POPULARITY
Categories
They had always been close, even after adulthood put several states between them.Then, one night, she woke to the unmistakable sound of her sister saying her name.When she opened her eyes, her sister was standing in the bedroom doorway. She looked completely normal. She didn't appear frightened, injured, or distressed. She simply stood there for a few seconds before disappearing.Convinced she had experienced an unusually vivid dream, she checked the time and went back to sleep. The next morning, several missed calls were waiting on her phone.Only later would she discover just how closely her strange 2:17 a.m. encounter lined up with the final moments of her sister's life.#GhostStories #Paranormal #SpiritVisitation #AfterDeathCommunication #FinalGoodbye #SignsFromBeyond #ParanormalEncounter #Afterlife #Unexplained Love real ghost stories? Want even more?Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:
Last time we spoke about the collapse of Johore. Trapped at Parit Sulong with 150 severely wounded, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Anderson's Australians fought through Japanese roadblocks in a desperate bayonet charge singing "Waltzing Matilda." Unable to breach the bridge, Anderson was forced to abandon the injured, believing they'd receive decent treatment. Instead, they faced the Parit Sulong Massacre—tortured, executed, and incinerated by Nishimura's Imperial Guards. Few survived. Simultaneously, Endau fell after a costly RAF daylight raid. Brigadier Challen's brigade at Batu Pahat retreated through chaos, eventually evacuating by sampan. Most devastatingly, Brigadier Painter's 22nd Indian Brigade vanished into the jungle—a severed telephone line between brigades allowed Japanese infiltration, cutting them off completely. General Barstow died attempting to warn Painter. Only 63 of Painter's 2,000 men reached Singapore. The collapse of Johore was complete. The fortress awaited. #221 The Malayan Campaign Part 3: The Fall of Singapore Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On January 31st, the last defenders—the 2nd Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders—crossed the Causeway bridge into Singapore. The island was now under siege, though the military spokesman forbade use of the word "siege" to avoid demoralizing the population. Newspapers were permitted only "besieged," though the true situation was unmistakable to Winston Churchill, who had sent Wavell an unequivocal message two weeks prior: "I want to make it absolutely clear that I expect every inch of ground to be defended, every scrap of material or defenses to be blown to pieces to prevent capture by the enemy and no question of surrender to be entertained until after protracted fighting in the ruins of singapore city." This was Götterdämmerung in miniature—a fight to the bitter end. Wavell relayed Churchill's orders to Percival, who now faced two massive challenges: repelling a Japanese invasion of Singapore's northern coast while protecting the central island with its population and infrastructure. Following Churchill's directives, Percival ordered the destruction of the naval base in utmost secrecy. In a speech to his troops, Percival declared: "Our task has been both to impose losses on the enemy and to gain time to enable the forces of the Allies to be concentrated for this struggle in the Far East. Today we stand beleaguered in our island fortress. Our task is to hold this fortress until help can come – as assuredly it will come. This we are determined to do." Yamashita feared the British might use oil tanks in the naval base to ignite the Straits of Johore, creating a fiery barrier against his amphibious assault. He ordered his artillery and air force to bombard and bomb the tanks, creating a massive cloud of black smoke that enveloped the entire island. While Yamashita prevented the catastrophe he dreaded, the burning oil proved a double-edged sword—the smog made it extremely difficult for Japanese aircraft to locate targets and for artillery to maintain accuracy, wasting significant ammunition. Yamashita had positioned 200 artillery pieces and mortars within range, while Percival commanded 226 guns, including 29 large garrison guns and three massive 15-inch naval guns capable of rotating 360 degrees. However, the ammunition was armor-piercing, designed for ships rather than land targets. To conserve shells, Percival limited harassing fire to 20 rounds per gun daily. Yamashita envisioned firing 1,000 rounds from each gun to soften defenses. His heaviest artillery comprised 105mm guns firing 68-pound shells, but most were Krupp 1890 model 75mm guns firing lighter 11-pound shells compared to British 25-pounders. Yamashita faced an artillery shortfall. More critical was troop disparity: Yamashita had approximately 30,000 men for the assault, while Percival commanded nearly 90,000—though Percival believed the Japanese force was far larger. Singapore's 72-mile coastline meant defending everywhere simultaneously. Though the main thrust would obviously target the northern shore, Percival stationed units like the Manchesters—a regular machine gun battalion from Palestine—in southern pillboxes, never having fired in anger. Having been repeatedly outflanked during the Malayan campaign, Percival feared Yamashita might combine a northern attack with simultaneous southern amphibious landings or airborne drops. He preferred thin coverage across the entire coastline, drawing reserves only to address the most apparent threat. The logical invasion point was west of the Causeway, where the Straits narrowed to 600-2,000 yards and the Skudai River estuary provided concealment for small boats. Wavell believed this and recommended positioning the 18th Division—the freshest troops—there. But deployment decisions belonged to field commanders. Percival established two defensive lines: the Jurong Line, running from the Kranji River south to the Jurong River along the western side, and the Serangoon Line, extending from the Serangoon River southward on the eastern side. Both were mapped but entirely unprepared. The northern shore was similarly unfortified. Four defensive areas were designated: the Southern Area (from the Jurong River around to Changi) under Major-General Keith Simmons; the Northern Area (from Changi to Woodlands) defended by the 18th Division under Merton Beckwith Smith and the 11th Indian Division under Lewis Heath; the Western Area (from Woodlands westward) defended by the 8th Australian Division under Bennett and the semi-trained 44th Indian Brigade; and a Reserve Area centered on Bukit Timah and Paya Lebar, commanded by Brigadier Paris with the undermanned 12th and 15th Indian Brigades. Believing the western Causeway crossing too obvious, Percival decided the main landings would occur to the east. Unfortunately, he was wrong. Percival relied on secret sampan patrols to gather intelligence. Patrols east of the Causeway discovered Japanese equipment on Ubin Island in the strait, and artillery fire on the eastern sector seemed to confirm his suspicion of a northeastern invasion. However, two Australian patrols also reported significant Japanese troop concentrations in the western sector with large concentrations of enemy forces—but found very few landing craft on the Malaya River. Percival dismissed this intelligence as inconsequential, convinced the main attack would come northeast rather than northwest. The patrols had failed to locate where Yamashita had hidden his boats. Anyone understanding Japan should have anticipated that Yamashita would assault Singapore by February 11th—Kigensetsu, Shinto's most significant holiday celebrating Emperor Jimmu Tenno's birth. Yamashita was convinced Singapore lay within his grasp and knew how pleased his superiors would be with a conquest by that date. He had conquered all Malaya in just 55 days, suffering fewer than 2,000 deaths and under 3,000 wounded. His forces had advanced 700 miles, repaired over 250 bridges, killed an estimated 5,000 defenders, and captured 8,000, including senior officers like Painter and Challen. Soon Singapore would become a vast prison camp as the Imperial Japanese Navy tightened its blockade. Yet speed was essential; Yamashita's forces were needed for operations against Sumatra, Java, New Guinea, and many Pacific locations. The longer he delayed, the better prepared the 90,000-strong British force would become. Delay risked allowing the defenders to engage him decisively in the Straits of Johore. Yamashita promised Tokyo an attack within a week. Zero hour was set shortly after sunset on February 7th. Two divisional commanders requested an additional 24 hours to prepare, and Yamashita granted it without hesitation. He understood that if they needed more time, they needed it. Throughout February 7th, 52 guns supporting Nishimura's Imperial Guards Division bombarded the East Anglians near Changi, positioned where massive 15-inch guns stood. Under darkness, an Imperial Guards battalion boarded noisy-engined boats heading for Ubin Island. To their astonishment, the noise didn't alert defenders—the island lay undefended. Percival had decided against stationing troops there due to insufficient manpower, allowing only twice-daily patrols by the 4th Norfolks, who accidentally shot one another in the dark during one patrol. The unopposed capture raised Yamashita's concerns; this feint was designed to divert attention from the western sector, where he planned his full-scale assault. Had his deception failed? Were Percival's main forces hiding in the west? Yet there was consolation: British artillery was targeting the eastern side, not the western sector where Yamashita had positioned significant artillery. The concentrated eastern bombardment reinforced Percival's conviction that the Japanese would invade the northeast. Yamashita had successfully deceived his opponent. The trap was set. On February 8th at 10 a.m., the Japanese bombardment unleashed chaos along the entire northern coast. Over 88,000 shells rained down in 15 hours, destroying telephone lines and isolating forward units. By 7 p.m., the assault focused almost exclusively on the western shore. At 8:30, as the bombardment diminished, the men of D Company, 20th Battalion heard boat engines previously drowned out by the barrage. Yamashita's fleet—50 steel-hulled landing crafts and up to 300 collapsible assault boats—surged from the Skudai River, fanning across the straits as approximately 4,000 of his best troops made their first wave. Colonel Nicol of the 20th Battalion fired the first shots at roughly 300 yards. The forward defenders—about 3,000 Australian infantry exhausted from 15 hours of bombardment—faced Brigadier Harold Taylor's 22nd Brigade positioned across approximately 14.6 km of shoreline. Taylor's force was critically undermanned, with communication failures and minimal water obstacles leaving them devastatingly vulnerable. Yamashita had targeted Taylor's line at its weakest point—what the Germans called Schwerpunkt. Two critical failures compounded the disaster. Major Peacock's searchlight crews, meant to illuminate the landing craft, never received orders to activate. Commander Taylor mistakenly believed the generator was damaged; in reality, the lights simply never came on. Without illumination, artillery couldn't engage effectively. The forward infantry used 3-inch mortars and Vickers guns as landing craft made landfall on small islands like Sarimbun, 400 yards offshore, where Japanese troops established mortars and machine guns to return fire. Among the first ashore was Private Kiyoichi Yamamoto, who suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his stomach, chest, and right hand from a mortar explosion. Despite his injuries, he pressed through the darkness to the beach, reportedly collapsing and dying after helping comrades ashore while shouting "Tenno heika Banzai!" When retrieved, his right lung protruded through his shattered rib cage, his uniform nearly entirely drenched in blood. Taylor's Australians inflicted considerable casualties on the first waves. When Sergeant Arai Mitsuo of the 18th Division jumped from his boat at about 1 a.m. with the second wave, "a cold hand stroked his ankle." He found nine corpses floating in a line, heads upward. "A chill ran down Arai's spine. Were they shot while crossing, and then washed up, or after they had landed? But reflections be hanged! Quick! Cut off a wrist or a finger of each dead man. Chop, chop, chop. Into a box, there's no time to bury them. Just a quick prayer. Rest in peace. Then forward! He must fire the green 'success' rocket: Regimental Command has landed—the sign for 18th Division General Mutaguchi Renya to embark on the third wave across the straits." After four hours, Taylor's 22nd Brigade was overwhelmed. Though artillery eventually provided defensive fire, only 8 of 30 25-pounders were operational. Gun crews remained unaware of the situation until dispatch riders arrived with vague orders to "bring down fire everywhere." The absence of searchlights rendered fire inaccurate and chaotic. Yamashita's Schwerpunkt had worked perfectly. Machine gunner Ochi Harumi of the 5th noted, "For the defending Australians, it was kill or retreat; for the Japanese, it was kill or be killed." He observed that a rearguard armed with Thompsons attempted to slow them, but they moved like "rapid dogs" pursuing the Australians into the bush. Japanese officers carried compasses and instructions to disperse upon landing, heading south or southeast to regroup at the damaged Tengah airfield, situated between the coast and swamps. Both Taylor's forces and the Japanese converged there. Corporal Clarence Spackman and his men, armed with bayonets, encountered a Japanese group including an officer wielding a katana. Spackman charged, seized the sword, and engaged in brutal melee combat, killing several Japanese soldiers. Like many units, his company attempted to establish defensive positions, slowing the Japanese throughout the night. By February 9th, Taylor's brigade had descended into chaos. Men were caked in mud from swamp crossings, many having lost weapons while attempting to reform defensive lines north of Tengah. Bennett sent reinforcements, but the situation deteriorated. Some units reached the village of Bukit Timah on Singapore's outskirts. Duncan, commanding the 27th Infantry Brigade, made unusual personnel changes within hours: Lt Colonel Albert Boyes was succeeded by Lt Colonel Richard Oakes, and Black Jack Galleghan was replaced by Major Ramsay—Duncan disliked Galleghan, who had partially lost his hearing from a near-miss bomb blast. Duncan's forward units covered two miles between the causeway and Kranji River. With the Japanese bridgehead entirely west of the Kranji, Duncan repositioned away from the shoreline toward the river to confront invaders. He then defied Bennett's orders, instructing his men to destroy 2 million gallons of motor fuel at the Woodlands depot before withdrawing. This maneuver shifted his forces from a west-east axis to north-south, ensuring control over the Bukit Timah road for potential retreat into Singapore proper if the enemy gained the upper hand. Nishimura's Imperial Guards Division seethed after their diversionary role on Ubin Island. The humiliation proved unbearable, and his complaints convinced Yamashita to authorize an assault on the causeway itself. Given its narrow width, Nishimura committed only one battalion for the first wave. At 8:30 PM, boats ferried the 4th Guards Regiment across, but they faced identical obstacles to the Western landings—failed field telephones and inoperative searchlights. Around the Kranji River, Oakes' men mounted determined resistance, holding back the Guards. By morning, once communications resumed, Duncan learned his forces risked encirclement from Japanese crossings further south. He ordered immediate withdrawal after destroying the fuel tanks. At 4 AM, they ignited the depot. The Mandai Kechil blazed as the British successfully set portions of the sea ablaze. Corporal Tsuchikane Tominosuke, caught in the conflagration, recounted the nightmare: "Fire lashed out over the mangrove and set it ablaze. It spread quickly, feeding on oil poured into the straits. Mother! Mother! A voice could be heard moaning. It was a picture of hell—'Abiyokan,' Buddhism's worst of all hells. I stumbled along the edge of the beach, my gun felt slippery in my hands. Fire in all directions threatened to engulf me. Where to go? It seemed impossible to advance or retreat! Then I stumbled across Corporal Nemeto who said, 'We'll burn to death just standing here—let's attack!' Shouting out to the battalion and platoons, we advanced. One, then two comrades joined; soon we were five black figures looking all alike, with only the whites of our eyes glinting in the darkness. We were covered in heavy black oil." Nishimura learned that the Kobayashi regiment had last been seen swimming through flames. Many soldiers, covered in oil, returned to Johore. Convinced his division had been wronged, Nishimura raged that Yamashita had "recklessly forced a passage without adequate preparation, resulting in unnecessary casualties." Why did his guards face the toughest beach while the 5th and 18th divisions enjoyed relative ease? He suspected deliberate mockery of his "chocolate soldier" force. When he confronted Yamashita at his Johore headquarters, he discovered the commander had already crossed to his new HQ at north Tengah with Tsuji. Yamashita and Tsuji were having breakfast with dry bread when Nishimura's aide reported. Yamashita dismissed the account as panic from a few fleeing men. The guards division, he declared, could "do as it pleases in this battle," leaving victory to the 5th and 18th divisions alone. Despite this rebuff, the Imperial Guards pressed through the Abiyokan—the burning hell—seeking revenge. Tsuchikane engaged in grenade duels and led bayonet charges. After bayoneting an opponent, he observed defenders "having lost their nerve, with some soldiers cowering in terror, squatting down and avoiding hand-to-hand combat in a wait-and-see position. They, too, were bayoneted or shot without mercy." While the Guards fought, Wavell completed his final flight back to Singapore from Java HQ, arriving as the RAF evacuated. He went directly to Bennett's headquarters with Percival, the three generals barely escaping a Japanese air raid. Bennett revealed that Duncan had disobeyed orders and withdrawn, opening the floodgates for Yamashita to advance on Bukit Timah and the city. Bennett pledged to mount a counterattack within hours and seal the gaps. Before Wavell's early morning departure, he dined with Percival and Air Vice Marshal Pulford. Just as the meal began, a telegram from Churchill arrived: "There must at this stage be no thought of saving the troops or sparing the population. The battle must be fought to the bitter end at all costs. The 18th Division has its chance to make its name in history. Commanders and senior officers should die with their troops. The honour of the British Empire and of the British Army is at stake. I rely on you to show no weakness or mercy in any form. With the Russians fighting as they are and the Americans so stubborn at Luzon, the whole reputation of our country and our race is involved." Wavell added his own message for the troops: "The Chinese, with an almost complete lack of modern equipment, have held the greater part of their country against the full strength of the Japanese… It will be disgraceful if we yield our boasted Fortress of Singapore to inferior enemy forces… I look to you and to your men to fight to the end and to prove that the fighting spirit that won our Empire still exists to enable us to defend it." Percival issued his own directive: "It will be a lasting disgrace if we are defeated by an army of clever gangsters many times inferior in numbers… The spirit of aggression and determination to stick it out must be inculcated in all ranks. There must be no further withdrawals without orders. There are too many fighting men in the back areas. Every available man who is not doing essential work must be used to stop the invader." By 9 PM, Bennett's formations were positioned for a major counterattack at dawn. At Bukit Panjang, Brigadier Paris was settling in for dinner when a Japanese tankette appeared at his gates. Defenders mistook it for a Bren gun carrier; sentries grabbed revolvers and fired. The vehicle retreated. It was later discovered that Yamashita had transported armor across the straits using makeshift pontoons—three rafts lashed together. Over thirty T-95s had landed in the area Duncan vacated, now positioned three miles down the road in Bukit Timah. Alarmed, Paris sent Brigadier Major Angus MacDonald to establish a blockade, anticipating another night assault like Slim River. With no time for proper fortifications, the battalion—oriented westward toward friendly territory—could only park vehicles across the road. As men placed anti-tank mines, a T-95 silhouette appeared. The Japanese took twenty minutes to breach the obstacles, losing one tank to a mine. Boys anti-tank rifles blazed; two tanks exploded. The remaining armor halted. It was February 10th, the eve of Kigensetsu, the 2602nd anniversary of the Japanese Empire. On Kigensetsu morning, around 9 AM, Japanese aircraft dropped something unprecedented: eighteen-inch tubes adorned with colored ribbons containing Yamashita's surrender ultimatum to Percival, written in English: "Your Excellency, I, the High Command of the Nippon Army based on the spirit of Japanese chivalry, have the honour of presenting this note to Your Excellency advising you to surrender the whole force in Malaya… Many fierce fights have been fought by your gallant men and officers to the honour of British warriorship. But the development of the general war situation has already sealed the fate of Singapore… I expect that Your Excellency accepting my advice will give up this meaningless and desperate resistance and promptly order the entire front to cease hostilities… If on the contrary Your Excellency should neglect my advice and the present resistance be continued, I shall be obliged, though reluctantly from humanitarian considerations, to order my army to make annihilating attacks on Singapore… (signed) Tomoyuki Yamashita" By February 13th, Bennett's counterattack to reclaim the Kranji-Jurong line had largely failed. Australian, British, and Indian forces were retreating across the island, some in full rout. Bennett told Captain Frank Gaven of the 20th Battalion, "I don't think the men want to fight," to which Gaven replied: "The men are very tired; their rations have been irregular and insufficient. They have been in constant contact with the enemy and feel they have been let down. I feel that way too." When Wavell reported to Churchill on the situation, he admitted: "The Japanese, using their usual infiltration tactics, are advancing more swiftly than they should in the west of the island… The morale of some troops is low, and none is as high as I would like… Everything possible is being done to foster a more offensive spirit and an optimistic outlook." Percival, hampered by poor intelligence that grossly overestimated Japanese strength, attempted to reorganize his defenses. He created the Tom Force under Lionel Thomas to recapture Bukit Timah village and hill, which the Japanese had occupied that morning. Though composed largely of inexperienced soldiers, Tom Force made progress where most other disorganized units failed. However, they were halted at Bukit Timah by heavy bombardment from Japanese bombers that had shifted focus from Keppel Harbor. The 15-inch Johore batteries were firing on the invaders in the Bukit Timah area, but nearly all 250 rounds were armor-piercing shells—devastating to ships but ineffective against ground targets. Had they been high-explosive rounds, they might have decimated the enemy. Tsuji, driving through Bukit Panjang crossroads, experienced the terror firsthand: "…the blast jarred our spines. The flash seared my eyes, and I was thrown into the roadside ditch… one discharge – two discharges… I had no experience of such heavy projectiles, which tore holes in the ground 15 or 16 metres in diameter and 4 or 5 metres deep… Crouching like a crab inside the earthen pipe I imagined what would happen if a shell fell on me… I had landed on the island with the intention of dying but unconsciously I drew myself further into the pipe." With Tom Force's attack repelled, Percival consolidated his forces into a 28-square-mile perimeter stretching from Keppel Harbor to Kallang Airfield—an area containing approximately 1 million civilians and up to 90,000 military personnel. The loss of Bukit Timah made it impossible to include the island's two reservoirs. He retained only control of MacRitchie's southeastern shore and its underground pipes. By dawn on February 13th, morale was collapsing. Desertions were widespread, and soldiers had lost the will to fight. On February 14th, at 1 PM, the Changi Fire Command was ordered to prepare three 15-inch guns for demolition by 6:30 PM. The guns fired around 194 shells, using 80% of their ammunition before detonation charges destroyed them at 6:45 PM. All remaining ships began final evacuation. Out of approximately 5,000 people boarding 44 ships, around 40 vessels were sunk. Only 1,250 reached India or Australia. Many ships were targeted by Japanese aircraft and heavy shellfire in the Bangka Straits, though some fortunate survivors were rescued by select IJN vessels that permitted surrender. The worst horror came at Alexandra Hospital on Saturday, February 14th. Gunner Anckorn, severely injured and amputated, had received significant morphine. When Japanese soldiers entered, he spoke to the patient beside him: "aren't they Japanese soldiers?" When told yes, he asked what they were doing. "He said they're taking people on the front lawn and killing them… The next time I woke up the Japanese were back in the ward, going from bed to bed with fixed bayonets. As they came up my line of beds, I thought to myself I'm going to be dead in thirty seconds… I said out loud to myself two things: 'I'll never be twenty-four'. The other one was, 'Poor Mum'. They got close to my bed for my turn of bayoneting… I put my head under the pillow and when I came up for air they'd gone and there were four people left alive in the ward." Some theorize the Japanese mistook his blood-soaked hand and empty pillow for a corpse already bayoneted. The atrocity claimed 320 men and 1 woman, with 90 members of the Royal Australian Medical Corps killed while protecting their 800 patients. Meanwhile, Bennett gathered remaining Australian troops into a comprehensive defensive position, while many lingered around the docks seeking escape. Recognizing the dire situation, Bennett messaged Army HQ in Melbourne: "If the enemy enters the city behind us, we will take appropriate action to prevent unnecessary sacrifices." To the north, the 18th Division under Major General Beckwith-Smith fought intense house-to-house combat. The 1st Cambridgeshires identified a Japanese encampment on Peirce Reservoir's northwestern shore where enemy soldiers were swimming and performing calisthenics. They deployed a dozen Bren guns and 2-inch mortars, opening fire from 400 yards away with devastating effect. On February 15th, Percival received Wavell's telegram granting him discretion to surrender: "Time gained and damage to the enemy are of vital importance… When you are fully satisfied that this is no longer possible I give you discretion to cease resistance… Whatever happens I thank you and all your troops for your gallant efforts of last few days." Percival convened a commanders' conference at 9:30 AM. Only Beckwith-Smith was absent, reporting significant enemy infiltration along his 17,000-yard front. The 4th Suffolks and Foresters had been overwhelmed by Japanese tanks. Chief Engineer Brigadier Simson warned that Singapore City would run out of water within a day. Bennett and Heath had been advocating surrender for days. Suddenly, Bennett suggested a joint attack to reclaim Bukit Timah, but his proposal met with silence. A Japanese flag was raised from the Cathay Building for ten minutes—signaling Percival's agreement. He would meet Yamashita at the Ford Factory. Yamashita's forces were critically depleted: only 18 tanks remained, infantry were limited to 100 rounds each, and fuel supplies had run dry. Men survived on two bowls of rice daily. Percival arrived at 4:30 PM carrying a white flag himself. Inside the factory, photographers and reporters clamored. Yamashita appeared and declared: "The Japanese Army will consider nothing but surrender." Yamashita knew the British outnumbered him 3-to-1 and feared the British would discover this numerical inferiority, forcing disastrous street fighting. Percival stalled: "I fear we shall be unable to submit our final reply before 10:30 PM." Yamashita erupted: "Reply to us only whether our terms are acceptable or not, things must be settled swiftly. We are prepared to resume firing." When Percival continued stalling, Yamashita exploded: "Unless you do surrender, we will have to carry out our night attack as scheduled!" Percival requested: "Cannot the Japanese army remain in its present position? We can resume negotiations tomorrow at 5:30 AM?" "Nani!" Yamashita burst. "I want the hostilities to cease tonight and I want to remind you there can be no arguments." Percival stammered: "We shall discontinue firing by 8:30 PM. Had we better remain in our present positions tonight?" Yamashita grew suspicious of Percival's vagueness: "You have agreed to the terms but you have not yet made yourself clear as to whether you agree to surrender or not." Percival could not speak—facing history's worst moment for Britain. He cleared his throat and nodded. Yamashita shook his finger: "There's no need for all this talk. It is a simple question and I want a simple answer—yes or no! Surrender or fight!" "Yes," Percival said. "I have a request to make. Will the Imperial Army protect the women and children and British civilians?" "We shall see to it. Please sign this truce agreement." It was the greatest land victory in Japanese history. Yamashita took Malaya and Singapore for 3,506 killed and 6,150 wounded. Percival's casualties were approximately 7,500 killed and 10,000 wounded. About 120,000 prisoners were taken. During the Singapore Island campaign alone, Yamashita lost 1,713 killed and 2,772 wounded—nearly as many as the entire Malayan campaign. Yamashita later boasted about his greatest deception: "My attack on Singapore was a bluff—a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That is why the surrender had to be at once. I was very frightened all the time that the British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies and force me into disastrous street fighting." On paper he was outnumbered 3-to-1, but his three first-class homogeneous divisions possessed air and naval superiority—advantages incomparable to Percival's heterogeneous, disorganized force. Had the British continued resisting, Yamashita would merely have waited for reinforcements and supplies. Winston Churchill called Singapore's fall "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history." His personal physician, Lord Moran, wrote: "The fall of Singapore on February 15 stupefied the Prime Minister. How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese?… The surrender of the fortress stunned him. He felt it was a disgrace. It left a scar on his mind. One evening, months later, when he was sitting in his bathroom enveloped in a towel, he stopped drying himself and gloomily surveyed the floor: 'I cannot get over Singapore,' he said sadly." But Singapore's fall meant far more to the Chinese population than simple military defeat. For them, the island's capture represented not just the loss of a fortress, but the arrival of an occupying force whose intentions toward the Chinese had already been made brutally clear across Malaya. Dalforce, the Chinese volunteer force hastily formed weeks earlier, had fought fiercely across the island during the campaign, sustaining heavy casualties in a desperate struggle alongside British and Commonwealth forces. Some members had managed to escape into the jungle; others would face a far darker fate than conventional prisoner-of-war detention. The Japanese military leadership had long regarded the Chinese population as potentially the greatest source of resistance to their territorial expansion throughout Asia-Pacific. The Second Sino-Japanese War, raging since 1937, had created deep mutual antagonism—Chinese communities across Southeast Asia had raised funds for Chinese nationalist forces and demonstrated unmistakable anti-Japanese sentiment. What awaited the Chinese of Singapore after the British surrender was not occupation in the conventional sense, but systematic persecution rooted in ideological vendetta. On February 18, 1942—just three days after the British surrender—the occupying Japanese military initiated an operation that would become one of World War II's lesser-known but devastating atrocities. The Kempeitai, the Imperial Japanese Army's secret police, began mass arrests and executions of Singapore's Chinese population. The operation was code-named "Sook Ching," a Chinese term meaning "purge through cleansing." The Japanese themselves referred to it as Kakyo Shukusei—"purging of Overseas Chinese." The massacre was systematic and premeditated. Japanese military planners had decided well before the invasion that the Chinese population of Singapore and Malaya required elimination or severe subjugation. According to captured Japanese records and postwar testimony, an order had been issued by senior staff officers on Yamashita's operations staff to kill 50,000 Chinese—approximately 20 percent of the total population. The purge was officially planned to last only two days, but it would be extended repeatedly until early March, consuming thousands of lives. The mechanism of the massacre was coldly bureaucratic. The Japanese established "screening centres" throughout Singapore where Chinese males aged 18 to 50 were required to report for "inspection." The Kempeitai, commanded by Major Masayuki Oishi from headquarters at the YMCA Building on Stamford Road, divided Singapore into sectors and administered the process with 200 regular Kempeitai officers and approximately 1,000 auxiliaries—many of them young conscripts from rural areas with no interrogation training or judicial framework to guide their decisions. In theory, the screening was meant to identify "anti-Japanese elements"—communists, volunteers who had fought with Allied forces, businessmen who had financed resistance to Japan's invasion of China, and organized crime members. The reality was far more brutal and arbitrary. At some screening centers, interrogators singled out men with glasses, assuming educated men posed a threat. Others were selected based on tattoos, considered a sign of triad membership. Hooded informants—often questionable in their knowledge—pointed fingers at supposed troublemakers. At one notorious center, all Chinese males who happened to walk through a particular entrance were simply loaded into trucks to be shot, while those who used another pathway were released. The system was designed less to identify genuine resistance threats and more to terrorize the Chinese community through indiscriminate slaughter. Those who "passed" the screening received a stamp or certificate marked "examined," allowing them to leave. Those who "failed" were separated, marked with triangular stamps indicating their death sentence, and packed into trucks. They were transported to remote killing sites around the island: Changi Beach, Punggol Point, Katong, Tanah Merah, Sentosa (then called Pulau Belakang Mati), and numerous other coastal areas. At these beaches and isolated locations, the condemned were executed by firing squads, bayoneted by soldiers, or simply shot and left to be washed into the sea. The scale was staggering. On February 20, 1942, 66 Chinese males were lined up at Changi Beach and shot. On February 28, approximately 300 to 400 Chinese were executed at Punggol Point by Kempeitai firing squads. At Tanah Merah Beach, 242 victims from the Jalan Besar screening center were massacred. At Katong, 20 trenches were dug to bury bodies. Some victims were transported from the docks at Tanjong Pagar and executed at sea, their bullet-riddled bodies later washing ashore on Sentosa, where surrendered British gunners awaiting internment were forced to bury them. The massacre extended throughout the island and into Malaya. At Kota Tinggi in Johor, 2,000 were killed on February 28. At Joo Loong Loong in Negeri Sembilan, an entire village of 1,474 Chinese was systematically exterminated by Major Yokokoji Kyomi and his troops on March 18. Across the southern states of Malaya, estimated to be as many as 25,000 Chinese were killed through similar indiscriminate mass executions. The bodies piled into mass graves, often remaining hidden until decades later when construction or farming uncovered them. In the immediate aftermath, families of victims had no opportunity to recover remains or conduct proper funerary rites according to Chinese tradition. The death toll remains contested. Japan's postwar government claimed no more than 6,000 had been killed. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister, who himself narrowly escaped selection for execution during the screening process, stated the verifiable death toll was approximately 70,000, including Malaya. Historians examining mass grave discoveries and survivor testimony estimate the true figure at 25,000 to 50,000 in Singapore itself, with another 20,000 across Malaya. The variety of estimates stems partly from the Japanese destruction of all documentation related to the screening process and the indiscriminate nature of the killings—many victims were never recorded, their disappearances simply adding to the chaos of the occupation's early days. The psychological impact on Singapore's Chinese community was devastating. Survivors emerged from the screening process traumatized, many bearing visible marks of their passage through the system. Women and children, though theoretically not targeted, were sometimes sent for inspection as well, and some were victimized during the process. Entire families were separated, with some members executed while others survived by chance. The massacre destroyed the illusion that Singapore's position as a British fortress had provided security or protection. The rapid fall of Singapore and the subsequent slaughter of the Chinese population crystallized a profound realization among the local population: the colonial masters could not protect them, and their status as second-class inhabitants of their own territory had become abundantly clear. In the years after the war, perpetrators of the Sook Ching were identified and tried. Seven Japanese officers—Takuma Nishimura, Saburo Kawamura, Masayuki Oishi, Yoshitaka Yokata, Tomotatsu Jo, Satoru Onishi, and Haruji Hisamatsu—were charged in 1947. Kawamura and Oishi received death sentences and were hanged on June 26, 1947. However, the mastermind behind the operation—Major Masanobu Tsuji, Yamashita's Chief of Planning and Operations who personally planned and coordinated the massacre—escaped after the war, fled to China, and later became a politician in Japan before disappearing in Laos in 1961, presumably killed. The massacre's legacy became a catalyst for political awakening in Singapore. The British failure to demand reparations specifically for the Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities killed during the occupation (only securing compensation for European victims) became a point of bitter contention. It demonstrated to Singaporean Chinese that the colonial government did not truly represent their interests. When Singapore gained self-governance in 1959, waves of anti-Japanese sentiment emerged, with the Chinese community demanding official apologies and reparations. Not until 1966, after independence, did Japan agree to provide S$50 million in compensation—though notably refusing to make an official apology or accept legal responsibility for the massacre. The Japanese government classified the payment as a "gesture of atonement" rather than formal reparations, a linguistic evasion that did little to ease the lingering trauma. Mass graves were accidentally discovered in 1962 at Siglap, an area locals had called the "Valley of Tears." Exhumation work continued through the 1960s, with nearly 100 graves uncovered. In 1963, Singapore erected the Civilian War Memorial at Beach Road—a 67.4-meter monument consisting of four pillars symbolizing Singapore's four major ethnic groups. Beneath it lies a tomb containing remains of Sook Ching victims recovered from 1962 to 1966. The massacre sites at Changi Beach, Katong, Punggol Point, Tanah Merah, and Sentosa were designated as heritage sites in 1992 with commemorative plaques. Yet the numerical vagueness surrounding the death toll—a direct consequence of Japan's refusal to acknowledge full responsibility or conduct a proper investigation—remains a source of historical frustration and continuing emotional weight for the descendants of victims. The Sook Ching Massacre had an immediate and profound effect on organized Chinese resistance. Many Dalforce members who had escaped into the jungle were now hunted relentlessly by occupying forces. Some retreated further inland, eventually linking with the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), the communist guerrilla force that had been organizing in Malaya. The massacre transformed what might have been localized resistance into a unified determination to survive and eventually drive out the occupiers. The brutality inflicted upon the Chinese population—ostensibly targeted at "anti-Japanese elements" but indiscriminate in practice—radicalized entire communities and gave the nascent guerrilla movements both moral justification and a steady stream of desperate recruits willing to fight. The very mechanism designed to crush Chinese resistance had, ironically, forged the conditions for sustained and effective guerrilla warfare throughout the occupation's three-and-a-half years. 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. Singapore fell on February 15, 1942, when Percival surrendered to Yamashita—who had bluffed with inferior numbers and dwindling supplies. Three days later, the Sook Ching Massacre began: the Kempeitai systematically slaughtered 25,000 to 50,000 Chinese civilians across Singapore and Malaya through "screening centers" and mass executions at beaches, eliminating perceived anti-Japanese resistance.
A young couple moves into a secluded cabin at the edge of the woods in London, Ohio, with their young daughter. At first, it seems like the perfect place to call home. Until late one night, they notice a mysterious pair of eyes staring through their window...Convinced they're dealing with a peeping Tom, the family calls the police. But as the strange encounters continue and an investigation begins, what initially seems like a disturbing case of trespassing takes a bizarre and terrifying turn.What they uncover leads to one of the strangest paranormal mysteries I've ever come across... one that the family, and even a sheriff's deputy who witnessed it firsthand, are still left questioning to this day.Click the link to check out FreeCash! https://signupfreecash.com/averyafterdarkWatch this podcast episode! Click HERE to check it out & subscribe to the Avery After Dark Youtube Channel!Business Inquires | averyannross@gmail.comJoin the PATREON or Youtube Memberships for BONUS episodes of Avery After Dark! Thank you for your support :)Make sure you are following along for all the latest!TIKTOKINSTAGRAMFACEBOOK
1- Confident in his eternity 2- Committed to his service 3- Convinced of his purpose
Get your copy of our 2026 Annual Read: Tozer on the Son of God by A.W. Tozer.First Time?Start Here: https://bit.ly/MarinersconnectcardCan we pray for you? https://bit.ly/MarinersPrayerOnlineYou can find information for all our Mariners congregations, watch more videos, and learn more about us and our ministries on our website https://bit.ly/MarinersChurchSite.FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marinerschurch• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marinerschurch• Twitter: https://twitter.com/marinerschurch• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinerschurchSupport the ministry and help us reach people worldwide: https://bit.ly/MarinersGive
In Hour 1 of Willard & Dibs, Mark Willard and Dan Dibley discuss when it is time to finally judge your favorite team early in the season. In this case, are two games enough to form an opinion about the San Francisco 49ers? They also look at the number of injuries around the league in the NFL. At the end of the segment, Marc Grandi reports the news that veteran WR Brandin Cooks signed with the 49ers.
Recorded live at JobTread Connect, this episode features Felipe Freig, owner of a luxury custom home building company in Vancouver, British Columbia, and a business coach for builders and trades across the U.S. and Canada. Felipe's path here is anything but typical. He immigrated to Canada at 12 years old, became a national-level gymnast, later landed a record deal and toured with major U.S. rock bands as a musician, and eventually built a construction company that's now doing $15 million a year with $2.3 million in profit. Felipe gets candid about the turning point that changed how he runs his business: an accident that left him with a visible scar and unable to work with his hands the way he always had. Convinced no one could do the job as well as he could, he was forced to hire people for the first time, and that's when his company actually started to scale. He walks through what it took to let go of that ego, why he intentionally keeps demand higher than supply in his build schedule, and the difference between owning a business and owning a job. Connect with Felipe: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felipe-freig-a886a594/ YouTube: @felipefreig Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/felipe.freig/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@feipefreig Connect with Versa Method: https://versamethod.com/ __________________________________ https://steverozenberg.com/ __________________________________ Steve Rozenberg, originally aspiring to be an international pilot, navigated a challenging shift in his career trajectory when the 9/11 attacks jeopardized his pilot career. Turning adversity into opportunity, he embraced his entrepreneurial spirit and transformed his situation into a multimillion-dollar success story. As the proud owner and founder of The Rozenberg Group, an esteemed international consulting firm, Steve is dedicated to helping clients achieve their goals and regain control of their time and freedom. Beyond his role as a successful entrepreneur, Steve is renowned for his dynamic keynote presentations. He delivers motivational and inspiring speeches that resonate with audiences, providing actionable steps, business systems, and a roadmap to success. His direct yet hopeful messages engage audiences both mentally and emotionally, instilling a positive outlook and guiding them toward success in various aspects of life. Despite facing an unimaginable tragedy on March 6th, 2023, with the loss of his beloved son Jett in a motorcycle accident, Steve demonstrated an indomitable spirit. In honor of Jett's remarkable life, filled with global adventures, martial arts, music, and inspiration, Steve and his wife Renee established the LIVE LIKE JETT SCHOLARSHIP FUND. Learn more: livelikejett.org This scholarship fund serves as a tribute to Jett's legacy, encouraging others to embrace life fully and persistently pursue their dreams. The fund specifically supports high school students seeking to enter the trade industry, mirroring Jett's passion as a welder. Currently, Steve Rozenberg channels his extensive experience as a successful real estate investor to mentor and guide individuals toward prosperity. Despite the challenges he has faced, Steve remains committed to inspiring, uplifting, and creating a positive impact on the lives of those around him. ➤https://www.facebook.com/SteveRozenberg1 ➤https://www.instagram.com/rozenbergsteve _______________________________________________________________________ #SteveRozenberg #TwoDayTakeoff #Opportunity #ChangeYourLife #Entrepreneur #LiveLikeJett #FinancialFreedom
From her early days as a Fair & Lovely ad model and a student at Army School Kathmandu earning ₹500 at a Bhrikuti Mandap book fair, to Senior Director at MIT RAISE raising $28 Million from Google, this is the unvarnished story of Rupa Laxmi Shah. Over the last 13+ years at the world's premier technology institute (MIT Media Lab / MIT RAISE), Rupa has closed landmark multi-million-dollar partnerships with Google, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, impacting over 30 million children globally. In this candid masterclass with Anup Ghimire, Rupa pulls back the curtain on how high-stakes global philanthropy actually works: sitting across tables with over 160 billionaires, the psychology of raising 8-figure checks, the hard research on why AI won't replace teachers, and why sending generic ChatGPT cold emails is destroying your chances with global investors. Timestamps 00:00 - Highlights 03:09 - Growing Up in Kathmandu: Army School & Teaching at Age 15 06:09 - Moving to America 23 Years Ago: Arriving at MIT Media Lab 10:24 - The $28,000,000 Cheque: Closing Google for MIT RAISE 15:39 - The Anatomy of a $17M Research Initiative 20:09 - Walking Into Rooms of Power: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 25:39 - How Billionaires Actually Give Money (DAFs & The 5% Rule) 30:24 - Sitting Across 160 Billionaires: What the Super-Wealthy Care About 36:09 - Storytelling Over Pitch Decks: The Art of Raising Capital 40:39 - The Brutal Truth About AI in Education (Gates Foundation Research) 45:24 - Scaling AI Ethics in Asia: The Hong Kong Jockey Club Project 51:09 - Motherhood & The Dual High-Impact Career Reality 56:24 - The Nepal Capital Trap: Why Nepali Giants Can't Invest Globally 01:01:39 - Mentoring Nepali Founders: How to Pitch US Investors 01:05:24 - The Golden Rule: Stop Sending Generic ChatGPT Emails! Want to become a video podcaster? Get info: https://becomeadoer.com/programs/become-a-video-podcaster?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Episode+Description&utm_campaign=BAVP_C2 For Collaborations ✉ Reach out to us at partners@doersnepal.com
Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the Ram's and Matthew Stafford's performance vs. the Giants, dive deeper on Paul Skenes comments on his performance struggles, and debate how important the Padres-Dodgers series actually is! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This is Episode 2 of a special six-part Jane Austen series, sponsored throughout by Strictly Jane Austen. Today's episode has duels fought over a runaway marriage. It has a scandal so severe it drove one of England's richest men into exile. It has the truth about what those elegant public baths were actually like to get into — considerably less charming than the paintings suggest. It has quack doctors selling electricity as medicine, and a notorious celestial bed that promised to cure infertility for fifty pounds a night. It has vanished pleasure gardens, a vulgar villa, a ferry ride that went badly wrong, and two of the great women of English letters falling out spectacularly over their choice of husbands. Jonathan Thomas is joined by Dr. Moira Rudolf, historian of Georgian and Regency Bath, for a tour of the city's darker corners — and Jane Austen, as Moira points out, pops up in nearly all of them. Along the way: Richard Brinsley Sheridan's two duels over the honor of Elizabeth Linley, the celebrated "Maid of Bath"; William Beckford, his scandal, his exile, his 276-foot tower with no foundations, and the Bath retreat Moira describes as the most haunted building she has ever stayed in; what Jane's brother Edward actually endured in the name of taking the waters; Tobias Smollett's stomach-turning account of the King's Bath; where Mary Shelley really wrote Frankenstein; and Fanny Burney's gloriously catty account of an evening at Bathwick Villa, complete with a mechanical eagle.
In the second hour, Sam and Greg preview the Falcons-Panthers with sound from coach Kevin Stefanski. Kevin Stefanski is convinced the team will be better this week, are you? In the second segment they're joined by Veteran Reporter D. Orlando Ledbetter ahead of the Falcons home opener against the Panthers. How can Za'Darius Smith help keep Young off balance? Plus, what's your confidence level in Cooper Rush?
Bogdan was born just a month before the Berlin Wall went up—and left communist Poland a month before it came down. In between lay a childhood shaped by shortages, censorship, compulsory conformity and a growing determination to escape. Raised in Słupsk, a formerly German city near the Baltic coast, Bogdan remembers crowded post-war housing, Saturday school, packed Catholic churches and a world where bananas, meat and even bicycles depended on contacts and barter. His family carried deeper scars: wartime forced labour, a father shot while fleeing captivity, and an uncle whose unexpected return from Britain reunited relatives separated for decades. Yet everyday life also brought football, music lessons, Western films and quiet mockery of a system few truly believed. Convinced that shipbuilding offered a route abroad, Bogdan entered university—and found himself at the Gdańsk shipyard in August 1980, just as Lech Wałęsa and Solidarity changed Poland forever before his eyes. Buy the book and support the podcast here https://amzn.to/4y3dlLC Curated episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode474 Bogdan's website & other book purchase options https://www.bogdanmarzewski.com/book Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation, You'll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off tips via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ CONTINUE THE COLD WAR CONVERSATION o BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social o Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations o Twitter/X https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod o Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ o Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ o Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Connor Pugs tells a Storytime about a spoiled brat is convinced he is a "King"
Filipino-Australian food technologist Aurora Juan saw the opportunity to create Filipino ready-to-eat meals with the growing Filipino population in Australia. - Nakita ang oportunidad para sa lumalaking populasyon ng Pilipino sa Australia, nakumbinsi ng food technologist na si Aurora Juan ang isang Australian based na kompaniya mamuhunan sa paboritong Pinoy na 'ulam'
Joe Giglio and Hugh Douglas evaluate Jalen Hurts' performance in the Philadelphia Eagles' new offensive scheme after the season opener. They break down Landon Dickerson's injury status and discuss Tom Brady's commentary on Hurts' pocket presence.(00:01:00) Jalen Hurts Offense Debate(00:03:47) Landon Dickerson Injury Impact(00:06:11) Tom Brady Hurts Evaluation
Subscribe on LiSTNR: https://play.listnr.com/podcast/fifi-fev-and-nickSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk www.LearningLeader.com My new book, The Price of Becoming, is a USA Today, LA Times, Success Magazine, and Publishers Weekly bestseller! I think you'll find it useful. This is brought to you by Insight Global. If you need to hire one person, hire a team of people, or transform your business through Talent or Technical Services, Insight Global's team of 30,000 people around the world has the hustle and grit to deliver. My guest: Dr. Martin Seligman is one of the most influential psychologists alive. He's the founder of positive psychology and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directs the Positive Psychology Center. His research reshaped how we understand optimism, resilience, and human flourishing. His books, including Learned Optimism, Flourish, and The Hope Circuit, have sold millions of copies. His latest is Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress. Key Learnings The three parts of agency. Efficacy is the belief you can hit a goal right now, and it drives whether you try. Optimism is the belief you can hit it in the future, and it drives persistence and grit. Imagination is the range of goals you can even picture, and it drives creativity. When a culture has all three, it progresses. When they fall, it stagnates. "Depression and pessimism and happiness and optimism are too important to be left to happy people." Marty calls himself a born depressive and pessimist. He founded positive psychology and still wakes at 4:00 a.m. to a voice telling him he can't do the thing in front of him. What he's built over decades is the skill of arguing back, treating that voice not as truth but as a rival whose job is to make him miserable. The techniques don't come naturally to anyone. A small number of people are born happy. Everyone else has to learn and practice the skills, which is why Marty spent much of his career testing them rather than assuming they work. How you respond to good news matters more than you think. When his wife Mandy won first prize in the biggest black and white photography contest in the world, Marty could have said "congratulations, dear, you deserve it" and moved on. Instead, he named the exact photo that won, asked her to repeat what the editor said word for word, and tied her talent back to how they teach their kids. Ryan's summary of what made it work: specificity and curiosity. Marty calls it active constructive responding, and done consistently, it increases love and commitment and cuts divorce rates. Marty's contrarian take on leadership. He thinks the whole hunt for "what great leaders do" is a wild goose chase, because the great leaders he's met all do completely different things. What good followers have in common is PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. His advice is to promote the leaders who create the most PERMA, and to hold managers responsible for their people's well-being, not just their output, because well-being predicts productivity. Grit and agency. Grit, the idea made famous by his former student Angela Duckworth, feeds straight into optimism and increases how long people push through adversity. On Angela: "one of the best students I've ever had," and "it's great to be outdone." He credits her rare social intelligence, the ability to build allies instead of enemies. Predicting elections by counting optimism. With his graduate student Harold Zullow, Marty studied a century of nomination acceptance speeches and found the more optimistic candidate usually wins. In 1984, they sealed their prediction of the two nominees in an envelope at The New York Times and got it right. The $17,500 lesson. Convinced by Dukakis's optimistic acceptance speech, Marty flew to Edinburgh to place a legal bet and put his entire life savings on Dukakis at 2 to 1. Then he learned the speech was written by Ted Sorensen, and that Dukakis, in his own unscripted press conferences, was deeply pessimistic. He lost everything. The takeaway that shaped his later work: measure the unscripted moments, not the polished speeches. The 2024 call. Trump and Harris were even on optimism in their convention speeches. But across September and October, tracking how each explained bad events in press conferences, Trump got steadily more optimistic. Marty's team sealed another prediction: Trump winning and possibly by a lot. Why the fired-up CEO speech doesn't work great. After Marty published his method, both political parties asked him how to write optimistic speeches. He sent the protocol, and within a few elections everyone sounded optimistic, and it stopped predicting anything, because the optimism was shallow. People don't internalize a leader saying "we're going to crush it." Real agency shows up in the psychology of the team, and that comes from who you hire and how you train them, not from the speech. What the Army taught him. As lead consultant on the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, Marty helped train 40,000 drill sergeants and profiled 900,000 soldiers from their first day. Three traits predicted who would later earn awards for excellent work and heroism: optimism, high positive emotion, and low negative emotion. On the other side, catastrophizers were more than twice as likely to develop PTSD at every level of combat. The hiring lesson. Hire optimists and happy people. Avoid catastrophizers. And when you can't pick your team, train the pessimists you already have in the skills of agency. "Put It In Perspective." The tool Marty uses to retrain catastrophizers. Picture the ominous "come see me at 4:00" email. Write down the worst thing that could happen, then the best thing, then the most likely thing, then a plan for that most likely case. Catastrophizers skip straight to the worst case and get paralyzed. The exercise pulls them back to what's actually probable. Marry an optimist. "If you're a pessimist, disaster is to marry another pessimist," because you'll both see the worst in every setback. The wine story makes the point about behavior change: after Mandy told him he'd wrecked a family engagement dinner by sending back a bottle, Marty realized that if she complained as much as he did, he wouldn't want to be married to her. He decided to stop. The critical thoughts never went away, but the behavior did. The gratitude testimonial. Think of someone still alive who did or said something that changed your life. Write a 300-word testimonial in three parts: what they did, what you did because of it, and where you are now as a result. Then deliver it in person and read it out loud. Marty has run this with thousands of people. The usual result is that both people cry, and a month later they test as less depressed and higher in well-being. Reading the minds of the dead. Marty's method for measuring agency across history is counting words. Agentic language like "choose," "compete," "can," and "do" versus language of constraint like "obliged" and "assigned." With Claude and ChatGPT, he can now do in one morning what used to take months: reading whole eras of writing and rating how agentic they are. St. Augustine and a thousand years of stagnation. Before Augustine, around 400 AD, Christian thinkers were highly agentic and taught that you could take part in your own salvation. Augustine's doctrine that grace comes only from God set Church teaching for close to a thousand years, and progress collapsed with it. When agency climbs again, as it does under Charlemagne around 800, progress climbs too. The pattern holds when you line it up against GDP, population, and writing about freedom. The manager's real job. "It's your job as a manager not just to keep productivity going, but to increase the well-being and agency of the people under you." Do that, and you get promoted. Fail at it and your time is up. The Champagne Question... What he'd celebrate a year from now. Marty wants psychohistory taken seriously as a real field, one that measures psychological variables, uses them to understand history, and then changes them to raise future happiness and productivity. Reflection Questions: Marty is 84, founded the field, and still wakes at 4 a.m. to a voice saying he can't do it. What does your version of that voice say, and what does it usually say it about? When it shows up, do you accept it as fact or argue back? Think about the last time someone close to you shared good news. Which quadrant were you in: active constructive, passive constructive, active destructive, or passive destructive? What did you actually say? Marty says a manager's job is to raise the well-being and agency of their people, not just their output. If your team was measured on PERMA tomorrow, what score would they give you, and where's the gap? If you liked this one with Marty, you should also listen to... Episode #703: Angela Duckworth - Why Grit Isn't Enough Time Stamps: 2:34 Angela Duckworth, grit & social intelligence 6:05 Active constructive responding: the Mandy photography story 12:13 Why leadership is heterogeneous, and the case for PERMA 14:49 How grit and agency fit together 16:09 The born pessimist who founded positive psychology 21:20 What the book is really about: founding psychohistory 22:52 Predicting elections & the $17,500 Dukakis bet 25:34 The 2024 prediction 29:17 Why the rah-rah CEO speech doesn't help much 31:07 What the U.S. Army taught him: optimism & PTSD 35:19 "Put It In Perspective," the tool for catastrophizers 38:55 Marry an optimist, and the wine-snob story 42:19 The gratitude testimonial 44:49 Reading the minds of the dead & St. Augustine 48:37 The manager's real job 49:33 What he'd celebrate a year from now 51:05 EOPC
Customers don't buy when they've been convinced. They buy when they feel confident. After listening to thousands of dealership calls, Jen Suzuki has noticed a pattern: average salespeople focus on getting the appointment, overcoming the objection, or defending the vehicle. The best salespeople focus on something entirely different reducing uncertainty. In this episode of Dealer Talk with Jen Suzuki, Jen breaks down the overlooked skill that influences whether customers respond, keep appointments, make decisions, and ultimately buy. You'll learn how to identify a customer's "confidence gap," ask questions that uncover what they're really weighing, and respond to "I need to think about it" without creating more pressure. Jen also challenges one of the dealership's favorite measurements: appointments set. Because setting an appointment doesn't mean much if the customer never became confident enough to show up! If your customers keep disappearing, delaying decisions, or shopping multiple dealerships, the answer may not be a stronger close. It may be a better conversation.
Convinced you missed your shot at getting rich? Historian and former broke professor Joseph Moore is here to explain why it's never been easier.Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/1379What We Discuss with Joseph Moore:The "American Dream is dead" cry is 300 years old. Colonists burned their own capital over it in 1676, long before the phrase existed. A despair industrial complex profits by telling you the game is rigged, because doom earns the clicks, votes, and tenure that good news won't.Getting ahead has never been easier — not easy, not fair, just easier. Six in 10 born in the bottom fifth climb out, one in 10 reach the top, and both wages and purchasing power beat what they were at your birth. Your ancestors would have prayed for these odds.Real wealth is built in slow time. Movies and headlines sell the dramatic version, so we chase crypto and sports betting for a fast-time win. That's not how fortunes are made.Budgeting, index funds, and skipping avocado toast protect wealth but rarely build it — that's just solving your own problems. You get wealthy solving other people's, taking risks others avoid, and moving toward opportunity. And no "timeless" money advice is timeless; it keeps changing.The best slow-time move you can make this week is to invest in yourself. A course, certificate, or skill that lifts your earning power can double or triple your income, outpacing any index fund. Believe you can, then take the risk. It's always been possible.And much more...And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here — even one sentence helps! Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course!Subscribe to our once-a-week Wee Bit Wiser newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!Do you even Reddit, bro? Join us at r/JordanHarbinger!This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: Arca Wealth Management: Book a free 30-minute call: arcawealth.com/jordanBetterHelp: 10% off first month: betterhelp.com/jordanGusto: Three months of free payroll: gusto.com/jordanProgressive: Free online quote: progressive.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Ignatius survives storms, winter travel, suspicion and arrest as he makes his way back across Europe. Convinced that he must study before he can better help others, he turns toward Barcelona and the next stage of his pilgrimage. About the Series We are bringing you the entire text of “The Autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola” in podcast form. Over 12 episodes, join our pilgrimage guides Fr. Jack Bentz, SJ, and Cameron Bellm as we make our way through this spiritual classic. The series premiered on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, with episode 2 dropping Friday, July 31 — the Feast of St. Ignatius Loyola. These first two episodes and the remaining 10 episodes (dropping on subsequent Fridays) will all appear here on the AMDG podcast feed. The series is edited by Frank Tuson, who also composed all the music you hear on the podcast. The podcast uses a translation of the “Autobiography” by Fr. Parmananda Divarkar, SJ. The text is read by Fr. George Drance, SJ. Produced by Mike Jordan Laskey. "The Autobiography of Saint Ignatius Loyola Podcast," a special-edition series of AMDG, is a production of the Jesuit Media Lab, which is a project of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. www.jesuits.org/ www.beajesuit.org/ twitter.com/jesuitnews facebook.com/Jesuits instagram.com/wearethejesuits youtube.com/societyofjesus www.jesuitmedialab.org/
Ike and Spike debate whether the Philadelphia Phillies can win the World Series this year as they head into a pivotal series against the Atlanta Braves. Ike expresses total confidence in the team's current momentum and rotation, while Spike remains skeptical due to past heartbreak and potential for late-season errors.
It's a packed Performance Rankings morning as Colm Boohig, Enda Coll & Matthew Brennan round up a wild weekend across sport — from Novak Djokovic crashing out of the US Open in round one (and the bigger questions it raises about his body and his future), to the latest on Charlie Smyth's NFL situation with the Saints.In the League of Ireland, it's a 3-3 cracker between Derry City and Shamrock Rovers that keeps Rovers five points clear, while the Waterford Club Championship heartbreak also gets a mention...Plus: Liverpool's teething issues under Iraola, Bruno Fernandes' hat-trick for United (papering over cracks?), Spurs worries, and all the weekend's Premier League talking points — before a brilliant Irish rowing high!Off The Ball Breakfast with Viagra Connect 50mg film-coated tablets. Contains sildenafil. For adult men with erectile dysfunction. Subject to suitability. Maximum dosage one 50mg tablet per day. Always read the label.Catch The Off The Ball Breakfast show LIVE weekday mornings from 7:30am or just search for Off The Ball Breakfast and get the podcast on the Off The Ball app.SUBSCRIBE at OffTheBall.com/joinOff The Ball Breakfast is live weekday mornings from 7:30am across Off The Ball
Hour 1 1:12 - LIVE: Adam Peters and Dan Quinn Joint Press Conference 20:36 - Are the Commanders Ready for Philly? Doc & Anthony Aren't Convinced 30:32 - Calls on the Commanders Roster and Reaction to Preseason Finale Loss
Doc Walker and Anthony break down an ugly preseason finale and question whether Washington is ready for the regular season. They focus on the mistakes that can't follow this team into Week 1: turnovers, pre-snap penalties and poor run defense. After hearing from Adam Peters and Dan Quinn, they examine the roster and the urgency surrounding a team that needs to be prepared to walk into Philadelphia and win.
One of the most relatable moments in the gospel narratives is when a hurting father utters these words to Jesus: “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” Are you struggling to be compelled to live for Jesus instead of yourself because of doubt or unbelief? Faith in Christ requires just that—faith. Are you convinced that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died, and rose again from the grave? Are you convinced that the way of Jesus is the better way?
From Apple News In Conversation: For the past few years, a campaign against sunscreen has been building — with social-media influencers claiming that sunscreen itself, rather than the sun, is damaging people’s skin and harming their health. The misinformation is working: More than 16 million adults have cut back or stopped using sunscreen because of it. Meanwhile, skin-cancer rates continue to rise. Brian Underwood, beauty and grooming director at Men’s Health and Women’s Health, joins Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene to share his reporting on who’s driving this movement, the confusing FDA report that helped fuel it, and what it will take to restore trust in sunscreen.
For the past few years, a campaign against sunscreen has been building — with social-media influencers claiming that sunscreen itself, rather than the sun, is damaging people’s skin and harming their health. The misinformation is working: More than 16 million adults have cut back or stopped using sunscreen because of it. Meanwhile, skin-cancer rates continue to rise. Brian Underwood, beauty and grooming director at Men’s Health and Women’s Health, joins Apple News In Conversation guest host David Greene to share his reporting on who’s driving this movement, the confusing FDA report that helped fuel it, and what it will take to restore trust in sunscreen.
J.D. Barker is a New York Times and international bestselling author whose career spans independent publishing, traditional publishing, collaborations with James Patterson, and his own publishing imprint.
Read OnlineMomentary and Lasting Fulfillment“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.” Matthew 24:46–47In the verse that follows, Jesus contrasts the “faithful and prudent servant” with a “wicked servant.” The wicked servant is the one who says in his heart, “My master is long delayed.” Believing this, he acts sinfully. Convinced that his master's return is far off, the wicked servant lowers his guard, mistreats others, indulges in excess, and neglects his responsibilities. Why? Because he foolishly concludes that such a way of living is more desirable than a life of fidelity. This deceptive reasoning is rooted in a lie and ultimately leads to misery and destruction.Most people do not choose sin because they desire misery. Rather, they sin because they fail to grasp the surpassing worth and eternal reward of holiness. They mistakenly believe—often without full awareness—that sin will bring greater satisfaction. On a superficial and momentary level, that may seem to be the case. It is easier to indulge the flesh, lash out in anger, or ignore one's duties than it is to practice virtue, self-restraint, and discipline.But is that which is easier necessarily better? More pointedly, is the path of least resistance ever the road to deep and lasting fulfillment? The Gospel offers a clear answer: no. The faithful and prudent servant, who labors with diligence even during the master's absence, is the one to whom the master will entrust everything. The reward of fidelity far exceeds the fleeting comforts of sin. What appears easier often leads to ruin, while the more demanding path of virtue leads to glory.This truth is easy to affirm intellectually but much harder to live out daily. To live faithfully, diligently, and prudently requires perseverance and sacrifice. But it is always worth it—both in the present moment and in eternity. Consider the present moment: Though sin may tempt us with immediate pleasure, the peace that flows from doing God's will is far greater than any passing pleasure that sin offers. Those who embrace a life of virtue become increasingly aware of God's abiding presence and the dignity it confers. This spiritual joy far surpasses the shallow consolations of sin.As time moves forward, the contrast becomes even more striking. The one who chooses faithfulness day after day becomes like a flourishing vine, bearing fruit in abundance. As virtue matures, temptation loses its grip, and the soul becomes deeply rooted in truth. On the other hand, those who live for momentary indulgence discover that even sinful pleasures lose their appeal. The soul, unsatisfied, becomes restless—seeking ever more desperate forms of gratification.Hence, holiness offers far greater fulfillment than sin. While this may be easy to affirm in theory, it is often difficult to live out in practice. That is why it is essential to begin with firm conviction by acknowledging that the life of virtue, though demanding, brings rewards that far surpass the fleeting comforts of sin. We must let this truth take root in our minds, speak it with confidence, choose it with intention, and allow it to shape our actions gradually and faithfully. Spiritual maturity does not unfold overnight; it grows steadily, like a fruitful vine that is nourished by one faithful choice at a time.Reflect today on how this truth challenges any habits or temptations that lead you down the easier path of self-indulgence. Consider where compromise may have crept into your daily life, and resolve instead to be the faithful and prudent servant, living with integrity, even when no one is watching. This is the way of holiness and the path to peace, authentic joy, and eternal glory in the presence of your Master.My Lord and Master, the holiness to which I am called, demands vigilance, fidelity, and prudence, day and night. You continuously come to me, offering the grace I need to live according to Your will. May I be like the faithful and prudent servant, always ready to give an account of my life, and may I find joy and true satisfaction in daily obedience to You. Jesus, I trust in You. Image: The Parable of the Vineyard, by Jan RomboutsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.
“What convinced you to be Catholic?” This question opens a discussion on personal journeys of faith, including experiences of grappling with philosophical inconsistencies, the role of Church authority amidst current challenges, and the reasons behind family members drifting away from the faith. The conversation also touches on pivotal moments of conversion and the search for truth. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:15 – What convinced you to be Catholic? 14:45 – My mom was a pastor. I converted because I struggled with the inconsistencies in the philosophy. Did you also experience those inconsistencies? 20:28 – regarding authority and what’s happening in Germany. What is the point of authority of the Church if a bishop is not acting in accordance with the magisterium? 29:42 – Most of my family was Catholic and are all fallen away. Why would they do that if they had the fullness of truth? 41:20 – What was the moment you realized you no longer wanted to be Baptist?
I Am Convinced (COOL Summer Series ) Pastor Terrance Wilson | COOL Church CREATED OUT OF LOVE
Friday, November 22, 1963. While the nation was shattered by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Jack Ruby's day began in a remarkably ordinary way. Sitting at a free desk in the second-floor retail advertising department of the Dallas Morning News, the 52-year-old nightclub owner spent his morning writing out longhand copy for his weekend advertisements, completely oblivious to the fateful motorcade scheduled to pass just blocks away. When employees from the newspaper burst into the room with the devastating news that shots had been fired, Ruby sat holding the morning paper in stunned disbelief. He was pale, ashen, and speechless—the loudest man in Dallas suddenly rendered completely silent as his city descended into chaos.As the afternoon unfolded, a mysterious gap of nearly forty minutes emerged between his departure from the newspaper office and his arrival back at the Carousel Club. This segment of his day remains one of the most hotly contested chapters in assassination lore. A respected national reporter who knew Ruby well, Seth Kantor, swore under oath that he spoke with Ruby at Parkland Hospital at 1:30 PM, where a frantic Ruby asked him whether he should close his clubs in mourning. While the Warren Commission brushed this encounter aside to protect their narrow timeline, years later the House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) and even the Commission's own staff attorneys would admit their skepticism was likely misplaced. This gap is further complicated by the claims of a local housewife who also reported seeing Ruby at Parkland, only to receive chilling, anonymous telephone calls warning her to keep her mouth shut.Simultaneously, Ruby became obsessively hyper-focused on a full-page, black-bordered advertisement in that morning's paper. Signed by "Bernard Weissman" of the "American Fact-Finding Committee," the ad welcomed the president while launching highly critical accusations against his administration. Convinced this ad was a sinister anti-Semitic plot designed to blame the assassination on the Jewish community, a frantic Ruby spent his afternoon staking out Post Office Box 1792, desperately waiting to see who would arrive to collect Weissman's mail. This obsessive sensitivity to his heritage eventually drove him that evening to slip into the back of Temple Shearith Israel for a solemn memorial service, standing afterward awkwardly while making small talk over coffee with members of the congregation.But the day was far from over. Determined to position himself at the center of the action, Ruby shut down his clubs and headed to the Dallas Police Headquarters, carrying sandwiches for the officers and blending in with reporters by carrying a notebook. Just before midnight, he managed to slip unnoticed into the basement assembly room for a packed press conference showing Lee Harvey Oswald to the world. It was there, standing at the back of the room, that Jack Ruby stepped into history by speaking up to correct District Attorney Henry Wade on the exact name of Oswald's political group: the Fair Play for Cuba Committee. Hour by hour, from writing advertising copy to standing inches away from the accused assassin, we trace the well documented and deeply haunting footsteps of Jack Ruby on the longest day of his life.
In October 1976, three innocent-looking dictionaries were mailed to senior officials in Taiwan. Hidden inside each was a homemade bomb. Two exploded, and one of the targets, Taiwan Provincial Governor Hsieh Tung-min, was badly injured. Hsieh (1908–2001) was a Taichung native who had left Japanese-ruled Taiwan as a teenager to study in China. He joined the KMT in 1930 and was one of the Taiwanese returnees who became important intermediaries in Taiwan's postwar years.The bomber was Wang Sing-nan, born in Tainan in 1941. After moving to the United States for business, he became involved in radical pro-independence politics. Convinced that peaceful opposition to the KMT regime was futile, he hatched a drastic plan for action. What happened to both men after the bombings is surprising, so make sure to follow this episode to the very end.
In October 1976, three innocent-looking dictionaries were mailed to senior officials in Taiwan. Hidden inside each was a homemade bomb. Two exploded, and one of the targets, Taiwan Provincial Governor Hsieh Tung-min, was badly injured. Hsieh (1908–2001) was a Taichung native who had left Japanese-ruled Taiwan as a teenager to study in China. He joined the KMT in 1930 and was one of the Taiwanese returnees who became important intermediaries in Taiwan's postwar years.The bomber was Wang Sing-nan, born in Tainan in 1941. After moving to the United States for business, he became involved in radical pro-independence politics. Convinced that peaceful opposition to the KMT regime was futile, he hatched a drastic plan for action. What happened to both men after the bombings is surprising, so make sure to follow this episode to the very end.VIDEO version available on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.
This week, Pastor Jeff Long continues a sermon series from 2 Timothy entitled "Guard the Gospel.". The next message is based in 2 Timothy 1:8-12 and is entitled "Convinced and Unashamed." The main idea of the sermon is: Those who live unashamed are convinced by faith in the hope of the gospel.———————— Connect with Us: Website: parkwoodonline.org Facebook: facebook.com/parkwoodonline Instagram: instagram.com/parkwoodonline.org Check out more resources and sermons online at: parkwoodonline.org
In this episode of Casual Chats, Arun and Patricia look back on the American Tail franchise continuing with the second film Fievel Goes West released in 1991. Taking place a few years later, Fievel has a dream of wanting to be a gunslinging cowboy akin to his hero Sheriff Wylie Burp. However, he still lives in New York City with his family and being constantly being attacked by cats led by Cat R. Waul. With their home destroyed and ending up at the sewer, they witness a cowboy mouse from Green River, Utah talking about how great the Wild West is and how cats and mice are friends over there. Convinced that the life of opportunity is at the West, they leave New York to move to Utah. When Fievel realizes that Cat R. Waul is behind convincing the mice to move to Green River to gain their trust and would make them into mice burgers later on, he is thrown off the train and left to fend for himself. Meanwhile, Tiger tries to catch up with Fievel and his family, but is being chased by dogs left and right and would wind up in the desert where a group of Native American mice think he's a god. When Fievel enter into Green River, he tells his family on the conversation he heard from Cat R. Waul, but no one believes him. He meets his hero Sheriff Burp, but he's over the hill and too tired to fight the cats. But he offers to train a dog everything he knows to do it instead. Fievel asks Tiger for help and has less than a day to become a hero otherwise all the mice are turned into burgers.When the film premiered in theaters, it only made $40 million dollars out of its $16 million budget with mixed reviews from critics and fans. It also didn't help much that it came out the same year as Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Does the film hold up over 35 years later?
Step into the summer of 1963, when Jack Ruby took a fateful scouting trip to New Orleans and returned with his ultimate, red-carpet feature attraction: a fiery, red-haired headliner named Jada. Born Janet Adams Mole, Jada possessed the perfect storm of expensive clothes, a flashy Cadillac, and a commanding salary that instantly turned heads at the Carousel Club. But while her signature tiger-skin routine and provocative stage presence promised to bring "class" to Jack's walk-up club, she quickly transformed into his most expensive and uncontrollable nightmare. Their relationship rapidly devolved into legendary spotlight battles—with an increasingly paranoid, puritanical Jack sitting at the lightboard, furiously killing the stage lights mid-act whenever Jada pushed the boundaries of Dallas's decency laws.Behind their volatile personal war lay Jack's growing obsession with his wealthy competitors, Abe and Meyer Weinstein. Convinced that the brothers were destroying the Carousel's business through low-wage "amateur nights," Ruby spent his afternoons filing anonymous complaints with the IRS and the strippers' union, AGVA. Yet, as Jack desperately lobbied the union to ban his rivals' gimmicks, his own poor treatment of employees left him exposed to a barrage of labor complaints. When Jack tried to fire Jada and tear up her high-priced contract, the union intervened as a referee, forcing a miserable, cash-strapped Jack to endure her presence on his runway for three tense months. The friction peaked in late October 1963 when a terrified Jada marched into a Dallas courthouse and secured a formal peace bond to protect herself from Jack's notorious history of physical violence.Finally, we unravel the bizarre, heavily debated events of November 22, 1963. We explore Jack's frantic, jealous phone calls on the morning of the assassination to local sports writers, warning them to stay away from the "evil" Jada. We also document her highly unusual mid-morning car accident near Texas Instruments on Lemon Avenue, where her Cadillac struck a pedestrian just hours before the president's motorcade entered Dealey Plaza. Rushing back to Louisiana after the accident, Jada would sit in front of an ABC News camera less than 48 hours later, telling the world that she wasn't surprised by the basement shooting and that her former boss was "perfectly capable of an act like that."We close by evaluating the persistent conspiracy theories that have placed Lee Harvey Oswald sitting right at Jada's table. We test the famous, highly inconsistent late-reporting claims of Beverly Oliver against Jada's own immediate, sworn denials to federal investigators. Sifting through the folklore and the official files, this episode traces the tragic, quiet post-Dallas life of Janet Adams, whose story came to a sudden, heartbreaking end on an Albuquerque highway in 1980.
“As psychedelics move into the mainstream media driving clinical research, venture investment, and therapeutic treatment, they are often framed as a scientific breakthrough. But much of the cultural framework behind this movement can be traced back to figures like Terrence McKenna, whose ideas were shaped not by controlled research but by highly personal, perception-altering experiences.In A Short Strange Trip, John revisits the 1971 “Experiment at La Chorrera” and places it in a broader historical and psychological context. He examines how narrative, belief, and altered states of consciousness intersect, and how those early interpretations still echo in today's conversations around mental health, spirituality, and medicine. The result is a grounded, investigative perspective on a movement often discussed in purely optimistic terms.John's work has appeared in The New York Times, GQ, Men's Journal, Financial Times Magazine, Oxford American, and The Boston Globe. His Previous book, The Secret History of Bigfoot, was named best book of 2024 by NPR and the Chicago Tribune and was covered by outlets including The Washington Post and NPR. He holds an MFA from Columbia University and teaches Journalism at Boston College. Born and raised in Kalamazoo, Michigan (the original home of Gibson guitars), he lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with his wife and children.TAG ALONG ON A TRIP THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING...MARCH 4, 1971: Deep in the Columbian rain forrest, a motley crew of “psychonauts” prepared for what they believed would be the ultimate experiment. Convinced that a mixture of powerful hallucinogenic plants held the key to unlocking human consciousness, they soon found themselves entering hyperspace.The return journey was...complicated.PRESENT DAY: Acclaimed journalist John O'Connor is fascinated by this forgotten expedition. What really happened in those jungle depths? Armed with decades-old field notes, new interviews, and a healthy dose of curiosity, O'Connor ventures into the same Amazon territory, retracing the psychonauts' steps through the remote Putumayo in search of a legendary hallucinogen called Ukue' and the truth about an “experiment” that's been quietly gathering dust.Working alongside Indigenous Uitoto people who bore witness to it all, O'Connor explores how humanity's relationship with psychedelics has shaped everything from ancient religion to modern medicine. But as he journeys deeper into both the rainforrest and the cosmic dimensions these substances reveal, one question keeps nagging at him:Were the psychonauts on to something truly profound—or just profoundly stoned?Some stories are worth the trip.You can find John at his website:https://www.johnmoconnor.com/Instagram: https://www.johnmoconnor.com/
Get Discounted Dopeycon tickets @ www.patreon.com/dopeypodcast Or Buy them full price @ https://buytickets.at/thedopeyfoundation/2345507 Summary / show notes On this Dopey Tuesday Teaser, Dave records alone while his family is away, cooks what he declares may be history's greatest air-fried chicken thighs and gives the Dopey Nation his complete 420-degree recovery meal recipe. Then Snake from the UK delivers a classic festival disaster. On the way into Bang Face, a rave filled with hardcore electronic music and drugs, Snake removes an enormous assortment of ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, weed, 2C-B and acid from his pants so he can urinate. He fails to put everything back properly—and the entire stash falls onto the ground directly in front of security. After the bouncers confiscate both his drugs and his friend Damon's supply, the pair drink a bottle of Kraken rum and quickly replace everything inside the festival. Loaded on speed, acid and alcohol, Snake gets grabbed by security again. Convinced they're returning to steal his soul, he climbs through a tiny bathroom window “like a spider monkey” and runs across the festival. By the end of the weekend, he and Damon become famous as the guys who continually get their drugs confiscated. Dave then reads listener reactions to the Jason Mewes interview—including theories about why celebrity guests avoid him, whether Mewes thought Dave was named Mark and the audience's collective childhood crush on Jay. Finally, Handsome Evan returns to discuss fatherhood, paternity leave and working inside a state psychiatric facility. The full SHOW —including psych-ward chaos, a crack-and-shit voicemail and much more—is available only on Patreon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This hour: Gonzo not expected to participate Sat.; Is Christian over his skis?; The State of the Sox; McDaniels factor going into Patriots season
https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260814dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 I Am Convinced Has your mind ever been changed? You saw a commercial for a new invention, and you doubted it’d really work as advertised. But then, you learned firsthand, and now you are convinced. It really does work as advertised. The man who wrote in today’s Bible verse, “I am convinced…” was once more than a doubter and a skeptic. His name was Paul, and he was convinced that Jesus wasn't really the Savior of the world. Paul was convinced that he was right with God because of his own works. He was so convinced that he worked diligently to persecute Christians. But something happened. Not only was his mind changed, but also his heart. Jesus rose from the dead and later appeared to Paul convincing him that Jesus was truly Lord. Paul was confident that he was forgiven through Christ alone. This same good news of forgiveness through Jesus is powerful enough to change our hearts too. A Christian doesn’t have to go through life a skeptic or without certainty, but can say, “I am convinced!” When the doubts multiply and all the worst-case scenarios run through your mind, remember God’s promises. God is for us; Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for us. This is clear evidence that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Not even death can separate us from the love of God that is ours through Jesus. His love is greater than the sum of all our sins, problems, and doubts. Since God spared no expenses to save us from sin and death even when we were separated from him, he’s not going to let us go now. He’s not going to let anything in all creation separate us from him again. Prayer: Lord, strengthen me by your promises and let me grow in the conviction that your love will keep me close to you. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
In the latest in this USA Today bestselling series, Nevada sheriff Porter Beck receives an anonymous riddle leading him to a body hidden for decades, leading Beck and his team in a chase to unravel riddles that will help them uncover and stop a long-time serial killer.Porter Beck is the sheriff of Lincoln County, Nevada, a vast expanse of desert and mountains best known to the outside world for the top-secret installation called Area 51. Just down the highway sits a weathered mailbox where UFO believers leave messages for aliens. But this time, the message is for Beck.It's a riddle. And when Beck and his team decipher it, the answer leads them to the shrinking waters of Lake Mead and an oil drum chained to the bottom. Inside are the remains of someone missing for more than fifty years, someone tied to Beck by a thread of DNA stretching deep into his own past.Enter Jett Lowell, a pint-sized but fearless FBI profiler who believes Beck's riddle is connected to one she received seventeen years earlier, shortly before the disappearance of someone close to her.Convinced they are hunting a serial killer, Beck and Jett follow a trail of riddles from the deserts of Nevada to the mountains of Arizona, and finally to the red rock wilderness of Utah, racing to uncover a chain of murders spanning generations before the killer unleashes a final, horrendous act decades in the making.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/houseofmysteryradio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Strong leaders know that facts alone rarely change minds. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Danny Bobrow explore why authentic connection comes before persuasion and how leaders can communicate in ways that earn trust, strengthen relationships, and inspire action. In this episode, Dean Newlund and Danny Bobrow discuss: Lessons from endurance sports and teamwork The Persuasion Blueprint framework Persuasion in digital and AI-assisted communication Building stronger relationships through emotional awareness Leadership communication during difficult conversations Key Takeaways: Begin difficult conversations by helping people feel understood before trying to convince them. Care and emotional attunement create the foundation for collaboration. Let enthusiasm grow by discovering what already motivates the other person instead of overwhelming them with your own excitement. In digital communication, take time to write thoughtful, respectful messages that provide context and show consideration. Before debating emotional issues, understand where someone is coming from instead of leading with facts alone. Use AI to support your thinking, but preserve authentic judgment and relationships where trust depends on your own words. "What people are really craving is to be understood, not to be impressed.” — Danny Bobrow About Danny Bobrow: Daniel A. “Danny” Bobrow is the creator of The Art of First Impressions™ and The Persuasion Blueprint™, communication mastery programs that help businesses build trust and drive ethical conversion. He is President of AIM Dental Marketing, which has helped grow dental practices since 1989, and serves as Executive Director of Climb for a Cause™ and The Smile Tree™. Danny is the Founding Executive Committee Chair of the American Academy for Oral Systemic Health and holds two MBAs from the University of Chicago and K.U.L. Belgium. A Distinguished Toastmaster, mediator, mountaineer, and endurance athlete, Danny champions patient persistence and respectful resilience. Connect with Danny Bobrow: Website: https://www.dannybobrow.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannybobrow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielABobrow/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielabobrow See Dean's TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I Connect with Dean:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkwWebsite: https://www.mfileadership.com/The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.comPhone: 1-800-926-7370 Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.
This week, we're taking a close look at a federal judge's decision to strike down a wide swath of National Firearms Act (NFA) regulations. To do that, we have one of the plaintiffs in the case. Travis White is the President of the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition (FRAC), which filed suit against the NFA the same day the federal government officially slashed a number of NFA taxes to $0. He said that's what made the NFA vulnerable to a challenge, at least the provisions that regulate silencers, short-barrel rifles and shotguns, and what the law calls "any other weapons." US District Judge James Wesley Hendrix agreed. He ruled that the NFA sections whose taxes were eliminated also lost their constitutional justification. White said the judge was persuaded by the plaintiffs' argument that the NFA is, at its heart, an exercise of Congress's taxing power and its provisions can only stand if they are in furtherance of collecting revenue. White said Hendrix agreed with FRAC that a $0 tax can't justify imposing registration, fingerprinting, and various other requirements to prove it has been paid. White argued that if a tax doesn't even try to raise funds, then it can't be considered a tax. Hendrix was persuaded. But that didn't end the inquiry. White said the judge also determined the remaining NFA taxes on machineguns or gun makers don't mean the regulations on the untaxed items can stand. He also brushed aside a justification based on the Necessary and Proper Clause. And he concluded the NFA doesn't fit under the federal government's power to regulate interstate commerce either.Special Guest: Travis White.
Ken Carman and Anthony Lima react to reports the Browns showed interest in re-signing Jadeveon Clowney after trading Myles Garrett, and they're genuinely relieved he ended up in Houston instead. Ken argues bringing Clowney back would have undone the locker room progress the team has made, pointing to his disastrous second stint and the well-documented dysfunction that followed. He also pushes back on the narrative that Garrett was somehow the source of past locker room problems just because the Browns showed interest in Clowney. The show opens with a lighter aside: reaction to Al Pulaski calling the Guardians' no-hitter instead of regular announcer Matt Underwood, plus Jimmy Haslam's preseason comments taking the over on 5.5 wins and praise for Denzel Ward's extension and Grant Delpit.
Three FBI sources. Three different answers. One question: are the ransom notes in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping real? On the same day in July, Reuters, the Phoenix field office, and TMZ's sources each gave the public a different version of the same evidence. Tony Brueski breaks down what each version would mean for the case. If every note is fabricated, six months of investigating may have been built on a theory that never held up. If some are genuine, the Bureau has information it hasn't shared publicly. And if federal sources can't agree internally, every decision made since Nancy vanished from her Tucson home in January rests on a foundation nobody actually trusts. The disagreement surfaced the same week Savannah Guthrie posted a message to her mother's abductor that sounded nothing like the six months of messages before it — no demand for proof of life, no we're ready to talk, just something that sounded like she already knows how this ends. Retired FBI Special Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer has posted a ten-point public challenge to investigators. One of her questions still has no answer. Six months. 150 agents. Over 13,000 tips. Zero suspects named. And now the Bureau can't even agree with itself on what the evidence says. Links 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=1 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/ Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod X Twitter https://x.com/TrueCrimePod This 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. Hashtags #NancyGuthrie #SavannahGuthrie #TrueCrimeToday #TrueCrime #Tucson #FBI #PimaCounty #RansomNotes #JenniferCoffindaffer #ColdCase
Ryan became suspicious after a mysterious encounter at a fancy steakhouse made it seem like his girlfriend was living a double life. Convinced she was cheating, he turns to To Catch a Cheater for answers. But when the truth finally comes out, the conversation takes a completely unexpected turn—and the real secret is something no one in the studio saw coming. Was Ryan right to be suspicious, or is there a much bigger story hiding behind one innocent lie? You'll have to hear the ending to believe it. Think your partner might be up to something shady? The Jubal Show has you covered. In this explosive segment, The Jubal Show helps suspicious lovers uncover the truth by setting up the ultimate loyalty test. We call their significant other, posing as a grocery store’s floral department offering a free bouquet. You know.. a War of the Roses. The catch? Who they choose to send the flowers to—and what they write on the card—could reveal everything. Will it be a romantic gesture for their partner or a shocking betrayal? Get ready for twists, surprises, and jaw-dropping confrontations as we help our listeners get the answers they deserve. Subscribe to The Jubal Show's To Catch A Cheater / War of the Roses.➡︎ Get on The Jubal Show with your story - https://thejubalshow.com This is just a tiny piece of The Jubal Show. You can find every podcast we have, including the full show every weekday right here…➡︎ https://thejubalshow.com/podcasts The Jubal Show is everywhere, and also these places: Website ➡︎ https://thejubalshow.com Instagram ➡︎ https://instagram.com/thejubalshow X/Twitter ➡︎ https://twitter.com/thejubalshow Tiktok ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@the.jubal.show Facebook ➡︎ https://facebook.com/thejubalshow YouTube ➡︎ https://www.youtube.com/@JubalFresh Support the show: https://the-jubal-show.beehiiv.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A child's mutilated torso surfaced from the Thames near Shakespeare's Globe in 2001, and more than two decades later no one has been convicted of killing the boy investigators could only call Adam.EPISODE BLOG PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/TorsoInTheThamesREAD or DOWNLOAD the full transcript of this episode: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3h6yrmk5FEATURED STORIES IN THIS EPISODE: Most people, when they think of the end of their lives, want to feel that they have accomplished something of significance. To leave a lasting legacy. But it is much more rare for someone to accomplish something significant – after they are dead! (Done By The Dead) *** Mrs. Elizabeth G. Wharton was a pillar of society in Baltimore, Maryland in the late 1800s. That is, until she was accused of murdering General William Scott Ketchum. (The Baltimore Borgia) *** For every legitimate and fascinating find by geologists, there seems to be a fraudulent find somewhere else trying to fool the masses. This has been a problem since geology became a thing – and one of the most fascinating of these true tales is the one about Baringer's Lying Stones. (The Lying Stones) *** A strange, ape-like creature with glowing eyes in England might really be, as some believe, a specter of the night. (Man-Monkey of the Night) *** It's hard to understand how human sacrifice has ever been a reality in any point in history – but what if you were to learn that evidence of it showed up in London, England… in 2001? (Torso In The River) *** A would-be geisha murders her lover… but the events leading up to and during the death make for a fascinatingly dark story. (The Murderess Geisha) *** When it comes to spectral animals, we're more than familiar with black dogs or hell hounds, ghostly cats, horses carrying a headed or headless phantom, even a ghost bear rumored to haunt the Tower of London… but have you ever heard of the American Southwest's ghost camels? (America's Ghost Camels)CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:24.699 = America's Ghost Camels00:09:18.422 = Done By The Dead ***00:22:00.457 = The Baltimore Borgia ***00:27:35.655 = The Lying Stones00:36:08.415 = Torso In The River ***00:42:13.573 = The Murderess Geisha00:54:03.666 = Man-Monkey of the Night ***00:58:48.550 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakLISTEN ON PODCAST APPS: Look for this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, and other podcast apps. Get a list of free listening apps here: https://weirddarkness.com/wdapps*No AI Voices Are Used In The Narration Of This Podcast*SOURCES and RESOURCES:“Man-Monkey Of The Night” by Nick Redfern for MysteriousUniverse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdhdevrr“Done By The Dead” by Kyle D. Walter for ListVerse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y62afnj6“America's Ghost Camels” by Kathy Weiser-Alexander for LegendsOfAmerica.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p979beb“The Baltimore Borgia” by Robert Wilhelm for MurderByGaslight.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y2whacb9“Torso In The River” by Richard Hoskins for MysteryConfidential.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/bdd5u543“The Murderess Geisha” by Dr. Romeo Vitelli for Providentia: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/yzy4v3wy“The Lying Stones” by Brent Swancer for MysteriousUniverse.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/2p854d9e(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.Originally aired: January, 2021This episode of Weird Darkness moves from ghost camels haunting the Arizona desert to corpses that kept making history after death, a Baltimore poisoning that gripped a courtroom for weeks, a professor fooled by carved stones, a child's murder in the Thames that London police have never solved, a Tokyo geisha who killed the man she loved, and a glowing-eyed creature on an English canal bridge.It opens in the American southwest, where the U.S. War Department imported some seventy-two camels in 1857 to haul supplies, only to turn the animals loose in the desert when the Civil War broke out and the soldiers tired of their foul temper and habit of spooking horses. Wild camels roamed Arizona for decades afterward, and one became legend as the Red Ghost — a beast blamed for trampling a woman to death in 1883 and later seen carrying a dead man lashed to its back, a rider who eventually decayed until a human skull dropped from the saddle in front of a group of startled prospectors. An Arizona farmer finally shot the animal in 1893, still wearing the leather straps that had held its corpse rider in place.From there the episode turns to figures who kept shaping the world after they died. A gang of Chicago counterfeiters led by "Big Jim" Kennally plotted in 1876 to steal Abraham Lincoln's body from his Springfield tomb and ransom it for a jailed engraver, foiled by a Secret Service informant working for the very agency Lincoln himself had signed into existence. A grave robber broke into George Washington's crypt at Mount Vernon in 1830 hunting the president's skull and made off with the wrong one. The British philosopher Jeremy Bentham left instructions to have his body dissected and mummified, and it sits on display at University College London to this day. And in the ninth century Pope Stephen VI dug up his predecessor Formosus, dressed the rotting corpse in papal vestments, propped it up for trial, found it guilty, and had it thrown into the Tiber.Next comes Baltimore in 1871, where Elizabeth Wharton, a respected society widow, hosted General William Scott Ketchum in her home on Hamilton Place until he fell suddenly ill and died with twenty grains of tartar emetic in his stomach — fifteen is enough to kill. Police discovered she had bought sixty grains days earlier, and a financial advisor named Eugene Van Ness nearly died the same way after she served him a drink. Her forty-two-day poison trial in Annapolis exhausted the medical and chemical experts of the day, and after deliberating through the night the jury acquitted her of murder.The episode then crosses to Germany, where Johann Beringer, a celebrated professor at the University of Würzburg, spent 1725 collecting strange carved stones dug up on Mount Eibelstadt by teenage boys he had hired — figures of birds, lizards, comets, and the name of God rendered in Hebrew. Convinced they were the handiwork of God himself, he published a book on them called the Lithographiae Wirceburgensis, only to learn the nearly two thousand stones had been planted by two envious colleagues, J. Ignatz Roderick and Johann Georg von Eckhart, who thought him an arrogant know-it-all and wanted to humble him.From an academic hoax the episode moves to an unsolved horror. On September 21st, 2001, a child's headless, limbless torso surfaced from the Thames near the Globe Theatre, wrapped in orange cloth, and London's Metropolitan Police could give the boy no name but Adam. Forensic analysis of poison and minerals in his remains traced him to the Benin region of Nigeria and showed he had been paralyzed and drained of blood in what investigators believed was a muti ritual killing. Nelson Mandela made an international appeal for information, and traffickers including Kingsley Ojo and a caregiver named Joyce Osagiede were investigated, but no one has ever been convicted and the boy's true identity has never been confirmed.The episode carries that darkness into 1936 Tokyo, where Sada Abe strangled her lover Kichizo Ishida in an inn after a days-long affair, then took a kitchen knife to his body and carried a severed part of him away in her handbag. Her capture two days later set off a national obsession the papers called "Sada mania," and her testimony about killing the man she refused to share became a bestseller in a country where such candor was scandalous. She was sentenced to six years, served her time as a model prisoner, and vanished from public life sometime after 1970.The episode closes on a cold English night in January 1879, when a furniture hauler crossing Bridge 39 over the Shropshire Union Canal near the village of Ranton was charged by a shaggy, ape-like creature with glowing eyes that leapt onto his cart and terrified his horse. When he swung his whip at the thing, the lash passed straight through its body, and the creature bolted down toward the canal and vanished. The folklorist Charlotte Burne later learned from the village constable that the sightings had begun only days after a man drowned in that same canal, in a place where people believed a violent death could send someone back in the shape of a beast.
When 13-year-old Jennifer Bastian is abducted and murdered in August of 1986, residents of Tacoma panic. This is the second young girl killed in five months. Convinced a predator is loose, Police embark on a 32-year inquiry to catch the killer.Apartments.com - To find whatever you're searching for and more visit apartments.com the place to find a place.Boll & Branch: Go to BollandBranch.com/coldcasefiles and use code coldcasefiles to get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
#355: Luck isn't something that happens to you. It's something you build piece by piece, and today's guests have done just that.I'm joined by Lex P and Drea Nicole, serial entrepreneurs, media personalities, and co-hosts of Pour Minds. We get into the $86 check that told them they were onto something, how they balance business and friendship, the beliefs at the root of the luck they've created, and why they both believe you can't get lucky until you learn how to clap for other people first.I think you're going to walk away thinking about the word "lucky" in a completely new way, which feels like exactly the point of this whole show.Press play if you're...Convinced everyone else's glow up came out of nowhere (it didn't, keep listening)Currently waiting for your moment instead of building toward itStill thinking about that one friend who got quiet on you the second things got goodNosy about the actual numbers behind turning a podcast into a real businessGrab your notes app for…The real difference between getting lucky and being ready when opportunity shows upHow Pour Minds turned an $86 ad check into a fully self-funded, sold out tourThe friendship red flags Lex and Drea learned to spot the hard way, and the green flags to look for insteadWhy clapping for other people's wins is directly tied to unlocking your ownEpisode Links:Get your tickets to the Still Sippin' Tour: https://www.pourminds.com/Subscribe to Pour Minds on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DreaAndLexFollow Pour Minds on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pour_minds/Follow Drea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreanicoleee/Follow Lex on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lex_p_/Sponsors:Nutrafol: For a limited time, Nutrafol is offering our listeners $10 off your first month's subscription and free shipping when you visit https://www.nutrafol.com and enter promo code BALANCEDLES.Monarch Money: Monarch is the personal finance app that tracks everything — accounts, investments, savings goals, and spending. Get your first year of Monarch Core for half off at https://www.monarch.com using promo code LUCKY.Cotton: Cotton is The Fabric of Our Lives. Learn more at https://www.TheFabricofOurLives.comLarineco: Larineco is a chewing gum that strengthens and repairs enamel with every chew, using the same mineral your teeth are made of. Get up to 50% off your order at https://www.buylarine.com/luckyButcherBox: Go to https://www.butcherbox.com/lucky to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life, or free chicken thighs or top sirloins in every box for a year, with free shipping always.Connect with Les:Ready to apply what you hear? Subscribe to the She's So Lucky Newsletter to get weekly episode guides and journal prompts: https://shessolucky.kit.com/newsletterSubscribe to The Lucky Playbook on Substack: https://lesalfred.substack.com/Follow Les on IG @lesalfredFollow She's So Lucky on IG @shessoluckypodFollow Les on TikTok @theluckylesFollow She's So Lucky on TikTokVisit our website at shessoluckypodcast.comThis episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.