matsui received word from the Amaya Detachment that it had finally captured Yuepu. After driving the Chinese out of the village, the detachment established a defensive perimeter in a semicircle 500 yards around the western edge. Nearly simultaneously, the Ueno Detachment, a unit attached to the 3rd Division, reported that it had occupied Yanghang and pursued the enemy to a position about two miles west of the village. In both cases, it appeared that the enemy had abandoned their positions under the cover of night. Yet despite the victories Matsui desperately needed more men. In the three weeks leading up to September 11, the Japanese had managed to land 40,000 soldiers and establish a bridgehead measuring roughly 25 miles in length and over five miles in depth. Together with the troops already present in Shanghai, Japan had about 50,000 soldiers in the area. While this was a significant force, it was still insufficient to ensure the conquest of Shanghai, especially given the rapid attrition faced. As of September 9, the 3rd Division had reported losses of 589 killed and 1,539 injured, while the 11th Division recorded 616 dead and 1,336 wounded. But Tokyo was very reluctant to dispatch troops to Shanghai. From the viewpoint of the IJA leadership, Shanghai and Central China were a sideshow to the north china theater, which they alongside the Kwantung Army argued was more essential, given the proximity of the USSR. This belief was strongly reinforced when the Sino-Soviet agreement was signed in late August. Shanghai also heavily favored the Chinese terrain wise, it was basically like the battle of Thermopylae, instead of a mountain pass it was an extremely concentrated urban area. Then there was one of the main advocates opposing the China War altogether, Kanji Ishiwara. The entire time he was screaming and lecturing non-expansion and advised diplomacy and to even form an alliance with China against the USSR. Concentrating on China and ignoring the Soviet menace was, in his eyes, like “chasing the dogs away from the front door while forgetting the wolves approaching the back door.” However, Ishiwara's reluctance to send more troops to Shanghai was overruled. On September 4, a meeting of officers in Tokyo concluded that the battle in the Shanghai area should be completed by late October or early November, and to that end, sufficient troops should be deployed. Three days later, Emperor Hirohito approved reinforcements for the Shanghai front, including the dispatch of three additional infantry divisions from the home islands, along with units from the garrison forces in Taiwan. Ishiwara was so upset by this decision that he submitted his resignation, although he was later appointed to a position in the army in northeastern China. There was little doubt among Japanese leaders that the deployment of these reinforcements marked a significant escalation in the war. The situation was unlike anything Japan had ever experienced before. Army Minister Sugiyama Hajime remarked in a statement to his commanders, “This war has become total war.” A junior Japanese officer inspecting the Shanghai front reported upon his return to Tokyo “The enemy resistance is undeniably strong. Whether they are bombed out or surrounded, they do not retreat.” Luodian had remained under Japanese control since late August, but the surrounding countryside largely remained Chinese territory. Despite increasing pressure after the Chinese withdrawal to the south on September 12, the Japanese advanced only slowly and hesitantly. Taken aback by the sudden gains at Yuepu and Yanghang, and revealing their typical tardiness in responding to unforeseen events, it took them several days to even dispatch patrols for probing attacks against the new Chinese defenses. This delay provided Chinese commanders with extra time to reinforce their positions near Luodian, particularly on both sides of the road from Yuepu, which they correctly assumed would be the primary route for the Japanese attackers. Chinese preparations were just one reason Japan's mid-September assault was only moderately successful. Like the Chinese, the Japanese had yet to develop much skill in coordinating infantry and armor operations. The road connecting Yuepu and Luodian was of relatively good quality, enabling the Japanese to deploy about 25 tanks as the spearhead of their thrust. These armored vehicles quickly eliminated the Chinese positions closest to the road and advanced rapidly toward Luodian. However, the accompanying infantry from the Amaya Detachment was unable to keep pace. The Japanese only held a few yards of terrain on either side of the road. Beyond that narrow strip, the area was swarming with Chinese soldiers, making the advancing Japanese infantry easy targets. The Japanese infantry became bogged down, and it was only after dark, when the Chinese defenders north of the road chose to withdraw westward, that the Japanese had a chance to reach Luodian. The debacle on the road to Luodian was not solely a result of flawed training within the Japanese ranks. The area around Shanghai, a patchwork of small farm plots divided by creeks and canals, was ill-suited for tank warfare. This terrain had previously been a key argument against large-scale deployments by the Japanese Army. Nevertheless, once the decision was made in Tokyo to send enough troops to win the battle for the city, the generals had to strategize ways to overcome these terrain challenges. One proposed solution was to deploy amphibious tanks. However, the tactics employed called for using the tanks in a supportive role rather than leading the attacks across waterways. If a creek needed to be crossed, Japanese commanders would first order a small infantry unit to wade or swim to the opposite bank and prepare it for the tanks to land under the cover of darkness. While it was still dark, the tanks would cross and provide support to the infantry by daybreak. This cumbersome procedure often felt like putting the cart before the horse, but the Japanese executed it precisely as prescribed, time and again. This predictability allowed their Chinese opponents to acclimate to Japanese tactics to such an extent that they could usually anticipate what the Japanese would do next. While flawed tactics prevented either side from breaking the stalemate at the Luodian front, both continued to pour in reinforcements. The Shigeto Detachment arrived from Taiwan and was attached to the 11th Division on September 14, the same day the Amaya Detachment made its way up the road from Yuepu to return to the division's direct command. By mid-September, the division had grown into a sizeable fighting force. However, the enemy it faced around Luodian was also growing stronger by the day, posing a significant threat to the division's right flank if it were to rush south toward Dachang to link up with the 3rd Division. Therefore, on September 18, the Shanghai commanders ordered the division to focus initially on eliminating the Chinese troops amassed around Luodian. By this time, heavy rain had already fallen in the Shanghai region for three days, gradually slowing the fighting. The Japanese disliked the rain, as it turned the roads into muddy rivers, making transportation difficult, if not impossible, while also grounding most of their aircraft. In contrast, the Chinese welcomed the lull, as it provided them with an opportunity to improve their positions. The challenge of breaking through the Chinese defenses was only becoming more difficult as time passed. The Chinese Army's performance during the initial stage of the fighting in Shanghai altered the world's perception of the nation's military capabilities. China, which had lost every war over the past century, invariably to nations much smaller than itself, had suddenly taken a stand. At Shanghai, the Chinese Army experienced more intense fighting than anyone could have anticipated, suffering losses that had taken years to build up. However, it had gained prestige and respect, even among its Japanese adversaries. Even the withdrawal on September 12 was met with sympathy and admiration in capitals around the world. Every journalist in Shanghai during the fall of 1937 had a story to tell about the remarkable Chinese soldier. American journalist Carroll Alcott spent many hours in dugouts in Zhabei. “While Japanese shells pelted down over their heads, the Chinese soldiers sat unfazed in their self-made caves, cooking rice, vegetables, and occasionally a small bit of pork over a charcoal brazier. They dispelled the inevitable boredom with games of checkers and mahjong and wrote letters home to their families. In the Chinese trenches, there was a sense of safety and a primitive kind of comfort”. Chiang Kai-shek had decided as early as September 15 that changes were needed at the top of the command in the 3rd War Zone. What this meant became clear six days later when Chiang sent two separate cables to the zone's senior officers. In the first cable, he announced that he would take over command of the 3rd War Zone from Feng Yuxiang, and dispatched him to the 6th War Zone further north. This was a sideways move rather than a direct demotion, but it undeniably removed Feng Yuxiang from the most crucial theater at the time. Despite this, the decision seemed logical to most senior officers in Suzhou. Feng Yuxiang had never effectively managed the 3rd War Zone during his time in command. None of his direct subordinates truly considered him to be in charge; instead, they continued to view Chiang as their actual commander. In the second cable of the day, Chiang Kai-shek went a step further by relieving Zhang Zhizhong of his duties as commander of the 9th Army Group. He replaced him with General Zhu Shaoliang, a staunch ally and, if possible, an even more vehement opponent of communism than himself. For Zhang Zhizhong, the decision was no major surprise, as he had faced Chiang Kai-shek's constant reproaches since the early days of the battle. Although Chiang initially selected Zhang due to his close connections with the divisional commanders he led, he grew increasingly disenchanted with Zhang's style of command characterized by “much talk and little action” and expressed his irritation both publicly and privately. There may have been an additional reason for this. Disagreements among the top echelons of the 3rd War Zone threatened to bring about paralysis. Zhang Zhizhong had not gotten along well with Chen Cheng, the commander of the neighboring 11th Army Group. Zhang had told anyone who would listen, “Chen Cheng isn't capable enough,”to which Chen retorted, “Zhang Zhizhong loves to show off.”  The strain that Shanghai was under also had an economic aspect. Although it had been a bumper year for both rice and cotton,  the two most popular crops in the area and many farmers were unable to harvest due to the continued heavy fighting around the city. Labor disputes simmered and occasionally erupted into open conflict. On September 14, a group of workers hired on short-term contracts by the Fou Foong Flour Mill in the western part of the International Settlement locked themselves inside and refused to leave until their demand for ten months' salary was met. Police and members of the Reserve Unit, a special anti-riot outfit, attacked the premises with tear gas and managed to disperse the protesters. Subsequently, ambulances transported 25 injured individuals to various hospitals from the mill. As if the city was not already suffering enough hardship, a cholera epidemic broke out, taking a particularly heavy toll on the poorest inhabitants. As of September 13, the outbreak had lasted for a month, with 119 confirmed cases and nine deaths. Less than a fortnight later, it had infected 646 people and resulted in 97 deaths. By early October, when the outbreak peaked, it had claimed a total of 355 lives. These statistics marked only the tip of the iceberg, as they accounted only for patients at hospitals in the International Settlement, excluding the likely much larger numbers in the Chinese part of the city. In a way, these individuals were collateral damage. A doctor who worked with the patients stated with a high degree of certainty that the disease had likely been brought to Shanghai by troops from the south. There existed a large villa overlooking Luodian they Japanese termed “the white house”. The Chinese forces had held the white house for four weeks, demonstrating fierce resistance. Encamped outside, the Japanese Army's 44th Regiment, known as the Kochi Regiment, was gradually being worn down, as their repeated attempts to storm the stronghold had failed. During their time at Luodian, the regiment had made numerous unsuccessful attempts to seize the villa. Limited artillery support hampered their efforts; logistical challenges meant each artillery piece received only one-fifth of its normal daily ammunition supply. On September 19, engineers began digging a tunnel from the trenches toward the White House. Four days later, they had excavated exactly 35 yards, effectively halving the distance the infantry would need to cross exposed ground before reaching the villa's defenses. A new attack was launched on the 23rd, beginning with an artillery bombardment, followed by air raids. Next, tanks advanced toward the walls, with small clusters of soldiers trailing behind. This attack included a surprise element for the Chinese defenders: as the offensive unfolded, a tunnel's entrance erupted open, allowing soldiers to emerge in single file close to the wall too quickly for the Chinese machine gunners to adjust their aim. The soldiers rushed forward, bearing heavy satchels of explosives. Pressing against the wall, they ignited the fuses and sought cover as loud explosions rang out. When the dust settled, the Japanese surged through the new openings in the walls, spreading out within the compound. After a fierce battle lasting two and a half hours, the building was captured by the Japanese troops. Despite losing the "White House," Lin Yindong, the commander of the 1st Battalion, was awarded an A-2 grade for the "Medal of the Armed Forces." He was also promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed as the regimental attaché of the 66th Regiment for successfully defending the "White House" against a numerically superior enemy for nearly a month. The capture of the White House was part of a significant offensive launched by the 11th Division in the Luodian area. Initially scheduled for September 20, the operation faced delays of several days due to prolonged preparations, a common issue in the challenging countryside surrounding Shanghai. The division chose to attack south of the town with a narrow front to concentrate enough forces to deliver a powerful, unified strike against Chinese positions. The Japanese employed massed armor in their assault, deploying aircraft to neutralize any anti-tank weapons that emerged. These tactics proved effective, as the Chinese were pushed back in multiple sections of the front. To marshal sufficient troops for the attack, the division assigned the Shigeto Detachment to cover its right flank north and west of Luodian. However, the newly arrived detachment, full of morale, exceeded its mandate by launching a vigorous counterattack against the Chinese in its sector. Unfortunately, their efforts yielded little significant progress, and they suffered heavy casualties. As Matsui would report "The detachment has already had 200 casualties. They can't keep attacking blindly like this."  Further south, the 3rd Japanese Division also mounted attacks against Chinese forces, primarily around Liuhang. The fighting revealed Japan's material superiority, which was so pronounced that the Chinese refrained from deploying heavy artillery, even when available. Anti-aircraft guns were strategically positioned near artillery batteries, but the Chinese were reluctant to use them for fear of revealing their locations. Consequently, the Chinese Army found itself with virtually no air defense. Overall, local Chinese reserves struggled to repel the Japanese advances, leading to a shift from the see-saw battles that had characterized the front since early September. The Japanese gradually maintained their positions even after nightfall.  Despite their numerical superiority, defending Luodian proved nearly impossible for the Chinese forces. The Japanese's overwhelming firepower forced the Chinese into a defensive posture, preventing them from launching counterattacks until the enemy was almost upon them. Consequently, the decision was made to hold the entire town at all costs, a tactic that significantly increased the attrition rate within Chinese ranks. General Chen Cheng's army group experienced a casualty rate exceeding fifty percent, resulting in more than 15,000 losses. Additionally, units from Xue Yue's 19th Army Group participated in the combat southwest of Luodian and suffered severe casualties. The 59th and 90th divisions of the 4th Corps endured seventy to eighty percent losses within just five days. The training brigade of the 66th Corps reported 3,003 casualties after several days of fighting. Faced with these circumstances, Chinese commanders decided to execute another major retreat along the entire front north of Shanghai. They took advantage of a lull in Japanese assaults on September 25 to withdraw approximately one mile to a new defensive line. As before, this retreat was conducted with great discipline, and it took the Japanese two more days to fully comprehend that the Chinese forces had disappeared from their positions.  In the wake of these Japanese successes, significant changes began to unfold. The three divisions that the Japanese high command had dispatched to the Shanghai area in early September gradually arrived. First to land was the 101st Division, which started disembarking on September 22 and was ordered to position itself on the left flank of the 3rd Division. The 9th Division arrived in the same area on September 27, followed by the 13th Division on October 1. With these reinforcements, Japan now had five divisions stationed in Shanghai, compared to more than 25 divisions fielded by the Chinese. While China's numerical superiority was undeniable, the disparity was not as stark as it appeared. A typical Japanese division consisted of 15,000 men. Combined with the marines and infantry defending Hongkou, Japan had approximately 90,000 soldiers at its disposal in and around the city. In contrast, Chinese divisions often had as few as 5,000 men, making it unlikely that China deployed more than 200,000 soldiers in Shanghai at that time. Furthermore, the Japanese compensated for their numerical disadvantage with significant superiority in materials, aircraft, and naval artillery, which could still reach key areas within the Chinese front. Overall, the addition of the three new divisions significantly bolstered the Japanese forces, prompting Matsui and his staff to begin preparations for what they hoped would be the decisive strike against the Chinese defenders. Their plan was straightforward: they intended to execute a powerful thrust across Wusong Creek and advance toward Suzhou Creek. The goal was to encircle and annihilate the main Chinese force in a maneuver they had envisioned since their arrival in China. After all, encirclement was the cornerstone of Japanese military doctrine. 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 August 1937, the Battle of Luodian raged as Chinese forces faced relentless Japanese attacks. After initial successes, the Chinese struggled under heavy casualties and dwindling morale. They fought fiercely to retain the critical town of Luodian, a vital transportation hub. Despite courageous defensive efforts, including a surprise night assault, the Japanese overwhelmed the Chinese with superior numbers and artillery. Encounters turned devastating, with both sides suffering severe losses. By late September, as the Japanese received reinforcements, the situation forced the Chinese to retreat, marking the beginning of a dire struggle for Shanghai's control.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Weathering the Storm: A Community's Strength in Unity Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-07-20-22-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 夏天的清晨，阳光洒在绿色的稻田上，空气中弥漫着清新的泥土气息。En: On a summer morning, sunlight spilled over the green fields of rice, and a fresh earthy scent filled the air.Zh: 这是一个安静而美好的早晨，李伟却满心忧虑。En: It was a quiet and beautiful morning, yet Li Wei was filled with worry.Zh: 他是这个农场的主人，一个勤奋而心思细腻的农民。En: He was the owner of this farm, a diligent and meticulous farmer.Zh: 今天，他又站在田埂上，眼神紧紧盯着天边那片暗沉的乌云。En: Today, he stood on the field ridge again, his eyes fixed on the dark clouds at the horizon.Zh: 他知道，一场暴风雨即将来临。En: He knew that a storm was about to come.Zh: 远处的山峰与青绿的稻田交相辉映，但即便这样美丽的景色也不能抚平李伟心中的不安。En: In the distance, the peaks of the mountains and the green rice fields complemented each other, but even such a beautiful scene could not ease the unease in Li Wei's heart.Zh: 稻田是全家人的命根子，如果暴风雨来临，庄稼被毁，那一年辛勤的劳作将付诸东流。En: The rice fields were the lifeblood of his family; if the storm came and destroyed the crops, a year's hard work would be in vain.Zh: 梅，是李伟的妻子，也是他的支柱。En: Mei was Li Wei's wife and his pillar.Zh: 此刻，她站在屋檐下，担忧地看着自己的丈夫。En: At the moment, she stood under the eaves, watching her husband with worry.Zh: 梅总是担心未来，她担心这个家，担心他们的农场。En: Mei always worried about the future, about their home, about their farm.Zh: “不用担心，”李伟轻声对梅说，“我们会找到办法的。”En: "Don't worry," Li Wei said softly to Mei. "We will find a way."Zh: 邻居陈走了过来，他是个经验丰富的农民，常给李伟出主意。En: Neighbor Chen came over; he was an experienced farmer who often gave Li Wei advice.Zh: “李兄弟，我们可以一起合作，把稻田覆盖上篷布，还有挖一些沟渠导水。”En: "Li brother, we can work together to cover the rice fields with tarpaulins and also dig some trenches to divert water."Zh: 李伟心中燃起了希望。En: Hope ignited in Li Wei's heart.Zh: 他立刻点头答应，决定召集所有人，邻里之间齐心协力，一定能战胜这场无情的风暴。En: He nodded immediately and agreed, deciding to gather everyone; united, the community would surely overcome this relentless storm.Zh: 随着乌云加厚，风也越来越大了。En: As the dark clouds thickened, the wind grew stronger.Zh: 李伟、梅、陈和村里其他人，顶着狂风展开篷布，奋力固定在田间。En: Li Wei, Mei, Chen, and other villagers braved the gale, rolling out tarpaulins and fixing them in the fields with effort.Zh: 梅一边拉着篷布一边对李伟说：“你不是一个人在奋斗，我们都在。”En: While pulling the tarpaulins, Mei said to Li Wei, "You're not alone in this fight; we all are."Zh: 雨点逐渐变成瓢泼，李伟和大家在泥泞中奋战。En: The raindrops gradually turned into a downpour, and Li Wei and everyone else fought in the mud.Zh: 风雨无情地拍打着他们，汗水与雨水混合，滴落在地，但他们没有放弃。En: The wind and rain pounded them relentlessly, sweat mixing with rainwater, dripping to the ground, but they did not give up.Zh: 终于，暴风雨逐渐减弱，阳光再次穿透云层洒在田野上。En: Finally, the storm gradually weakened, and sunlight broke through the clouds, spreading over the fields once more.Zh: 虽然一些稻苗受损，但大部分庄稼得到了保护，大家都松了一口气。En: Although some rice seedlings were damaged, most of the crops were protected, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Zh: 李伟站在田边，看着邻里们，他心中感到满满的温暖和感谢。En: Li Wei stood at the edge of the field, looking at the neighbors, feeling a warmth and gratitude fill his heart.Zh: 从今往后，他知道无论多大的风雨，只要大家团结一致，他们的家园就能继续繁荣下去。En: From now on, he knew that no matter how big the storm, as long as everyone united, their home could continue to prosper.Zh: 这个夏天，李伟找回了信心。En: This summer, Li Wei regained his confidence.Zh: 他明白，农场和家人不仅仅是自己的责任，整个社区都是他坚强的后盾。En: He understood that the farm and his family were not just his responsibility; the entire community was his strong support.Zh: 他不再孤单，每一个帮助过的人，也将在他帮助他们的时候感受同样的力量。En: He was no longer alone; everyone he had helped would feel the same strength when he helped them. Vocabulary Words:sunlight: 阳光spilled: 洒earthy: 泥土worry: 忧虑diligent: 勤奋meticulous: 细腻ridge: 田埂horizon: 天边complemented: 交相辉映unease: 不安lifeblood: 命根子pillar: 支柱eaves: 屋檐experienced: 经验丰富advice: 主意trenches: 沟渠divert: 导ignited: 燃起united: 齐心协力relentless: 无情gale: 狂风downpour: 瓢泼mud: 泥泞pounded: 拍打relief: 松了一口气gratitude: 感谢prosper: 繁荣confidence: 信心responsibility: 责任support: 后盾

Formula Drift STL Prospec Podium This one gets a little spicy!

To get live links to the music we play and resources we offer, visit www.WOSPodcast.comThis show includes the following songs:Mary Kate Farmer - Buckle FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYDebby Smith - Confession FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYChlo Leclerc - Ca Ira FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYaj - waterproof makeup FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYLindy Urban - Beyond The Blue FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYNic Chen - Magic in the Mundane FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYCat Aimi - unimportant FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYClaire Daniel - All I Need FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSara Furrer - Love And Happiness FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYPheelynx - Secrets FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYValerie Hudson - Where I Belong FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYAriana Hodes & The Longest Year - Life Thing FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYDottie Mai - Nobody FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYCheryl Craigie - I'm Only Me When I'm With You FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYDina MDN - Losing Touch FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMya Angelique - quick-brush FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYJasmine Sparkes - Country to Coast FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYFor Music Biz Resources Visit www.FEMusician.com and www.ProfitableMusician.comVisit our Sponsor Profitable Musician Newsletter at profitablemusician.com/joinVisit our Sponsor 39 Streams of Income at profitablemusician.com/incomeVisit our Sponsor Visit www.wosradio.com for more details and to submit music to our review board for consideration.Visit our resources for Indie Artists: https://www.wosradio.com/resourcesBecome more Profitable in just 3 minutes per day. http://profitablemusician.com/join

In our latest podcast episode, Tania Edwards sits down with senior jewelry specialist Angelina Chen to explore why Patek Philippe ladies' watches are not just exceptional timepieces but also important pieces of wearable art.Angelina brings a wealth of experience, having started her career in the auction world as a business manager for the Watch and Jewelry Departments. It was at Sotheby's that she met a young John Reardon, whose passion for Patek Philippe was contagious even then. She later launched the highly successful online jewelry division for Christie's and most recently worked as an appraiser in the Magnificent Jewelry Department.Her enthusiasm for fine watches is infectious, and she lends her expert eye to walk us through a wide range of Patek Philippe creations, from early pendant watches of the 1890s to elegant designs of the 2000s.In this conversation, you will hear how tastes and fashions have evolved, from the tiny watches of the 1950s to the bold, jeweled pieces of the 1970s and 80s, and the trend for women to wear men's watches in the 1990s and 2000s. Tania and Angelina also share their predictions for future trends and agree that Patek Philippe truly offers something for everyone.Shop for your favorite watches at the Collectability Shop: https://collectability.com/shop/ Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates:   / collectabilityllc   Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability

Resistant starch acts more like fiber than starch—and may offer unique benefits for blood sugar, gut health, and more. In this episode, we break down the different types, where to find them, and how they compare to other sources of fiber.Transcript: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/resistant-starch-your-questions-answered/transcriptMentioned in this episode: Episode 915, Multi-grain vs whole grainEpisode 560, Fiber 2.0—Fiber's New Science of Health-Boosting BenefitsEpisode 728, Tapping into the many benefits of resistant starchesReferences:Wang, Y., Chen, J., Song, Y.-H., Zhao, R., Xia, L., Chen, Y., Cui, Y.-P., Rao, Z.-Y., Zhou, Y., Zhuang, W., & Wu, X.-T. (2019). Effects of the resistant starch on glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, and lipid parameters in overweight or obese adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31168050/Yuan, H. C., Meng, Y., Bai, H., Shen, D. Q., Wan, B. C., & Chen, L. Y. (2018). Meta-analysis indicates that resistant starch lowers serum total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29914662/ New to Nutrition Diva? Check out our special Spotify playlist for a collection of the best episodes curated by our team and Monica herself! We've also curated some great playlists on specific episode topics including Diabetes and Gut Health! Also, find a playlist of our bone health series, Stronger Bones at Every Age. Have a nutrition question? Send an email to nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com.Follow Nutrition Diva on Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter for more diet and nutrition tips. Find out about Monica's keynotes and other programs at WellnessWorksHere.comNutrition Diva is a part of the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network. LINKS:Transcripts: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QDTNutrition/Newsletter: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/nutrition-diva-newsletterWellness Works Here: https://wellnessworkshere.comQuick and Dirty Tips: https://quickanddirtytipscom

From July 4 to July 8, Film Comment Editor Devika Girish presented a series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music called Let Them Cook: Cinema of the Rice Cooker, which spotlit movies where the humble household appliance takes on a poetics and pragmatism uniquely suited to the screen. Some of the films in the series included Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light (2024), Claire Denis's 35 Shots of Rum (2008), Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000), Raymond Yip's Sixty Million Dollar Man (2005), Yasujiro Ozu's Good Morning (1959), and Bong Joon Ho's Incoherence (1994).  After a screening of Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill (1967)—which follows a yakuza assassin with a fetish for the smell of cooking rice—Devika recorded a panel discussion with film scholar and critic Phoebe Chen, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bedatri Datta Choudhury, and Bon Appétit's Joseph Hernandez about the cinematic appeal of the rice cooker.

Last time we spoke about Black Saterday and Operation Iron Fist. Conflict erupted in Shanghai on August 13, when Japanese marines disguised as civilians provoked Chinese guards, resulting in fierce gunfire and urban warfare. Both sides engaged in skirmishes around vital locations, with the Eight Character Bridge becoming a focal point. On August 14, air raids misfired catastrophically, killing over a thousand civilians in what became known as "Black Saturday." In an attempt to regain control, Chiang Kai-shek authorized Operation Iron Fist, a bold offensive targeting Japanese strongholds. The attack commenced early on August 17, involving coordinated assaults aimed at exploiting weak points in the enemy defenses. However, poor coordination, entrenched opposition, and the complexity of urban combat resulted in further devastating losses for the Chinese troops. By August 18, Operation Iron Fist had failed, with the Japanese reinforcing their positions and announcing a strategic shift towards expanded military engagement.   #158 The Battle of Shanghai Part 3: The Chinese Counteroffensive “Drive them into the Sea!” 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. On August 18, the Japanese military reinforced their presence in Shanghai, shipping an additional 1,400 marines from Manchuria to bolster the ranks of the Japanese Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force or “SNLF”. Yes, all of you who don't listen to my Pacific War week by week podcast are going to get a lot of acronym lessons soon. And yes, they are not quote en quote real marines, but like most telling these stories its easier to refer to them this way. This influx of troops was a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, heightening tensions as the battle for control intensified. As the battle in Shanghai raged on, a growing sentiment emerged among Chinese leaders that crucial chances had been squandered. On August 18, Chiang Kai-shek sent his trusted aide, Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng, to confer with General Zhang Zhizhong at the front lines. They assessed the situation and agreed that instead of attacking the heavily fortified Hongkou area, they should redirect their focus to the Yangshupu district. The aim was to breach the defenses and split the Japanese forces along the Huangpu River. This strategic shift was precisely what the German military advisers and frontline commanders had anticipated, signaling a decisive move away from their earlier hesitance to engage within settlement boundaries. As attrition took its toll on the Chinese troops already committed in Shanghai, the responsibility for the offensive was placed on the newly arrived 36th Infantry Division, a unit highly trained by German forces. They were positioned to advance from the eastern edge of Hongkou, with two regiments tasked to march south toward the Huangpu. In the early hours of the 19th, two regiments of the 36th launched their long-planned attack, moving swiftly towards the front lines. The night was illuminated by the flames of sabotage and incendiary bombs, aiding visibility amid the chaos. However, the assault quickly faced significant challenges. Many of the Chinese soldiers were inexperienced, becoming easy targets for Japanese infantry positioned in rooftops and upper-story windows. In the absence of cover, some troops were forced to take shelter behind the fallen bodies of their comrades. For a moment, the Chinese troops felt a surge of hope, believing they could push the Japanese into the Huangpu River. General Zhang Fakui, observing from the opposite bank, envisioned a breakthrough. However, upon reaching Broadway, parallel to the river, they confronted a formidable barrier. High walls guarded the wharves, and even the largest artillery pieces struggled to breach the defenses. Attempts to scale the steel gate resulted in devastating fire from entrenched Japanese machine gunners, while fortified factories like the Gong Da Cotton Mill proved equally impenetrable. As the Chinese forces suffered under relentless bombardment, their momentum diminished. The 88th Infantry Division, previously effective, showed signs of disarray and hesitated to engage. Compounding their woes, Japanese reinforcements arrived, swelling their ranks to 6,300 well equipped marines. Despite these challenges, the Chinese committed to deploying their newly acquired British built Vickers tanks, a symbol of their efforts to modernize their military over the years. But with each hour, the balance of power tilted further in favor of the Japanese forces. Meanwhile the 87th Infantry Division was assigned two armored companies, yet it suffered catastrophic losses. The tanks, recently shipped from Nanjing, had crews untrained in coordinated assaults, and many were left without infantry support. The Chinese forces struggled to secure adjacent streets, allowing Japanese armor to outflank and destroy their tanks. The Japanese, too, faced coordination challenges between their armor and infantry, resulting in some of their tanks being annihilated by Chinese anti-tank weapons. On the 20th, General Zhang Zhizhong inspected the Yangshupu front and encountered a former student leading a tank company ready to attack the wharves. The tanks, hastily repaired and ill equipped for battle, faced fierce enemy fire, and the young officer expressed concern about the infantry's ability to keep pace. Despite Zhang's insistence that the assault must proceed, the attack ended in disaster as the tank company was decimated by shells from anchored vessels. The battle blended modern warfare with tactics reminiscent of earlier centuries. An officer named Wu Yujun managed a position during a Japanese cavalry attack on the 18th. After two unsuccessful assaults, Wu set an ambush that resulted in the annihilation of the Japanese riders. This incident illustrated the stark contrast on the battlefield where Chinese soldiers often confronted a technologically superior enemy while grappling with their own inexperience.  Many of the Chinese units arriving in Shanghai were very green, countless having never faced battle before, and their lack of experience proved costly in the initial days of fighting. Brigade Commander Fang Jing of the 98th Division observed that his soldiers constructed inadequate fortifications that crumbled under the Japanese 150mm howitzers. He lamented, “Often, the positions they built were too weak and couldn't withstand the enemy's artillery,”. On the 20th, 5 Chinese aircraft returned after yet another unsuccessful attack on the Japanese battleship Izumo, which remained anchored in the Huangpu. During their flight over western Zhabei, they encountered two Japanese seaplanes. One Chinese pilot broke formation, diving steeply to fire a brief machine-gun salvo, but his plane was quickly shot down, bursting into flames before crashing. The Chinese attacks had posed a significant threat to Japanese bombers, particularly the vulnerable Mitsubishi G3M medium aircraft targeting Shanghai and central China. Japan's First Combined Air Group suffered heavy losses, with half of its medium attack planes damaged or destroyed within the first three days of fighting. However, the Chinese pilots, largely inexperienced and inadequately trained, began to falter against the superior Japanese fighters, eventually withdrawing from the skies over Shanghai. Ground troops expressed frustration over the lack of effective air support, as they rarely saw their planes after the 20th, instead carrying out major troop movements only under the cover of darkness. The Japanese air superiority drastically affected operations on the ground, dictating when Chinese soldiers could eat and transport supplies. Without effective fighter protection and limited anti-aircraft capabilities, the Chinese troops were left exposed. Most of their anti-aircraft weaponry consisted of 20mm Solothurn guns that were ineffective against aircraft and were more often used against infantry. Officers hesitated to use these guns for fear of revealing their positions to the enemy.  By the morning of the 21st, the 36th Division had been relentlessly attacking the wharf area for over 48 hours, yet victory remained elusive. Although some tanks had infiltrated the wharf, they were met with dishearteningly strong Japanese defenses and a well-manned enemy presence. The commanders recognized that they had advanced too quickly without securing their flanks, and their reserves, which could have provided crucial support, remained in the rear. Reluctantly, they concluded that a withdrawal was necessary. The retreat was a painful acknowledgment that pushing the Japanese into the Huangpu River would not be as straightforward as hoped. Part of the Chinese failure stemmed from an inability to execute joint operations across different military branches. German advisors noted that artillery support for the forces in Yangshupu from the Pudong side was limited. In contrast, Japanese naval guns were actively providing support, significantly relieving the pressure on their marines. This imbalance resulted in heavy losses for the Chinese, with the 36th Division suffering over 2,000 casualties by the late 22nd. Meanwhile, Japanese naval aircraft attempted to impede the movement of additional Chinese troops to Shanghai by bombing the railway from Suzhou. Although several bridges were destroyed and railway stations sustained damage, the delays were minimal, offering some reassurance to Chinese commanders who understood that reinforcements were essential for a successful continuation of the battle. The light cruiser Jintsu, carrying the 3rd Division, set to land six miles north of Shanghai, while the 11th Division would disembark a dozen miles further up the Yangtze River. By the evening of the 21st, the task force arrived at the Yangtze River and the Saddle Islands off the river estuary. The soldiers had to transfer to smaller vessels capable of navigating the shallow waters of the Huangpu River.  On the 23rd, Matsui Iwane got aboard the light cruiser Yura and was greeted by Rear Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, then the commander of the 8th cruiser division. Yes, the same man who would be blamed for losing at Midway in 1942. The Japanese fleet had made a strategic sweep as far south as Hangzhou Bay the previous day to disrupt Chinese troop movements and force them to spread thin along the coast. However, with the landings imminent, it was clear the assault would happen at Wusong and Chuanshakou. Initially, Matsui preferred landing both divisions at Chuanshakou for a sweeping advance into the lightly defended countryside west of Shanghai, which would encircle tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers. The 3rd Fleet, however, proposed a bolder strategy: the 11th Infantry Division would proceed with the landing at Chuanshakou, while the 3rd Infantry Division would land at Wusong, directly confronting the heavily concentrated Chinese forces around Shanghai. This plan aimed to exert pressure from both the front and the rear, a tactic that could yield success but risked high casualties if faced with stiff Chinese resistance. Aware of the operation's risks, the naval officers sought to ease potential tensions with their army counterparts by offering over 500 elite marines to support the assault, preparing for what could be a pivotal moment in the campaign. Shortly after midnight on the 23rd, the marines designated as the primary assault wave at Wusong arrived in a convoy of steamers from Shanghai. Their arrival was eagerly anticipated, as they would spare the 3rd Division from being the first to land. As the naval artillery barrage reached a deafening climax, the boats glided across the smooth water towards the shore. Any time a Chinese machine gun opened fire, it drew immediate response from the Japanese gunners, swiftly silencing the threat. Meanwhile, trench mortars onshore targeted the advancing vessels, but their rounds fell harmlessly into the water without causing any damage. At 3:00 am, the first landing craft reached the bank, dropped anchor, and lowered its ramp. The marines waded ashore, climbing the 15 foot high dike to survey the terrain. Suddenly, machine gun fire erupted from a Chinese position just 50 yards away, cutting down several marines. Undeterred, the marines charged with fixed bayonets across the open field. An explosion marked the spot where a soldier had triggered a landmine, followed by more detonations, but there was no retreat; they pressed on, swarming over the Chinese trench and engaging in a brief yet fierce hand-to-hand struggle. Within moments, they had taken the position. The marines quickly cleared the area, paving a path to their immediate objective, a military road running parallel to the Huangpu River. While setting up defensive positions, the 3rd Division began to disembark at the water's edge. By 8:00 a.m, the divisional command stepped ashore as the last unit to arrive. Meanwhile, naval pilots were busy bombing and strafing roads further inland to impede any enemy reinforcements. The landing had unfolded with remarkable success, marking a significant moment in the operation and setting the stage for greater advances by Japanese forces. Meanwhile the 11th division began setting foot on the beach north of Chuanshakou at 3:50 am. As the soldiers advanced towards the town's outskirts, they encountered only minimal resistance as Chuanshakou was defended by a single Chinese company.  Matsui was pleased with the outcome; everything had unfolded according to plan and, in fact, better than he had dared to hope. Casualties in both divisions were surprisingly low, amounting to little more than 40 soldiers. At 5:30 am, Zhang Zhizhong received an urgent phone call at his new headquarters in a small village near Nanxiang. On the line was Liu Heding, commander of the 56th Infantry Division, reporting that an enemy force of unknown size had landed near Chuanshakou. With heavy bombardment disrupting communications, details were scarce, but Zhang immediately recognized the gravity of the situation: a new front was opening, complicating his command significantly. Realizing he could not effectively manage the situation from Nanxiang with communications down, Zhang decided to head to the command post of the 87th Infantry Division in Jiangwan, a town closer to the landing area. By the time he arrived at the 87th Division's base, it was nearly 9:00 am. He was informed that the Japanese had not only landed at Chuanshakou but also at Wusong. Recognizing the urgency, he quickly dispatched half of the 87th Infantry Division and a regiment from the recently arrived Training Brigade, an elite unit fresh from Nanjing, to respond to the threat. Given that the 56th Infantry Division alone could not secure the area around Chuanshakou, Zhang assigned the 98th Infantry Division to defend most of the Yangtze riverbank under threat. He also dispatched the 11th Division, which had just arrived in the Shanghai area with Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng to move toward Luodian, a town just a few miles from the landing zone at Chuanshakou.  Meanwhile, the Japanese forces were advancing swiftly. While the main landing contingent engaged in fierce fighting for control of Chuanshakou, a small unit of a few hundred soldiers was dispatched down the road to Luodian. Marching under the scorching August sun, the reservists, weary from the trek, found little resistance upon reaching Luodian. They hastily set up camp without adequately preparing defenses, making them vulnerable targets. Later that afternoon, advance units of the 11th Infantry Division reached Luodian, shaken but determined to attack even after facing air raids on their journey. The ensuing skirmish was swift; within an hour, the Japanese were repelled. Back over at Wusong Hu Guobing received orders to push back the Japanese on August 21st. He led his regiment towards the Japanese lines, as his platoons dispersed further, dividing into smaller squads. Soon, the sharp crack and rattle of small arms fire resonated along the regiment's front. Battalion Commander Qin Shiquan, a graduate of the Central Military Academy, led two companies toward the enemy positions, taking care to remain unnoticed. When they drew close enough, he ordered his bugler to sound the charge. Then, raising his Mauser pistol, he turned to face his men and shouted, “Attack! Attack!” This sudden noise revealed his position, making it vulnerable. Japanese observers hidden nearby quickly relayed his coordinates to warships offshore. Within minutes, shells began to rain down on the unit with alarming accuracy. Amidst the storm of fire unleashed by the Japanese, all semblance of order disintegrated, and chaos ensued as each unit fought to survive. Hu Guobing spent most of the day dodging Japanese aircraft that circled overhead, waiting for targets to emerge. As Hu Guobing recalled “It felt as though the enemy could see everything. It was crucial not to act rashly. Our only real options were to take cover in a hole or hide behind a ridge”. The gunfire continued throughout the afternoon and did not relent until darkness began to fall. Only then could the soldiers breathe a little easier, grab a few bites of their field rations, and quench their parched throats with sips from their water canteens. Seizing the relative safety of night, they hurried to improve their positions, knowing that once dawn arrived, it would be too late; a shallow trench or inadequate camouflage could spell doom. Although it had been Chiang Kai-Shek's decision to place Zhang Zhizhong and Feng Yuxiang in charge of Shanghai, now designated the 3rd War Zone, he was having regrets. In a telephone conversation with Feng Yuxiang shortly after the Japanese landings, Chiang emphasized the importance of monitoring the younger front-line commanders. He urged “Don't hesitate to give them advice,”. Feng assured him that he would not hold back. He then recounted an anecdote about General Nogi Maresuke, who, during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, allegedly delegated all major decisions to his chief of staff. Feng told him “The frontline commanders possess courage and a fighting spirit. Their role is to take orders and engage in battle. Mine is to stay back, like Nogi, write a few poems, and wait for the inevitable,”. Chiang persistently insisted, “Regardless of the situation, don't be shy. Share your insights with them.” “Of course,” Feng responded. “If I notice something amiss, I'll address it without hesitation. You can count on me.” However, this assurance did little to calm Chiang's concerns. A great concern was Zhang Zhizhong. Much of his rhetoric about fighting the Japanese seemed to lack substance. Zhang had not demonstrated the necessary resolve to launch attacks against the small Japanese forces in the city when decisive action could have turned the tide of the battle. With Japanese reinforcements firmly entrenched in two locations within the greater Shanghai area, it was now too late to pursue a quick victory over the enemy. Compounding the issue, Zhang appeared to spend an excessive amount of time making grandiose statements to the newspapers rather than focusing on the ground situation. Chiang's frustration was palpable, and it was shared by his German advisors, who concurred that Zhang lacked the requisite “toughness” to confront Japanese resistance effectively. The decision to send Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng to the front was an early indication that Chiang was considering replacing Zhang. In a particularly humiliating twist, Zhang was not even informed of Chen Cheng's appointment and learned about it indirectly through other field commanders. Fearing that he was being sidelined, Zhang Zhizhong hurried to the 3rd War Zone headquarters in Suzhou to assess the situation. While in Suzhou, called Chiang, whom began harshly criticizing him for being so far behind the front lines. “What are you doing in Suzhou? What are you doing in Suzhou?”. Zhang Zhizhong replied “Mr. Chairman, I'm back in Suzhou to discuss important strategic matters. Otherwise, I'm constantly at the front What's the matter with you?” Chiang was incensed by this perceived disrespect. “What's the matter with me? You ask me what's the matter with me!” His voice rising to a hoarse shriek, Chiang Kai-shek abruptly hung up. At this point, Zhang must have had little doubt that his days as the chief field commander were numbered. The Japanese landings had accomplished their immediate objective of relieving pressure on the small marine forces holed up in Shanghai. As a result, the Chinese were forced to halt their attacks on Hongkou and Yangshupu and had to reconsider how to allocate their resources across various fronts. If the Japanese landing party grew large enough, the Chinese forces could risk becoming the target of a Japanese pincer movement. In essence, within a few days, they had shifted from an offensive posture to a defensive one. Against this backdrop, Chen Cheng,  leading the 15th Army Group, arrived in Suzhou on August 24th. His presence aimed to bolster resistance, and he was also there to familiarize himself with local conditions, as he was expected to take on a greater role at the front shortly. Chen's confident demeanor and readiness to overrule local commanders indicated that real authority already resided with him. While he agreed with Zhang Zhizhong's plans from the previous day to counter the landings, he deemed them insufficient given the threat posed by the fresh Japanese troops. Consequently, he ordered that more soldiers be redeployed from Shanghai proper to the landing zones. To counter the dire situation, Falkenhausen devised a plan aimed at reigniting enthusiasm for the offensive among the Chinese forces. During a meeting on the 25th, he proposed rallying all troops in the Luodian area to mount a coordinated attack from all sides against the Japanese landing force. Emphasizing the German preference for a decisive strike, he aimed to push the invaders back into the Yangtze. The assembled officers expressed their agreement with the plan. However, as dawn broke, the optimism from the night's discussions began to wane. It had been 48 hours since the landings, and the Japanese army had solidified its foothold at Chuanshakou, rapidly approaching a point of strength that would make it nearly impossible to dislodge them. Tanks and artillery were assembled along the riverbank, while engineers constructed a pier to facilitate the faster unloading of troops and supplies. They had already established a bridgehead that extended 10 miles in length and reached a depth of five miles, initiating the construction of a road heading inland, an evident preparation for a major offensive. In a secret report to Chiang Kai-shek, Falkenhausen outlined the challenging situation as the Japanese consolidated their material advantages. “It should be noted that the enemy's army and navy operate in close coordination. Although their land-based artillery is still relatively weak, this is offset by their robust naval artillery and ship-based aircraft,”. He further noted that the airfields on Chongming Island contributed to Japan's now “complete air superiority, as a result, the main operations on our side should be executed after dark.”  From late August onward, most Chinese movements occurred after sunset. Only then could Chinese and Japanese infantry engage on more equal footing, without the overwhelming advantage provided by air support. Night became the great equalizer in the uneven battle for Shanghai. During the day, the relentlessly active Japanese forces seemed to be everywhere. They deployed rubber boats up small rivers to scout and disrupt. Their observation balloons hovered on the horizon, keeping a vigilant watch on the Chinese and swiftly scrambling aircraft upon detecting any movement. They combined technological superiority with a bravery that bordered on the suicidal; when faced with the prospect of capture, many Japanese soldiers preferred death. Following a fierce battle in the vicinity of Luodian, the Chinese retrieved the body of a sergeant major who had committed hara-kiri, while a gravely injured private was found attempting to slit his own throat with his bayonet. Luodian remained the immediate target for nearly all the Japanese forces in the area, facing the same Chinese units that had driven them out on August 23rd. The Chinese were well entrenched in and around the town, but they lacked the numbers to consider launching offensive operations against the Japanese at Chuanshakou. Instead, their priority was to strengthen their defenses. While waiting for the Japanese to resume the assault, they endured massive and sustained bombardment. Among the Chinese officers, there was a growing sense of crisis and a palpable fear that their defensive line could collapse at any moment. From their perspective, the Japanese appeared to be gaining momentum. However, the situation looked quite different from the Japanese invaders' point of view. Japanese casualties began to rise as the Chinese reinforcements sent to the Luodian area started to make an impact. Two days after the landings, the number of dead and injured from the 11th Division had exceeded 400, and the toll continued to climb. Among the casualties was a senior staff officer who was killed moments after stepping off his landing craft at Chuanshakou, struck down by a Chinese aircraft that had evaded Japanese fighter cover. The death toll escalated so quickly that not all bodies could be cremated, as was customary for the Japanese; privates and junior officers were hastily buried instead. For an army that prided itself on honoring its fallen soldiers more than those left alive, this was a significant blow to morale. The 3rd Division faced different challenges in its sector. It was subjected to relentless attacks on the first day of the landing and had to repel two further major enemy assaults on the second day. Additionally, it experienced occasional shelling from Chinese artillery located on the Pudong side. The greatest threat, however, came from the division's right flank. North of the landing zone lay Wusong Fortress, which had been guarding the approach to Shanghai since the wars against British and French forces in the mid-19th century. From their fortifications, Chinese infantry and artillery continuously targeted the Japanese as they disembarked from their boats and advanced inland. They also fired upon small vessels navigating up the Huangpu River, delivering supplies to the division. As the 3rd Division expanded its bridgehead in the days following the landing, Wusong Fortress remained a persistent threat, impeding the buildup of Japanese forces on shore. Compounding the Japanese sense of being encircled, the village of Yinhang to the south was also under Chinese control. This, combined with the steadily increasing number of Chinese defenders in front of the landing zone, created a challenging tactical situation for the Japanese. Although initial casualties had been lighter than the planners had feared, the number of Japanese losses began to rise. By the 25th, the 3rd Division, often referred to as the “Lucky” Division, reported over 300 accumulated casualties. Two days later, that number had escalated to 500, the majority of whom were killed in action. On the 28th, the 3rd Division was finally able to capture the village of Yinhang, freeing itself somewhat from the tactical constraints it had faced up to that point. On the same day, following an intense naval bombardment, the 11th Division launched an assault on Luodian. Leading the charge was Wachi Takaji, a 44-year-old regimental commander who surged forward with his sword drawn, personally dispatching several enemies along the way. The Chinese defenders were driven out of the town and fled down the roads leading inland. By noon, Luodian was firmly under Japanese control.  However August 29th marked a significant triumph for Chinese diplomacy, as Chiang Kai-shek's signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union. The pact between Nanjing and Moscow laid the political and diplomatic groundwork for Soviet military aid to China while ensuring that the Soviet Union would not reach an agreement with Japan as long as hostilities continued. Initially, Chiang Kai-shek had been wary of Soviet intentions, expressing concerns in his diary on August 1st, when the diplomats were preparing the treaty, that he feared the Kremlin might use the agreement to pressure Japan into signing a similar pact with Moscow. However, following the signing, skepticism gave way to optimism. Three days after announcing the treaty, Chiang confidently predicted in a speech that the Soviet Union would eventually enter the war against Japan. Chiang would not be wrong about that, but it would only come in 1945, officially. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had a clear reason to encourage China to engage in a full-scale war with Japan: it would secure Russia's western flank while he focused on the strategic challenges posed by a Europe dominated by Hitler. A conflict with China could drain Japanese resources, thereby reducing the threat from Asia in the long term. Exasperated British diplomats attempted to warn Chiang Kai-shek about what they perceived as a Soviet ruse, advising that the Russians “only have their own interests in mind.” Nevertheless, this did little to undermine the Chinese leader's belief in the Soviet Union's willingness to help. At a deeper cognitive level, there was a reason why Chiang Kai-shek and his associates clung to the belief that not only Soviet aid but also direct Soviet participation in the hostilities was imminent. This aligned with their expectations of how a war with Japan would unfold. The Chinese General Staff's War Plan A, drafted in 1937, was based on the premise that a conflict with Japan would soon trigger a larger conflict involving either the Soviet Union or the United States. Thus, the key objective for China was to withstand the superior Japanese forces until relief could arrive from a more powerful ally, whether that be Russian or American. This strategy was not as naive as it might seem; it was based on the understanding that neither Moscow nor Washington would want to see Japanese power grow too strong on the Asian mainland. Despite the capture of Luodian and Yinhang, the Japanese continued to face significant challenges. Their grip on the Shanghai region remained highly precarious, relying on control of two isolated pockets north of Shanghai and a beleaguered garrison within the city. Due to their numerical inferiority, they were under intense pressure from Chinese forces. The landings at Wusong and Chuanshakou had initially bolstered the manpower in the Shanghai area by fewer than 8,000 troops, and although reinforcements were gradually arriving, the pace was slow. Matsui Iwane recognized the need for a more radical increase in troop levels to achieve a decisive outcome. By the end of August, he cabled Tokyo, arguing that to complete the operation successfully, he required a total of five divisions or at a minimum the release of the 11th Division's Amaya Detachment, currently stationed in northeast China, to reunite with the division at Chuanshakou. The Japanese imperial staff and navy command responded mostly favorably, agreeing to redirect the detachment to Shanghai alongside several units of the elite marines. One week after the landings, Wusong Fort continued to pose a significant problem for the 3rd Division and the navy, which was responsible for supplying the division. Chinese artillery fire made anchoring near the landing zone a perilous endeavor, resulting in several naval officers being killed when caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. At times, the shelling was so severe that vessels had to interrupt their operations and retreat to a berth in the middle of the Huangpu River, unloading only part of their supplies. Matsui now planned for the 3rd Division to launch a frontal assault on Wusong, while the 11th Division would maintain a support role, dispatching only one regiment to assist. The attack commenced at 10:00 am on August 31rd. Following an intensive naval and aerial bombardment involving 30 planes, a regiment from the 3rd Division boarded landing craft, sailed down the Huangpu River, and landed on the riverbank north of Wusong. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, the soldiers engaged in fierce skirmishes with scattered Chinese units in front of Wusong in preparation for a final entry into the city. Meanwhile, the Asama Detachment from the 11th Division initiated its part of the offensive by marching along the bank of the Yangtze toward Shizilin. On the morning of September 1st, the Japanese tightened their grip on Wusong. The regiment from the 3rd Division seized a hamlet west of Wusong and readied for an assault on the town itself. The defending Chinese forces put up strong resistance, and it was not until late afternoon that the Japanese made any significant progress, aided by artillery fire from their ships. The Asama Detachment experienced somewhat greater success that day, successfully capturing the fort at Shizilin in the afternoon. The Japanese launched their final offensive against Wusong at dawn on the 2nd. To their surprise, the fort fell with relative ease. By 10:00 am, Matsui saw the Rising Sun flag hoisted over Wusong. “I felt boundless gratification,” he noted in his diary.  With the fall of Wusong, the town of Baoshan became the last major obstacle to uninterrupted Japanese control of the riverbank, stretching from Chuanshakou to the outskirts of Shanghai. The fort at Baoshan also posed a significant threat to Japanese naval operations due to its strategic location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Huangpu rivers. Chiang Kai-shek fully recognized the importance of Baoshan and ordered a battalion of the 98th Infantry Division to hold the town at all costs. Baoshan had one notable advantage: like many ancient Chinese towns, it was encircled by a thick city wall that had historically helped fend off invaders and still served its defensive purpose well. The Japanese were acutely aware that Baoshan favored defense, and even a small contingent of Chinese forces could potentially hold out for an extended period.  On the 4th, the 3rd Division sluggishly advanced toward Baoshan. Around mid-afternoon, an artillery unit arrived to assist by bombarding the city wall. Despite this support, the Japanese soldiers, sent in waves to scale the wall, suffered significant casualties and failed to penetrate the defenses by nightfall. At noon on September 5, Japanese bombers launched an air raid on Baoshan, while naval artillery rained shells indiscriminately over the town's gray roofs. The land attack began an hour later when Japanese tanks advanced toward the town gates. The Japanese pressed the Chinese defenders into a shrinking perimeter. By sunset, the defenders were left with only 100 soldiers. The night passed without incident, as the Japanese refrained from attacking without air support, but everyone knew that dawn would herald the end. Just as the sun rose above the horizon, the assault resumed. As the city neared its fall, the defending commander Yao Ziqing ordered a soldier to escape and report the situation to his superiors. Unnoticed by the Japanese, the soldier scaled a wall and fled into the surrounding countryside, becoming the sole survivor of the battle. He carried with him a message from the battalion: “We are determined to stay at our posts and to continue fighting the enemy until each and every one of us is killed.” 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. Despite initial Chinese hopes for a counteroffensive by the newly arrived 36th Infantry Division, their inexperience and poor coordination led to heavy losses. As the Japanese gained reinforcements, they executed strategic landings at Chuanshakou and Wusong, overwhelming Chinese defenses. Amidst escalating casualties, Chinese troops struggled to maintain morale. However, their resolve to fight persisted, even as defeat loomed over the besieged city and its defenders.

Today, Taiwan is caught in the crosshairs of two imperial rivals: the US and China. This is nothing new for the island nation, which has been a battleground for competing empires for centuries, but what is new is the critical role Taiwan plays in the 21st-century world economy. For example, Taiwan manufacturers 90% of the world's most advanced microchips—the key component in everything from consumer electronics to the US military's F-35 fighter jets. In this episode of Solidarity Without Exception, co-host Ashley Smith speaks with Brian Hioe, journalist and editor of New Bloom magazine, about the history of Taiwanese struggles for self-determination, the country's position in the contemporary US-China rivalry, the increasing threat of imperial war, and the urgency of building solidarity among working-class people in Taiwan, the US, and China.Guests:Brian Hioe is a freelance journalist, translator, and one of the founding editors of New Bloom, an online magazine featuring radical perspectives on Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific. A New York native and Taiwanese-American, Hioe has an MA in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University and graduated from New York University with majors in History, East Asian Studies, and English Literature. He was Democracy and Human Rights Service Fellow at the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy from 2017 to 2018 and is currently a Non-Resident Fellow at the University of Nottingham's Taiwan Studies Programme, as well as board member of the Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club.Additional resources:New Bloom website, Facebook page, X page, and InstagramEli Friedman, Kevin Lin, Rosa Liu, & Ashley Smith, Haymarket Books, China in Global Capitalism: Building International Solidarity Against Imperial RivalryBrian J. Chen, Boston Review, “Semiconductor Island: The colonial making of Taiwan's chip supremacy”Credits:Pre-Production: Ashley SmithStdio Production / Post-Production: TRNNHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterFollow us on BlueskyLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

Re-releasing a DAT listener favorite! Dr. Lewis Chen is aboard the Dental A-Team! Dr. Chen has become an extremely successful dentist in a short amount of time — like, 10-practices-in-two-years successful. He shares with Kiera what he did differently to find his success, including utilizing the right resources and committing to a schedule. Dr. Chen and Kiera also discuss the difference between work and luck, things that went well, and pitfalls he wishes he'd avoided. He also shares life hacks, his best tip for delegation, and how to elevate teams. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera (00:05) Hey everyone, welcome to the Dental A Team podcast. I'm your host, Kiera Dent, and I had this crazy idea that maybe I could combine a doctor and a team member's perspective, because let's say dentistry can be a challenging profession with those two perspectives. I've been a dental assistant, treatment coordinator, scheduler, pillar, office manager, regional manager, practice owner, and I have a team of traveling consultants where we have traveled to over 165 different offices coaching teams. Yep, we don't just understand you, we are you.   Kiera (00:14) Because face it.   Kiera (00:34) Our mission is to positively impact the world of dental. And I believe that this podcast is the greatest way I can help elevate teams, grow VIP experiences, reduce stress, and create A-Teams. Welcome to the Dental A Team Podcast. ⁓   Team listeners, this is Kiera and you guys. Today is a pretty special day. I have a dear friend. We have chatted so many times. He is a rock star on Instagram. If you do not watch his channel, you definitely need to. And he's just one of the coolest people that I feel is a great inspiration. He's been able to do what a lot of other offices have not been able to do. So I'm so jazzed to bring on Dr. Louis Chen. How are you today, Louis?   Dr. Chen (01:14) Good. Thanks for having me. It's always a pleasure. It's been so long since we've been actually meeting in person. think the last time was in 2018, 2019.   Kiera (01:23) I Because I saw you I think first, was it Paul Goodman's event, the dental nachos? I think that's where we first met.   Dr. Chen (01:30) Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, that's when I saw Mark in person for the first time and then I saw you for the first time, but I've known about both of you, you know, from some years back. So it's about time. Almost fangirling at the time. I'm fangirling now still.   Kiera (01:43) So.   Well,   you're so kind. You just you inspire me. So I am so jazzed. Kind of take our listeners. I know a little bit of your journey, but gosh, you have done some impressive work since 2019, only in 2021. And in the middle, we had COVID. So kind of just walk our listeners through just your back history, your backstory of how you even got to being a dentist, what kind of inspired you to become one, where you're at today. Just kind of give people your quick bio on you.   Dr. Chen (02:13) Quick bio, so okay, I'll give myself a short version. So I started in college with an economics major to which I graduated with that degree. And during that time in sophomore year, I remember interning at dental office and my parents liked the arts, liked the sciences, tried dentistry and I did. since that time, I shadowed a dentist and he was very,   I was very shy guy. He's like, listen, you should spend some time learning about patient care. Just learn about patients. Don't think about the dentistry. Dentistry will come. go to school for that. School doesn't teach you how to speak to people. ⁓ then later I focused a lot of my time doing it. And I realized in New York City, the crux of New York City, dentistry is not cheap. It's an expensive commodity. part of that   you when I sat there, realized like, you know, patients who've had a great time when they checked out, they had to build a pay, it's usually not as exciting.   Kiera (03:21) It's true   Dr. Chen (03:23) Yeah, so I had I was sought out on mission. said, well, you know, why in New York City is very saturated? Why should I be perpetuating that sort of, you know, that the stereotype of dentistry, dental work to be expensive? So I sought out a vision and said, you know what? I love dentistry. I want to provide good quality care. It's like, social hour, happy hour, every day, every hour. But why can I just make it a little bit more affordable?   than my neighbor, neighboring dentists. And I wanted to provide exceptional patient experience and exceptional patient care, the dental care, so on and so forth, the whole camera things. And then I said, know what? I want to do on a scale. I want to at least have five offices by the time, and I want to achieve that. And I was 19 at the time.   Kiera (04:13) Haven't even gone to dental school. You're like, here's the vision. This is what I want. And let's make it happen.   Dr. Chen (04:18) Yeah, and that's exactly what I mean, through dental school, wasn't my vision. My vision was to be an exceptional provider, which is kind of still falls into my core values when I first started. purpose behind what I do is just, know, making, helping as many lives as, you know, impact as many lives as possible through this journey. then now fast forward, you know, I went to dental school, did right residency. And then 2019 to 2021, my partner and I   which is who I met in dental school. was my professor at the time. And since then I've got all the new partners we just started to build and from two locations and now in 2021, hopefully by the end of 2021, we'll have 10.   Kiera (05:02) You guys heard that right. That was 10. So, you know, 2019 to 2021, 10 practices. It's pretty impressive, Louis. And what I love, ⁓ you and I are very aligned. Our mission at Dental A Team is to positively impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible. And you also wanted to positively impact, ⁓ and change the way patients view dentistry. So I just love it. Louis, I think you're an inspiration to so many. So I'm going to like, let's get ready. Let's dive deep. Cause I'm sure people listening are like how.   How did you do it? It like, that's great. You had a vision when you were 19, you went to dental school. Sounds like you partnered up with somebody fantastic. And now here you are two years later and you've got 10 practices. So kind of walk us through some of the things that you felt helped perpetuate that and make it into a reality. You're also in New York. I mean, you got hit hard with COVID. I think you actually were one of the hardest hit places of all. I mean, massive growth, massive, massive change. And you're also like real chill. You are always like,   fun and engaging. also attend a ton of CE. You also have a personal life. So I'm a lot of people ask how and I'm always curious to know like very successful people, people who just I feel like and sometimes it's weird to say like successful people because you're like, I'm just Lewis, like I'm just this person. But it's like you do things differently. You are a different breed. Everybody else has the same opportunities in life, but you do things differently. So what are some of those things that you feel like you've done differently to get to this state in your life right now?   Kiera (06:18) Your   Dr. Chen (06:29) That was a loaded   Kiera (06:30) It is a loaded question. That's why you're on the podcast, Louis. You can ask all the questions to you.   Dr. Chen (06:33) I   You asked amazing questions. I'm happy to entertain and I feel like I should be a better question asker too. To start, think to perpetuate is one is having the proper resources available to you and just committing yourself. I remember when I was in residency or whatnot, on top of being in residency, learning what I had to do and just kind of self-learning. I was listening to lot of podcasts and then eventually podcast was a huge learning experience because it's available. It's available and why not utilize it? Over time as you start building your sort of   operations business, I entertain, you know, just taking CEF. Actually, one of my team members, couple of my teams are infatuated with you, Kiera, by the way. They love you. They're like, Oh my God, I wish I could be Kiera. I'm like, you should.   Kiera (07:19) When I come to New York, I'll be there in December, let me know, we'll hang out, be a time. It'd be a fun surprise list, we should definitely like off air, come up with a surprise, it'd be real fun.   Dr. Chen (07:30) Yeah, it's it's it's I do send a lot of information you send out to your newsletters are fantastic. So again, actually reading the resources are provided. I know sometimes people just kind of sift through and kind of toss it away. But I should sift through it and I say, well, I'm going to forward to the appropriate team members so I can elevate them. Right. So one of the just, you know, being the good filter of resources is one of what you do is committing yourself to a schedule. Right. For me, like I'm always an early bird now, like   5 to 35, 45 wake up. I work pretty much all day, like nonstop and it's hard to get a hold of me. I'm always bouncing around offices. And I what gets me going is really just that commitment to purpose, which I think that people don't focus so much on. And when they go into dentistry, it's that purpose. I still stand by what I want to achieve when I was 19 till now, which is basically just continue to drive and push for great, great things, you know, and over time it, you elevate yourself.   and you realize you just start to grow in size, expand, you need to have a belief system. And it comes first, which is, know, what's your core values and really just redesigning everything that you do. So ⁓ that gets me going. I wake up in the morning, I have a purpose behind what I do. ⁓ I have my own personal core values that I abide by. ⁓ And there's nothing better than that.   Kiera (08:51) I love it. I love it so much. And Lewis, of course, I'm going to dive in deeper. think a few pieces I pulled from that is one, it sounds like you're very, ⁓ let's say like regimated, like, you know what you want to do in life. And I found that when I talked to successful people, it's one of my favorite things about the podcast is picking people's brains. ⁓ Tony Robbins has a quote that I love and it says successful people ask better questions. So it's like, what is that routine? Like you have a morning routine, you wake up at certain times, you're very much dedicated to a purpose, something beyond you.   Because like when those hard days come, which they will always come, it's pulling back to why are we doing this? What is the why behind it? So I love that you, started first with that. I also love that you mentioned you filter through the resources that are available. You're right. This podcast is free. Like people can download it, listen to it. We put it on for free and we bring on really awesome guests. also like our newsletters are written by our consultants and I check all of them, make sure there's awesome facts, tangibles in there. It's not just a newsletter of like   But it really is, but also filtering through like what is that best information? So I love hearing that you actually take the time to read through it. Be systematized in how you operate. So I'm going to dive into like, what do you feel? Cause I feel like I was given the golden spoon of success meeting Mark Costas. Like I will say that again and again and again, just like proximity is power, right place, right time meeting people I connected in, I helped an office grow exponentially. They connected me with Mark Costas, had the whole DSI experience. It was amazing.   Kiera (09:56) but you're also very   Kiera (10:18) perpetuated Dental A Team, learned a ton, but like that was a strike of lightning, but I don't think it was just pure luck. think right place, right time, also looking for opportunities. So for you, what were some of those opportunities again, cause I hate when people say it was just luck. I'm like, yes, did I get a really lucky golden card out of heaven? Absolutely yes. But I also think there was a lot of preparation that came for it. So what were some of the things you feel like you've been, you've done well that has kind of propelled you to be able to do 10 practices in two years?   Dr. Chen (10:46) To your point, know, like I do say it's a part of luck, but I think it's a little bit of understanding whether the luck is presented to you. Because sometimes people, there's plenty of opportunities that presented it. And sometimes we just don't visualize it to be a luck. know, for me, I was really hard. You I worked hard and I graduated early from dental school, but I was the only guy who worked till the very, very end. Even though didn't have to, I still wanted to work.   didn't take the vacation that other people did. I just really wanted to be the absolute best at what I did and be comfortable with it. And my partner at the time, my professor at the time is a prosthodontist. So he's very detail oriented. He had his eyes on me, like this hard worker, great with people, loved dentistry, good clinician. And I had a vision, know, him and I sat down and he said, what are your goals? Because he wanted to hire me as an associate. What are your goals? What do you want to do?   And then as soon as we got off that dinner, I remember it was December 2016, something like that. He was just like, what if I want you to work with me? Like not just work with me, like work, build something with me. I'm like, what's going on? And I didn't went to residency and I was like, all right, cool. I'll continue to do what I had to do. ⁓ But I continued to revisit and commit to my, that luck and opportunity. ⁓   Again, I think to that point, I think we have to understand that we have to our best self out for us every day because if you're not performing optimally, yeah, sometimes people perceive, you know, under performance is not optimal performance. And I'm going to deliver, you know, if an interview falls short, you know, like what I have to do, that's the first impression, right? ⁓ So I definitely think that we have to be on A game all the time for sure in order to, and then...   Once you hit that point, critical mass like a games always your game.   Kiera (12:38) That   becomes your new standard. That's where it is. That's your baseline.   Dr. Chen (12:41) That's the baseline. Did I answer your question, Tyler? There's another loaded question. So I was like,   Kiera (12:46) It   was a loaded question, Lewis. I just like to pick people's brains of like what it sounds like if I were to recap it in a way, it's almost as if I feel like you put in a lot of hard work, hustle and grit. And I think that that's important. I love the picture. I'm sure a lot of us have seen it of the ballet slippers. Like there is a ballerina on point and one foot's in the ballerina slipper and the other foot is this like cut up bloody hot mess. And it says everybody wants success, but they often don't realize what it takes to get there. And   I think about, like, I just heard a lot of that hard work, that grit. You also had a vision and you were very committed to it. So I think about team members, I think about practice owners of what is that vision and are you actually committed to it? Are you a fair weather fan or are you like ride or die? I will achieve this goal. And I hear a lot of conviction, but also because of that conviction from you, Louis, I feel like it also presented you opportunities that might have otherwise passed you by. This professor was looking for an associate.   ⁓ You had proven yourself to be this very successful student. So they were looking, there was an opportunity sitting there. You didn't even know it. I tell people often, I groom people. I watch people before they even become in leadership. My husband was groomed for about four years before he was taken into leadership. Had no idea it was happening, but people are constantly watching. There are opportunities always around us. It's just, like you said, who are you presenting day in and day out? So I love that. I love that.   Kiera (13:51) And a lot of times I   Kiera (14:11) And I hope other people are listening and realizing it's not just a stroke of luck. Being your best self, having that baseline continually, that's what's gonna set you up for opportunities that you may have otherwise missed. next up, professor, decide you're going to become partners. You're gonna take this on, you finish up residency. So I also love that you equipped yourself with the skills and tools you needed. So if it didn't work out with your professor, all eggs were in that basket. You're like, with you or without you, I will do this. And I like that you did that.   Kiera (14:15) It is literally.   You and   Kiera (14:40) So then what are some of the things you felt you and your partner did very well from the get go? Cause I also feel a lot of success comes from pivoting quickly, learning from your mistakes very quickly. So what were some of the things you felt at the beginning you guys did really, really well, and then I'm going to pivot to mistakes. But right now, what are some of the things you felt like that set me up for success exceptionally well in the beginning?   Dr. Chen (15:03) Well, I think they keep an open mind and think that having the clear expectations of one of each other is important. As we continue to grow, we add more to partners too. We've been again, it's awesome to have different. we, we, we may get very clear what our strengths are, stay in your lane kind of thing. My partner is great with the financial aspects. I'm great with, well, I'm not great with system, but I like systems.   Kiera (15:26) I can tell you wake up at a certain time, the process, I got the vision, you're good.   Dr. Chen (15:30) Yeah, the gaining writing it, the process, the system, putting it in place, organize, that's the hard part that he doesn't take care of. But that's what I do. The one thing that we did do well is we talked about where we want to what we want to achieve. I think that one of the things that he mentioned was, you know, what he's trying to achieve is not, you know, for the financial goals. His is very in line with mine, which is to provide exceptional care. So our core values were aligned. So at any given point.   I just know the decision that he suggests and makes ⁓ is for better, for good purpose or for the right reasons, not for any other intent. That was really important to us. ⁓ of course, you know, just building a lot of trust. I did throw a lot of my eggs in his back. And in fact, I did, threw everything in. have nothing. All my trust is all in. and, be, you know, be, be have the conviction to finish and, and strong.   And that's kind of where we stood. And I think that's what we did well. And we continued to grow. We weren't stagnant. We all, like my partner, he's 10 years my senior. So he's constantly in leadership classes because he needs to be a better leader. He wants to be a better leader. He takes the necessary classes to be a better leader.   He understands he's self-reflective and self-aware about how he presents himself to his team. And it rubs off on me. again, we learn ⁓ one also great thing is we embrace honest mistakes. We embrace the humility. Cause even if I made a mistake and I would, I would honestly tell them like, cause I'm looking my bad. I didn't think about this. I didn't think about that. Here's the outcomes. Like it's fine. Just, just don't do it again. Just figure it out. Put it on a sheet of paper, figure it out, do it again. And ⁓ that's, there's a lot of forgiveness in that process, which helped.   I oftentimes think that if there's no open communication to allow for humility, ⁓ people get, you know, they're probably get stuck with within their own confines. ⁓ And I think that's something that was really beneficial for us.   Kiera (17:38) As you guys look back on 2021, how was it? Was it your best year? Was it a year you could have done a little better? And as you're looking forward to 2022, what type of a practice and a person do you want to be? Well, guys, now is the time to take massive action and to have the life and the practice you've always wanted. Dental A Team Platinum is where it's at, guys. We focus on system development. That's right, top to bottom. Team development, growing leaders, growing you as a person, making sure you're balanced, that we have happier teams.   And we also ensure that your practice is profitable, teaching you how to be business. So if you're looking to enhance your practice, take it to the next level. You yourself want to grow. Now is the time. Dental A Team platinum. We fly to your practice. Most of our offices see a 10 to 30 % increase in revenue, reduction of stress, happier teams, better patient experiences. So if you know, you want to rocket launch yourself into 2022, don't wait guys. We are only taking on so many platinum practices because we physically fly to you. So email us today.   Kiera (18:09) Abby.   Kiera (18:34) Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and you better believe we have something special for you end of year offices. So be sure to reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Remember you're only one decision away from a completely different light.   Kiera (18:37) So   Gosh, so many good takeaways because I think so many people have partnerships that actually don't go well. And so helping to see you guys were in your lanes, you also had complimentary skillsets to one another. I think that that's actually amazing that you figured out stay in your lanes. And then there's the honest mistakes, like that happens. I tell everybody like fail successfully. And I also love another quote, like there are no failures. There's just results. Like what happened? Why did it happen? Like let's learn from it so it doesn't happen again and move forward.   And when teams and partners feel that they can make those mistakes, there's so much freedom. Like the rules and the boundaries are all open. You can have anything. There's massive creative success and openings and ideas that can come because you feel very, very free, I guess, to make those mistakes. You know you're gonna be accountable to it, but there's nothing wrong in not having it go exactly as planned. So I'm not gonna pivot, Louis. Like you've been so generous. And I just, wanted to pick your brain. I've been dying to talk to you. You guys have such a fun culture.   which I think kudos to you guys for doing that. But now next up is going to be, what do you feel, like I know I can go back in my career and say like, these were big pivotal mistakes that if I could do it over again, I would never have done that. So maybe one or two of those, and not even mistakes, I guess it's just like, like of course I learned from them. I'm grateful I had them, but if I was giving someone guidance, these would be some pitfalls that I wish I would have known about prior to making them. Do you have any of those that have come? I mean, 10 practices in two years, Louis, I'm not gonna lie. Like it's impressive.   I love it, I'm so freaking proud of you. I'm like high fiving you through the screen right now. Just impressed with who you are and that your vision's coming to light. What were some of those pitfalls though that you're like, wish I would have done that.   Dr. Chen (20:25) I couldn't, there was a laundry list and to your point of failing successfully, so important failing forward. I mean, God, like it's, can give you a whole separate podcast on just fail failures. Biggest thing is, Eagle let go of Eagle. Huge thing about Ventus is Eagle. It's like, it go. Number two, team culture. number three, put the, pro provided proper resources for success. you know, seek out, there's tons of resources out there. Like you said, you can.   Kiera (20:27) Ha   Dr. Chen (20:55) You can purchase the protocols, can purchase manuals, can, you know, whatever it is, you don't have to reinvent the wheel if you don't have to. Very simple, right? And oftentimes people think I want my own recipe. And I always say it, I say it to my teams. I'm like, at some point, re-revent the recipe, you know, the wheel, or just follow, always following someone else's recipe. Use the recipe to make something that you like to cook, not what they like to cook. If you want that breaded chicken, maybe you want some breaded cutlet chicken cutlet with some other paprika or something like, or Cajun.   That's your recipe. What are those additional variables? But you don't have to reinvent the wheel, save yourself the time and struggle. ⁓ Number three is learning to elevate the team. I realized that people forget that every team member is looking for growth. You just have to provide that platform for growth. Another one is, again, same thing with race humility about your leadership. I think that sometimes people look for   team members with skillset and they don't provide the opportunity to look at potential more than skillset. And to this day, I don't hire for skills. I hire for talent to hire for potential because you can't find someone who's really good with hospitality, who hasn't been in the hospitality.   Kiera (22:05) Amen. true. So true. I love it.   Dr. Chen (22:09) Yeah, there's so much more to things that I, ⁓ again, even cultural alignment with your partners, resetting that, having that conversation or revisiting, you figuring the differences out that, know, the only way you can grow is to be aligned and there's no other question. There's no other way around it.   Kiera (22:27) Gosh, I love it so much. think that there's just so many pieces on there. And something I really wanted to highlight, the reason I asked that question is because again, I think so many people look at that and say, my gosh, 10 practices in two years. Is this person really human? Do they ever make mistakes? And I think it's really important to realize on the path of success.   I loved, heard a quote and it's called the success tax. Like there are hard times that follow. There are things that we wish we wouldn't have done. There are things that we learn along the way, but it's like, just keep growing and becoming better. So I'm actually gonna ask you, I came up with a few questions that I've wanted to ask podcast guests that I'm like, ⁓ I'm gonna remember to ask Louis these. So my first question is, what is your best time saving hack?   Dr. Chen (23:12) time-saving hack. People oftentimes say it's because I sleep so little.   Kiera (23:17) How many how many hours do you sleep at night Louis let's talk about that   Dr. Chen (23:21) So I got an aura ring. So this is a ring that measures your sleep and the REM sleep. So I'm trying to life hack myself through data by understanding like, well, if I'm, if I'm getting X amount of hours of deep sleep or REM sleep or whatnot, am I going to, do I wake up feeling like I'm going to be productive? Right. I feel like I'm energized. Do I feel like I'm putting myself, you know, put my best foot forward? That's key. I am huge on calendars. I know that I heard a podcast on productivity. Some people say to do lists are great, but   calendars even better, but I personally have all my work that I do actually on calendar by blocks almost. I put it on my calendar to say, all right, today payroll, got to do payroll. Not that I hope to achieve it, but there's so many moving parts that what time set forth is not usually the time I will take to complete. at the minimum, I try to tackle it by, I have a to-do project management to-do list and I break it down by location, by management, by, you know,   team members or administrative or all that stuff. And I prioritize it based off deadlines. So for me, I feel like I will prioritize and provide a deadline for myself if I find this work's gonna take a little longer. If it's easy, I'm not gonna get out because there's no point to delay procrastinating easy tasks because I feel like completing easy tasks, tasks drive, provides us momentum and inertia to continue to achieve more. So sometimes I wake up waking in the morning, like tackling the biggest task and like,   this is a drag. gonna take a long time to do it. But if I just start tacking like, you know, just, you know, finishing off some emails or just, you know, taking off some of the things on the to-do list, I get this momentum of feeling pro tip productive and I continue to be more productive. ⁓ but that's one of my life hacks.   Kiera (25:03) I like it.   I like it. Okay. So I like also that you, one thing I hope people are picking up is that you innovate. You are literally looking at your sleep habits to see do, could I actually be as productive with less sleep? Like I love it. I love that you're testing it out. You're trying it out here. Like you think outside the box and I really hope that people are realizing like it doesn't just come with like the flick of your wrist or you know, a magic wand. Like this is called, you're actually putting these things into play. also agree with you. Calendaring.   It is a world of difference like I literally put blocks on the calendar because if there aren't blocks I've got an hour or two of free time Well instantly that hour or two gets sucked up by all these other things because I didn't actually proactively take care of it. So awesome next question is What's your best tip for delegation? And this is me just selfishly asking you all the things I want to get better at So I'm just asking this is you and me having a private podcast more for myself. So best tip for delegation. Louis. What is it?   Dr. Chen (25:58) I think the best question that that question I should be asking you instead, because you've been you've been able to grow practices, you're in consult now. So like, delegation is a weird thing. I think everyone says it the same, you everyone says the same thing. Abdication is very, very different delegation. Abdication is really just kind of relieving yourself of the work that you don't want to achieve. And it's putting into hands of someone with autonomy and then not providing the outcomes that you find to be successful. ⁓ Delegation is understanding that   your productivity will increase by you offloading some of the workload. So you can spearhead the delegation, not to do the work, but you can provide projects or spearhead, you know, with an individual who can take the load off and understanding an agenda. Even for myself right now, I'm at the point where I need to hire some more HR recruiters and more operations team members. And I know what I need because my time is   diminished if I continue to focus on so many different things that I know I can offload and just oversee, have a project timeline for that.   Kiera (27:06) Totally. I love it. I also, like, as you said that I'm hoping people heard that you prioritize your time and you're constantly hiring and innovating and bringing on different people. So that way you're always on optimum peak performance. Like what are the things that only you can do? Times being diminished. I could outsource this. I could hire somebody else. So, ⁓ and then the last question I have for you is your best tip for like team communication, or you talked a lot about elevating your team. This is a team podcast. What is something that you feel you do really, really well?   I think you guys have a really fun culture from what I see, super jazz for what you guys are doing. What do you feel is something that you've done very well to help have a great team culture in your practices?   Dr. Chen (27:46) So when I, and I still do the HR, so I hire for, I hire every person. And one of the biggest things is me being the person who can establish that culture through the interview from the get-go because, that comes from speaking to if with the right candidate, ⁓ I spend a little bit more time really going through the company culture as well as the core values of the, of the, of the office. So this way they come in expecting that what's harder is kind of shaking up the culture that doesn't exist.   Basically trying to create something that didn't start. like every office I'm trying something new, like find you the new Peto office that my partners and I have, you know, I came in and did this whole cultural thing and I'm not great at it. I'm trying it, but I walk in, I feel amazing. You know, I feel amazing. I see the team, the team is great. I feel I can't wait. I love coming to the office, right? And I love knowing that I can, because I also know that the team loves that too. ⁓   So that's one thing is to create the culture is just establish it from the get go. Like do not this do not delay the process to onboarding. If the moment you get onboarded culture comes first the belief systems. ⁓ Another thing is, you know, being honest with yourself with that process because it's very it's corny. And everyone talks about no one no one is like when I first started like core values, what are those like this work needs to be done right? Totally.   realize that toxicity happens and there's other stuff that needs to be managed and navigated. And it's just so much harder if you don't, especially if you start growing, the culture has to be consistent across the board. So yeah, and it's easier with one because you see the same people all the time. But if you're drop shipping yourself in different locations, you expect the culture to persist. And am I great at it? I am far from it. And   I'm constantly, even right now, I'm just trying to figure out how do I measure culture, right? How do I ensure that it's being consistent? Maybe because I'm coming in, people are performing well, maybe they're not, right? And how do I measure that? That's being, that's, I think that's the first and foremost thing.   Kiera (29:59) I really love that you said that and I love that you said it's cheesy because I think so many people think it's cheesy so they actually don't do it. And yet at the end of the day, we've got great resignation. It's hard to hire all these different pieces, but I'm like, you clearly are hiring a lot of people. And I think having a great culture that people genuinely love to work there. Having a culture that is based on core values. I have redone my core values. I think we're on like rendition four, but it's because I realized like things are being missed from our company.   And so I love that you brought up like the cheesy aspect of it. So bottom line is, and then you ask, and I'm actually just going to give you a tip that I've heard for how do you measure culture? Cause you're right. Like it should be a tangible thing. should be something when we walk in, it is the same from practice to practice to practice. So an office that I really, really love and respect and admire, they actually send out quarterly surveys or twice a year surveys. So November and May, and they actually have an anonymous survey of like, how is the culture? So they get a pulse on all the practices. ⁓   For my team, I'm constantly ripping our core values down and I will spot audit them and say, all right guys, what are our core values? And I will randomly ask different people on calls just to see, do they know the core values? Having core value shout outs at morning huddle where they have to all choose a team member and pick a core value. I don't care which one it is that exemplifies that. it'd be like today, Dr. Chen, I'm going to give him the core value of fun. Like he's always fun. He brings a lot of fun energy. So it actually is infused into your practice.   but then how to measure it doing those quarter or those twice a year surveys oftentimes can give you kind of a anonymous pulse on your practices. So I love that you brought these pieces in. I love that you're focused on it because I really do believe great cultures are where great practices are able to impact their community stronger. And it also impacts the lives of those that work there. So I love it. Those are so fun, Lewis. think it's fun to see your journey. It's been fun to watch you grow.   Kiera (31:40) this is happened.   Kiera (31:51) I I met you pre even owning practices and now to see you where you are and I just know there's so much more ahead of you. So I love it. I'm always rooting you on always happy to help. We should definitely plan a time to meet up. I'm always in New York. So I'd love to see you guys, but ⁓ thanks for sharing. Thanks for sharing all your tips. Any, any last things you want to share as we wrap up? I'd love to hear anything else you want to add in.   Dr. Chen (32:13) I think to any team member or any provider, particularly the providers, because to grow, you have to keep an open mind to what's out there. And even for myself, like you mentioned, I do say it's cheesy, but no one talks about it. But you know what? I see the difference day and night. It changes the way you deliver your care, it the way you lead, it changes the way you manage. And to your point, I tried the team surveys.   Again, I like trying a lot of things. And I realized that sometimes trying things has to have a structure. when you're ready for it, like I couldn't measure culture if I didn't understand what culture meant. But now that I have culture set in court, the core values of company culture established, now this might have a better impact. Now I have team members who can understand that and deliver that. So it is requires a lot of step back. I think one thing to learn from any team member is like,   take a step back and just kind of take a read on the practice. Whether people are feeling great, there, you know, I like, I like Danny Meyer. Danny Meyer, is podcast I sent it to you. And he talks about having team members, you know, check the weather report before to come in. Because if you're feeling sunny, there's going to be a sunny day in the office, patients, team members, everyone. But if you're feeling like you have a rainy day, you check yourself, leave that rain behind because you're going to rain on everyone else.   So that's one thing that I've started to realize is I gotta make sure to check on my Retherport every single day before I deliver my results.   Kiera (33:46) That's awesome, Lewis. You are just like I said, an inspiration. It's fun. Thank you for sharing. know it's sometimes uncomfortable to share our successes, sometimes uncomfortable to share failures. But I just love that's why I love this podcast because we bring the best of the best. We share ideas because I think sometimes just hearing someone's story, hearing someone's experiences, learning from them helps rocket launch so many other practices to success. So thank you, Lewis. I just adore you. I'm so glad you're here today. Always cheering you on. So thank you. Thanks for being a part of this today.   Dr. Chen (34:15) Thank you, appreciate it.   Kiera (34:17) Of   course. All right, you guys that wraps it up. Dr. Lewis Chen, super grateful guys. If you check him out, he's all over social media. ⁓ great, great person. He will respond to you. Like you will never believe this man is as busy as he is because he responds all the time. He's always gathering so much information. So check him out. Such an inspiration. And as always to all of you, thank you for listening and I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.   That wraps it up for another episode of Dental A Team Podcast. Thank for listening and we'll talk to you next time.   Kiera (34:44) Thank you so much for