Podcasts about claiming

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Latest podcast episodes about claiming

PBS NewsHour - Segments
Tapper and Thompson discuss book claiming Biden’s inner circle hid signs of decline

PBS NewsHour - Segments

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 9:55


The presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump altered the state of the race, upended the Democratic presidential ticket and changed the course of political history. It also revealed a version of Biden that Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson argue those closest to him tried to conceal from the world. Geoff Bennett spoke with Tapper and Thompson about their new book, “Original Sin.” PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Wisdom’s Table With Rachel Wortman
The Spiritual Battle of Imposter Syndrome: Claiming Your God-Given Identity

Wisdom’s Table With Rachel Wortman

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2025 21:11


In this episode of Wisdom's Table, I dive deep into the pervasive issue of imposter syndrome, a feeling that affects many, particularly women in leadership roles. Did you know that approximately 75% of female executives have experienced this phenomenon at some point in their careers? I aim to unpack what imposter syndrome really is and how we can finally put an end to it. WANT MORE INSIGHTS AND WISDOM STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX? SIGN UP HERE 00:00:01 - Welcome to Wisdom's Table Introduction to the podcast and its focus on growth. 00:00:27 - Today's Topic: Imposter Syndrome Overview of the episode's discussion on imposter syndrome and its prevalence. 00:01:09 - Understanding Imposter Syndrome Exploration of feelings associated with imposter syndrome and its impact on self-worth. 00:02:02 - Ilona Mar's Perspective Highlighting Ilona Mar's unique approach to overcoming imposter syndrome. 00:03:05 - Defining Imposter Syndrome A key definition of imposter syndrome and its implications on self-judgment. 00:04:19 - The Connection to Self-Worth Discussion on how imposter syndrome relates to self-confidence and worthiness. 00:05:39 - Theological Perspectives on Worthiness Examining the Christian view of worthiness and its impact on self-perception. 00:07:57 - The Importance of Redemption Understanding redemption and how it relates to feelings of worthlessness. 00:10:36 - Spiritual Warfare and Imposter Syndrome Exploring the idea that imposter syndrome may be a form of spiritual warfare. 00:12:55 - Biblical Examples of Confidence Lessons from biblical figures who overcame doubt and seized their opportunities. 00:14:32 - Healthy Self-Awareness Identifying when imposter syndrome may be a sign of a deeper issue. 00:15:34 - Pursuing Healing Encouragement to seek healing and understanding of one's worth. 00:16:44 - Shifting the Narrative Changing the focus from self-doubt to what God wants to accomplish through us. 00:18:02 - Recognizing Strengths The importance of acknowledging personal strengths and abilities. 00:19:26 - Action Steps for Overcoming Doubt Practical advice for combating imposter syndrome and embracing one's calling. 00:20:09 - Closing Thoughts Wrap-up of the episode and encouragement to connect further.

Rock Harbor Church
Unlocking the Hebraic Idioms of the Bible: Episode 9

Rock Harbor Church

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 57:41


Welcome to Rock Harbor Church's Sermon Audio series. In this powerful message, Pastor Brandon Holthaus unpacks the misunderstood Hebraism: "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children." Is it about generational guilt or repeated patterns of sin and rebellion? Learn how idolatry, spiritual strongholds, and demonic footholds can impact families and why true freedom only comes through Christ. This teaching also delves into how Satan mimics God's covenantal structures, the importance of renouncing generational curses, and how to break free from ancestral occultic ties. Pastor Brandon gives a sobering call for believers to stop generational dysfunction and take spiritual territory through obedience, repentance, and bold faith.

The Women's Vibrancy Code
178. The Power of Puttering: How Rest, White Space & Feminine Flow Restore Our Vitality

The Women's Vibrancy Code

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 26:26


In this empowering episode of The Women's Vibrancy Code, Maraya Brown explores the life-changing impact of something deceptively simple: puttering. Drawing on powerful metaphors like the Executive Monkey Study and insights from thought leaders such as Alison Armstrong and Oprah, Maraya breaks down why high-achieving women often carry too much and how it's silently wrecking our hormones, nervous systems, and joy.   You'll discover: Why "being in control" creates chronic stress and burnout The overlooked importance of adrenal health for women The feminine medicine of puttering - Doing gentle, non-urgent tasks with no outcome required How white space and creative flow can lead to visionary breakthroughs A transformative question to reframe emotional pain: Where have I felt this before? How to climb the emotional guidance scale from fear to joy Why rest isn't a reward - it's a requirement for powerful feminine leadership   Whether you're juggling family, business, and community or simply feeling overwhelmed, this episode invites you to reclaim ease, pleasure, and presence. If you've been asking for permission to slow down, this is it. _______________________ Timestamps: 01:00 – The Executive Monkey Study and why "control" creates more stress, not less 01:51 – The emotional cost of being the one who holds it all together 03:00 – The root of adrenal burnout and chronic overwhelm in women 04:03 – The power of white space: how a canceled trip became a sacred reset 06:00 – Alison Armstrong and the gift of "puttering" as feminine restoration 07:46 – The importance of rhythm, sensuality, and slowing down 08:41 – What happened when Maraya finally let go—creative flow unlocked 09:10 – Why your nervous system (and hormones) need non-doing 11:00 – How adrenal fatigue shows up and how to support your body 12:00 – Tools for healing: breathwork, adaptogens, retreats & more 15:00 – "Where have I felt this before?" — healing your inner child 17:40 – Depression vs. expression: moving up the emotional scale 20:50 – Breaking patterns of self-abandonment and emotional survival 21:50 – Claiming your light and letting go of fear-based stories 23:30 – A soul-anchoring reading of Marianne Williamson's quote _______________________ The Women's Vibrancy Accelerator Trifecta: Your 90-Day Health Reset Ready to take your health to the next level? The Women's Vibrancy Accelerator Trifecta offers deep, personalized support to help you regain control of your energy, hormones, and well-being. This program includes: Three one-on-one calls with Maraya Dutch Plus Test and full assessment Bi-weekly live Q&A sessions Self-paced health portal covering energy, hormones, libido, and confidence Podcast listeners get an exclusive discount. Use code PODCAST. Learn more and enroll now: https://marayabrown.com/trifecta/ _______________________ Free Wellness Resources Access free tools like the Menstrual Tracker, Adaptogen Elixir Recipes, Two-Week Soul Cleanse, Food Facial, and more. Download now: https://marayabrown.com/resources/ _______________________ Subscribe to The Women's Vibrancy Code Podcast Listen on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify. _______________________ Connect with the Show Find us on Facebook,  Linkedin | Website | Tiktok | Facebook Group _______________________ Apply for a Call with Maraya Brown Start your journey with personalized support. Apply here: https://marayabrown.com/call  _______________________ About Maraya Brown Maraya is a Yale and Functional Medicine-trained Women's Health and Wellness Expert (CNM, MSN). She helps women feel energized, confident, and connected to themselves and their lives. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in energy, hormones, libido, confidence, and deep transformation. _______________________ Disclaimer The content of this podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical or professional advice. Listeners should consult with a qualified professional before making any health decisions.

The Spiritualist
Energy Update - May 19-26th

The Spiritualist

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2025 46:28


Send us a textWelcome to this week's energy update! This week's themes:-Releasing the need for protection -Letting go of Resentment & Anger-Empowered Action-Important conversations -Claiming your authentic self -Breaking Free Enjoy! Support the showSubscribe to gain Eclusive Podcast Episodes!https://www.buzzsprout.com/1233209/subscribeSubscribe for Monthly Healing Sessions:(readings, reiki, and channeling by audio recording) $35/CND/Monthhttps://www.paypal.com/webapps/billing/plans/subscribe?plan_id=P-5TT90551B8702813PNAGPFWA Distance Reiki Subscription: $25/CND/Month https://www.paypal.com/webapps/billing/plans/subscribe?plan_id=P-5TT90551B8702813PNAGPFWA Monthly Card Readings: $30/CND/Month (Voice note/email) https://www.paypal.com/webapps/billing/plans/subscribe?plan_id=P-36B97425XA7679412NAGPJGI Subscribe to My YoutTube Channel@RebeccaMeislContact Rebecca Rebeccameisl.comRebecca.meisl@hotmail.comInstagram & Tik Tok - @rebeccameisl

Ready For Retirement
Social Security at 62 vs 67 vs 70: When should you start claiming your benefits?

Ready For Retirement

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 19:14 Transcription Available


Deciding when to start your Social Security benefits might be the single most consequential financial decision of your retirement journey. Should you claim early at 62, wait until full retirement age at 67, or delay until 70 to maximize your monthly check? The answer isn't as straightforward as many think.Your Social Security benefit is calculated using your 35 highest-earning years, adjusted for inflation. This forms your Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) – what you're entitled to at full retirement age. But here's where strategy enters: claiming at 62 permanently reduces your benefit by about 30%, while each year you delay beyond full retirement age adds a valuable 8% to your monthly check (up to age 70).The early claiming strategy at 62 offers immediate cash flow and potentially preserves your investment portfolio longer. However, it comes with serious trade-offs: permanently reduced monthly benefits, earnings limits if you're still working ($23,400 before penalties kick in), and potentially smaller survivor benefits for your spouse. This decision isn't just about you – it affects your family's financial security after you're gone.Waiting until full retirement age gives you 100% of your calculated benefit and eliminates the earnings test if you're still working. It represents a balanced approach that neither maximizes nor minimizes your benefit. Meanwhile, delaying until 70 increases your monthly check by a substantial 24% over your full retirement age benefit – creating the strongest possible income floor for life and maximum protection against longevity risk. This delay strategy also opens tax planning opportunities in your 60s, particularly for Roth conversions.The optimal claiming age depends on your unique circumstances. Consider your health outlook, marital status, other income sources, tax situation, and overall retirement income needs. Remember that this isn't simply about break-even calculations – it's about creating security and maximizing quality of life throughout your retirement journey.Ready to get clarity on your optimal Social Security strategy? Visit our website to discover how personalized retirement planning can help you make the most of your benefits and create lasting financial security for you and your loved ones. Create Your Custom Strategy ⬇️ Get Started Here.Join the new Root Collective HERE!

Retire With Ryan
Four Costly Mistakes to Avoid When Claiming Social Security While Working After 65, #254

Retire With Ryan

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 18:25


Thinking about collecting Social Security while you're still working? It's a tempting option, but there are several crucial mistakes you'll want to avoid. Using real-life stories, I'm laying out the four big pitfalls, like earning over the social security limit, jeopardizing your health savings account, mishandling Medicare enrollment, and forgetting about tax withholding. These missteps can lead to unnecessary penalties, and so I want to give some actionable strategies to help you make the most of your benefits without unpleasant surprises.  You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in... [00:00] Four key factors to consider before collecting Social Security while you're still working. [06:04] Collecting benefits while working can affect HSA contributions. [07:40] Stop HSA contributions six months before enrolling in Medicare Part A to avoid penalties. [13:32] Enrolling in Medicare Part B while having employer insurance is unnecessary, as employer coverage remains primary. [14:33] Medigap timing and social security taxes. [15:21] Social Security is taxable income for most people, which means that you will owe income tax on that money. Choosing when and how to collect Social Security is complex, especially if you intend to keep working beyond age 62. While the prospect of “double-dipping” might seem appealing, several critical factors can impact your overall benefit, tax situation, and healthcare coverage. Here are the four big mistakes I often see: 1. Exceeding the Social Security Earnings Limit One of the biggest mistakes is not understanding the earnings limit set by Social Security for those who collect benefits before reaching their full retirement age (FRA). If you start taking benefits before your FRA, which currently ranges from 66 to 67 depending on your birth year, your benefits may be reduced if your annual earnings exceed a certain threshold. Before FRA: For every $2 you earn over this limit, Social Security will deduct $1 from your benefits. The year you reach FRA: The limit jumps to $62,160, but the calculation changes to $1 withheld for every $3 over the limit, and only the months before your birthday month are counted. After FRA, there is no longer an earnings cap; you can earn as much as you want without reducing your benefits. Failing to plan for these restrictions can lead to a surprise clawback, so calculate your annual income carefully if you plan to collect early. 2. Losing Eligibility to Contribute to an HSA If you're enrolled in a high-deductible health plan and are contributing to a Health Savings Account (HSA), be wary: Once you enroll for Social Security after age 65, you're automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A. By law, you cannot contribute to an HSA while on Medicare. To make matters more complex, Medicare Part A enrollment is retroactive up to six months, and any contributions made to your HSA during that period will be considered excess contributions, exposed to a 6% IRS penalty unless withdrawn in time. Before you trigger Social Security benefits, stop your HSA contributions (and your employer's) at least six months in advance to avoid penalties and the loss of valuable tax deductions. 3. Accidental Enrollment in Medicare Part B Some assume that enrolling in Medicare Part B is required or beneficial while they keep their employer coverage, but that's not always the case. If your employer has 20 or more employees and you're covered under their group health insurance, your employer's plan remains primary, and Medicare Part B is unnecessary and costly, with premiums starting at $185/month and higher for high earners. Enrolling in Part B during this period can limit your future ability to buy a Medigap policy with automatic acceptance (no health questions or exclusions for pre-existing conditions). Unless you're losing employer coverage, it's usually best to delay enrolling in Part B and carefully respond to any enrollment communications from Social Security. 4. Not Withholding Enough Taxes on Social Security Payments Social Security benefits are taxable for most retirees, especially if you're still working. You need to anticipate the added income and withhold sufficient federal (and potentially state) taxes to avoid underpayment penalties. You can file IRS Form W-4V to have Social Security withhold federal tax from each payment, choosing between 7%, 10%, 12%, and 22%. Alternatively, increase withholding at work or make estimated tax payments. Planning ahead ensures you won't face a large bill come tax time. Resources Mentioned Retirement Readiness Review Subscribe to the Retire with Ryan YouTube Channel Download my entire book for FREE  Connect With Morrissey Wealth Management  www.MorrisseyWealthManagement.com/contact   Subscribe to Retire With Ryan

WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life
They're NOT gaslighting you! Dr. Isabelle Morley on the weaponization of therapy speak

WanderLearn: Travel to Transform Your Mind & Life

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 36:11


I've never highlighted a book as much as They're Not Gaslighting You: Ditch the Therapy Speak and Stop Hunting for Red Flags in Every Relationship.  It's my favorite book in 2025! Watch the Video Interview Author Dr. Isabelle Morley gives us a timely book that rejects the reckless proliferation of the following terms:  Sociopath Psychopath Love bomb Narcissist Boundaries Borderline Toxic Gaslighting Who is Dr. Isabelle Morley? Dr. Morley is not a chronic gaslighter trying to convince the world that she doesn't gaslight by writing a book about it. Here's her resume: Author of Navigating Intimacy and They're Not Gaslighting You Co-host of the podcast Romcom Rescue Contributor to Psychology Today Advisory Board Member of the Keepler app Founding Board Member of UCAN Member of the American Psychological Association Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) The Gottman Method – Completed Levels 1 and 2 Relational Life Therapy – Completed Level 1 PsyD in Clinical Psychology from William James College, 2015 Doctoral project researching hookup culture's impact on relationship formation, 2015 Master's in Professional Psychology from William James College, 2013 Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University, 2011 My Fatima Story I dated a woman for two years. Let's call her Fatima. In the second half of our relationship, Fatima bombarded me with many of the highly charged and often misused words listed above. After she dumped me the fifth and final time, I finally pushed back on her barrage of accusations. I said to her, “So, you truly believe I'm a narcissist? Let's look up the clinical definition of a narcissist and see how I stack up.” She agreed. Perplexity wrote: To be clinically considered as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) according to the DSM-5, an individual must exhibit at least five out of nine specific characteristics. These characteristics, as summarized by the acronym “SPECIAL ME,” include: Sense of self-importance Exaggerating achievements and expecting to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements. Preoccupation Being preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love Entitled Having unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with their expectations. Can only be around people who are important or special Believing that they are “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions). Interpersonally exploitative Taking advantage of others to achieve their own ends. Arrogant Showing arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes. Lack empathy Being unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others. Must be admired Requiring excessive admiration. Envious Often being envious of others or believing that others are envious of them. These symptoms must be pervasive, apparent in various social situations, and consistently rigid over time. A qualified healthcare professional typically diagnoses NPD through a clinical interview. The traits should also substantially differ from social norms. I asked her how many of these nine characteristics I exhibited consistently, pervasively, and in many social situations. She agreed that I was nowhere near five of the nine. Admittedly, I sometimes exhibited some of these nine characteristics in my intimate relationship with Fatima. I'm certainly guilty of that. However, to qualify as a true narcissist, you must display at least five of these nine characteristics often and with most people, not just your partner. To her credit, my ex-girlfriend sheepishly backed down from that accusation, saying, “You're right, Francis, you're not a narcissist.” Later, I would educate her (or, as she would say, “mansplain”) about another of her favorite words: gaslighting. I mansplained by sending her a video clip of renowned couples therapist Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman, who explained why standard disagreements and having different perspectives aren't gaslighting. Soon after explaining that, Mrs. Gottman explains why, in some ways, “everybody is narcissistic.” Watch 6 minutes from 1:35:30 to 1:41:30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9kPmiV0B34&t=5730s After listening to an expert define gaslighting, Fatima apologized for incorrectly using the term. This is what I loved about Fatima: she wouldn't stubbornly cling to her position when presented with compelling evidence to the contrary. This is a rare trait I cherish. Narcissists and sociopaths are about 1% of the population, so it's highly unlikely that all your exes are narcissists and sociopaths. Still, Fatima flung other popular, misused terms at me. She loved talking about “boundaries” and “red flags.” According to Dr. Morley, my ex “weaponized therapy speak.”   Dr. Morley writes, “It's not a new phenomenon for people to use therapy terms casually, even flippantly, to describe themselves or other people. How long have we referred to someone as a ‘psycho' when they're acting irrationally or being mean?” Although weaponized therapy speak isn't new, it's ubiquitous nowadays. Dr. Morley's book sounds the alarm that it's out of control and dangerous. Three types of people would benefit from Dr. Morley's book: People like Fatima: Does someone you know tend to denigrate people using therapy speak? Are they intelligent, rational, and open-minded like Fatima? If so, they must read this book to recalibrate how they use these powerful words. People like me: Are you (or someone you know) accused of being a psychopath, a gaslighter, or a person with OCD? Actual victims: The explosion of use of these powerful words has diluted their meaning. As a result, the real victims of narcissists and sociopaths are now belittled. Their true suffering is minimized when every other person has a sociopath in their life. Their grievances are severe. Let's not equate our relationship problems with their terror. I'll list some of my favorite chapter titles, which will give you a flavor of the book's message: Chapter 4: Are They Gaslighting You, or Do They Just Disagree? Chapter 5: Do They Have OCD, or Are They Just Particular? Chapter 6: Is It a Red Flag, or Are They Just Imperfect? Chapter 7: Are They a Narcissist, or Did They Just Hurt Your Feelings? Chapter 9: Are They a Sociopath, or Do They Just Like You Less Than you Like Them? Chapter 11: Did They Violate Your Boundaries, or Did They Just Not Know How You Felt? I will quote extensively to encourage everyone to buy Dr. Mosley's book. Most quotations are self-explanatory, but sometimes I will offer personal commentary. Excerpts The trend of weaponized therapy speak marks something very different. These days, clinical words are wielded, sincerely and self-righteously, to lay unilateral blame on one person in a relationship while excusing the other from any wrongdoing. ========== Many times, we use these words as protective measures to help us avoid abusive partners and reduce our risk of “wasting” time or emotional energy on family or friends who don't deserve it. But using these terms can also absolve people from taking responsibility for their actions in their relationships. They can say, “I had to do that because of my obsessive-compulsive disorder” or “We didn't work out because she's a narcissist,” instead of doing the hard work of seeing their part in the problem and addressing the issues behind it. As a couples therapist, I'm particularly concerned with how the enthusiastic but inaccurate embrace of clinical terminology has made it harder to sustain healthy romantic attachments. With Fatima, our relationship woes were always my fault because I crossed her “boundaries” and I was a “narcissist.” If I disagreed, I was “gaslighting” her. Or I was being “defensive” instead of apologizing. And when I apologized, I did so incorrectly because I offered excuses after saying I'm sorry (she was right about that). The point is that she used weaponized therapy speak to demonize me, alleviating herself from the burden of considering that perhaps she shared some of the responsibility for our woes. ========== Their friend doesn't agree with their warped view of an event or their disproportionate reaction? The friend is an empathy-lacking narcissist who is actively gaslighting them. ========== In one memorable session of mine, a client managed to accuse their partner of narcissism, gaslighting, love bombing, blaming the victim, lacking accountability, having no empathy, and being generally abusive, manipulative, and toxic . . . all within twenty minutes. Although Fatima and I went to couples therapy, I don't remember Dr. Mosley being our facilitator, but that sure sounds like Fatima! LOL! ========== I'm certified in emotionally focused couples therapy (EFCT), which is a type of couples therapy based on attachment theory. ========== For example, if you feel like a failure for letting your partner down, you might immediately minimize your partner's feelings and tell them they shouldn't react so strongly to such a small issue. (For anyone wondering, this isn't gaslighting.) That makes them feel unheard and unimportant, so they get even more upset, which makes you dismiss their reaction as dramatic, and round and round it goes. Welcome to my world with Fatima! ========== You could claim your partner is toxic and borderline because they're emotionally volatile and unforgiving. You could say their feelings are disproportionate to the problem, and their verbal assault is bordering on abusive. But your partner could say that you are a narcissist who is gaslighting them by refusing to acknowledge their feelings, showing no empathy for the distress your tardiness caused, and shifting the blame to them (just like a narcissist would!). You'd both be wrong, of course, but you can see how these conclusions could happen. ========== Weaponized therapy speak is our attempt to understand people and situations in our lives, yes, but it is also a strategy to avoid responsibility. It puts the blame solely on the other person and allows us to ignore our part. ========== However, the vast majority of partners and friends are not sociopaths, narcissists, or abusers. They're just flawed. They're insecure, demanding, controlling, emotional, or any number of adjectives, but these traits alone aren't pathological. ========== But doing such things now and then in our relational histories, or doing them often in just one relationship, doesn't mean we have a personality disorder. These diagnoses are reserved for people who exhibit a persistent pattern of maladaptive behaviors in most or all of their close relationships. ========== I wasn't an abusive partner. I was a messy newcomer to relationships, as we usually are in our teens and twenties, trying my best to navigate my feelings while following bad examples from television and making plenty of other blunders along the way. Stonewalling was immature and an unhelpful way of coping, but it wasn't abuse. ========== If we're looking for a partner who will always do the right thing, even in the hardest moments, we're only setting ourselves up for disappointment. As I mentioned before, really good people can behave really badly. ========== If we don't know the difference between abusive behavior and normal problematic behavior, we're at risk for either accepting abuse (thinking that it's just a hard time) or, alternatively, throwing away a perfectly good relationship because we can't accept any flaws or mistakes. Alas, Fatima threw away a perfectly good relationship. I was her second boyfriend. Her lack of experience made her underappreciate what we had. She'll figure it out with the next guy. ========== Disagreeing with someone, thinking your loved one is objectively wrong, arguing about what really happened and what was actually said, trying to find your way to the one and only “truth”—these are things that most people do. They are not helpful or effective, but they also are not gaslighting. ========== “What? I didn't say yes to seeing it, Cece. I said yes to finding houses we both liked and visiting them. Sometimes you just hear what you want to and then get mad at me when you realize it's not what I actually said,” Meg answers. “Stop gaslighting me! Don't tell me what happened. I remember exactly what you said! You told me yes to this open house and then changed your mind, and I'm upset about it. I'm allowed to be upset about it; don't invalidate my feelings!” Cece says, her frustration growing. Meg feels surprised and nervous. She didn't think she was gaslighting Cece, which is exactly what she says. “I didn't mean to gaslight you. I just remember this differently. I don't remember saying I would go to this open house, so that's why I don't understand why you're this upset.” “Yes, you are gaslighting me because you're trying to convince me that what I clearly remember happening didn't happen. But you can't gaslight me because I'm positive I'm right.” ========== Cece's accusation of gaslighting quickly shut down the conversation, labeling Meg as a terrible partner and allowing Cece to exit the conversation as the victor. ========== I find gaslighting to be one of the harder labels to deal with in my clinical work for three reasons: 1. Accusations of gaslighting are incredibly common. I hear accusations of gaslighting at least once a week, and yet it's only been accurate about five times in my entire clinical career. Boyfriend didn't agree with what time you were meeting for dinner? Gaslighting. Spouse said you didn't tell them to pick up milk on the way home, but you swear you did? Gaslighting. ========== You could say, “I want you to know that I really understand your perspective on this. I see things differently, but your experience is valid, and it makes sense. I'm not trying to convince you that you're wrong and I'm right, and I'm sorry if I came across that way.” WHAT IS VALIDATION? Validation is another word that suffers from frequent misuse. People demand validation, but what they're really asking for is agreement. And if someone doesn't agree, they call it toxic. Here's the thing, though: Validation is not the same as agreement. ========== You can disagree in your head but still validate how they feel: “Hey, you're not crazy. I see why you'd feel that way. It makes sense to me. I'd probably feel that way too if I were in your shoes, experiencing our interaction the way you did. I care about your feelings.” ========== “I bet it felt really awful to have me challenge your experience and make you feel like it wasn't right or valid.” I regret I learned this lesson too late with Fatima. I was too slow to validate her feelings. We learn something in every relationship. Ideally, our partner is patient with us as we stumble through the learning process, often repeating the same error until we form a new habit. However, Fatima ran out of patience with me. I couldn't change fast enough for her, even though I was eager to learn and dying to please her. By the time I began to learn about proper validation and apologies, she had given up on me. ========== My husband, Lucas, hates it when lids aren't properly put on jars. You know, when a lid is half on and still loose or haphazardly tightened and askew? I, on the other hand, could not care less. I am the only perpetrator of putting lids on wrong in our house. I barely screw on the top to the pickles, peanut butter, medications, water bottles, or food storage containers. I don't even realize that I do it because I care so little about it. This drives Lucas absolutely crazy. I love this example because it's what I would repeatedly tell Fatima: some habits are hard to break. Dr. Mosley knows her husband hates half-closed jars, but she struggles to comply with his wishes. We're imperfect creatures. ========== Is your partner always leaving a wet towel on the floor after showering? Red flag—they're irresponsible and will expect you to clean up after them. Is your friend bad at texting to let you know when they're behind schedule? Red flag—they're selfish, inconsiderate, and don't value your time. It's all too easy to weaponize this term in a relationship, in hopes that it will shame the other person into changing. ========== People aren't perfect. Individually, we're messy, and in relationships, we're much messier. We all make mistakes, sometimes repeatedly for our entire lives. Instead of labeling all unwanted behaviors as red flags and expecting change or running away altogether, try a new approach: Identify why those behaviors hurt you and share that with your loved one instead. ========== When confronted with the knowledge that we've hurt someone, many of us become defensive. We hate the idea of hurting the person we love and since we usually didn't intend to hurt them, we start explaining why our actions weren't that bad and why they shouldn't feel upset. It comes from a place of inadequacy, self-criticism, and remorse. If the other person responds like this but you can tell they care about your pain, this may be a good time to give them some grace in the form of empathy and time. Wait a few hours or even a few days, then try the conversation again. For every criticism I had about Fatima's behavior, she had 20 criticisms about my behavior. As a result, I had many more opportunities to fall into the trap of becoming defensive. It's so hard to resist. I'm still working on that front. ========== We all have a touch of narcissism, which can get bigger at certain points in life, ========== Conflicts are upsetting, and we've all developed ways of protecting ourselves, whether it's getting loud to be heard or emotionally withdrawing to prevent a panic attack. Underneath these less-than-ideal responses, though, we feel awful. We feel scared, insecure, inadequate, unimportant, and alone. We hate fighting with our loved ones, and we really hate that we've hurt them, especially unknowingly. We're not being defensive because we have a narcissistic belief in our own superiority; we're doing it because we're terrified that the person won't understand us and will see us negatively, so we need to show them our side and explain to them why we aren't to blame. ========== But whether it's an inflated ego, vanity, self-absorption, or just unusually healthy confidence, these traits do not make a narcissist. To have NPD, the person must also require external validation and admiration, and to be seen as superior to others. This is the difference between a big ego and grandiosity. Grandiosity goes several steps beyond confidence—it's a near-delusional sense of importance, where someone exaggerates their achievements and expects others to see them as superior. ========== Some people suck. They're immature, mean, selfish, and unremorseful. Some people don't respect other people in their lives. They lie and they cheat, and they don't care that it hurts others. But they can be all these things and still not be a narcissist. There's a lot of room for people to be awful without meeting the criteria for a personality disorder, and that's because (you guessed it!) people are flawed. Some people feel justified in behaving badly, while others just don't know any better yet. Our growth is messy and not linear. ========== The reality is that anyone who genuinely worries that they are a narcissist, probably isn't. That level of openness and willingness to self-reflect is not typical of a narcissist. Plus, narcissists don't tend to believe or care that they've hurt others, whereas my clients are deeply distressed by the possibility that they've unknowingly caused others pain. ========== As with gaslighting, I have rarely seen people accurately diagnose narcissism. To put it bluntly, I have never seen a client in a couples therapy session call their partner a narcissist and be right. In fact, the person misusing the label usually tends to be more narcissistic and have more therapy work to do than their partner. ========== person involved with a narcissist to accurately identify the disorder because people with NPD are great at making other people think they are the problem. It's an insidious process, and rarely do people realize what's happening until others point it out to them or the narcissist harshly devalues or leaves them. Now, you might be in a relationship with someone who has NPD, but instead of jumping to “narcissist!” it's helpful to use other adjectives and be more specific about your concerns. Saying that a certain behavior was selfish or that a person seems unremorseful is more exact than calling them a narcissist. ========== Love bombing can happen at any point in a relationship, but it's most often seen at the start. ========== Love bombing is also a typical follow-up to fights. ========== Humans are a complicated species. Despite our amazing cognitive capacities and our innate desire to be good (well, most of us anyway), we often cause harm. People act in ways that can damage their relationships, both intentionally and unknowingly, but that doesn't make them sociopaths. In fact, anyone in a close and meaningful relationship will end up hurting the other person and will also end up getting hurt at some point because close relationships inevitably involve a degree of pain, be it disappointment, sadness, anger, or frustration. Even when we're doing our best, we hurt each other. We can't equate normal missteps and hurt with sociopathy. ========== People love to call their exes sociopaths, just like they love calling them narcissists. Dr. Mosley focuses on the term sociopath because it's more popular nowadays than the term psychopath, but they both suffer from misuse and overuse, she says. If your partner (or you) use the term psychopath often, then in the following excerpts, replace the word “sociopath” with “psychopath.” ========== calling someone a sociopath is extreme. You're calling them out as a human who has an underdeveloped (or nonexistent) capacity to be a law-abiding, respectful, moral member of society. And in doing so, you're saying they were the entire problem in your relationship. Unless you were with a person who displayed a variety of extreme behaviors that qualify as ASPD, that conclusion isn't fair, accurate, or serving you. Again, you're missing out on the opportunity to reflect on your part in the problem, examine how you could have been more effective in the relationship, and identify how you can change for the better in your next relationship. If you label your ex a sociopath and call it a day, you're cutting yourself short. ========== Let the record show that I have never seen someone use the term sociopath correctly in their relationship. ========== some boundaries are universal and uncrossable, but the majority are personal preferences that need to be expressed and, at times, negotiated. Claiming a boundary violation is a quick and easy way to control someone's behavior, and that's why it's important to clarify what this phrase means and how to healthily navigate boundaries in a relationship. Fatima loved to remind me of and enforce her “boundaries.” It was a long list, so I inevitably crossed them, which led to drama. ========== There are some boundaries we all agree are important and should be uncrossable—I call these universal boundaries. Violating universal boundaries, especially when done repeatedly without remorse or regard for the impact it has on the other person, amounts to abuse. ========== The main [universal boundaries] are emotional, physical, sexual, and financial boundaries ========== Outside of these universal, uncrossable boundaries, there are also individual boundaries. Rather than applying to all people, these boundaries are specific to the person and defined by their own preferences and needs. As such, they are flexible, fluid over time, and full of nuance. If they are crossed, it can be uncomfortable, but it isn't necessarily abuse. ========== boundary is a line drawn to ensure safety and autonomy, whereas a preference is something that would make you feel happy but is not integral to your sense of relational security or independence. ========== While a well-adjusted person might start a dialogue about how to negotiate an individual boundary in a way that honors both partners' needs, an abusive person will never consider if their boundary can be shifted or why it might be damaging or significantly limiting to the other person. Instead, they will accuse, blame, and manipulate their partner as their way of keeping that person within their controlling limits. ========== The point is that as we go through life, our boundaries shift. As you can see, this is part of what makes it difficult for people to anticipate or assess boundary violations. If you expect and demand that the people close to you honor your specific boundaries on certain topics, but you're not telling them what the boundaries are or when and how they've changed, you're setting your loved ones up for failure. ========== And again, people unknowingly cross each other's individual boundaries all the time. It's simply inevitable. ========== It will create an unnecessary and unproductive rift. 3. We Mistake Preferences for Boundaries Boundaries protect our needs for safety and security. Preferences promote feelings of happiness, pleasure, or calm. When someone crosses a boundary, it compromises our physical or mental health. When someone disregards a preference, we may feel annoyed, but it doesn't pose a risk to our well-being. ========== You've Been Accused of Violating a Boundary If you're in a close relationship, chances are you're going to violate the other person's boundaries at some point. This is especially likely if the person has not told you what boundaries are important to them. However, you might also be unjustly accused of violating a boundary, perhaps a boundary you didn't know about or a preference masquerading as a boundary, and you'll need to know what to do. ========== I never thought of telling Fatima that she was “borderline.” It helps that I didn't know what the term meant. Dr. Mosley says that a person must have several of the “borderline” characteristics to have borderline personality disorder (BPD). Fatima only had one of them, so she did not have BPD. Here's the only BPD trait she exhibited: Stormy, intense, and chaotic relationships: Have relationships that tend to be characterized by extremes of idealization and devaluation in which the person with BPD idolizes someone one moment and then vilifies them the next. Because they struggle to see others in a consistent and nuanced way, their relationships go through tumultuous ups and downs, where they desire intense closeness one minute and then reject the person the next. Fatima promised me, “I will love you forever,” “I want to marry you,” “I will be with you until death,” “I'll never leave you,” and other similar extreme promises. Three days later, she would dump me and tell me she never wanted to get back together. Two days later, she apologized and wanted to reunite. Soon, she would be making her over-the-top romantic declarations again. She'd write them and say them repeatedly, not just while making love. Eventually, I'd fuck up again. Instead of collaborating to prevent further fuck ups, Fatima would simply break up with me with little to no discussion. This would naturally make me question her sincerity when she repeatedly made her I-will-be-with-you-forever promises. You might wonder why I was so fucking stupid to reunite with her after she did that a couple of times. Why did I always beg her to reconsider and reunite with me even after we repeated the pattern four times? (The fifth time she dumped me was the last time.) Humans are messy. I expect imperfection. I know my loved one will repeatedly do stupid shit because I sure will. So, I forgave her knee-jerk breakup reaction because I knew she didn't do it out of malice. She did it to protect herself. She was in pain. She thought that pulling the plug would halt the pain. That's reasonable but wrong. That doesn't matter. She's learning, I figured. I need to be patient. I was hopeful we'd break the pattern and learn how to deal with conflict maturely. We didn't. I'm confident she'll figure it out soon, just like I learned from my mistakes with her. ========== If I had to pick one word to describe people with BPD, it would be unstable. Fatima was unstable in a narrow situation: only with one person (me) and only when the shit hit the fan with me. Aside from that, she was highly stable. Hence, it would have been ludicrous if I accused her of having Borderline Personality Disorder. Luckily, I never knew the overused borderline term; even if I did, I wouldn't be tempted to use it on her. ========== Just as with red flags, we all exhibit some toxic behaviors at times. I don't know anyone who has lived a toxic-free existence. Sometimes we go through tough phases where our communication and coping skills are down, and we'll act more toxically than we might normally; this doesn't make us a toxic person. Indeed, many romantic relationships go through toxic episodes, if you will (should we make “toxic episode” a thing?), where people aren't communicating well, are escalating conflicts, and are generally behaving badly. We need to normalize a certain level of temporary or situational toxicity while also specifying what we mean by saying “toxic.” This is the only way we can determine whether the relationship needs help or needs ending. ========== trauma is itself a heavy, often misunderstood word. Its original meaning referenced what we now call “big T” trauma: life-threatening events such as going to war or surviving a car crash. Nowadays, we also talk about “little t” trauma: events that cause significant distress but aren't truly life-threatening, like being bullied in school or having an emotionally inconsistent parent. ========== Avoiding relationships with anyone who triggers hard feelings will mean a very lonely existence. ========== a trauma bond is the connection that survivors feel with their abuser. ========== A captured soldier who defends his captors? That person is, in fact, trauma bonded. ========== soldiers aren't trauma bonded after going to war together; they're socially bonded, albeit in an unusually deep way. A captured soldier who defends his captors? That person is, in fact, trauma bonded. ========== None of us get to have a happy relationship without hard times and hard work. It's normal and okay to sometimes struggle with the person you're close to or love. When the struggle happens, don't despair. Within the struggle are opportunities to invest in the relationship and grow, individually and together. ========== If you determine your relationship is in a tough spot but not abusive, now's the time for some hard relational work. A good cocktail for working on your relationship is specificity, vulnerability, and commitment. ========== Making a relationship work requires you and your loved ones to self-reflect, take responsibility, and change. This process won't just happen once; it's a constant cycle you'll go through repeatedly over the course of the relationship. You'll both need to look at yourselves, own what you've done wrong or could do better, and work to improve. Nobody is ever finished learning and growing, not individually and certainly not in a relationship. But that's what can be so great about being in a relationship: It's a never-ending opportunity to become a better person. And when you mess up (because trust me, you will), be kind to yourself. As I keep saying, humans are wonderfully imperfect. Even when we know what to do, sometimes we just don't or can't do it. ========== In this world of messy humans, how do you know who will be a good person for you to be with? My answer: Choose someone who wants to keep doing the work with you. There is no perfect person or partner for you, no magical human that won't ever hurt, irritate, enrage, or overwhelm you. Being in close relationships inevitably leads to big, scary feelings at times, so pick someone who wants to get through the dark times with you. Remember that when people are behaving badly in a desperate attempt to connect—not control—they'll be able to look at themselves, recognize the bad behavior, and change. Pick someone who has the willingness to self-reflect and grow, even if it's hard. Someone who will hang in there, even during your worst fights, and ultimately say, “Listen, this is awful, and I don't want to keep arguing like this, but I love you and I want to figure this out with you.” Wow. So well said. And this, in a paragraph, explains where Fatima and I failed. I dislike pointing fingers at my ex when explaining why we broke up. I made 90% of the mistakes in my relationship with Fatima, so I bear most of the responsibility. However, Fatima was the weaker one on one metric: having someone who wants to collaborate to make a beautiful relationship despite the hardships. The evident proof is that she dumped me five times, whereas I never dumped her or even threatened to dump her. I always wanted to use our problems as a chance to learn and improve. Fatima used them as an excuse to quit. She tried. She really did. However, she lacked the commitment Dr. Mosley discussed in that paragraph. Perhaps another man will inspire Fatima to find the strength and courage to bounce back and not throw in the towel. Or maybe she will mature and evolve to a point where she can be with someone less compatible than I was for her. She would often declare, “Francis, we're incompatible.” I'd say, “No, we are compatible; we have incompatibilities. Everyone has incompatibilities. We just need to work through them. If there is a willingness to collaborate, we can solve any incompatibility. The only couples who are truly incompatible are the ones where one or both individuals refuse to budge or learn. We can overcome countless incompatibilities as long as we both want to be together.” ========== We have wounds and scars and bad habits. We rely on ineffective but protective coping mechanisms. We push others away when we're hurt or scared. ========== Everyone behaves badly sometimes. But even then, odds are they're not gaslighting you. Conclusion I'll repeat: They're Not Gaslighting You: Ditch the Therapy Speak and Stop Hunting for Red Flags in Every Relationship is my favorite book in 2025! Buy it! Feedback Leave anonymous audio feedback at SpeakPipe More info You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at http://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron at http://Patreon.com/FTapon Rewards start at just $2/month! Affiliate links Get 25% off when you sign up to Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! In the USA, I recommend trading crypto with Kraken.  Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

The Self-Driven Child
Six Steps to Being a Non-Anxious Presence

The Self-Driven Child

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2025 28:23 Transcription Available


Hey folks, Ned here. In this episode, I'm diving into something that feels more essential now than ever—how to be a non-anxious presence for the people who count on you. Whether it's your kids, students, partner, or even yourself, being that calm, steadying force can make all the difference. I know from personal experience and years of working with families that this isn't easy, especially when the world feels like it's spinning off its axis.So, I break down six practical, research-backed steps you can take to help yourself stay grounded, build emotional resilience, and show up as the helper people need—even when things get messy. I'll walk you through stories from my own life, including the toughest parenting experience I've faced, and offer concrete strategies for managing your own stress so you can be that safe harbor in the storm.  Episode Highlights:[1:47] - Opening reflection on “helpers” and what it means to be a non-anxious presence.[4:22] - Step 1: Assessing your own baseline level of stress and why many of us don't realize how stressed we really are.[7:56] - Step 2: Identifying your personal stress triggers using the N.U.T.S. framework. (Novelty, Unpredictability, Threat, Low Sense of Control).[11:34] - Step 3: Spotting your “tells” and emotional signals when you're not at your best.[14:10] - Step 4: Claiming your space—how to communicate your emotional needs without blowing up.[19:32] - Step 5: Facing challenges by confronting your fears and reframing anxious thinking.[22:18] - Step 6: Emergency and preventative stress relief techniques—laughter, breathing, exercise, and more.[24:40] - Personal story: How my son and I reframed our thinking during his brain tumor diagnosis and what we both learned about resilience and peace.[26:50] - Final thoughts on raising kids to thrive through hardship and modeling courage and calm. Links & Resources:How Exercise Can Calm Anxiety: https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/03/how-exercise-can-calm-anxiety/ The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child: A Workbook - Out now! If this episode has helped you, remember to rate, follow, and share the Self-Driven Child Podcast. Your support helps us reach more people and create more content that makes a difference. If you have a high school aged student and would like to talk about putting a tutoring or college plan together, reach out to Ned's company, PrepMatters at www.prepmatters.com

Enthusiastically Spiritual
Spiritual Perspectives: Discerning News - ACTION Energy News & Nature's Ice Maker

Enthusiastically Spiritual

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2025 53:49 Transcription Available


Send us a text"The power of perspective."  In this episode, the hosts discuss the significance of energy cycles, particularly focusing on action energy and its impact on personal growth and success. They explore the concept of rebelling against success, the importance of freedom in decision-making, and how fear can hinder personal growth. The conversation also touches on the power of perspective, the emotional ups and downs of life, and the lessons learned from experiences. The hosts emphasize the need to embrace one's journey and the importance of staying relaxed and open to inspiration.This week is action energy, a time for alertness and accomplishment.Rebelling against success can hinder personal growth.Success wants to happen if we allow it to flow.Fear can prevent us from making healthy choices.Being in the now is crucial for personal fulfillment.Perspective is key in navigating life's challenges.Embracing life's lessons leads to greater understanding.Inspiration can come from nature and our environment.Claiming personal success is essential for happiness.The emotional thrills of life are part of the journey.Season 1 Episode 21 of Spiritual Perspectives: Discerning NewsEnjoy the first chapter of The Soul Quake Survival Guide here! Ready to FEEL more FREEDOM within? Access the FREE video series created by The Wayshowers College here!Support the showHi! I'm Teresa. I have created this podcast to support "unseen" aspects of your life. You can call this the spiritual side. The podcast offers interviews of authors, healers, and thought leaders, for a positive higher spiritual perspective. Including ourselves! Our mission is to stimulate your inner wisdom, meaning, and enthusiasm for your unique journey. My husband Tom and I are also certified Spiritual Educators, and Consultants, who help make spirituality practical. We work spiritual awareness and sensitivity in all areas of our life for positive living. Through TNT ( Teresa n' Tom :) SpiritWorks, we can help you tap into your own Inner Guidance system on a daily basis, create a healthy balance between Thought and Feeling, and discover a stronger connection between you and your personal Spirit Guides through your Inner and Outer communication system: your Four Spiritual Gifts. Unlock ways to make the spiritual part of life practical. Connect with us at TNT SpiritWorks today! Follow us on:

Christ Community Church of Pembroke Pines

Church Life                      “True Worship” (Acts 14:8-18)Reason for Worship (vv. 8-10)Worldly Worship (vv. 11-13)Godly Worship (vv. 14-18)Ro. 1:22-23 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.Psa. 96:5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.Isa. 45:18 For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): I am the Lord, and there is no other).Col. 1:16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him). Psa. 19:1-2 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.Ro. 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.                  Ready For Worship? 1.     Do I know God?  You can only love whom you know well - faith.2.     Do I have affections for God? (1 Jo.). Am I satisfied in him and wish to delight in him - feel?3.     Do I obey God? Beginning with the means of grace (word, prayer and fellowship). 

Clare FM - Podcasts
Clare TD Raises Issue Of Horse Welfare Claiming Nobody Has 'Cultural Right' To Ownership

Clare FM - Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2025 1:39


A Clare TD claims nobody in Ireland has a 'cultural or traditional' right to the ownership of horses. Speaking in the Dáil, deputy Cathal Crowe, raised the issue of horse control and the lack of adherence with The 1996 Control of Horses Act. He was made aware of the negative picture painted of Ireland's animal welfare policy by images of a horse tethered to a pole outside a supermarket sent by an American tourist visiting the county last week. The Meelick Fianna Fail TD says if someone wishes to own a horse, they must let them live in fields, rather than tying them to poles in public spaces.

SBS Hindi - SBS हिंदी
Top News: People warned about scam messages claiming to be from Australia Post asking for personal info

SBS Hindi - SBS हिंदी

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 3:49


Risk Parity Radio
Episode 423: ALLW (It's New!), Social Security Claiming Considerations And Dividend Delusions

Risk Parity Radio

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 36:35 Transcription Available


In this episode we answer emails from Dave, Jeff and Peter.  We discuss a new risk parity ETF, ALLW, a social security claiming question and considerations, and how a listener has been misled regarding so-called dividend investing by misinterpreting a misleading source.Links:Father McKenna Center Donation Page:  Donate - Father McKenna CenterALLW Fund Main Page:   ALLW: SPDR® Bridgewater® All Weather® ETFOpen Social Security:  Open Social Security: Free, Open-Source Social Security CalculatorHartford Funds Dividend Fund Page:  The Power of Dividends: Past, Present, and FutureBen Felix Dividend Video:  The Irrelevance of DividendsBen Felix Dividend Video #2:  The Relevance of Dividend IrrelevanceBreathless Unedited AI-Bot summaryFinancial misconceptions can cost you dearly. This eye-opening episode tackles three critical investment topics that challenge conventional wisdom and may transform how you approach your portfolio.When State Street and Bridgewater Associates launched their All Weather ETF (ALLW), it promised the stability of risk parity with the pedigree of Ray Dalio himself. We dissect this new offering—examining its 175% leverage, complex asset allocation, and 0.85% expense ratio—to determine whether it delivers on its promises or falls into the same traps as similar products like RPAR and UPAR. For investors approaching retirement, understanding these nuances could be the difference between confidence and confusion in the decumulation phase.Delaying Social Security benefits remains one of retirement planning's most debated decisions. We cut through the noise of oversimplified break-even calculators to explore what truly matters: appropriate risk-free rate calculations, the value of guaranteed income streams, and perhaps most importantly, how your family's longevity history should influence your claiming strategy. For married couples, the analysis becomes even more critical as spousal benefits create powerful optimization opportunities that generic calculators often miss.The episode concludes by dispelling one of investing's most persistent myths: the magical power of dividends. When Hartford Research noted that "85% of the S&P 500's return came from reinvested dividends and compounding," many investors misinterpreted this to mean dividends themselves were responsible for these returns. We reveal how this fundamental misunderstanding leads investors astray, explain why dividend payments offer no advantage in today's zero-commission environment, and demonstrate why creating your own "dividend" through strategic selling provides superior tax control.Whether you're building wealth or planning your withdrawal strategy, these insights will help you see beyond marketing claims to make decisions based on financial reality rather than comforting illusions. Listen now to align your investment approach with actual market mechanics instead of persistent financial folklore.Have a question about risk parity investing or portfolio construction? Email frank@riskparityradio.com or visit riskparityradio.Support the show

D&D Journey of the Fifth Edition
Iron Kingdom Outlaws episode 64

D&D Journey of the Fifth Edition

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 63:11


This session we switch from playing over Skype (R.I.P.) to Discord.... It's a party... We're celebrating our 10 year anniversary of the Podcast: and the One year anniversary of this campaign! https://www.patreon.com/posts/were-celebrating-103480248   Iron Kingdoms: Requiem combines this fantastic setting with the newest edition of the world's most popular roleplaying game. Inside this book, players will find the history of the Iron Kingdoms and information describing the current state of the world following the Claiming. Alongside these chapters is an extensive gazetteer providing detailed information on the most notable of the world's unique and fascinating locations. When making a character, players will be able to choose from many of the familiar countries and cultures of the setting. Whether a player wants to be a human, gobber, trollkin, Rhulic dwarf, ogrun, Iosan, or Nyss elf, this book provides all the rules that make these different peoples unique. When choosing a class, there are options many players are already familiar with, from the stalwart man-at-arms fighter to the free-flowing monk of the Order of the Fist. Beyond these are brand-new rules for playing the characters that make the Iron Kingdoms such a memorable setting. These new classes include, among others, gun mages, arcane mechaniks, combat alchemists, and warcasters. Alongside these options are new feats, spells, and backgrounds to make characters feel even more a part of the world of the Iron Kingdoms. We are a group of video and tabletop RPG gamers who want to share our play throughs, joy and knowledge of games! Oh and about Strangelight, check out the kickstarter here, they are going to have hard copies published this August! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/iron-kingdoms-strangelight-workshop-5e Our Links Creative play and podcast creativeplayandpodcastnetwork.podbean.com Facebook facebook.com/gaming/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork D&DJourneyoftheFifthedition dndjourneyofthefifthedition.podbean.com Twitter twitter.com/CreativePPNet Twitch twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast   YouTube Channel details http://www.youtube.com/@creativeplayandpodcastnetw5402 Please support our shows at www.patreon.com/cppn and even join us in some games! Also keep an eye at the new things on our now affiliated Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast Also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork Would you be interested if we hosted D&D and Edge of Empire games on Roll20 for you to join? Email us at Creativeplaypodcastnet@Gmail.com  

Hochman and Crowder
To anyone claiming the Canes “bought” a top recruit: “WHO CARES!?!?”

Hochman and Crowder

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 7:51


680 the Fan radio host in Atlanta and HUGE Hurricanes fan discusses the reaction to Cristobal's big signing yesterday in Jackson Cantwell.

The Opperman Report
Miranda Barbour - Inside the Mind of a Teenage Killer

The Opperman Report

Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2025 104:38


Francis Scarcella - Miranda Barbour: Inside the Mind of a Teenage KillerJan 11, 2024The Satan worshiping teen charged with murdering a 42-year-old man she lured through Craigslist claims two other men responded to her ad but failed to show up.Miranda Barbour, 19, and her husband, Elytte Barbour, 22, are accused of stabbing and strangling Troy LaFerrara in Pennsylvania, after he responded to her ad for 'female companionship' in November.However Barbour now claims that two other unidentified men narrowly escaped death by failing to keep their appointments.'I tried it a few times but it never worked out,' Barbour told The Daily Item in her second jailhouse interview in six weeks.'I knew we (Elytte Barbour) were going to do this since the day we met, and we tried, but the others just didn't show up.'Barbour claimed in her first jailhouse interview on February 14 that she killed at least 22 other people over six years in a cross-country murder spree motivated by her satanic cult beliefs.During her second jailhouse interview at the State Correctional Institution in Muncy, a maximum security women's prison, Barbour repeated her claims and said the FBI have not questioned her.She said she was prepared to show authorities where she hid the bodies.'I said before I would talk to them (FBI) about all of this, but they never came to see me,' she told The Daily Item.'They are looking for full bodies. They won't find any. But they will find body parts.'The Daily Item reported that local investigators in three murder locations named by Barbour are taking the claims seriously, but said they have no unresolved homicides they know about.Barbour said she dumped some body parts in Big Lake, Alaska, and also in Mexico Beach, Florida where she worked as a 15-year-old go-go dancer.She also said she dumped a body off Interstate 95 near Raleigh, North Carolina.Barbour lived in Alaska, Florida and North Carolina before moving to Selinsgrove last fall with her husband.Sunbury police say the couple murdered LaFerrara the day of their three-week wedding anniversary and Elyette Babour's 22nd birthday.Elytte Barbour had allegedly told police he and his wife wanted to kill together.In her sensational first jailhouse interview in February, Barbour claimed she killed 22 people in the past six years in Alaska, Texas, North Carolina and California.Explaining that she adopted a murderous alter ego she dubbed 'Super Miranda' when she killed, Barbour said that she kept a favorite knife that had notches on - one for each of her victims.Speaking to TMZ about the horrifying admission from Barbour, Daily Item reporter, Francis Scarella said that he omitted the frightening and unsubstantiated number from his story.However, he confirmed that like the fictitious serial killer Dexter, Barbour said she only killed bad people - those who abused children or owed money and that her satanism controlled her murderous rages.Indeed, Scarella told TMZ he spoke with an ex-roomate of Barbour's who said that the abused teen possessed two vials of semen belonging to her husband and that she used them to masturbate in a satanic ritual.Claiming that she only killed 'bad people who do bad things' in her self-confessed nationwide murder-spree, Barbour has been compared to the fictitious 'moral' serial killer played by Michael C. Hall on the Showtime cable network.Amid these gruesome claims, the tiny Alaskan town of North Pole has become the center of the outlandish story about satanism and serial killers that Barbour claims began at the behest of a cult leader.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

FIVE MINUTE NEWS
White Afrikaner refugees welcomed into U.S. by Trump regime, claiming they are fleeing genocide.

FIVE MINUTE NEWS

Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2025 8:40


Donald Trump welcomed a small group of white South Africans as refugees, saying they face discrimination and violence at home, which the country's government strongly denies. Meanwhile refugees of color have been kidnapped, detained and deported to foreign gulags by the Trump regime in the USA. Join this channel for exclusive access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. Please subscribe HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the First Amendment right to free and protected speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WSJ Your Money Briefing
Americans Are Claiming Their Social Security Benefits Earlier

WSJ Your Money Briefing

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 9:21


The Trump administration has called for sweeping changes to government agencies and fueled claims of fraud in the Social Security administration — all of which has shaken faith in the decades-old institution. Wall Street Journal reporter Anne Tergesen joins host Julia Carpenter to discuss why some seniors are claiming their benefits earlier than expected.  Sign up for the WSJ's free Markets A.M. newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive
Jason Pine: Sportstalk host on Ryan Fox claiming his first PGA Tour victory

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 3:41 Transcription Available


A hectic few hours for Ryan Fox in the wake of one of the biggest triumphs of his golfing career. He's won on the PGA Tour for the first time - chipping in from off the green to win a three-way playoff at the Myrtle Beach Classic in South Carolina. Sportstalk host Jason Pine explains further. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spirit Force
Claiming California FRONTIER SOLDIERS

Spirit Force

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2025 48:46


From sea to shining sea! Faithbucks.com

FIVE MINUTE NEWS
Trump defies court claiming 'state secrets privilege' over deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García.

FIVE MINUTE NEWS

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2025 10:36


The Trump regime is invoking the “state secrets privilege” in an effort to avoid addressing a judge's inquiries regarding the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García to El Salvador. Join this channel for exclusive access and bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g/join Five Minute News is an Evergreen Podcast, covering politics, inequality, health and climate - delivering independent, unbiased and essential news for the US and across the world. Visit us online at http://www.fiveminute.news Follow us on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/fiveminutenews.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram http://instagram.com/fiveminnews Support us on Patreon http://www.patreon.com/fiveminutenews You can subscribe to Five Minute News with your preferred podcast app, ask your smart speaker, or enable Five Minute News as your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing skill. Please subscribe HERE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbwLFZhawBqK2b9gW08z3g?sub_confirmation=1 CONTENT DISCLAIMER The views and opinions expressed on this channel are those of the guests and authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Anthony Davis or Five Minute News LLC. Any content provided by our hosts, guests or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything, in line with the First Amendment right to free and protected speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ryan Gorman Show
TRENDING - South Florida Man Claiming To Be Diddy's Sex Slave Signed NDA

The Ryan Gorman Show

Play Episode Listen Later May 8, 2025 15:12


TRENDING - A South Florida man who claimed he was Diddy's sex slave reportedly signed an NDA in 2014, Pam Bondi's Epstein update, TikTok trend turns deadly, Trump's education secretary mocked over Harvard letter, man fights with Frontier agent, Florida dad's Disney cost video goes viral.

Christian Podcast Community
Why I Left Christianity - Rhett McLaughlin

Christian Podcast Community

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 6:53


I just finished watching part of Rhett McLaughlin's “Why I Left Christianity” podcast—and honestly, it's gut-wrenching. Not because it's new or intellectually groundbreaking, but because it's tragically familiar. These aren't fresh ideas; they're the same tired lies the enemy has been peddling for over 6,000 years.Rhett uses polished language and philosophical gaslighting to try and justify his departure from the faith. But when you peel back the layers, it's clear: he has committed moral suicide. He's compromised his ethics and reshaped his beliefs to fit a lifestyle and worldview that no longer wants to be held accountable to the God of the Bible. He has crafted a god in his own image—one that soothes his conscience rather than convicts his soul.As I watched, Romans 1:22 echoed loudly in my mind: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools.”This is what happens when someone surrounds themselves with voices that do not revere the Word of God. Rhett was elevated to celebrity status, and somewhere along the way, compromise crept in. To preserve a public image and support immoral ideologies—especially around sexuality—he had to abandon a biblical worldview. And that's exactly what he's done.Make no mistake: the devil despises humanity. All he needs is a moment of distraction to plant seeds of doubt that grow into deception.My heart breaks for Rhett. I am praying that he repents, turns back to the true and living God—King Jesus—and returns to the holiness he was called to walk in. Eternity is no small matter. The time to speak truth and call people back to the authority of Scripture is now.

Fitzy & Wippa
Claiming Your Dog As ‘Head Of Security'? Classic Aussie Move

Fitzy & Wippa

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 5:07 Transcription Available


We are here for your dodgy tax claims that you've put through to the ATO, we are talking mechanics claiming air-fryers, truck driver claiming swimwear and an Executive Producer claiming frizz dismissal...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clare FM - Podcasts
35% Drop In People Claiming Unemployment Benefit In Ennistymon

Clare FM - Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 4:10


The number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Clare has dropped by 12.5% in the last year. At the end of April, 3,827 people were on the live register in this county, 550 fewer than this time twelve months ago. The Ennistymon electoral area saw the greatest drop with the unemployment rate reducing from over 1,000 last year to 643. Managing Director of the Ailwee Burren Experience and ISME Council Rep Nuala Mulqueeney says they've seen a modest spike in business.

The State of Retirement: Shaping the Future
Episode 49: Social Security Claiming Timing and Older Adults' Financial Wellbeing (Webinar Audio)

The State of Retirement: Shaping the Future

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 62:38


Listen to the audio of this one-hour webinar held on April 30, 2025 to learn more about the CRI's latest research on this topic and hear from experts about the importance of Social Security claiming timing, how Social Security and private retirement savings work together, and the impact of decisions on overall retirement readiness and financial well-being.

West Chester Nazarene Church
The Wall & The Work – Owning It and Claiming It

West Chester Nazarene Church

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 36:33


The Wall & The Work May 4, 2025 Owning It and Claiming It – Pastor Alex Mahaffey

Mark Narrations - The Wafflecast Reddit Stories
Sister-In-Law Is Claiming My Relationship With My Siblings Is Weird And Toxic r/Relationships

Mark Narrations - The Wafflecast Reddit Stories

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2025 21:53


Relationship Reddit Stories, OP's sister-in-law is not happy with OP after SIL's husband(op's brother) takes OP on a dream trip. SIL is angry that OP didn't say thank you after the fact.0:00 Intro0:18 Story 13:57 Story 1 Comments4:53 Story 1 Update15:22 Story 1 Comments16:40 Story 218:53 Story 2 Comments / OP's Reply#redditupdate #redditrelationship #redditstoriesreddit Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/mark-narrations-the-wafflecast-reddit-stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Vital Goddess
How to Bust the Drama Cycle by Claiming Your Pleasure

The Vital Goddess

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2025 25:14


Drama.It's everywhere.It's expensive.It's exhausting.It's more addictive than caffeine. And the crash is worse too.Society runs on drama more than it runs on Dunkin.And it can run us into the ground.While drama is a part of life, it can be less so in yours.We can take the reins.Want my favorite way to pattern disrupt this madness?I've got you!Let's dive in!Dive deeper:Join my free resource library; The Goddess VaultLearn more about the Vital Goddess MastermindHere's a link to the Dr. Zach Bush episode I mentioned

New Song Students OKC
God Delusion - "Isn't Faith Outdated?" - Jackson Wilson

New Song Students OKC

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 57:53


1 Corinthians 1:17-25NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SLIDE***Corporate Cry: “God we need you to move in our midst to see people AWAKEN WITH HOPE, LIVE IN GRACE, and REST ON FAITH.”GOD DELUSION30 “‘No, father Abraham,' he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'”Luke 16:30-3116 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:1615 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…1 Peter 3:1522 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.1 Corinthians 1:17-2516 For I am not ashamed of the gospel…Romans 1:16“ISN'T RELIGION OUTDATED?”“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and will be proved right. We're [the Beatles] more popular than Jesus now—I don't know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity.”John LennonPride goes before destruction,    and a haughty spirit before a fall.Proverbs 16:18For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.1 Timothy4:3-4THE “GOSPEL” OF TECHNOLOGYTHE “GOSPEL” OF SCIENCEOne day, students in one of Albert Einstein's classes were saying they had decided that there was no God. Einstein asked them, how much of all the knowledge in the world they had amongst themselves collectively, as a class. The students discussed it for a while and decided they had 5% of all human knowledge amongst themselves. Einstein thought that their estimate was a little generous, but he replied: “Is it possible that God exists in the 95% that you don't know?”THE “GOSPEL” OF PERSONAL FREEDOM21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.Romans 1:21-23THE TRUTH IS WE ARE NOT GETTING BETTER OVER TIMEThe record of personal achievements and spiritual milestones he attained while still in his childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood is int itself remarkable. He began devouring Puritan classics at the age of five or six years old. He was strikingly converted when he was only fifteen, began to preach regularly when he was sixteen, and took his first pastorate in a country village at just seventeen. He received a call to pastor perhaps the most prominent Baptist church in London when only nineteen years old, and by the time he reached the age of twenty, he had already preached over 600 sermons. The first biography of Suprgeon, written by an American, appeared when he was only twenty-one years old. By his mid twenties, he was pastoring the largeset church in the entire protestant world. Alex DiPrimaTHE TRUTH IS BELIEF IN GOD IS GROWING; NOT DECLININGBarna's latest study shows that 66% of U.S. adults now say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today. That marks a 12-point increase since 2021, when the number reached its lowest level in more than 30 years of Barna tracking.“Undeniably, there is renewed interest in Jesus,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna. “This is the clearest trend we've seen in more than a decade pointing to spiritual renewal.”The growth has been especially concentrated among Gen Z and millennials. Gen Z men reported a 15-point increase in personal commitment to Jesus between 2019 and 2025. Millennial men reported a 19-point increase over the same period.Barna Research GroupWHY?THREE THINGS THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY OVER TIME:JESUS' IMPACT ON THE EARTHOUR LONGING FOR MORE10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:10-11OUR NEED FOR A PERFECT SACRIFICE11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.Hebrews 10:11-14

Tomi Lahren is Fearless
Walz MOCKED After Claiming Harris Picked Him as VP to “Talk to White Guys”

Tomi Lahren is Fearless

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 29:03


Tomi Lahren crowns her Losers of the Week! Followed by Media Personality and “Gender Madness” author, Oli London, who joins in to react to them and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

D&D Journey of the Fifth Edition
Iron Kingdom Outlaws episode 63

D&D Journey of the Fifth Edition

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 65:39


Huh... We're celebrating our 10 year anniversary of the Podcast: and the One year anniversary of this campaign! https://www.patreon.com/posts/were-celebrating-103480248   Iron Kingdoms: Requiem combines this fantastic setting with the newest edition of the world's most popular roleplaying game. Inside this book, players will find the history of the Iron Kingdoms and information describing the current state of the world following the Claiming. Alongside these chapters is an extensive gazetteer providing detailed information on the most notable of the world's unique and fascinating locations. When making a character, players will be able to choose from many of the familiar countries and cultures of the setting. Whether a player wants to be a human, gobber, trollkin, Rhulic dwarf, ogrun, Iosan, or Nyss elf, this book provides all the rules that make these different peoples unique. When choosing a class, there are options many players are already familiar with, from the stalwart man-at-arms fighter to the free-flowing monk of the Order of the Fist. Beyond these are brand-new rules for playing the characters that make the Iron Kingdoms such a memorable setting. These new classes include, among others, gun mages, arcane mechaniks, combat alchemists, and warcasters. Alongside these options are new feats, spells, and backgrounds to make characters feel even more a part of the world of the Iron Kingdoms. We are a group of video and tabletop RPG gamers who want to share our play throughs, joy and knowledge of games! Oh and about Strangelight, check out the kickstarter here, they are going to have hard copies published this August! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steamforged/iron-kingdoms-strangelight-workshop-5e Our Links Creative play and podcast creativeplayandpodcastnetwork.podbean.com Facebook facebook.com/gaming/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork D&DJourneyoftheFifthedition dndjourneyofthefifthedition.podbean.com Twitter twitter.com/CreativePPNet Twitch twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast   YouTube Channel details http://www.youtube.com/@creativeplayandpodcastnetw5402 Please support our shows at www.patreon.com/cppn and even join us in some games! Also keep an eye at the new things on our now affiliated Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/creativeplayandpodcast Also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CreativePlayandPodcastNetwork Would you be interested if we hosted D&D and Edge of Empire games on Roll20 for you to join? Email us at Creativeplaypodcastnet@Gmail.com

Bruce Downes Daily Devotional
Claiming the Victory of the Cross

Bruce Downes Daily Devotional

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 9:45


 Welcome!Bruce Downes Catholic Ministries is for people who are seeking to know more about God and Church and where believers from around the world can strengthen their walk with Christ.Like, comment & subscribe to stay updated with the latest content! Connect With Bruce At:► Website: https://BruceDownes.org ► Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCatholicGuyBruceDownes ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecatholicguy ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/thecatholicguy ► Online Store: https://brucedownes.org/store Consider Becoming a Faith Builders Partner:Everyone who donates to Bruce Downes Catholic Ministries is what we call a Faith Builder Partner. The team are working to build the faith of every person we connect with whether they are powerful or weak, rich or poor, young or old, in whatever city, town, village and country they are in. ►https://brucedownes.org/giving/#brucedownes​ #catholicministries​​​ #praytherosarv #devotional #dailydevotional

Retire With Purpose: The Retirement Podcast
496: Claiming Social Security Early: Is it the Right Strategy for You?

Retire With Purpose: The Retirement Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 22:46


Conventional financial wisdom encourages you to delay collecting Social Security benefits until age 70, but in certain cases, your “optimal” claiming age might actually be to pull benefits early.    In this episode, we discuss:  Factors that benefit filing early Your “breakeven” number of filing early vs. later How your rate of return should factor into your Social Security strategy Today's article is from Vanguard titled, Social Security: For Some, Early Claiming is Better. Listen in as Founder and CEO of Howard Bailey Financial, Casey Weade, breaks down the article and provides thoughtful insights and advice on how it applies to your unique financial situation. Show Notes: RetireWithPurpose.com/496

Prayer for Today with Jennifer Hadley
Prayer for Claiming A Healing

Prayer for Today with Jennifer Hadley

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 4:51


Prayer for Claiming A Healing for her Daily Spiritual Espresso published on April 24, 2025 which you can access here: https://powerofloveministry.net/2025/04/claiming-a-healing/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian Immigration Podcast
CIP 166: Express Entry Getting it Right - Mistakes Doctors Make

Canadian Immigration Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2025 30:21


Episode Summary In this essential episode of the Canadian Immigration Podcast, Mark Holthe and Alicia Backman-Beharry return with another instalment in the Express Entry “Getting it Right” series—this time focusing on physicians and healthcare professionals. While doctors may excel in their field, navigating Canadian immigration law is a whole different beast. Mark and Alicia explore the unique challenges medical professionals face in Express Entry applications—from the pitfalls of choosing the wrong ECA organization, to confusion around Canadian spouses, unpaid internships, and self-employed work experience. They also dig into the April 2023 policy change that allows self-employed physicians to finally claim Canadian work experience under CEC—if done correctly.

Lehto's Law
Man Arrested For Claiming He Bought Homes for $10

Lehto's Law

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2025 9:42


The claims were made in forged paperwork he filed. https://www.lehtoslaw.com

Were You Raised By Wolves?
Handling Hot Potatoes, Claiming Seats at Buffets, Talking During Musicals, and More

Were You Raised By Wolves?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 50:29


Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle handling hot potatoes, claiming seats at buffets, talking during musicals, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.) Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com EPISODE CONTENTS AMUSE-BOUCHE: Baked Potatoes A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Host gifts that are not wine QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: What's the correct way to claim a seat at a buffet? What to say when a stranger asks if my best friend and I are mother and daughter? VENT OR REPENT: Refusing hops seltzers, Talking during a musical CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks for the turkey information, Smiling on airplanes THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW Taters scene in "Lord of the Rings" List of things to bring other than wine YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO... Support our show through Patreon Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts Call, text, or email us your questions Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter Visit our official website Sign up for our newsletter Buy some fabulous official merchandise CREDITS Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton Theme Music: Rob Paravonian ADVERTISE ON OUR SHOW Click here for details TRANSCRIPT Episode 262 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dear Men
357: GirlTalk: What does it mean to “claim” her (and why does she love it)?

Dear Men

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 71:39


Want to generate sexual heat, and also inspire safety and a sense of belonging in your partner? Learn how to claim her!We've talked about claiming before on the podcast, especially with respect to building polarity. When a man is on the more passive side, it can feel lackluster and also confusing. As one woman put it, "Do you even want me?" This throws off polarity.When he knows how to take inspired action and lead by claiming us, we want to see him more! We feel the polarity. And because of that we feel more relaxed, uplifted, and yes, you guessed it: turned on!Here we delve more into what it means to us to feel claimed in sex, dating, and relationships -- and why we adore it.Work with usWant to go deeper than the podcast? Jason and I are ready to work with you! We specialize in helping men break old patterns and transform their sex & love lives for good. If you're looking for high-quality relationship advice, we've got it.To see if there's a fit for our flagship program Pillars of Presence, book a call here. Start anytime. (https://evolutionary.men/apply/)---Memorable quotes from the episode:"Claiming is NOT controlling.""I felt like ‘no' was not an acceptable answer." "You get the Friday 4pm text: ‘What are you up to tonight?'"“He came towards me with a smile.”“That was really great. I would love to take you to dinner sometime next week. When are you free?”“I want you next to me. I don't want to sleep alone tonight.”“This is in service of our relationship and our love and our connection.”“You don't have to carry the burden for every asshole.”“The experiences you want to have with women are just a claim away!”

Going Rogue With Caitlin Johnstone
The US Just Massacred Civilians In Yemen Without Even Claiming They're Military Targets

Going Rogue With Caitlin Johnstone

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 4:42


The US massacred civilians in Yemen with repeated strikes on a Hodeidah fuel port on Wednesday night, killing some 17 workers in the first bombing and five medical workers in the second "double tap" attack. Reading by Tim Foley.

Am I the Jerk?
Karen DEMANDS I hand over MY WALKER, claiming that I STOLE IT

Am I the Jerk?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 26:48


Enjoying the Journey
What Think Ye of Christ?

Enjoying the Journey

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2025 10:12


(1 John 2:18-25) The line that divides Christianity from all other religions is what it believes to be true concerning Christ. Claiming a general notion about God does not make you a Christian.  (0992250415)  Visit https://enjoyingthejourney.org/you-can-know/ to download the FREE “23 Birthmarks of the Believer” handout. 

Kings and Generals: History for our Future
3.146 Fall and Rise of China: Operation Nekka: the Invasion of Rehe

Kings and Generals: History for our Future

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 31:59


Last time we spoke about Manchukuo. In the early 1930s, Ishiwara Kanji sought to dominate Manchuria to secure resources and counter American influence. He envisioned Manchukuo as a Pan-Asian league promoting racial cooperation, despite it being a puppet state under Japan. With Puyi as a figurehead, Ishiwara aimed for autonomy, but his plans faced resistance from the Kwantung Army, which prioritized control. As conflicts arose, Ishiwara's vision of unity clashed with military interests, leading to his eventual isolation and reassignment, marking a tumultuous chapter in Manchukuo's history. In November 1931, Doihara orchestrated the "Tianjin Incident," facilitating the removal of Puyi from his home to establish the puppet state of "Manchukuo." By March 1932, Puyi was declared its ruler, but his authority was merely symbolic, overshadowed by Japanese control. Despite international condemnation, Japan solidified its grip on Manchuria, exploiting its resources and suppressing local resistance. By the late 1930s, Manchukuo became a colonial entity, suffering under harsh economic policies while Puyi's regime served as a facade for Japanese imperial ambitions.   #146 Operation Nekka: the Invasion of Rehe 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. From the very beginning of their consolidation of Manchukuo, the Kwantung Army regarded the province of Rehe, today's Jehol province, to be an integral part of it. According to some of the Kwantung Army leadership, all of Rehe would be necessary to consummate Manchukuo. In April of 1932, the IJA 8th Division based at Hirosaki in Aomori prefecture was transferred to Manchukuo under secret orders to prepare for an invasion of Rehe. Now Rehe province covers 160,00 square kilometers and back then held some 2.3 million people. Since 1926 it was ruled by General Tang Yulin. His direct command was over the NRA 36th division, consisting of 13,000 regular troops with a provincial militia of 8500 men. As was the Warlord practice of the time, Tang Yulin exploited his population. Now until July of 1932, Tang Yulin's attitude towards the emerging state of Manchukuo directly to his east was certainly favorable. That is because Tang Yulin favored the Japanese. During the debacle that was the invasion of Manchuria, Tang Yulin had done everything possible to prevent Zhang Xueliang from moving into Rehe whenever he was trying to consolidate forces there. Now Tang Yulin had no greater aspirations, its not like he loved Japan, or believed the Japanese were better leaders for his nation. What he was motivated by was a very practical concern, economics, more precisely the opium trade. Rehe number one source of income was opium, and they number one purchaser of it, was Manchuria. Thus as one can imagine, when Manchukuo was being formed, and the opium door closed on him, well he took heavy financial losses.  On July 17th of 1932, an incident broke out between the towns of Chaoyangxu and Nanling. A Japanese civilian employed by the Kwantung Army, Ishimoto Gonshiro was abducted by a Rehe militia group while taking the train from Jinzhou to Chaoyang. General Nishi Yoshikazu, the commander of the IJA 8th Division stationed at Jizhou, dispatched a small unit to rescue Ishimoto. In doing so they occupied Chaoyangxi, where they also protested the Rehe provincial government. This did not see Ishimoto handed over to them, so General Nishi bombarded Chaoyangxu and then had his forces advance upon Nanling. Even doing so, no Ishimoto to be found. So Nishi withdrew back to Jinzhou. The following year during what would become the invasion of Rehe, Ishimoto's body would be found at Chaoyangxu. Zhang Xueliang utilized this small incident to advance into Rehe. Claiming he was acting upon orders from Nanjing, he moved his Northeastern Army to the border of Rehe, due south of the Great Wall. Zhang Xueliang then threatened Tang Yulin and bribed his subordinates to defect over to him. Consequently, by late July, Tang Yulin tossed the towel and for the first time sanctioned passage of a volunteer army through Rehe. Come August Zhang Xueliang organized a volunteer force 40,000 strong, obviously all from his Northeastern army to advance from Gubeikou into Rehe, where he sought to confront the Kwantung Army if they advanced. Zhang Xueliang was heavily in contact with Chiang Kai-Shek during this period. Zhang Xueliang was making multiple proclamations about retaking Manchuria, and Chiang Kai-Shek was supporting him in that endeavor as best as he could. Meanwhile Tang Yulin was sort of stuck in the middle.  Between October 1932 to January 1933, Shanhaiguan, the strategic gateway and midpoint between Mukden and Beijing became the focal area of 3 major skirmishes.  The Boxer Protocol of 1901 dictated that some of the 8 nation alliance members, notably, France, Italy and Japan were allowed to maintain small contingents at Shanhaiguan. In 1932, the Japanese garrison there was 261, France had 61 men and Italy 69. After the establishment of Manchukuo, Japan had increased its garrison to have some more border guards in the town of Shanhaiguan itself. Of course the Chinese also had local troops, that was the 9th Independent Brigade commanded by Ho Chukuo, a force roughly of 9000 men. The first skirmish at Shanhaiguan broke out on October 1st, between Ho Chukuo's men and an armored train of troops from the IJA 8th Division. Another exact same event occurred on December 8th, both occasions were settled locally and peacefully with the Chinese offering an apology and indemnity payment. Then a third clash broke out on January 1st, but this one got out of hand.  The mastermind behind the third incident was Major Ochiai Jinkuro, the leader of the Japanese garrison at Shanhaiguan. Upon his orders, at 9pm, 3 Japanese soldiers tossed two hand grenades each into the backyard of the Japanese military police detachment and the railway track running in front of the Japanese garrison. This was of course immediately blamed upon the Chinese and at 11:30 pm Ochiai presented the local Chinese with 2 demands. The first was to evacuate the Chinese force and the second to allow the Japanese to occupy their south gate at Shanhaiguan for the time being. Now the Japanese had legitimate pretext for these demands based off the Boxer Protocol. It allowed them the right to ensure the security of the railway and telegraph lines and to defend their citizens and property within two miles of the railway zone. Since Ho Chukuo's troops allegedly disturbed the peace in said zone, the Japanese were in their right to ask them to depart.  According to Japanese sources, the Chinese refused at first then consented at 4:50 am on January 2nd. This effectively saw them surrender the south gate. However at 9:30 am the chief of staff for the Chinese Brigade requested that the takeover of said gate be postponed until the scheduled arrival of Ho Chukuo, coming over from Beiping. Ochiai turned down this request, whereupon the Chinese agreed that the south gate would be included within the area overseen by the Japanese. Yet at 10:50 am Japanese troops went to take over guarding the south gate whence Chinese guards tossed grenades at them. Yes, it is most certainly the Japanese who tossed those grenades. The Chinese account of this event is somewhat different. It asserts the Japanese attacked the gate while the issue of surrender was still being negotiated. By January 11th, China sent a formal appeal to Britain, France, the US and other signatories of the Boxer Protocol charging the Japanese for perverting the treaty to seize the south gate of Shanhaiguan. Meanwhile General Ho Chukuo called Ochiai from Qinhuangdao to tell him he would arrive by 8am on January 3rd to negotiate. But by 10am he failed to show up, as the Chinese and Japanese fired upon another. Ochiai thereupon resolved to take the south gate by force. By that point the IJA 8th Division had strengthened its position in front of Shanhaiguan. Two companies had become 10 and one air force company was made ready to strike. Additionally the commander of the 2nd China Fleet, Tsuda Shizue dispatched Hirado and the 16th Destroyer Squadron to Shanhaiguan and Qinhuangdao “to defend Japanese residents and assist the troops in case of hostilities”. At dawn on January 3rd, the Japanese launched a combined land, sea and air assault and by 2pm had taken Shanhaiguan. Ho Chukuo's forces were pushed to the Shih River where they were reinforced during the night and hastily constructed fortifications against the incoming Japanese. Henceforth a propaganda war emerged over Rehe. Japan charged that Zhang Xueliang was mobilizing large forces to advance into Rehe, while China claimed the same of the Japanese. The Chinese protested the Japanese seizure of Shanhaiguan, but none of the western powers would intervene. However the League of Nations constant condemnation of Japan ever since the Mukden incident provoked the Japanese on march 27th to simply walk out on the league. The ordeal also prompted Prince Saioji Kimmochi to dispatch Major General Umezu Yoshijiro, the chief of General affairs of the army general staff and Consul Tanaka Sotaro of the foreign ministry to go over and restrain the unruly troops at various positions in the Beiping-Tientsin region. Saionji's main concern was elevated by Army Minister Araki Sadao, who on March 6th stated to Harada Kumao “that if Japan were to land about 3 divisions at Qingdao and they strike into the Peiping-Tientsin region via Tsinan, Zhang Xueliang will probably flee even before they reach Tsinan. If we do anything at all, I'd like to act boldly and go that far”. Despite claims by various sources, mostly Chinese, the Shanhaiguan incident as it became known was not actually preplanned by the Kwantung Army, it really was an arbitrary act on the part of the garrison commander. How everything went down at Shanhaiguan provided vital intel on the Northeastern Army, and what to expect in Rehe. In December of 1932, the IJA 6th Division was dispatched to Manchuria and assigned security detail in southern Jilin province. They were given further secret orders to participate in what was going to be an operation in Rehe once they arrived to Manchuria. When the Shanhaiguan incident broke out, the Rehe operation was expedited rapidly. Therefore the IJA 6th and 8th Divisions west of the Liao River were immediately tossed into the operation. Given the foreign and domestic conditions, the Rehe operation was extremely dangerous. Tokyo HQ yet again sought to reign in the men, so they sent General Umezu to Manchuria to talk to the Kwantung leadership. The Kwantung leadership was adamant the operation be unleashed before the spring that, provided the operation did not extend beyond the Great Wall. To this Tokyo HQ yet again relented.  On January 27th of 1933, General Muto Nobuyoshi, then commander of the Kwantung Army, issued the following general order for the Rehe operation designated, Operation Nekka “The situation in Jehol has become increasingly serious day by day and has now developed into a state of affairs necessitating intervention. To strengthen the foundations of Manchukuo, the time is close at hand, as far as military operations by the Kwantung Army are concerned, to put the finishing touch on our sublime task. First, the affairs of Jehol province are unquestionably an internal problem of Manchukuo. They neither embrace nor are accompanied by any international implications. Because subjugation of the province is designed to strike a fatal blow to anti-Manchukuo, anti-Japan elements, these elements purposely confuse the distinction between Jehol and North China. They move troops into the province and, glossing over these matters, raise a loud outcry, propagandizing that Japan harbors designs of territorial aggression. In this manner they have endeavored to draw the restraining attention of the world, and every move of the Kwantung Army in Jehol—even the slightest raising of a hand or the stretching of a leg—is now the object of worldwide surveillance” At this stage the Kwantung Army treated the Rehe Operation as an internal matter of Manchukuo and did not openly talk about extending it beyond the Great Wall into Hubei. But their gunna. On January 26th, General Muto issued Order 466, kinda funny how its almost order 66, but I digress. This order directed the IJA 6th and 8th Divisions to prepare to invade Rehe. On February 9th, Muto drafted the “Rehe Subjugation Plan” to some staff officers. It stated “without specific orders, operations are not to be carid out in Hubei”. It also stipulated they should “foster and promote a climate leading to the downfall of Zhang Xueliang in North China, which is the strategic base for the disturbance of Manchukuo”. On February 27th, Muto issued Order 473 which repeated to the men again not to move into Hubei. On the 29th, Muto issued another  order “The subjugation of Jehol is purely and simply an internal problem of Manchukuo. In the light of our national policy, it must not develop into a provocation for war with China. This is why Kwantung Army Operations Order 473 stipulated that, unless specific orders are issued, operations are not to be conducted beyond the Great Wall in Hopei province. I fully expect you to issue strict orders to the various units under your command that, although our forces may act freely in Jehol, which is a part of Manchukuo, they are not, without an imperial command, allowed to take any action in Hopei province, which is separated from Jehol by the Great Wall. They should be admonished that, even in the light of local circumstances, they must never be blinded by tactical considerations and miss the main point of our national policy. (In particular, the garrison at Shanhaikuan should be doubly careful and not act beyond its authorized limits.) I have learned that His Imperial Majesty, the supreme commander, is gravely concerned about the foregoing and again issue these instructions in awe of His Majesty's concern”. Thus one can read between the lines here. Emperor Hirohito put his foot down and demanded no forces go past the great wall and to this the Kwantung Army obeyed. For Operation Nekka, the IJA 6th and 8th Division would have their own theaters of operation along a line running from Paotzu, the eastern most town in Rehe to Chaoyang. The northern zone was the IJA 6th divisions theater, the southern one was the 8th's. Geneal Sakamoto Masemon led the 6th Division and ordered his forces on February 23rd to advance north along the rail line between Tahushan and Tungliao, then on towards Tienshan, Xiawa and Chaoyang. Afterwards they would carry out operations in the Chifeng-Linxu-Tolun region.  General Nishi ordered his 8th Division, excluding one unit to advance along the border around Peipiao, towards Suichung on the 27th, then into the Lingyuan region. The other unit would secure as fast as possible the important gateways along the Great Wall of China: Qilingkou, Lenkou, Xufengkou, Lowenyukou and Manlankuan to protect their divisions flank. Afterwards they would seie Chengde and Gubeikou. However he also gave explicit orders "Without specific orders, operations must not be extended beyond the Great Wall into Hopei province,". So yeah, while they had direct orders to not advance beyond the Great Wall. . . they were going to basically capture all of the key passes of the Great Wall. Kind of playing with fire.  On the other side, on January 23rd, Zhang Xueliang was meeting with Chiang Kai-Shek and our old friend Duan Qirui to discuss how to prepare for what seemed to be an impending invasion of Rehe. Chiang Kai-Shek politely said to Duan Qirui "I sincerely hope that you will come south and give me your guidance at this time of national crisis,". The real reason he sent this request was because he did not want the Japanese to enlist their former lacky against him. At the meeting, according to a Japanese intelligence report, Zhang Xueliang insisted that Chiang Kai-Shek personally come north and assume direct command of the Northern troops. Chiang Kai-Shek refused on the grounds he had to deal with the communists in Jiangxi and sent in his place Yang Que, the current president of the Army Staff College and a graduate of the Japanese Army War College. Yang would arrive to Peiping with his staff on January 30th, where he devised a plan for joint operations with Zhang Xueliang. They anticipated the Kwantung Army would cross the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan, so their basic strategy was to concentrate a large force in its region, especially east of the Luan River. That forces mission would be to defend at all costs the front line at Qinhuangdao. The Japanese intelligence indicated the Chinese had roughly 50,000 men, including 7700 men of the 25th Division ld by Kuan Lincheng and 12800 men of the 2nd Division led by Yang Que who were sent to Miyun and Gubeikou. There were also reports that ancient art objects and documents from Peiping were being transported to Nanjing, beginning on January 10th. To the Chinese public this was shocking news as one could imagine. Operation Nekka was unleashed and showcased the rapid efficiency of the Kwantung Army. By March 2nd, the IJA 6th Division routed the 41st Army of General Sun Tienying; the IJA 14th Mixed Brigade of the IJA 8th Division captured the Lengkou pass on March 4th; while the Kawahara detachment captured Chengde near the border with Hubei. General Nishi then assembld his main force at Lingyuan as the 14th Mixed Brigade withdrew to Chapeng. On March 4th, Muto issued Order 480, directing the troops "to make preparations for operations in North China, firmly seizing the major passes along the Great Wall, mopping up resistance by remnant troops and bandits, and restoring peace and order in Jehol province." One unit of the IJA 8th Division was given the task of seizing the Gubeikou Pass and advanced to such on the 7th. Within the vicinity of Changshanyu, around 40 kilometers southwest of Chengde, they encountered 5000 advancing Chinese forces. Here one of the first of many fierce battles along the Great Wall came to be. Until roughly March 20th, the Kwantung Army was met with fierce counterattacks, coming from the main gateways of the Great Wall. Initially the fighting went tremendously wall for the Japanese, yet by March 10th, the 14th Mixed Brigade had taken Tungqiaku, Tiehmenkuan and Xifengkou. Two days later the IJA 8th Division began an assault upon Gubeikou. Nishi then sent the Hayakawa Brigade to seize Lowenyukou. Then on the 10th, after receiving reports the main passes were secured, General Muto took his HQ from Jinzhu to Changchun, believing everything was already won and done. However he would be very wrong, they had misjudged the Chinese strength.  On the 13th, Muti and Nishi received a report, that on the night of the 10th, the 14th Mixed Brigade at Xifengkou had come under heavy attack by a Chinese force led by General Song Qeyuang. Reinforcements were rapidly sent over, but they were unable to relieve the trapped brigade. On the 14th, Muto ordered Genera Sakamoto to lead the Mukai unit from the 6th Brigade to help out. With this the Chinese forces were driven off and then the Japanese began assaults upon Lengkou, Lowenyukou and Quehlingkou. On the 16th, the IJA 8th Division took Quehling, but the next day received a vicious counterattack by the NRA 116th Division. At Lowenyukou the Hayakawa Brigade was counterattacked by Song Cheyuan. The Hayakawa Brigade was still able to secure on portion of the Great Wall, it was constantly under attack and unable to progress further.  On the 22nd, Nishi was forced to order his Brigade to pull back to Chengde. Over at Lengkou, the Mukai unit managed to capture the town as the 14th Mixed Brigade at Xifengkou was attacked by the NRA 139th Division. Unable to repel the counterattacks, Nishi ordered his forces back 13 kilometers on the 24th. The battles at Quehlingkou and Lowenyukou were very intense. On March 18th, Muto realized the casualties were severe and taking the gateways was not showing progress. He therefore decided to divert the 6th Divisions attention to Lengkou in a flanking maneuver aimed at severing the Chinese supply lines to the gateways and as a result this would extend operations south of the Great Wall into the region east of the Luan River. Thus there we have it, they were going past the Great Wall against Emperor Hirohito's orders.  Operation Nekka, similar to Operation Jinzhou was deemed essential to establish and protect Manchukuo. However while the battles along the Great Wall were deemed necessary to create the borders for Manchukuo, their extension past that boundary literally brought them into the heart of North China. Unlike in Manchuria, the Chinese forces in North China held excellent morale, they were very willing to fight. On top of that, they had better logistics and were fighting on top of the Great Wall, which offered significant advantages. Thus from a tactical standpoint, the Japanese had to seize the gateways and flush out the Chinese from the areas. The Chinese remained defiant. Atop the walls the Chinese defenders would shout at the Japanese waving anti-Manchukuo and anti-Japanese flags.  Outside the ongoing battle, Chiang Kai-Shek had his own, perhaps in his mind, more important battle, the one with the communists. The encirclement campaigns had all gone to shit thus far. Added to this was the invasion of Manchuria and Shanghai. As Chiang Kai-Shek would later put it "tantamount to subjecting the Government to a pincer attack both from within and without." Basically Chiang Kai-Shek could choose to focus on the Japanese or communists. He figured going into a full war against Japan would be the end of himself and his government. Thus he worked to reach an agreement with the Japanese in May of 1932 which had ended the Shanghai incident. After doing so he released a slogan "first internal pacification, then resist external aggression". Upon doing so he unleashed his full attention upon the communists. As we have seen, Chiang Kai-Sheks last encirclement campaign proved successful. But as he was in the middle of it, Operation Nekka was unleashed. It looked extremely bad for Chiang Kai-Shek, for the KMT and for China in general. On March 20th, as a gesture to indicate to the masses Chiang Kai-Shek was doing his job, he dispatched 5 divisions, roughly 50,000 men from the Central Army north. Chiang Kai-Shek personally traveled north from Hankou to Beiping, but no further than that. Back on the 10th he had received the resignation of Zhang Xueliang, who had publicly been calling for a massive war against Japan so that Manchuria could be recovered. Chiang Kai-Shek had to replace him with General He Yingqin.  Another major development at this time, was our old and dear friend who never causes any trouble, Wang Jingwei returned from I believe his 20th time in exile. He came to resume his post as president of the Executive Yuan. Yet again Wang Jingwei was trying to reconcile with Chiang Kai-Shek. In reality and as many of you might guess, the only reason Chiang Kai-Shek never had this guy shot was because Wang Jingei had the firm backing of the left, thus in order to really grab the majority of the political class he had to play nice with him. For Wang Jingwei's part, much like starscream in transformers, yes I am using this as an analogy, hes just trying to overthrow megatron every chance he gets, but always fails like a dumb idiot. There was also the dichotomy between the two men. Wang Jingwei was seen as a civilian leader while Chiang Kai-Shek was seen as a military leader. So together they seemed like a perfect team, despite the fact they loathed each other. So Wang Jingwei became the civil administrator while Chiang Kai-Shek focused on the military. In regards to Japan, Wang Jingwei was following a conciliatory policy of "resistance on the one hand and negotiation on the other,” based on Chiang Kai-Sheks slogan "first internal pacification, then resist external aggression."  Following a fight with Zhang Xueliang in August of 1932 over the issue of defending Manchuria against the Kwantung Army, Wang Jingwei had resigned, trying to strongarm Chiang Kai-Shek to get rid of the young marshal. Thus like what had happened countless times before, Wang Jingwei said he was out on sick leave, and departed for Europe for supposed treatment. When he returned 6 months later, Operation Nekka had begun, although the Japanese troops had not yet then reached the Great Wall. Wang Jingwei immediately became acting foreign minister in place of Lu Wenkuan, a supporter of Zhang Xueliang, who was notably anti-japanese. Wang Jingwei kicked Lu Wenkuan over to Xinjiang to deal with some conflicts breaking out there, fun times for him as we know.  Meanwhile He Yingqin had been placed as the head of the Peiping branch military council, entrusted with control over all military matters in North China. He Yingqin went to work reorganizing the forces in north china in mid March, forming them into an effective battle order to face the Japanese. By bringing together the local, very disorganized forces into a unified command, He Yingqin hoped they would be capable alone to block the Japanese advance, leaving the central army out of the conflict. This was because Chiang Kai-Shek did not want to risk losing his central army, considered the most elite one in all of china. But Chiang Kai-Shek did come around to the idea of at least testing some units against the Kwantung forces. Above all Chiang Kai-Shek wanted to have his cake and eat it to. He wanted he population of China to think he was actively resisting, while in reality he was biding time. Central army units deployed around Gubeikou, the main gateway leading to the Peiping-Tientsin region. When the Kwantung army leaders were planning operation Nekka, they had believed it would not be necessary to go beyond the Great Wall, but once the fighting around the walls and gateways kicked off, they knew immediately they could not hope to take the wall areas without getting behind the enemy. Particularly they needed to get past the area east of the Luan River. Some 20 Chinese divisions had assembled in the Peiping-Tientsin region and were tossing endless counter attacks along the line of the Great Wall. In the Lengkou region a force of 7000 Central Chinese Army units had penetrated deep into Rehe and smashed the Mukai detachment of the IJA 8th Division. These counterattacks reaffirmed the Kwantung Army leadership it was necessary to go beyond the Great Wall. It should also be noted the Kwantung Army's operations in North China were not just military. The Japanese were plagued with logistical problems. There was a shortage of troops because they had driven into Rehe with only 20,000 men. Even the most determined Kwantung general did not believe their military prowess could overcome the plains of Hubei packed with an immeasurable amount of Chinese troops. Therefore they had to augment this military operation with political schemes aimed at the regional warlords. During the pacification of Manchuria, the tactic of bribing local elites had worked wonders and there was zero reason to believe it would not work in North China. All of this was done without any supervision from Tokyo HQ. On February 13th of 1933, Itagaki Seishiro, at the time chief of the Mukden Special Service Agency, was transferred to the General Staff without any official announcement of this promotion. He took a post in Tientsin, specifically to begin political maneuvers in eastern Hubei. This saw the birth of the Tientsin Special Service Agency. Initially this agency was attempting to lure all the competing warlords in North China, such as, Duan Qirui, Wu Peifu, Sun Chuanfang, but then began targeting Zhang Qingyao. Zhang Qingyao had once been the protege of Duan Qirui, acting as the civil and military governor of Henan province. He had fought against Zhang Zuolin in 1925 whereupon his allegiance had shifted over to Wu Peifu. During the second phase of the Northern Expedition, Zhang Qingyao had fought again against Zhang Zuolin, then controlling the National Pacification Army. When the Northern expedition was over, he joined Yan Xishans forces in Shanxi. Thus one could easily see he was not a man of many principals, nor any specific loyalties. The Tientsin Special Service Agency first proposed to reach out to Zhang Qingyao in the hopes he could organize a coup d'etat against Chiang Kai-Shek. It was further hoped he could get Song Queyuan, Zhang Zuoxiang, Fang Chenwu, Xu Yusan, Zhang Tingshu, Sun Tienying and Feng Zhanhai to join in. If they managed this, North China would fall in a single stroke. It was hoped this would be achieved as they were taking the Great Wall and were enroute towards Peiping. However on May 7th, Zhang Qingyao was assassinated, completely ruining the plan. 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. Operation Nekka had been unleashed with a large bang. 20,000 Japanese troops stormed Rehe province under strict orders not to go past the Great Wall of China. So they immediately began planning how to go past the Great Wall of China. Yet what they did not expect was the determination of the Chinese defenders, who were not going to allow them an easy time.

Morning Wire
The Sextortion Crisis Claiming the Lives of Teen Boys| 4.12.25

Morning Wire

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2025 10:45


A growing sextortion epidemic is driving a tragic rise in teen suicides, and families are fighting back to hold predators — and platforms — accountable. Get the facts first on Morning Wire.

The CLS Experience with Craig Siegel
Claiming Your Position

The CLS Experience with Craig Siegel

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 6:56


Unlock the secrets to living a life driven by your deepest desires, and embark on a journey to transform your mindset in our bonus episode of The CLS Experience. We invite you to explore how claiming your position in life can ignite breakthroughs and shift your consciousness, allowing you to pursue the life you truly want. We dive into the concept of whether desires choose you or you choose them, and how these whispers from the Light can guide you to your highest potential. This episode promises to help you break free from fear, doubt, and societal expectations, and connect with your purpose like never before. Let's go deep.1:16 - Awakening A Desire and Setting Big Goals 3:08 - Do you choose your desire or does your desire choose you? 4:02 - Allowing your deepest desires to guide your decisions4:58 - What Do You Truly Desire That Is Holding You Back from Pursuing It? To join our community click here.➤ To connect with Craig Siegel follow Craig on Instagram➤ Order a copy of my new book The Reinvention Formula today! ➤ Join our CLS texting community for free daily inspiration and business strategies to elevate your day, text (917) 634-3796To follow The CLS Experience and connect with Craig on Social Media:➤ INSTAGRAM➤ FACEBOOK➤ TIKTOK➤ YOUTUBE➤ WEBSITE➤ LINKEDIN➤ X