Podcasts about contradicting

Get the free Core Drives in the Wild guide, behavioral design applied to real products: professorgame.com/WildCD Episode Summary Rob breaks down why a product can feel stitched together even when every team involved did excellent work, using Conway's Law as the lens: organizations that design systems are constrained to produce designs that copy their own communication structures. He walks through three real cases, a regional sales dashboard at Procter & Gamble where each region had picked a defensible and incompatible way to count sales, a client engagement where technology decision rights sat with a team that carried none of the consequences, and a project where several functions held contradicting views on what the design should optimize for. The argument is that functionality degrades gracefully under that fragmentation while motivational design does not, because the effect lives in the loop between Core Drives rather than in any single mechanic. Listeners learn where organizational seams show up inside the product and how to test for alignment before any design work starts. About the Host Rob Alvarez is Head of Engagement Strategy, Europe at The Octalysis Group (TOG), a leading gamification and behavioral design consultancy. A globally recognized gamification strategist and TEDx speaker, he founded and hosts Professor Game, the #1 gamification podcast, and has interviewed hundreds of global experts. He designs evidence-based engagement systems that drive motivation, loyalty, and results, and teaches LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and gamification at top institutions including IE Business School, EFMD, and EBS University across Europe, the Americas, and Asia. Key Takeaways Melvin E. Conway argued in Datamation that organizations which design systems are constrained to produce designs that copy their own communication structures, which is why a product built across four departments reaches the user as four products. At Procter & Gamble, every region had chosen a defensible way to count sales, with its own aggregation rules and its own view of the target, so a single regional dashboard failed on reconciliation rather than on SKU volume or technical complexity. When the team that picks the technology carries none of the consequences of that choice, the decision optimizes for minimizing spend rather than for the problem the product owner is accountable for delivering. Functionality degrades gracefully under organizational fragmentation, because a fragmented dashboard is still a working dashboard. Motivational design does not degrade gracefully, because the effect lives in the loop, so reordering or removing pieces collapses it. Contradicting business metrics across functions is the failure that stops a project rather than slowing it. Business metrics are the first input to the design, so changing them after delivery means redesigning a significant part of the experience. Before any design starts, ask four people from four different departments what this product should optimize for. Matching answers mean design can begin. Different answers mean the alignment work comes first. Topics Covered 0:00 - Opening hook, everybody did great work 0:30 - The single sales dashboard problem 1:35 - Where Conway's Law comes from 2:18 - First case, every region counted sales differently 5:06 - Second case, decision rights sat elsewhere 8:34 - Why functionality degrades gracefully 9:05 - Why motivational design does not 11:29 - Third case, contradicting business metrics 14:53 - Comparing the three failures 16:30 - Specialization and owning the whole result Mentioned in This Episode Conway's Law, from "How Do Committees Invent?" by Melvin E. Conway, Datamation, 1968 The Octalysis Framework and the 8 Core Drives Core Drives in the Wild, the free Professor Game guide Free Resources and Get in Touch Core Drives in the Wild: Professor Game Free Guide Get Daily Value on Your Email Let's chat about your gamification project YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Facebook Start Your Community on Skool for Free Ask a question

As a content creator, there will be many times when you contradict yourself. What type of creator are you are you going to get embarrassed or are you going to learn to evolve your ideas as you evolve yourself? CONQUER SHYNESS

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the Battle of Hong kong. Japan's rise as a threat to British interests accelerated through the 1920s and intensified after invading China. Britain's response remained contradictory—diplomatically conciliatory yet militarily apprehensive. While Singapore and Malaya received substantial reinforcements, Hong Kong was acknowledged indefensible, yet the 1936 Defence Scheme attempted to fortify it as an island fortress. Governor Northcote urgently advocated evacuation, recognizing the futility of defense. London rejected this, fearing it would demoralize China and forfeit sovereignty claims. Reinforcement requests from commanders like Grasett fell on deaf ears until Grasett independently lobbied Canadian leaders. This persistence finally convinced Churchill to dispatch two additional battalions. On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces attacked across three fronts with overwhelming force. Within hours, the RAF was destroyed on the ground, demolitions proved ineffective, and British units rapidly retreated toward the Gin Drinkers Line, facing an enemy that outnumbered and outmaneuvered them from the opening moments.   #217 The Battle of Hong Kong Part 2: the Island Aflame 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. Around 1500 hours on 9 December, Colonel Doi of the 228th Regiment arrived at Needle Hill, just north of the Gin Drinkers Line, ahead of his main force. For two hours he studied the British defensive positions through binoculars, noting trenches and bunkers—and to his surprise, washing lines fluttering with white clothes. The sight spoke volumes about the 2 Royal Scots' lax discipline. Then fog descended, reducing visibility to barely twenty meters, and heavy rain obscured the landscape. Doi sensed a fleeting advantage but lost radio contact with his battalions. Worse still, the Shing Mun Redoubt lay outside his regimental boundary, making an unauthorized attack a serious breach of protocol. When his units finally arrived, supporting artillery remained unavailable, held up by demolished roads. Doi chose to attack anyway. Doi ordered the 2nd Battalion to scout the eastern approach while the 3rd Battalion spearheaded the main assault. Major Nishiyana commanded the 3rd, sending Lieutenant Wakabayashi and Kasugai with 150 volunteers to lead. The Shing Mun Redoubt itself comprised five concrete pillboxes and an artillery observation post, connected by underground tunnels named after London landmarks—Piccadilly, Haymarket, and others. The whole complex sat on small rises above Jubilee Dam, then the British Empire's tallest. Defending the redoubt was A Company, 2 Royal Scots, under Captain Jones—just three officers and 39 men. One platoon of 25 soldiers under 2nd Lieutenant Thompson held the forward positions. Against this stood 150 Japanese attackers, with another 1,500 troops in reserve. Battalion orders forbade using the concrete works as fighting positions; they were meant for the Vickers machine-gun team and artillery protection. No mines could spare the redoubt's perimeter. On the night of the 9th, roughly half the defenders sheltered in the observation post while the remainder manned pillboxes 401b and 402. At 2000 hours, Thompson led a nine-man patrol northward to check Needle Hill and Shing Mun Valley. Despite two and a half hours in the field, the patrol returned at 2220 hours without detecting the Japanese force massing just 500 meters away. By that time, Lieutenant Kasugai's assault group had crossed Jubilee Dam undetected, bypassed unmanned Post X, and assembled below Pillbox 401b. At 2200 hours, Japanese sappers cut through two lines of wire. At 2300—H-Hour—Lance Corporal Laird heard movement in the bushes and opened fire. The Japanese answered with grenades and rushed the pillbox lines. One team entered the tunnel system; another hurled grenades through the air vents. Corporal Campbell swung his Vickers toward Pillbox 401, catching Japanese headquarters personnel in the open. Sergeant Robb mustered a counter-attack force of thirteen men. Five fell as casualties—Laird, Basnett, Coyle, Casey, and Jardine. Casey was killed; only Jardine escaped. The alert triggered gunfire from the observation post's defenders, and Forward Observer Wilcox called down 4.5-inch and 6-inch artillery fire. Without strong reinforcement and leadership, four Royal Scots and an Indian sentry abandoned the northern positions and withdrew to the observation post. Captain Jones received orders from Brigade to counter-attack, but delegated the task to Thompson. As Thompson attempted to leave the observation post, he found the gate locked from outside. This calamity had a backstory: just before the attack, Thompson had admitted a civilian at the request of Force 163 (SOE's sabotage unit in Singapore). Private Wylie had taken the observation post key from Lance Naik Kishan Singh and, upon exit, locked the gate behind him. The three officers were now literally locked out of the battle. Second Lieutenant Mochizuki and his platoon infiltrated through open trenches and began attacking the observation post from above, attempting to breach the hatches. The defenders held for three hours before Japanese sappers forced explosives down the air vents. At 0230 hours, the blast killed two Indian signallers inside. Thompson sustained a severe eye wound from grenade shrapnel; Jones and Warrant Officer Mead were both wounded. The remaining fifteen defenders surrendered; eleven became casualties. Meanwhile, a Rajput patrol engaging Japanese forces in the river valley managed to drive them back toward the redoubt. One final pillbox endured for another eleven hours before suffering the same sapper treatment. By 0400 hours on 10 December, the entire redoubt was lost. For just two killed, the Japanese had achieved a decisive victory—the breakthrough that would shift the entire campaign's trajectory. By dawn, a Japanese flag flew triumphantly from Point 255.   Major-General Maltby's assessment was stark: "This was calamitous, for Shing Mun was the key to the whole of the left position." Yet the Japanese perspective differed sharply. Having achieved a breakthrough, Colonel Doi received astonishing orders to withdraw—his success had transgressed into the 230th Regiment's sector and violated the meticulously prepared war plan. Doi refused. After heated confrontation with Major-General Ito and Lieutenant-General Sakai, his insubordination was later censured, though a divisional staff officer, Oyadomani, bore the scapegoat's burden of rebuke for failing to restrain Doi's initiative. With Shing Mun secured, Doi methodically fed reinforcements into the position. Throughout December 10th, the Japanese remained uncertain of their advantage and adopted a cautious strategy, probing British lines to exploit the evident disorder. Brigadier Wallis ordered the Royal Scots to mount an immediate dawn counterattack supported by the Rajputs and artillery. Lieutenant-Colonel White demurred; his battalion lacked any reasonable prospect of success. The resulting counterattack proved half-hearted at best. At first light on December 11th, the Japanese pressed Golden Hill forcefully, only to be repulsed by Captain Newton's Rajputs and gunfire from HMS Cicala. White positioned D Company in shallow shell scrapes and rusted wire—inadequate defenses against Japanese assault. Captain Pinkerton led a desperate bayonet charge that morning, temporarily clearing the Japanese and enabling the evacuation of wounded. Yet B, C, and D Companies absorbed devastating losses; Captains Rose and Richardson fell commanding their positions. With the Royal Scots collapsing, X Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and armored support rushed westward to seal the widening gap along Castle Peak Road. Meanwhile, Maltby grappled with alarming reports: Japanese landings on Lantau Island southwest of Hong Kong. Heavy artillery drove them back. A second probe at Aberdeen, where Special Naval Landing Forces approached within 300 yards of the naval base, was repelled by Canadian machine-gun fire. In hindsight, these were mere feints—never intended as the primary thrust. The stratagem succeeded. Maltby retained his island reserves—the Middlesex and two Canadian battalions—precisely where they would be needed. Had Wallis executed a forceful counterattack on December 10th with the Royal Scots and brigade reserves, the Rajputs might have retaken Shing Mun while the Japanese remained disorganized. Instead, Colonel Doi faced a furious Sakai, who had flown down from 38th Division headquarters at Taipo for what amounted to a pre-court-martial examination. The moment passed. After only 48 hours of combat, Maltby concluded the mainland was indefensible. The three battalions would withdraw intact to Hong Kong Island to assume their fortress defense roles. The naval commodore objected—demolitions, supply transfers, and troop ferrying required more time. The evacuation order was deferred 24 hours until noon on December 11th. At that hour, the decision was finalized: the mainland would be abandoned under cover of darkness. Further demolitions followed—the China Light and Power Station, the cement works on Tsing Yi Island, the docks. Yet Brigadier Wallis believed this merely a precautionary measure; he anticipated holding the mainland for at least another week. The withdrawal avoided Kowloon's congested streets, where street fighting and fifth columnists might have entrapped the British—a calculation that proved prescient, as an IJA advance column of 350 men from the 3/230th infiltrated Kowloon on the morning of December 12th to cut off the retreating garrison. The Royal Scots and Canadians retired south to Shamshuipo Barracks and Jordan Road Pier in western Kowloon; the Rajputs and supporting gunners withdrew eastward to Ma Lau Tong, which anchored the fortified Devil's Peak Peninsula. Maltby intended to hold this commanding position permanently—it was easily supplied across the narrow Lyemun Strait. The evacuation proceeded largely as planned. The Canadians and Royal Scots embarked on the afternoon and evening of December 11th under Punjabi covering fire. The Punjabis faced a harder journey—a moonlit scramble along steep Kowloon hills laden with supplies but critically short of mules. One group lost its way at a crucial junction, splitting into two columns. One proceeded toward Devil's Peak as planned; Battalion Headquarters descended into Kai Tak Airport, threaded through Kowloon City, and was evacuated by Star Ferry at Tsim Sha Tsui, fighting until the final moment as the last man boarded. The Rajputs' commander, unable to reach his Punjabi counterpart, abandoned Ma Lau Tong for the closer Hai Wan line near Devil's Peak. By 0400 hours on December 12th, the Punjabis and one Rajput company, accompanied by the gunners of the 25th Medium Battery, crossed Lyemun Strait to Hong Kong Island. Morning evacuations continued with minimal Japanese interference—a surprising restraint. Naval support proved crucial. The withdrawal completed by the morning of December 13th, though 170 mules were lost to the desertion of Chinese laborers—a deprivation that would haunt the subsequent campaign. During this passage, the IJN attempted shore bombardment. The Japanese cruiser and supporting vessels found themselves outranged by the defenders' 9.2-inch guns. The damage inflicted proved sufficient to discourage future naval adventures; for the remainder of the battle, the IJN maintained a cautious distance and played only a peripheral role. The speed and execution of the withdrawal apparently caught the Japanese unprepared. Their most probable expectation had been a full-scale assault on Devil's Peak accompanied by heavy bombardment—a day earlier, an assault without artillery preparation had been driven back with severe losses. The British appeared stronger than anticipated. The defense of the mainland had lasted only five days. With the mainland secured, the Japanese pivoted toward Hong Kong Island. The first move was diplomatic rather than military. At 0900 hours on December 13th, a small boat bearing a white flag crossed the harbor. It carried Colonel Toda, Lieutenant Mizuno, Mr. Othsu Dak, and two European women—the prominent and heavily pregnant Mrs. Macdonald and Mrs. C. R. Lee, wife of the Governor's secretary, accompanied by her two dachshunds. The surrender terms were flatly rejected. Major Boxer delivered the written refusal personally. Mrs. Macdonald remained in Hong Kong to give birth; Mrs. Lee and her dogs returned to Kowloon. The Japanese commenced systematic shelling of selected targets. On December 13th, a 9.2-inch gun on Mt. Davis was silenced; Belcher's Fort sustained damage. The following day, a 3-inch mount on Mt. Davis was hit, killing Chinese gunners and triggering morale collapse; some deserted. On December 15th, the barrage shifted to the northern shoreline, deliberately targeting pillboxes. At 2100 hours that night, approximately three Japanese companies attempted crossing the harbor in rubber rafts toward Pakshawan but were driven off by machine-gun fire. Fifth columnists intensified their operations—signaling with mirrors, sniping from concealed positions, spreading propaganda to encourage Chinese desertion. Their impact might have been catastrophic had not Rear-Admiral Chan and Colonel Yee, armed with tommy guns and grenades, systematically eliminated many of these saboteurs. By December 16th, half the pillboxes between the racecourse and Lyemun Strait lay destroyed. The intended crossing site was unmistakable. On December 17th, the Japanese dispatched a second peace mission—Colonel Toda's team now accompanied by Mrs. Lee with her dachshunds and a pregnant Russian woman. Again, the overtures were rebuffed. On December 18th, the bombardment reached new intensity. Oil storage tanks ignited, sending dense black smoke cascading across the northeast corner of the island—perfect concealment for what was to come. All signs pointed to imminent assault.  I want to note something here, you sometimes hear about how race played a role in the Pacific War and indeed it did. Racist attitudes were found on both the western and Japanese side of the war. There is a fantastic book dedicated to this by the way called, War without Mercy by John Dower, highly recommend it. What is interesting is how these racial attitudes actually affected decision making during the war. Take General Sakai's night amphibious assault for example. Western soldiers such as the Canadians in Hong Kong reported they were told by their commanders that quote "Don't worry about the Japanese, they can't see at night, they all wear glasses" another Canadian soldier wrote in a diary "They don't see well, especially at night we knew this as a matter of fact." Indeed the week before the outbreak of the battle of Hong Kong, Canadian officers attending a briefing by a British officer were informed that "Japan's aircraft were mostly obsolete, its air force had little practice in night flying, and its pilots were myopic and thus unable to carry out dive-bombing attacks". You might be asking yourself, why did they think the Japanese were myopic? The scientific explanation of the day was this "That the Japanese suffered widespread inner-ear damage. What caused this? Japanese motherhood, the practice of strapping babies to their mothers backs, it was explained caused their heads to bounce about, like when they harvested rice and permanently impaired their sense of balance". I particularly love this quote, one of my professors dedicated an entire class to the bizarre racial attitudes before and after the pacific war. There was a belief the Japanese could not see well at night, many western air force commanders actually believed there were times of day like at dawn or dusk where Japanese pilots would not operate because of this hindrance. American military commentator Fletcher Pratt in 1939 analyzed Japan's military strengths and explained it had four major weaknesses. The first was scarcity of resources such as iron, and steel. The second was that the Japanese "can neither make good airplanes nor fly them well" as a result of " the Japanese as a race have defects of the tubes of the inner ear, just as they are generally myopic. This gives them a defective sense of balance, the one physical sense in which an aviator is not permitted to be deficient.". The third was that the Japanese were short-tempered and were inclined to waste men unnecessarily when operations did not go well. The fourth was that the Japanese would simply never date to provoke a war with the US. Again Mr Pratt was an American military commentator whose information came from multiple accounts given by high ranking military officials! The British military maintained that the Japanese avoided night operations on land because they were simply incapable of caring them out well, while they avoided nighttime aerial attacks, as well as dive-bombing for the same reasons Pratt said quote "their pilots were poor and their aircraft inferior.". So take this all to mind when I talk about how certain ranking officers go about making their decisions. By the evening of 14 December, evacuated mainland units had regrouped on Hong Kong Island. The defensive structure was restructured into two brigades: Brigadier Wallis commanded the East Brigade from Taitam Gap, while Brigadier Lawson headed the West Brigade from Wongneichong Gap. This reorganization placed the 5/7 Rajputs across the north-east perimeter, defending over 3,500 metres of coastline with B Company positioned on the hills behind Taikoo Docks. The Royal Rifles of Canada held the north-east corner from Stanley to points south, with reserve positions at Lyemun. Two HKVDC companies supported from Taitam Valley and Pottinger Gap, while the veteran Hughsiliers manned the North Point power station. British and Canadian artillery provided fire support across the northern approaches. The West Brigade held the north-western and south-western shores. The 2/14 Punjab stretched from Causeway Bay to Belcher's Point, protecting Government House and General Maltby's headquarters, with battalion headquarters at Mid-Level. The Winnipeg Grenadiers covered the south-west from Wanchai Gap, with one company detached to the brigade headquarters at Wongneichong Gap. The 2 Royal Scots, severely mauled at Shing Mun, were held in reserve with fresh replacements from the HKVDC. The Middlesex Regiment's companies were dispersed along 72 pillboxes encircling the entire shoreline, while an improvised Z Company of clerks, musicians and cooks defended battalion headquarters at Leighton Hill. Supporting artillery included 9.2-inch and 6-inch guns on Mt Davis and 4.7-inch guns at Belcher's Point. As darkness fell on 17 December, Japanese reconnaissance swimmers reached Taikoo, confirming the crossing site despite detection. Reinforcements arrived: 18 additional heavy bombers from Guangzhou and 26 fighters from Taiwan joined the aerial assault. The crescendo of artillery fire on the 18th, combined with masses of small craft gathering across the harbour, signalled the imminent invasion. Japanese divisional headquarters shifted to Ma Tau Wei near Kai Tak Airport; the 23rd Army moved to Taipo. The invasion force disposed itself with the right flank embarking from east and west of Kai Tak, the left from Devil's Hill area. At 1800 hours, the invasion order was issued; by 1930 hours Sakai himself arrived in Kowloon to oversee the crossing. At precisely 2000 hours, the 2/228th Regiment silently paddled their collapsible craft toward Taikoo Docks and the nearby sugar factory as artillery support commenced. Colonel Doi embarked with 80 headquarters personnel aboard a large barge, leading the second wave. The conditions favoured the invaders—a moonless night, sporadic showers, and thick black smoke from burning oil tanks obscured their movement. They reached the midpoint undetected before searchlights and machine-gun fire scattered the small boats, separating commanders from their units. Despite this chaos, the assault pressed forward. At 2140 hours the artillery shifted to deeper targets; at 2145 hours the first wave of 3/230th landed at North Point, followed minutes later by 2/228th and then 2/229th. Three red flares signalled a successful landing. All six Japanese battalions were ashore by midnight, though wire fencing delayed their advance and Bren carriers added to the confusion on the beach. General Sano arrived at Taikoo one hour later. The 5/7 Rajputs bore the initial brunt of the assault. Despite days of preliminary shelling, the Rajputs mounted a stubborn defence; Japanese casualties mounted rapidly. The anti-tank company suffered so grievously that only a single gun remained operational. The Japanese plan was tactical rather than frontal—bypass isolated positions for later elimination and push rapidly toward high ground. Overwhelmed by numerical superiority and losing most of their officers, Rajput resistance gradually crumbled. Contradicting all evidence, Maltby remained convinced the main Japanese assault would strike directly at Victoria from Kowloon. He therefore withheld the counter-attack, instead dispatching a platoon of Middlesex troops, Royal Marines, naval personnel, and the Rajputs' reserve company—supported by artillery—to establish a defensive line blocking the Japanese advance toward Central District. Three HKVDC armoured cars were sent to protect East Brigade headquarters; two more reinforced the Middlesex battalion headquarters. It was manifestly inadequate against six Japanese battalions. In post-war dispatches, Maltby conceded his grave miscalculation: he believed he faced at most two battalions, not a full division. As the 3/230th broke through D Company of the 5/7 Rajputs, the 2/230th came ashore nearby and wheeled westward toward Victoria. Their advance halted abruptly at the North Point power station, held by an extraordinary force: four officers and 36 men of the HKVDC Hughsiliers Platoon—alongside 39 civilian volunteers from China Light & Power and Hong Kong Electric, including the station manager Vincent Sorby—plus eight Free French soldiers commanded by Captain Jacques Egal, a Shanghai businessman turned soldier. Without exception, these men were World War I veterans, many aged 55 or older. Some had fought in the Boer War. Major J. J. Patterson, the Hughsiliers' commander, had served with Allenby's Camel Corps and been mentioned in dispatches six times; he was chairman of Jardine Matheson and a legislative councillor. Private Sir Edward Des Voeux, 8th Baronet, a millionaire bullion trader and secretary of the Hong Kong Club, had enlisted as a private when deemed too old for mobilization. Private T. A. Pearce, 67 years old, was chairman of J. D. Hutchison & Company and secretary of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Captain Bruch, the second-in-command, aged 60, chaired a major trading house. The list extended through Hong Kong's business elite, each choosing to fight rather than flee. These old men held an entire regiment at bay. When Patterson called for aid, Maltby dispatched an HKVDC armoured car with a platoon from Z Company, 1 Middlesex, but the reinforcement was ambushed before reaching the station; only nine soldiers, including 2nd Lieutenant Caruthers, broke through. Unable to dislodge the defenders by assault, the Japanese resorted to bombardment. By 0145 hours on 19 December, surrounded and ammunition exhausted, the defenders withdrew to King's Road behind a disabled bus. The Japanese deployed three machine guns, killing or mortally wounding all but Private Geoghan. A Japanese officer, believing all dead, cautiously approached—only to have Geoghan, despite his wounds, surge from cover and charge. He killed the officer and four soldiers before collapsing from wounds. Somehow Geoghan survived. Those old men—civilians and reservists, businessmen and veterans—held the entire western Japanese advance for 18 hours, buying Maltby precious time to withdraw forces and establish a new defensive line. Their stand at North Point became one of the campaign's most improbable acts of defiance. As the 2/229th Regiment advanced southward toward Mt Parker, the 3/229th landed at Aldrich Bay and turned eastward toward Lyemun, where they seized an HKVDC 6-inch gun. Major Bishop of the Royal Rifles of Canada, unaware of the landings, dispatched 15 Platoon under Lieutenant Scott to check on A Company of the Rajputs. Unexpectedly, they encountered armed men in civilian clothes at Lyemun's gate—the first indication of the Japanese presence on the island. Yet senior officers dismissed initial reports of landings and lost positions as exaggerated, a critical miscalculation that proved catastrophic. At Lyemun Fort, the 5th Anti-aircraft Battery of the HKVDC was caught completely unaware and surrendered after minimal resistance. The Japanese then committed one of many atrocities that would characterize the battle, bayoneting 29 survivors. Alerted by 15 Platoon's report, Bishop attempted a counter-attack with two platoons to retake the fort, but the defenders could not scale the six-meter wall and withdrew with nine men killed. As the 2/229th pressed southward toward Mt Parker, they overran the Salesian Mission, which had been converted into an Advance Dressing Station. No. 8 Company of the 2/229th systematized a massacre of medical personnel and the wounded—an atrocity that would later become pivotal evidence at Colonel Tanaka's war crimes trial. Yet amid the chaos, several medical staff and wounded survived to testify: Gunners Y. K. Chan and Martin H. C. Tso of the 5th Battery, Captain Osler Thomas of the HKVDC, Captain Martin Banfill of the Royal Canadian Medical Corps, and Corporal Norman Leath of the Royal Army Medical Corps. C Company of the Royal Rifles, reinforced with captured Japanese machine guns abandoned by fleeing Rajputs, inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers, with one Japanese company suffering over 65 percent losses. Yet overwhelmed by superior numbers and suffering nearly two platoons worth of casualties themselves, the Canadians were forced to withdraw, leaving only a reinforcement platoon under Lieutenant Blaver on Mt Parker. When Captain Clerke arrived at dawn with 16 Platoon to reinforce the position, he found over 100 Japanese already entrenched. With no artillery support and only two platoons available, Clerke had no choice but to withdraw, abandoning Mt Parker to the enemy. By dawn on the 19th, the East Brigade faced catastrophe. Infantry strength had been halved, and losses of artillery were equally devastating. A series of misunderstandings and misinterpreted orders led coastal gun crews at Capes D'Aguilar and Collinson to destroy their own guns in confusion or lose them to the advancing Japanese. Of the entire artillery complement, only one 18-pounder and two 3.7-inch field guns remained operational. Wongneichong—literally "yellow muddy creek" in Chinese—occupies the center of Hong Kong Island, a valley separating the eastern hills (Mt Parker, Mt Butler, Jardine's Lookout) from the western massif (Mt Nicholson, Mt Cameron, Victoria Peak). This narrow gap formed the critical artery linking northern and southern Hong Kong, making Brigadier Lawson's decision to place West Brigade Headquarters there strategically sound yet tactically vulnerable. Recognizing the exposed position after the landings, Major Lyndon had located an alternative site south of Mt Nicholson, scheduled to open the following day. In response to the Japanese landings, Lawson dispatched three platoons of Winnipeg Grenadiers to block the advance. Lieutenant C. D. French took 18 Platoon to Mt Butler, Lieutenant G. A. Birkett's 17 Platoon moved to Jardine's Lookout, and Lieutenant L. B. Corrigan's platoon took the north-west approach to the Gap. As on Mt Parker, both French and Birkett were killed almost immediately, their small forces overwhelmed by battalion-strength enemy forces with artillery support. By morning on the 19th, two battalions each of the 230th and 228th Regiments were pushing for the high ground. The 2/230th rapidly occupied Jardine's Lookout while the 3/230th moved to Mt Nicholson and the 2/228th advanced toward the Gap itself. No. 3 Company of the HKVDC under Major E. Stewart held pillboxes around Jardine's Lookout, while No. 1 Company under Captain Penn defended Taitam Valley with forward positions at Quarry Gap. The pillboxes, despite heavy bombardment, held longer than anticipated—some for as long as 24 hours. Stewart maintained his company headquarters until the 22nd, four days of continuous fighting without adequate ammunition, food, or water. No. 3 Company suffered 80 percent casualties and ceased to exist as a cohesive unit. Realizing that the enemy had penetrated to Mt Butler, Brigadier Lawson decided counter-attack was essential. Major A. B. Gresham of A Company, Winnipeg Grenadiers, was ordered to retake Mt Butler and clear Jardine's Lookout. The Canadians initially succeeded, with Warrant Officer 2 J. R. Osborne leading a bayonet charge, but a strong counter-attack by three Japanese companies drove them back by 2200 hours. The Canadians held firm until 1500 hours, when Gresham attempted surrender despite waving a white flag—the Japanese shot him regardless. In the chaos that followed, a Canadian killed a Japanese officer in response, triggering a grenade barrage. Warrant Officer Osborne caught the grenades and hurled them back as fast as they came, but one landed in an impossible position. Without hesitation, Osborne threw himself on the grenade to save his comrades. This act of supreme self-sacrifice earned him a Victoria Cross—the first Canadian VC of World War II. At dawn on the 19th, Maltby dispatched A Company of the 2 Royal Scots under Captain K. J. Campbell to reinforce the Gap, but they lost all their officers with only 15 men reaching Lawson's headquarters. A group of sailors under Commander A. L. Pears came from the south, but were ambushed en route; only a few reached the Postbridge—a house just south of the Gap—which became an isolated strongpoint. The 3/230th captured the police station perched on a mound at the southern point of the Gap, then swept eastward to seize the anti-aircraft guns of 7th Battery (barely 250 meters from brigade headquarters) and continued uphill toward Taitam Hill to capture additional 6-inch and 3.7-inch guns. Maltby's response was to call down final protective fire from the HKSRA in Happy Valley, inflicting massive casualties on the 3/230th. At 1000 hours on the 19th, Lawson reported that his headquarters was surrounded and he was about to "go outside and shoot it out." Captain H. A. Bush provided covering fire as Lawson and his entire staff, including Middlesex signallers, were cut down by machine-gun fire across the Gap. Lawson's body was discovered two days later halfway up the hill behind his headquarters, dead from a gunshot wound to the thigh. Lieutenant Kerfoot of the 2/14 Punjab with his three Bren carriers arrived minutes too late to save him. IJA who saw the fight made a note stating "he died heroically". At 1330 hours on the 19th, Maltby issued "Operation Order No. 6" calling for a massive counter-attack to commence 90 minutes later. The plan was ambitious: A and D Companies of the 2/14 Punjab were to attack east from Victoria to North Point to relieve the Hughsiliers, while HQ Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers and the 2 Royal Scots were to attack the Gap and Jardine's Lookout. Eight field guns were promised but never materialized. There was no reconnaissance, no proper orders, and minimal coordination. The Canadians were to rendezvous with the 2 Royal Scots at Middle Gap at 1530 hours, but the Scots were late; the Canadians advanced without them. Captain Pinkerton of D Company, 2 Royal Scots, was ordered at the last minute to attack up Wongneichong Gap Road—the same route A Company had taken only seven hours earlier and been decimated—because it was reported as "lightly held." Captain A. M. S. Slater-Brown led the advance with three Bren carriers and attached engineers, followed by D Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Just as the carriers reached the burnt-out trucks of A Company, they too were ambushed. Mortars and machine-gun fire rained down from Jardine's Lookout, where the Japanese occupied captured HKVDC pillboxes. Slater-Brown and 2nd Lieutenant Bell, the battalion intelligence officer, were killed instantly. The Royal Scots waited in the roadside ditches until 0200 hours before launching an attack on the police station, reaching the steps before Pinkerton was severely wounded. Captain Ford's composite company attack at 0300 hours also failed. Simultaneously, C Company under Lieutenant F. L. Stanier attacked Jardine's Lookout—also unsuccessfully. This series of piecemeal assaults cost the Royal Scots eight officers and 68 soldiers. Growing increasingly desperate, Maltby ordered Major Hodkinson, Officer Commanding HQ Company of the Winnipeg Grenadiers, to attack the Gap and proceed to Mt Parker. Requesting reinforcements from A Company and the Royal Scots, Hodkinson launched his assault with covering fire from Lieutenant Corrigan on Mt Nicholson. The Grenadiers managed to reach Mt Nicholson with only five unwounded men, though Corrigan's group advanced to within 300 meters of the Gap road. Then came an unexpected stroke of fortune: while skirting Mt Nicholson, Hodkinson's group stumbled upon approximately 500 Japanese—probably from the 3/230th—eating lunch without posting sentries. The Winnipeg Grenadiers unleashed devastating fire, inflicting heavy casualties. By 1745 hours, Hodkinson's force was only 100 meters from Repulse Bay Road. With four men and a 2-inch mortar, Hodkinson worked his way to the abandoned brigade headquarters, bringing 20 walking wounded with him. He established a foothold at the Gap, receiving orders to attack the police station at 2200 hours. Two HKVDC armoured cars with Vickers machine guns came in support, but accurate enemy fire disabled both. Like Pinkerton before him, Hodkinson reached near his objective before being severely wounded. For this action of determination and courage, Hodkinson was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. By the morning of the 20th, the Japanese had consolidated control of the Gap, but elements of D Company, Winnipeg Grenadiers, still held various pillboxes north of the position. Initially, 17 and 18 Platoons occupied forward positions with Company Headquarters and 16 Platoon in reserve, positioned across Wongneichong Road almost directly opposite brigade headquarters. Forward positions were rapidly overrun and cut off from the company. They fought without officers until withdrawal to battalion headquarters became necessary. With Captain A. S. Bowman killed and Captain R. W. Philips wounded, command fell to Lieutenant T. A. Blackwood. An attempt by B Company to relieve D Company on the evening of the 20th failed catastrophically, killing all officers and 29 men. With fewer than 50 men remaining—all wounded—Lieutenant Blackwood continued inflicting heavy casualties on the Japanese until 22 December, when exhaustion and the complete absence of ammunition, food, and water forced surrender. D Company killed over 200 Japanese soldiers. Post-war Japanese reports refused to believe that a single company had held the Gap for so long. For their stubborn defense, Philips and Blackwood were awarded the Military Cross, and three enlisted men received the Military Medal. The battle of Wongneichong Gap was characterized by fragmented planning and poor coordination. On the night of the 19th-20th, no fewer than three separate companies attacked the police station, with another company assaulting Jardine's Lookout—all within five hours, all independently organized by local commanders. Had these disparate actions been coordinated into a single simultaneous assault, fortress headquarters' objectives might well have been achieved. By the end of the 20th, the British had lost the vital ground of Wongneichong, though Postbridge House remained as an isolated holdout. For the Japanese, Wongneichong became the single costliest engagement since the invasion began, with over 800 casualties and the regimental commander of the 3/230th seriously wounded. 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.   Japanese landings on 18-19 December overwhelmed the East Brigade. Brigadier Lawson died defending the vital Gap. Desperate, uncoordinated counter-attacks by British and Canadian troops failed to dislodge the enemy. D Company Winnipeg Grenadiers held the position for four days against overwhelming odds before surrendering. The Japanese suffered 800 casualties but secured this critical strategic ground.

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Interim police chief addressing Bite of Seattle shooting response at city council //  ‘I can’t say yes or no’: Interim SPD chief on third Bite of Seattle suspect //  Seahawks buyer Vinod Khosla chimes in on discussion of grass at Lumen Field // Researchers Want You to Start Smiling at Dogs // Dogs can tell when you’re happy, sad or frustrated, study shows // Contradicting public statements, Trump took secret flight from Turkey amid Iranian threat //  LETTERS

J.D. Vance Accused by Critics of Contradicting His Pro-Life Beliefs After Making Comment About His Newborn's Son 'First Full Day AliveAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fox News panel accuses Vice President J.D. Vance of 'undermining' President Donald Trump and 'contradicting him in public'Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Jim McTague reports that in Lancaster County, Republican representatives are introducing legislation that adds red tape and taxes to data centers, contradicting traditional pro-growth principles. While the Democratic-led Lancaster Cityhas embraced a lucrative data center deal, blue-collar "Trump country" boroughs remain fearful of the future. Despite these tensions, the local economy remains "steady" due to a diversified base including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and senior citizen spending. (6)1890 ERIE PA.

IntroductionIt is easy to think that if we are faithful, God will always reward us with visible success. That was the assumption of Job's friends, and to some extent Job himself. Job does wrestle with God's will, and lays out that the wicked man can prosper and the righteous man can suffer. Justice in this age is not always so black/white. We can fall into a hasty assumption that if we obey, life should go smoothly. If we suffer, we must have done something wrong. Is this always the case?Stephen's story reminds us that God's kingdom does not always work according to our expectations. Here is a man full of grace, full of the Holy Spirit, and faithful in every way. Yet instead of receiving praise, he is falsely accused and brought to trial. Luke shows us that faithfulness is not measured by earthly success but by steadfast trust in Christ.Contradicting the Expected NarrativeStephen is introduced as a man "full of grace and power." His life displayed the work of the Holy Spirit. He is a man so enveloped by grace that he is a gracious man. He served the weak as a deacon. He defended the truth second to none. Overall, he reflected the kindness of Christ. His wisdom did not come from natural ability but from the Spirit working through him. Christ shows his promise is true that he will give the words when one is hauled into a court. (Luke 21:14)His godliness stirred opposition rather than an attentive ear. Those who argued against him could not answer his teaching because the Spirit gave Stephen wisdom beyond their own. One would think that such compelling arguments would win the day. However, the opposite happens. The Opponents Create False EvidenceUnable to defeat Stephen's teaching, his opponents turned to deception. They secretly persuaded false witnesses to accuse him of blasphemy against Moses, the temple, and God. Rather than submitting to God's Word, they twisted the truth to preserve their own system.This reminds us that unbelief is not simply a lack of evidence. The problem is the human heart. Stephen answered every objection faithfully, yet Luke tells us they failed to believe. Ironically, they violate Moses' law as they recruit a malicious or a false witness against Stephen (Deuteronomy 19:15-21. ). Moses is very clear that the thing the false witness desires to do to the accused will be carried out on them. Clearly, they do not want what is orthodox. They will cast aside Moses to destroy an innocent man.It is true that we are called to be ready to make a defense (1 Peter 3:15), but at the same time we are not to obsess about every possible objection (Luke 21:14). The problem is not solved through moral or logical suasion. It is a problem of the heart that only the Lord can cure. A Second Moses, Rejected Like the FirstAs Stephen stood before the council, Luke reports to us instant credibility: his face shone like the face of an angel. Just as Moses reflected God's glory after meeting with the Lord, so Stephen visibly reflected the presence of God. When Moses received the Torah from God, we read that his face shone so brightly that God's people could not look upon him (Exodus 34:29-35). You would think that the council would pause and contemplate. They would think that maybe Stephen is also bearing revelation from the same God. Maybe Stephen is bringing revelation and instruction, torah, that the council should heed. However, Stephen would suffer as a martyr, as we will see in two weeks, because of their hard-hearted rebellion.We might think that this is defeat. Christ never abandoned His servant. Stephen's strength came from the risen and reigning Savior, who upheld him through suffering and welcomed him into glory. Christ's ascension does not remove him from the church. No, Christ's ascension testifies that he rules over the church in the midst of his enemies. His ascension testifies that he really empowers the church as sovereign ruler and priest (Psalm 110:2; cf sermon on Psalm 110). The church must remember this lesson. We cannot judge God's blessing merely by numbers, popularity, or outward success. Christ calls His people to faithfulness. The results belong to Him, and we trust that it works out. We are called to discern (Ephesians 5:10) what is pleasing to God and be faithful to him.ConclusionStephen teaches us to keep our eyes fixed on Christ rather than on earthly outcomes. We may faithfully proclaim the gospel and still face rejection. We may do what is right and still suffer. But none of this means Christ has abandoned His people.Our Savior reigns even in the midst of opposition (Psalm 110:2; cf sermon on Psalm 110). He gives His Spirit to strengthen His church. His Spirit gives us wisdom to answer when called upon. The ultimate peace is knowing that in the Spirit we will persevere until the end.Therefore, let us seek to be people who are full of the grace of Christ. Let us be a people who give ourselves over to the Spirit. Let us be a people who seek to discern what it means to be faithful in every circumstance. Our confidence is not in visible success but in our risen Lord, who holds His people securely in His hands and will never fail to bring them safely home. Let us walk in him!

Why does every doctor seem to say something different about your hormones and your migraines?  In this episode, Debbie introduces a new way to picture your hormonal system, a triangle with your sex hormones at the tip and oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid forming the base that holds everything up. Learn why treating estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone first, without addressing the foundation underneath, is why so many women feel like they're doing everything right and still stuck. In this episode:  Why sex hormones sit at the tip of the triangle, not the base  What oxytocin, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid each actually do  What it feels like when your foundation is unstable, even before a migraine shows up  Why it's normal for your hormones to change, and what actually is the problem Mentioned in this episode: Episode 7, The Hormone Hierarchy Loved this episode? Leave a review and let Debbie know what stood out to you. Hi, I'm Debbie Waidl, Migraine Freedom Expert and Functional Health Coach. I help women over 40 find freedom from chronic migraines by getting to the root cause, not just masking the symptoms. Show Notes Related Episodes: Episode 7: Understanding The Hormone Hierarchy FREE DOWNLOAD: Toxic Migraine Triggers Guide Get the complete guide showing you the hidden inflammatory triggers fueling your migraines, including toxins in your medication, environment, and everyday life. https://dwvirtualguide.com/free-guide Book a Free Migraine Breakthrough® Assessment: Let's assess your unique migraine situation and uncover what's been keeping you stuck. https://pages.debbiewaidlcoach.com/breakthroughcall-social-7269 Migraine Sensitivity Scorecard https://pages.debbiewaidlcoach.com/quiz Connect with Debbie: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieWaidlCoach/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbiewaidl.coach/ Women's Migraine Freedom™ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womensmigrainefreedom Website: https://pages.debbiewaidlcoach.com/ Email: freedom@debbiewaidl.com Disclaimer: The Migraine Freedom™ Your Way Podcast and information provided by Debbie Waidl and guests is presented solely to provide helpful information, education, and entertainment on the subjects discussed. The use of information or resources mentioned on or linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk and discretion. This podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your own physician. Debbie Waidl and In The Balance Health Coaching, LLC are not responsible for any medical conditions or liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application, or preparation to any person reading or following the information presented on this podcast. References are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of any websites or other sources.    

HOUR 3: Investigators are now wondering if Lynette Hooker made it back to the boat, contradicting her husbands claims. full 2075 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 21:00:00 +0000 bhatnI26352VaRnGxoOV3QTXpn2Ewkay news The Dana & Parks Podcast news HOUR 3: Investigators are now wondering if Lynette Hooker made it back to the boat, contradicting her husbands claims. You wanted it... Now here it is! Listen to each hour of the Dana & Parks Show whenever and wherever you want! © 2025 Audacy, Inc. Ne

The FBI Director says his agency was locked out of the Nancy Guthrie investigation for four days. The Pima County Sheriff says federal agents were there from the start. An 84-year-old woman has been missing for over three months — and the agencies responsible for finding her are publicly tearing each other apart.Nancy Guthrie disappeared from her Tucson-area home, allegedly taken against her will. Blood confirmed as hers was found on the porch. A masked, armed figure was captured on doorbell camera footage the FBI reportedly had to recover from backend data. Her pacemaker disconnected in the early morning hours. She left behind her phone, wallet, and daily medication. No arrest. No public suspect. The crime scene was allegedly released early. A sergeant with no homicide experience was reportedly assigned to lead the case.Now Sheriff Nanos has confirmed he's no longer speaking directly with the family. The FBI is the sole point of contact. For a family that's been cleared by law enforcement, offered a $1 million reward, and lost their matriarch — losing direct access to the lead local investigator isn't procedural. It's a signal.Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer spent 28 years at the Bureau and has seen what these agency dynamics look like from the inside. She walks through what the communication shift means operationally, what it signals about who is actually running this investigation, and whether Nanos's claim that the case is "getting closer" is backed by anything behind the scenes.Eric Faddis examines the legal landscape for the Guthrie family — potential claims against content creators who allegedly defamed them with fabricated accusations, the county whose investigative competence the FBI Director has publicly questioned, and media outlets that amplified unverified ransom demands that may have compromised the active case. He addresses whether the investigation can be removed from the sheriff's jurisdiction entirely and what Arizona's victim rights framework reportedly provides.Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#NancyGuthrie #SavannahGuthrie #FBI #ChrisNanos #PimaCountySheriff #JenniferCoffindaffer #EricFaddis #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #TucsonArizona

President Trump says an agreement with Iran to end the war has been "largely negotiated", writing on social media that the deal will include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Contradicting his statement, Iranian media reports say the vital waterway will remain under Tehran's control. Our North America correspondent assesses the latest claims. Also: US secret service agents kill a shooter who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint; the Pentagon releases a further batch of previously classified files on alleged UFO sightings; the latest on the Democratic Republic of Congo where more than 200 people have died in the current Ebola outbreak; a new law in Japan finally allows divorced couples to share custody of their children; and we hear about the Norwegian based film, Fjord - winner of this year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Bob Zimmerman explains that the Psyche probe successfully completed a Mars flyby. Meanwhile, reanalyzed data suggests Europa may lack water plumes, contradicting previous theories about the moon's potential for life. (8/16)1903 LA POSTCARD

PREVIEW for Later Today: Veronique de Rugy explains that American consumers bear the full cost of Trumpadministration tariffs. These taxes make domestic manufacturing more expensive and products less affordable, contradicting claims that the policy would benefit the economy.1800 OYSTER STAND NYC

If you're tired of calling yourself inconsistent when you know that's not the full story…...it's time to BOOK HERE (1:1 Quantum Healing x Psychic Reading)

A major Japanese study exposed rats to intense cell phone radiation for two years and found no increase in cancer or DNA damage, directly contradicting earlier US government findings that suggested RF radiation might cause brain and heart tumors. This episode explores why different studies on the same question can reach opposite conclusions, what this means for our understanding of cell phone safety, and how to navigate conflicting scientific evidence in the EMF research landscape. In This Episode Japanese researchers find no cancer risk from nine hundred megahertz radiation Why this contradicts the National Toxicology Program's twenty eighteen findings What extreme exposure levels tell us about everyday phone use Featured Study Read the full study: The International Collaborative Animal Study of Mobile Phone Radiofrequency Radiation Carcinogenicity and Genotoxicity: The Japanese Study See all studies at shieldyourbody.com/research

COFFEE MOANING the PODCAST ON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/coffee-moaning/id1689250679ON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/3p6z4A1RbhidO0pnOGGZl2?si=IqwD7REzTwWdwsbn2gzWCg&nd=1HOW TO STAY MARRIED (SO FAR) the PODCASTON SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/57MT4cv2c3i06ryQlIpUXc?si=1b5ed24f40c54ebaON APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-to-stay-married-so-far/id1294257563 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Both had deals with prosecutors. Both were supposed to build the drug chain that ends with fentanyl in Eric Richins' Moscow mule. And they directly contradicted each other on the most critical question: was it fentanyl, or was it oxycodone?Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer breaks down exactly what happens to a prosecution when its two key immunity witnesses tell different stories about the same transaction — and why this isn't just a credibility problem. It is a chain-of-custody problem for the drug at the foundation of the entire case.Coffindaffer explains how FBI investigators typically handle witness contradiction of this magnitude, what options prosecutors have to shore up a chain that's already been undermined from inside their own courtroom, and how juries process the reality that both witnesses on the stand received deals that reduced their personal liability before agreeing to testify.She also breaks down Josh Grossman's testimony — Kouri's alleged boyfriend, visibly emotional at the stand, head in hands as intimate text messages were read aloud, including one asking whether he would marry her if she were divorced right now, sent less than a month before Eric's death. Coffindaffer explains what FBI investigators watch for in a witness's emotional performance — and what that testimony does for the prosecution's narrative of motive.She also gives her read on the back-to-back mistrial motions: deliberate appellate strategy, or genuine concern about what is still coming?Join Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISODES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8-vxmbhTxxG10sO1izODJg?sub_confirmation=1Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePodThis publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.#KouriRichins #EricRichins #FentanylMurder #UtahMurderTrial #TrueCrimeTrial #MurderTrial2026 #JenniferCoffindaffer #HiddenKillers #TrueCrime #PoisoningCase

Ron Johnson was one of the most successful retail executives in America. He'd made Target hip. He'd built the Apple Store from nothing into a retail phenomenon. So when J.C. Penney hired him as CEO in 2011, expectations were sky-high. Johnson moved fast. He killed the coupons. Eliminated the sales events. Redesigned the stores. When his team suggested testing the new pricing strategy in a few locations first, Johnson said five words that explain everything that happened next: "We didn't test at Apple." Within seventeen months, sales dropped twenty-five percent. He was fired. And here's the part nobody talks about: Johnson had access to all the data. Every week, the numbers told the same story. Customers were leaving. Revenue was collapsing. The board was getting nervous. He could see it all. He just couldn't act on it. Because changing course would mean he wasn't the visionary who reinvented retail. He wasn't making a business decision anymore. He was protecting who he believed he was. That's the identity trap. And it doesn't just happen to CEOs.  What if changing your mind didn't have to feel like losing yourself? Let's get into it. Why Identity Bias Looks Like Your Best Qualities The trap doesn't target bad thinkers. It targets good ones. Think about the entrepreneur who poured three years and her life savings into a startup. The data says it's failing. The metrics are clear. Her advisors are suggesting it's time to pivot or shut down. She has every analytical tool to evaluate this accurately. And she can't do it. She's plenty smart. The problem is that admitting failure would mean she's "a quitter." And she is not a quitter. That's not who she is. Johnson wasn't stupid either. He was brilliant. His identity as the retail visionary just happened to make him blind to the one thing that could save his company: the possibility that what worked at Apple wouldn't work at Penney's. He experienced his blindness as conviction. As leadership. And that's the disguise. Every other thinking error in this series, uncertainty, depletion, time pressure, social pressure, you can feel those happening. You know when you're tired. You know when you're rushed. But identity fusion is invisible from the inside. It disguises itself as your best qualities. The entrepreneur calls it perseverance. Johnson called it vision. The investor who won't sell a losing position? He calls it discipline. Your ego doesn't announce that it's taking over. It puts on a costume that looks exactly like your strengths. And your brain? Your brain is in on it. Why Changing Your Mind Feels Like a Threat When a belief becomes part of your identity, your brain defends it as it would defend your body. Challenge that belief, and your brain responds the same way it would to a physical threat. Not metaphorically. The same neural circuits that protect you from danger activate to protect you from being wrong. That's why arguments about strategy or direction can generate so much heat and so little light. You're not debating a position anymore. You're defending territory. And sometimes you defend it long past the point where the evidence says stop. A project you've poured months into. A strategy you championed. A hire you fought for. The data says cut your losses, but you keep going because walking away would mean all that time, all that effort, all that money was wasted. That's the sunk cost fallacy. And most people think it's about the money or the time. But it's not. Sunk cost is about identity. Think about that manager who spent eighteen months building a new system. The team knows it's not working. She knows it's not working. But scrapping it doesn't just waste eighteen months of budget. It means her judgment failed. It means she led her team down the wrong road for a year and a half. "I've invested too much to quit" sounds like a financial calculation. It's not. It's an identity statement. What she's really saying is: "If I quit, I'm the kind of person who wastes eighteen months of people's lives." The sunk cost isn't financial. It's existential. And suddenly you can see that every time you've held on too long, stayed in something past its expiration date, defended something you knew wasn't working, the force holding you there wasn't logic. It was your self-image refusing to absorb the hit. So how do you loosen the grip once you realize it's there? Three Warning Signs Your Ego Has Taken the Wheel Here's what to watch for. 1. Emotional Intensity That Doesn't Match the Stakes Someone suggests a different approach to a process you built. Not a criticism. Just an alternative. And you feel a flash of heat in your chest. Defensiveness. Maybe irritation. The reaction is way out of proportion to the suggestion. Pay attention to that gap. The intensity isn't about the process. It's about what being wrong would say about you. 2. How You Argue When someone pushes back on your position, watch what happens. If you find yourself attacking the person instead of engaging their argument, that's identity talking. "You don't understand our industry." "You haven't been doing this as long as I have." The moment you shift from "here's why the evidence supports my position" to "here's why you're not qualified to question it," you've stopped defending a conclusion and started defending yourself. The tell is subtle: you'll feel righteous, not curious. 3. The Evidence Filter When you're evaluating something objectively, new information can move you in either direction. But when identity is involved, watch what happens. You accept supporting evidence quickly, uncritically, almost with relief. Contradicting evidence? You tear it apart. You find flaws in the methodology. You question the source. You say, "That's just one study." When you're applying completely different standards depending on which direction the evidence points, that's not critical thinking. That's identity protection wearing a lab coat. How To Loosen the Grip So what do you do once you recognize the grip? Early in my career, I championed a technology direction that I was convinced was right. The evidence started coming back that it wasn't working. And I was doing exactly what I just described. Scrutinizing the bad data, embracing the good data, and getting irritated when people questioned me. It wasn't until a colleague looked at me and said, "You're not evaluating this anymore. You're defending it," that I realized my identity had completely hijacked my judgment. What helped was a shift in language that sounds simple but changes everything. Stop holding beliefs as part of your identity. Start holding them as a working thesis. The Reframe Listen to the difference between these two statements. First: "I believe this company will succeed." Second: "My working thesis is that this company will succeed." The first version fuses the belief to you. If the company fails, you were wrong. You made a bad bet. The second version builds in the expectation that your thinking will evolve. New data doesn't make you wrong. It makes you better informed. The Proof That colleague I mentioned? After that conversation, I started framing every strong opinion as a working thesis in my own head. Not out loud at first. Just internally. And the effect was immediate. I stopped feeling attacked when contradicting data came in. I started treating it as an update instead of a threat. The position I was defending? I reversed it completely. And the thing I was most afraid of — looking like I'd wasted everyone's time — never happened. The team was relieved. The Practice Next time you find yourself defending a position with more heat than it deserves, pause and restate it starting with "My working thesis is..." Then ask yourself: "What would I need to see to change this?" If you can't answer that question, if there's literally no evidence that could change your mind, that belief has become part of your identity. And your brain will protect it like one. The Door The goal isn't to be wishy-washy. Commit fully to your working thesis. Act on it with confidence. The difference is that you've built a door in the wall, and you've given yourself permission to walk through it if the evidence changes. That door is the difference between updating when you're wrong and doubling down until it costs you. Why Identity Is the Amplifier The identity trap doesn't operate alone. It recruits every other force we've covered in Part Two of this series. Facing uncertainty? Identity says, "You're not the kind of person who hesitates." Someone manufactures a deadline to pressure you? "Leaders are decisive. Act now." The whole room disagrees with your position? Identity whispers "I'm a team player" — or digs in with "I'm the one who sees what others miss." Identity is the amplifier. It takes every vulnerability from Episodes 10 through 13 and cranks up the volume. That's why we saved it for last. Everything else we've covered in Part Two? Necessary. But not sufficient. Because if you haven't dealt with your identity's grip on your beliefs, those skills have a backdoor that ego walks right through. And this is exactly what mindjacking exploits. I go much deeper into an article I wrote and in my dedicated mindjacking episode, links below. But the core mechanism is this: mindjacking doesn't just offer you convenient conclusions. It attaches those conclusions to who you are. "People like us think this." "Smart people choose this." Once a belief becomes a badge of identity, you'll convince yourself. No external persuasion required. From Seeing the Trap to Building the Escape Here's your challenge this week. Pick one belief you hold that you've never seriously questioned. Something professional. Your management philosophy. Your investment thesis. Your view on how your industry works. Something you'd describe as "just who I am." Now find the strongest argument against it. Not a straw man. The real, best case the other side would make. Sit with it. See if you can engage with it without your threat response kicking in. If you can? You've just proven that your thinking is bigger than your identity. And that is the most important skill in this entire series. If this episode shifted something for you, share it with someone who needs to hear it. And in the comments, tell me: what's a belief you held that you later realized was more about identity than evidence? I think we can all learn from each other on this one. Episode 15 is about designing your decision environment. Not tips. Systems. Structures that protect your thinking, so willpower becomes optional. Now you can see the trap. Next, we build the escape route. Make sure you subscribe so you don't miss it, and I'll see you in the next one.   Endnotes — Episode 14 How To Quit Defending Decisions You Know Are Wrong "He'd made Target hip. He'd built the Apple Store from nothing into a retail phenomenon": Brad Tuttle, "The 5 Big Mistakes That Led to Ron Johnson's Ouster at JC Penney," TIME, April 9, 2013, https://business.time.com/2013/04/09/the-5-big-mistakes-that-led-to-ron-johnsons-ouster-at-jc-penney/. Johnson is credited with creating Target's "cheap chic" brand positioning in the early 2000s and subsequently designing and launching Apple's retail stores, which became the highest-grossing retail outlets per square foot in America. "We didn't test at Apple": Tuttle, "The 5 Big Mistakes" (cited in note 1). When Johnson's team proposed testing the new pricing strategy on a limited basis before rolling it out chain-wide, Johnson reportedly shot down the idea with this statement. The quote has been widely attributed in retail industry reporting. See also James Surowiecki, "Why Ron Johnson Is Struggling at J.C. Penney," The New Yorker (The Financial Page), March 25, 2013. The article is archived under The New Yorker's legacy URL format; for a summary of Surowiecki's argument, see Derek Thompson's coverage in The Atlantic and Quartz: https://qz.com/58487/jc-penneys-ceo-wasnt-the-one-who-killed-it. "Within seventeen months, sales dropped twenty-five percent. He was fired.": Multiple sources confirm these figures. Sales fell $4.3 billion in 2012 — a 25 percent decline — and same-store sales dropped 31.7 percent in Q4 2012, which analysts called "the worst quarter in all retail history." Johnson was terminated on April 8, 2013, seventeen months after taking over. See Tuttle, "The 5 Big Mistakes" (cited in note 1); Sean Williams, "This May Be the Worst Quarter in Retail History," The Motley Fool, February 28, 2013, https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/02/28/this-may-be-the-worst-quarter-in-retail-history.aspx; and the Ron Johnson entry at Wikiwand, which aggregates and cites the primary financial reporting, https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Ron_Johnson_(businessman). "When a belief becomes part of your identity, your brain defends it as it would defend your body": Jonas T. Kaplan, Sarah I. Gimbel, and Sam Harris, "Neural Correlates of Maintaining One's Political Beliefs in the Face of Counterevidence," Scientific Reports 6, 39589 (December 23, 2016), https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39589. doi:10.1038/srep39589. Using fMRI on 40 participants with strong political beliefs, the researchers found that challenges to identity-linked beliefs activated the amygdala and insular cortex — brain structures involved in threat detection and emotional processing — while also engaging the Default Mode Network, associated with self-referential thinking. Participants who resisted changing their minds showed the strongest activity in these areas. Lead author Kaplan noted: "The amygdala in particular is known to be especially involved in perceiving threat and anxiety." A 2026 replication by an independent European team confirmed these findings. See Kossowska, M., Szwed, P., Czarnek, G. et al., "Neural Correlates of Belief Change in Political and Non-Political Domains Among Left-Wing Individuals Confronted with Counterarguments," Scientific Reports 16, 4895 (January 8, 2026), https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-35397-6. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-35397-6. "That's the sunk cost fallacy": Hal R. Arkes and Catherine Blumer, "The Psychology of Sunk Cost," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 35, no. 1 (February 1985): 124–140. doi:10.1016/0749-5978(85)90049-4. Available via ScienceDirect: https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(85)90049-4. Arkes and Blumer defined the sunk cost effect as "a greater tendency to continue an endeavor once an investment in money, effort, or time has been made" and demonstrated across multiple experiments that the effect is driven by the desire not to appear wasteful — a fundamentally identity-protective motive rather than a financial calculation. "Sunk cost is about identity": The connection between sunk cost escalation and self-concept draws on Barry M. Staw, "Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy: A Study of Escalating Commitment to a Chosen Course of Action," Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 16, no. 1 (1976): 27–44. doi:10.1016/0030-5073(76)90005-2. Available via ScienceDirect: https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90005-2. Staw's central finding was that individuals committed the greatest resources to failing investments when they were personally responsible for the initial decision — an "intra-individual process in which people tend to act in ways to protect their own self-image." This reframes sunk cost escalation as identity protection rather than mere financial irrationality. See also Hal R. Arkes and Catherine Blumer, "The Psychology of Sunk Cost" (cited in note 5), whose findings complement Staw's by emphasizing the role of waste-avoidance norms tied to self-presentation. "To consider an alternative view, you would have to consider an alternative version of yourself": Jonas T. Kaplan, quoted in Emily Gersema, "Hardwired: The Brain's Circuitry for Political Belief," USC Press Room, December 23, 2016, https://pressroom.usc.edu/hardwired-the-brains-circuitry-for-political-belief/. This quote from the lead author of the fMRI study (cited in note 4) captures the identity-belief fusion mechanism described throughout this episode. Kaplan added: "Political beliefs are like religious beliefs in the respect that both are part of who you are and important for the social circle to which you belong."  

February 23, 2026 JASON WALLACE,documentarian, theological de-bate facilitator, & pastor of ChristPresbyterian Church (OPC) ofMagna, UT, who will address:“The MORMON MESS of CON-FLICTING & CONTRADICTINGREVELATION ALLEGEDLY FROMGOD”& introducing the new documen-tary, “The True & LYING Church:The LDS Coverup of John Taylor's1886 Revelation!!!” Subscribe: iTunes TuneIn Android RSS Feed Listen:

End-time Bible prophecy is the most debated topic among Christians in all of scripture. Healthy debate is good, but a dangerous, unbiblical precedent is being set. End-time Bible prophecy is being attacked from within the church by supposed shepherds. Let's look at the deception that Jesus and the apostles warned us would come. Show Notes:All audio clips and book quotes are unaltered and provided for further research.Books: The Purpose Driven Life: By Rick WarrenUnraptured - How End-Time Theology Gets It Wrong: By Zack HuntVideo footage of Mark Driscoll sourced from YouTube. The message was given at Mars Hill Church.Book by A.W. Tozer - Preparing for Jesus' ReturnText us for prayer, comments, or ministry questions.Connect with us at: concerningthetimes.com

PREVIEW: Bill Roggio provides a grim assessment of Al-Qaeda's status looking ahead to 2026, contradicting official narratives that the group has been "decimated" or "defeated." He explains that Al-Qaeda has grown significantly since 9/11, now effectively controlling two countries: Afghanistan in conjunction with the Taliban and parts of Syria. Roggio describes these areas as safe havens with training camps and weapons depots, noting that Somalia is also largely under Al-Qaeda control via Al-Shabaab.1836 BEIRUT

H.W. Brands recounts Lindbergh testifying to Congress, arguing air power strengthens hemispheric defense, contradicting FDR's view that technology makes America vulnerable, while continuing his popular anti-war rallies.

Mike Johnson, Ali Mac, and Beau Morgan react to the latest news, rumors, and reports in the NFL as they go In The Huddle!

Howie Kurtz on the killing of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, the Trump administration's new push for equal airtime for political candidates on entertainment talk shows, and Elizabeth Hurley's lawsuit against the Daily Mail over claims of illegal wiretapping. Follow Howie on Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@HowardKurtz⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more #MediaBuzz click here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A LANDSLIDE VICTORY AND POLITICAL REALIGNMENT Colleague David Pietrusza. On election night, early returns from Connecticut signal a massive victory for Roosevelt, contradicting expectations of a close race. FDRsweeps the nation, winning 46 states and securing 334 House seats, while Landon carries only two states. This landslide marks a permanent realignment of American politics, solidifying the Democratic Party's strength in urban areas. Roosevelt carries 104 of the nation's 106 major cities, supported overwhelmingly by the children of immigrants who came of age during the 1930s. The result validates the "liberal ideal" and leaves the Republican opposition in complete disarray. NUMBER 81936 JAVELIN WINNERS

Our week in review on the Charity Beallis case — an exhaustive FBI behavioral analysis of a case where documented evidence shows violence on both sides of a relationship.Charity Beallis and her twins Eliana and Maverick were found shot to death on December 3rd, 2025, in Bonanza, Arkansas. Over a month later: no arrest, no named suspect, no cause of death released. Federal agencies are assisting. The investigation remains active.The media framed this as a domestic violence tragedy with a clear victim and perpetrator. The documented record tells a more complicated story. Randall Beallis pled guilty to misdemeanor domestic battery. Charity wrote publicly about fearing for her safety. But Charity's documented history includes a 2013 arrest for allegedly pointing a firearm at a man, custody proceedings where her own father alleged she endangered her child, and according to a 2021 police report, her father allegedly told investigators she confessed to killing Randall's previous wife Shawna — who died from a gunshot wound to the forehead in 2012 in a case ruled suicide.That same father later told media he never said Charity was involved — only that "she knew who did it." That contradiction matters.Former FBI special agent Robin Dreeke — 32 years in federal law enforcement including running the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Program — joined us for a three-part analysis. He examined documented behaviors on both sides, the investigation's signals including search warrants and the dumpster discovery, and what happens when the truth may not fit any comfortable narrative. The only certainty is that Eliana and Maverick are gone. Everything else remains under investigation.#CharityBeallis #RobinDreeke #FBI #ElianaAndMaverick #RandallBeallis #ShawnaBeallis #BonanzaArkansas #HiddenKillers #WeekInReview #TrueCrimeJoin Our SubStack For AD-FREE ADVANCE EPISDOES & EXTRAS!: https://hiddenkillers.substack.com/Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video? Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspodX Twitter https://x.com/tonybpodListen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872

12.21.25 | "A Contradicting Sound" | Evangelist Kerry Jones by The Rock Church of Fort Myers

 ELECTION NIGHT LANDSLIDE AND POLITICAL REALIGNMENT Colleague David Pietrusza. On election night, early returns from Connecticut signaled a massive victory for Roosevelt, contradicting the predictions of the Literary Digest straw poll. Roosevelt won a historic landslide, capturing 46 states and sweeping huge Democraticmajorities into Congress. This victory marked a permanent political realignment, as the children of immigrants in major cities overwhelmingly voted for Roosevelt. While Landon's campaign was decimated, the election solidified the Democratic Party's shift from a Southern-dominated organization to a national coalition powered by urban centers and the working class, cementing the triumph of the liberal ideal. NUMBER 8

Interracial Marriage is critical to the reasons for a priesthood/temple ban on black LDS Church members. For many years, the official position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) was that “it is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction [on the priesthood for male members of African descent] began in the church.” However, historical research utilizing early records suggests that the origins of the ban are quite specific, pointing to a confluence of events involving race and interracial sexual relations (often called “amalgamation” or “miscegenation” at the time) that served as the primary catalyst. https://youtu.be/V3DtkTfLazM Don't miss our other conversations on the priesthood ban: https://gospeltangents.com/mormon_history/racial-priesthood-temple-ban/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved 0:00 Meet Stassi Cram Priesthood Before the Prejudice (1830–1846) Contradicting later restrictions, evidence shows that Black men held the priesthood and participated in temple ordinances during the earliest decades of the Church. Black Pete, the first Black convert, was baptized in 1830 and served a mission in Ohio, likely performing baptisms in January 1831. Elijah Abel, perhaps the most famous early Black Mormon, was ordained an Elder and then a Seventy in 1836, received his washing and anointing ordinance in the Kirtland Temple, and participated in baptisms for the dead in the 1840s. Joseph Ball was ordained a high priest and served as a branch president in Lowell, Massachusetts, after Joseph Smith’s death in 1844. Ball was also slated to receive his temple endowment in Nauvoo in 1845. Walker Lewis, baptized in 1843, was ordained an Elder by William Smith, and was later referred to by Brigham Young in 1847 as “one of the best elders an African in Lowell,” [Massachusetts.] Furthermore, marriage between Black and white members was not automatically prohibitive; John Teague, a white Irishman, joined the church in 1842 with his Black wife, Evelyn Wilbur, and John was ordained a priest and then an elder. These facts confirm that no formal priesthood restrictions existed before 1847. Interracial Marriage Crisis of 1847 The shift from granting the priesthood to prohibiting it appears to have been driven by the highly visible, controversial interracial relationships of two Black elders in 1846 and 1847. Warner McCary and Interracial Polygamy: McCary, a freed slave who claimed to be part Indian, was baptized by Apostle Orson Hyde in 1846. Some believe he was ordained an Elder, but this is disputed. In 1847, McCary married Lucy Stanton, a white woman, with Orson Hyde performing the wedding. McCary later caused outrage in Winter Quarters by engaging in “sealing ceremonies” with white women that included sexual intercourse witnessed by his wife. Church leaders quickly expelled McCary from the camp. Brigham Young expressed concern about “amalgamation,” or race mixing, during a meeting where McCary was discussed. Enoch Lewis and the Mixed-Race Child: Simultaneously, in Massachusetts, Enoch Lewis (son of Elder Q. Walker Lewis) married Matilda Webster, a white woman, in 1846, and they had a mixed-race infant girl in 1847. Mission president William Applebee was so disgusted upon meeting the couple and their child that he wrote a dismayed report to Brigham Young asking if it was “the order of God to be tolerated in this church to ordain negroes to the priesthood” and allow amalgamation. When Brigham Young received Applebee’s report in October 1847, he responded strongly, stating that when Black and White people “mingle seed it is death to all” and that if they were far away from non-Mormons, they would “all be killed.” Following these cases, Brigham Young privately claimed that “black-white sexual relations were against the law of God and advocated death to all who participated.” This reaction was fueled by a desire to stop interracial marriage & led to the institutional restriction. The ban was publicly affirmed on February 15, 1852, when Brigham Young addressed the Utah territorial legislature and espoused the Curse of Cain doctrine, stating that the mark of Cain “is seen in the face of every negro on the earth” and declaring that any man “having one drop of seed of Cain in him cannot hold the priesthood.” Elephant in the Room: Racism While interracial relationships may have been the catalyst that triggered the ban, many argue that this analysis ignores the underlying issue: pre-existing racial prejudice. Marguerite Driessen notes, “interracial marriage can cause no problems and it can result in no bad consequences at all unless there’s already racial prejudice to begin with.” The underlying racism allowed church leaders to: Ignore precedents like Elijah Abel's ordination. Contort accepted doctrine to justify exclusion. For example, the Second Article of Faith states that humans will be punished for their own sins, not Adam’s transgression, yet the priesthood ban relied on the “curse of Cain,” effectively punishing Black individuals for the sins of an ancestor. The notion of “accursed lineage” derived from the Book of Abraham’s account of Egyptus, which was used to justify denying saving ordinances based solely on lineage, a factor over which people have “no agency or control.” Thus, the events of 1847-1852 did not create the prejudice, but rather offered a convenient, concrete focus for leaders to impose restrictions that many members and leaders were already culturally inclined to accept. The ban was the result of church policy, not doctrine, and was maintained because the congregation was unwilling to fully accept equality until the 1978 revelation ended the restriction.

(0:00- 12:14) Andrew DiCecco joins for the remainder of the show & his assessment of the offense and why it hasn't changed much this season(12:14-22:03) Texter's questions for DiCecco. Plus, DiCecco vs John & Connor in an Eagles clue game (22:03-32:29) Bill Colarulo joins the show to defend his viewpoint on Jalen Hurts and the offense (32:29-41:04) Hurts vs Herbert both teams have different identities, but Herbert doesn't seem to get the injury excuse like Hurts does this season Please note: Timecodes may shift by a few minutes due to inserted ads. Because of copyright restrictions, portions—or entire segments—may not be included in the podcast.For the latest updates, visit the show page Kincade & Salciunas on 975thefanatic.com. Follow 97.5 The Fanatic on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Watch our shows on YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with all the best moments from Philly's home for sports!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we return to one of our reoccurring segments, Contradicting Contradictions. We hope this episode will be beneficial to you!

Willard and Dibs react to Kyle Shanahan addressing Brock Purdy's toe injury earlier today in Santa Clara. Is he contradicting himself when it comes to these injuries?

(0:00-14:24) ESPN's Adam Schefter joins the show(14:39-21:47) Today's headlines with Connor Thomas(21:55-31:02) Was Nick Castellanos speaking for himself regarding fans at Citizen Bank Park?(31:06-37:42) Reaction to Harper's pandering comments See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

GGG gave us a Path of Exile 2 teaser! And we're pretty sure we're excited! We don't know what we're excited about, but we can't wait! We also can't wait to play that game that we're pretty sure we're not frustrated with and we totally really like. Pretty sure. There are definitely no conflicting emotions, opinions, or preferences in this episode. One thing we are sure of, is that we love your faces.(00:00:00) Welcome to Forever Exiled(00:03:15) Early week catch-up and weekend plans(00:07:48) Gaming updates outside of Path of Exile(00:12:05) Fun tangents and random banter(00:16:40) Community shout-outs and interactions(00:21:12) Transition into Path of Exile discussions(00:25:33) First impressions from recent POE play sessions(00:32:05) Mechanics and build experimentation(00:39:20) Economy, trading, and loot talk(00:46:18) Recent league reflections and feedbackForever Exiled Info:www.foreverexiled.comPatreonTwitter @ForeverExiled82Path of Exile WebsiteWrecker of Days Builds ListDiscord...FE Merch StoreFE Nexus Store

Contradicting statements out of the US and Israel over the hunger crisis in Gaza. The region's health authority says 14 people have died in the past 24 hours due to starvation, which Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denies. He says Israel's enabled humanitarian aid throughout the duration of the war, otherwise there would be no Gazans. But US President Donald Trump says he's seen it, and is promising to set up food centres. US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the question now is how long does a starving kid continue to starve while new systems are being set up? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They promised the files, they teased the files, but when they looked, turns out, Donald Trump's apparently in the files. The explosive revelations involving the White House and secrets of Jeffrey Epstein. Plus, a Republican senator warns the Epstein saga will haunt the midterm elections.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this soul-stirring episode, Sana sits down with Suzannah Weiss — feminist writer, certified sexologist, and author of Subjectified — to explore what it truly means to live a pleasure-filled life. Suzannah shares her deeply personal journey of reclaiming her sexuality after healing from an eating disorder and how embodiment became the key to unlocking authentic desire, joy, and creative freedom.From the myths about women's libidos to orgasm struggles in partnership, Suzannah offers grounded wisdom, practical embodiment tools, and a radical reimagining of foreplay and intimacy that extends far beyond the bedroom. Together, they unpack how mainstream narratives — from Hugh Hefner to hustle culture — strip us of our humanity, and how we can return to wholeness through presence, pleasure, and play.You'll also hear about:Suzannah's healing journey through clothing-optional spacesWhy embodiment is the bridge to intuition, creativity, and alivenessHow she's preparing for her next book by fully embodying the Orgasmic LifeHer transformative DMT experience and what it revealed about hustle cultureAnd why the ultimate subjectification is turning ourselves into machinesThis episode is for the woman ready to feel again — deeply, fully, and on her own terms.Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction1:00 Suzannah's Journey reclaiming her sexuality after healing an eating disorder3:30 What to do if you struggle to have an orgasm with a partner5:00 Contradicting the stereotypes that women desire sex less than men7:34 The importance of embodiment work to connect deeply with our true desires10:00 Practical embodiment practices for beginners 11:30 Suzannah's journey healing from an Eating Disorder and becoming embodied in her sexuality14:54 How the media portrays toxic masculinity and rewards the behavior with icons like Hugh Hefner 18:08 Suzannah's unexpected experience at clothing optional resorts that claimed to be for women's empowerment - but were anything but22:08 How Suzannah would rewrite the rules for sex positive events to be more inclusive24:50 Tips on foreplay outside of the bedroom and intimacy beyond sexual connection30:00 How Suzannah is prepping for her second book by embodying the Orgasmic Life32:45 Creativity and intuition thrives in spaciousness33:55 Suzannah's DMT trip that helped her heal from hustle culture37:17 The ultimate subjectification is when humans turn themselves into performance machinesConnect with Suzannah:www.suzannahweiss.comOrder her bookFollow her on TwitterFollow her on Instagram___________________________________Work with Sana to remove energetic blocks within so you can align with your Highest Self and thrive in love + life:⁠⁠⁠https://www.sanaakhand.com/mentorship⁠⁠⁠If you're in LA, Join Growth Club, a membership for high achievers redefining success on their own terms.⁠⁠⁠https://www.joingrowthclub.co⁠⁠⁠___________________________________Follow Sana on Socials:⁠⁠⁠http://www.instagram.com/sanaakhand⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@sanaakhand⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Sana's Substack:⁠⁠https://sanaakhand.substack.com/⁠⁠Follow the Pod on Socials:⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/thrivinginlovepod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@sana_akhand⁠⁠⁠⁠_________________________________Leave a review on Apple Podcasts:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thriving-in-love/id1638372129⁠⁠⁠⁠_________________________________To be a guest on the show or share a story, email me at: hi@sanaakhand.com

Ret FBI Behavior Analysis Chief Breaks Down Karen Read's Contradicting Statements & Actions Did a true crime documentary just tank Karen Read's defense? When you're facing an alleged second-degree murder charge, most folks would advise you to keep your head down, stay quiet, and maybe—just maybe—not hand your unfiltered stream of consciousness to a documentary crew. But that's exactly what Karen Read did in “Body in the Snow”, the HBO Max/ID doc that might double as a cautionary tale for anyone with a pending trial. Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke break down Read's on-camera contradictions—from her teary musings of “What if I ran over his foot?” to suddenly being sure she didn't touch a hair on his head. The emotional tone? Weirdly upbeat. The logic? Like a drunk game of Clue with a broken compass. Robin calls it “word salad.” Tony calls it narcissistic. We just call it… yikes. Then there's the blogger—Turtleboy—who Read allegedly had daily contact with, feeding him info while he stirred a digital witch hunt. Online harassment, stalking, intimidation… and it's not even the second trial yet. Is Karen Read the victim of a smear campaign, or her own worst enemy with a podcast mic? #KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillersPodcast #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #Turtleboy #BodyInTheSnow Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Ret FBI Behavior Analysis Chief Breaks Down Karen Read's Contradicting Statements & Actions Did a true crime documentary just tank Karen Read's defense? When you're facing an alleged second-degree murder charge, most folks would advise you to keep your head down, stay quiet, and maybe—just maybe—not hand your unfiltered stream of consciousness to a documentary crew. But that's exactly what Karen Read did in “Body in the Snow”, the HBO Max/ID doc that might double as a cautionary tale for anyone with a pending trial. Tony Brueski and former FBI Behavioral Analyst Robin Dreeke break down Read's on-camera contradictions—from her teary musings of “What if I ran over his foot?” to suddenly being sure she didn't touch a hair on his head. The emotional tone? Weirdly upbeat. The logic? Like a drunk game of Clue with a broken compass. Robin calls it “word salad.” Tony calls it narcissistic. We just call it… yikes. Then there's the blogger—Turtleboy—who Read allegedly had daily contact with, feeding him info while he stirred a digital witch hunt. Online harassment, stalking, intimidation… and it's not even the second trial yet. Is Karen Read the victim of a smear campaign, or her own worst enemy with a podcast mic? #KarenRead #JohnOKeefe #TrueCrimeToday #HiddenKillersPodcast #FBIBehavioralAnalysis #Turtleboy #BodyInTheSnow Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com

Does Jesus treat critics and spectators differently than participants? To a novice casting out demons, Jesus says, "For whoever is not against us is for us." - Mark 9:40. But to the Pharisees being critical of Him delivering a man who was blind and mute, He says, "Whoever is not with me is against me" - Matthew 12:30. Don't run or pick sides between Biblical truth that seems to contradict each other. Contradicting truths are two rails on a train track that keep the train from derailing at speed. 

Saying one thing and doing another....this is an idea that is old as sporting itself is. In MMA, these moments are equally common, which means there are quite a few people we could have considered for this one, but didn't make the cut. So like the Jon Jones', Colby Covington's or Sean Strickland's, there's plenty to talk about in today's video.

(SPOILER) Your Daily Roundup covers Laura Owens' lawyer releases an 8 minute video contradicting himself, People's Sexiest Man is named, a game show blooper that's gone viral, and we now know Hawk Tuah's boyfriend Pookie.Music written by Jimmer Podrasky (B'Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI)Ads:JLo Beauty - 20% off plus THREE FREE GIFTS, incl 2 quality Face Masks and one Hydrating Beso BalmCacao Bliss - Promo Code: RealitySteve for 25% off your purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(SPOILER) Your Daily Roundup covers Laura Owens' lawyer releases an 8 minute video contradicting himself, People's Sexiest Man is named, a game show blooper that's gone viral, and we now know Hawk Tuah's boyfriend Pookie. Music written by Jimmer Podrasky (B'Jingo Songs/Machia Music/Bug Music BMI) Ads: JLo Beauty - 20% off plus THREE FREE GIFTS, incl 2 quality Face Masks and one Hydrating Beso Balm Cacao Bliss - Promo Code: RealitySteve for 25% off your purchase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hour 4 - The guys finish their autopsy on the Red Sox season and make their final diagnoses on what caused the ultimate failure of missing the playoffs. Then, KJ and Jon get into a fiery debate about Jerod Mayo sticking with Jacoby Brissett, but admitting Drake Maye performed better throughout Training Camp. And, remembering the legendary lives of Pete Rose and Dikembe Mutombo.

House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) intends to bring forward a House resolution laying out all the evidence contradicting the Democrat-led January 6 Select Committee's report. Rep. Loudermilk also explains why he will wait until the next Congress to bring forward criminal referrals. Additional interview with Freedom Foundation Communications Director Maddie Dermon on the potential decertification of the United Teachers of Dade and the government mandates for electric vehicles reflects the Biden-Harris administration's prioritization of union leaders over members. “It's due time that both political parties, especially the Democrats, pay more attention to the interests of our working people in America,” she says.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Two new polls show good news for Kamala Harris as Trump tries to convince America that he won the debate. Is his inner-circle buying it? Plus, the city of Springfield, Ohio sets the record straight with a message for Trump after he claimed migrants were eating cats and dogs.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices