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Last time we spoke about the climax of the battle of Lake Khasan. In August, the Lake Khasan region became a tense theater of combat as Soviet and Japanese forces clashed around Changkufeng and Hill 52. The Soviets pushed a multi-front offensive, bolstered by artillery, tanks, and air power, yet the Japanese defenders held firm, aided by engineers, machine guns, and heavy guns. By the ninth and tenth, a stubborn Japanese resilience kept Hill 52 and Changkufeng in Japanese hands, though the price was steep and the field was littered with the costs of battle. Diplomatically, both sides aimed to confine the fighting and avoid a larger war. Negotiations trudged on, culminating in a tentative cease-fire draft for August eleventh: a halt to hostilities, positions to be held as of midnight on the tenth, and the creation of a border-demarcation commission. Moscow pressed for a neutral umpire; Tokyo resisted, accepting a Japanese participant but rejecting a neutral referee. The cease-fire was imperfect, with miscommunications and differing interpretations persisting.    #185 Operation Hainan 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. After what seemed like a lifetime over in the northern border between the USSR and Japan, today we are returning to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Now I thought it might be a bit jarring to dive into it, so let me do a brief summary of where we are at, in the year of 1939. As the calendar turned to 1939, the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had erupted in July 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and escalated into full-scale conflict, had evolved into a protracted quagmire for the Empire of Japan. What began as a swift campaign to subjugate the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek had, by the close of 1938, transformed into a war of attrition. Japanese forces, under the command of generals like Shunroku Hata and Yasuji Okamura, had achieved stunning territorial gains: the fall of Shanghai in November 1937 after a brutal three-month battle that cost over 200,000 Chinese lives; the infamous capture of Nanjing in December 1937, marked by the Nanjing Massacre where an estimated 300,000 civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed in a six-week orgy of violence; and the sequential occupations of Xuzhou in May 1938, Wuhan in October 1938, and Guangzhou that same month.  These victories secured Japan's control over China's eastern seaboard, major riverine arteries like the Yangtze, and key industrial centers, effectively stripping the Nationalists of much of their economic base. Yet, despite these advances, China refused to capitulate. Chiang's government had retreated inland to the mountainous stronghold of Chongqing in Sichuan province, where it regrouped amid the fog-laden gorges, drawing on the vast human reserves of China's interior and the resilient spirit of its people. By late 1938, Japanese casualties had mounted to approximately 50,000 killed and 200,000 wounded annually, straining the Imperial Japanese Army's resources and exposing the vulnerabilities of overextended supply lines deep into hostile territory. In Tokyo, the corridors of the Imperial General Headquarters and the Army Ministry buzzed with urgent deliberations during the winter of 1938-1939. The initial doctrine of "quick victory" through decisive battles, epitomized by the massive offensives of 1937 and 1938, had proven illusory. Japan's military planners, influenced by the Kwantung Army's experiences in Manchuria and the ongoing stalemate, recognized that China's sheer size, with its 4 million square miles and over 400 million inhabitants, rendered total conquest unfeasible without unacceptable costs. Intelligence reports highlighted the persistence of Chinese guerrilla warfare, particularly in the north where Communist forces under Mao Zedong's Eighth Route Army conducted hit-and-run operations from bases in Shanxi and Shaanxi, sabotaging railways and ambushing convoys. The Japanese response included brutal pacification campaigns, such as the early iterations of what would later formalize as the "Three Alls Policy" (kill all, burn all, loot all), aimed at devastating rural economies and isolating resistance pockets. But these measures only fueled further defiance. By early 1939, a strategic pivot was formalized: away from direct annihilation of Chinese armies toward a policy of economic strangulation. This "blockade and interdiction" approach sought to sever China's lifelines to external aid, choking off the flow of weapons, fuel, and materiel that sustained the Nationalist war effort. As one Japanese staff officer noted in internal memos, the goal was to "starve the dragon in its lair," acknowledging the limits of Japanese manpower, total forces in China numbered around 1 million by 1939, against China's inexhaustible reserves. Central to this new strategy were the three primary overland supply corridors that had emerged as China's backdoors to the world, compensating for the Japanese naval blockade that had sealed off most coastal ports since late 1937. The first and most iconic was the Burma Road, a 717-mile engineering marvel hastily constructed between 1937 and 1938 by over 200,000 Chinese and Burmese laborers under the direction of engineers like Chih-Ping Chen. Stretching from the railhead at Lashio in British Burma (modern Myanmar) through treacherous mountain passes and dense jungles to Kunming in Yunnan province, the road navigated elevations up to 7,000 feet with hundreds of hairpin turns and precarious bridges. By early 1939, it was operational, albeit plagued by monsoonal mudslides, banditry, and mechanical breakdowns of the imported trucks, many Ford and Chevrolet models supplied via British Rangoon. Despite these challenges, it funneled an increasing volume of aid: in 1939 alone, estimates suggest up to 10,000 tons per month of munitions, gasoline, and aircraft parts from Allied sources, including early Lend-Lease precursors from the United States. The road's completion in 1938 had been a direct response to the loss of southern ports, and its vulnerability to aerial interdiction made it a prime target in Japanese planning documents. The second lifeline was the Indochina route, centered on the French-built Yunnan-Vietnam Railway (also known as the Hanoi-Kunming Railway), a 465-mile narrow-gauge line completed in 1910 that linked the port of Haiphong in French Indochina to Kunming via Hanoi and Lao Cai. This colonial artery, supplemented by parallel roads and river transport along the Red River, became China's most efficient supply conduit in 1938-1939, exploiting France's uneasy neutrality. French authorities, under Governor-General Pierre Pasquier and later Georges Catroux, turned a blind eye to transshipments, allowing an average of 15,000 to 20,000 tons monthly in early 1939, far surpassing the Burma Road's initial capacity. Cargoes included Soviet arms rerouted via Vladivostok and American oil, with French complicity driven by anti-Japanese sentiment and profitable tolls. However, Japanese reconnaissance flights from bases in Guangdong noted the vulnerability of bridges and rail yards, leading to initial bombing raids by mid-1939. Diplomatic pressure mounted, with Tokyo issuing protests to Paris, foreshadowing the 1940 closure under Vichy France after the fall of France in Europe. The route's proximity to the South China Sea made it a focal point for Japanese naval strategists, who viewed it as a "leak in the blockade." The third corridor, often overlooked but critical, was the Northwest Highway through Soviet Central Asia and Xinjiang province. This overland network, upgraded between 1937 and 1941 with Soviet assistance, connected the Turkestan-Siberian Railway at Almaty (then Alma-Ata) to Lanzhou in Gansu via Urumqi, utilizing a mix of trucks, camel caravans, and rudimentary roads across the Gobi Desert and Tian Shan mountains. Under the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of August 1937 and subsequent aid agreements, Moscow supplied China with over 900 aircraft, 82 tanks, 1,300 artillery pieces, and vast quantities of ammunition and fuel between 1937 and 1941—much of it traversing this route. In 1938-1939, volumes peaked, with Soviet pilots and advisors even establishing air bases in Lanzhou. The highway's construction involved tens of thousands of Chinese laborers, facing harsh winters and logistical hurdles, but it delivered up to 2,000 tons monthly, including entire fighter squadrons like the Polikarpov I-16. Japanese intelligence, aware of this "Red lifeline," planned disruptions but were constrained by the ongoing Nomonhan Incident on the Manchurian-Soviet border in 1939, which diverted resources and highlighted the risks of provoking Moscow. These routes collectively sustained China's resistance, prompting Japan's high command to prioritize their severance. In March 1939, the South China Area Army was established under General Rikichi Andō (later succeeded by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi), headquartered in Guangzhou, with explicit orders to disrupt southern communications. Aerial campaigns intensified, with Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers from Wuhan and Guangzhou targeting Kunming's airfields and the Red River bridges, while diplomatic maneuvers pressured colonial powers: Britain faced demands during the June 1939 Tientsin Crisis to close the Burma Road, and France received ultimatums that culminated in the 1940 occupation of northern Indochina. Yet, direct assaults on Yunnan or Guangxi were deemed too arduous due to rugged terrain and disease risks. Instead, planners eyed peripheral objectives to encircle these arteries. This strategic calculus set the stage for the invasion of Hainan Island, a 13,000-square-mile landmass off Guangdong's southern coast, rich in iron and copper but strategically priceless for its position astride the Indochina route and proximity to Hong Kong. By February 1939, Japanese admirals like Nobutake Kondō of the 5th Fleet advocated seizure to establish air and naval bases, plugging blockade gaps and enabling raids on Haiphong and Kunming, a prelude to broader southern expansion that would echo into the Pacific War. Now after the fall campaign around Canton in autumn 1938, the Japanese 21st Army found itself embedded in a relentless effort to sever the enemy's lifelines. Its primary objective shifted from mere battlefield engagements to tightening the choke points of enemy supply, especially along the Canton–Hankou railway. Recognizing that war materiel continued to flow into the enemy's hands, the Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army to strike at every other supply route, one by one, until the arteries of logistics were stifled. The 21st Army undertook a series of decisive occupations to disrupt transport and provisioning from multiple directions. To sustain these difficult campaigns, Imperial General Headquarters reinforced the south China command, enabling greater operational depth and endurance. The 21st Army benefited from a series of reinforcements during 1939, which allowed a reorganization of assignments and missions: In late January, the Iida Detachment was reorganized into the Formosa Mixed Brigade and took part in the invasion of Hainan Island.  Hainan, just 15 miles across the Qiongzhou Strait from the mainland, represented a critical "loophole": it lay astride the Gulf of Tonkin, enabling smuggling of arms and materiel from Haiphong to Kunming, and offered potential airfields for bombing raids deep into Yunnan. Japanese interest in Hainan dated to the 1920s, driven by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, which eyed the island's tropical resources (rubber, iron, copper) and naval potential at ports like Sanya (Samah). Prewar surveys by Japanese firms, such as those documented in Ide Kiwata's Minami Shina no Sangyō to Keizai (1939), highlighted mineral wealth and strategic harbors. The fall of Guangzhou in October 1938 provided the perfect launchpad, but direct invasion was delayed until early 1939 amid debates between the IJA (favoring mainland advances) and IJN (prioritizing naval encirclement). The operation would also heavily align with broader "southward advance" (Nanshin-ron) doctrine foreshadowing invasions of French Indochina (1940) and the Pacific War. On the Chinese side, Hainan was lightly defended as part of Guangdong's "peace preservation" under General Yu Hanmou. Two security regiments, six guard battalions, and a self-defense corps, totaling around 7,000–10,000 poorly equipped troops guarded the island, supplemented by roughly 300 Communist guerrillas under Feng Baiju, who operated independently in the interior. The indigenous Li (Hlai) people in the mountainous south, alienated by Nationalist taxes, provided uneven support but later allied with Communists. The Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army, in cooperation with the Navy, to occupy and hold strategic points on the island near Haikou-Shih. The 21st Army commander assigned the Formosa Mixed Brigade to carry out this mission. Planning began in late 1938 under the IJN's Fifth Fleet, with IJA support from the 21st Army. The objective: secure northern and southern landing sites to bisect the island, establish air/naval bases, and exploit resources. Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō, commanding the fleet, emphasized surprise and air superiority. The invasion began under the cover of darkness on February 9, 1939, when Kondō's convoy entered Tsinghai Bay on the northern shore of Hainan and anchored at midnight. Japanese troops swiftly disembarked, encountering minimal initial resistance from the surprised Chinese defenders, and secured a beachhead in the northern zone. At 0300 hours on 10 February, the Formosa Mixed Brigade, operating in close cooperation with naval units, executed a surprise landing at the northeastern point of Tengmai Bay in north Hainan. By 04:30, the right flank reached the main road leading to Fengyingshih, while the left flank reached a position two kilometers south of Tienwei. By 07:00, the right flank unit had overcome light enemy resistance near Yehli and occupied Chiungshan. At that moment there were approximately 1,000 elements of the enemy's 5th Infantry Brigade (militia) at Chiungshan; about half of these troops were destroyed, and the remainder fled into the hills south of Tengmai in a state of disarray. Around 08:30 that same day, the left flank unit advanced to the vicinity of Shuchang and seized Hsiuying Heights. By 12:00, it occupied Haikou, the island's northern port city and administrative center, beginning around noon. Army and navy forces coordinated to mop up remaining pockets of resistance in the northern areas, overwhelming the scattered Chinese security units through superior firepower and organization. No large-scale battles are recorded in primary accounts; instead, the engagements were characterized by rapid advances and localized skirmishes, as the Chinese forces, lacking heavy artillery or air support, could not mount a sustained defense. By the end of the day, Japanese control over the north was consolidating, with Haikou falling under their occupation.Also on 10 February, the Brigade pushed forward to seize Cingang. Wenchang would be taken on the 22nd, followed by Chinglan Port on the 23rd. On February 11, the operation expanded southward when land combat units amphibiously assaulted Samah (now Sanya) at the island's southern tip. This landing allowed them to quickly seize key positions, including the port of Yulin (Yulinkang) and the town of Yai-Hsien (Yaxian, now part of Sanya). With these southern footholds secured, Japanese forces fanned out to subjugate the rest of the island, capturing inland areas and infrastructure with little organized opposition. Meanwhile, the landing party of the South China Navy Expeditionary Force, which had joined with the Army to secure Haikou, began landing on the island's southern shore at dawn on 14 February. They operated under the protection of naval and air units. By the same morning, the landing force had advanced to Sa-Riya and, by 12:00 hours, had captured Yulin Port. Chinese casualties were significant in the brief fighting; from January to May 1939, reports indicate the 11th security regiment alone suffered 8 officers and 162 soldiers killed, 3 officers and 16 wounded, and 5 officers and 68 missing, though figures for other units are unclear. Japanese losses were not publicly detailed but appear to have been light.  When crisis pressed upon them, Nationalist forces withdrew from coastal Haikou, shepherding the last civilians toward the sheltering embrace of the Wuzhi mountain range that bands the central spine of Hainan. From that high ground they sought to endure the storm, praying that the rugged hills might shield their families from the reach of war. Yet the Li country's mountains did not deliver a sanctuary free of conflict. Later in August of 1943, an uprising erupted among the Li,Wang Guoxing, a figure of local authority and stubborn resolve. His rebellion was swiftly crushed; in reprisal, the Nationalists executed a seizure of vengeance that extended far beyond the moment of defeat, claiming seven thousand members of Wang Guoxing's kin in his village. The episode was grim testimony to the brutal calculus of war, where retaliation and fear indelibly etched the landscape of family histories. Against this backdrop, the Communists under Feng Baiju and the native Li communities forged a vigorous guerrilla war against the occupiers. The struggle was not confined to partisan skirmishes alone; it unfolded as a broader contest of survival and resistance. The Japanese response was relentless and punitive, and it fell upon Li communities in western Hainan with particular ferocity, Sanya and Danzhou bore the brunt of violence, as did the many foreign laborers conscripted into service by the occupying power. The toll of these reprisals was stark: among hundreds of thousands of slave laborers pressed into service, tens of thousands perished. Of the 100,000 laborers drawn from Hong Kong, only about 20,000 survived the war's trials, a haunting reminder of the human cost embedded in the occupation. Strategically, the island of Hainan took on a new if coercive purpose. Portions of the island were designated as a naval administrative district, with the Hainan Guard District Headquarters established at Samah, signaling its role as a forward air base and as an operational flank for broader anti-Chiang Kai-shek efforts. In parallel, the island's rich iron and copper resources were exploited to sustain the war economy of the occupiers. The control of certain areas on Hainan provided a base of operations for incursions into Guangdong and French Indochina, while the airbases that dotted the island enabled long-range air raids that threaded routes from French Indochina and Burma into the heart of China. The island thus assumed a grim dual character: a frontier fortress for the occupiers and a ground for the prolonged suffering of its inhabitants. Hainan then served as a launchpad for later incursions into Guangdong and Indochina. Meanwhile after Wuhan's collapse, the Nationalist government's frontline strength remained formidable, even as attrition gnawed at its edges. By the winter of 1938–1939, the front line had swelled to 261 divisions of infantry and cavalry, complemented by 50 independent brigades. Yet the political and military fissures within the Kuomintang suggested fragility beneath the apparent depth of manpower. The most conspicuous rupture came with Wang Jingwei's defection, the vice president and chairman of the National Political Council, who fled to Hanoi on December 18, 1938, leading a procession of more than ten other KMT officials, including Chen Gongbo, Zhou Fohai, Chu Minqi, and Zeng Zhongming. In the harsh arithmetic of war, defections could not erase the country's common resolve to resist Japanese aggression, and the anti-Japanese national united front still served as a powerful instrument, rallying the Chinese populace to "face the national crisis together." Amid this political drama, Japan's strategy moved into a phase that sought to convert battlefield endurance into political consolidation. As early as January 11, 1938, Tokyo had convened an Imperial Conference and issued a framework for handling the China Incident that would shape the theater for years. The "Outline of Army Operations Guidance" and "Continental Order No. 241" designated the occupied territories as strategic assets to be held with minimal expansion beyond essential needs. The instruction mapped an operational zone that compressed action to a corridor between Anqing, Xinyang, Yuezhou, and Nanchang, while the broader line of occupation east of a line tracing West Sunit, Baotou, and the major river basins would be treated as pacified space. This was a doctrine of attrition, patience, and selective pressure—enough to hold ground, deny resources to the Chinese, and await a more opportune political rupture. Yet even as Japan sought political attrition, the war's tactical center of gravity drifted toward consolidation around Wuhan and the pathways that fed the Yangtze. In October 1938, after reducing Wuhan to a fortressed crescent of contested ground, the Japanese General Headquarters acknowledged the imperative to adapt to a protracted war. The new calculus prioritized political strategy alongside military operations: "We should attach importance to the offensive of political strategy, cultivate and strengthen the new regime, and make the National Government decline, which will be effective." If the National Government trembled under coercive pressure, it risked collapse, and if not immediately, then gradually through a staged series of operations. In practice, this meant reinforcing a centralized center while allowing peripheral fronts to be leveraged against Chongqing's grip on the war's moral economy. In the immediate post-Wuhan period, Japan divided its responsibilities and aimed at a standoff that would enable future offensives. The 11th Army Group, stationed in the Wuhan theater, became the spearhead of field attacks on China's interior, occupying a strategic triangle that included Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangxi, and protecting the rear of southwest China's line of defense. The central objective was not merely to seize territory, but to deny Chinese forces the capacity to maneuver along the critical rail and river corridors that fed the Nanjing–Jiujiang line and the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway. Central to this plan was Wuhan's security and the ability to constrain Jiujiang's access to the Yangtze, preserving a corridor for air power and logistics. The pre-war arrangement in early 1939 was a tableau of layered defenses and multiple war zones, designed to anticipate and blunt Japanese maneuver. By February 1939, the Ninth War Zone under Xue Yue stood in a tense standoff with the Japanese 11th Army along the Jiangxi and Hubei front south of the Yangtze. The Ninth War Zone's order of battle, Luo Zhuoying's 19th Army Group defending the northern Nanchang front, Wang Lingji's 30th Army Group near Wuning, Fan Songfu's 8th and 73rd Armies along Henglu, Tang Enbo's 31st Army Group guarding southern Hubei and northern Hunan, and Lu Han's 1st Army Group in reserve near Changsha and Liuyang, was a carefully calibrated attempt to absorb, delay, and disrupt any Xiushui major Japanese thrust toward Nanchang, a city whose strategic significance stretched beyond its own bounds. In the spring of 1939, Nanchang was the one city in southern China that Tokyo could not leave in Chinese hands. It was not simply another provincial capital; it was the beating heart of whatever remained of China's war effort south of the Yangtze, and the Japanese knew it. High above the Gan River, on the flat plains west of Poyang Lake, lay three of the finest airfields China had ever built: Qingyunpu, Daxiaochang, and Xiangtang. Constructed only a few years earlier with Soviet engineers and American loans, they were long, hard-surfaced, and ringed with hangars and fuel dumps. Here the Chinese Air Force had pulled back after the fall of Wuhan, and here the red-starred fighters and bombers of the Soviet volunteer groups still flew. From Nanchang's runways a determined pilot could reach Japanese-held Wuhan in twenty minutes, Guangzhou in less than an hour, and even strike the docks at Hong Kong if he pushed his range. Every week Japanese reconnaissance planes returned with photographs of fresh craters patched, new aircraft parked wing-to-wing, and Soviet pilots sunning themselves beside their I-16s. As long as those fields remained Chinese, Japan could never claim the sky. The city was more than airfields. It sat exactly where the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway met the line running north to Jiujiang and the Yangtze, a knot that tied together three provinces. Barges crowded Poyang Lake's western shore, unloading crates of Soviet ammunition and aviation fuel that had come up the river from the Indochina railway. Warehouses along the tracks bulged with shells and rice. To the Japanese staff officers plotting in Wuhan and Guangzhou, Nanchang looked less like a city and more like a loaded spring: if Chiang Kai-shek ever found the strength for a counteroffensive to retake the middle Yangtze, this would be the place from which it would leap. And so, in the cold March of 1939, the Imperial General Headquarters marked Nanchang in red on every map and gave General Okamura the order he had been waiting for: take it, whatever the cost. Capturing the city would do three things at once. It would blind the Chinese Air Force in the south by seizing or destroying the only bases from which it could still seriously operate. It would tear a hole in the last east–west rail line still feeding Free China. And it would shove the Nationalist armies another two hundred kilometers farther into the interior, buying Japan precious time to digest its earlier conquests and tighten the blockade. Above all, Nanchang was the final piece in a great aerial ring Japan was closing around southern China. Hainan had fallen in February, giving the navy its southern airfields. Wuhan and Guangzhou already belonged to the army. Once Nanchang was taken, Japanese aircraft would sit on a continuous arc of bases from the tropical beaches of the South China Sea to the banks of the Yangtze, and nothing (neither the Burma Road convoys nor the French railway from Hanoi) would move without their permission. Chiang Kai-shek's decision to strike first in the Nanchang region in March 1939 reflected both urgency and a desire to seize initiative before Japanese modernization of the battlefield could fully consolidate. On March 8, Chiang directed Xue Yue to prepare a preemptive attack intended to seize the offensive by March 15, focusing the Ninth War Zone's efforts on preventing a river-crossing assault and pinning Japanese forces in place. The plan called for a sequence of coordinated actions: the 19th Army Group to hold the northern front of Nanchang; the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Border Advance Army (the 8th and 73rd Armies) to strike the enemy's left flank from Wuning toward De'an and Ruichang; the 30th and 27th Army Groups to consolidate near Wuning; and the 1st Army Group to push toward Xiushui and Sandu, opening routes for subsequent operations. Yet even as Xue Yue pressed for action, the weather of logistics and training reminded observers that no victory could be taken for granted. By March 9–10, Xue Yue warned Chiang that troops were not adequately trained, supplies were scarce, and preparations were insufficient, requesting a postponement to March 24. Chiang's reply was resolute: the attack must commence no later than the 24th, for the aim was preemption and the desire to tether the enemy's forces before they could consolidate. When the moment of decision arrived, the Chinese army began to tense, and the Japanese, no strangers to rapid shifts in tempo—moved to exploit any hesitation or fog of mobilization. The Ninth War Zone's response crystallized into a defensive posture as the Japanese pressed forward, marking a transition from preemption to standoff as both sides tested the limits of resilience. The Japanese plan for what would become known as Operation Ren, aimed at severing the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway, breaking the enemy's line of communication, and isolating Nanchang, reflected a calculated synthesis of air power, armored mobility, and canalized ground offensives. On February 6, 1939, the Central China Expeditionary Army issued a set of precise directives: capture Nanchang to cut the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway and disrupt the southern reach of Anhui and Zhejiang provinces; seize Nanchang along the Nanchang–Xunyi axis to split enemy lines and "crush" Chinese resistance south of that zone; secure rear lines immediately after the city's fall; coordinate with naval air support to threaten Chinese logistics and airfields beyond the rear lines. The plan anticipated contingencies by pre-positioning heavy artillery and tanks in formations that could strike with speed and depth, a tactical evolution from previous frontal assaults. Okamura Yasuji, commander of the 11th Army, undertook a comprehensive program of reconnaissance, refining the assault plan with a renewed emphasis on speed and surprise. Aerial reconnaissance underlined the terrain, fortifications, and the disposition of Chinese forces, informing the selection of the Xiushui River crossing and the route of the main axis of attack. Okamura's decision to reorganize artillery and armor into concentrated tank groups, flanked by air support and advanced by long-range maneuver, marked a departure from the earlier method of distributing heavy weapons along the infantry front. Sumita Laishiro commanded the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, with more than 300 artillery pieces, while Hirokichi Ishii directed a force of 135 tanks and armored vehicles. This blended arms approach promised a breakthrough that would outpace the Chinese defenders and open routes for the main force. By mid-February 1939, Japanese preparations had taken on a high tempo. The 101st and 106th Divisions, along with attached artillery, assembled south of De'an, while tank contingents gathered north of De'an. The 6th Division began moving toward Ruoxi and Wuning, the Inoue Detachment took aim at the waterways of Poyang Lake, and the 16th and 9th Divisions conducted feints on the Han River's left bank. The orchestration of these movements—feints, riverine actions, and armored flanking, was designed to reduce the Chinese capacity to concentrate forces around Nanchang and to force the defenders into a less secure posture along the Nanchang–Jiujiang axis. Japan's southward strategy reframed the war: no longer a sprint to reduce Chinese forces in open fields, but a patient siege of lifelines, railways, and airbases. Hainan's seizure, the control of Nanchang's airfields, and the disruption of the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway exemplified a shift from large-scale battles to coercive pressure that sought to cripple Nationalist mobilization and erode Chongqing's capacity to sustain resistance. For China, the spring of 1939 underscored resilience amid mounting attrition. Chiang Kai-shek's insistence on offensive means to seize the initiative demonstrated strategic audacity, even as shortages and uneven training slowed tempo. The Ninth War Zone's defense, bolstered by makeshift airpower from Soviet and Allied lendings, kept open critical corridors and delayed Japan's consolidation. The war's human cost—massive casualties, forced labor, and the Li uprising on Hainan—illuminates the brutality that fueled both sides' resolve. In retrospect, the period around Canton, Wuhan, and Nanchang crystallizes a grim truth: the Sino-Japanese war was less a single crescendo of battles than a protracted contest of endurance, logistics, and political stamina. The early 1940s would widen these fault lines, but the groundwork laid in 1939, competition over supply routes, air control, and strategic rail nodes, would shape the war's pace and, ultimately, its outcome. The conflict's memory lies not only in the clashes' flash but in the stubborn persistence of a nation fighting to outlast a formidable adversary. 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. The Japanese invasion of Hainan and proceeding operations to stop logistical leaks into Nationalist China, showcased the complexity and scale of the growing Second Sino-Japanese War. It would not merely be a war of territorial conquest, Japan would have to strangle the colossus using every means necessary.  

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  God's grace gives us strength.Listen to what the Bible says, from Titus.(click for podcast)par te grace be God has appeared, bringing salvation at an men, instructing us at te intent ibac, denying ungodliness bal worldly lusts, vi would oyacyir soberly, righteously, bal godly o'r ibic present world;For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world;Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

Professor Toby Wilkinson. The Ptolemies leveraged Egypt's grain and gold to build a prosperous economy. They constructed the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Museum, which attracted scholars like Archimedes. Zenodotus, the first head librarian, invented bibliography to organize the Library's massive collection of scrolls. 1856 CLEOPATRA NEEDLE

This is the final week in our study of 400 years of Kings and Prophets from Solomon to Jeremiah. King Josiah     •    Young King seeks God     •    Spiritual cleansing of Jerusalem     •    Book of the Law discovered     •    Reform beyond Judah     •    Passover observance  - King Josiah gives an order to all people to observe God's Passover. This had not been celebrated according to what was written, not even in the days of the judges, nor in the days of any of the kings of Israel and Judah. Josiah made sure the celebration was carried out according to what was written in the Book of the Covenant. He, like David, was a man after God's own heart. He reads the scriptures and applies them and a time of revival begins.  We read in 2 Kings 23:25 "Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the LORD as he did - with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses."     •    Death at Megiddo - A prophetic word comes from Huldah telling Josiah of the judgment that is coming from God against the people, but that because Josiah's heart was repentant he would not see the judgment that would come.  During this time there was great international upheaval between Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon.  2 Kings 23:29 "While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo."  Jeremiah and the nation were devastated by the loss of king Josiah. Then Josiah's 3 sons reign. None were the king that their father was. They returned to the old ways for faithlessness to God. Josiah's 3 Sons     •    Jehoahaz - 2 Kings 23:31-33; 2 Chronicles 36:1-3 - reigned 3 month doing evil in the eyes of the Lord. He was imprisoned by Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, who was the one who had killed his father. Jehoahaz dies in Egypt.     •    Jehoiakim - 2 Kings 23:34 - 24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:4-8 - reigned 11 years and did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He was an evil and inefficient ruler. Constructed a new palace and Jeremiah denounces him for ignoring the people and ignoring God. Jehoiakim rejects Jeremiah and even burns the first copy of the book of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 36:23) The city of Jerusalem is overtaken in 605 BC by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and many of the people are deported to Babylon. (Daniel was one that was taken - Daniel 1:1-2). When Jehoiakim dies he is given the "burial of a donkey." Jeremiah 22:13-19. Johoiachin, his son reigns for 3 months doing evil like his father and was taken captive by Babylon - 2 Kings 24:8-16; 2 Chronicles 36:9-10     •    Zedekiah - 2 Kings 24:17 - 25:21; 2 Chronicles 36:11-21; Jeremiah 39:1-10 - reigns for 11 years and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Zedekiah breaks the treaty with Babylon (Ezekiel 17:18). He looks to Egypt for deliverance but didn't receive any. The false prophets encouraged him in his evil ways. Jeremiah warns Zedekiah of coming suffering and prophecies. But Zedekiah does not change his way and Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians and Zedekiah dies in a tragic way. Jeremiah 39:6-7.  And so ends our study with the nation, the city of Jerusalem a the Temple destroyed in 586 B.C.  Interestingly enough the Temple would once again be destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. in the same month, on the same day. This was a day Jesus predicted because they did not recognize Him and had rejected Him. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class Join us Sundays  https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Matthew Klein now knows the truth. The advent calendar was not some random antique that found its way to his doorstep by chance. It was built with purpose. Built with intent. Constructed from the charred remains of his childhood home — and from the cursed spirit board that destroyed his family thirty years ago.Wilbur Ward, the neighbor who ran toward the flames that Christmas Eve, saw something in that fire. Something that changed him. Something that compelled him to salvage the blackened wood, retreat to his shed, and craft an object of precise and deliberate malevolence before vanishing without a trace.But knowing the calendar's origin answers only part of the question. The greater mystery remains: What does it want? Why Matt? And what happens when the final door is opened on Christmas Eve — the anniversary of the night his family burned alive?Thirteen doors have been opened. Thirteen horrors have been unleashed. A man drowned. A woman crushed. Snakes coiled in a child's bed. Blood erupted from impossible spaces. And now, scattered across an icy driveway in upstate New York, dozens of human teeth lie in the snow — each one a grim promise that the calendar is far from finished.Eleven doors remain.The smoky odor that haunts Marshport. The hooded figure glimpsed at crime scenes. The apparition of Steven, smelling of ash and demanding obedience. These pieces orbit the calendar like satellites around a dark star, and Matt is only beginning to understand how they connect.He came to Bayville seeking closure. Instead, he found confirmation that the evil which took his family never truly died. It waited. It planned. And through Wilbur Ward's hands, it built itself a new vessel — one designed specifically for Matthew Klein.The calendar has rules. Matt has learned what happens when they're broken. But as the days count down toward Christmas, a more terrifying question emerges: What happens when they're followed? What awaits at the end of this twisted game?December 14th arrives with Matt still standing in Nicole Ward's driveway, bloody teeth at his feet, the calendar clutched in his trembling hands. The car crash smolders nearby. The shed full of Wilbur's creations stands open behind him.And somewhere, in the shadows between what is known and what is coming, a beast watches.Get the print version of the novel: https://weirddarkness.com/AdventOfEvil#WeirdDarkness #ChristmasHorror #HolidayHorror #SupernaturalThriller #HauntedCalendar #DarkChristmas #HorrorStory #DemonicEvil #CreepyTales #YuletideTerror

https://theresourcenexus.com/kentucky-basketball-22-million-nil-roster-disaster/Kentucky Basketball just suffered one of the worst losses in program history — a 35-point blowout to Gonzaga in what was essentially a home game in Nashville. With a reported $22 million NIL budget, this roster was supposed to compete for Final Fours, not fight for its tournament life.In this video, I break down how Kentucky built one of the most overpriced and poorly constructed rosters in college basketball, why several NIL decisions never made sense, and how the analytics predicted these issues months ago.From mispriced transfers like Kam Williams and Denzel Aberdeen, to risky investments like Jayden Quaintance coming off an ACL injury, to the complete collapse of Mark Pope's spacing and three-point shooting system — this is a deep dive into how a blueblood program mismanaged one of the largest NIL budgets in the sport.I also explain why the goal now should simply be to make the NCAA Tournament, hope for a late surge, and avoid a total meltdown that could put Pope in a must-win situation next season.If you're a Kentucky fan, a college basketball junkie, or someone following the evolution of NIL roster building, this breakdown gives you the full context, numbers, and model-based evaluation behind the Wildcats' $22 million disaster.

   Dont't seek revenge.Listen to what the Bible says, from Romans.(click for podcast)Don't seek skira yourselves, cyare, a' dinuir naritir at God's a'den. par bic is written, gra'tua belongs at ni; ni will repay, says te Lord. { Note: Deuteronomy 32:35 }Don`t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God`s wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord. { Note: Deuteronomy 32:35 }Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

  Don't be a fool.Listen to what the Bible says, from Proverbs.(click for podcast)A utreekov vents an be kaysh anger, a' a wise tratur brings himself chur control.A fool vents all of his anger, but a wise man brings himself under control.Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

Mike and Charlie interviewed Blake Ruffino, the founder of the "Are You Serious" Sports Network, and Tulane head football coach Jon Sumrall. The guys reviewed the top options for the Green Wave's coaching vacancy. Audacy NFL Insider Mark Schlereth, the host of "The Stinkin' Truth" podcast, joined Sports Talk to evaluate Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough and New Orleans' roster. Steve and Charlie reported on the Saints' kicker situation and Zion Williamson's latest injury. They also spoke to Oleh Kosel, a credentialed NBA reporter covering the Pelicans, and listened to LSU AD Verge Ausberry's media availability following Lane Kiffin's introductory press conference.

GLOBALISM STARTED WITH THE TOWER IF BABELWe often think of Globalism as a modern concept-but nothing could be further than the truth. Today, I am going to show you that what we consider modern day globalism is an attempt by sinful man to consolidate and centralize power against God's will. Let's get started.According to Webster dictionary “GLOBALISM is a national policy of treating the whole world as a proper sphere for (a single) political influence compare. WEBSTER than add's two additional SUB-HEADINGS which include: 1) IMPERIALISM-which is governmental power over an entire country and often over smaller-weaker countries through influence but more often through military power. and 2) INTERNATIONALISM which Webster Dictionary gives an example as follows: “The era was marked by the expansion of liberal internationalism, economic globalization and U.S.-led-and CONSTRUCTED multilateralism.Plase SUBSCRIBE to our Channel!!!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reason-for-truth--2774396/support.

  Be self-controlled!Listen to what the Bible says, from 1 Peter.(click for podcast)cuyir sober bal self-controlled. cuyir watchful. gar adversary te devil, walks rud emuurir a roaring lion, seeking whom kaysh may eparavur.Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible 

fWotD Episode 3131: Mechanical Turk Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 30 November 2025, is Mechanical Turk.The Mechanical Turk, also known as the Automaton Chess Player (German: Schachtürke, lit. 'chess Turk'; Hungarian: A Török), or simply the Turk, was a chess-playing machine, first displayed in 1770, which appeared to be able to play a strong game of chess autonomously, but whose pieces were in reality moved via levers and magnets by a chess master hidden in its lower cavity. The machine was toured and exhibited for 84 years as an automaton, and continued giving occasional exhibitions until 1854, when it was destroyed in a fire. In 1857, an article published by the owner's son provided the first full explanation of the mechanism, which had been widely suspected to be a hoax but never accurately described while the machine still existed.Constructed by Wolfgang von Kempelen to impress Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the Turk won most games, including those against statesmen such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Benjamin Franklin. It was purchased in 1804 by Johann Nepomuk Mälzel, who continued to exhibit it. Chess masters who operated it over this later period included Johann Allgaier, Boncourt, Aaron Alexandre, William Lewis, Jacques Mouret and William Schlumberger, but its operators during Kempelen's original tour remain unknown. The device could also perform the knight's tour, a puzzle that required the player to move a knight to visit every square of a chessboard exactly once.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:30 UTC on Sunday, 30 November 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Mechanical Turk on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Brian.

   God gives the means for self-control.Listen to what the Bible says, from 1 Corinthians.(click for podcast)nayc temptation has taken gar except meg is common at tratur. God is faithful, Tion'ad will not duumir gar at cuyir tempted above meg gar are liser, a' will ti te temptation also gotal'ur te way cuyir eyaytir, ibac gar may be liser at atiniir bic.No temptation has taken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but will with the temptation also make the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

   Paul strove to manage self-control.Listen to what the Bible says, from 1 Corinthians.(click for podcast)a' ni brokar ner baar bal bring bic lo submission, lest de any means, after ni ganar preached at others, ni myself should cuyir rejected.but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

It's small sample size theater, but the numbers on the starting group are pretty damning. They're so bad that they're sinking the net rating on Luka/LeBron/Austin minutes completely, something that can't continue. The guys discuss the Lakers' ceiling now, then what it'd be with one realistic move. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Inspiring episode this week! Khord and IgnitedxSoul hop on the pod this week to tell us about Beacon Constructed, a Standard-like format composed of sets from the Beacon of Creation server. This contained setup has a lot of advantages and helps them playtest with each other.  Join Beacon of Creation's Discord: https://discord.gg/t88Vpwh Show Notes and Images: https://beaconofcreation.com Intro music by Dee Culp

   Our faith can build us up!Listen to what the Bible says, from 2 Peter.(click for podcast)elek, bal par ibic ori cause adding bat gar part an diligence, o'r gar faith supply moral excellence; bal o'r moral excellence, knowledge; bal o'r knowledge, self-control; bal o'r self-control patience; bal o'r patience godliness;Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness;Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

New Twins Manager Derek Shelton joins Chad for two segments to talk about how he constructed his coaching staff, what the current roster looks like and much more!

    There is power in being slow...Listen to what the Bible says, from Proverbs.(click for podcast)One Tion'ad is slow at anger is jate'shya than te mighty; one Tion'ad rules kaysh spirit, than kaysh Tion'ad takes a oriya.One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.Listen to the Word, it reaches even to galaxies far, far awayOnline Bible

Live Fundraider

It's hoped the development of new infrastructure in West Clare will encourage people with reduced mobility to swim. It follows a grant of €25,000 in funding, which will provide four sea shelters across Kilkee and Spanish Point. The funds will also provide for non-slip matting and accessible hand rails to enter and exit the water. Founder of Snamhaí Sásta June Curtin believes it will be hugely beneficial.

Canterbury is paving the way for the country's first rubber road. Selwyn District Council is planning a rubber road surface trial at Glentunnel on State Highway 77 in January. Treadlite New Zealand is the only company providing the recycled rubber granules for use in pavements in the country. Chief Executive Brad Pierce told Mike Hosking this isn't new technology, it's just New Zealand catching up. He says adding 10% rubber into the road makes it quieter, last 20% longer, and takes a valuable resource out of landfill. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris listened and reacted to Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer's comments about what the club is focused on adding this offseason.

Huge thank you to our sponsors, Fusion Gaming Online.You can find them here: www.FusionGamingOnline.com. You want a 5% discount off all of your MTG order? Head over to Fusion Gaming Online and use exclusive promo code: CCONATION at checkout.Want your deck or topic featured on Commander Cookout Podcast?Check out the reward tiers at Patreon.com/CCOPodcast. There are a lot of fun and unique benefits to pledging. Like the CCO Discord or getting your deck featured on the show.Ryan's solo podcast, Commander ad Populum:https://www.spreaker.com/show/commander-ad-populumInterested in MTG/Commander History? Check out Commander History Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mtg-commander-history--6128728You can listen to CCO Podcast anywhere better podcasts are found as well as on CommanderCookout.com.Now, Hit our Theme Song!Social media:https://www.CommanderCookout.comhttps://www.Instagram.com/CommanderCookouthttps://www.Facebook.com/CCOPodca

Jeffrey Epstein didn't just commit crimes — he engineered a system built to enable them. He created an infrastructure that blended wealth, real estate, aviation, and power into a self-sustaining operation of exploitation. His vast network of properties — from the Manhattan mansion wired with hidden cameras to the Zorro Ranch in New Mexico and the private islands of Little Saint James and Great Saint James in the U.S. Virgin Islands — served as hubs for trafficking, coercion, and control. His fleet of private aircraft, including the infamous Boeing 727 nicknamed the Lolita Express, allowed him to move victims and powerful associates across jurisdictions under the guise of philanthropy or business. Beneath it all was a web of shell companies, offshore trusts, and foundations such as the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation, which he used to launder reputation, attract scientists, and fund elite academic programs that bought him credibility and access. Every element of his life was deliberately structured to make his crimes invisible and his victims disposable.But the most disturbing part of Epstein's infrastructure was human, not material. His “assistants,” “recruiters,” and legal fixers formed an ecosystem that blurred the lines between employee and accomplice. Some were former victims turned groomers; others were accountants, lawyers, and estate managers who ensured money flowed smoothly while scrutiny was diverted. Epstein's connections with elite universities, financiers, royals, and politicians gave him protection that few criminals could dream of — a shield built out of favors, influence, and blackmail potential. His empire ran like a corporation of abuse, complete with logistics, finance, HR, and crisis management. Long after his death, the remnants of that infrastructure — from sealed documents to estate managers still under investigation — show that Epstein's power didn't end with him. It was a system by design, not accident — a case study in how money and manipulation can industrialize human exploitation.to contact  me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Welcome to The Rose and Rockstar - with the Chief Troublemaker at Seventh Bear, Robert Rose, behind the bar serving one of his splendid cocktails while our host Ian Truscott, a CMO but not a rockstar, picks his brain on a marketing topic.  As Robert is a prolific writer, Ian returns to pulling at the thread of Robert's writing process that they discussed last month. This week, they explore the process that Robert has developed for using ChatGPT as a writing and research assistant. The discussion includes: Robert's 8-point process for developing content with AI Training ChatGPT to interview Robert about a topic Creating a 'show Bible' for a topic for a collection of content assets Pressure testing an idea with AI and the unexpected insights this can give How this process actually takes more work and time, but improves the quality Robert also shared an excellent point about having ChatGPT create the content, versus following this sort of process that takes you on a creative journey.   “Constructed content is only loved after it exists, while created content is loved before it exists”. If you have a question for the bar or an opinion on this week's discussion, please get in touch - just search “rockstar cmo” on the interwebs or LinkedIn. Enjoy! — The Links The people: Ian Truscott on LinkedIn Robert Rose on LinkedIn Mentioned this week Robert's podcast with Joe Pulizzi - Atlas Shrugged: Is OpenAI Coming for Google? (503) Ian's firm - Velocity B Robert's newsletter: Lens, his websites, robertrose.net and seventhbear.com Rockstar CMO: The Beat Newsletter that we send every Monday Rockstar CMO on the web, Twitter, and LinkedIn Previous episodes and all the show notes: Rockstar CMO FM. Track List: We'll be right back by Stienski & Mass Media on YouTube Piano Music is by Johnny Easton, shared under a Creative Commons license You can listen to this on all good podcast platforms, like Apple, Amazon and Spotify. This podcast is part of the Marketing Podcast Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

venmo.   Dharmapunxnyc patreon. www.patreon.com/dharmapunxnyc

Seeing key offseason additions like Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry, and Robert Spillane make big impacts, you have to tip your cap with how the Patriots put together a roster that is currently rolling.

Wang Guo-ren's deer sculpture measures well over 10 feet if you include its antlers. Constructed completely of fallen pieces of wood and tree branches that have been colorfully painted, the deer seems to have magically taken up residence on the lawn outside of the Taiwanese American Arts Council House 17.   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/eco-art-on-island-the-deer-god-and-wearable-art-now-at-governors-island-house-17-ep-330/   Inside of the house we spoke with Julia Hsia about her exhibit “Wear Enough” which includes artifacts made with paper and receipts.   In September we ventured over to Governors Island to meet artists in residence Wang Guo-ren and his sculpture entitled the Deer God, and Julia Hsia.   This year's house theme is Eco Art on Island and as you hear at the beginning of the episode we were outside with the lovely sounds of nature like birds, and the more than occasional airplane flying overhead, many of which had to be edited out. Special thanks to Julia Hsia for helping to translate for Guo-ren at the beginning of the episode, before we moved indoors to interview her.   Related Links: https://talkingtaiwan.com/eco-art-on-island-the-deer-god-and-wearable-art-now-at-governors-island-house-17-ep-330/

Hear an encouraging message from Pastor Devin Gough!

If you're a parent in America, it's possible your kids have it better in many ways than children ever have. Yet many trials, real or perceived, are coming for adolescents aiming for adulthood.Perhaps there is a need for more hope and less mope to help make kids (and their parents) ready for the future?Constructed from a series of letters from a father to his daughters, Raising Tomorrow is an entertaining rant driven by curiosity, hope, and humor for both parents and kids. Each chapter offers a focused conversation on an important topic.In this playbook for perspective, you will discover:Thought-provoking views on issues kids face, from identity and work to love and technologyActionable ideas and stories to spark honest, useful talks between parents and kidsInsights and tools for kids and parents that help foster independence, responsibility and resilience.The next generation will need to be more independent and interdependent than ever. How we all we raise our children will make a profound difference.Raising Tomorrow aims to inspire conversation and action among parents and kids to try to help us all be confident, compassionate, and competent grown-ups.Kepler and James talk about the various subjects he brings up in the book Raising Tomorrow (available on Amazon)

Send in a question or comment via text.Anxiety that you cannot control, that keeps coming back, that you don't understand and are terrified of, will trick you into believing that something is really wrong. But what if that intense fear you experience—while absolutely real—is based on a prediction your brain is making that isn't actually true?In this episode, I speak with Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, neuroscientist and author of How Emotions Are Made and 7 1/2 Lessons About The Brain about how anxiety is constructed in the brain. Dr. Barrett explains the theory of constructed emotions and how your brain uses predictive processing to create your internal experience of fear and anxiety.In this conversation, we explore:How anxiety is constructed in the brain through predictive processing, not reactive circuitsWhy your brain's primary job is managing your "body budget" and how this relates to anxietyThe difference between your experience being real versus the prediction being accurateHow your brain uses past experiences to construct categories and predict future threatsWhy anxiety disorders may involve predictions that are either too general or too specificWhat "practicing predicting differently" means and how it can help with anxiety recoveryDr. Barrett's personal experience using these principles to manage stage fright before her TED talkThe role of interoception in how your brain constructs anxietyWhy changing how anxiety is constructed in your brain is hard work that requires practiceThis conversation gets technical at times, but offers valuable insights into why anxiety feels so real and compelling, even when you're not actually in danger. Understanding how anxiety is constructed in the brain has important implications for how we approach recovery from panic disorder, agoraphobia, OCD, and other anxiety disorders.Resources mentioned:Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett's website: LisaFeldmanBarrett.comHow Emotions Are Made by Dr. Lisa Feldman BarrettDr. Barrett's TED Talk7 1/2 Lessons About The Brain by Dr Lisa Feldman BarrettFor Show Notes On This Episode:https://theanxioustruth.com/327Support The Anxious Truth: If you find the podcast helpful and want to support my work, you can buy me a coffee. Other ways to support my work like buying a book or signing up for a low cost workshop can be found on my website. None of this is never required, but always appreciated! Interested in doing therapy with me? For more information on working with me directly to overcome your anxiety, follow this link.Disclaimer: The Anxious Truth is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Listening to The Anxious Truth does not create a therapeutic relationship between you and the host or guests of the podcast. Information here is provided for psychoeducational purposes. As always, when you have questions about your own well-being, please consult your mental health and/or medical care providers. If you are having a mental health crisis, always reach out immediately for in-person help.

The Constructed Self: Exploring the Concept of Invention in Human Identity  We all know that smartphones, iPads, and computers are inventions, but generally, we don't tend to think of ourselves as inventions. If you meet somebody and they say, "Where are you from?" They're not asking, "Where were you manufactured?" Or they're not saying, "Where were you invented?" They're just, "Where were you born?" So we would not quite use that 'invention' word to describe our human personalities. However, if we delve even deeper, there is a workbook lesson in the Course where Jesus says, "I have invented the world I see." So he's using the invented word. All inventions are constructed. They're like products, but the mind has fallen asleep and forgotten that it believes in separation from God and forgot that it's dreaming. So it doesn't tend to think of itself as a construct. Jesus says, "You think of the body as an end instead of a means.” New events with David Hoffmeister and Living Miracles The Way of the Mystic – Weekend Revivals. Starting September 28: Intro Session Come join David Hoffmeister & the Living Miracles community every weekend for our FREE online revivals! To participate online in a Movie Gathering, join our online community: https://programs.the-christ.net/courses/membership-weekly-online-movie-gatherings Join our online community:  https://programs.the-christ.net/products/communities/tribe-of-christ Who is David Hoffmeister?: https://davidhoffmeister.com/ If you are interested to know more about David Hoffmeister and Living Miracles events, here is more information:  https://circle.livingmiraclescenter.org/events. Read A Course in Miracles online here: https://acourseinmiraclesnow.com/ Learn more about David Hoffmeister here: https://davidhoffmeister.com

Hayden is back and Super Slam is here! This week on the pod we explore what Super Slam is going to do for Classic Constructed and discuss the decks to play for the early weeks of the Super Slam season. Which heroes look set for success in the Pro Quest Yokohama season kicking off next weekend?! Tune in and find out! Special Thanks to our Tome of Fyendal Patrons Derrick Correia & Brandon Hartman Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ArsenalPass Review Us: https://ratethispodcast.com/arsenalpass Email: arsenalpassfab@gmail.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhUUppHaVDBUOJHXL-a0EQ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6H2Y8uTHZaVgxpjhnTBn6n?si=R6Uya7paT_e2HOr4n2KC-w X: @Fyen_Dale (Hayden) X: @EthnicSmoke (Pankaj) Hosts: Hayden Dale & Pankaj Bhojwani

In episode 97, Theresa and Kathryn talk with Chris Ricketts, music educator, curriculum leader, and doctoral researcher from Portsmouth, UK. Chris shares insights from his work across nine schools in the Bohunt Education Trust, where he focuses on curriculum development, student voice, and building inclusive, co-constructed learning experiences that reflect students' real musical lives. He discusses the challenges of engaging students in music beyond the compulsory years, the role of teacher autonomy, and how authentic student choice can transform classroom culture.Chris also reflects on his research and international experiences, including presenting at the Association for Popular Music Education Conference in the U.S. We explore practical ways to embed student voice—through songwriting, peer feedback, ensemble work, and co-constructed projects—and the importance of balancing autonomy with structure. Whether you're teaching in a traditional ensemble or experimenting with modern band, Chris offers thought-provoking ideas and actionable strategies for amplifying student voices and making music education more relevant, engaging, and empowering.Connect with Chris and learn more: Website: https://www.music-curriculum.co.uk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.ricketts.35 Learn more about Pass the Baton: Pass the Baton websiteJoin the Coffee ClubSupport Pass the Baton Amplify student voice with Exit Tickets for Self Reflection

Buds!Super Slam is here and Tommy is ready to talk about EVERY SINGLE CARD!Like, comment, and subscribe!FRESH JUICE: An Indie Game Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/@FreshJuicePodMerch! - https://www.berrygoodembroidery.com/freshandbudsTommy's Linktree: linktr.ee/freshbudspod

First: Reform is naff – and that's why people like itGareth Roberts warns this week that ‘the Overton window is shifting' but in a very unexpected way. Nigel Farage is ahead in the polls – not only because his party is ‘bracingly right-wing', but ‘because Reform is camp'. Farage offers what Britain wants: ‘a cheeky, up-yours, never-mind-the-knockers revolt against our agonisingly earnest political masters'.‘From Farage on down,' Roberts argues, ‘there is a glorious kind of naffness' to Reform: daytime-TV aesthetics, ‘bargain-basement' celebrities and big-breasted local councillors. ‘The progressive activists thought they could win the culture war simply by saying they had won it', but ‘the John Bulls and Greasy Joans are stirring again'. Roberts loves how ‘the current excitement over flag-raising' is the ‘conniptions' it gives to ‘the FBPE crowd'. Of course, for Farage, planning for government ‘really cannot be a pantomime affair'. But ‘in these grim times' we ‘need the romping Reform'. Gareth joins the podcast to make his case for Carry On Reform.Next: the ‘she' consumed by masculine rageLionel Shriver reacts to the latest school shooting in America. The perpetrator was widely reported in the media with the pronouns ‘she/her' which, Lionel argues, is not just an issue around politeness. This glosses over the fact that the shooter was biologically male, adding to the majority of cases of school shootings that are conducting by men. By pandering to this incoherence of the reality of the situation, it doesn't help society to uncover the reasons behind the issue.Lionel joined the podcast alongside the Spectator's US editor Freddy Gray. Freddy points out how this shooting is just one example of how younger people can be transfixed by the very darkest sides of the internet.And finally: why people make up languages Constructed language expert Dr Bettina Beinhoff and author and historian Peter Parker join the podcast to talk about ‘made-up' languages. Why do humans construct languages outside of their every-day speech? Most people will have heard of Klingon or Elvish, used in books and film, but what about Polari – the subversive language used by groups of LGBT people decades ago – or the Potato language – which writer Melanie Ferbreach says her parents used to hide their conversations from her. Listeners may be impressed to hear Lara's own attempt at 'eggy-peggy'...Plus: with a special introduction from our political editor, Tim Shipman interviews shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick – is he trying to outflank Farage? Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First: Reform is naff – and that's why people like itGareth Roberts warns this week that ‘the Overton window is shifting' but in a very unexpected way. Nigel Farage is ahead in the polls – not only because his party is ‘bracingly right-wing', but ‘because Reform is camp'. Farage offers what Britain wants: ‘a cheeky, up-yours, never-mind-the-knockers revolt against our agonisingly earnest political masters'.‘From Farage on down,' Roberts argues, ‘there is a glorious kind of naffness' to Reform: daytime-TV aesthetics, ‘bargain-basement' celebrities and big-breasted local councillors. ‘The progressive activists thought they could win the culture war simply by saying they had won it', but ‘the John Bulls and Greasy Joans are stirring again'. Roberts loves how ‘the current excitement over flag-raising' is the ‘conniptions' it gives to ‘the FBPE crowd'. Of course, for Farage, planning for government ‘really cannot be a pantomime affair'. But ‘in these grim times' we ‘need the romping Reform'. Gareth joins the podcast to make his case for Carry On Reform.Next: the ‘she' consumed by masculine rageLionel Shriver reacts to the latest school shooting in America. The perpetrator was widely reported in the media with the pronouns ‘she/her' which, Lionel argues, is not just an issue around politeness. This glosses over the fact that the shooter was biologically male, adding to the majority of cases of school shootings that are conducting by men. By pandering to this incoherence of the reality of the situation, it doesn't help society to uncover the reasons behind the issue.Lionel joined the podcast alongside the Spectator's US editor Freddy Gray. Freddy points out how this shooting is just one example of how younger people can be transfixed by the very darkest sides of the internet.And finally: why people make up languages Constructed language expert Dr Bettina Beinhoff and author and historian Peter Parker join the podcast to talk about ‘made-up' languages. Why do humans construct languages outside of their every-day speech? Most people will have heard of Klingon or Elvish, used in books and film, but what about Polari – the subversive language used by groups of LGBT people decades ago – or the Potato language – which writer Melanie Ferbreach says her parents used to hide their conversations from her. Listeners may be impressed to hear Lara's own attempt at 'eggy-peggy'...Plus: with a special introduction from our political editor, Tim Shipman interviews shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick – is he trying to outflank Farage? Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast.Produced by Patrick Gibbons and Natasha Feroze.Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts. Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder how to build a career, business, or financial plan that actually lasts — no matter what life throws at you? This week, we're bringing you lessons from someone who's done it for more than five generations. Cheryl McKissick Daniel, president and CEO of McKissick & McKissick, joins Joe and OG to share the strategies her family has used to overcome obstacles, land major deals (like the arena in Brooklyn and countless buildings on the historic register of places), and turn connections into opportunities. Whether you're growing a business, climbing the career ladder, or managing your money, you'll walk away with practical ideas to strengthen your network, protect your reputation, and keep moving forward. From the art of negotiation to turning big challenges into bigger wins, Cheryl offers insights you can use right now to build momentum. We'll explore how revisiting your financial plan regularly can help you avoid surprises, why reputation is an asset you can't afford to neglect, and how a strong team can take you further, faster. Plus, we'll take a break for our TikTok Minute to look at what happens when your vacation budget disappears in the name of “fun” spending. And in our headline segment, we'll cover important Medicare and insurance updates that could save you money and headaches later. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: How to use your reputation as a currency that opens doors and attracts opportunities Strategies for building a network that works for you (even when you're not in the room) Lessons from landing multi-million-dollar deals — and how to apply them to your own negotiations Why regularly reviewing your financial plan can save you from costly surprises Smart adjustments to Medicare and insurance that protect your money and peace of mind How to turn adversity into momentum, whether in your career or personal finances A lighthearted look at how “just a little fun” can destroy your budget faster than you think FULL SHOW NOTES: https://stackingbenjamins.com/story-about-building-america-1721 Deeper dives with curated links, topics, and discussions are in our newsletter, The 201, available at https://www.stackingbenjamins.com/201 Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gerry has tournaments coming up in EVERY Constructed format. *** NEW SPONSOR vaultgamestore.com Use code "GerryT" for 5% off your order or 5% bonus credit on trade-in! *** patreon.com/gerrytpodcast youtube.com/g3rryt twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/_DaveShiels twitch.tv/gerry_t Edited by: twitter.com/hereliesasianjon *** Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi

Gerry has some weird events on the horizon, which means he needs to pay attention to every major constructed format. Surprisingly, Edge of Eternities seems to be having a relevant effect on each of them. *** patreon.com/gerrytpodcast youtube.com/arenadecklists twitter.com/g3rryt twitter.com/_DaveShiels twitch.tv/gerry_t Edited by: twitter.com/heresasianjon *** Music: Mega Man 2 "Ending theme" Remix by zookun | Music composed by Manami Matsumae & Takashi Tateishi

Christina Kantzavelos is a neurodivergent, and first-generation (third culture) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), life coach, writer and chronic illness warrior.  She received both her BA and MSW from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and her MLIS from San Jose State University (SJSU). Tyler Orr, LPC/MHSP (TN), LCMHC (NC), NCC, is the creator of Constructed Awareness (CA) and President of the Constructed Awareness Institute. He offers an interactive, here-and now approach to counseling, consulting, and teaching that integrates mindfulness, nonviolence, and process-oriented approaches. If you'd like to learn more about CA, visit www.constructedawareness.com or email Tyler directly at info@constructedawareness.com.In This Episodeconstructedawareness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/constructedawareness/https://www.youtube.com/@constructedawarenessChristina's websiteNeural Retraining informationConstructed AwarenessYou can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSaThe Trauma Therapist Podcast:  I interview thought-leaders in the fields of trauma, mindfulness, addiction and yoga such as Peter Levine, Pat Ogden, Bessel van der Kolk and Bruce Perry. https://bit.ly/3VRNy8zBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.

Constructed of granite-lined concrete and reinforced with steel, the vault is located at the centre of the building. Gold began arriving in January 1937, transported by the U.S. Army in a series of high-security rail ...

We're back to our journey into Un'goro Crater, and we have four classes of cards to explore this week! Plus: Masters Tour Spring Championship, Constructed balance changes, and more! News – 18:33 Balance Teaser Upcoming community events Battlegrounds stability fixes Tournaments – 38:13 Masters Tour Spring Championship Recap Decksplanations – 55:11 Lost City of Un'goro Cards Neutral Mage Shaman Druid Demon Hunter The Show Notes for this week's episode are on our Website Join us every week live, by following us on Twitch You can monetarily support our show on Patreon for perks like a thank you at the top of the show, bonus post-show content, early access to new episodes, one on one coaching sessions, and help support the show in the process! Join our community chats in our Discord channels and write in to our Email at coinconcede@gmail.com. Follow us on Bluesky  Save our RSS feed or subscribe to us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or Spotify  

In Episode 398 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger stroll past the Spite Wall in Westminster, Massachusetts. Constructed in 1852 by Edmund Proctor, the giant colonial wall was made to block the view from Proctor's neighbor, Farwell Morse, a religious zealot who didn't approve of his neighbor working on the sabbath day. The wall still stands today as a testament to spite.    See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-398-the-great-wall-of-spite/    Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends               Check out Jeff's new underground publication Shadow Zine! https://shadowzine.com/              Listen to Ray's Local Raydio! https://localraydio.com/    

Get the full 2 hour interviews with THC+: Subscribe via our website and get the Plus show on your usual podcast apps with a custom RSS feed or at TheHighersideChats.com Subscribe via Patreon, including the full Plus archive, a dedicated RSS feed, Spotify, & payment through Paypal. Subscribe via check, cash, money order, or crypto with […] The post Gary Fraughen | Occult Control, Constructed Culture, & Hidden Codes Of The Power Pyramid appeared first on The Higherside Chats.

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! Nestled at the intersection of 13th Street and Kansas Avenue in Atchison, Kansas, stands the majestic McInteer Villa. Constructed in 1889 by Irish immigrant John McInteer, this historic mansion has woven itself into the fabric of local lore with its tales of unexplained hauntings. From lights flickering mysteriously to children laughing and ghostly apparitions, the McInteer Villa has long captured the imagination of those drawn to the supernatural, including Stephanie O'Reilly. When she realized this stately mansion was for sale, she became obsessed. And in 2018, she and her father became the proud owners of this incredible piece of history, along with its hauntings. However charming its exterior may appear, the McInteer Villa holds many ghostly secrets. There's an undeniable mystique surrounding it, hinting at a bond that keeps spirits lingering within its confines while enticing the living to venture to Atchison, Kansas, in search of paranormal encounters. Today on the Grave Talks, the 1889 McInteer Villa, with owner Stephanie O'Reilly. This is Part Two of our conversation. For more information on tours and overnight investigations, visit their website, 1889mcinteervilla.com. Become a GRAVE KEEPER and get access to ALL of our EPISODES - AD FREE, BONUS EPISODES & ADVANCE EPISODES!!! Sign up through Apple Podcast Channel or Patreon. Sign up through Apple Podcasts or Patreon http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! Nestled at the intersection of 13th Street and Kansas Avenue in Atchison, Kansas, stands the majestic McInteer Villa. Constructed in 1889 by Irish immigrant John McInteer, this historic mansion has woven itself into the fabric of local lore with its tales of unexplained hauntings. From lights flickering mysteriously to children laughing and ghostly apparitions, the McInteer Villa has long captured the imagination of those drawn to the supernatural, including Stephanie O'Reilly. When she realized this stately mansion was for sale, she became obsessed. And in 2018, she and her father became the proud owners of this incredible piece of history, along with its hauntings. However charming its exterior may appear, the McInteer Villa holds many ghostly secrets. There's an undeniable mystique surrounding it, hinting at a bond that keeps spirits lingering within its confines while enticing the living to venture to Atchison, Kansas, in search of paranormal encounters. Today on the Grave Talks, the 1889 McInteer Villa, with owner Stephanie O'Reilly. For more information on tours and overnight investigations, visit their website, 1889mcinteervilla.com. Become a GRAVE KEEPER and get access to ALL of our EPISODES - AD FREE, BONUS EPISODES & ADVANCE EPISODES!!! Sign up through Apple Podcast Channel or Patreon. Sign up through Apple Podcasts or Patreon http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks