Podcasts about Chinese New Year

Discover how February's astrological alignments—led by Uranus—bring forward momentum, unexpected change, and opportunities for transformation. Get key dates, insights for self-alignment, and practical advice for grounding during energetic upheaval, all in this month's Strategic Oracle episode.February Forecast: Soul Alignment in a Chaotic MonthFebruary's astrology isn't taking it slow. In this special forecast episode of The Strategic Oracle, Kim Woods breaks down why Uranus is at the center of February's cosmic weather, and what you must do to turn chaos into opportunity. If you're looking for actionable guidance on how to handle energetic shakeups and use this month's momentum to fuel your future self, you're in the right place.What's Happening in February Astrology?Uranus Turns Direct: Signals the final sweep of issues related to body, finances, home, and personal well-being. If there's unfinished business, especially from 2018, expect it to surface.Saturn Re-Enters Aries: Marks a new chapter - think back to 1996-1998 for similar themes. It's a “take no prisoners” vibe where rule-following meets bold new paths.Fiery Eclipses & Chinese New Year: The overlap of the Ring of Fire eclipse with Chinese New Year highlights rare energetic openings.Mercury Retrograde in Water: Ending the month, this alignment brings emotional clarity and the chance to recharge after a wild ride.Actionable Guidance for ListenersStay Proactive, Not ReactiveClean Up Loose EndsEmbrace Flexibility and Self-AlignmentFinal ThoughtsFebruary presents an invitation to align with your soul's rhythm, ground yourself, and welcome opportunities meant just for you. Approach this month as both an observer and a proactive creator—refining, releasing, and readying your life for the growth ahead.If you found this episode insightful, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review The Strategic Oracle on your favorite listening platform. Your feedback and support help us bring more value-rich, soul-centered forecasts to your feed every month!#thestrategicoracle #febastrology #febnewmoon #snowmoon

Phillipa Soo (Hamilton, Dr. Odyssey) shares the stories of her childhood home, where doors were held shut then magically opened and sensitive real estate agents refused to enter. Plus, Phillipa talks Chinese New Year so hold on to your hats because it's the year of the FIRE HORSE! You can catch bonus content now on the Woo Woo YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WooWooPodcast. Follow us on Instagram! @raedratch @irenebremis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's (somehow!) six years ago that we started to learn about this new virus and then find ourselves caught up in a global pandemic. While there were some truly tragic parts to that crisis, it turns out there were also some good results, too. Quite by chance recently, two guests in the space of a couple of days told me stories about huge changes in their lives brought about by their travels around Covid times, and these stories were so interesting I quickly decided to create a whole episode on the topic. First up, I chat with Shannon O'Brien, an international school teacher who was actually working at a school in Shenzhen, China, at the start of 2020. During a school break for the Chinese New Year, Shannon flew to Sumatra, Indonesia, for a short holiday. Spoiler alert: it became a very long holiday! I then speak with Eva Westerling, a German doctor who in 2019 had decided that it was time for a big change and was contemplating a permanent shift to Morocco. When the pandemic hit, she and her partner were in the earliest stages of setting up a tourism business in Morocco, and then of course, no tourists came. My final guest is Eryn Gordon, who was working a corporate job in the United States when the pandemic began, and she soon found herself out of work. Instead of laying low like many of us did during Covid times, Eryn instead decided to get a new qualification and move to the other side of the world, to work in Seoul, South Korea. Links: Shannon O’Brien - https://www.shannon-obrien.com/ Shannon’s memoir Stray - https://amzn.to/4bQdiKT Eva Westerling’s blog Not Scared of the Jet Lag - http://www.notscaredofthejetlag.com Eva’s tour business in Morocco, Berber Adventure Tours - https://berberadventuretours.com/ Eryn Gordon’s website Earth to Editorial - https://earthtoeditorial.com/ Eryn's TEDx Talk on “What it means to be a good traveler” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WQYSdm-5ps Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://www.facebook.com/groups/thoughtfultravellers Join our LinkedIn group for Thoughtful Travellers - https://notaballerina.com/linkedin Sign up for the Thoughtful Travellers newsletter at Substack - https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com Show notes: https://notaballerina.com/380 *Full disclosure: Amazon Services LLC Associates Program NotABallerina.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Support the show: https://thoughtfultravel.substack.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freight markets are turning earlier than usual. In this episode of Supply Chain Secrets, Caroline Weaver and Lars Jensen break down sharp declines in quoted rates, early signs that the Chinese New Year peak has already passed, and what actual paid spot rates are signaling across key trades.Lars also walks through a real-world example showing how choosing the wrong index in an index-linked contract can materially impact costs, underscoring why detail matters as indexing gains traction. The conversation then turns to tariffs and the Red Sea, where new signals—from carrier routing decisions to a fresh Houthi warning—suggest risk may not be fully behind us yet.A practical discussion on what shippers should watch as volatility continues into 2026.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lanterns of Change: Wei's Journey to Follow His Dreams Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-26-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 丽江河畔，阳光洒在河面上，红灯笼随风轻轻摇曳。En: By the riverside of Lijiang, sunlight cascades over the water, and red lanterns sway gently in the breeze.Zh: 每年春节，丽江河总是热闹非凡。En: Every year during the Spring Festival, the Lijiang River is always bustling with excitement.Zh: 这里曾经是一家人欢聚的地方，但今年的团圆却有些不同。En: It used to be a place for family reunions, but this year's gathering feels somewhat different.Zh: 大儿子伟站在窗前，凝望远方。En: The eldest son, Wei, stands at the window, gazing into the distance, bearing immense pressure.Zh: 他心中承受着巨大的压力。En: His father hopes he will inherit the family business, but Wei feels lost about this future.Zh: 父亲希望他继承家族生意，但伟对这个未来感到迷茫。En: He has his own dreams but does not want to disappoint his family.Zh: 他心里有自己的梦想，却不愿让家人失望。En: His sister, Lian, is a perfectionist who has always sought family approval.Zh: 妹妹莲是个完美主义者，她一直努力希望得到家庭的认可。En: This year, she meticulously planned a special New Year's Eve dinner, hoping to satisfy the family.Zh: 今年，她特意策划了一场特别的年夜饭，希望能让家人满意。En: Lian's plan is flawless, yet she doesn't know how to truly help Wei with his troubles.Zh: 莲的计划完美无缺，却不知道如何真正帮助伟解决他的烦恼。En: On the other side, their grandmother, Jia, sits quietly in the courtyard, watching the children busily preparing.Zh: 在另一边，奶奶嘉坐在院子里，安静地看着孩子们的忙碌。En: Jia always mediates family conflicts, knowing that the Spring Festival is the most likely time for tensions to rise.Zh: 嘉总是那个调解家庭矛盾的人，她知道春节时最容易产生摩擦。En: This time, she notices the growing tension between Wei and Lian.Zh: 这次，她发现伟和莲之间的紧张气氛更浓。En: As night falls, the whole village is illuminated by the glow of lanterns.Zh: 夜幕降临，整个村庄被灯笼的光芒照亮。En: The New Year's Eve dinner begins, with the aroma of the dishes filling the air.Zh: 年夜饭开始了，菜肴的香气弥漫在空气中。En: However, the conversation quickly turns to the family business.Zh: 然而，席间的话题很快转向了家族生意。En: The father mentions that he hopes Wei can take over since he is the eldest son.Zh: 父亲提到希望伟能接手，因为他是家中长子。En: Wei remains silent, feeling as if a thousand pounds weigh on his heart.Zh: 伟沉默了，心中仿佛有千斤重担。En: Lian looks at Wei, conflicted inside.Zh: 莲望着伟，心中也很纠结。En: She knows about his troubles but doesn't know how to open up.Zh: 她知道伟的困扰，却不知道如何开口。En: At that moment, grandmother Jia softly says, "Wei, if you have concerns, you can tell us.Zh: 就在这时，奶奶嘉轻声说道：“伟，如果有心事，可以告诉我们，家人会理解的。En: The family will understand."Zh: ”伟抬起头，看向奶奶，微微一笑。En: Wei raises his head, looks at his grandmother, and smiles slightly.Zh: 他知道是时候说出自己的心声了。En: He knows it's time to express his true feelings.Zh: “奶奶，爸爸，妈妈，其实我想做些不一样的事情。En: "Grandma, Dad, Mom, actually, I want to do something different.Zh: 我希望追随自己的梦想，但也不想让你们失望。En: I hope to follow my own dreams, but I also don't want to disappoint you."Zh: ”房间里一片安静，大家都沉思着。En: The room falls silent as everyone ponders.Zh: 嘉也轻轻点头：“每个人都有自己想走的路，也许我们可以找到一个两全其美的方法。En: Jia nods gently, "Everyone has their own path to follow; perhaps we can find a way that works for both."Zh: ”其他人点头赞同。En: The others nod in agreement.Zh: 莲终于开口：“大哥，不管你做什么，我们都会支持你。En: Lian finally speaks up, "Big brother, no matter what you do, we will support you."Zh: ”伟感到一阵轻松，仿佛解开了心中的结。En: Wei feels a wave of relief, as if a knot in his heart has been untied.Zh: 随后，大家一起放灯笼，许下各自的心愿。En: Afterward, everyone sets off lanterns, making their own wishes.Zh: 虽然外面是寒冷的冬天，但家的温暖化解了一切争执和误解。En: Although it is the cold winter outside, the warmth of family melts away all disputes and misunderstandings.Zh: 在这个新年，他们找到了新的方向和理解。En: This New Year, they found a new direction and understanding.Zh: 随着灯笼飞向夜空，伟知道，未来尽管充满未知，但他不再恐惧，因为家人的支持就是他最大的力量。En: As the lanterns ascend into the night sky, Wei realizes that while the future is full of the unknown, he no longer fears it because his family's support is his greatest strength. Vocabulary Words:cascade: 洒sway: 摇曳bustling: 热闹非凡reunions: 欢聚immense: 巨大的perfectionist: 完美主义者meticulously: 特意flawless: 完美无缺courtyard: 院子mediate: 调解tensions: 摩擦illuminated: 照亮aroma: 香气bear: 承受ponder: 沉思conflicted: 纠结concerns: 心事ascend: 飞向disputes: 争执misunderstandings: 误解knight: 微微realize: 知道rendition: 演绎immaculate: 完美无瑕resolution: 解决incidentally: 顺便insight: 见解consideration: 考虑plenitude: 丰富emanate: 放射出

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Courage Under Snow: A Doctor's New Year Breakthrough Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-24-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 雪静悄悄地覆盖着紫禁城，整个北京都被厚厚的白雪包围着。En: The snow quietly covered the Zǐjìnchéng, and all of Běijīng was surrounded by thick white snow.Zh: 在历史悠久的医院里，梅透过窗户看着外面的雪景，心中充满不安。En: In a historically significant hospital, Méi looked through the window at the snowy scene outside, filled with unease.Zh: 她是一名实习医生，正在为春节的到来做准备，但一场突如其来的雪暴打乱了所有计划。En: She was an intern doctor preparing for the upcoming Chūnjié, but a sudden snowstorm disrupted all the plans.Zh: 医院里，紧急情况响起：病人连需要立即手术。En: In the hospital, an emergency call sounded: a patient named Lián required immediate surgery.Zh: 梅的导师贾医生，一位经验丰富的外科医生，本应在场指挥。En: Méi's mentor, Dr. Jiǎ, an experienced surgeon, was supposed to be there to guide the procedure.Zh: 但这场暴风雪使他的团队无法赶到医院。En: However, the snowstorm had prevented his team from reaching the hospital.Zh: 手术室里，灯光微弱。En: In the operating room, the lights were dim.Zh: 梅深吸一口气，努力平静下来。En: Méi took a deep breath, trying hard to calm down.Zh: 贾看到她的小心翼翼，上前鼓励她：“梅，相信自己。En: Seeing her cautiousness, Jiǎ stepped forward to encourage her, "Believe in yourself, Méi.Zh: 我们可以做到。En: We can do this."Zh: ”手术开始，梅小心翼翼地递工具，尽力不让自己手抖。En: The surgery began, and Méi carefully handed over instruments, trying her best to keep her hands steady.Zh: 突然，冷空气影响了设备，心电监护仪失灵了。En: Suddenly, the cold air affected the equipment, and the heart monitor malfunctioned.Zh: 空气中弥漫着紧张。En: The air was thick with tension.Zh: 梅心里顿时一阵慌乱，但她很快镇定下来，想起了在学校学过的应急措施。En: Méi felt a wave of panic, but she quickly composed herself, recalling emergency measures she had learned in school.Zh: 她利用简单的工具和旧电池，照常工作。En: Using simple tools and an old battery, she made things work.Zh: 贾医生转头对她微微一笑：“干得好。En: Dr. Jiǎ turned and gave her a slight smile, "Well done."Zh: ”手术顺利完成，连安全地躺在病床上。En: The surgery was successfully completed, and Lián lay safely on the hospital bed.Zh: 贾拍了拍梅的肩膀：“你做得很好，梅。En: Dr. Jiǎ patted Méi's shoulder, "You did very well, Méi.Zh: 你的勇气和智慧救了他。En: Your courage and wisdom saved him."Zh: ”走出手术室，积雪在静谧的夜里闪烁，远处隐约传来新年庆祝的鞭炮声。En: Stepping out of the operating room, the snow glistened in the still night, with the faint sound of New Year celebrations and firecrackers in the distance.Zh: 梅仰头看着白茫茫的紫禁城，感觉一切那么不真实。En: Méi looked up at the snow-blanketed Zǐjìnchéng, feeling as if everything was surreal.Zh: 她知道，自己的心结终于解开。En: She knew that the knot in her heart had finally unraveled.Zh: 脸上挂着暖暖的微笑，梅深知，无论未来多么艰难，她都能凭借自己的力量去克服。En: With a warm smile on her face, Méi realized that no matter how difficult the future might be, she could overcome it with her own strength.Zh: 那一晚，梅不再怀疑自己，她获得了勇气和信任。En: That night, Méi no longer doubted herself, gaining courage and confidence.Zh: 大雪依旧不停，但梅的心却不再寒冷，春节的喜悦就在前方。En: The heavy snow continued, but Méi's heart was no longer cold, and the joy of the New Year lay ahead. Vocabulary Words:quietly: 静悄悄地covered: 覆盖着historically significant: 历史悠久的unease: 不安intern: 实习医生surgery: 手术mentor: 导师experienced: 经验丰富的dim: 微弱cautiousness: 小心翼翼encourage: 鼓励malfunctioned: 失灵tension: 紧张panic: 慌乱composed: 镇定emergency: 应急措施surreal: 不真实unraveled: 解开doubted: 怀疑courage: 勇气confidence: 信任glisten: 闪烁celebrations: 庆祝new year: 春节snowstorm: 暴风雪plans: 计划equipment: 设备monitor: 监护仪measures: 措施joy: 喜悦

In this 100th episode of Smashing Secrets Feng Shui, Jo explores how to prepare for the Fire Horse year (2026) using classical feng shui principles, Chinese New Year traditions, and Qi Men Dun Jia intention work.   As the new lunar year approaches, this episode explains how to clear old energy, reset your home, and consciously align with the fiery, spiritual momentum of the Horse. Listeners are guided through traditional pre-Chinese New Year rituals, including spring cleaning, symbolic feng shui activators, abundance practices, and timing considerations to avoid unintentionally disrupting incoming luck.   This episode covers: Feng shui preparation before Chinese New Year Spring cleaning rituals to clear stagnant qi Feng shui symbols for luck, prosperity, and abundance Why haircuts, debt clearing, and timing matter energetically An introduction to Qi Men Dun Jia for manifestation and spiritual focus How to use directional meditation in 2026 for leadership, clarity, courage, wealth, influence, harmony, and networking Annual deity directions for the Fire Horse year Auspicious dates and times for deep cleaning in February   Qi Men Dun Jia is explored as a meditative, intention-based form of feng shui, showing how facing specific directions can help remove obstacles, attract mentors, increase confidence, strengthen influence, and sharpen clarity throughout the year.   This episode is ideal for anyone interested in feng shui, Chinese astrology, BaZi, manifestation, energy clearing, spiritual intention setting, or preparing their home and life for the Chinese New Year.  

I feel like there's been a lot of conversation lately about the Chinese zodiac and the year we're moving out of, which is the Year of the Wood Snake. That year comes to an end on February 16, and then on February 17, according to the Chinese zodiac, we move into the Year of the Fire Horse. Even if you don't follow the Chinese New Year, I've really appreciated how this way of marking time gives us an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and check our own reality. In this episode, I share why the energy of the Wood Snake has felt so accurate for this past year, with its focus on shedding, releasing, and doing the inner work that helps clear the way. I share what this year of the Wood Snake has looked like for me, including the purging, the releasing, and the work of letting go of what drains my peace. On today's Wise Walk, we focus on creating space and readiness so that when the energy of the Fire Horse arrives, it's the things that truly matter that gain momentum. Are you open to using this conversation as a way to go deeper within yourself and notice what feels meaningful right now? What are you willing to look at, release, forgive, or let go of so you can make space for the energy of the Fire Horse? Are you open to the opportunities that this new energy may bring? What limiting beliefs in your life are you ready to let go of? What is this snake energy calling you to release so you can make space for your highest and best self? If you feel aligned emotionally or energetically, what physical or material possessions are you ready to release? Are there emails, apps, conversations, or items in your space that you are ready to let go of? How can you reflect on both the snake and horse's energies to ready yourself for a year when action meets purpose? As you reflect on the past year, what are you ready to release and how do you envision your own rebirth? Are there relationships you need to release and relationships you want to nourish and invest in more fully? What tasks have you been avoiding that you could clear now so they do not drain your energy moving forward? What limiting beliefs can you make peace with and reframe through gratitude? What is something you need to forgive yourself for so your energy can move forward freely? What unhealthy habits are no longer serving you and are ready to be released? In what other ways can you take yourself on a Wise Walk and reflect on the shift from snake energy to horse energy? What resonated with you in this episode and what ideas feel like they are yours to carry forward? I feel like this snake energy has helped me release what was draining me and let go of things that no longer light me up. That readiness is what allows me to invite in the Fire Horse energy of opportunity, action, and purpose, and I hope that's true for you as well. As always, I'd love to hear what you took away from today's episode, so feel free to reach out and share. I also look forward to next Thursday's Wise Walk. Until then, please be sure to prioritize fun as you read the signs, direct your path, and get your stride on. In this episode: [03:11] I love how the Chinese zodiac is represented by a different animal each year. I was born in the year of the Tiger. The animal is also paired with an element. [04:05] As I look back on this past year, I feel very aligned with the year of the wood snake. It represents deep inner work and the need to shed. It represents an opportunity to let go of anything that drains your peace. [05:03] I've been releasing things this past year. When I step into the year of the fire horse it's all about taking action and gaining momentum. [06:06] If you're carrying anything with you into the year of the fire horse, that's what's going to gain momentum. [07:08] I've been thinking about areas of my life that I want to release, so I won't bring them into this next year. [08:01] I've also been working on limiting beliefs around my body, and I've been working on my ability to squat. [09:06] As I work on my squat I say to myself, "I am safe".  I don't want to move forward with a limiting belief. [10:04] One of the ways that we can reframe limiting beliefs is to usher them out and find gratitude and reinforce that we are safe and doing our best. [11:08] I also share a limiting belief a friend of mine had about her sleep hygiene. [12:16] In the past year we've acknowledged our limiting beliefs, and like the snake we're going to release them. We are going to create positive self-talk and give ourselves support when we need it. [14:14] When purging material possessions, I asked what I would miss if it were lost in some type of disaster. If I wouldn't miss these things, then it's a clear go. Another question to ask is would I replace them with the money that I have? [17:26] You have the opportunity to get rid of anything that is draining you or preventing you from being your highest self at this moment. [21:09] There are so many areas of my life where I feel ready. I feel like the snake energy has helped me release things that have drained me. Memorable Quotes: "The year of the Wood Snake represents an opportunity to let go of anything that drains your peace and to disconnect from anything that prevents you from stepping into your full power." - Mary Tess "If you carry something into the year of the Fire Horse, that is what will gain momentum in your life." - Mary Tess "Whenever we have a limiting belief, we get to counteract that with positive self-talk." - Mary Tess "Just because something had meaning in the past doesn't mean it has meaning in the present in the same way." - Mary Tess Links and Resources: Mary Tess Rooney Email Heart Value Colette Baron-Reid Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

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Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Balancing Tradition and Innovation: A Chinese New Year Tale Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-21-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 在北京的冬天，天坛公园被白皑皑的雪覆盖，透着无尽的宁静。En: In Beijing during the winter, Temple of Heaven Park is covered in a blanket of white snow, exuding an endless tranquility.Zh: 古老的建筑优雅地矗立着，红色的灯笼和传统的中国装饰点缀在灰蒙蒙的冬日中，把节日的气氛布满整个园区。En: The ancient buildings stand elegantly, with red lanterns and traditional Chinese decorations adorning the gray winter days, filling the entire park with a festive atmosphere.Zh: 此时，三位主要人物一起策划一个中国新年庆祝活动。En: At this time, three main characters were planning a Chinese New Year celebration together.Zh: 明华是一位拘谨严谨的活动策划师，心里藏着一个目标：要比去年办得更好。En: Minghua is a meticulous and disciplined event planner with a goal hidden in his heart: to do better than last year.Zh: 灵是一名创意十足的设计师，他的设计风格总是出人意料。En: Ling is a highly creative designer whose design style is always unexpected.Zh: 虽然常常拖到最后一刻完成，但他总能吸引住所有人的视线。En: Although he often finishes at the last minute, he always manages to capture everyone's attention.Zh: 腴是志愿者协调员，他希望一切都完美无瑕，喜欢控制流程，然而对灵过于自由的想法感到不安。En: Yu is the volunteer coordinator who hopes everything will be flawless and likes to control the process, yet feels uneasy about Ling's overly free ideas.Zh: 随着春节的脚步临近，他们坐在公园的小亭子中开会。En: As the Spring Festival approaches, they sit in a small pavilion in the park to have a meeting.Zh: 明华打开笔记本，开始计划活动细节。En: Minghua opens his notebook and begins planning the event details.Zh: 腴正在担心志愿者的安排是否会被灵的设计搞乱。En: Yu is worried whether the volunteer arrangements will be disrupted by Ling's designs.Zh: 灵却兴奋地展示了一张新颖的设计草图。En: Meanwhile, Ling excitedly presents a novel design sketch.Zh: "天坛的草地上，我们可以用五颜六色的灯光投影龙和凤凰。"灵兴奋地说。En: "On the grass of Temple of Heaven, we can use colorful lights to project dragons and phoenixes," Ling says excitedly.Zh: 腴皱起眉头：“这会不会太过激进？传统元素都在哪里呢？”En: Yu frowns, "Wouldn't that be too radical? Where are the traditional elements?"Zh: 明华沉思良久。En: Minghua ponders for a long time.Zh: 去年他们遵循传统路线，但今年的目标是突破。En: Last year, they followed a traditional route, but this year's goal is to break through.Zh: 而灵的提议似乎是个大胆的选择。En: And Ling's proposal seems like a bold choice.Zh: 经过几次讨论，明华决定给灵一个机会。En: After several discussions, Minghua decides to give Ling a chance.Zh: 也许创新和传统可以结合起来。En: Perhaps innovation and tradition can be combined.Zh: 时间一天天过去，终于来到最后的彩排日。En: Days pass by, and finally, it's the day of the final rehearsal.Zh: 灵的设计果然夺人眼球：五光十色的灯光洒在雪地上，仿佛龙和凤凰在空中翱翔。En: Indeed, Ling's design is eye-catching: colorful lights cast over the snowy ground as if dragons and phoenixes are soaring in the sky.Zh: 但是，结构安排却出现了问题，灯光设备没有按预期安装，整个场地一片混乱。En: However, there were problems with the setup; the lighting equipment was not installed as expected, and the entire venue was in chaos.Zh: 眼看活动即将开始，明华冷静下来，经过一番思考，他想到了一个折衷方案。En: Seeing that the event is about to start, Minghua calms down, and after some thought, he comes up with a compromise.Zh: 他在灯光设计中增加了一些传统的红灯笼，以平衡视觉效果。En: He adds some traditional red lanterns to the lighting design to balance the visual effect.Zh: 腴迅速协调人手调整布置，大家齐心协力，终于顺利完成了准备工作。En: Yu quickly coordinates people to adjust the setup, and everyone works together, finally completing the preparations smoothly.Zh: 活动的那天夜晚，灯光和灯笼交相辉映，吸引了无数人驻足观赏。En: On the night of the event, the lights and lanterns complement each other, attracting countless people who stop to admire them.Zh: 闪烁的光影和古老的建筑完美结合，游客们欢笑着拍照留念。En: The flickering lights and ancient buildings combine perfectly, as visitors laugh and take pictures to capture the memories.Zh: 最终，明华意识到创新与传统并不矛盾，它们可以和谐共存，使得这个中国新年庆祝活动成为一次难忘的体验。En: In the end, Minghua realizes that innovation and tradition are not contradictory; they can coexist harmoniously, making this Chinese New Year celebration an unforgettable experience.Zh: 有关创新的体会也让他对未来的策划工作充满了信心。En: The insights on innovation also fill him with confidence for future planning. Vocabulary Words:exuding: 透着trapped: 笼罩meticulous: 拘谨严谨的disciplined: 严谨unexpected: 出人意料的flawless: 完美无瑕的radical: 激进的ponder: 沉思novel: 新颖的chaos: 混乱compromise: 折衷方案coexist: 共存harmoniously: 和谐地insights: 体会contemplate: 思索enthusiastically: 兴奋地frowns: 皱眉头unforgettable: 难忘的coordination: 协调disciplined: 纪律严明的adorn: 点缀ventured: 尝试complement: 补充drastic: 激烈的deliberate: 深思熟虑的nostalgic: 怀旧的festive: 节日的elegantly: 优雅地relay: 传达captivating: 迷人的

As 2026 gets underway, early signals are already diverging. In this episode of Supply Chain Secrets, Caroline Weaver and Lars Jensen are joined by Matthew Chicalace of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics to break down the growing gap between quoted and paid rates, early NYFI movements post–Chinese New Year, and what those signals really say about the market.The conversation also dives into rising interest in index-linked contracts, how forwarders and carriers are approaching contract season, and why volatility remains structural. Finally, Lars unpacks the latest developments around the Red Sea reopening, geopolitical risks tied to Iran and Greenland, and how quickly trade lanes could shift again in 2026.A timely discussion on how shippers are navigating uncertainty—and why flexibility and alignment matter more than ever.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Bright Sparks: Art and Technology Illuminate New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-18-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京科技馆在冬日的太阳下闪闪发光，红色的灯笼和新年祝福的横幅装点着这个现代化的建筑，充满了喜庆的气息。En: The Beijing Science and Technology Museum gleams under the winter sun, adorned with red lanterns and banners of New Year blessings, imbuing this modern structure with a festive atmosphere.Zh: 今天，这里正在举行一场机器人展览，吸引了许多对科技充满热情的人们。En: Today, a robotics exhibition is being held here, attracting many people passionate about technology.Zh: 明浩，一个刚毕业的工程专业学生，在人群中慢慢走着。En: Minghao, a recent engineering graduate, walks slowly in the crowd.Zh: 他对机器人技术充满热爱，但总是怀疑自己的能力。En: He is passionate about robotics but often doubts his abilities.Zh: 他站在一个展台前，认真观察着一个正在展示的机器人手臂。En: He stops in front of a booth, attentively observing a robotic arm on display.Zh: 就在此时，他的视线被一位正在仔细拍摄的女孩吸引住了。En: At that moment, his attention is drawn to a girl who is meticulously taking photographs.Zh: 这是丽娜，一个充满活力的艺术专业学生。En: This is Lina, a vivacious art student.Zh: 她对艺术和科技的结合充满了兴趣，希望能将互动艺术带到人们的生活中。En: She is intrigued by the fusion of art and technology, hoping to bring interactive art into people's lives.Zh: 丽娜对刚才展示的机器人充满了好奇，她努力想理解其工作原理。En: Lina is curious about the robot just displayed and is trying hard to understand its working principle.Zh: 明浩觉得这次是一个与某人分享自己热情的好机会，于是他鼓起勇气，走上前去和丽娜交谈。En: Minghao felt this was a great opportunity to share his enthusiasm with someone, so he mustered up the courage to approach Lina and start a conversation.Zh: 起初话题略显尴尬，但随着对科技和艺术的讨论逐渐深入，他们的谈话变得越来越自然。En: Initially, their conversation was slightly awkward, but as they delved deeper into discussions about technology and art, it became increasingly natural.Zh: 就在这时，突然的停电让馆内一片漆黑，参观者们小声抱怨着。En: Just then, a sudden power outage left the museum in darkness, prompting quiet complaints from visitors.Zh: 明浩却不慌不忙，从口袋里拿出一个他自己制作的小型手电筒，迅速点亮周围。En: Unfazed, Minghao reached into his pocket to pull out a small flashlight he made himself, quickly illuminating the area around them.Zh: 这一举动让丽娜惊叹不已，她对明浩充满了敬佩和好奇。En: This action left Lina amazed, full of admiration and curiosity towards Minghao.Zh: “你自己做的？”丽娜问道，眼中闪烁着好奇的光芒。En: “Did you make it yourself?” Lina asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.Zh: “是的，”明浩微微一笑，“我一直都很喜欢这种小项目。”En: “Yes,” Minghao replied with a slight smile, “I've always enjoyed these little projects.”Zh: 通过这次对话，他们交换了联系方式，决定合作一个结合艺术和科技的项目。En: Through this conversation, they exchanged contact information and decided to collaborate on a project that combines art and technology.Zh: 明浩感到信心倍增，而丽娜也找到了让她的艺术作品更具科技感的方法。En: Minghao felt a surge of confidence, and Lina found a way to make her artworks more tech-infused.Zh: 展览结束时，两人走出馆外，冬日的阳光照在他们身上，仿佛预示着一个充满希望的新开始。En: As the exhibition concluded, they walked out of the museum, the winter sunshine shining upon them, foreshadowing a hopeful new beginning.Zh: 在中国新年的喜庆氛围中，他们看到了一个可以结合各自兴趣的未来。En: Amid the celebratory atmosphere of the Chinese New Year, they saw a future where their interests could converge.Zh: 不仅是专业的合作，还是一段新的友谊的开始。En: It marked not only a professional collaboration but also the beginning of a new friendship.Zh: 随着红色的灯笼在风中轻轻晃荡，明浩和丽娜感受到前所未有的希望与热情。En: As the red lanterns swayed gently in the wind, Minghao and Lina felt an unprecedented sense of hope and enthusiasm. Vocabulary Words:museum: 博物馆gleams: 闪闪发光adorned: 装点lanterns: 灯笼banners: 横幅imbuing: 充满festive: 喜庆robotics: 机器人技术graduate: 毕业生booth: 展台attentively: 认真meticulously: 仔细vivacious: 充满活力的fusion: 结合awkward: 尴尬delved: 深入outage: 停电unfazed: 不慌不忙flashlight: 手电筒illuminating: 点亮enthusiasm: 热情converge: 结合collaboration: 合作foreshadowing: 预示celebratory: 喜庆的unprecedented: 前所未有的admiration: 敬佩sparkling: 闪烁contact: 联系方式confidence: 信心

Milk production is up 4.5% — but somehow, milk is clearing. Something doesn't add up. In this episode of The Milk Check, the team uncovers the shifts reshaping dairy economics in 2026. Ted Jacoby III leads a classic market roundtable with the Jacoby team to unpack what they're seeing as dairy transitions out of the holiday demand season and into early-year reality. Despite 4.5% year-over-year milk production growth, milk is clearing in many regions. Cheese and butter markets are under pressure, but inventories aren't yet burdensome. Protein markets remain tight. And nonfat dry milk is showing surprising strength. So what's going on? In this episode, we cover: Why added processing capacity may be masking where supply is really long How cheese and butter are absorbing milk that would normally back up at the farm Why protein demand is tightening skim solids and whey markets Whether nonfat's recent rally is real or a phantom And which dairy market narratives the team thinks are wrong right now If you're trying to make sense of conflicting signals across milk, fat, protein and powder, this episode delivers the context behind the numbers. Listen now to The Milk Check episode 90: The Market is Lying to Us. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check Ted Jacoby III: [00:00:00] Am I just being a conspiracy theorist? Diego Carvallo: I would probably bet a little bit on that conspiracy theory. It could be. It could be possible, Ted. Who knows. Ted Jacoby III: Welcome to the Milk Check from TC Jacob and Company, your complete guide to dairy markets, from the milking parlor to the supermarket shelf. I’m Ted Jacoby. Let’s dive in. We’re on the new side of the New Year. It is January 12th. we’re gonna have a classic market discussion today. Things have started to settle down from the holidays and I thought it would be a great idea just to share with everybody what we’re seeing in the markets as we’re transitioning from the high-demand season into the low-demand season. We have our usual suspects today. We have my brother Gus who manages our fluid group. We’ve got Josh White, head of our dairy ingredients group. We have Joe Maixner, head of all of our butter sales. Mike Brown, our Vice President of Market Intelligence, and myself. So, we’ll start with milk, Gus. What’s it look like right now? Gus Jacoby: It certainly isn’t tight, but it isn’t really long either. I think the November milk production was up [00:01:00] 4.5% and that typically would be fairly significant in areas where there isn’t a lot of additional processing capacity. One would think it would be very, very long with that kind of growth, but we’re not seeing that. Areas like the upper Midwest, Mideast, those areas are not as long as we thought they would be. I don’t want to act as if it’s tight. That’s not the case. Through the holidays, there was still plenty of milk that was around. But I think here as we climbed out of the New Year holiday and into mid-January, things have gotten fairly what we would say in balance. And that’s a little bit alarming considering that type of milk production growth. Ted Jacoby III: Why do you think that is? Is it just all the new capacity from all the new plants that have been built, or what else is going on? Gus Jacoby: Well, certainly in that western, upper Midwest and Southwest region, upstate New York as well, there’s been a lot of processing capacity that’s been added. So, those areas have been able to soak up that extra milk. I think milks travling a bit but I also think folks have found a little bit more efficient avenues to place the milk after dealing with some length over the past year [00:02:00] or so. But there’s a little bit of a question mark I have in the back of my mind as to how efficient we’ve been able to do so. Typically, when we have this kind of large growth, anything north of 4% is large, and large enough to be concerned about. But nonetheless, the processing capacity is significant. We don’t wanna discount that. But one can certainly wonder why in areas like the Mideast, where you haven’t really added a lot of production capacity here recently, why we aren’t seeing a bit more milk floating around. Ted Jacoby III: You think it’s just domino effect type things? Where, as milk is tighter in New York, so none of that milk is going into the southeast or into Appalachia, therefore it’s gotta be pulled from the Mideast? Gus Jacoby: Ted, that might be a part of it. I think domino effect is certainly going on here. There’s some areas of the country that don’t have enough milk because of that additional capacity we discussed. But having said all that, I think there’s some question marks out there right now as to why it isn’t a bit longer in certain parts of the country. Ted Jacoby III: What about some, I’ll call it non-traditional demand growth, and what I mean by that is things [00:03:00] like ESL or some of the protein drinks? It looks like there have been new brands showing up on the supermarket shelf lately. Gus Jacoby: If you’re alluding to areas like UF milk or high-protein fluid products there is certainly a lot of demand in that Class I, Class II segment of our industry. Add in the fact that you have a lot of demand for fortification solids for cheese plants, skim can seem a little bit tight right now, and there’s some logic behind that, but I don’t think there’s enough ultra filtration capacity right now to satisfy demand. So, if milk is going in that direction, there isn’t enough UF units out there, I think, to fill that void. And I wouldn’t say that’s the reason why we’re tightening up milk supplies by no means. In some parts of the world, yes, that might be the case, but that’s pretty small in the grand scheme of things. Ted Jacoby III: On the fluid side, is skim solids slash dairy protein tighter than the butterfat side? Gus Jacoby: Absolutely it is. Yes. I don’t think there’s any question about that. You’ve got two things driving [00:04:00] that. Too much butterfat requires cheese plants to gather more fortification solids, and the demand for protein right now is through the roof. You’re gonna have it hit from both sides and they’re hitting pretty strong. Ted Jacoby III: Could that extra skim solid slash dairy protein demand be what’s tightening up the milk market? Are we seeing it, for example, in lower cream multiples? Gus Jacoby: There still is plenty of cream around, to answer that question directly. I just don’t think there’s enough UF processing capacity at this moment in time to say that it’s tightening milk by any means. Ted Jacoby III: Could it be cheese plants taking the milk directly off the farm but spinning off a lot more cream? Gus Jacoby: I would say some of that is gonna go on. Yeah. ’cause there’s not enough fortification solids to be had, or at least not at the price the cheese plants are gonna be happy with. Cheese plants, even though they might prefer UF at times, they’ll take different types of skim solids and that certainly will tighten up that skim side of the market. That, combined with the fact that the protein sector is short, certainly you’re gonna have that element in our [00:05:00] market right now. I just think there’s enough milk out there, Ted, and not enough protein, isolation capacity of any sort to be the main reason as to why you’re not as long on milk as you think you should be. Ted Jacoby III: You know, I’ve had a theory going for a little while that all this extra capacity we’ve added, a lot of it is cheese capacity, and I feel like this time around, we’ve just transferred where we’re feeling the length. We’re not necessarily feeling the length in milk like we usually do. Instead, there’s enough processing capacity to get all that milk and to make cheese out of it. And therefore, we’re seeing the length in cheese, and we’re seeing the length in butter. And that’s why those two markets have been under so much pressure lately, whereas the milk market seems to be in balance. We’ve just moved down the supply chain a little bit where the length is manifesting. Does that make sense? Gus Jacoby: A little bit? Yeah. Mike Brown: It Does Make sense. Where you have new plants, they wanna be full. They’re cheese plants. They’re gonna try to fill those plants with milk to the extent they can market product, which is becoming a [00:06:00] concern as we see the CME cheese price continuing to drop. We’re also reaching a point when fat is very high, you can’t afford to fortify cheese vats because your skim solids price is high relative to fat. Right now everything’s kind of low, but powder relative to cheese, is as high as it’s been in quite a while. If you have revenue from waste stream, fortifying with nonfat or skim solids makes a whole lot of sense. But if you’re paying that full price for the casein portion of that skim, it gets closer again now too. It’s a little different situation than it’s been in a while. I don’t think Gus could be any more right about the need for more ultra filtered capacity. I’m just curious where it’s gonna show. Because the demand certainly seems to be there. Ted Jacoby III: If there’s one place where I think maybe we’re underestimating demand, it’s in that ESL protein space. And I agree with Gus, there’s probably not enough capacity to really manifest all of that resting demand or untapped demand, but I bet we’re maximizing that supply chain everywhere we can, especially given what we’re seeing in the whey protein [00:07:00] market right now. And it doesn’t show up in the data really clearly. You’re up four and a half percent in milk. Some of that is, we’re still measuring against weakness and we’re measuring against the bird flu outbreak that was happening a year ago. I just think there’s also some demand there possibly in that space that isn’t really showing up in the data in a way that makes it clear to everybody we’ve got some good demand in a couple of places. Having said that, I also think we’ve got more than enough cheese right now. We’ve got more than enough butter right now. But in both cases, and I’m gonna throw this at Joe I don’t think the inventories, at least what’s showing up in the cold storage data is telling us the inventories are burdensome yet. And that might just be when we are in the calendar, but it could just be we’re finding new places for demand. Joe, what are your thoughts? Joe Maixner: Yeah, inventories are definitely not burdensome right now. We’re coming off of pretty good draw down over the holiday season. Obviously, we’re really early into the inventory build period. But demand overall, coming back from [00:08:00] the holidays here, has been pretty strong out of the gate for the New Year. Everybody’s coming back to the office. They’re seeing these very depressed prices. And there’s been a lot of interest in both spot volume, building up some inventory on some spot buys, as well as some additional contract volume for the remainder of the year. So, going back to your comment on inventories, the one thing we always have to keep in mind with looking at cold storage is that number is all types of butter sitting in warehouse inventories. When it comes to pricing, the only thing that matters is 80% CME eligible bulk. We still have a fair amount of salted bulk, especially the older production, in people’s hands, and that has been showing up in the marketplace. A lot of that’s because there was not a lot of micro fixing for the holiday season. Cream was plentiful. People were making plenty of product outta fresh cream as opposed to reformulating that older butter into the retail pack. I think that there’s not a lot of fresh production being made right now [00:09:00] in the salted variety. We could see a nice little price pop here in the coming months once that older product becomes ineligible on the CME. Ted Jacoby III: It’ll be interesting to watch. It’s funny, I think there’s some interesting similarities, not with the old crop, new crop issue, but just some similarities on the cheese side. There’s an old saying about an anticipatory bull market where people start driving up the price ’cause they’re afraid of not having product tomorrow. This just feels like an anticipatory bear market where the inventory levels in cheese aren’t saying that we’ve got a massive amount of length and oversupply of cheese. But you can’t help but wonder if the reason the price is so low is because there is no one out there, both because they’re looking at their forecasted demand for their product and they’re looking at the forecasted milk supply, there’s just no one out there who has any worry about being able to get the cheese they need tomorrow. And so there’s no reason for them to go out there and buy the cheese today and tie up their capital when they’re pretty confident they’re gonna be able to get it tomorrow, maybe even at a lower price. And I get the feeling that there’s some similarities [00:10:00] in the butter market, too. But let’s switch over to the powder side. We’ve been talking about the strength in the protein market for a while, but lately we’ve been seeing some strength in the nonfat market. Diego, is that real strength is that long-term strength? Have we found a bottom in nonfat, what’s going on there? Diego Carvallo: Ted, it’s a very, very interesting question. It’s something everybody’s discussing and commenting about, right? The nonfat market feels like it’s way tighter, the spot market, than what most people were expecting. Right. And the funny thing is everybody has a different theory on what could be happening. We’re not sure what’s gonna happen in the coming months, but there’s definitely a few theories on why this market could be tight and why we’re seeing this kind of short covering rally that we saw in the past two weeks. There’s theories about more UF capacity in areas like the Midwest, which is creating a premium for that product in that region. There’s also theories of some plants in California [00:11:00] mainly being down during the months of November and October, which could have also created a shortage of product that needed to be delivered. Some point also to Mexico or the domestic market stepping in when prices reach the $1.10 or $1.15s and buying decent volumes. But the fact of the matter is, market is a little bit tighter, way tighter than what most anticipated at this period. At the same time, most people are expecting because of ample availability of milk in regions like California, that the market is gonna have to start building inventories because we are, I don’t know, 15 cents or 20 cents higher per pound than Europe. So we’re definitely not gonna be able to export a lot of product to Asia, to the Middle East, or to even Latin America at these prices. So, yeah, the market is tight, but the medium-term outlook is still that we’re gonna [00:12:00] see plenty of pressure. Ted Jacoby III: Any difference in price right now between skim milk powder and nonfat dry milk? Diego Carvallo: That differential between the two has shrank has been smaller because if you talk to most plants in California, everybody’s running nonfat at full capacity. Their plants are almost all of them at full capacity and nobody’s making skim this time of the year. It’s a throughput matter. They try to make as much nonfat as possible when they have plenty of milk. Ted Jacoby III: Interesting. You’d think if prices were going up in the U.S. but not going up in Europe, it would widen, but it’s actually shrinking. That’s wild. Diego Carvallo: Exactly. Yep. And with the U.S. making a lot of nonfat, all of that is gonna go into NDPSR, there should be pressure. At the same time, this week we have the ONIL tender, which most of the market is expecting a result and following it closely because if Europe doesn’t sell that tender, they’re gonna have more product and more pressure on their product. Ted Jacoby III: Makes sense. [00:13:00] Well, Europe’s had some surplus milk as well. Is it possible this market in the U.S. is popping because some of the European traders want it to pop so they can make sure that they clear the excess European product? Or am I just being a conspiracy theorist? Diego Carvallo: I would probably bet a little bit on that conspiracy theory. It could be. It could be possible, Ted. Who knows. Ted Jacoby III: Got it. All right. Sounds good. Josh, what’s going on in the whey market? We just keep talking about tight. Has anything changed? Josh White: No. It remains pretty tight. I think the whey protein demand seems strong. I will say coming into the year I’ve seen more product trade on the spot market, which is interesting. But the tale or the storyline is that that spot trade is still met with good demand and those prices are all still higher than the first quarter negotiated prices to many of the large users, meaning that there’s still good demand at these high prices, and the consumer hasn’t even seen these high prices yet. So it seems like it’s the same in Europe. First quarter is pretty much locked. Second quarter maybe there’s more vulnerability, but at the moment, I think that the [00:14:00] majority of the market would bet that we remain firm through the second quarter maybe even see some higher prices. I think what’s interesting if you look at the market is on the sweet whey powder side, you’ll have Europeans even comment that the whey market is a little bit firm, but they’re quite a bit lower than our price right now. And if you look at the forward futures prices, we have a classic short market. It’s inverted. It’s significantly inverted. And it’ll be curious to see if we really have that much additional sweet whey powder to either move the prices lower or we get enough demand pushback and reformulation to result in some extra product being available. But at the moment, across most of the whey complex it’s fairly firm, which I think tells the story. I mean, we went through the northern hemisphere’s lower milk production months, albeit we’re reporting really high year-over-year numbers, as you commented, compared to bird flu of a year ago in the West. People have had every incentive to place milk in any utilization other than butter and powder over the last few [00:15:00] months, and the market seems to be doing that. In addition to all of the other little comments, it feels like consumers knew that and really ran their supply chains pretty thin. And coming out of the holiday period, there is some short covering happening. Whether that’s just a derivative, speculative position short covering, physical short covering, it’s happening. In addition to that, when we look at the U.S., you can’t paint with a broad brush. The west seems to be running a lot of powder. The Midwest is not. And so that’s created a little bit of a tight situation here. So when you add the demand in Mexico for nonfat you add Midwestern pipeline filling, it’s enough that our spot market is carrying a really big premium to the rest of the world. We’ll see if that can continue as our daily milk production increases seasonally, both here and in Europe. I think that as that continues, as milk goes up, does that directly translate to butter and powder production going up? I would argue at least on some of these products, we know that the [00:16:00] WPI dryers are full. We know the WPC 80 dryers are full. I suspect that the MPC dryers are full and all of the fluid products going into those Class II products are probably full. So we’ll see if the market can handle the seasonal ramp up in production or not. And arguably, I think that’s what most of us are expecting. We’re expecting that we’ve still got plenty of milk. Then that’s gonna have some price pressure. But I also would comment that if we look back over the past few months, demand has been quite good. Global demand has been quite good. The question is, will it continue to be quite good or did we do a lot of buying in the late third quarter and early fourth quarter to refill the global pipeline? Things like Chinese New Year buying things like Ramadan buying and others, and are we gonna be met with an air pocket in demand as we start this year? Don’t know yet. The protein demand isn’t just in dry proteins or in UF for fortified milk. Mike Brown: It’s in yogurts. It’s in cottage cheese. At the same time, ice cream’s lackluster, sour cream is no better. And so that demand for [00:17:00] protein goes beyond just ingredients. On the whey side, boy, we’re gonna have to see a real shift in whey protein prices, wouldn’t we, Josh? We all know those dynamics can shift, but we’re a long ways from that. Other thing in California has got so much milk, they’re running everything full. If you look at anyone you talked the point made earlier, they can’t make SMP right now.They can’t, they are that full to the tilt. In fact, some of them are putting in production control programs again because they’ve got so much milk. Will milk move around, particularly if you can’t find a home for cheese no matter what the price is? Ted Jacoby III: The fact that California’s already running full and it’s the middle of January, which means we probably have at least a month and a half until they hit the peak of their flush. Mike Brown: Absolutely. Ted Jacoby III: That’s a Little bit concerning to me. Mike Brown: Yep. It, it should be to everyone and their spot prices show it. Cream’s been bad, and even the Midwest Class III spots are weak, but part of that’s because the cheese market’s weak. And that lag in Class III, which isn’t picked up in that weekly CME price until next month at the earliest. There’s signs that we’re seeing some shifts in the three four spread. We keep this up, [00:18:00] Ted, it’s gonna go away. Yeah. That may change where milk ends up. Ted Jacoby III: Yep. Diego Carvallo: I have a quick question, Ted. Where do you expect this extra milk in California to end up, because it seems it’s very early. I’m already hearing a lot of milk dumping in California. It seems like we’re at capacity in California. What’s the natural spill over for that milk? Ted Jacoby III: I’ve got two thoughts, but I wanna ask Gus a question first. Gus, if there’s one place where there might be extra UF capacity, would it be in California? Gus Jacoby: Perhaps, but probably not. Relative to demand. It’s limited pretty much all over the country. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. So what I’m gonna answer, in Diego’s question, first and foremost, we’ve lost a lot of milk in the Northwest. Yes. So I wouldn’t be surprised if it heads north on Interstate 10 and ends up in one of those plants in the state of Washington. That would be my first guess. My second guess would be the reason that I asked that question of Gus is they keep the butterfat in California and make butter out of it. Then they ship the UF milk to a cheese plant in the [00:19:00] southwest to extend the cheese yields there. If I were to guess it would happen in one of those two ways. Mike Brown: Diego, what you’re describing is exactly why they’ve put some production quotas back in California because they know it’s gonna get worse. And it makes perfect sense . To me, it’s gonna end up wherever the landed price is the best. On fat capacity, if California has the room to process fat, it’s gonna be in their best interest to process it. ’cause the people that buy surplus fat, outta California, that’s some of the lowest multiples in the country. Even when markets are tight. They’re not gonna wanna send that fat to Utah, Nebraska, or Washington State, or anywhere else if they can process it locally and store it. ’cause it’ll be just moving less water, it’s gonna be mm-hmm. To their benefit. And to Joe’s point. Butter markets are reasonably sound. I mean, they’re lower, but it doesn’t sound like we’re over big supply yet. But one thing we haven’t talked about much is that I think a lot of this price is gonna depend on if we keep exports strong. And that’s one of the big questions we all have. Are they gonna stay? I mean, certainly I think, Joe, listening to you talk, that’s helped a lot in [00:20:00] butter because we’re moving more than 82 overseas and we’re making more of it. On the cheese side. I’m hearing from some of the big cheddar guys that they’re still exporting cheese and relieved to do that. Prices are of course lower, but to me that’s really key. Particularly for products that aren’t as storable as powder. What are those trade markets gonna be? That may impact, where milk goes. Because even if cheese is a buck 30, if you sell it for 30 under, ’cause you have an oversupply, you’ve lost money. So that’s not something you’re gonna wanna do. Ted Jacoby III: All right. Well if I were to summarize really quickly what we’re seeing out there, I would say on the milk side, milk is clearing, which feels a little bit surprising given that we’re up 4.5%, but it’s probably due to all the extra capacity we have out there. However, on the butterfat side cream is long. Butter is long. And while we may get a new crop, old crop pop, the length probably will never fully go away. It just may be how the butterfat’s being processed and maybe we’ll have a temporary tightness in salted 80%. On the cheese side, we’re making a lot of cheese and we’re building inventories. [00:21:00] Mozzarella is feeling longer than cheddar because you can’t store mozzarella, whereas you can park cheddar in a warehouse if you want to, and that’s probably exactly what’s going on in the beginning of this year. Yes, we’ve got some exports but exports are not greater than they were at this time last year, though they may be at comparable levels, at least right now. But there seems to be a concern that that’s not sustainable like it was last year. On the nonfat side, that’s where we have some surprising tightness and we’re watching that market and we are watching it closely because there seems to be conflicting supply and demand indicators regarding where that tightness is coming from. And so our real big question is how sustainable this current tightness is. And on the whey market, whey market is strong. It’s been strong, it continues to be strong, and we haven’t really seen anything yet to change that narrative. And that in general probably sums up our dairy markets. I’m gonna ask everybody one lightning round question. What is one widely repeated dairy market narrative that you [00:22:00] think is wrong right now? Mike, I’m gonna start with you. Mike Brown: I think if there’s anything that is wrong or uncertain is how quick the response is gonna be to really, really low prices on milk supply. I still think we’re gonna take a while to back down and the folks that have really invested in and figured out the beef market are gonna be strong, but people that haven’t done that are gonna really get pummeled. So I think that’s it. How quick will we respond to the lower milk prices? How quick will market respond? It could be quicker than we think. Ted Jacoby III: You think it’ll be quicker. Mike Brown: I think it could be quicker. And I’m a good economist. I’m not gonna say it will, I’m gonna say it could, but yes, I think it could be a little quicker. Particularly with beef, with cull prices so high, there’s incentive to liquidate herds if you don’t wanna milk cows anymore right now. I’m not talking the 10,000 cow herds. I’m talking the smaller Midwest herds. Ted Jacoby III: You got it. Gus, what about you, one widely repeated dairy market narrative that you think is wrong? Gus Jacoby: I always have contrary perspectives on things. I don’t know what to tell you except, back to what I said originally. [00:23:00] Milk is just simply even with high growth production numbers, it’s not as long as some people might think in areas of the country where we haven’t added too much pricing capacity. All right. Sounds good. Diego, how about you? Diego Carvallo: I would say a lot of people are expecting farmers to be losing money at this level, and I think that’s wrong. Ted Jacoby III: They’re still making money. Diego Carvallo: Or maybe breaking even. Ted Jacoby III: All right. I like that one. Joe, how about you? Joe Maixner: I’m gonna buck Diego’s thoughts. I’m gonna go off a nonfat trend. I think that the nonfat market’s gonna continue to trend higher this year as opposed to fall back off. Ted Jacoby III: That’s a good one. That’s a good one. I will struggle with that one, but more power to you. Josh, how about you? Josh White: “This time’s different.” I don’t think this time’s any different than the prior times. I think it’s all perspective. Prices are gonna do what prices do to demand eventually. I realize that we have nuance to our markets, particularly with whey proteins, GLP-1 inspired demand, things like that. But I don’t know that I’m a subscriber to “this time’s different.” Ted Jacoby III: All right. Well, I’ll go ahead and venture mine out there, and I’m gonna have fun with it because I’m gonna [00:24:00] take the exact opposite side of the aisle from Mike and Gus, and I’m gonna say, I actually think this particular drop in prices is gonna last longer than the traditional six months. Usually you see it takes about six months for a market to bottom out and some of dairy farmer habits to change and see the market going back up. But I’m actually on the side of Diego. I think dairy farmers at this price are even still making money because they’re getting so much money from breeding to beef and in some cases from selling their manure. And as a result, their balance sheets will remain healthy. And they’re not gonna be under pressure to exit and sell their cows. I also believe that high beef prices have the inverse effect of what you would expect. And they don’t mean people will sell more cows. It actually means they’ll sell less because dairy farming’s a way of life. And so they’re gonna sell fewer cows to stay cash flow positive rather than more. And so I actually think that this one’s gonna take a lot longer than six months to adjust, but I think what’s really healthy is the fact that we have a diversity of opinions here, which means nobody really knows what’s gonna happen next. Alright guys, I thought [00:25:00] this was a great discussion. And, as it always is in the dairy industry, may we live in interesting times and this one’s not gonna be any different, is it? So thanks everybody for listening in. Great discussion today. Guys, thanks for joining us. Mike Brown: Thank you. Josh White: Thank you guys.

This week, the sisters kick things off by talking about the Year of the Fire Horse—what that energy represents and why it feels like a moment for boldness, movement, and telling the truth, even when it's uncomfortable.They also recap Christmas highlights and mishaps, including family Wii throwbacks, holiday traditions that still hold up, and the now-famous butter-soaked cheesecloth turkey (because if you're going to do it, you might as well do it right).The conversation turns to pop culture with a rundown of the Golden Globes—what stood out, what surprised them, and the moments everyone's still talking about.And of course, What's For Dinner is covered: Orange Chicken—a crowd-pleasing, weeknight-friendly meal that actually gets eaten.For recipes, links, and everything referenced in this episode, head to threelilfishes.com/shownotesSame sisters. New year energy. Plenty to say.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Harmony in Tradition: A Modern Spring Festival Blend Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-14-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 梅看着窗外的雪花，微笑着想到了春节的欢庆。En: Mei looked out at the snowflakes outside the window and smiled as she thought of the festive Spring Festival.Zh: 小区里安静祥和，偶尔有孩子的欢笑声传来。En: The community was peaceful and harmonious, with the occasional sound of children's laughter.Zh: 这个社区一向注重现代化，但是梅心里一直以来有一个愿望：让大家一起过一个传统而热闹的中国新年。En: This neighborhood has always focused on modernization, but in Mei's heart, there has always been a wish: to have everyone celebrate a traditional and lively Chinese New Year together.Zh: 梅是个热心肠的人，她觉得春节是一个能把大家凝聚在一起的好机会。En: Mei is a warm-hearted person, and she felt that the Spring Festival is a great opportunity to bring everyone together.Zh: 于是，她决定在这个冬天的居民委员会会议上提议这个想法。En: So, she decided to propose this idea at the residents' committee meeting this winter.Zh: 在社区的中心活动区，白雪覆盖的草地显得异常宁静。En: In the community center activity area, the snow-covered lawn looked particularly serene.Zh: 会议当天，梅早早地来到现场，调整着自己的发言稿。En: On the day of the meeting, Mei arrived early, adjusting her speech.Zh: 居民代表陆续到来，金也在其中。En: Residents began to arrive one after another, including Jin.Zh: 金是一个实用主义者，他认为传统的骄闹并不符合社区的现代生活方式。En: Jin is a pragmatist and believes that the noise of tradition does not align with the community's modern lifestyle.Zh: 对于梅的提议，金表示了他的担忧。En: He expressed his concerns about Mei's proposal.Zh: “我们可以过个安静的春节，”金坚定地说，“这样既不扰民，也能更现代化。En: "We can have a quiet Spring Festival," Jin said firmly, "that way, it doesn't disturb the residents and can be more modern."Zh: ”梅感到有些挫败，但她并不想放弃。En: Mei felt a bit frustrated, but she didn't want to give up.Zh: 她在会上诉说着传统春节的意义和家庭团聚的重要性，希望能得到大家的支持。En: At the meeting, she spoke about the significance of traditional Spring Festival and the importance of family gatherings, hoping to gain everyone's support.Zh: 一场激烈的讨论随即展开，气氛有些紧张。En: A heated discussion ensued, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.Zh: 就在这时，慧站出来，她是社区里一个善于调节矛盾的人。En: At that moment, Hui stood up; she is someone in the community known for resolving conflicts.Zh: “梅的提议是好的，金的担忧也有道理，”慧平和地说，“我们为何不将传统和现代结合起来呢？En: "Mei's proposal is good, and Jin's concerns are valid too," Hui said calmly, "Why not combine tradition and modernity?Zh: 举行一个融合两者的春节庆祝活动，不仅有传统的习俗，也可以融入一些现代元素。En: Hold a Spring Festival celebration that incorporates both, featuring traditional customs as well as some modern elements."Zh: ”这个提议得到了梅的支持和金的赞同。En: This proposal received support from Mei and agreement from Jin.Zh: 大家决定筹办一个既有舞狮，又有现代音乐表演的活动。En: Everyone decided to organize an event that included both lion dances and modern music performances.Zh: 在这个寒冷的冬天，居民们为这个即将到来的节日准备着，期待着一个别样的春节。En: In this cold winter, residents prepared for the upcoming festival, looking forward to a unique Chinese New Year.Zh: 当春节真正到来时，邻里之间欢声笑语不断。En: When Spring Festival finally arrived, laughter and joy filled the neighborhood.Zh: 孩子们放着烟花，舞狮队在敲锣打鼓中经过，现代的音乐声也在空中飘扬。En: Children lit fireworks, the lion dance team paraded through the sound of gongs and drums, and modern music floated in the air.Zh: 梅看着这一切，明白了妥协和包容带来了怎样的变化。En: As Mei watched it all, she understood the changes that compromise and inclusiveness had brought.Zh: 她心里感到无比温暖，因为她知道，将传统与现代结合，不仅满足了她的愿望，也将社区更紧密地联系在了一起。En: Her heart felt incredibly warm because she knew that combining tradition with modernity not only fulfilled her wish but also brought the community closer together.Zh: 这个春节，是她记忆中最难忘的一个。En: This Spring Festival was the most unforgettable one in her memory. Vocabulary Words:festive: 欢庆harmonious: 祥和modernization: 现代化pragmatist: 实用主义者align: 符合proposal: 提议significance: 意义ensued: 随即展开tense: 紧张resolving conflicts: 调节矛盾inclusiveness: 包容compromise: 妥协unique: 别样serene: 宁静fireworks: 烟花tradition: 传统customs: 习俗integrate: 结合incorporates: 融合inclusive: 融入exceptionally: 异常warm-hearted: 热心肠proposal: 提议heated discussion: 激烈的讨论gatherings: 团聚parade: 经过residents: 居民lively: 热闹incorporate: 融入expressed: 表示

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Homeward Bound: Ming's Journey and the Gift of Kindness Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-13-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 北京首都国际机场灯火辉煌，迎接即将到来的春节。En: Beijing Capital International Airport is brilliantly lit, welcoming the approaching Chinese New Year.Zh: 红色和金色的装饰遍布整个机场，浓浓的节日气氛扑面而来。En: Red and gold decorations are spread throughout the airport, engulfing everyone in a festive atmosphere.Zh: 寒冷的冬季空气和机场内热闹的人群形成鲜明对比，旅客们行色匆匆，期盼着与家人团聚。En: The contrast between the cold winter air and the bustling crowds inside the airport is striking, as travelers move hastily, eager to reunite with their families.Zh: 明是一名年轻女性，一年前搬到了美国。En: Ming is a young woman who moved to the United States a year ago.Zh: 今年春节，她第一次回国，心情既紧张又兴奋。En: This year, she is returning home for the first time for Chinese New Year, feeling both nervous and excited.Zh: 她想念家人，期待着除夕夜的团圆饭。En: She misses her family and looks forward to the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve.Zh: 明拖着行李箱，在人群中穿梭。En: Ming weaves through the crowd, dragging her suitcase behind her.Zh: 然而，空气中弥漫的香水味和紧张的情绪让她感到呼吸困难。En: However, the scent of perfume lingering in the air and her tense emotions make breathing difficult.Zh: 她知道自己的哮喘发作了。En: She realizes her asthma is acting up.Zh: 就在明努力挣扎时，连，一个机场的工作人员，注意到了她的状况。En: As Ming struggles, Lian, an airport staff member, notices her situation.Zh: 连在这个繁忙季节工作时间长，但她非常认真。En: Despite working long hours during this busy season, Lian is very dedicated.Zh: 她看到明逐渐加重的呼吸困难，连忙上前询问：“您好，需要帮助吗？En: Seeing Ming's breathing difficulties worsening, she quickly approaches and asks, "Hello, do you need help?"Zh: ”明用力点头，努力控制自己的呼吸。En: Ming nods vigorously, trying hard to control her breathing.Zh: 连马上带明去找附近的医务室，并帮助她进行快速疗程。En: Lian immediately takes her to the nearby medical room and helps her receive quick treatment.Zh: 时间一分一秒过去了，明担心错过接下来的航班会耽误回家。En: As time ticks by, Ming worries about missing her connecting flight and the delay it might cause in getting home.Zh: 连没有放弃，利用自己的关系，确保明能够快速办理登机手续。En: Lian does not give up, using her connections to ensure Ming can quickly complete her boarding procedures.Zh: 连的努力没有白费。En: Lian's efforts do not go to waste.Zh: 明得到了及时的治疗，感觉好多了。En: Ming receives timely treatment and feels much better.Zh: 她感激地看着连说：“谢谢你，我不知道该怎么办，没有你的帮助。En: Gratefully, she looks at Lian and says, "Thank you, I don't know what I would have done without your help."Zh: ”最终，明顺利登上了飞机。En: In the end, Ming boards the plane smoothly.Zh: 飞机起飞的时候，她透过窗户看着渐渐远去的城市灯光，心里满是感激和温暖。En: As the plane takes off, she gazes out the window at the receding city lights, her heart full of gratitude and warmth.Zh: 她意识到旅途中，陌生人的善意是如此珍贵。En: She realizes how precious the kindness of strangers can be during a journey.Zh: 在进入梦乡前，她想着能够与家人一同庆祝春节，倍感幸福。En: Before drifting into dreams, she thinks about celebrating the Chinese New Year with her family, feeling immensely happy.Zh: 明这一趟旅程，她不仅仅是回家。En: This journey was not just about returning home for Ming.Zh: 她领悟了善良的力量，也更深地感受到了对自己文化传统的珍视。En: She came to understand the power of kindness and felt a deeper appreciation for her cultural traditions.Zh: 在明心中，团圆和家的重要性从未如此清晰。En: In Ming's heart, the importance of reunion and home has never been clearer. Vocabulary Words:capital: 首都brilliantly: 辉煌engulfing: 扑面而来contrast: 对比bustling: 热闹hastily: 匆匆reunion: 团聚dragging: 拖weaves: 穿梭lingering: 弥漫tense: 紧张emotions: 情绪breathing: 呼吸asthma: 哮喘struggles: 挣扎dedicated: 认真worsening: 加重connections: 关系timely: 及时gratefully: 感激smoothly: 顺利receding: 渐渐远去precious: 珍贵dreams: 梦乡celebrating: 庆祝immensely: 倍感appreciation: 珍视importance: 重要性realizes: 意识到understand: 领悟

As 2026 gets underway, early market signals are already diverging. In this episode of Supply Chain Secrets, Caroline Weaver and Lars Jensen break down where freight rates are heading post-Chinese New Year, what the latest Container Trade Statistics reveal about global demand, and why North America continues to lag the rest of the world.They also explore escalating geopolitical risks — from Iran and the Strait of Hormuz to Greenland and terminal ownership — and what these flashpoints could mean for global shipping lanes, capacity, and pricing. Finally, the conversation returns to a familiar conclusion: volatility isn't going away, and understanding the gap between quoted and paid rates is becoming more critical than ever.A timely look at what's shaping early 2026 — and why shippers should stay alert.

SHOW NOTES: New Year celebrations date back 4,000 years to ancient Babylon, where the festival of Akitu marked the new year around the spring equinox with religious rituals, debt-paying promises (early resolutions), and kingly renewals. Early civilizations linked it to agricultural cycles, like Egyptians with the Nile's flood. The Roman calendar, shifted to January 1st by Julius Caesar, became the basis for our Gregorian calendar, solidifying the date, though many cultures still celebrate at different times (Chinese New Year, Rosh Hashanah). The Babylonians made promises to their gods during a 12-day Akitu festival (their new year in March) to repay debts and return borrowed items for good fortune, a practice later adopted and adapted by the Romans and evolving into today's personal goal-setting tradition for self-improvement and a fresh start. New Year's Eve celebrations became huge in Times Square starting in 1904, when The New York Times hosted a massive fireworks party for its new building, drawing 200,000 people; the iconic ball drop tradition began three years later in 1907, replacing fireworks and cementing the event as a beloved annual spectacle, as reported by The New York Times Company and Times Square. Make a single resolution, not scores which will not be realized and lead to disappointment and self-doubt. Start it now, today, not some future date. Don't regret the past or dread the future. Live for today, every day. You can't change the past and the future will here before you know it. And remember most, perhaps, that all of us deal with trauma and pain of varying types. Pain is inevitable in life, but suffering is voluntary. So mourn your loss, endure the pain, but stop suffering and enjoy the wonderful life of existence. It beats the hell out of the alternative. Happy New Year! (blow a horn)

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Lost Heirloom, Found Trust: A New Year Discovery Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-01-01-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 寒风刺骨，警察局里热闹非凡。En: The cold wind was biting, yet the police station was bustling.Zh: 大年初一，外面还挂着新年装饰，红灯笼在寒风中轻轻摇曳。En: It was the first day of the Chinese New Year, and outside were still the New Year decorations, the red lanterns gently swaying in the cold wind.Zh: 魏坐在候等区，他心里忐忑不安。En: Wei sat in the waiting area, feeling restless.Zh: 昨晚的庆祝活动中，他不慎丢失了家传的玉佩。En: During last night's celebration, he had accidentally lost the family heirloom yupei.Zh: 这时，朋友方来到他身边。En: Just then, his friend Fang came over to his side.Zh: “魏，你还好吗？”他关切地问道。En: "Wei, are you okay?" he asked with concern.Zh: 魏叹了口气，说：“我必须找回玉佩，对家人来说那很重要。”En: Wei sighed and said, "I must find the yupei, it's very important to my family."Zh: 不远处，警察志忙着整理桌上的一大堆报告。En: Not far away, Officer Zhi was busy organizing a large stack of reports on his desk.Zh: 他有些疲惫，但看到魏，还是热情地打招呼。En: He looked a bit tired, but upon seeing Wei, he greeted him warmly.Zh: “有什么我可以帮你的？”志问。En: "Is there anything I can help you with?" Zhi asked.Zh: 魏解释了情况，志认真地听着。En: Wei explained the situation, and Zhi listened carefully.Zh: 他慢慢点头，说：“最近报告太多，找到东西可能需要时间。”En: He nodded slowly and said, "There are so many reports recently, finding something might take some time."Zh: 魏心里更不安。En: Wei felt even more uneasy.Zh: 他不知道是该赶紧填详细报告，还是自己去附近寻找。En: He didn't know whether he should hurry to fill out a detailed report or go out and search nearby himself.Zh: 他咬着手指，思考着。En: He bit his finger, deep in thought.Zh: 方见状，拍拍魏的肩膀，“也许我们可以先在附近找找？”En: Seeing this, Fang patted Wei's shoulder, "Maybe we should search around nearby first?"Zh: 魏点点头，觉得这是个好主意。En: Wei nodded, thinking it was a good idea.Zh: 他或许应该借助朋友的帮助。En: Perhaps he should enlist his friend's help.Zh: 一想到这个，他感到一丝温暖。En: With this thought, he felt a warmth spread through him.Zh: 两人走出警察局，商量着应该去哪里寻找。En: The two walked out of the police station, discussing where they should search.Zh: 他们走到昨晚聚会的地方，又去了周围的商店，沿途仔细地观察。En: They went to the place where the gathering was held last night and visited the surrounding shops, carefully looking along the way.Zh: 最后，他们来到一个挤满年货的小市场。En: Finally, they arrived at a small market filled with New Year's goods.Zh: 一个小贩在摊位前对他们招手。“你们在找这东西吗？”他手里举着魏的玉佩。En: A vendor waved to them from a stall, "Are you looking for this?" He held up Wei's yupei.Zh: 魏惊喜地走上前，“是的！你在哪儿找到的？”En: Delighted, Wei walked forward, "Yes! Where did you find it?"Zh: 小贩微微一笑，“早上打扫时看到了，想着总有人会回来找。”En: The vendor smiled slightly, "I saw it while cleaning in the morning and thought someone would come back for it."Zh: 魏感激地道谢，方也松了口气。En: Wei thanked him gratefully, and Fang also breathed a sigh of relief.Zh: 回家的路上，魏心中的石头总算落下。En: On the way home, the weight in Wei's heart finally lifted.Zh: 他对方说道：“谢谢你，我学会了珍惜朋友的支持。”En: He turned to Fang and said, "Thank you, I've learned to cherish the support of friends."Zh: 魏微笑着，手里攥紧那块玉佩，心里充满了对未来的信心。En: Wei smiled, clutching the yupei tightly in his hand, filled with confidence for the future.Zh: 新的一年，他要学会依靠身边的人，一同面对生活的挑战。En: In the new year, he decided to learn to rely on those around him and face life's challenges together. Vocabulary Words:biting: 刺骨bustling: 热闹非凡heirloom: 家传restless: 忐忑不安concern: 关切greeted: 打招呼gratefully: 感激vendor: 小贩clutching: 攥紧swaying: 摇曳uneasy: 不安detailed: 详细surrounding: 周围carefully: 仔细confidence: 信心cherish: 珍惜support: 支持rely: 依靠challenges: 挑战gathering: 聚会reports: 报告organizing: 整理thought: 思考perhaps: 也许warmth: 温暖surrounding shops: 商店market: 市场stall: 摊位breath a sigh of relief: 松了口气decoration: 装饰

For many New Yorkers—and visitors alike—New Year's Eve means gathering in Times Square, patiently counting down as the crystal-studded ball descends from the top of the former New York Times Building to mark the start of a new year. Yet the celebration's story runs far deeper than that single iconic moment. From how Times Square became the heart of the festivities to the ways its evolving character has shaped the city's most famous night, New York's New Year traditions are rich with history. Join Greg Young and Tom Meyers of The Bowery Boys Podcast as they journey back in time to explore these celebrations, including the origins of one of the city's oldest traditions—New York's Chinese New Year. Pop a bottle of bubbly and ring in the New Year with the Bowery Boys! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Buckeye Weekly Podcast: Miami Fans' Questions and Predictions for the Cotton BowlIn this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast, hosts Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr delve into YouTube comments and questions from Miami fans regarding the upcoming Cotton Bowl matchup between Ohio State and Miami. They discuss topics such as the significance of the Year of the Snake in the Chinese calendar, the impact of astrological and Chinese New Year dates, and how Miami's historical performances align with these dates. Additionally, they analyze the potential use of tempo in the game, the effectiveness of Miami's defense against quick offenses, and the role of key players including Mark Fletcher and Gerard Pringle. The hosts also reflect on historical comparisons to Ohio State's 2002 national championship team and potential strategies for both teams going into the big game.00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview00:09 Miami Fans' Questions and Year of the Snake Discussion04:54 Comparing 2002 and 2023 Teams11:38 Miami's Coaching and Officiating Challenges16:14 Ohio State's Tempo Strategy21:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Crafting Traditions: Rediscovering Festivity and Heart Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-26-23-34-02-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 商场的灯火通明，红灯笼和金色横幅将整个空间装点得喜气洋洋。En: The shopping mall was brightly lit, with red lanterns and golden banners decorating the entire space joyfully.Zh: 空气中飘荡着悠扬的节日音乐，摊位上挤满了色彩鲜艳的面料和精美的装饰。En: The air was filled with melodious festival music, and stalls were crowded with brightly colored fabrics and exquisite ornaments.Zh: 明走在走廊上，心里盘算着如何在节日中保持一种平衡。En: Ming walked down the corridor, contemplating how to maintain a sense of balance during the festival.Zh: 他想买一些既不昂贵又能体现年味的装饰品和节日衣服。En: He wanted to buy some decorations and festival clothes that were neither expensive nor lacking in festive spirit.Zh: 明从小就对传统有些疏远，但他希望今年能找回这种联系。En: Ming had always been somewhat distanced from tradition since he was young, but he hoped to reconnect this year.Zh: 莲是明的好朋友，她对中国新年充满了热情。En: Lian, who is Ming's good friend, is full of enthusiasm for Chinese New Year.Zh: 旺盛的节日气氛让她兴奋不已。En: The vibrant festive atmosphere excited her immensely.Zh: “明，今年我们得让新年更特别，”莲一边兴奋地选购，一边说。En: "Ming, this year we must make New Year extra special," Lian said excitedly while shopping.Zh: “当然，不过这些都好贵啊。”明看着那些高价的饰品，无奈地叹了口气。En: "Of course, but all of these are so expensive." Ming looked at the high-priced decorations and sighed helplessly.Zh: 他们的朋友伟，是最近刚来中国的。En: Their friend Wei had just recently come to China.Zh: 他对新年的习俗十分好奇，虽然有些不太适应。En: He was very curious about New Year's traditions, though a bit unaccustomed.Zh: “这里的传统很特别，我很想学会如何庆祝，”伟说道。En: "The traditions here are quite special, and I really want to learn how to celebrate," Wei said.Zh: 明感受到价格和传统的压力，又不想让莲和伟失望。En: Ming felt the pressure between prices and tradition and didn't want to disappoint Lian and Wei.Zh: 他灵机一动，决定动手制作一些东西，既省钱又有意义。En: In a moment of inspiration, he decided to make something by hand, which would be both cost-effective and meaningful.Zh: 几个人继续在商场里走着，忽然间，明的目光被一间老旧的小店吸引住了。En: The group continued walking through the mall when Ming's attention was suddenly drawn to an old little shop.Zh: 那家店里，有着传统的手工艺品和一些简便的手工制作材料，价格适中。En: The shop had traditional handicrafts and some simple handcraft materials that were reasonably priced.Zh: “我们可以用这些来做些装饰，”明兴奋地说。En: "We can use these to make some decorations," Ming said excitedly.Zh: 莲和伟也对这个想法感到兴奋，En: Lian and Wei were also excited about the idea.Zh: “这样我们不仅能装饰家，还能度过一个有趣的晚上。”En: "This way we can not only decorate our homes but also have a fun evening," they said.Zh: 最后，明买下了材料，他们回到家后，开始一起制作个性化的装饰品。En: Eventually, Ming bought the materials, and after returning home, they began creating personalized decorations together.Zh: 莲耐心地讲解每一个饰品背后的故事，伟则仔细聆听，沉浸在新年的喜庆氛围中。En: Lian patiently explained the story behind each ornament, while Wei listened carefully, immersed in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.Zh: 在热闹的节日准备过程中，明感受到原来传统并不一定要一成不变。En: During the lively festival preparations, Ming realized that tradition didn't have to be rigid.Zh: 通过亲手制作，他重新欣赏到了传统的价值，还与朋友共享了这份乐趣。En: By crafting things himself, he rediscovered the value of tradition and shared the joy with his friends.Zh: 这个夜晚，他们不仅装饰了房子，也用心意和创意装点了每个人的心。En: That evening, they not only decorated the house but also adorned each person's heart with sincerity and creativity.Zh: 明意识到，传统可以个性化，这份改变让他倍感欣慰。En: Ming realized that tradition could be personalized, and this change brought him great comfort.Zh: 故事的结局温暖而圆满，明感受到了一种全新的节日氛围。En: The story concluded warmly and perfectly, and Ming felt a brand new festive atmosphere. Vocabulary Words:melodious: 悠扬exquisite: 精美contemplating: 盘算balance: 平衡distant: 疏远enthusiasm: 热情vibrant: 旺盛high-priced: 高价pressure: 压力inspiration: 灵机一动cost-effective: 省钱handicrafts: 手工艺品materials: 材料personalized: 个性化immersed: 沉浸rigid: 一成不变value: 价值sincerity: 心意creativity: 创意festive: 喜气洋洋stall: 摊位corridor: 走廊plentiful: 挤满ornament: 装饰品tradition: 传统astonished: 惊讶adorned: 装点comfort: 欣慰interaction: 互动atmosphere: 气氛

2026: A Fresh Start Year That Is About Who You're Becoming

MONEY MONEY 2026 LIVESTREAM CHINESE NEW YEAR LUNAR YEAR CELEBRATION SONG

Coming in at #28 on the 2025 Cigar of the Year Countdown is the Davidoff Year of the Snake 2025 Lancero. Back in 2012, Davidoff released a cigar called Davidoff Year of the Snake. While not the first Chinese Zodiac cigar by Davidoff, it essentially was the cigar that put Davidoff on the map in terms of Chinese Zodiac releases - and it was Davidoff that could be credited with the craze of Chinese Zodiac cigars. That original Davidoff Year of the Snake is one of the more legendary cigars ever released. On Cigar Coop, this cigar finished as the #2 Cigar of the Year, and #3 Cigar of the Decade 2010-2019. Since that release, Davidoff has gone through a complete Chinese New Year cycle. In late 2024, Davidoff released its second Year of the Snake cigar. This one is an all-new cigar with a new blend. Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-yef

Coming in at #28 on the 2025 Cigar of the Year Countdown is the Davidoff Year of the Snake 2025 Lancero. Back in 2012, Davidoff released a cigar called Davidoff Year of the Snake. While not the first Chinese Zodiac cigar by Davidoff, it essentially was the cigar that put Davidoff on the map in terms of Chinese Zodiac releases - and it was Davidoff that could be credited with the craze of Chinese Zodiac cigars. That original Davidoff Year of the Snake is one of the more legendary cigars ever released. On Cigar Coop, this cigar finished as the #2 Cigar of the Year, and #3 Cigar of the Decade 2010-2019. Since that release, Davidoff has gone through a complete Chinese New Year cycle. In late 2024, Davidoff released its second Year of the Snake cigar. This one is an all-new cigar with a new blend. Full Details: https://wp.me/p6h1n1-yef

In this episode, the FBA University boys discuss how to navigate the upcoming Chinese New Year!

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Rediscovering Tradition: A Heartfelt New Year in High-Tech City Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2025-12-05-08-38-20-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 广东的高科技城购物中心在冬季显得格外热闹。En: The Guangdong High-Tech City Shopping Center is especially lively during the winter.Zh: 五光十色的灯饰和节日装饰，让人感受到浓厚的春节气氛。En: The colorful lights and festive decorations give people a strong sense of the Chinese New Year atmosphere.Zh: 琳娜带着她的弟弟魏来到这里，准备为即将到来的春节购置礼物。En: Lina brought her younger brother Wei here to prepare gifts for the upcoming Spring Festival.Zh: 琳娜是一个事业心很强的女商人，但对家庭传统一直抱有一份柔软的感情。En: Lina is a very career-oriented businesswoman, but she has always held a soft spot for family traditions.Zh: 她想要为家人购买完美的礼物，希望这次春节能特别而愉快。En: She wants to buy perfect gifts for her family, hoping this Spring Festival will be special and joyful.Zh: 然而，繁忙的购物中心让她感到有些不知所措。En: However, the busy shopping center makes her feel a bit overwhelmed.Zh: 人群涌动，琳娜面对琳琅满目的选择，犹豫不决。En: With crowds bustling around her and faced with a dazzling array of choices, Lina is indecisive.Zh: 她想要在预算内找到合适的礼物，还要节省时间。En: She wants to find suitable gifts within budget and also save time.Zh: 魏比她小几岁，性格开朗。En: Wei, a few years younger than her, is cheerful by nature.Zh: 他注意到姐姐的压力，想帮助她放松。En: Noticing his sister's stress, he wants to help her relax.Zh: 他提议说：“姐，我们不如找一些有意义的东西，而不是贵的礼物。En: He suggests, "Sis, why don't we look for something meaningful instead of expensive gifts?Zh: 或许，我们可以考虑一些体验，而不是单纯的物品。En: Maybe we can consider some experiences rather than just objects."Zh: ”琳娜听了弟弟的建议，心里有些动摇。En: Hearing her brother's suggestion, Lina feels somewhat swayed.Zh: 商场的科技区吸引了她的注意，那里的最新设备让她心动。En: The technology area of the shopping mall caught her attention, with its latest gadgets tempting her.Zh: 但就在这时，魏在一个小店里发现了一套精致的茶具。En: But just then, Wei discovered a set of exquisite tea sets in a small store.Zh: 茶具让他们想起了小时候在奶奶家喝茶的情景，那是他们记忆中温暖的片段。En: The tea set reminded them of their childhood memories of drinking tea at Grandma's house, a warm moment etched in their memories.Zh: 在那个瞬间，琳娜意识到了春节的真正意义。En: In that moment, Lina realized the true meaning of Chinese New Year.Zh: 与其追求奢华的礼物，不如珍惜和亲人一起度过的时光。En: Rather than pursuing luxurious gifts, it's better to cherish the time spent with loved ones.Zh: 她决定和魏一起，为全家准备一次家庭茶会，而不是继续在商场里徘徊。En: She decides, along with Wei, to prepare a family tea party instead of wandering further in the shopping mall.Zh: 最终，琳娜和魏带着几份贴心而有意义的礼物离开了商场。En: In the end, Lina and Wei left the mall with a few thoughtful and meaningful gifts.Zh: 他们同心协力，为家庭准备了一场温馨的茶会，增添了节日的温情。En: Together, they prepared a warm tea party for the family, adding to the holiday's warmth.Zh: 琳娜感受到，比起昂贵的礼物，和家人在一起的宝贵时光才是最值得珍惜的。En: Lina felt that compared to expensive gifts, the precious time with family is what truly deserves to be cherished.Zh: 这个春节，从此变得不同寻常。En: From that point, this Spring Festival became extraordinary. Vocabulary Words:lively: 热闹festive: 节日的atmosphere: 气氛overwhelmed: 不知所措bustling: 涌动dazzling: 琳琅满目indecisive: 犹豫不决cheerful: 开朗experiences: 体验swayed: 动摇gadgets: 设备exquisite: 精致etched: 刻cherish: 珍惜luxurious: 奢华wander: 徘徊thoughtful: 贴心precious: 宝贵traditions: 传统soft spot: 柔软的感情prepare: 准备budget: 预算suggestion: 建议tempting: 心动moment: 瞬间meaningful: 有意义special: 特别joyful: 愉快array: 选择finally: 最终

During the Spring Festival, the melodious tunes of traditional Chinese instruments can be heard in many places, serving as festive reminders that it is indeed the time of the Chinese New Year.  Recorded by David Ge.

Milk production is up 4.2% year over year, components are climbing and prices are falling. As holiday orders wrap up and we head into the long winter, The Milk Check team digs into whether dairy markets have already found a floor, or if there's still another leg down to go. With milk products everywhere (except for whey), the Jacoby team shares where the market is and where we're going. They churn through: Butter at $1.50 and what heavy cream and higher components mean after the holidays Why cheese feels like a calm before the storm, and how far Class III could grind lower Nonfat and skim: long milk, growing inventories and buyers shopping the cheapest origin Why whey proteins are the outlier, with tight supply, strong demand and GLP-1 tailwinds Global milk growth, clustered demand (Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Super Bowl) and who blinks first between the U.S. and Europe In this episode of The Milk Check, host Ted Jacoby III is joined by Joe Maixner, Jacob Menge, Diego Carvallo, Josh White and Mike Brown for a rapid-fire market session on butter, cheese, nonfat and proteins. Listen now for The Milk Check's latest market read on butter, cheese, nonfat and whey. Got questions? We'd love to hear them. Submit below, and we might answer it on the show. Ask The Milk Check Ted Jacoby III: Welcome back, everybody, to The Milk Check podcast. Today we’re gonna have a market discussion. It is November 10th. We are in the last couple of weeks of the quote-unquote busy season, starting to get a feel for what we think is gonna happen to dairy markets as holiday orders are filled, and we transition into the long-term period of the year. In the last few weeks, we’ve actually seen prices drop, but it feels like butter’s kind of dropped down to about a $1.50/lb and seems to find at least a brief floor. We’ll talk to Joe and find out if Joe thinks we’re gonna stick around here for a while. The cheese market was up in the $1.80s/lb. It’s dropped to a little below $1.70, starting to hit a little bit of resistance. Jake will share with us a little bit about what we think is happening with cheese going forward. Nonfat dropped a little bit down to [00:01:00], about what Diego, about a $1.10/lb and had a little bounce off its floor. Meanwhile, the whey complex just continues to go up. We’ll check in with Josh and find out what’s going on there. Well, let’s go ahead and start with milk production. We just got released today, the September milk production, and it says it’s up 4.2%, which is a very, very big number. It’s November; milk is longer than it usually is this time of year. Usually, it’s quite tight, and it’s not quite tight, but I wouldn’t call it long. However, all the signs are there that once we get past the fall holiday order season, milk could get quite long. If September milk is up 4.2%, I think it’s safe to say that if that continues, we will be quite long milk as we transition from the typical seasonal tightness of the fall into the winter and the flush of the spring. 4.2% is a big number, and that’s not even taking into account the fact that the solids in the milk are up as well. That’s not the kind of tone that a dairy farmer wants us to set as we’re talking about what supply and demand looks like, but there’s a lot of milk out there, [00:02:00] Joe, does that mean there’s a lot of butter out there, too? Joe Maixner: Well, there’s still a lot of butter out there; sounds like there’s going to be a lot more butter coming soon. If milk’s up 4%, cream was heavy all of last winter and into last Spring, extremely heavy. If we have higher components, more milk, and we’ve got a full amount of milk coming outta California as well after coming off of bird flu last year, there’s just gonna be that much more cream in the system and more getting pushed back into the churns. So, it’s a very good possibility that we’re gonna go even lower than where we currently are. Volume seems to be trading well. The cream demand has been fairly steady, going into cultured products and the shorter shelf-life products. Cream’s still long, but it’s not swimming yet. Ted Jacoby III: Will we hold this $1.50 area through Thanksgiving, you think? Joe Maixner: Yeah, it seems like we’ve hit a spot where buyers are willing to step in. So, there’s a good chance that we could hang around this $1.50 area for the next couple of weeks. Once the last little spurt of holiday demand is over, we’re gonna take another leg lower. Ted Jacoby III: Okay. Jake, what about [00:03:00] cheese? Jacob Menge: I think we had a little reprieve from some cheese bearishness with the holiday demand. It’s tough, though, especially with this wall of milk that’s headed our way. Does it seem like the bottom’s ready to drop out? Probably not yet. But it still seems like it’s a possibility. It almost seems like the call before the storm. Ted Jacoby III: What you’re saying is: we’ve already dropped quite a bit, but we’re in typical low points, but it’s possible, considering the amount of supply coming our way, that there’s still another cliff to negotiate, and we could go a lot lower when it comes to Class III milk and cheese prices. Jacob Menge: If you zoom out a ways, going back to mid-2022, we’ve really not liked to go below that $1.55 level on futures. We’re kind of at another support level at this $1.65. Those seem like our two support areas, historically, for the last 3, 4 years. So, it’s probably gonna be one of those grinds lower if we move lower from here, versus that $1.85 to $1.65 was almost an air pocket drop. [00:04:00] It seems like the market’s gonna have to earn it if it moves lower from here, but it does seem like a possibility. Ted Jacoby III: When we get down to these levels, this usually tends to form the floor, and if we have so much cheese out there and so much milk out there that we’re gonna go lower from here, it’s probably not an air pocket drop; it’s probably a grind lower from here. Jacob Menge: Yeah, I think our lows, on the futures, for the past 4 years have been that $1.55. Don’t quote me on that, gimme a couple of cents on either side of that. But that means we got a dime from here to hit those five-year lows, you know, besides COVID. There’s a lot to be said for technical trading at those levels. So, it would take a big fundamental kind of wave supply to get us to crack that. Ted Jacoby III: Got it. Thank you. Diego. What about nonfat? What’s the international market doing? We know we have a lot of milk in North America. We have a lot of milk everywhere. And what does it mean? Diego Carvallo: Customers are also seeing the data, and it seems like they’re in no rush to buy nonfat. Right. Nonfat seems to be the product that is 00:05:00 consistently available. We haven’t seen a very tight market in several years. So, it seems customers are more concerned about other products like WPCs or maybe cheese, other products besides nonfat. So, they’re staying very hand-to-mouth. They’re being very flexible when it comes to origin and just buying spot and from the origin that offers them the cheapest skim milk powder delivered price, which, in most cases, for the past few months, has been either European or New Zealand product because of the shipment time, transit time, and tariffs. Ted Jacoby III: Has the inventory in the U.S. been building as a result? Diego Carvallo: Yes, it has, Ted. Yep. Inventory has been building. I was looking into the milk production numbers for September. California was relatively stable compared to the previous year. I think we grew by 2.5% versus the previous year. But the strong impact from avian [00:06:00] influenza was actually in October. So, that’s when we might see a big jump between California production for 2024 and California production for 2025. So, I thought the Milk Report was pretty bearish for nonfat. Next month could be as bearish or even more. I still believe that we’re gonna see a lot of product going into the dryers, and that’s gonna add pressure, and that’s gonna increase inventories for U.S. products. Ted Jacoby III: What does milk production look like in Europe? Diego Carvallo: They’re actually up quite a bit. I think their September number was also stronger than expected. I can’t recall the exact number, but it was stronger than expected, even though they have cut down on the farmer price, the FrieslandCampina, which is the number one benchmark. It still seems like, with corn moving lower, there’s still a number that incentivizes more milk production. For the next few months until we see a stronger cotton price, we’re gonna see plenty of milk from the U.S. and from Europe. Ted Jacoby III: [00:07:00] Okay, thanks. Appreciate it, Diego. Josh, so what about the protein market? Josh White: Yeah, same story. I don’t know why everybody else is having so many problems with their products because whey proteins are in demand and it continues to be very strong. WPC 80, WPI demand is outpacing supply. People are trying to book forward and can’t. By all reports, the demand on the consumer level remains pretty good. It’s a bit of an outlier. It’s definitely a mystery. A lot of the discussion centers around GLP-1 adoption in the U.S. Compared to a year ago, I think I read this morning, something like 12% of Americans are allegedly using GLP-1-related drugs for weight loss. Assuming that’s an accurate statistic, that’s a noteworthy number of people. There was a lot of discussion last year that as people come on things like Wegovy and Ozempic, at what moment do we mature to the point that people beginning their cycles of taking the drugs equal those coming off of those drugs? There’s just been a lot of headlines about more affordable access to these types of products. If that continues, that shifts this curve even a little bit further up. [00:08:00] What can reverse that trend or slow down the demand for the whey protein side? I think it takes a production response. I can imagine that any manufacturer that’s making whey-related products as a byproduct of their cheese production is exploring how to access this demand, in particular, the whey protein isolate demand. I don’t have the impression that equipment is any easier to get, and there are still plenty of obstacles in terms of making production changes at the processor side. It feels to me like at least through the first half of this year, we’re gonna continue to be under-supplied relative to the demand that’s out there. And I think it’s important to note that although we’re talking about good demand for these products, the GLP-1-related impact on the dairy market isn’t all positive. It’s certainly a positive on the whey protein side. Still, I think, as it relates to consumer demand for butterfat, cheese products, and some of the other snack foods that dairy products are used in, in the CPG space, people are consuming fewer calories. Throughout the rest of the world, this health and wellness [00:09:00] trend and this appetite for quality protein are everywhere. Their demand continues to be very strong internationally. Maybe a couple of other things that are noteworthy, maybe early indicators of the price stabilizing, it looks like Europe and the U.S. might be closer to parity for the first time in a while. So, we should watch that. We will see seasonal production levels start to increase a bit. I don’t know if that will one-for-one find its way into additional whey protein availability, but it certainly should help the situation as we get into heavier production months in the Northern hemisphere markets that produce these products. But other than that, demand remains very, very strong. Prices are firm. They appear they’ll continue to be through at minimum the first quarter. And I don’t think it’s going out on a ledge to say through the first half of the year. And then we’ll see what happens on the other side of it. But yeah, definitely a firm marketplace right now, Ted. Ted Jacoby III: What about milk protein concentrate, milk protein isolate? Are we starting to see the value of those products increase and close the gap between the [00:10:00] whey protein, since the whey proteins have gotten so expensive? Josh White: I’ll jump in and say we’re starting to see some early indications of that: people looking for substitutes where they can. If you’re not in these markets every day, you don’t know what products are available. If you’re in the CPG space or using it as one of many, many SKUs that you’re buying, you’re not aware of the functional properties and some of these other things. And there’s also a decision-making timeline that people have to consider. Not only are there labeling concerns and other things, but there’s a lot of protein that’s consumed as an ingredient and maybe not the primary ingredient. And oftentimes, those decisions are not easy to formulate or change, and they’re also made over larger durations of time, like annual pricing. We’ve had such a wide gap for a long enough time now that we have customers asking questions, and customers that are on the lower end of the valorization for these products are looking for substitutes. Those substitutes come in a couple of ways. They can come from substituting away from dairy, substituting for other [00:11:00] dairy or trading down to lower dairy-related protein products. We’re seeing people investigate all of them. Diego might be able to speak more precisely about what’s happening with the MPC prices. But generally speaking, the majority of people out there are starting to ask questions. I’m not so sure it’s having a material impact or moving the needle quite yet on substitution. Ted Jacoby III: Okay, well, it feels a little bit like a broken record. Milk everywhere, product everywhere except for whey, maybe that’s exactly the loop we’re in right now. Joe Maixner: We’ve talked a lot about supply and excess and whatnot, but demand, it feels like we’re increasingly teetering towards a crumbling economic situation with higher debt, people not having much discretionary income, and just overall demand being weak. Ted Jacoby III: So, if you’re looking at the demand numbers that we track, restaurant traffic is definitely down. It is clear that the economic environment we’re in, people’s pocketbooks are being stretched thin, and they’re cutting back on how often they go to restaurants and eat at [00:12:00] restaurants. Now, usually when that happens, there’s an offset into the retail side, and the retail side numbers usually go up a little bit. You are seeing that. Speaking to some of our branded customers, what they’re telling us is their sales are down, and the private label guys are saying, well, their sales are up, but frankly, not as much as they expected. The bottom has not dropped out yet. I think everybody’s watching it pretty closely. I think the industry’s concerned. I’ll leave it at that. Mike Brown: I think food service continues to be the big stickler on overall dairy sales. Grocery sales are okay. Food service continues to be weak, and that’s gonna affect us. Mm-hmm. Particularly, I think some of the high-fat products. Josh White: When we’re looking at it from the home front, it doesn’t feel real great, but if we’re looking at just how much additional milk we have globally, including out of Oceana and out of South America, and looking at how much of that surplus milk globally is being consumed in Asia right now, I mean they’ve been buying I wonder if that points to some brightness, at least some positives? Now, I also am a little [00:13:00] concerned that we have a consolidation of demand events, with Chinese New Year buying at the same time that Ramadan continues to move earlier and earlier every year. And prices are low right now. Feels like we might have a big concentration of demand that’s meant to satisfy local needs in the early part of 2026, but there has been a lot of international trade. Ted Jacoby III: I think you’re absolutely right. Ramadan and the Chinese New Year are both in February. Diego Carvallo: The word in the street, Ted, is that most of the Ramadan and New Year’s demand is gonna be fulfilled by the middle of November. Ted Jacoby III: In other words, by the time we get to January 1st, those orders are gone. Mike Brown: Yeah. And Super Bowl is 10 days before the start of Ramadan in the Chinese New Year. So, they’re all pretty close together. Josh White: I went back to saying that, hey, we’ve got a lot of milk globally, every surplus region’s producing more milk than expected. You mentioned earlier, Ted, that doesn’t even account for the component growth that we have here. That’s been fairly impressive. [00:14:00] What’s been interesting about that is it hasn’t felt this heavy. You might believe, well, it doesn’t feel as heavy because the Northern Hemisphere is at its low milk production points. Maybe it doesn’t feel as heavy because we’ve got a concentration of additional demand, but we’re trading a lot of anticipatory supply concerns. We’re really trading the fact that tomorrow we’re worried we have a lot of incremental milk, globally, that we don’t necessarily know where we’re gonna go with it. That’s not a reason to get bullish, to be super clear, but I do think that if we’re thinking through vulnerabilities in the market, that might be one. Ted Jacoby III: I would agree with that. I think there are three things that are probably keeping this market from going straight to the bottom. One, as you said, we’re at the low point seasonally for milk production in the Northern Hemisphere. Two, we are at the high point for demand everywhere. And three, you get to a certain point, and I think we are there in all products, we may actually be passed there in butter, but we are there in cheese, I think we’re there in nonfat, where [00:15:00] in order to go lower, you need to build up supply to the point where the inventories become actually burdensome, and I don’t think they have become burdensome yet, but I would expect that sometime in the first quarter of 2026, they will. You’ll start hearing reports that warehouses are full. You’ll start hearing reports that, from a cashflow perspective, whether it’s traders, whether it’s manufacturers, you have people who just need to dump inventory because they don’t have the cash flow to continue to hold inventory. Those are the things that drive markets to their lows. And so, if you think about the old saying: the cure for high prices is high prices, and the cure for low prices is low prices, that’s when you find out what the low price is, and then you go to that place that sends the strongest supply signal possible to suppliers that they need to cut back. Mike Brown: I was at a cattle show of all things this weekend and was talking with someone about feeding palm oil to get butterfat. His rule of thumb was that a pound of palm oil costs about a dollar, and you get about a 00:16:00 three-to-five-point increase in fat test from that. So, if you say 0.4 and you’re a 90-pound Holstein herd, that’s 0.36 pounds of fat. So, you’re paying a dollar to produce, there’s roughly 50, 60 cents worth of butter fat. So, we may start to see that come into conversations on rations. Josh White: And if we’re looking for optimism, I think that formula is pretty openly discussed in Europe as well. So, you’ve got a situation now where you have the on-farm milk price that is beginning to drop, the signals there that it needs to come down. It’s moving at a decent clip, to Diego’s point, maybe not enough to make any major change yet, but for planning purposes, things like feeding for fat might be a bit more vulnerable going forward there. So yeah, if we’re looking for what could start to correct our oversupply situation or what could potentially stabilize or support the market, we need time. I think that’s the most important thing that needs to happen, is we need time, and we need a milk price that curtails any additional production growth [00:17:00] for the moment so that demand can catch up. We talked about the U.S. situation and how the consumer spending situation doesn’t feel great. But globally, per capita butterfat consumption globally is growing. Per capita protein consumption is growing. We just need to give the demand time to catch up. Inventories might be starting to build, but they’re nowhere nearcumbersome. I would actually argue, our supply chain is still very thin. I wouldn’t even argue that we’re getting to a point where we’re normal by historical standards. I think that we have a pretty thin supply chain, and that’s everything from measurable inventory and reports, like cold storage reports and manufacturing stocks here in the U.S., but all the way through the pipeline. I don’t believe that many end users are sitting on excess product or have too many days in inventory. I think they’ve been quite comfortable buying hand-to-mouth. And the only product they’re being punished on right now for that is whey proteins. Ted Jacoby III: I think you’re right, Josh. I would agree with that statement. I think butter [00:18:00] is somewhat of an exception. Joe Maixner: I don’t know. Butter, it just depends on product mix, right? It’s CME eligible salted bulk. I think overall inventories are not burdensome. But we do have too much older CME-eligible salted bulk butter out there. Ted Jacoby III: That’s actually where I’m going, Joe. What do butter manufacturers do if they’re worried about having produced too many quarters and too many solids? They’ll just produce bulk. And so bulk is the overflow because they know the worst-case scenario, they can dump it onto the CME. And so that is where we end up with excess surplus, just like we get the same with a cheddar block in the cheese market. Josh White: How is international demand for U.S. butter at the moment, Joe, compared to where you would expect it to be and compared to where we were a few months ago? Joe Maixner: It’s steady right now. New inquiries are still coming in, but inquiries have lessened compared to a month or two ago; there’s a lot being made and shipping right now. International markets are starting to open their eyes to something other than [00:19:00] 82%. They’re starting to expand into the 80% because they are finally starting to realize that the numbers that they see on the futures don’t equate to the numbers they pay for an 82% product. And so anybody that’s really just using it for solids, for processing, is starting to convert, which is helping clean up some of that 80% salted butter, but it’s still not fast enough to really move the needle yet. Josh White: So, if the outlook for butterfat really doesn’t have any material upside in the near future, and we’re currently looking at Class III and IV prices, where they’re at, when do we start to impact the U.S. producer’s decision on making incremental milk beyond just the fat component? Are we close or are we still a long way away? Jacob Menge: Look at this Milk Production Report. We are up 268,000 head since June of 2024. That just keeps going up. There was an August revision of 71,000 head higher. The answer is a pretty [00:20:00] conclusive, not yet. I’m looking at the last time, September milk production beat the prior month, so beat August, which was 2001. And it just did that; September just beat August, and the last time it did that was 2001. Josh White: We’re not even talking about adjusted for components. Jacob Menge: That is correct. Joe Maixner: I can’t imagine that $16 to $17 Class III causes any worries right now for the farmers, with $4 corn and $1,200 feeder calves. Mike Brown: As long as you’re in a Class III market, if you’re heavy Class IV, your price isn’t $17. It depends on where you’re located, Joe. But for the most part, if you’re in a cheese market, it’s still decent. You’re right because the whey is also contributing a lot to that Class III price right now with a 70¢ whey market. Ted Jacoby III: Yeah. And the cows are all increasing in the states where there is increased processing capacity as well. Jacob Menge: These guys have had time to hedge this, and they still almost can hedge this, right? Going into later next year, where I think it’s gotta be at a point where they can’t hedge at a profit, and then you’ve [00:21:00] really got issues. Josh White: If we’re in a situation where the global economic outlook isn’t great, so that means we shouldn’t expect any major demand booms to pull dairy up We’re realizing supply growth in all major dairy surplus regions; the only correction for this is supply. And who’s the first to react? The obvious answer is it’s gonna be head-to-head with Europe and the U.S. Who breaks first? These are very, very different markets with different drivers, and they’re actually experiencing growth for different reasons related to the big picture, but different reasons. Europe just went through a situation where its butterfat carried the day. And butterfat was incredibly high, much higher than the U.S. price. They were an importer of fat from New Zealand, bringing in a noteworthy amount of product. And then now going into this year, they’ve seen a really significant drop, well below the support level that most traders would’ve held for butterfat. You assume [00:22:00] that they’re not gonna import a bunch of that product, forcing that product on the rest of the market. They’re going through a pretty negative situation right now as well. One thing you can’t forget about the European producer is that if you kill cows, it’s really tough to replace them, not for the same reasons we have in the U.S., that right now it’s just difficult to compete with beef. But they don’t wanna make those changes for a lot of regulatory reasons. So, they’re gonna hang on as long as possible. The U.S. model, we’re not in pain yet, generally speaking. Some smaller producers might look at higher beef prices and lower dairy outlook as an opportunity to exit. But there is way more structural expansion in motion or down the line that I think that train’s moving down the tracks. So, it’ll be really interesting to see if and who breaks first between the North American market and the European market. Ted Jacoby III: My hunch is it’s the U.S. market. I still think we’re a minimum of six months away, maybe even 12 to 18. Now there are signs, like you look at the Milk Production Report, the state of Washington is down [00:23:00] 8.5%. So, there are places where we are losing cows. Even though the majority of the country has gained cows recently, I would argue that with the drop in the butter price and the weakness in the nonfat market, California is the next one that I think will follow. They’ll struggle to get a decent milk price given that those are the two dominant price drivers for the California market. Diego Carvallo: But if you look at Idaho’s strongly up. So, it seems like a movement between Washington and Idaho. Ted Jacoby III: I think you could be right. Joe Maixner: California, their numbers this month were slightly higher than their peak production year 22. They’re on the uptrend. That’s a large ship that takes a while to turn around. Ted Jacoby III: I don’t disagree. I also think you’re still measuring against bird flu in California. You could argue that it may be a little artificially high. Joe Maixner: I actually questioned that because of the lower increase than I had anticipated for the September number, and bird flu didn’t actually start in California until October. So, we will see even larger increases next month forward in California. They [00:24:00] have that Class I plant that they opened as well out there. Mike Brown: They’re also getting hit with a big assessment, a lot of the producers out there, because the butter market changed, there’s been a lot of inventory loss, and that’s gonna hurt some producers as well. No one I talk to in California is worried about finding milk. They’re worried about finding a place to put it right now. Ted Jacoby III: I don’t think that’s isolated to being a California problem right now. Mike Brown: I would agree. You’re right. Ted Jacoby III: On that note, I think it’s a good time to wrap. Thanks, everybody, for joining us this week. Look forward to talking to you guys again soon. Thank you.

Back in February, we did an episode where we discussed the Chinese New Year moving us from Year of the Dragon into the Year of the Snake (episode can be found here. Now that we're mostly through 2025, we're realizing it has been a helluva a year. It's been a year of personal growth, realization and transformation just like the Wood Snake said it would be. Today, the three co-hosts share their reflections on a big year of change. RESOURCES: Website Karen mentions Do YOU want to be an animal communicator or learn more about Soul Level Intuitive Coaching®? Check out the new classes and Be Open Community offered by our teacher, ⁠Danielle MacKinnon⁠. It's a great place to learn Energy Management, trusting yourself and even how to do the inner work we mention in this episode.  YOUR HOSTS Julie is a Certified Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Certified Heart Animal Soul Professional Communicator, Certified Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Certified Spirit Animal Sacred Alchemy Practitioner and Certified Trauma-Informed Grief Coach. She writes the column ⁠“Trust the Animals”⁠ on Substack and is a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠https://www.juliehirt-intuitive.com/⁠ Karen is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Pangu Shengong (qigong) Instructor and Energy Healer. She is an End-of-life Companion Animal Doula through the UVM certificate program and a teaching assistant for the Danielle MacKinnon School. She is also on the board of NicaLove Animal Rescue and the Founder and a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠https://www.karendendysmith.com/⁠ Meredith is a Soul Level Animal Communicator®, Soul Level Intuitive Coach®, Let Animals Lead® Animal Reiki Practitioner, and certified dog trainer with a focus on behavior modification and positive reinforcement. She is also a Director of The Animal Communication Collective®. Find out more about her at her website: ⁠https://www.meredithtollison.com/⁠ You can find all of our episodes at ⁠MindBodySpirit.fm⁠. Reach out to us with questions or comments via the Contact Us form on our ⁠website⁠. And learn more about the fundraising work Karen, Meredith and Julie do with ⁠The Animal Communication Collective⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Hong Kong and China Compliance Essentials, host Kristina Koehler-Coluccia breaks down China's 2026 public holiday calendar — and why it's far more than just a schedule of days off.From Golden Weeks to Chinese New Year compliance checkpoints, Kristina explores how public holidays can create both operational challenges and compliance risks for foreign-invested companies in China.

He Lost $52,000 Overnight ... Then Built It Back (Dropshipping Reality Check)In episode 131 of The Side Hustle Experiment Podcast  John (https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperiment/ ) and Drew  (https://www.instagram.com/realdrewd/) sit down with Brandon (https://www.instagram.com/brandnpayton/) What happens when Shopify freezes your payouts during Chinese New Year, tariffs spike, and chargebacks hit—all at once? Brandon went from $100K/week run-rate to –$52,000 in a day, then rebuilt to multiple brands doing $10K–$20K/day. In this episode, we break down the exact funnel, ad strategy, supplier setup, and mindset that turned it around.If you're serious about dropshipping in 2025—this is your reality check and step-by-step playbook.You'll learn: ✅ High-ticket vs. branded dropshipping (and why he switched) ✅ Whitelisting + multi-channel scaling (TikTok Shop → Facebook → IG → Google) ✅ The only 3 metrics Brandon watches to scale: Amount Spent, ROAS, Cost per Purchase ✅ Supplier/agent basics, 5–8 day shipping from CN, when to use US 3PL ✅ Surviving payment processor holds, chargebacks, and stop-loss rules ✅ How to start with $100/day ad spend and know when to cut vs. double downDon't forget to Like, Subscribe, and hit the bell so you don't miss future episodes with top entrepreneurs and creators.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Dropshipping Success02:59 High Ticket vs Regular Dropshipping05:44 Building Partnerships with Brands08:28 Transitioning to Regular Dropshipping11:26 Scaling Challenges and Setbacks14:07 Current Operations and Brand Development16:55 Understanding Margins and Cash Flow19:49 Supplier Relationships and Shipping Logistics22:51 Innovative Marketing Strategies25:37 The Sales Process Explained28:22 Using AI in Marketing and Content Creation37:06 Innovative Product Seeding Strategies42:40 Overcoming Common Marketing Challenges48:59 The Importance of Data-Driven Decisions53:28 Learning from Experience: The Pressure Washing Journey01:07:19 Final Thoughts and Resources#makemoneyonline #sidehustleexperimentpodcast #sidehustles Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperimentpodcast/ Listen on your favorite podcast platformYoutube: https://bit.ly/3HHklFOSpotify: https://spoti.fi/48RRKcPApple: https://apple.co/4bmaFOk Check out Drew's StuffInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/realdrewdTwitter: https://twitter.com/DrewFBACheck out John's StuffInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidehustleexperiment/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SideHustleExp FREE ResourcesFREE Guide: How to Make Money Reviewing Products https://bit.ly/3HIGFSP

Last time we spoke about the battle of Nanjing. In December 1937, as the battle for Nanjing unfolded, terror inundated its residents, seeking safety amid the turmoil. General Tang Shengzhi rallied the Chinese forces, determined to defend against the advancing Japanese army. Fierce fighting erupted at the Gate of Enlightenment, where the determined Chinese soldiers resisted merciless assaults while tragedy loomed. By mid-December, the Japanese made substantial advances, employing relentless artillery fire to breach Nanjing's defenses. Leaders called for strategic retreats, yet amid chaos and despair, many young Chinese soldiers, driven by nationalism, continued to resist. By December 13, Nanjing succumbed to the invaders, marking a tragic chapter in history. As destruction enveloped the city, the resilience of its defenders became a poignant tale of courage amidst the horrors of war, forever marking Nanjing as a symbol of enduring hope in the face of despair.   #168 The Nanjing Massacre 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. So obvious disclaimer, today we will be talking about, arguably one of if not the most horrific war atrocities ever committed. To be blunt, it may have been worse than some of the things we talked about back during the fall of the Ming Dynasty, when bandit armies raped and pillaged cities. The Nanjing Massacre as its become known is well documented by both Chinese and foreign sources. There is an abundance of primary sources, many well verified. Its going to be extremely graphic, I am going to try and tell it to the fullest. So if you got a weak stomach perhaps sit this one out, you have been warned. Chen Yiding began evacuating his troops from the area surrounding the Gate of Enlightenment before dawn on December 13. En route to Xiaguan, he took the time to visit a dozen of his soldiers housed in a makeshift hospital located in an old cemetery. These men were too severely injured to participate in the evacuation, and Chen had to leave them with only a few words of encouragement. Little did he know, within days, they would all perish in their beds, victims of the Japanese forces. Upon arriving in Xiaguan later that morning, Chen was met with grim news: his divisional commander had crossed the Yangtze River with his chief of staff the previous afternoon. Now, he was on his own. He didn't linger near the riverside chaos, quickly realizing there was nothing he could do there. Instead, he chose to move downstream, hoping to find a secure spot for himself and his soldiers to wait out the next few days before devising an escape from the war zone.  He was fortunate, for soon the Japanese would live up to their notorious reputation developed during their advance from Shanghai; they were not inclined to take prisoners. That afternoon, several hundred Chinese soldiers arrived at the northern end of the Safety Zone. The committee responsible for the area stated that they could offer no assistance. In a misguided attempt to boost morale, they suggested that if the soldiers surrendered and promised not to engage in combat, the Japanese would likely show them "merciful treatment." This optimism was woefully misplaced. Later that same day, Japanese troops entered the zone, dragging out 200 Chinese men, the majority of them soldiers, for execution just outside the city. On December 13, Japanese soldiers started patrolling the riverbank, shooting at anything and anyone floating downstream. Their comrades aboard naval vessels in the river cheered them on, applauding each time they struck another helpless victim in the water. Civilians were not spared either. While traveling through downtown Nanjing as the battle concluded, Rabe observed dead men and women every 100 to 200 yards, most of them shot in the back. A long line of Chinese men marched down the street, numbering in the hundreds, all destined for death. In a cruel twist, they were compelled to carry a large Japanese flag. They were herded into a vacant lot by a couple of Japanese soldiers and as recalled by American correspondent Archibald Steele "There, they were brutally shot dead in small groups. One Japanese soldier stood over the growing pile of corpses, firing into any bodies that showed movement." The killings commenced almost immediately after the fall of Nanjing. The victorious Japanese spread out into the city streets, seeking victims. Those unfortunate enough to be captured faced instant execution or were taken to larger killing fields to meet a grim fate alongside other Chinese prisoners. Initially, the Japanese targeted former soldiers, whether real or imagined, but within hours, the scope of victims expanded to include individuals of all age groups and genders. By the end of the first day of occupation, civilian bodies littered the streets of downtown Nanjing at a rate of roughly one per block. The defenseless and innocent were subjected to murder, torture, and humiliation in a relentless spree of violence that persisted for six harrowing weeks. At the time of the attack, Nanjing felt eerily abandoned, houses stood boarded up, vehicles lay toppled in the streets, and the once-ubiquitous rickshaws had vanished. However, hundreds of thousands remained hidden indoors, seeking refuge. The most visible sign of the city's new rulers was the display of the Japanese flag. On the morning of December 14, the Rising Sun flag was hoisted across the city, seen in front of private homes, businesses, and public buildings. Many of these flags were hastily made, often a simple white sheet with a red rag affixed, hoping to be spared. As the days progressed, horrifying accounts of violence began to emerge. A barber, the sole survivor among eight people in his shop when the Japanese arrived, was admitted to a hospital with a stab wound that had nearly severed his head from his body, damaging all muscles at the back of his neck down to his spinal canal. A woman suffered a brutal throat wound, while another pregnant woman was bayoneted in the abdomen, resulting in the death of her unborn child. A man witnessed his wife being stabbed through the heart and then saw his child hurled from a window to the street several floors below. These are but a few stories of individual atrocities committed. Alongside this there were mass executions, predominantly targeting young able-bodied men, in an effort to weaken Nanjing and deprive it of any potential resistance in the future. American professor, Lewis Smythe recalled “The disarmed soldier problem was our most serious one for the first three days, but it was soon resolved, as the Japanese shot all of them.” On the evening of December 15, the Japanese rounded up 1,300 former soldiers from the Safety Zone, binding them in groups of about 100 and marching them away in silence. A group of foreigners, permitted to leave Nanjing on a Japanese gunboat, accidentally became witnesses to the ensuing slaughter. While waiting for their vessel, they took a brief walk along the riverbank and stumbled upon a scene of mass execution, observing the Japanese shooting the men one by one in the back of the neck. “We observed about 100 such executions until the Japanese officer in charge noticed us and ordered us to leave immediately”. Not all killings were premeditated; many occurred impulsively. A common example was when Japanese soldiers led lines of Chinese POWs to holding points, tightly bound together with ropes. Every few yards, a Japanese soldier would stand guard with a fixed bayonet aimed at the prisoners as they trudged forward. Suddenly, one of the prisoners slipped, causing a domino effect as he fell, dragging down the men in front of and behind him. The entire group soon found themselves collapsed on the ground, struggling to stand. The Japanese guards lost their patience, jabbing their bayonets into the writhing bodies until none remained alive. In one of the largest massacres, Japanese troops from the Yamada Detachment, including the 65th Infantry Regiment, systematically executed between 17,000 and 20,000 Chinese prisoners from December 15 to 17. These prisoners were taken to the banks of the Yangtze River near Mufushan, where they were machine-gunned to death. The bodies were then disposed of by either burning or flushing them downstream. Recent research by Ono Kenji has revealed that these mass killings were premeditated and carried out systematically, in accordance with orders issued directly by Prince Asaka. A soldier from the IJA's 13th Division described killing wounded survivors of the Mufushan massacre in his diary “I figured that I'd never get another chance like this, so I stabbed thirty of the damned Chinks. Climbing atop the mountain of corpses, I felt like a real devil-slayer, stabbing again and again, with all my might. 'Ugh, ugh,' the Chinks groaned. There were old folks as well as kids, but we killed them lock, stock, and barrel. I also borrowed a buddy's sword and tried to decapitate some. I've never experienced anything so unusual”. Frequently, the Japanese just left their victims wherever they fell. Corpses began to accumulate in the streets, exposed to the elements and onlookers. Cars constantly were forced to run over corpses. Corpses were scavenged by stray dogs, which, in turn, were consumed by starving people. The water became toxic; workers in the Safety Zone discovered ponds clogged with human remains. In other instances, the Japanese gathered their machine-gunned or bayoneted victims into large heaps, doused them in kerosene, and set them ablaze. Archibald Steele wrote for the Chicago Daily News on December 17th “I saw a grisly scene at the north gate, where what was once a group of 200 men had become a smoldering mass of flesh and bones, so severely burned around the neck and head that it was difficult to believe he was still human.” During the chaos in the beginning, whereupon the Japanese had not yet fully conquered the city, its defenders scrambled desperately to escape before it was too late. Individually or in small groups, they sought vulnerabilities in the enemy lines, acutely aware that their survival hinged on their success. Months of conflict had trained them to expect no mercy if captured; previous experiences had instilled in them the belief that a swift death at the hands of the Japanese would be a fortunate outcome. On December 12, amid intense artillery fire and aerial bombardment, General Tang Sheng-chi issued the order for his troops to retreat. However, conflicting directives and a breakdown in discipline transformed the ensuing events into a disaster. While some Chinese units successfully crossed the river, a far greater number were ensnared in the widespread chaos that engulfed the city. In their desperation to evade capture, some Chinese soldiers resorted to stripping civilians of their clothing to disguise themselves, while many others were shot by their own supervisory units as they attempted to flee.Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of individual escape stories emerged from this period. In some rare instances, entire units, even up to divisional strength, successfully infiltrated Japanese lines to reach safety. For others, such as the 156th Division, there were detailed plans outlining escape routes from Nanjing. Several soldiers and officers adhered to this three-day trek, skillfully evading Japanese patrols until they reached Ningguo, located south of the capital. Nonetheless, these cases were exceptions. The vast majority of soldiers from China's defeated army faced significant risk and were more likely to be captured than to escape. Some of Chiang Kai-shek's most elite units suffered near total annihilation. Only about a thousand soldiers from the 88th Division managed to cross the Yangtze safely, as did another thousand from the Training Division, while a mere 300 from the 87th Division survived. Even for units like the 156th Division, the escape plans were only effective for those who learned of them. These plans were hurriedly disseminated through the ranks as defeat loomed, leaving mere chance to determine who received the information. Many stayed trapped in Nanjing, which had become a fatal snare. One day, Japanese soldiers visited schools within Nanjing's Safety Zone, aware that these locations sheltered many refugees. They called for all former soldiers to step forward, promising safety in exchange for labor. Many believed that the long days of hiding were finally coming to an end and complied with the request. However, they were led to an abandoned house, where they were stripped naked and bound together in groups of five. Outside, a large bonfire had been ignited. They were then bayoneted and, while still alive, thrown onto the flames. Only a few managed to escape and share the horrifying tale. The Japanese were of course well aware that numerous soldiers were hiding in Nanjing, disguised as locals, evidenced by the piles of military uniforms and equipment accumulating in the streets. Consequently, they initiated a systematic search for soldiers within hours of taking control. The Safety Zone was not spared, as the Japanese Army suspected that Chinese soldiers had sought refuge there. On December 16, they raided Ginling College, despite a policy prohibiting the admission of men, except for elderly residents in a designated dining room. The soldiers brought axes to force open doors that were not immediately complied with and positioned six machine guns on the campus, prepared to fire at anyone attempting to escape. Ultimately, they found nothing. In cases where they did encounter young men of military age, the soldiers lined them up, scrutinizing for distinct telltale features such as close-cropped hair, helmet marks, or shoulder blisters from carrying a rifle. Many men, who had never served in the military but bore callouses from hard manual labor, were captured based on the assumption that such marks indicated military experience. As noted by Goerge Fitch the head of Nanjing's YMCA “Rickshaw coolies, carpenters, and other laborers are frequently taken”. The Japanese employed additional, more cunning tactics to root out soldiers. During an inspection of a camp within the Safety Zone, they struggled to get the approximately 6,000 men and women to surrender. Before leaving, they resorted to one last trick. “Attention!” a voice commanded in flawless Chinese. Many young men, conditioned by months or years of military training, instinctively responded. Even though most realized their mistake almost immediately, it was too late; the Japanese herded them away. Given the scale of the slaughter, efforts were soon organized to facilitate the killing and disposal of as many individuals as possible in the shortest time. Rows of prisoners were mowed down by machine-gun fire, while those injured were finished off with single bullets or bayonets. Much of the mass murder occurred near the Yangtze River, where victims could be disposed of easily by being pushed into the water, hoping the current would carry them away.As the weeks progressed and the Japanese grew increasingly concerned about the possibility of former soldiers still at large, the dragnet tightened. Beginning in late December, Japanese authorities implemented a registration system for all residents of Nanjing. At Ginling College, this process lasted about a week and resulted in scenes of almost indescribable chaos, as the Japanese also decided to register residents from the surrounding areas on campus. First, the men were registered, followed by the women. Often, women attended the registration to help save their husbands and sons, who would otherwise have been taken as suspected former soldiers. Despite these efforts, a total of 28 men were ultimately seized during the registration process at Ginling College. Each individual who registered received a document from the authorities. However, it soon became clear that this paper provided little protection against the caprices of the Japanese military. That winter in Nanjing, everyone was a potential victim. While systematic mass killings primarily targeted young men of military age, every category of people faced death in the days and weeks following the Japanese conquest of Nanjing. Reports indicated that fifty police officers from the Safety Zone were executed for permitting Chinese soldiers to enter the area. The city's firefighters were taken away to meet an uncertain fate, and six street sweepers were killed inside their dwelling. Like an uncontrollable epidemic, the victors' bloodlust seemed to escalate continuously, seeking out new victims. When the Japanese ordered the Safety Zone committee to supply workers for the electricity plant in Xiaguan to restore its operations, they provided 54 individuals. Within days, 43 of them were dead. Although young men were especially targeted, the Japanese made no distinctions based on age or sex. American missionary John G. Magee documented numerous instances of indiscriminate killings, including the chilling account of two families nearly exterminated. Stabbings, shootings, and rapes marked the slaughter of three generations of innocents, including toddlers aged four and two; the older child was bayoneted, while the younger was struck in the head with a sword. The only survivors were a badly injured eight-year-old girl and her four-year-old sister, who spent the following fortnight beside their mother's decaying body. The violence was often accompanied by various forms of humiliation, as if to utterly break the spirit of the conquered people. One woman lost her parents and three children. When she purchased a coffin for her father, a Japanese soldier tore the lid off and discarded the old man's body in the street. Another soldier, in a drunken stupor, raped a Chinese woman and then vomited on her. In yet another incident, a soldier encountered a family of six huddled over a pot of thin rice soup; he stepped over them and urinated into their pot before continuing on his way, laughing heartlessly. The atrocities committed at Nanjing were not akin to something like the Holocaust. Within places like Auschwitz killings became industrialized and often took on an impersonal, unemotional character. The murders in Nanjing had an almost intimate quality, with each individual perpetrator bearing the blood of their victims on their hands, sometimes literally. In this sense, the Nanjing atrocities resemble the early Holocaust killings executed by German Einsatzgruppen in Eastern Europe, prior to the implementation of gas chambers. How many died during the Nanjing Massacre? Eyewitnesses at the time recognized that the Japanese behavior had few immediate precedents. Missionary John Magee compared the situation to the Turkish genocide of the Armenians during World War I, which was still fresh in memory. Despite this, no consensus emerged regarding the exact number of fatalities, a state of affairs that would persist for nearly eight decades. In his first comprehensive account of the atrocities following the conquest of the capital, New York Times correspondent Tillman Durdin reported that 33,000 Chinese soldiers lost their lives in Nanjing, including 20,000 who were executed. Foreign correspondent Frank Oliver claimed in a 1939 publication that 24,000 men, women, and children were put to death during the first month of the city's occupation. As time progressed, much larger figures began to circulate. After returning to Germany in 1938, John Rabe held a lecture where he cited European estimates that between 50,000 and 60,000 people had died. In February 1942, Chiang Kai-shek stated that 200,000 were slaughtered within one week. The Nanjing tribunal established by Chiang's government to try Japanese war criminals in 1946 and 1947 reported that more than 300,000 lives had been lost following the city's fall. The highest estimate recorded comes from a Chinese military expert, who put the death toll at 430,000. Currently, the figure most commonly accepted in official Chinese media is 300,000, a number also cited by various authors sympathetic to China's contemporary regime. The debate over the Nanjing death toll has been a complex and extensive discussion, likely to remain unresolved to everyone's satisfaction. As missionary and Nanjing University teacher Miner Searle Bates remarked when he testified before the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in July 1946, “The scope of this killing was so extensive that no one can provide a complete picture of it.” On December 16, American missionary Minnie Vautrin witnessed a truck passing by Ginling College, loaded with eight to ten girls. When they saw the Western woman, they cried out, "Jiu ming! Jiu ming!" which means “Help! Help!” Vautrin felt powerless, fully aware of the fate that awaited them. As early as Tuesday of that week, she had documented rumors of girls being raped. The following night, women were taken in large numbers from their homes. Another missionary, John Magee wrote to his wife “The most horrible thing now is the raping of the women, which has been going on in the most shameless way I have ever known”. A tentative list compiled by Lewis Smythe detailed instances of rape occurring soon after the Japanese Army entered Nanjing: four girls at noon on December 14; four more women that evening; three female refugees on December 15; and a young wife around the same time. The accounts revealed chilling individual horrors. A 15-year-old girl was taken to a barracks housing 200 to 300 Japanese soldiers and locked in a room, where she was raped multiple times daily. Victims ranged from as young as 11 to over 80. American correspondent Edgar Snow recalled “Discards were often bayoneted by drunken soldiers,. Frequently, mothers had to witness their babies being beheaded, only to then be raped themselves.” Y.M.C.A. head George Fitch reported the case of a woman whose five-month-old infant was deliberately smothered by a soldier to silence its cries while he raped her. Such acts were a gruesome form of humiliation, designed to demonstrate that the vanquished were powerless to protect their own families. Japanese soldier Takokoro Kozo recalled “Women suffered most. No matter how young or old, they all could not escape the fate of being raped. We sent out coal trucks to the city streets and villages to seize a lot of women. And then each of them was allocated to fifteen to twenty soldiers for sexual intercourse and abuse. After raping we would also kill them”. Women were frequently killed immediately after being raped, often through horrific mutilations, such as being penetrated with bayonets, long bamboo sticks, or other objects. For instance, one six-months-pregnant woman was stabbed sixteen times in the face and body, with one stab penetrating her abdomen and killing her unborn child. In another case, a young woman had a beer bottle forcibly inserted into her vagina after being raped, and was subsequently shot.  On December 19, 1937, the Reverend James M. McCallum wrote in his diary “I know not where to end. Never I have heard or read such brutality. Rape! Rape! Rape! We estimate at least 1,000 cases a night and many by day. In case of resistance or anything that seems like disapproval, there is a bayonet stab or a bullet... People are hysterical... Women are being carried off every morning, afternoon and evening. The whole Japanese army seems to be free to go and come as it pleases, and to do whatever it pleases”.  Rabe wrote in his diary dated December 17 “wo Japanese soldiers have climbed over the garden wall and are about to break into our house. When I appear they give the excuse that they saw two Chinese soldiers climb over the wall. When I show them my party badge, they return the same way. In one of the houses in the narrow street behind my garden wall, a woman was raped, and then wounded in the neck with a bayonet. I managed to get an ambulance so we can take her to Kulou Hospital... Last night up to 1,000 women and girls are said to have been raped, about 100 girls at Ginling College...alone. You hear nothing but rape. If husbands or brothers intervene, they're shot. What you hear and see on all sides is the brutality and bestiality of the Japanese soldiers”. In a documentary film about the Nanjing Massacre, In the Name of the Emperor, a former Japanese soldier named Shiro Azuma spoke candidly about the process of rape and murder in Nanjing. “At first we used some kinky words like Pikankan. Pi means "hip", kankan means "look". Pikankan means, "Let's see a woman open up her legs." Chinese women didn't wear under-pants. Instead, they wore trousers tied with a string. There was no belt. As we pulled the string, the buttocks were exposed. We "pikankan". We looked. After a while we would say something like, "It's my day to take a bath," and we took turns raping them. It would be all right if we only raped them. I shouldn't say all right. But we always stabbed and killed them. Because dead bodies don't talk”. Without anyone to defend them, the women of Nanjing resorted to desperate measures for their safety. The young and attractive cut their hair and smeared soot on their faces to diminish their allure. Others donned boys' clothes or the garments of elderly women. However, the Japanese were well aware of these tactics and were not easily deceived. As American correspondent Snow described, it was an orgy of unprecedented debauchery, involving not only the lower ranks of the Japanese military but also officers who turned their quarters into harems, bedding a new captive each night. Open-air sexual assaults were common. During the first ten days of occupation, groups of Japanese soldiers entered the Ginling campus ten to twenty times daily, brandishing fixed bayonets stained with fresh blood. So overwhelmed, Vautrin decided to prioritize saving lives over salvaging possessions, spending those early days frantically moving across campus to prevent marauding soldiers from taking away women. A particularly tense situation unfolded on the evening of December 17, when Vautrin and other staff members at Ginling College were called to the front of the campus to confront a group of Japanese soldiers. Earlier, Vautrin had received documentation from another officer affirming that the area was a legitimate refugee camp. The soldiers torn up the document in front of her. For hours, with armed Japanese soldiers encircling them, Vautrin and her colleagues were left standing or kneeling, uncertain of what awaited them. Gradually, it became clear that they had been lured to the front gate so that other soldiers could enter through a side entrance and abduct twelve women. As Vautrin recalled “Never shall I forget the scene. The dried leaves rattling, the moaning of the wind, the cries of women being led away.” The staff remained at the entrance until 11:00 pm, fearing that hiding soldiers might fire on them if they moved. This was the only time that Vautrin was unable to prevent rape, a failure that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Some Japanese soldiers, seeking young girls, ordered a middle-aged Chinese woman to assist them in finding targets. When she either could not or would not comply, they shot a rifle across her abdomen, narrowly missing and taking away “three handbreadths of flesh.” When the Japanese Army entered Nanjing, little damage had been inflicted on the buildings, as noted by U.S. missionary James McCallum at the end of December. On the first day of their occupation, Japanese soldiers immediately dispersed into Nanjing in small groups, breaking shop windows and looting the goods within. They carried away their spoils in crates and stolen rickshaws. Initially, the looting was partly a makeshift response to the poor logistics of the Japanese Army. Combat soldiers had arrived well ahead of their supply lines and faced severe food shortages until the roads reopened and the Yangtze River became navigable.  Every building in Nanjing was looted and turned upside down. Everything not nailed down was stolen: doors and window frames were removed, safes opened with rifle shots or grenades. Japanese soldiers often pillaged property while the owners were present, threatening them with bayonets. Abandoned cars littered the streets, typically overturned and stripped of useful items, including batteries. Like Russian soldiers in Berlin seven and a half years later, the rank-and-file soldiers displayed a particular interest in watches. As the scale of plunder grew, transportation became scarce. By the end of December, looting was being conducted using trucks. When vehicles were unavailable, Japanese soldiers resorted to wheelbarrows and even children's prams. Mules, donkeys, and people were also commandeered. Just as during their advance from Shanghai to Nanjing, the Chinese were forced to assist in looting their own homes. A common sight was a Japanese soldier leading a group of Chinese down the street, laden with stolen goods. While Chinese soldiers had also engaged in some looting during their evacuation of Nanjing, it was nothing compared to the scale of the Japanese victors' plunder. The Chinese forces had deliberately avoided breaking into foreign buildings, a distinction that the Japanese disregarded. The American, British, and German embassies, along with the ambassadors' residences, were ransacked, stripped of everything from bedding and money to watches, rugs, and artwork. The American School was looted, and its wall breached to remove the piano. As the Japanese stripped the city, they also began to burn it. While the winter sky could have been sparkling, it was instead filled with smoke from thousands of fires across the city. Some fires resulted from carelessness, such as when soldiers cooked meat from a stolen cow over a bonfire, accidentally igniting an ancient building. Others were acts of mindless vandalism. The Nanking Music Shop saw all its instruments and sheets piled in the street and set ablaze. The extent of the massacre can, to some degree, be linked to a breakdown in discipline among Japanese soldiers. Released from weeks or months of hardship on the battlefield, many soldiers experienced an intoxicating sense of freedom, resembling misbehaving boys. The deterioration of order among Japanese soldiers astonished those familiar with the stories of the stringent discipline within Japan's armed forces. Observers commented on soldiers laughing at proclamations from their own officers or tearing up orders and tossing them to the ground. Some foreign witnesses speculated that this lack of discipline was exacerbated by the absence of visible individual numbers on soldiers, making it challenging to identify wrongdoers. The issue also stemmed from the quality of the Japanese officer corps and their ability to manage a large army of young men, many of whom were experiencing freedom from societal constraints for the first time. Not all officers rose to the occasion; Vautrin witnessed an officer almost fail to prevent a soldier from raping a girl. Even worse, some officers transitioned from passive bystanders, guilty by inaction, to active participants in prolonged rape sessions. While a few attempted to instill discipline among their troops, their efforts often fell short. A Japanese colonel, for instance, slapped a soldier attempting to rape a Chinese woman. Another general was seen striking a private who had bayoneted a Chinese man and threatened two Germans, raising questions about how much of this discipline was merely performative for the benefit of foreign observers. Ultimately, disciplinary measures had little impact. As Rabe noted in his diary dated December 18th “The soldiers have almost no regard for their officers”. The absence of effective higher leadership during this critical period likely exacerbated the problem. General Matsui had been suffering from malaria since November 3, which left him largely incapacitated from December 5 to 15. A subordinate later testified that he had been informed of "incidents of stealing, killing, assault, and rape and had become quite enraged.” Although Matsui may have been displeased by the unruly behavior of his soldiers, it is conceivable that his inaction led to even greater levels of atrocity than might have occurred otherwise. He insisted on holding a victory parade on December 17, immediately after recovering from his illness, which likely triggered a security frenzy among Japanese officers concerned about the safety of Prince Asaka, uncle to Emperor Hirohito. This reaction likely prompted a surge in searches for, and executions of, suspected former Chinese soldiers. The Japanese high command in Tokyo was also aware of the unraveling discipline. On January 4, 1938, Army Headquarters sent Matsui an unusually direct message ordering him to restore control among his troops: Our old friend Ishiwara Kanji bitterly criticized the situation and placed the blame on Matsui “We earnestly request enhancement of military discipline and public morals. The morale of the Japanese had never been at a lower level.” A detachment of military police eventually arrived in Nanjing, leading to some improvements, though their presence was mixed. Some officers stationed outside the Safety Zone ignored atrocities occurring before them and, in some cases, participated directly. At Ginling College, the experience with military police was decidedly uneven. The first group of about 25 men tasked with guarding the college ended up committing rape themselves.  Despite frequent visits from Japanese soldiers in search of loot and victims to assault, the Safety Zone was perceived as successful. Many believed that both the zone and the work of its managing committee were responsible for saving countless lives. W. Plumer Mills, vice chairman of the committee, noted that the zone “did give some protection during the fighting…but the chief usefulness of the Zone has been the measure of protection it has afforded to the people since the occupation.” Shortly after the Japanese conquest, the population of the Safety Zone swelled to a quarter million people. Around 70,000 of these were organized into 25 pre-arranged camps, while the majority sought accommodation wherever possible. Makeshift “mat-shed villages” sprang up in vacant areas throughout the zone. Nanjing quickly became informally divided into two distinct cities. Outside the Safety Zone, the atmosphere was ghostly, with a population dwindling to around 10,000, while within the zone, bustling activity thrived. Shanghai Road, which ran through the center of the zone and had once been a wide boulevard, transformed into a hub of barter and trade, resembling a festive market during Chinese New Year, overflowing with makeshift stalls, tea shops, and restaurants, making it nearly impossible to traverse by vehicle. The Japanese held a degree of respect for Westerners, although this sentiment was not universal and did not always offer protection. Many foreigners tried to safeguard their homes by displaying their national flags outside, but they often found that Japanese soldiers would break in regardless. To protect Ginling College, American flags were displayed at eight locations around the compound, and a large 30-foot American flag was spread out in the center. However, this proved to be “of absolutely no use” in preventing Japanese soldiers from entering the area. Despite this, there was some limited outright hostility towards Americans. Stronger negative sentiments were directed towards the Russians and the British, who were viewed as representatives of nations with competing interests against the Japanese Empire. The Japanese displayed particular reverence for one nationality, the Germans. Rabe would shout “Deutsch” or “Hitler” to command respect from unruly Japanese soldiers or show them his swastika armband, indicating his allegiance to the Nazi Party. Germany was seen as a rising power and rapidly becoming one of Japan's closest allies, a fellow outcast in global politics. However, as time passed, the limits of this respect became evident; individual soldiers began searching for women within the German embassy compound, and eventually, nearly all German buildings were broken into. Despite all the challenges, there was no doubting that foreigners offered a form of protection unavailable elsewhere. Within days of the Japanese conquest, women and children began appearing in large numbers outside Rabe's home, kneeling and knocking their heads on the ground as they begged to be let into his already overcrowded garden.  At 1:00 pm on January 1, the Chinese were proclaimed rulers of their own city, or at least this is what Japanese propaganda sought to convey. On the first day of the new year, a puppet government was established in a ceremony held just north of the Safety Zone. A new five-bar flag, the one associated with the early Chinese republic was raised, signaling a patriotic spirit in a gesture that felt unconvincing. As the new leaders took office, vowing to resurrect their city, buildings burned all around them. The ceremony marked the culmination of two weeks of preparatory work. As early as December 15, General Matsui met with a local Chinese leader, referred to in the Japanese commander's diary only as Chen, who had been selected to assist in forming this new puppet government. Chen had been present in the northern port city of Tianjin two years earlier when Matsui helped establish the Chinese chapter of the Greater Asia Association. He subscribed to Matsui's concepts of “Asia for Asians,” but cautioned that Chinese fears of the Japanese would complicate the governance of the conquered territories.   The new government aligned with the Japanese army to implement a system of indoctrination centered on conservatism, primarily targeting the youth, who were perceived as most likely to resist. The indoctrination included messages like, “You must follow the old custom in marriage, letting your parents make arrangements for you. You must not go to theaters or study English, etc. China and Japan must become one, and then the nation will be strong.” Few were deceived by these attempts to win hearts and minds. The government-sanctioned newspaper, the Xinshengbao, or New Life Journal, was immediately dismissed as a crude vehicle for propaganda. Additionally, the government made minimal progress in more urgent tasks, such as restoring peacetime conditions and revitalizing Nanjing's economy, a challenge made formidable by Japanese brutality. Given the fate of the first group of volunteers at the electricity plant after the conquest, no one could be found to fill the needed 40 to 45 worker slots. The same was true for firefighters. The predictable outcomes followed. Water and limited power were restored to parts of the city by January 2, but within two days, the city was plunged back into darkness. By January 13, the waterworks were still non-operational, and the power supply remained intermittent while fires continued to blaze well into January. The government was not taken seriously, struggling even with the Japanese. It quickly built a reputation for being venal and corrupt. One of its names was the Nanjing Autonomous Government, which a clever member of the foreign community humorously rebranded as the “Automatic Government,” reflecting its actual role as a puppet regime devoid of autonomy.  While Nanjing endured its own nightmarish reality, the city's inhabitants had little understanding of the events transpiring beyond its walls. The first radio news that reached foreign residents came on January 7, reporting Japanese air raids on Wuhan. There were also unconfirmed rumors suggesting that Hangzhou was experiencing similar horrors to those in Nanjing, but details were scarce. It was perhaps expected that reports from afar would be limited in wartime, yet information about situations closer to Nanjing was similarly scarce, and the horrific truth gradually dawned on the city's populace. A Westerner who managed to escape east from Nanjing in early January reported that all villages within a 20-mile radius had been burned to the ground. Outside the city, Japanese soldiers were randomly shooting civilians, including children. A German who drove an hour from Nanjing encountered no living souls. After the conquest, Chinese who managed to leave Nanjing reported that every pond between the city and Juyong was filled with the decaying corpses of people and animals. Many of the atrocities committed during this time appeared to stem from boredom and a search for cheap thrills. American missionary Magee witnessed a young farmer who had sustained severe burns on his upper body. After the soldiers demanded money from him and he failed to comply, they doused him in kerosene and set him ablaze. Similarly, a young boy suffered horrific burns after he failed to lead a group of soldiers to his “mama.” People in the rural areas surrounding Nanjing faced danger from numerous directions. Not only were they potential targets for marauding Japanese soldiers, but they were also at risk from bands of Chinese outlaws, who preyed on the large influx of refugees on the roads and the few souls who remained at home despite the fierce conflict raging nearby. Magee encountered a 49-year-old woman whose home was invaded by bandits looking for money. “When she and her husband said they had none they battered her head and breast with a stool and burned her feet until she revealed their savings of between four and five dollars.” In the absence of a formal government, informal authority was often wielded by secret societies. For instance, the “Big Sword Society” reportedly offered protection not only against Japanese soldiers and local bandits but also against small groups of Chinese troops seeking to escape back to their lines and resorting to theft for survival. What a blast from the past eh?   Rumors began to circulate in early January 1938 that the Chinese Army was preparing to retake Nanjing and that Chiang Kai-shek's soldiers had already been spotted inside the city walls. Many of the small makeshift Japanese flags that had appeared outside private homes in mid-December suddenly vanished, and some Chinese residents who had been wearing Japanese armbands hastily removed them. There was even talk of launching an attack on the Japanese embassy. Word spread that the Japanese were becoming frightened and were searching for Chinese clothing to disguise themselves as civilians in the event of a retreat. In reality, none of this was true. The Chinese Army was still reorganizing after the costly campaign that had forced it from Shanghai to Nanjing and then further into the interior. However, this did not imply that the Japanese had achieved complete control over the city. After six weeks of terror, Nanjing began to reassert itself. Japanese soldiers faced fatalities and injuries in skirmishes with members of secret organizations like the “Yellow Spears” and the “Big Sword Society.”  After the New Year, the population within the Safety Zone began to dwindle. A week into 1938, the number of refugees at Ginling College, which had peaked at more than 10,000, fell to around 5,000. Less than a month after the conquest, many former residents started returning to their homes during the day and then coming back to the college at night. Still, the city was far from safe, and even for those whose homes were located within the Safety Zone, Vautrin believed it was unwise to stray too far from her refugee camp. One month after Japanese forces had surged through its gates, Nanjing was a thoroughly devastated city, with fires still being set every day and night. By mid-January, estimates suggested that more than half the city had been burned down, with the main shopping district completely gone, as well as the entertainment area surrounding the Confucius Temple. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, the shell-shocked city began to pull itself together and started the long process of renewal. Vautrin considered opening an industrial school offering four-month courses for women to help compensate for the loss of labor resulting from the indiscriminate killing of men. Chinese New Year fell on January 31, 1938. Celebrated throughout Asia, it was also recognized by the Japanese. It was a “dismal, muddy” day, and as many feared, soldiers who appeared “too happy” from excessive drinking attempted to enter the Safety Zone in search of women but were stopped. The sound of thousands of firecrackers filled the air, fulfilling the age-old purpose of scaring away evil spirits. Refugees in Rabe's compound presented him with a large red silk banner adorned with a gold Chinese inscription. His Chinese friends translated the message for him “You are the living Buddha For a hundred thousand people”. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In December 1937, the battle for Nanjing left its residents in terror as the Japanese army advanced. Following the invasion, a horrific massacre began, with thousands targeted in brutal killings, torture, and humiliation. Civilians and soldiers alike were indiscriminately slain, and the Japanese military showed no mercy. To this day the Nanjing Massacre stands as a testament to the unbelievable evil man holds within him.

Adam's Paternity Leave is near its end, but while we still have a few weeks left of it, let's look at the first of a pair of episodes (we'll pick up the second installment next week) featuring a key Emmy presenter from last night. A few resourceful new Munchies have figured out a work-around where you can join as a free member and upgrade from there to a paid account which charges you for one month and unlocks the back catalog behind the respective tier of the paywall. After that first payment, you won't be charged again until we're dropping new content (which we'll warn everyone is coming), so if you want more of this it can be had, along with access to the fully uncut episodes from 100 to present and Movie Club episodes.Hot on the heels of an episode that nearly broke our rating scale, the Munchie Boys watched Part 1 of a two-parter featuring Ray Romano's kooky brother Robert from the hit turn-of-the-century sitcom for olds, Everybody Loves Raymond. Fans of that show will remember that the actor in question, Brad Garrett, is really, REALLY tall. This causes the kind of continuity problems that only SVU can create. We're obviously talking about complex genital geometry problems. We would, of course, be remiss if our discussion stayed on topic, so expect to hear about Chinese New Year, more car talk from Josh, Rikers Island, and Predator.Sources:A Look Inside Rikers - NY TimesMusic:Divorcio Suave - “Munchy Business”Thanks to our gracious Munchies on Patreon: Jeremy S, Jaclyn O, Amy Z, Diana R, Tony B, Barry W, Drew D, Nicky R, Stuart, Jacqi B, Natalie T, Robyn S, Amy A, Sean M, Jay S, Briley O, Asteria K, Suzanne B, Tim Y, John P, John W, Elia S, Rebecca B, Lily, Sarah L, Melsa A, Alyssa C, Johnathon M, Tiffany C, Brian B, Kate K, Whitney C, Alex, Jannicke HS, Roni C, Erin M, Florina C, Melissa H, and Olivia - y'all are the best!Be a Munchie, too! Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/munchmybensonBe sure to check out our other podcast diving into long unseen films of our guests' youth: Unkind Rewind at our website or on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcastsFollow us on: BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Reddit (Adam's Twitter/BlueSky and Josh's BlueSky/Letterboxd/Substack)Join our Discord: Munch Casts ServerCheck out Munch Merch: Munch Merch at ZazzleCheck out our guest appearances:Both of us on: FMWL Pod (1st Time & 2nd Time), Storytellers from Ratchet Book Club, Chick-Lit at the Movies talking about The Thin Man, and last but not least on the seminal L&O podcast …These Are Their Stories (Adam and Josh).Josh discussing Jackie Brown with the fine folks at Movie Night Extravaganza, debating the Greatest Detectives in TV History on The Great Pop Culture Debate Podcast, and talking SVU/OC and Psych (five eps in all) on Jacked Up Review Show.Visit Our Website: Munch My BensonEmail the podcast: munchmybenson@gmail.comThe Next New Episode Once We're Back from Adam's Paternity Leave Will Be: Season 16, Episode 14 "Intimidation Game"Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/munch-my-benson-a-law-order-svu-podcast--5685940/support.

Tariffs, shifting trade policies, and unpredictable order patterns are creating a “stop–go” manufacturing environment in China. For buyers, this means unexpected quality issues, capacity crunches, and supply chain instability. In this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, Renaud Anjoran and Adrian from the Sofeast team break down the real-world impact of the US–China trade war as of August 2025. Drawing from first-hand observations in Chinese factories, they explain how rapid swings in orders, staffing changes, and material substitutions can put your product quality and timelines at risk, even if you're not selling to the US. If you source from China or work with Chinese manufacturers, this discussion makes you aware of the hidden risks caused by market instability, and offers strategies to protect your interests.   Episode Sections: 00:00 – Introduction and why China's manufacturing sector is unstable right now 01:01 – How US–China tariffs create a “seesaw” effect: front-loading orders, sudden slowdowns, and ripple effects through the supply chain 05:02 – Inside the factory: whiplash in capacity, fixed costs, and the risks of unplanned subcontracting 11:16 – Factory cost-cutting responses: wage cuts, temporary workers, and seasonal hiring challenges 18:39 – Order bunching, Chinese New Year parallels, and the quality risks of untrained staff and inspectors 25:00 – Material substitutions without buyer approval, visibility in the supply chain, and controlling quality under instability 32:45 – Building stronger relationships, smoothing production, and financing suppliers to maintain stability 37:45 – Wrap-up and buyer takeaways   Related content... Inside China's fast-fashion factories as a US trade war looms - Guardian podcast China factories cut shifts and workers' pay as US tariffs bite - Reuters Read about product quality inspections Get help to check on your suppliers, wherever they are in Asia or beyond Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB

There is an urgent threat facing public media in the United States: a proposed federal budget cut that would not only threaten its future, but also "claw back" funding that's already been awarded to public television and radio stations across the country. Read the transcript and notes for this episode on our website. Adrian McIntyre opens with a personal anecdote about the impact of public media on his family, setting the stage for a critical discussion on the ramifications of potential funding cuts. Alice Ferris and Abbie Fink discuss the wide-ranging implications for communities that rely on the rich tapestry of content and services provided by public media. Defunding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will have far-reaching negative effects. Alice explains how public media also provides educational resources for classroom teachers and the national emergency alert system. She highlights the importance of localized storytelling and the unique programming offered by regional stations in rural and tribal areas. Contrary to the Trump Administration's claims, research shows that public media outlets like PBS and NPR are highly trusted and respected by the majority of Americans. Alice urges us all to reflect on our personal connections to public media and the pivotal role it plays in community and cultural education, and then to take action to voice our support. Here's what you can do RIGHT NOW: go to Protect My Public Media or the American Coalition for Public Radio, where you'll find fast, simple ways to contact your congressional representatives and urge them to save your public media stations. Key Takeaways Public media faces a significant threat due to proposed federal funding cuts that aim to reclaim previously allocated budgets. Public media is a vital national resource, offering educational tools and content to enrich classroom learning experiences, as well as the emergency alert system. Local public media stations, particularly in rural and underserved areas, would be severely impacted, risking the loss of crucial community-based programming and services. The defunding proposal is part of a larger attack on fact-based news reporting by the current administration, which perceives NPR and PBS as biased against the President--despite recent scientific studies proving their trustworthiness and value. YOU can take action TODAY to help save public media, and we encourage you to contact your congressional representatives via ProtectMyPublicMedia.org About the GuestAlice L. Ferris, MBA, CFRE, ACFRE, is founding partner of GoalBusters Consulting with over 30 years of fundraising experience, specializing in strategic planning, campaign development, and public media support. She got her start at PBS Wisconsin, blowing bubbles during Lawrence Welk Show pledge breaks, and now appears on-air for Arizona PBS and national PBS fundraising programs, including Masterpiece. Alice teaches at the University of Denver and is an Associate Member of Rogare, the international fundraising think tank. She also hosts epic Chinese New Year parties, is a slow runner, and is a retired competition ballroom dancer.Follow the podcastIf...

Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTHCassandra comes back from a hike and turns on the news, catching an interview with Dr. Susie, who helps her realize that she always picks the wrong men to date. She heads to work at the advertising agency. Her assistant Dana is getting married, but Cassandra's boyfriend, Peter, refuses to go to the wedding with her because he thinks weddings are boring.At the wedding, Cassandra is seated at a table full of children—except for one other adult, a man named Robert. They really hit it off, but she leaves before they can exchange any contact information.Later, she's hanging out with her mom and sister, who help her see that Peter isn't right for her. It becomes painfully obvious when, on a date to the batting cages, she just watches him hit balls the entire time—until she finally leaves.One day, while walking down the street, she sees Dr. Susie doing a book signing. Her sister insists they go in, and Cassandra is once again taken with Dr. Susie's advice.The next day, while walking her dog, Cassandra bumps into Robert—who is also walking his dog. Sparks fly, and he asks her out on a date!They go play putt-putt and then transition to pool. They have the best time, and she kisses him on the cheek.The problem? There are too many sparks—something Dr. Susie warns against. According to her, Cassandra should choose someone boring and dependable.Luckily, she soon meets a boring guy named George and decides to give it a shot.So, she starts spending time with both men. With Robert, it's all fun and excitement—he even brings her and her mom to an REO Speedwagon concert. With George, it's formal dinners and predictability.While discussing her dilemma with her mom and sister, opinions are split: Mom is Team Robert, but her sister believes Robert contradicts everything Dr. Susie preaches.Eventually, Cassandra makes her choice and brings George to meet the family. It's serious.But then she bumps into Robert at the mechanic. While waiting for their cars, they go bowling—and end up kissing. Cassandra panics and runs off.Trying to make things work with George, she kisses him too—but realizes there's no real spark and breaks up with him.She throws away Dr. Susie's book and rushes to find Robert at the town's Chinese New Year celebration. They kiss and enjoy the fireworks together.

In this episode, Andrew welcomes Matt O'Mara, CEO and founder of Whimsy Intermodal and Whimsy Trucking. Matt's journey into the transportation industry began in 1994 when he worked as an owner-operator for a trucking company. When that company was acquired and its drivers let go, Matt seized the opportunity to start Whimsy Intermodal in 1996 and hired many of those drivers. Today, Whimsy has about 50 company drivers, 145 owner-operators, and 150 trucks. Andrew and Matt also cover:Whimsy's organic business growth and unique capability in handling challenging freight, the importance of finding consistency, and Whimsy's focus on execution, including how they add value beyond transportation.The significant challenges Matt ran into of implementing new TMS systems in a legacy company, the importance of team buy-in, and the eventual success of digitizing and going paperless, including leveraging AI for order entry and real-time driver coaching.Treating drivers with respect and providing robust support as the key to retention, highlighting the reason why Whimsy has a waiting list for owner-operators.The importance of transparency, leading by example and avoiding hypocrisy, and the critical role of communication, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness in leadership.Current market conditions, the lack of impact from Chinese New Year, potential tariff effects, and the critical need for robust infrastructure and processes.Follow The Freight Pod and host Andrew Silver on LinkedIn.*** This episode is brought to you by Rapido Solutions Group. I had the pleasure of working with Danny Frisco and Roberto Icaza at Coyote, as well as being a client of theirs more recently at MoLo. Their team does a great job supplying nearshore talent to brokers, carriers, and technology providers to handle any role necessary, be it customer or carrier support, back office, or tech services. Visit gorapido.com to learn more. A special thanks to our additional sponsors: Cargado – Cargado is the first platform that connects logistics companies and trucking companies that move freight into and out of Mexico. Visit cargado.com to learn more. Greenscreens.ai – Greenscreens.ai is the AI-powered pricing and market intelligence tool transforming how freight brokers price freight. Visit greenscreens.ai/freightpod today! Metafora – Metafora is a technology consulting firm that has delivered value for over a decade to brokers, shippers, carriers, private equity firms, and freight tech companies. Check them out at metafora.net. ***

Talk Chineasy's resident special guest Josh learns how to say “orange” in Chinese. Find out why the Chinese love to eat a lot of oranges, especially during Chinese New Year. ✨ BIG NEWS ✨ Our brand new Talk Chineasy App, is now live on the App Store! Free to download and perfect for building your speaking confidence from Day 1. portaly.cc/chineasy Visit our website for more info about the app.

6a-7a National guitar day, in Superbowl aftermath: Philly fans go nuts again, Jalen Hurts goes to Disney World, Taylor leaves under umbrellas and Mahomes apologizes to fans. All Star and Chinese New Years activities this weekend and the top ways to scare someone off this Valentines Day.

Episode 207. In this week's episode of Till the Dirt, Tommy and MJ dive into the excitement of the Super Bowl, recount Shams's milestone of getting his first cavity, and discuss the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations. They chat about what kind of party is best for a 6-year-old's birthday, as well as give an exciting preview of MJ's new podcast, Heal 2 Feel. Plus, with Valentine's Day around the corner, they sprinkle in some love and relationship talk. Tune in for all this and more in their latest episode! Sponsors: Our listeners get 20% off your entire order when you use code THEDIRT at laundrysauce.com The Best Hug in The World, written by Tommy Feight My Two Cents, A parents Journal written by Tommy Feight   The Till the Dirt Patreon is LIVE! https://www.patreon.com/tillthedirt?utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan   Hey Dirties, do you want to be featured on the pod? DM us at @tillthedirtpodcast on Instagram for a chance to have your question answered by Tommy and MJ.   Till the Dirt Merch is here! https://tillthedirtpodcast.com/merchandise/   Hey Dirties, do you want a personalized video from MJ or Tommy?! Check out their cameo links below: https://www.cameo.com/mercedesjavid https://www.cameo.com/tfeightnyc   If you would like to donate, send books or pick books from Tommy's Amazon wish list visit https://feightclub.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In addition to the typical seasonal tailwinds from the Chinese New Year, three key factors are also driving the recent rally in Chinese equity markets: the better-than-feared impact of US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, growing domestic optimism following the release of China's DeepSeek AI, and rising policy expectations ahead of the National People's Congress in March.Join Richard Tang, China Strategist and Head of Research for Hong Kong at Julius Baer, and Hong Hao, Partner and Chief Economist at GROW Investment Group, as they dive each of these key developments shaping China's market landscape.

I begin today by discussing a few things that are important to me (AsiaHarvest.org, Crosspolitic News), followed by some seemingly random Chinese news of murder, execution, and illegal immigration. At some point, I explain why everything you’ve ever heard about China is true, and why many Chinese men really like President Trump! We also hear from a Chinese evangelist on why we should pray for China, and finish with a few final thoughts on the Chinese New Year. Follow me on X (@chinaadventures) where I post daily reminders to pray for China (PrayforChina.us), and check out all of the other things we are involved in @ PrayGiveGo.us! Asia Harvest: 2024 Year in Review https://www.asiaharvest.org/2024-year-in-review-proclaiming-god-s-works-in-our-200th-newsletter New @ CrossPolitic News: Deported by China, Prosecuted by Biden, Pardoned by Trump https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/deported-by-china-prosecuted-by-biden-pardoned-by-trump Also see: D-Day: Dusty Deevers Goes to War https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/d-day-senator-dusty-deevers-on-restoring-moral-sanity-no-abortions-no-pornography-no-drag-no-fault-divorce Chinese Man Executed for Car Ramming https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy1k2rx724o https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70kz32l98do Protests Turn Violent After Student Falls to His Death https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/china/china-protest-pucheng-student-death-intl/index.html Have We Misrepresented Most Illegal Chinese Migrant Men? https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/china-promises-to-take-back-illegal-migrants-after-trump-threats https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/trumps-reported-plans-deport-undocumented-chinese-men-first-rcna183824 Pray for China (PrayforChina.us) https://chinapartnership.org/blog/2025/01/why-global-believers-should-pray-for-china/ A Brief History of Chinese Dumplings https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2025/01/19/dumplings-brief-history-ahead-cny The Evolution of the Snake in Chinese Culture https://www.theworldofchinese.com/2025/01/slithering-through-time-the-evolution-of-the-snake-in-chinese-culture/ The Tension Asian Christians Feel at Chinese New Year https://cfc.sebts.edu/faith-and-culture/the-tension-asian-christians-feel-at-chinese-new-year/ If you enjoy this podcast, follow or subscribe on Spotify or Apple or right here on PubTV. You can also email any questions or comments to contact @ PrayforChina dot us. And don’t forget to check out everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us. Luke 10:2!

Kim tells the story of the twelve animals which represent the Chinese New Year. As the Lunar New Year approaches, each animal wants it to be named after them, but no one can agree which animal is most deserving. The Jade Emperor steps into solve the problem by proposing a race. Listen to this lively story and discover who wins, and who loses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Year of the Snake is here! But how did a legendary tale of twelve animals shape Chinese astronomy and culture for over 3,000 years?In this episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor John Steele from Brown University to dive into the origins of the Chinese Zodiac to mark the Chinese New Year. They uncover how this ancient zodiac, associated with 12 animals, ties into Chinese astronomy and philosophy. Professor Steele explains the intricate cycles of 12 earthly branches and 10 heavenly stems that form a 60-year pattern deeply embedded in Chinese culture. Discover the mythical origins, the influence of lunar calendars, and the evolution of this zodiac from the Shang dynasty to today. Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Theme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.

Episode 325: You might know her as the trash truck girl and now part of the O3 Crew. Nina Lee is in the studio to celebrate CNY with us for a crazy episode you don't want to miss. Follow Nina: https://www.instagram.com/n.nina666/?hl=en Thank you to our sponsor McDonalds: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/full-menu/mcvalue-menu.html Our Patreon: https://patreon.com/funwithdumb Business Inquiries: dfd@dumbfoundead.com More FWD: https://linktr.ee/funwithdumb Hosted By Jonnie "Dumbfoundead" ParkqmELK Dumbfoundead: @dumbfoundead  https://www.instagram.com/dumbfoundead                 Follow Rick: https://www.instagram.com/yox_rick Follow Steffie: https://www.instagram.com/steffiebaik Intro Animation by: @yeetheeast Intro Song by: @sweater_beats Fun With Dumb Podcast Producers:  Jonnie "Dumbfoundead" Park Dave Wu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jimmy and Judith are sent on a mission to visit the Chinese Restaurant and bring back a feast to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Why is Chinese New Year celebrated with Dragons & Firecrackers? What is the Chinese Zodiac? Do you possess the animal traits from the year you were born?  Have you started your FREE TRIAL of Who Smarted?+ for AD FREE listening, an EXTRA episode every week & bonus content? Sign up right in the Apple app, or directly at WhoSmarted.com and find out why more than 1,000 families are LOVING their subscription! Get official Who Smarted? Merch: tee-shirts, mugs, hoodies and more, at Who Smarted?