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Full Text of ReadingsFeast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Lectionary: 638The Saint of the day is Exaltation of the Holy CrossThe Story of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Early in the fourth century, Saint Helena, mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ's life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built over the Savior's tomb, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher on that spot. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman. The cross immediately became an object of veneration. At a Good Friday celebration in Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century, according to an eyewitness, the wood was taken out of its silver container and placed on a table together with the inscription Pilate ordered placed above Jesus' head: Then “all the people pass through one by one; all of them bow down, touching the cross and the inscription, first with their foreheads, then with their eyes; and, after kissing the cross, they move on.” To this day, the Eastern Churches, Catholic and Orthodox alike, celebrate the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on the September anniversary of the basilica's dedication. The feast entered the Western calendar in the seventh century after Emperor Heraclius recovered the cross from the Persians, who had carried it off in 614, 15 years earlier. According to the story, the emperor intended to carry the cross back into Jerusalem himself, but was unable to move forward until he took off his imperial garb and became a barefoot pilgrim. Reflection The cross is today the universal image of Christian belief. Countless generations of artists have turned it into a thing of beauty to be carried in procession or worn as jewelry. To the eyes of the first Christians, it had no beauty. It stood outside too many city walls, decorated only with decaying corpses, as a threat to anyone who defied Rome's authority—including Christians who refused sacrifice to Roman gods. Although believers spoke of the cross as the instrument of salvation, it seldom appeared in Christian art unless disguised as an anchor or the Chi-Rho until after Constantine's edict of toleration. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Last time we spoke about the darkest days of the siege of the foreign legation quarters in Beijing. The Hanlin Academy was burnt down taking with it irreplaceable books. The Fu Palace and French Legation were falling to pieces. Colonel Shiba and his men fought for weeks without changing their closes or sleeping more than 3-4 hours. Countless friends and colleagues were dead or wounded, funerals were becoming a daily event. Ammunition was running low, men were running low, medical supplies were running low, everything was running low. Suddenly some messages began to trickle in allegedly from Prince Qing. The Ministers were weary to trust them, but gradually pushed Prince Qing to show the Qing's good faith by establishing a truce. It seemed the darkest hours were just before the dawn as Prince Qing established a truce on July 17th, and now all wondered, what was next?    #65 The Boxer Rebellion part 5: The Battle for Tientsin   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. The July 17th truce came at a perfect time, the defenders were exhausted. Food had become so scarce, they had begun sending raiding parties to the Mongol Market, but for most the regular diet consisted of horse, pony, mule meat and rice. Random note, I am from Quebec and we eat horse meat here, typically for tartar, not all the time, but if you go to the grocery store 9/10 its there, apparently this is pretty weird for everyone else in North America, I dunno, a bit on the dry side as meat goes. One thing that was easy to come by was champagne and wine, there was a enormous supply of it in the legation buildings. As Lenox Simpson put it “had it not been for the Monopole, of which there are great stores in the hotel and the club—a thousand cases in all . . . I should have collapsed.” There was a enormous concern for the Chinese Christians in the Fu Palace who were constantly attacked and very isolated. Lenox Simpson investigated them and wrote this “The feeding of our native Christians, an army of nearly two thousand, is still progressing, but babies are dying rapidly, and nothing further can be done. There is only just so much rice, and the men who are doing the heavy coolie work on the fortifications must be fed better than the rest, or else no food at all would be needed. . . . The native children, with hunger gnawing savagely at their stomachs, wander about stripping the trees of their leaves.They had terrible water-swollen stomachs and “pitiful sticks of legs. To the babies we give all the scraps of food we can gather up after our own rough food is eaten, and to see the little disappointed faces when there is nothing is sadder than to watch the wounded being carried in. . . . Thus enclosed in our brickbound lines, each of us is spinning out his fate. The Europeans still have as much food as they need; the Chinese are half starving.” The CHristian Chinese laborers complained about working for the British legation telling supervisors “the work at the British legation is crushing and they don't feed you enough. And if you do not carry out their orders to the letter, they flog you. . . . Therefore, we don't want to go there.” The Chinese CHristian laborers preferred working for the non-Christian Japanese and Colonel Shiba even raised a force of Christian Chinese volunteers as riflemen who he trained personally. There were also incidents of Chinese Christian girls being sexually assaulted, particularly by Russian guards whose barricades were close to their girls lodgings. A written notice was erected forbidding anyone to approach the girls lodgings prompting the Russian commander Baron von Rahen to quote “Take off his cap, and assuming a very polite air of doubt and perplexity, he inquired of the lady missionary committee which oversees the welfare of these girls: ‘Pardon, mes dames,' he said purposely in French, ‘cette affiche est-ce seulement pour les civils ou aussi pour les militaires?'”—“Excuse me, ladies, does this apply only to civilians or also to the military?” Sexual assault was not the only thing going on, apparently the British legation gardens saw people come together each night to make romance.  Over in Taku forces were coming over to help lift the siege of Tientsin. Men of the US 9th infantry came over from the Philippines. Now that the situation looked more land based than naval, Vice Admiral Seymour was sent back to his squadron on July 11th, leaving Brigadier General Dorward in command of British forces, but there was no supreme allied commander. There were tremendous delays as each nations officers argued who should lead and finally it was agreed the Qing held part of Tientsin had to be taken before any talks of marching upon Beijing. A plan was formed to attack the Qing held part of the city beginning on July 13th. They were widely outnumbered, around 6900 to a Qing force of around 30,000, half of which were Boxers. There were 2500 Russians, 2000 Japanese, 900 Americans, 800 British and 600 French. They would be facing the formidable walls of Tientsin, which were 20 feet high and 16 feet thick. Within the city and nearby forts were around 12,000 Qing soldiers well armed with artillery, machine guns and modern rifles.  The French, Americans, British and Japanese were to advance upon the south gate in three columns while the Germans and Russians circled around to hit the east gate. The approach was a flat marshy plain, intersected by canals and lagoons, by no means ideal. Herbert Hoover knew the land quite well and volunteered to guide forces and had this to write of his experience  “We came under sharp fire from the Chinese located on its old walls. We were out in the open plains with little cover except Chinese graves. I was completely scared, especially when some of the Marines next to me were hit. I was unarmed and I could scarcely make my feet move forward. I asked the officer I was with for a rifle and at once I experienced a curious psychological change for I was no longer scared, although I never fired a shot. I can recommend that men carry weapons when they go into battle—it is a great comfort.” Hoover described how the attack was badly coordinated, riddled with miscommunication and ill tempered men. The main force was pinned down in front of the south gate taking fire from the city walls. The allied forces were huddled face down in mud with the American troops standing out like sorethumbs wearing their dark blue uniforms. The Qing wielding Winchesters, Mannlichers and Mausers were exacting terrible casualties upon them. Lt Harry Rotherham of the Royal Welch Fusiliers recalled “the whole of the city wall was lined with Chinese firing through loop-holes and they just fired all day as hard as they could. They also attacked our left flank and we were told off to keep them back, so we were under fire all day from the front and the left flank as well. I never want anything quite so warm again.” Captain David Beatty noted the British forces took a entirely exposed position while the 9th US infantry were extremely exposed to Qing sharpshooters. Their commander, Colonel Emerson Liscum was fatally shot as he was trying to grab the regimental flags from a standard bearer who was falling. His dying words were “keep up the fire, men!” Beatty led a company of British to rush over to help the Americans and gradually they pulled back as it got dark. They had no news on how the Russians were doing with the east gate.  It was to be the Japanese who turned failure into success. General Fukushima Yasumasa who had fought the Chinese during the first sino-Japanese war sent word to some of the other commanders that Qing forces would fight to the death if they were trapped, but if you left an escape route, like two gates open, they would retreat. At 3am the Japanese blew up the south gate, in a scene I can only describe as the one Uruk-hai in the film the Lord of the Rings the Two Towers. The Japanese had been trying to light fuses to explode bombs, but the Qing kept stopping them so one Japanese soldier ran with a short fuse to blow up the gate and was killed by the explosion. He would have made Saruman proud. As told to us by Herbert Hirschinger of the US Marines “The Japanese had been trying to accomplish it for some time, but the Chinks would cut the fuse. In the end a Japanese officer volunteered to light a short fuse. The gate was blown in . . . but the officer went up with the gate. This only goes to show the mettle of which the little fellows are made.” After the breach was made, the Japanese stormed into the city followed by the second battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers and Beatty's men. A bit later that morning  the Russians charged the esat gate on July 9th led by General Anatoly Stessel, General Nie Shicheng personally led a counterattack to try and stop them. An allied artillery shell exploded nearby him, showering him with shrapnel and fatally wounding him. As the Russians broke through the east gate prompting the Qing soldiers to withdraw from the city. French doctor Matignon was irritated to see that although the Japanese did the lionshare of work in the southern sector, the Union Jack was flying side by side with the Rising Sun over the south gate. In his words “trois ou quatre soldats anglais . . . flegmatiquement, fument leur pipe”—“three or four English soldiers . . . calmly smoking their pipes.” Sounds like Merry and Pippin after Isengarde fell, what is with the LOTR references?  Countless Boxers and Qing soldiers slipped away, leaving little fighting over the city. The civilians bore the brunt of what became an orgy of looting and murder. A Chinese eyewitness had this to say “People rushed about in all directions in dread of what was to come next. When someone shouted that the North gate was open and that it was possible to leave by it, the whole city converged on the North Gate. In an instant the press of the crowd was such that one couldn't move.... The foreigners and Christians . . . fired repeatedly on it [the crowd], each volley resulting in the deaths of several tens of people.... The greater the numbers of people killed, the greater became the numbers of those fighting to escape. . . . Dead from bullets, dead from artillery shells, dead from swords, dead from trampling. It was horrible. . . . The corpses were piled several feet high. After three days of cleaning up, following the foreigners' entry into the city, the streets still were not clean.” The photographer James Ricalton stormed into the city as well to record what he say.  “a holocaust of human life, lines of homeless, weeping human beings—their homes in ashes, without food, friendless, and, in many cases, their kindred left charred in the ruins of homes. Doors were smashed; shops were entered and plundered; men and women were fleeing, carrying their precious heirlooms—their jewels, their silks, their embroidery, their money. These much-prized valuables were snatched from them, and they dared not protest.” American Marine Harold Kinman recalled “the streets wet and slippery with blood” while a British sailor described “brains strewn over the streets and dead Chinese pinned to the walls by Japanese swords and bayonets”. Many of the accounts place atrocities upon the Russians and Japanese. But soldiers from each nation took part in the orgy and there are many photographs for those with the stomachs to google them,  On July 15th, in an attempt to stop the looting, the British put up pickets with orders to not allow anyone to get past except for the French whose authorities had not agreed to suppress looting, haha. So as a result many British just pretended to be French, apparently doing bad french singing impressions to get by and spoke terrible French phrases to another. Notably British civilians took part in this as they knew which houses and shops had the best goods. It was to be the bloodiest battle for the 8 nation alliance during the Boxer rebellion. 250 allied soldiers had died with 500 wounded. Of this the Japanese paid the most with 320 casualties, the Russians and Germans around 140, the Americans 25 dead, 98 wounded, the British 17 dead, 87 wounded and the French 13 dead with 50 wounded. There was no official calculation of the losses for the Boxers and Qing forces, but it was expected to be very heavy. I think for you long time listeners you can see a distinct difference now from our Opium Wars days to the turn of the 20th century. Warfare had changed considerably, casualties were much higher now, something that would be proved to a horrifying extent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, or as many like to call it World War Zero. Tientsin was now being secured as a launching point for the future advance upon Beijing. Back over in Beijing, the foreign community found it surreal after the July 17th truce was announced. The sudden silence of guns was more disconcerting than comforting, some even found it difficult to sleep. The Qing war banners were brought down and white flags were hoisted all around in their place. Countless Qing soldiers began peering over walls and barricades to look at the legations. Likewise the defenders looked out into the desolate landscape around them, corpses were everywhere, dogs were picking at them. As everyone's confidence built up some Qing soldiers went over to the defenders positions and began fraternizing with the foreigners. Many began to talk to the foreigners, giving them news the Taku Forts and Tientsin had fallen to the allied nations and that General Dong Fuxiangs Kansu army and many Boxers were now performing offensives between Tientsin and Beijing. Many of the Qing troops who came forward explained they did not want to be part of the battle, but were being were being coerced into it. The foreigners were beginning to suspect the truce had been made because of the Qing losses at the Taku forts and Tientsin, perhaps a relief force was already on its way.  Within the Qing court, the loss at Tientsin had proved the progressive and moderates right that joining the Boxers was a doomed cause. This was a view shared by most of the governors and viceroys in the southern and eastern provinces who were actively holding their troops back, not daring to attack foreigners. Going back to early June when edicts were being made declaring war, most viceroys and governors ignored it and refused to send troops. In fact, the foreign community had no idea, but their most valuable allies were amongst the Qing high command. The Manchu General Ronglu, whom Empress Dowager Cixi appointed as Imperial Commissioner in command of the Wuwei Corps consisting of the 5 most modern armies led by Nie Shicheng, Dong Fuxiang, Song Qing, Yuan Shikai and Ronglu himself was helping the foreigners! When the Boxer rebellion broke out, Prince Duan was pressuring Dong Fuxiang and his Kansu Army to seize the foreign legations. It was Ronglu who behind the scenes was sand bagging the entire situation. At first he tried to countermand orders to Dong Fuxiang, trying to stop him from attacking the foreign legations, but that gradually failed when Prince Duan began ordering anyone hampering the war effort to be arrested or killed. Then when Dong Fuxiang requested artillery to breach the legation defenses, Ronglu began blocking the transfer of artillery pieces and constantly made up excuses. Ronglu and Prince Qing coordinated efforts to sneak some food into the legations and even used their most loyal Manchu bannermen to perform minor attacks on the Kansu army and Boxers who were besieging the foreigners. Ronglu also withheld orders that were to be sent to General Nie Shicheng in Tientsin, telling him they were at war with the foreigners, so for the majority of the time Nie Shicheng had thousands of his men still fighting the Boxers! Seymour getting past Nie Shicheng and the Tientsin settlement surviving as long as it did was specifically because of this action. Ronglu even tossed blame for inaction all upon Nie Shicheng, who luckily for Ronglu ended up dying before he could explain what had occurred. During the siege of the legations the major reason so many riflemen were aiming so high was because of Ronglu countermanning orders. As Dong Fuxiang would order the men to kill the foreigners, Ronglu continuously ordered men to just make it seem like they were helping the siege but not to kill the foreigners.  Yes one can argue the MVP of the 8 nation alliance was Qing Generals like Ronglu or Prince Qing.  The foreigners knew none of this, but they would received enormous intelligence on July 18th from one of Colonel Shiba's messengers who went over to Tientsin and returned confirming it was in allied hands. The messenger also told them a force of 11,000 British, Russian, Japanese, American and French would begin a march upon Beijing, starting on the 20th. MacDonald then invited a nearby Kansu officer to parley with him and the man reluctantly acquiesced. The men shared cigars and spoke using an interpreter. The officer asked MacDonald who the men wearing the big funny hats were and MacDonald explained they were American marines. The officer shrugged and stated his men were afraid of them because they were good shots. The officer then explained his superior was not Dong Fuxiang, but General Ronglu who had overall command. He also stated Ronglu wished the fighting to stop. MacDonald was puzzled by this and explained the fighting was never started by the foreigners. The officer was puzzled by that statement and said perhaps he should write to Ronglu to explain his views. Both men shook hands and departed. MacDonald before departing the wall took one last look at the scenery and described the situation “I could see the enemy's positions stretching away to the north until they disappeared in the direction of the Imperial City. There were barricades in the streets below the wall; a large temple was loopholed and . . . full of men; more men were amongst the ruins west of the Russian Legation and a species of mound which commanded this Legation and the Mongol Market was gay with the uniforms of hundreds of Imperial infantry. Following the line west of the Mongol Market, the tops of the houses carried nests of these bright-coated soldiery; altogether from my position I saw some 1,500 to 2,000 men, and many more must have been hidden behind the walls and ruined houses.” MacDonald wrote to Ronglu proposing rules of conduct going forward. He promised the foreigner forces would only fire if being attacked, except in the case of seeing Qing forces building barricades closer to them. Any unarmed persons who approached the legation defenses could do so safely but only two men at a time. MacDonald gave the letter to the officer he had talked to who delivered it to Ronglu. The very next day Ronglu sent a man carrying a flag of truce who came over to officially accept the proposals. However there was a catch. The man explained this would be on behalf of the forces loyal to Ronglu and Prince Qing, they were commanding the south and eastern portions of the siege, but Dong Fuxiang's troops held the north and west. In fact the officials explained the officer whom MacDonald had spoken to was one of the very few Kansu soldiers who was willing to follow commands from Ronglu, Dong Fuxiang was quite the renegade. It became clear after a few days the word truce was a bit of a misnomer, it was more of a half armistice. Some Qing were still mining close to the Hanlin and various barricade forces continued to fire upon the legations. Some Qing soldiers east of the Fu Palace began using a dog to send communications to the Japanese as noted by their officers “One day a large dog trotted into the Japanese barricade with a note tied round its neck; this was from the Chinese general commanding in that quarter pointing out the futility of further defense and recommending unconditional surrender. A reply, declining the suggestion in somewhat forcible terms, was tied on the dog's neck, with which it trotted back, this was repeated several times, the dog seeming to enjoy the fun, the advisability of surrender being urged with greater insistence each time, the answers varied only in the strength of their language.” Some Qing troops began offering fruit, vegetables and chickens to the foreigners, bargaining for money. The Japanese even were able to barter for rifles and ammunition from some Qing soldiers. The Zongli Yamen began sending gifts of fruit, vegetables, even ice to the besieged, all in the name of Emperor Guangxu. Many worried the food was poisoned so they first gave it to a dog. A constant stream of letters began to go back and forth between the foreigners, Prince Qing and other moderate Qing officials. The recurring theme on behalf of the Qing was that the foreigners needed to depart Beijing and that the Zongli Yamen would provide protection to Tientsin. This was constantly ignored. The Qing government also began mediating on behalf of the ministers and their governments, ferrying messages back and forth. On July 28th, the foreigners received word from the Shandong youth who had been sent out to Tientsin. He sent a letter back to them stating this “Your letter 4 July. There are now 24,000 troops landed, and 19,000 here. General Gaselee expected Ta-ku to-morrow. Russian troops are at Peitsang. Tientsin city is under foreign government and ‘Boxer' power here is exploded. There are plenty of troops on the way if you can keep yourselves in food. Almost all the ladies have left Tientsin.” On August the 1st, another letter arrived dated from July 26th addressed to the Japanese Minister Baron Nishi. It officially stated troops were on their way, but they were delayed because of the railway damage, but their vanguard should arrive in two to three days. The foreigners checked their food stores noting they had 600 lbs of white rice, 11,5000 lbs of yellow rice and 34,000 pds of wheat left. They estimated it would last them 5 more weeks of siege alongside the 30 ponies they had left…poor ponies. Nigel Oliphant also noted “cigars and tobacco are running out, which is more serious to some of us than want of food.” The condition of the Christian Chinese at the Fu was horrible. As written in the diary of Lenox Simpson on July 24th “the miserable natives imprisoned by our warfare are in a terrible state of starvation. Their bones are cracking through their skin; their eyes have an insane look; yet nothing is being done for them. They are afraid to attempt escape even in this quiet, as the Water Gate is watched on the outside night and day by Chinese sharpshooters....Tortured by the sight of these starving wretches, who moan and mutter night and day, the posts nearby shoot down dogs and crows and drag them there. They say everything is devoured raw with cannibal-like cries.” I should note, while you hear sympathies from some accounts by the foreigners in regards to the Christian Chinese, by no means were they distributing out food equally amongst them. As you can only imagine with the 19th century attitudes, the Chinese were treated like subhumans. After a few days it seemed the half armistice was fading away. The Qing were constructing a large barricade across the north bridge which the foreigners began to use the International gun against. Qing sharpshooters took up positions to thwart the men using the international gun. The barricade reached 6 feet high over the length of the bridge. The foreigners reacted by building their own barricade over the south bridge securing communications between the British and the other legations. All the while the Zongli Yamen was sending reassurances and advising the foreign community to take their offer to depart under their protection. By August the 4th, there was still no sign of a relief force and the truce was certainly all but over as artillery were pounding the legations heavily. Back on July 26th, the former governor of Shandong, Li Bingheng had come to Beijing and began pressuring the Boxers and Qing to ramp up the siege efforts. Empress Dowager Cixi favored Li Bingheng and gave him the rare honor of riding within the forbidden city before the received the promotion to Deputy commander of the Northern armies. Two days after he showed up, two moderate Qing officials were executed as traitors for criticizing the Boxers and advocating to lift the siege. Three other moderate officials would follow days later in what was becoming a purge within the court. More Boxers began to flood Beijing, cowing the surviving moderates into submission. A very nervous Prince Qing wrote to some southern viceroys and governors who all agreed the Boxers needed to be suppressed, but Prince Qing did not dare publicly give the order. When Vice Admiral Seymour  was rescued from his rescue attempt he sent word to the British admiralty that at least 40,000 troops would be needed to lift the siege at Beijing. The other nations such as American thought it should be 80,000, Japan estimated 70,000. But the logistics of mounting an international rescue became difficult quickly. Not all the great powers involved could afford to muster troops at this time, hell America was fighting a war in the Philippines; Britain was fighting the Boer war; the French were fighting in IndoChina and the Russias had a full on war in Manchuria, that we will tackle later. Japan was one of the few nations free and quite able to send a large force, so the other nations appealed to Japan who agreed to send an additional 20,000 men to Tientsin. Then there was the issue of a supreme allied commander. Kaiser Wilhelm, as usual sought to grab the reigns for Germany and used von Ketteler's murder as justification. Kaiser Wilhelm nominated Field Marshal Count von Waldersee whom would go on to say of the appointment “a Japanese Supreme Command, no less than an American, was out of the question from the start. The French had not made any effort to get the Supreme Command, leaving only Russia and Britain as Germany's rivals. But, neither would concede it to the other, and, moreover, no one favored England, as the reputation of the English Generalship had suffered a set-back in the Boer War.” The Kaiser persuaded Russia and Japan to back his nominee and everyone abided by the decision. Von Waldersee was set to depart for China on August 18th. Meanwhile in Berlin, the Kaiser gave a speech, tossing away the prepared text for his own words “You must know, my men, that you are about to meet a crafty, well-armed foe! Meet him and beat him! Give no quarter! Take no prisoners! Kill him when he falls into your hands! Even as, a thousand years ago, the Huns under their King Attila made such a name for themselves as still resounds in terror through legend and fable, so may the name of Germany resound through Chinese history . . . that never again will a Chinese dare to so much as look askance at a German.” Ironic he made the link about the Huns and Attila haha. By the end of July, 25,000 men were at Taku and Tientsin with a lot more on the way. Britain was calling up forces from India, America from the Philippines. Tientsin was swimming with foreign troops, so much so, Doctors began vaccinating their men against smallpox. Tensions were mounting, as most of these nations were in proxy wars with another. The Russians and Japanese particularly did not like each other.  Then on July 27th, as quite a cheeky maneuver, the British commander in chief General Gaselee, began to argue there was a need for quick action. He was met by resistance from the French and Russians who cautioned delay, but Gaselee argued “The rainy season will set in in a few day and the whole place will be under water.” Gaselee determined to take control of the situation suddenly told the other leaders Britain would go it alone if necessary. The Americans backed him thus forcing the hand of the others, for none of the other great powers wanted to see Britain and America steal the glory. It was agreed they would all march on August 5th as an international relief force and they would be quite a sight to behold as told to us by US Marine officer Smedley Butler :“French Zouaves in red and blue, blond Germans in pointy helmets, Italian Bersaglieri with tossing plumes, Bengal cavalry on Arabian stallions, turbaned Sikhs, Japanese, Russians, English. we are going to fight the greatest battle at Pekin that has been fought for one hundred 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. The Qing were at war with 8 different great powers and even amongst themselves in many ways. The Taku forts had fallen, Tientsin had fallen and now the 8 nation alliance was going to march upon Beijing, by all means it was time to toss in the towel wasn't it?  

Countless self-help resources, including books, documentaries, and seminars hosted by successful individuals, promise to share the formula for achieving success and realizing your dreams. While the testimonials and success stories they offer may provide evidence that their formula works, there seems to be something missing. In this episode, Cameron interviews a music production underdog who shares the challenges and sacrifices he faced to build his dream career. If you want to discover the X-factor David Gnozzi of MixBusTv used to succeed,  do not miss this episode! Resources:Pensado's PlaceTed Gioia (Substack)MixbusTvMixbusTv - YouTubeAcuity – All-in-one appointment managementDistrokid – The easiest way to get music onto Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tidal, TikTok, and more.Get Backblaze – We're offering a free month of Backblaze cloud backup for a limited time! Modern Mastering Bootcamp:Modern Mastering Bootcamp – Music Producers Alliance The Modern Producer Secrets Podcast is brought to you by Music Producers Alliance®. We help music producers elevate their brands online so they can attract higher quality artists who will pay premium prices for their production services and make a bigger impact in the music industry. Producer & Host: Cameron BashawGuest: David Gnozzi (MixBusTV)Editorial: Cameron BashawEdited in Descript, Try it for yourself!Published by: Teknofonic Recordings LLCIntro & Conclusion Song: Heartbreak Motel – Bella KellyOutro song: Red Planet (Remix) – Pollux & Castor

#NHRA #DragRacing #USNats Alan and Joe break down the results of the 69th Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals. Was it the single greatest drag race in history? Ron Capps victory sporting the Don "The Snake" Prudhomme Hot Wheels/NAPA tribute was one for the ages, Antron Brown's back to back win in Top Fuel, Matt Hartford scored his first Indy win in Pro Stock, and Matt Smith also goes back to back in Pro Stock Motorcycle, all point to yes for an answer. Countless stories from the weekend! Join us for a full recap. Interviews on WFO Radio have become part of winning for drivers in the NHRA #DragRacing Series. Host Joe Castello has over 30 years in drag racing, and it shows. As part of the National Hot Rod Association's Track Announcing team, Castello brings insights directly from the world of professional NHRA Camping World and Lucas Oil Series Drag Racing. NHRA results and news are featured in weekly livestreams, NHRA's Alan Reinhart and other NHRA stars including John Force, Ron Capps, Antron Brown, Steve Torrence, Greg Anderson, and Erica Enders all make frequent stops on the WFO Radio Podcast. PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/WFORadio MERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/wfo-radio?ref_id=24678 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wfo-radio-podcast/id449870843?ls=1 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0oo5mn0E3VmfhRCTHyLQIS Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmZlZWRidXJuZXIuY29tL1dmb1JhZGlv Free Mobile App: https://wforadio.com/m/

What got EC Comics into trouble? We'll discuss that and more in this week's Major Spoilers Podcast. We tak Marvel delays, and new unions, too. We review Hunt for the Skinwalker #1, Birds of Prey #1, and Al Capone! strong>Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) NEWS https://variety.com/2023/artisans/news/walt-disney-pictures-vfx-workers-union-1235706136 https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/marvel-release-dates-agatha-x-men-97-echo-what-if-1235711234 REVIEWS STEPHEN HUNT FOR THE SKINWALKER #1 Writer: Zac Thompson Artist: Valeria Burzo Publisher: BOOM! Studios Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: September 6, 2023 Unidentified flying objects. Animal mutilation. Terrifying otherworldly cryptids. Countless strange phenomena. For more than 50 years, a remote ranch in the Uinta Basin has been the most significant nexus for the paranormal. Inspired by one family's confrontation with the unexplainable and terrifying… and what happened when they invited the largest scientific investigation of the paranormal to their ranch. Based on the 2005 groundbreaking, electrifying nonfiction book by Dr. Colm Kelleher and veteran investigative journalist George Knapp that revealed the captivating true history of Gorman Ranch for the first time, seizing mainstream imagination and inspiring high profile investigations, documentaries, and genre fiction in various media. Now, working hand-in-hand with Kelleher and Knapp, and incorporating never-before-seen new revelations, writer Zac Thompson (X-Men Unlimited, Undone By Blood) with Valeria Burzo (Castle Full of Blackbirds) adapts the category-defying tale in a series perfect for fans of I Hate This Place and The Low, Low Woods! [rating:1/5] You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3PmQCGx MATTHEW BIRDS OF PREY #1 Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Leonardo Romero Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $3.99 Release Date: September 5, 2023 BREAKING HEARTS AND FACES--THE BIRDS OF PREY ARE BACK! Every mission matters. Every life saved is a miracle. But this time, it's personal. Dinah Lance is one of the DCU's most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she's a fearsome foe in any scenario...but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group of badasses--Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn--and only one goal: extraction without bloodshed. What could possibly go wrong? [rating:4/5] You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3PpGblI RODRIGO AL CAPONE Writer: Swann Meralli Artist: PF Radice Publisher: Black Panel Press Cover Price: $29.99 Release Date: September 13, 2023 Al Capone. Family man, community leader, industrious smuggler, or vicious killer? You decide. Born into a poor Italian family in Brooklyn in 1899, little Alfonso didn't have a lot of options, so he'd have to get creative in order to make a name for himself. A bit of cards, some enforcing, maybe a little protection are a great start. A man's gotta provide for his family, capisce? But, when prohibition starts up in 1920, Al Capone will discover his golden ticket to untold fame and fortune. Now, nobody'll ever forget the name Capone. [rating: 4/5] You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/486wi3N DISCUSSION THE EC ARCHIVES: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES VOLUME 4 Writer: Al Feldstein, William Gaines Artist: Jack Davis, Johnny Craig Publisher: Dark Horse Books Release Date: August 27, 2019 This Deluxe Hardcover Volume collects classic tales from Crime SuspenStories issues #19-27, from the hands of legendary creators Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Johnny Craig, Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, and more! CLOSE Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends!

What got EC Comics into trouble? We'll discuss that and more in this week's Major Spoilers Podcast. We tak Marvel delays, and new unions, too. We review Hunt for the Skinwalker #1, Birds of Prey #1, and Al Capone! strong>Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patron at http://patreon.com/MajorSpoilers. It will help ensure the Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! Join our Discord server and chat with fellow Spoilerites! (https://discord.gg/jWF9BbF) NEWS https://variety.com/2023/artisans/news/walt-disney-pictures-vfx-workers-union-1235706136 https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/marvel-release-dates-agatha-x-men-97-echo-what-if-1235711234 REVIEWS STEPHEN HUNT FOR THE SKINWALKER #1 Writer: Zac Thompson Artist: Valeria Burzo Publisher: BOOM! Studios Cover Price: $4.99 Release Date: September 6, 2023 Unidentified flying objects. Animal mutilation. Terrifying otherworldly cryptids. Countless strange phenomena. For more than 50 years, a remote ranch in the Uinta Basin has been the most significant nexus for the paranormal. Inspired by one family's confrontation with the unexplainable and terrifying… and what happened when they invited the largest scientific investigation of the paranormal to their ranch. Based on the 2005 groundbreaking, electrifying nonfiction book by Dr. Colm Kelleher and veteran investigative journalist George Knapp that revealed the captivating true history of Gorman Ranch for the first time, seizing mainstream imagination and inspiring high profile investigations, documentaries, and genre fiction in various media. Now, working hand-in-hand with Kelleher and Knapp, and incorporating never-before-seen new revelations, writer Zac Thompson (X-Men Unlimited, Undone By Blood) with Valeria Burzo (Castle Full of Blackbirds) adapts the category-defying tale in a series perfect for fans of I Hate This Place and The Low, Low Woods! [rating:1/5] You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3PmQCGx MATTHEW BIRDS OF PREY #1 Writer: Kelly Thompson Artist: Leonardo Romero Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: $3.99 Release Date: September 5, 2023 BREAKING HEARTS AND FACES--THE BIRDS OF PREY ARE BACK! Every mission matters. Every life saved is a miracle. But this time, it's personal. Dinah Lance is one of the DCU's most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she's a fearsome foe in any scenario...but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group of badasses--Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn--and only one goal: extraction without bloodshed. What could possibly go wrong? [rating:4/5] You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/3PpGblI RODRIGO AL CAPONE Writer: Swann Meralli Artist: PF Radice Publisher: Black Panel Press Cover Price: $29.99 Release Date: September 13, 2023 Al Capone. Family man, community leader, industrious smuggler, or vicious killer? You decide. Born into a poor Italian family in Brooklyn in 1899, little Alfonso didn't have a lot of options, so he'd have to get creative in order to make a name for himself. A bit of cards, some enforcing, maybe a little protection are a great start. A man's gotta provide for his family, capisce? But, when prohibition starts up in 1920, Al Capone will discover his golden ticket to untold fame and fortune. Now, nobody'll ever forget the name Capone. [rating: 4/5] You can purchase this issue via our Amazon affiliate link - https://amzn.to/486wi3N DISCUSSION THE EC ARCHIVES: CRIME SUSPENSTORIES VOLUME 4 Writer: Al Feldstein, William Gaines Artist: Jack Davis, Johnny Craig Publisher: Dark Horse Books Release Date: August 27, 2019 This Deluxe Hardcover Volume collects classic tales from Crime SuspenStories issues #19-27, from the hands of legendary creators Al Feldstein, Harvey Kurtzman, Johnny Craig, Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, and more! CLOSE Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends!

The digital world is bananas. You've seen The Matrix, right? Countless bad peeps with bad intentions, all staring lovingly at your critical business data – and not in a good way. So join us for this very special episode of the Accounting Matters podcast as we dive into the new SEC cybersecurity rules, why they're so essential, and, perhaps most importantly, what they mean for your company and financial reporting.For more information on the SEC cybersecurity rules:Understanding the SEC Cybersecurity Rules and What They Mean for CompaniesSEC Adopts Rules on Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident Disclosure by Public CompaniesSEC: Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance, and Incident DisclosureConnect with Embark on: LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Facebook YouTube Listen to Accounting Matters on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify.

Start Building YOUR Dream with a Podcast & coach with Jen to get yours up in 5 hours a week, in 10 weeks, by Thanksgiving! BOOK A CALL: www.JavawithJenPodcast.org ————————————————— My Secrets to Building Your Dreams for Busy Moms: Your Essential Questions Answered - Part 2 in this Dreams Series. Are you a busy mom who sometimes feels like your talents and dreams are fading amidst diaper changes and nap schedules? You're not alone. It's easy to experience moments of invisibility, where the desires and giftings within you seem distant. In today's episode of 'Java with Jen,' we delve into this common struggle, marking the start of a series aimed at addressing and transforming this very challenge. Countless women have asked me how I managed to build thriving businesses, a successful podcast, a podcast network, and a coaching program while navigating the demanding journey of motherhood AND Ministry. In response, I recorded today's episode answering many of the specific questions you ladies asked me on Instagram. If you're seeking inspiration and real-world strategies to breathe life into your dreams while nurturing your family, this episode is a must-listen. Don't keep this wisdom to yourself – share it with fellow moms who might be wrestling with their own dreams. Let's navigate the seas of motherhood and aspirations together. Tune in now and reclaim the power to thrive! And, if Podcasting is a path that you could see yourself pursuing to begin building your dream, I would love to coach you! I'm currently enrolling students and the Mastermind begins Sept 17th. All you need is a smartphone, computer and wifi connection to participate! Book a call with me if you're even a little bit curious if it could be right for you: www.javawithjenpodcast.org ————————————————-Get this 7-Essential Steps to Podcast Creation Checklist for free :  subscribepage.io/StartYourPodcastChecklist Thank you for rating, reviewing and sharing the show on social media, this makes such an enormous difference on the reach of this show!   Follow and tag me on Instagram @javawithjen or on Facebook @javawithjenpodcast , and share when you're listening to a show!   I love seeing your posts

Last time we spoke about the battle of the Taku Forts and the siege of Tientsin. The allied admirals gave an ultimatum to the Qing to hand over the Taku Forts, which they declined. The western navies attacked the Taku Forts officially beginning a war with the Qing dynasty. The seizure of the Taku Forts led the Qing to fully support the Boxers who raised a siege against the foreign legations in Beijing and the foreign settlement in Tientsin. The foreign community at Tientsin found themselves surrounded by 30,000 Boxers and 15,000 Qing with only 2400 troops of various nationalities to defend them. The siege was grueling and the Chinese forces nearly overran them, but the allies were able to hold out until reinforcements arrived from Taku. Despite receiving extra troops and restoring communications to Taku, the allies were still greatly outnumbered and now those in Beijing were in more severe danger.    #64 The Boxer Rebellion part 4:Darkest Days before the Dawn in Peking   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. Much of China's national library, the Hanlin Academy and other buildings had been burnt down by the Boxers. The firefighter teams did their best to stop the fires, which threatened to spread towards the British legation. Countless, irreplaceable books had perished in the fires. Within the legation quarters, they all awaited Seymours rescue force eagerly, none knowing the truth that he had been forced to withdraw. On June 24th, Qing forces deployed a 3 inch krupp gun on the charred Chien Men, the gate opposite of the Forbidden city. They began firing shells into the legation quarters, some managing to hit the British legation. Then the Chinese turned their attention to the Fu Palace being guarded by Lt Colonel Goro Shiba with a small force of Japanese soldiers. A part of the Fu's walls was breached allowed Boxers and Qing soldiers to swarm in. They were met with Japanese riflemen behind loopholed barricades who unleashed volleys upon them. The Japanese were vastly outnumbered, prompting Colonel Shiba to request urgent reinforcements as the Christian Chinese began fleeing the Fu in panic. The fleeing Christian Chinese soon realized it was even more dangerous outside the Fu than in and quickly scrambled back. A detachment of Americans and Germans dashed along the Tartar Wall behind their legations, scattering the enemy before them back towards the Cheinmen as they made their way to help the Japanese at the FU. The Americans under the command of Captain John T. Myers with aid from Christian Chinese managed to build a breastwork across the width of the wall while the Germans built their own fortification. There positions were 500 yards apart, a critical defense to deny the enemy access to the Tartar Wall. Just yards in front of them were Chinese barricades. Boxer corpses lay in heaps with the hot sun just feet away from most of the legation defensive lines. The stench was putrefying, gangs of Chinese laborers would risk their lives tossing corpses over walls when they could. During the evening of the 25th, as the sun was dying down, British author Bertram Lenox Simpson recalled this “The sun . . . was sinking down slowly towards the west, flooding the pink walls of the Imperial City with a golden light and softening the black outline of the somber Tartar Wall that towers so high above us, when all round our battered lines the dropping rifle-fire drooped more and more until single shots alone punctuated the silence.... All of us listened attentively, and presently on all sides the fierce music of the long Chinese trumpets blared out uproariously—blare, blare, sobbing on a high note tremulously, and then, boom, boom, suddenly dropping to a thrilling basso profondissimo.” Gunfire suddenly ceased and created an eerie silence. The foreign troops watched with suspicion from their barricades as the Chinese departed their barricades. A giant white placard then appeared on the north bridge. It was an imperial edict announcing “in accordance with Imperial orders to protect the foreign ministers, firing shall be stopped at once”. The placard also stated a dispatch should be delivered to the Imperial canal bridge, so the defenders sent one extremely nervous Chinese laborer with a written note over. The man was so scared, when the Qing troops began chanting at him, he simply bolted back. The foreigner community were baffled, why was there now a ceasefire? Was it some sort of hoax? Was Seymours force here? Some felt safe enough to go atop the walls and look out into the city. Lenox Simpson was one of them who had this to say of the scenery. “Just outside the Palace gates were crowds of Manchu and Chinese soldiery—infantry, cavalry, and gunners grouped all together in one vast mass of color. Never in my life have I seen such a wonderful panorama—such a brilliant blaze in such rude and barbaric surroundings. There were jackets and tunics of every color; trouserings of blood-red embroidered with black dragons; great two-handed swords in some hands; men armed with bows and arrows mixing with Tung Fuhsiang's Kansu horsemen, who had the most modern carbines slung across their backs. There were blue banners, yellow banners embroidered with black, white, and red flags, both triangular and square, all presented in a jumble to our wondering eyes. The Kansu soldiery of Tung Fu-hsiang's command were easy to pick out from amongst the milder-looking Peking Banner troops . . . but of Boxers there was not a sign.”The foreigners looked on to see the Chinese were busily fortifying their positions, at midnight the firing resumed. Meanwhile the Qing Court had been tossing out quite a few imperial edicts as the conflict escalated. On the 21st of June an imperial edict told the Chinese “with tears have we announced in our ancestral shrines the outbreak of war”. This edict wa accompanied by some words describing the Boxers as patriotic soldiers and that they were being incorporated into the militia's and rewarded for their bravery with silver and food. On the 23rd another decree “ the work now undertaken in Peking by Dong Fuxiang should be completed as soon as possible, so that troops can be spared and sent to Tientsin for defense” It should be noted the word used for “work” “shih” was intentionally vague and a euphemism for a swift massacre, obviously of the foreigners. No one in the foreign legations were aware of these edicts, nor did they know of the plight of their comrades outside Beijing. The one thing the foreigners know in the legation quarter was that they did not just face Boxers, it was obvious to all that the Qing government was now helping them. On June 29th a message from the legations managed to sneak out via a Chinese courier. He slipped out all the way to Tientsin with two messages in hand. The first was from Sirt Robert Hart “Foreign community besieged in the legations. Situation desperate. MAKE HASTE!” The second was from a missionary, telling the tale of what happened to Von Ketteler. The allied admirals were in despair for they all knew Seymours mission had failed and Tientsin was again under siege. The first child born inside the legation quarter since the conflict began was named Siege in the hopes he might actually be raised. Over five Qing armies were now in Beijing increasing the ferocity of the attacks on the legations. The foreigners estimated that on a single night over 200,000 bullets were fired at them by riflemen, but what baffled them all was why the riflemen aimed so high? Casualties should have been massively worse than they were. Some began to theorize the Qing were keeping up a barrage to force them to surrender or flee. By July 3rd 38 legation troops had been killed with 55 wounded. Every window was bricked up to protect occupants from bullets and shrapnel. Doctors and nurses struggled to keep pace with the number of operations. They had no X-rays to help find shrapnel or bullets in patients making it gruesome work. Several ministers' wives were working as nurses, everyone was trying their best to survive. Dysentery was becoming rampant. As bad as things seemed for the foreigners, it was terribly much worse for the Chinese Christians at the Fu. On July 1st, British civilian Nigel Oliphant wrote this in his diary  “the Chinese Christians were dying like sheep from smallpox, we do not reckon Chinese converts in our casualty lists and that he could not therefore be more precise. Morrison went to inspect the Fu, where the Chinese refugees were crowded like bugs in a rug, and was appalled. His doctor's sensibilities were outraged by conditions that were stinking and insanitary . . . children ill with scarlet fever and small-pox, with diptheria [sic] and dysentery.” MacDonald was directing the defensive efforts as the Boxers and Qing assaulted their barricades. Gaps were continuously being made and plugged up. On June 30th, another major attack was directed at the Fu. The 3 inch Krupp gun was battering the Fu's walls prompting the commander of the Italian forces supported the Japanese, Lt Paolini to led a brave sortie against it. Captain Poole had this to say of Paolini's sortie ‘Paolini appeared to have lost his head and taken the wrong turnings.” Yes the poor Italian Lt had led his small party through some alleyways and it seems they got a bit lost. They also ran into Qing forces who fired upon them, Paolini was hit. They desperately tried to escape, finding a small gap between a wall and the Fu. The most desperate fight would be for the Tartar Wall, which if it fell, all hope was lost. On July 1st, Qing soldiers were spotted creeping up the ramp to its top. The Qing surprised the German barricade who according to Nigel Oliphant “fled before the Chinese had fired a single shot, and without having had a man even wounded” The flight of the Germans left the American barricade 500 yards away exposed. This prompted the Americans to pull back, the situation was extremely dire. MacDonald called for a war council and it was decided a mixed force of British, Russian and Americans would storm back up the wall to reoccupy the American position. Fortunately for the foreigners, the Qing had not pressed home their advantage to bolster the barricades. On July 3rd the men gathered under a bell tower and Captain John T Myers who would lead the assault made a speech as told to us by Nigel Oliphant. ““because it was so utterly unlike what a British officer would have said under similar circumstances. He began by saying that we were about to embark on a desperate enterprise, that he himself had advised against it, but that orders had been given, and we must do it or lose every man in the attempt. He then explained what we had to do—viz. line up on the wall and rush the covering wall . . . then follow up that covering wall till we got to the back of the Chinese barricade. He ended up by saying that . . . if there was anyone whose heart was not in the business he had better say so and clear out. One man said he had a sore arm and went down—not one of ours, I am glad to say.” At 2:00am on July 3rd, the mixed force of 26 British, 15 American and 15 Russians stormed up the Tartar Wall led by Captain Myer's. The Americans were hollaring like natives from their homeland as they they caught 20 Qing soldiers sleeping who they butchered and sent survivors fleeing in panic. Two American marines were killed and Captain Myers tripped over a spear wounding himself in the thigh,  but the wall was recaptured. Retaking the wall was the key pivotal moment of the fight. For the rest of the siege the barricade atop the Tartar wall was nicknamed Fort Myers. It was a fitting action to be a prelude to the American celebration of July 4th the next day. The American marines celebrated the 4th with som well earned drinks atop the Tartar wall, must of been hella awkward for the Brits.  Meanwhile Colonel Shiba was struggling to keep the assaults upon the Fu at bay. By late June nearly a third of the Fu had to be abandoned forcing the Japanese to pull back to their second line of defense. All the other nations forces agreed, Colonel Shiba was an outstanding commander and led his small but efficient force to their admiration. Late June brought in some rainstorms that made everyones guard life hell. Many of the Chinese beleived thunder and lighting was a signal from their gods. Temperatures reached 43 degrees, in freedom units thats 110. Black flies were everywhere because of the corpses. The men began smoking cigars from morning till night to overcome the stench and bugs, even the women began chain smoking cigarettes. The situation was becoming worse and worse, taking a toll on everyone. Apparently the French Minister Pichon began pacing around telling everyone who was near him ‘La situation est excessivement grave; nous allons tous mourir ce soir.' [“The situation is exceedingly grave; we are all going to die tonight.” I can be quite annoying with my french, if any francophones listen to this podcast I am actually releasing a episode in french on my youtube channel about France's role during the Pacific War and you will be happy to know I got my wife to narrate it instead of my anglophone accent self.  By the way apparently by this point most of the ministers were doing pretty much nothing to aid the situation. As one of my sources put it, the Russian Minister de Giers took walks between his legation and the British making himself look like he was working. The Spanish minister Senor Cologan was extremely ill. The Dutch Minister Knobel offered his services as a sentry, but also acknowledged he did not know not know how to fire a gun and was extremely shortsighted. The American Minister Conger just walked about, taking a cue from his Russian counterpart. The Japanese minister Baron Nishi, kept silent as he spoke only Japanese and Russian, and the Japanese and Russians were certainly not friends. The German minister, Von Below went into his legation and began playing Wagners Ride of the Valkyries on the Piano, apparently he was determined to die in a storm of music. Thus MacDonald had his hands full and had this to say of his colleagues “The Russian Minister asks, twice, that the British should remove a sandbag barricade which is blocking his withdrawal route to the British Legation. . . . Sir Claude replied that he is being heavily attacked from the north and can spare no men for this duty. ‘Indeed I may have to call upon you and Mr. Conger for help to repulse this attack—so please have some men ready.' . . . Mr. Conger's comment is: ‘We are having the heaviest attack we have ever had here and every man is engaged.' . . . At 2:30 P.M. Sir Claude writes again: ‘It is absolutely essential that the Fu should be held at all hazards. I hope therefore you will order over as many men as possible.' . . . The Russian Minister complies: ‘I am sending you my last ten men, but I must have them back as soon as you no longer need them.'” Being the middle man to all was certainly not the best logistical setup.  At one point the Chinese turned their 3 inch Krupp gun upon the Union Jack flying over the British legation's gateway. Three shells hit the gateway and one went over hitting the tennis court. It was decided the flag was too provocative and MacDonald had it hauled down. Luckily for British pride, the Chinese turned their attention to other targets, thus Mcdonald canceled the order to haul it down. Aside from mediating between all the other nations, MacDonald was greatly frustrated by the lack of news from outside the legations. A young Chinese boy from Shandong province volunteered to carry a message out on July 4th. The message was directed to the British consul in Tientsin and was put inside a rice bowl filled with rice. The little boy was the first messenger to reach Tientsin since late June, he got there on July 21st after a hard and long journey.  Meanwhile casualties were piling up, the French consul general in Shanghai's son was shot dead during an attack against the French legation on July 1st. On July 5th David Oliphant if the british consular service and brother to Nigel was shot while trying to cut down a tree in the Hanlin. David died of his wound and would be buried shortly after. On the 8th Austrian captain von Thomann, the chaos maker, was hit by a shell burst that took him in the chest killing him instantly. Funerals were becoming a daily thing whenever the enemy let up their attacks. By early July the shelling began to concentrate upon the French legation. To make matters worse there were rumors the Qing were sapping mines towards the French legation. Two Qing were then caught and interrogated by Paul Pelliot an archeologist and member of the French volunteer corps who recounted “We killed two prisoners with rifle shots and with bayonets. One said little of significance . . . the other revealed without being asked the existence of a mine being dug in the East.” The Qing began aiming 4 and 8 pound guns at the British Legation, some shot piercing its walls.  After the first week of July, the defenders were in despair finding the ammunition running low. They had 14 shells left for the Italian one pound artillery piece that had been deployed all over the legation. In desperation a munitions expert from the HMS Orlando began melting down pewter vessels, teapots, candlesticks, vases and such to make conical shot fitted with old copper shell casings. The defenders also began filling fireworks with nails and scrap iron, pretty innovative stuff if you ask me. By this point the Qing had only brought to bear 10 artillery pieces into the siege and they were antiquated at that. They most definitely had larger and more modern pieces, but they were not deploying them, puzzling the defenders. Some of the foreigners questioned the Qing gunnery as well, it was as if their riflemen were all at Tientsin and the Beijing troops were all novices. Many of the Qing were able to fire on the outer walls of the Fu at point blank range, but they were not hitting anyone. The Qin barricades were getting closer and closer and the defenders could physically see them mining. On July 7th the defenders came across a rusty old muzzle gun which looked like it came from the 2nd opium war, most likely it was just an old Qing iron cannon. To everyone's surprise it still worked and a American gunner, Sergeant Mitchell cleaned it up and outfitted some Russian shells to it which fired! The new gun was not very accurate, had terrible recoil and made a ton of black smoke when it was shot. But it was another artillery piece and could fire upon the Qing barricades to great effect. Allegedly, Empress Dowager Cixi would go on the record stating to a minister that the cannon was so noisy it kept her awake during her afternoon naps. The rickety old cannon was nicknamed “the international'.  Meanwhile over in Tientsin, Boxers were continuing to terrorize the Chinese Christians and any unfortunate Chinese who had connections to foreigners. The river nearby was said to be clogged with mutilated bodies and human limbs. In early July a photographer named James Ricalton was sent to China to record the Boxer uprising and he had this to say of his travels over to Tientsin “Many mud villages were passed . . . from most of which the inhabitants had fled back into the country. We were constantly passing dead bodies floating down, and on either bank of the river, at every turn, hungry dogs from the deserted villages could be seen tearing at the swollen corpses left on the banks by the ebb tide. It was forty miles of country laid waste, deserted homes, burned villages, along a river polluted and malodorous with human putrefaction.” When Ricalton made it to Tientsin on July 5th he saw buildings in shambles, barricades, smoke and corpses floating in the river. The Qing continued their bombardment of the foreign settlement at Tientsin and snipers made pot shots all day long. The reinforcements from Taku had reached Tientsin on June 23rd, but they were not nearly enough to lift the siege. The Qing were firing 3 and 4 inch quick firing guns from within the Chinese part of the city. Casualties were mounting to around 20 a day. The foreigners stuck within the siege heard rumors that there was conflict between the force of Nie Shicheng and the Boxers, apparently they were not a united front. According to one reporter, Nie Shicheng had deliberately put himself in danger because he believed the orders coming from the Qing Court were impossible to fulfill. Vice Admiral Seymour was no longer in command at Tientsin and a lot of disorderly conduct would be found. Take for example one instance where some French sentries left their position, exposing the position of some nearby British Indian Sikh guards. Herbert Hoover had this to say about what they did “Not knowing what it meant for other than traitors to run under attack without orders, the Sikhs set about exterminating the squad of Frenchmen, which only the most frantic commands of the English officers prevented.”  With the arrival of over 10,000 reinforcements to Tientsin from Taku people were breathing easier, but these were by far not crack troops, many were sailors. The new forces managed to seize two Qing arsenals nearby Tientsin aiding their situation significantly. But all knew their job was to lift the siege and lift it quickly for their comrades in Beijing were in much more peril. By July 9th, with Seymours rescue party still not in sight, the foreigners in Beijing began to doubt it was still coming. In fact that very day a Christian Chinese messenger was sent into the city and returned with some bad news. He told them all Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi were still in the capital and that nothing was known about approaching foreign forces. Everyone fell into despair. Also on that day the British government sent a warning to the Qing envoy in London that his government would be held personally guilty for any damage to the foreigners in Beijing. July the 13th, which yes was a Friday, was a truly grim day for those under siege in Beijing. As dawn rose, the Fu Palace was met with shell fire from the Krupp gun. The Japanese and Italian guards were dodging a hailstorm of shells and shrapnel. The buildings all around were burning and collapsing. Colonel Shiba was forced to order a retreat, he had originally set up 9 lines of defense, but they had fallen back to the last one. No one could blame him, he had led his men fanatically. Captain Poole went on the record to say “I put Colonel Shiba . . . on a golden pedestal for endurance and perseverance.” At 4pm, the Qing attacked from all sides. The alarm bell went off as MacDonald frantically gave our orders for men to dash to the most vulnerable positions. MacDonald was about to order the Russian marines over to the Fu when he received word from Colonel Shiba that he had regained his hold over it again. It was at that exact moment the German second secretary Von Bergen screamed the German Legation was nearly overrun. The Russian marines rush over in the nick of time to meet some Kansu troops charging in. The Russian and Germans led by Lt Von Soden counter charged with bayonets driving them off in melee combat. Then as evening was coming up them a tremendous explosion was heard and the earth around them shook. Two mines had been exploded under the French Legation. The blast completely destroyed the second secretaries house and the ministers house and killed two French sailors as they collapsed. But it would be the Qing who suffered the most, as they had misjudged the force of the blast. The foreigners would watch throughout the night as they were frantically digging the tunnels out trying to save countless who got buried alive. Qing carts carried away perhaps 30 bodies from the crater. With the legation so battered, many predicted the French would be forced to pull back to the Hotel de Pekin.  In the meantime in the Hanlin area, Captain Poole led a small group through some broken down walls to take up a position in the ruined library. The men grabbed bricks and sand bags to create new defensive positions. They were so close to the Qing soldiers, they could hear them complaining to another about terrible rice rations. Although there was no breakthrough and many Qing had died in the blast, the French Legation and Fu Palace had shrunk considerably, 5 men were dead and 10 wounded. The most important position, the Tartar Wall had Captain Newt Hall replacing the wounded Captain Myers to command the US Marines. The Marines were all suffering from diarrhea and drank far too much.  On July 14th, a Chinese messenger who had been sent out on the 10th returned. He had been captured by the Boxers and beaten quite badly, before he was grabbed by some Qing forces working on behalf of Prince Qing. They helped him recover and Prince Qing gave him a message that blamed the attacks on the legations actions and that of the foreign soldiers at Taku. It advised any ministers alive to come take the protection of the Zongli Yamen, promising them safe conduct as long as they did not bring armed guards to accompany them. As you can imagine the message was not trusted one bit. However two days later the French took a Qing soldier prisoner and he told them there was conflict between Prince Duan and Prince Qing. This led some to think perhaps Prince Qing could be trusted. MacDonald sent out a messenger to tell the Zongli Yamen that they would not stop defending themselves and if they wanted to negotiate, they should send a official with a white flag.  While they waited for a response, Colonel Shiba sent word that all his sailors and volunteers were exhausted. They had been on duty since June 20th and not a single man had even changed his clothes, nor any had taken more than 3-4 hours of consecutive sleep. Shiba asked that his men be taken off duty for 24 hours to recuperate and if the British could sent help. MacDonald could only agree as all knew the Japanese had fought like lions for weeks. On July 16th, Captain Strouts led a relief party to the Fu, accompanied by George Morrison who recalled a traumatic event “we were caught in a shower of bullets. I . . . felt a cut in my right thigh. At the same moment, ‘My God,' said Strouts, and he fell over into the arms of Shiba, who was on his left. Shiba ran for a surgeon while I tried to apply a tourniquet but it was no good. The thighbone was shattered and Strouts's body was “soaking in blood.” Both myself and Strouts were carried by stretcher to the hospital, under such heavy fire that a bullet passed through Shiba's coat. It was immediately obvious that nothing could be done for Strouts, who had a severed artery in his thigh. He died three hours later”. Captain Wray replaced Strouts to command the British Marines taking up the Fu position. MacDonald figured by the end of July, there would be nobody left to oppose Dong Fuxiangs forces from storming in and killing men, women and children all. The night they were burying Strouts, the messenger they had sent to the Zongli Yamen was returning with a letter. The message was stated to be from Prince Qing “and others”. It begged the ministers to refrain from attacking the Qing soldiers and promised their government would “continue to exert all its efforts to keep order and give protection”. The messenger also carried a cipher telegram for Conger the official from the United States. It read “communicate tidings bearer” it had no date and no indication of who it was from, but it was the first communication received from the outside world since mid june. Conger wrote a cipher response stating “For one month we have been besieged in British Legation under continued shot and shell from Chinese soldiers. Quick relief only can prevent general massacre.” The next day Conger found out the telegram had been sent on June 11th and was transmitted by the Qing envoy to Washington Wu Tingfang. When Washington received Congers message, they assumed it was a forgery and that all the foreigners had been massacred.  By mid July, most of the world assumed the foreigners in Beijing were dead. In fact many newspapers wrote of how everyone had died and even made obituaries for some of the ministers. Many news outlets would be embarrassed come August when it became known the foreigners were alive and fighting still. MacDonald replied to the message from Prince Qing et al, by suggesting a ceasefire might be a goodway to show some goodwill. Prince Qing agreed and gave the ministers assurance there would be no fighting and a truce would begin on July 17th. The foreigners were in shock, what was to happen next? I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The darkest days come just before the dawn as they say. The foreign defenders within Beijing were barely holding on losing men, food and ammunition. Then as if a miracle, the Qing provided them a truce…or was it all some foul trick to finally deal the killing blow?

Born in Syria, he was a shepherd, but at the age of eighteen he left home and became a monk, practicing the strictest asceticism. At times he fasted for forty days. After a few years at a monastery he took up an ascetical discipline unique at that time: mounting a pillar, he stood on it night and day in prayer. Though he sought only seclusion and prayer, his holiness became famous, and thousands would make pilgrimage to receive a word from him or to touch his garments. Countless nomadic Arabs came to faith in Christ through the power of his example and prayers. To retreat further from the world, he used progressively taller pillars: his first pillar was about ten feet high, his final one about fifty. He was known also for the soundness of his counsel: he confirned the Orthodox doctrine at the Council of Chalcedon and persuaded the Empress Eudocia, who had been seduced by Monophysite beliefs, to return to the true Christian faith. After about forty years lived in asceticism, he reposed in peace at the age of sixty-nine.   He was at first suspected of taking up his way of life out of pride, but his monastic brethren confirmed his humility thus: They went to him as a group, and told him that the brotherhood had decided that he should come down from his pillar and rejoin them. Immediately he began to climb down from the pillar. Seeing his obedience and humility, they told him to remain with their blessing.

Last time we spoke about the major planning leading to a thrust into the central pacific and General Kenney's neutralization efforts of the Lae area. Admiral Nimitz and Douglas MacArthur had been battling it out for a long time leading finally to some concrete plans for twin campaigns, one in the Central Pacific and one in the South and Southwest Pacific.  Countless meetings, deals and minds were put to work trying to figure out how to prepare the gradual advance towards the Japanese home islands. To finally make some waves into the central pacific it was to be the Ellice Islands, Gilbert Islands and Nauru as first objectives. Meanwhile in New Guinea the advance upon Salamaua and Lae raged on, but to really break them first air supremacy was required. Kenney unleashed a massive campaign with some innovative new toys completely desolating Wewakes airpower. This episode is Mopping up in New Georgia Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, 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 world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two 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 you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.  New Georgia was falling apart for the Japanese. When Munda was seized it spelled doom. General Sasaki ordered his forces to withdraw to places like Baanga Islands after fighting a series of desperate holding operations against the forces of General Griswold. Again, the seizure of Munda was a colossal undertaking. The Americans had tossed 30,000 troops to overcome 5000 Japanese. The Americans lost 1136 of said troops and the Japanese 1500. The Japanese managed this type of bulwark defenses by building up a network of entrenchment systems around Munda Point. The US air supremacy over New Georgia gave them little advantage because the island was simply too dense in vegetation to properly spot enemy positions. Rear Admiral Turner likewise learnt a valuable lesson, that no matter how many transport boats were tossed into an invasion plan, more would always be needed. These lesson led to some radical rethinking of strategy going forward for future operations, like in the Central pacific. Admiral Ota used his fleet of barges to move 5 to 8 in a group, every night. Colonel Tomonari's 13th regiment and Sasaki's HQ were moved to Vila in an effort to reinforce  what would be the new main Japanese outpost in the Central Pacific. Further north the Americans successfully invaded Vella Lavella, completely bypassing Kolombangara and thus cutting off the enemy's supply line. In response to this Admiral Samejima established a barge staging base at Horaniu. Samejima then advised Sasaki to simply proceed with the course of action he thought best. Sasaki decided to do what he had been arguing for sometime now, to concentrate all his forces at Kolombangara. However with Zieta in the hands of the Americans, he would have to figure out a clever way to carry out the logistics of such a plan. Thus he split his forces in two, taking up positions at Bairoko and Baanga. Ota was given the task of evacuating the northern forces at Bairoko using his barge fleet, but the men to the south in Baanga were going to perform a fighting withdrawal of both Baanga and Arundel. Luckily for the Japanese, the 27th regiment had bypassed the Yano battalion in Baanga, to advance upon Piru Plantation and Sunday inlet. The forces at Baanga would be facing against the landings of 3 battalions; the 2nd and 3rd battalions, 169th regiment and the 3rd battalion, 172nd regiment led by General Barker. While Barker was getting his men to assembly positions, the Yokosuka 7th's 12cm guns and two mountains began to fire upon Munda Field. This caused only slight damage with some casualties, but it was a nuisance nonetheless. On August 16th, Barkers 136th field artillery battalion positions at Munda began counter firing against the Yokosuka guns. This was followed up by aerial attacks by 13 Avengers and 17 Dauntless who performed carpet bombing. For those who don't know this is the practice of bombing over a large area simultaneously. Imagine hitting a km area of vegetation by spreading your aircraft and timing everything just right, it produces what would look like a carpet of bombs hitting. So when you take a carpet and toss it over your floor, that was kind of the mental image received by this maneuver. The results were devastating. The Yokosuka 7th guns would not fire again.  Meanwhile the recently landed 2nd battalion, 169th regiment faced the strongest pocket of Japanese as they attempted pushing the defenders further west. The 3rd battalion, 172nd regiment would eventually join in on this attack. When the 2nd battalion was showing signs of slow progress, Barker decided to toss the 172nd in on August 18th. But the fiercest fighting would be seen between the 3rd battalion, 23rd regiment who continued to resist against Barkers 4 battalions as Sasaki's men were crossing over to Baanga and Arundel island. On August 19th, the 1st battalion finally managed to break through to the southwestern coast, where they came across the now abandoned 12cm guns of the enemy. During that night the 3rd battalion, 23rd regiment had slipped through a swamp making their way north to join their fleeing comrades over to Arundel. By nightfall of the next day all had successfully gone over. The cost of mopping up Baanga as recorded by the 169th was 44 dead, 74 wounded and 300 non-battle casualties, the ever present dangers of tropical island warfare. For the 172nd records, it was 8 dead, 36 wounded and nearly 200 men requiring evacuation from tropical diseases. For the Japanese there was no estimation or rough counts for casualties. Such dire numbers would see General Wing replace Barker as commander of the 43rd division effective August 20th. Now Admiral Halsey also wanted to see Arundel seized as it had become an important position, but the allies did not realize the amount of forces that had been snuck onto the small island. Meanwhile the 25th division continued their advance north through painfully rough swamp terrain, pursuing a rather elusive enemy. As the regiments advanced, bulldozers of the 65th engineer battalion tried to build jeep trails behind them. However the rain was so bad they became a nasty type of tropical mud and the bulldozers were struggling. Thus the supplies would have to be carried onwards to the front by hand, typically on the men's backs, or occasionally via air drops. By mid August the 161st regiment would finally reach the rendezvous point at Mount Bao where General Collins planned to have them turn west to secure an artillery position at Mount Tirokiambo. Once the artillery was set up, it could support an assault of Bairoko. Bairoko would be hit from the west by the 3rd battalion, 145th regiment of Colonel Dalton and from the east by the 1st battalion, 27th regiment of COlonel Liversedge. But mother nature is a cruel mistress and she places some impassable swamps, preventing the 140th field artillery battalion from reaching Mount Tirokiambo. On August 21st, the marine defense battalion tractors had to pull the 155mm's of the 136th Field artillery battalion over the soft road to get onto a position on Zieta Hill. However this took too long and while it was occurring the Japanese had successfully evacuated Bairoko. Admiral Ota's fleet of barges had been running to Bairoko every night under the cover of darkness and the cover of some guns placed on Kolombangara that fired upon US PT boats trying to harass the barges. American intelligence believed all of this activity was actually reinforcing Bairoko, thus they planned for a daylight raid to hit the barges in their bases. Rendova launched some PT boats, the 15th corps lent some demolition teams of the 117th engineer battalion and the NGAF provided fighter cover. The raid failed and the boats were forced to retreat.  On August 23rd, Dalton and Liversedge's men entered Bairoko to find a completely deserted base. On that same day, the 27th regiment arrived to the Piru Plantation after slogging through swamps prompting Collins to remark “Crossing that swamp was the toughest physical test I underwent during the war.” On August 23rd, Samejima sent new orders to Sasaki, instructing him to hold the Gizo-Kolombangara-Arundel line and to wait until a proper evacuation date was set. Sasaki sent the 1st company of Major Kinoshita Seishu to occupy some high ground on the western part of Arundel and the 4th company of 1st lt Ito Saburo at the base of the Stima Peninsula on its northeast coast. On August 25th Ota's barges were continuing to run nightly runs to Arundel bringing the 6 and 7th companies of Major Yamada Tadaichi over to Vila. By late August most of the other units arrived to Vila, with the Kure 6th SNLF taking the task of defending Kolombangara's western coast and the 229th regiment were deployed at Mbambare Harbor to protect its eastern coast. In addition, Captain Miyazuki Toshio departed Rabaul with 3 destroyers, the Hamakaze, Shigure and Isokaze to evacuate men at Rekata Bay back on August 22nd. However they were harassed by a PBY around Bougainville and realizing the Americans might toss a naval mission against them, they were forced to abort.  Another evacuation run was attempted 3 days later, seeing Admiral Ijuin leading light cruiser Sendai and 2 destroyers to escort Captain Toshio's group. The diversion was discover by Australian coastwatchers and soon Toshio was intercepted by 10 PBY's in the Bougainville strait. The Hamakaze's forecastle was hit by a bomb that caused 36 casualties again they had to abort. Two days after this light cruiser Sendai the destroyer Sazanami finally broke through to Rakata Bay and managed to grab most of the troops there. To grab the rest of the troops, 6 flying boats and a submarine were sent. Detachments of the Kure 7th SNLF would be landed at Sumbe Head and Sambe Head over on Choisuel, who would work to establish new staging bases for the rest of the troops being brought back to Buin. Over at Horaniu, the Japanese were constructing a new barge deport. Admiral Wilkinsons 3rd echelon led by Captain Grayson Carter consisting of 2 LSTs and the destroyers Philip and Waller were sent over to Barakoma on August 20th. They were intercepted by enemy planes in the Gizo strait which saw Philip collide into Waller providing some slight damage. The last convoys of the month would manage to unload at Barakoma under excellent weather and good air cover. Altogether Wilkinsons landed 6505 men, 1097 tons of rations, 843 tons of petroleum, 2247 tons of ammunition and 2528 tons of vehicles, By September 27th the field would be fully operational. The Americans also managed to construct an airfield at Ondonga, giving General Wing further support to mop up Arundel. On August the 29th, the 2nd battalion of the 172nd regiment were moving to the east coast while the 1st battalion moved west. Both had to advance over mangroves and hardcoral shorelines, because the interior was far too dense with underbrush.  Meanwhile over on Vella Lavella, Wilkinsons turned command over to General Griswold on September 3rd. The americans expected no resistance as they planned to occupy the entire island. Admiral Halsey gave the task to Major General Harold Barrowcloughts 3rd New Zealand division who were scheduled to arrive in mid september. But in the meantime, Griswold landed the 1st battalion, 145th regiment at Brakoma to allow Major Delbert Munsons 1st battalion, 35th regiment to advance up the east coast to secure the Kokolope Bay area, where the American wanted to set up a new radar site. Munson's men made good progress as the reached Lambu Lambu cove by September 4th. From there they dispatched Companies A and C with some Fijian commandos to patrol. The patrols got to the Boko Mission where A company ran suddenly into a strong Japanese patrol. A firefight broke out taking the lives of 12 Japanese. The men examined the bodies and their equipment and sent word back that they were facing recently landed enemy forces. The next morning, the 4th company of the Mikami battalion assaulted A company who were dug in at the Boko Mission. A company managed to fight them off, but had 2 deaths and 2 wounded in the process. Because of the attacks, General McClure sent forward his 3rd battalion followed up by units of the 64th field artillery battalion. The artillery men took up a position at Ruravai to support the advance. At the same time Munsons men cleared up the Boko Mission area, allowing for supplies to come up to it by boat. Munson then directed his forces to hit the main Japanese defenses at Baka Baka. As the men advanced they faced a steep ridge holding Japanese machine gun nests which greatly hindered their progress. Meanwhile on September 5th, the 2nd battalion, 172nd regiment discover the main enemy positions on Arundel while the 1st battalion was landing at Bustling Point trying to secure a forward artillery position. The 1st battalion would then occupy the tip of Bomboe Peninsula. The Japanese units meanwhile were reporting great success in their efforts and also requested they be allowed to assault the enemy artillery at Piru Plantation. On the last day of August, the 9th defense battalions 155mm's at Piru Plantation had begun opening fire on Kolombangara. They also dropped some leaflets upon the Japanese at Vila describing the agonizing death their artillery would provide them, cheeky. The leaflets read “ask the survivors from the 229th what it was like on Bakudan Hill”. The next morning Takabayashi told the 3rd battalion  “enemy shelling and firing will be intensified in the future, any rambling activity must be avoided and everyone must always be on the alert.” All of this prompted Sasaki to order a counterattack.  At around midnight on September 9th, Takabayashi's 3rd battalion, 13th regiment aided by a platoon of the 6th engineers snuck across the Blackett strait using barges to Sagekarasa island, their orders were to drive the enemy out of northern Arundel. Just a few hours later, Griswold ordered Colonel Sugg's 27th regiment to Bomboe Village to attack from the west. Sugg's men began their advance on September 12th, and his 3rd battalion forded the Bomboe Lagoon to seize Sagekarasa Island, effectively cutting off the 13th regiment. The Japanese were taken by surprise and began counterattacking with Takabayashi from the west and Ito from the east, but the Americans held on. Further south, Sugg's 2nd battalion ran into the Japanese main position, meeting heavy gun fire. Additionally the 1st battalion, 169th regiment began an occupation of the Fringe Island and the 82nd chemical battalion began deploying their 4.2 inch mortars at Bomboe to prepare a killing field for the Japanese at Safekarasa. From their positions on Fringe Island, the Americans were able to observe and track the Japanese barges with moonlight seeing them depart Vila and approach the landing area. This provided Sugg's the perfect amount of information to launch a deadly accurate mortar bombardment. The proceeding bombardement took countless lives including the 3rd battalion commander Takabayashi. On the night of September the 15th, Colonel Tomonari brought his HQ across and ten minutes later while he was sitting on a log listening to a company commanders report, he was killed instantly by a mortar shell that landed at his feet. Kinoshita took temporary command of the 13th regiment, 3 days later Colonel Muta Toyoji would become the new 13th regiment commander. On that same day the Americans attacked the main Japanese position, but were beaten back. Griswold  responded by bringing forward the 1st battalion, 27th regiment from Enogai with 5 marine tanks of the 11th defense battalion the following afternoon. On September the 17th the tanks charged forward with 3 rifle companies lined abreast behind them. Artillery and mortar concentrated upon Kinoshita's position, shocking the Japanese and forcing them to pull back. However the following day, the Japanese had quickly learnt their lesson and came back with anti-tank guns. They knocked out two tanks before pulling back to the Stima Peninsula. After two more days, the Japanese began evacuating Arundel. During the night, the 3rd battalion evacuated under some heavy mortar and artillery fire while the Yokosuka 7th guns covered them. The following night barges grabbed the 1st battalion troops, bringing the battle of Arundel to a close. For Colonel Muta Toyoji's 13th regiment, the fight for Arundel was a costly endeavor, they suffered 243 killed, 363 wounded, including many officers. For the Americans it was 31 dead and 225 wounded. Back on September 10th, McClure's batteries began to arrive at Lambu Lambu and as soon as they were put into position they began firing against the Japanese. You see during one of the fights between the Japanese and Munson's forces, a dead Japanese officer was found to be carrying a sketch map of the Japanese positions at Horaniu. Captain Jorn Burden translated the Japanese sketch onto their maps and added details from other patrol reports. This gave A and C batteries an incredibly accurate firing grid that proved to be deadly. The concentration of fire was so accurate the Japanese were forced to abandon their positions almost immediately. When troops later came to the area they found the dugouts had suffered direct shell hits with corpses still holding picks and shovels in their hands. The Japanese realized the American gunners knew exactly where they were located so they made a panicked withdrawal to the northwest coast. On September 14th Munson finally unleashed an attack upon Horaniu only to find the dugouts empty. Fijian commandos were sent to pursue the fleeing Japanese as the 1st battalion moved back to Lambu Lambu and the 3rd battalion occupied Horaniu. The New Zealanders would take over the fight for Vella Lavella, but now we need to venture back over to Green Hell. With the loss of Mubo and Lababia ridge, General Nakano was forced to establish a rough arc of defensive positions in the heavily timbered ground from Bobdubi on the south bank of the Francisco river through Komiatum village to the Tambu Peninsula on the coast. Nakano had risen to the bait of General Blamey who had hoped he would and poured more men into this area in order to defense Salamaua from what he believed to be the actual allied goal. Naknao reinforced the area with the 3rd battalion, 238th regiment and the 3rd battalion, 21st regiment who had been stationed at Lae. The new key position in the Japanese line was Charlie Hill. The new Japanese defensive line ran east along the Yamada Yama known to the allies as Scout ridge to the coast at Lokanu and north over the Francisco river along the ridges of Rough Hill, Arnold's Crest, Kidney Hill and the coast near Malolo. Charlie Hill held 4 perimeters. Below ground the Japanese constructed an intricate tunnel system to protect them and their supplies from bombardments. The entrance shafts had vine covered ladders that went down 6 meters. Galleries branched off the main tunnel like catacombs with benches cut into the sides for sleeping. Near Charlie Ridge was Davidson Ridge where Nakano deployed some new reinforcements from the 115th regiment. On August 24th, Nakano told his men “If this line cannot be maintained, the division is to be honorably annihilated.” Meanwhile, Colonel MacKechnie was tossing patrols past Roosevelt ridge. On August 16th I Company, down 2/3rds of its strength, basically down to a single platoon level, crept forward to toss grenades at some Japanese around Scout ridge while Sergeant Warren unleashed mortar cover. The Japanese sought revenge that night and performed a dusk to dawn attack, but grenades and mortars held them back. It was to be the start of two bitter weeks of such small skirmishes, and the Japanese hunkered down in their foxholes guarded Scout Ridge with their lives. On August 18th, K company performed a frontal assault along the ridge, but Japanese barricades and machine gun fire kept them back. 3 Americans were killed, 7 wounded for their efforts, including a courageous medic who ran into the fray. The Japanese positions on Scout ridge were very strong, with lines in depth going back all the way towards Salamaua. Scout ridge provided the defenders with countless defensive positions along its crest with four intersecting ridges behind Roosevelt ridge. On August 20th, Colonel Davidson ordered his men of the 42nd battalion to capture what he thought were only two knolls to the north of the battalion's positions on Davidson ridge. The smaller knoll was occupied without opposition and the other knoll only had slight opposition. However the next morning, scouts reported there was another feature, they called Bamboo Knoll about 600 yards farther north. Davidson then ordered it captured and it was with little opposition. Crouching in some kunai grass atop that knoll, the scouts could see Salamaua and allied artillery hitting it. They could not see the airstrip because another hill was in the way, that hill was Charlie Hill. Davidson's intelligence told him they had already seized Charlie hill because their maps were not quite accurate. This caused a lot of headaches for historians going through diaries, trying to piece together the movement of troops. Thought I would try to add some frustrating information on their part.  Now to intercept the enemy fleeing from Mount Tambu into the area between Komiatum and Davidson ridge, Brigadier Monaghan's 29th brigade were assembled east of Mount Tambu. Meanwhile Major Warfe was performing an offensive against the junction of Bobdubi, Komiatum and the Bench Cut Track. Warfs A Platoon led by Lt John Lewin had cut off a point at a junction between Bobdubi and Stevens track on August 14th. Warfe planned to toss A and B Platoons against the enemy while the 2/7th battalion's D company took up a further point on the track. At the same time the 58/59th battalion were going to launch a diversionary attack against Erskine Creek. On August 17ths, Warfes commandos advanced south under artillery and mortar support attacking the enemy along Buirali creek and Salamaua track. However the enemy proved too intense to overcome, leading the commando platoons to pull back somewhat. Then the 2/7th company came to the right of A platoons position filling a gap in the center of the enemy line. They exploited the gap and advanced towards the western edge of the main Japanese camp. Lewin's A company kept prodding the enemy lines until 6:30pm when the Japanese made a vicious counterattack causing 5 deaths including Lt Barry and 11 wounded. By dusk the Australian attacking force was thrust like a wedge into the enemy positions with Lewin and A platoon on the left, the 2/7th company in the middle and B company on the right. The following day the Japanese were forced to pull back to the line of the Komiatum track By August 19th, the Japanese were being hit hard. On their northern lines they had 23 deaths, the commander of the 80th battalion, Major Jinno was dead. The Komiatum track was cut by the 17th brigade at Laver's knoll. They were withdrawing across the front, most were now taking up positions further east at Charlie Hill and Kunai Spur. Brigadier Hammer's 58/59th were able to occupy Erskine Creek and C company of the 2/7th seized Orodubi. The following day the 2/7th battalion occupied the junction of Bobdubi and the salamaua track. They captured quite a few forward pill boxes, found the enemy was still holding some in the back so they began raining mortar upon them. At dawn on August 21st patrols found the Komiatum track abandoned, now they could push further on. On august 21st as a result of the enemy giving so much ground, Hammer ordered the mento ford the Francisco river to put more pressure on Salamaua. Lt Henry Mallett's 11th platoon of the 2/7th battalion forded the Francisco river near its south end at Bobdubi ridge. They advanced over a razorback spit towards Rough Hill where they ran into Japanese machine gun fire. They were quickly bolstered by another platoon and by 3pm took the position, to gain fire support to allow others to cross the river. During the afternoon a composite platoon led by Lt Owen Edwards advanced further to occupy a dominant hill, which was named Arnold's Crest after captain Ted Arnold the commander of C company. Like I said if you wanted a mountain, ridge, or hill named after you it seems New Guinea was the place. By August 22nd Hammer's men were occupying Arnolds Crest giving covering fire to allow more forces to cross the river. Once enough men had crossed they began expanding the perimeter. Then on August 27th 420 Japanese from companies from the 115th and 80th regiments counterattacked Arnold's Crest, successfully cutting off the allied line of communications to the south. The Australians did not give it up without a fight however, the counter attacked trying to seize the nearby Fisher's knoll. The Japanese were forced to give up Fishers Knoll but repelled the allied attacks upon the crest itself. Despite still holding Arnold's Crest the following morning saw the Japanese withdrawing westwards. Now it seems Hammer got too excited when he ordered his forces to occupy so many forward positons. Hammer signaled his new divisional commander, General Milford “unreliability of 58/59th battalion troops has forced me to withdraw to hold a tighter line Buiris Creek”. Basically he believed he had overextended the 58/59th who were currently surrounded by a company or so of Japanese. The 58/59th were down to less than 30 or so men, carrying many wounded back and sending reports they were running low on ammunition. However on the ground, John Bethune's B company were holding strong, keeping the situation together. Another company commander named Newman went on the record stating “Hammer had weak companies flung out into the blue where they could not be reinforced or supplies” After all was said and done, upon reflecting on the situation, Hammer would sign off on a recommendation to award John Bethune a military Cross, writing “‘Displaying grit and determination Lt Bethune tenaciously held the area until shortage of amn [ammunition] and supplies forced him to withdraw.' The situation forced Hammer to tone down the aggression somewhat lest a catastrophe were to occur. He ordered the men to form a defensive line from Rough Hill to Arnold's Crest, while more forces came to prepare for another offensive. On August 21st, the Taylor Force had rejoined its regimental force, allowing MacKechnie to launch a new attack in force. On August 27th, A company advanced along a trail going up George Ridge successfully cutting the Japanese supply line. The men dug in, expecting a lot of angry Japanese counter attacks. Captain George of A company wrote this of the experience “‘We began to feel chill in the stomach. Every rush meant firing a few more clips, throwing a few more grenades. As the dark suddenly quietened, our hands counted blindly the few clips left in our belts, the last grenade or two on the parapet – like a thirsty man in the desert checking his last water. For when ammo ran out, they would overwhelm us – waves of many Japs with long bayonets. Home was a long way off indeed, over dark waters to Oregon.'” The fighting fell into hand to hand combat, from foxhole to foxhole. Men fought and died around George who knew the position could not be held. The next day George heard 4 rifle shots signaling permission for his battered unit to withdraw. They fought off 10 consecutive counter attacks before tossing in the towel.  Not all was lost on the action for George's men however, so many Japanese were employed for the counter attacks, they had to give up a position they held known as Bald Hill. Other companies of Taylor force seized the hill as the Japanese retreated to positions on Berger hill and Egg knoll. Over to the west, Brigadier Moten's battered 17th brigade were relieved by Monaghan's men who took up positions north of Mount Tambu. Davidson's 42nd battalion occupied Bamboo Knoll after tossing back a ton of Japanese counterattacks. Davidson then tossed some patrols towards Charlie Hill, which would receive its name after Davidson's given name. The Japanese presence on Charlie Hill was far to strong for smaller units to prod it, so more forces would be brought up.  Back over to the north, Warfe's commando's attempted to overrun the Kunai Spur, a dominant position blocking the way along the Francisco river to Salamaua. On the morning of August 22nd, B Company of the 58/59th crossed the Buirali creek and one of their patrols advanced north to Kunai spit. Three simultaneous attacks were directed on Kunai Spur the following day by Captain Cramps 2/7th company from the north, Sergeant Tom Pot's 58/59th platoon from the west and Lt Russell Matthews 58/59th platoon from the east. It was a very steep climb, when Matthews men finally go atop the spit they were face to face with a machine gun nest that nearly took them out. On August 25th the 2/7th platoon managed to outflank the enemy position near Buirali Creek which caused them to counter attack. They failed to take the Kunai SPur and were relieved by Lt colonel Ken Montgomery's 47th battalion on the 26th. At this point Monaghan took command, and his first order of business was going to be an assault against Nakano's last line in front of Salamaua. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The allies were cleaning up on New George while continuing their deceptive assault on Salamaua on New Guinea. General Nakano's men were beginning to feel the wall behind their backs as the allies closed in on Salamaua, but still they did not realize Lae was the actual target. 

When Beth Matthews started in real estate in 2009, she explored both residential and commercial areas. But she took a different route for a while, getting into pharmaceutical sales. However, her love for real estate pulled her back. Beth saw something missing in the Buffalo, New York, real estate market: a strong focus on excellence and customer service. Growing up, she learned the value of hard work and dedication. She wanted to bring these values into her business. Beth decided to put her clients first and offer top-notch service. This approach helped her make a name for herself in the real estate world. It's impressive how she moved from pharmaceutical sales back to real estate, matching her previous income in just 15 months. Now, Beth Matthews is the owner of Envision Real Estate. With four offices and a team of over 40 agents, they provide complete transaction support. They even have their own in-house marketing team. Throughout her journey, Beth has always emphasized the significance of integrated systems. She particularly highlights the role of Sisu in her success, showcasing its impact on her operations and growth. Top Takeaways:   (5:34) Manually inputting the number vs using automation  (7:02) Freedom, family, and flexibility in sales (9:09) Is networking the key to perfect hiring? (10:08) Why choose sales-driven agents? (12:27) Difference between an agent and a salesperson (18:03) Finding alignment with Sisu  (20:15) Is growing a business always profitable?  (21:51) Is hiring more the answer to burnout? (27:50) How do leaders cope with growth pains? (31:41) Is streamlining tech the key to scaling?   Embark on this journey with Beth Matthews and discover the highs and lows of the real estate industry. Listen today for a deep dive into success, challenges, and growth! About Beth Beth Matthews, a top-tier REALTOR® from Buffalo, New York, heads Envision Real Estate with her unwavering dedication to excellence and client service. Her expertise spans residential resales, commercial sectors, and new home developments. At Envision, Beth not only offers premium realty services but also mentors and invigorates her team of agents and staff.   Connect with Beth Today!    Website  LinkedIn  Facebook Instagram  

Danah Abdulla and Sarona Abuaker join host Yara Hawari to talk about their discussion-based game, “Countless Palestinian Futures.” They explain how the project seeks to challenge colonial temporal domination and stimulate imagination around Palestinian futures.Support the show

Countless photographs of American presidents have been captured over the years, yet none quite like the mugshot of Donald Trump, which has swiftly become one of the most iconic visuals of any individual who has held the position of Commander in Chief.  For more Margie Shafer and Eric Thomas spoke with KCBS Insider Phil Matier and Former Mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown.

Zion Thompson, Ikaika Antone, and Jordan Espinoza are 3 of the 5 current band members from the popular Reggae band called The Green. Zion, the guitarist, and Ikaika, the keyboardist, are former band members of a group called stir crazy. Jordan is the band's drummer who joined the team in 2011. Together with their two other band members Caleb Keolanui and our past podcast guest Brad Watanabe they make the super team of music called The Green. With four distinct voices, the ability of four separate songwriting talents, and musicianship of “pop-burnish roots reggae style” that they cooked up, The Green quickly became a popular local band on the island and beyond. Countless miles of touring, six studio albums, iTunes best Reggae album of 2010, 3 Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards in 2014 for Group of The Year, Reggae Album of The Year and Entertainer of The Year have led them to become recognized as one of the industry's best. In this episode we talk about about their individual journeys in music, how the formed the band, their brotherhood and love for each other, the tour life, important band updates, and so much more. Enjoy! Find The Green at https://www.instagram.com/thegreen808/ Find Zion at: https://www.instagram.com/supahtroopah/ Find Ikaika at: https://www.instagram.com/kaiksbear/ Find Jordan at: https://www.instagram.com/bredrenjordan/ Buy our merch on: https://keepitaloha.com/ Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamakadias Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KeepitAlohaPod/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keepitalohapod/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keepitalohapod/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keepitalohapod Filmed at https://waiwai-collective.myshopify.com/?shpxid=9ede41ca-3a8d-49c9-8146-971cbf767799

From the quaint town of Kinston, North Carolina, emerged an unexpected advocate for a unique business venture - Lonnie. Hailing from a family with diverse professions but a shared aspiration to "Give Back," Lonnie embarked on a quest to provide housing solutions to those in need. Thus began his journey with the Group Home business. For over a decade, Lonnie thrived as a dedicated teacher, coach, and teammate. The art of teaching, imparting knowledge, values, and transforming lives, fueled his passion. However, the urge to do more, to contribute further to his family, himself, and the community, kindled within him. Lonnie took a bold step, transitioning from teaching to a new chapter. In a world where inflation hinders many from affording housing, Lonnie sought solutions. This quest led him to Group Home Riches, a transformative business model. Not only does it empower community impact, but as podcast testimonials affirm, it's a pathway to increased profitability - a win-win for all. Contrasting the substantial investment often required in real estate, Group Home Business stands out. Affordable courses encompassing comprehensive learning provide a gateway to real estate investment. Lonnie's Group Home journey was marked by tireless research. Countless hours were devoted to contingency planning, ensuring readiness for any scenario. Understanding that sustainable monthly rental income sometimes eludes traditional approaches, he recognized the potential in group home operations. Landlords benefit from steady cash flow, a relief from mortgage concerns. In his pursuit of self-improvement, Lonnie uncovered a game-changing book, "Your Mind Can Cure." This pivotal discovery transformed his perspective and fueled his desire to reach untapped potentials. Lonnie's story teaches us that remarkable transformations begin with a yearning to make a difference. Take your first step today as being a part of the game changer to those who are in need of housing. Visit www.grouphomeriches.com to get your free training material.

Last time we spoke about the beginning of mop up operations after the fall of Munda, the amphibious invasion of Vella Lavella and the fall of Kiska. New Georgia was a lost cause for the Japanese with the fall of Munda and now all efforts were being made to perform a withdrawal while buying time for forces to be brought over to places like Bougainville. Admiral Halsey ultimately choose to bypass Kolombangara and targeting Vella Lavella, which saw a successful amphibious invasion with a minor naval scuffle during the process. Then the Americans and Canadians invaded Kiska at long last. Although there were numerous reports that the island was abandoned it was decided to go forward with the invasion, at minimum it would be good training for the men. All they found were booby traps and some abandoned dogs as they ushered in the conclusion to the aleutian islands campaign.  This episode is Into the Central Pacific Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, 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 world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two 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 you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.    So its been nearly a year since the start of the allied offensive in the Pacific. Way back when the Japanese were trying to recover from the Midway disaster, the Americans had no idea if they could manage a major land victory. For nearly a year, the allied campaigns in New Guinea and the Solomons showcased what both sides were capable of. But the US Navy wanted something else, they wanted a drive through the central pacific. Now to begin a thrust into the central pacific meant performing two parallel Pacific campaigns north and south of the equator. Admiral Nimitz did not yet possess the naval, specifically carrier forces required to wage a central pacific offensive, hell legions of troops required months of amphibious training, is was an enormous feat. Admiral Halsey likewise never ceased calling for reinforcements to carry his fight through the central and northern solomons.  Ever since the Casablanca Conference, Admirals King and Nimitz had been analyzing the idea of a central thrust in the pacific. They were looking specifically at a thrust in the direction of Truk-Guam and to hit the Marshall Islands. The victory over Guadalcanal had allowed the allies to secure lines of communication and supply to Australia and King presumed Rabaul would fall in 1943. On June 10th King began demanding hard deadlines for a central pacific campaign stating “In order that effective momentum of offensive operations can be attained and maintained, firm timing must be set up for all areas.” The joint chiefs of staff four days later told Nimitz to prepare an invasion of the Marshall Islands with a tentative sailing date of November 15th, 1943. As for the direct thrust, King declared  "establishing a base in the northwestern Marshalls and then proceeding to Truk and the Marianas." To pull this off MacArthur was expected to release the 1st marine division in time to participate in the operation with most of Halsey's naval and amphibious forces as well. As you can imagine MacArthur was outraged and objected the demands of his Cartwheel campaign to preclude any transfer of troops or ships from his theater to Nimitz. MacArthur wanted covering support from the Pacific Fleet's new fast carrier task forces to help raid Rabaul, Truk and other Japanese bases on a southern route. Halsey likewise was anxious about withdrawing aircraft from the south pacific area to support operations north of the equator. He warned Nimitz on June 25th that if airpower were diverted from the drive on Rabaul “it would seriously jeopardize our chances of success at what appears to be the most critical stage of the campaign.” Without borrowing forces from the south pacific, Nimitz could not realistically tackle the Marshalls until early 1944 and many members of the planning staff counseled patience. They argued to Nimitz, the new offensive should await the arrival of a large fleet of Essex carriers. By February or March of 1944, they predicted a much expanded 5th fleet could simply steam into the Marshalls and seize 4 or 5 of the largest Japanese bases simultaneously. If the combined fleet came out to fight, such an American force would willingly and confidently give them battle. But King simply wanted action in 1943, he insisted the northern line of attack be opened before the final assault on Rabaul. This would prevent the enemy from concentrating their defenses against either prong of the westward advance. Enemy territory simply had to be taken, somewhere in the central pacific by the end of the year.  There was a lot of arguing going about. The joint chiefs had clearly intimated that the Philippines were to be approached through the central pacific, but MacArthur concluded that a drive through the Marshalls and Carolines would have to occur without land-based air support, thus it would be slow and extremely costly to naval power and shipping. MacArthur argued the central pacific route was unwise and thought after Rabaul was captured it should be southwest pacific forces advancing along the north coast of New Guinea and onwards to the Philippines. This would require the neutralization of various islands like Palaus and others in the Banda and Arafura seas to protect their flanks. This long range plan that he prepared was designated RENO.  Now all of this of course was intended to cut Japan off from her vast riches in the Dutch East Indies, the thing keeping her war machine alive. The British also had their own desires who applied much pressure onto their American allies, prompting General Marshall to assure them that a Gilberts-Marshalls-Carolines campaign would be undertaken “with the resources available in the theater”. DuringQuadrant conference, the British chiefs had agreed to back King's demand for resources in the central Pacific in return for more forces against Nazi Germany. However during the Trident conference in May, which was not concerned so much with the Pacific strategy, the joint chiefs of staff submitted a plan titled “the strategic plan for the defeat of Japan” which called for a large, sustained air offensive against the home islands in preparation for an invasion. For this all to occur, China had to be maintained, and that meant the Americans and British would need to right their way into China finding a good secure port to move materials properly, most likely this would be Hong Kong. In the meantime the Americans, British and Chinese would work together to recapture Burma to try and drive through the strait of Malacca to Hong Kong via a series of amphibious operations. The Americans would also attempt a drive through the Celebes sea to Hong Kong from the central pacific aided by some subsidiary efforts from the south and southwest pacific areas, good luck getting a penny from MacArthur.  The Central Pacific was the most advantageous and logical route because it was shorter than the southern route, it would require less ships, less troops, less supplies and the bases in the Marshalls, Marianas and Carolines would isolate Japan from her overseas empire. The Japanese would only be able to mount limited air and ground forces on the islands in the central pacific, but nonetheless the American planners were forced to make twin drives along the central and southern axes. It has been argued, President FDR was swayed by Marshall's insistent demands for a southern push, because MacArthur held considerable political weight and could have been made a republican nominee for presidency in 1944. There were positives to running twin operations of course. For one thing it would prevent the Japanese from being able to guess the time and place of forthcoming advances keeping them off balance. It also allowed for opportunities for mutual support. Some of the operations would require a behemoth amount of resources, take for example the estimations they ran for the capture of the Bismarck Archipelago which was required to secure the line of communications to Australia and provide access to the Celebes sea. They estimated it would require 7 divisions, 5 of which needed to be amphibious units. If Rabaul fell or was neutralized, perhaps the division numbers would be less. The Marshall operation would require two reinforced amphibious divisions, 4 heavy bombardment and two fighter groups of land based aircraft. On top of that was the naval aspect, they estimated that they needed four battleships, three more auxiliary carriers, twelve cruisers, sixty-three destroyers, twenty-four attack transports, forty-four tank landing ships (LST's), plus landing craft. Garrison forces would include one reinforced division, 10 defense battalions, 545 planes, and 18 motor torpedo boats. For the Carolines, the Combined Chiefs estimated that they would require 3 reinforced amphibious divisions, 2 heavy bomber groups, 10 carriers of the Enterprise and Essex classes, 7 auxiliary carriers, 4 modern battleships, 9 old battleships, 31 cruisers, 108 destroyers, 20 submarines, 45 attack transports, 15 attack cargo ships, 6 LSD's , 3 headquarters ships, and miscellaneous auxiliaries. To garrison the islands would take two reinforced divisions and three defense battalions, plus aircraft. Talk about a shopping list. By the end of the year it was expected that one Marine and 3 Army divisions would be allocated to the Central Pacific while the South Pacific would gain 2 marines, 5 US Army and 1 New Zealand division and in the southwest pacific 4 US infantry, 1 US airborne, 1 US marine and 11 Australian divisions. So calculated all that, the Joint chiefs estimated 2 more divisions would be needed for the Marshalls, 2 more for the Carolines and 3 more for New Guinea. The strategic plan got the stamp of approval by the combined chiefs of staff on May 22nd. For the planned central pacific offensive, Nimitz decided his first objective would be the Marshall Islands. Their seizure was essential to extend the line of communication to the Celebes sea and to shorten the routes to Australia. From the Marshalls, land-based aircraft could support naval operations against the enemy's communication lines and there was always the possibility that by hitting the Marshalls, this would lure the combined fleet out for a fight. By July 20th, it was decided that instead of directly hitting the Marshalls, which would be extremely costly requiring a large force, they would instead capture Nauru and the Gilbert Islands as a preliminary springboard to invade the Marshalls. There had been two competing suggestions debated at CINCPAC HQ. Captain Forrest Sherman the chief of staff to Vice admiral John Henry Towers advocated to recapture Wake Islands and employ it as a springboard to invade the Marshalls. Wake was around 500 miles south of the Marshalls. Admiral Spruance favored opening a campaign south and east where the fleet could count on greater land-based air support from rear bases in the south pacific. He was the one advocating to invade the Gilberts, which were 600 miles southeast of the Marshalls. Spruance persuaded Nimitz who persuaded King thus, the Gilberts won the day. Code named Operation Galvanic, was the offensive to simultaneously invade the Ellice Islands, Gilbert Islands and Nauru by November 15th 1943. For Galvanic, Nimitz would have at his disposal all surface forces of the Pacific Fleet, the air forces of the pacific excluding those in the south and southwest pacific areas, elements of the 7th air force, the 2nd marine division of Major General Julian Smith over in New Zealand currently performing amphibious training, 3 aviation engineer or construction battalions, a port battalion and 3 marine defense battalions. The 7th air force led by Major General Willis Hale had already carried out some reconnaissance and bombing missions against Nauru and the Gilberts back in January, February and April. In spite of some heavy interception they managed to hit the runway on Nauru and a local phosphate plant as well as some installations on Tarawa. The 7th air force were utilizing air bases on Canton and Funafuti which were the only ones in range of the Gilberts. To seize the Ellice islands and build new airfields, Nimitz ordered the 5th and 7th defense battalions and 2nd airdrome battalion accompanied by the 16th naval construction battalion to conduct neutralization and reconnaissance. Nimitz sought to build new airfields at Nukufetau and Nanomea which were around 600 miles south and 350 miles east of Tarawa. On August the 18th an advance survey party landed at Nanomea determining it to hold no enemy presence thus the first elements of the 7th defense battalion began occupying it 10 days later. On August the 22nd an advance party of the 2nd Airdrome battalion landed at Nukufetau finding no enemy presenced allowing the remainder of the battalion to follow suit 5 days later. Transforming the atolls into air bases was rapid work. By September 7th a 5000 foot airstrip was operational on Nanomea, by the end of the month a full squadron of aircraft were operating from it. Over on Nukufetau work was slower, but its strip would be operation by October 9th. Back on August 11th, the 804th aviation engineer battalion was sent to develop Baker island, a already american held island 480 miles east of the Gilberts. They began their work on September 1st, taking a week to build a strip capable of supporting fighters. All of this gave Nimitz and Hale the bases they needed to prepare Operation Galvanic.   Now over in the southwest pacific, Generals MacArthur and Blamey were continuing their planned invasion of Lae codenamed Operation Postern. By early 1943, MacArthur had devised plans that made Blamey the commander of “allied land forces” only in name. As we have seen, the creation of the Alamo Force led by General Krueger was MacArthurs attempt at seizing overall command. This led Blamey to gradually realized his only functions would be that of the commander of Australian military forces. MacArthur would reconstitute the United States Army Forces in the Far East USAFFE, for his command in the Philippines with himself as its commander. Now the original date for operation Postern was August 1st and it was to have two stages: the first was an amphibious assault neat the Lae coast and the second was an air-ground operation against Nadzab airfield to its west, this would prevent the enemy from reinforcing Lae overland.    The Amphibious operation would be carried out by General Vasey's 7th division, who would depart Milne Bay and move north of Buna to land near Lae utilizing small landing craft. Admiral Barbey estimated it would require 65 LCVPS (landing craft, vehicle personnel or Higgins boats) and LCTs from the 2nd engineer special brigade. To train for the operation the 7th would be sent to trinity beach near Cairns. However continuous outbreaks of malaria led it being believed the unit could not be used without endangering the civilian population. Major General George Wooten's 9th division not yet exposed to the conditions on Green Hell and malaria free ended up taking the amphibious role. After two weeks of amphibious training with higgins boats. The 9th moved to Milne bay by August 12th and would be followed by General Heavy's units who would help further train them at Morobe.    Now I had mentioned the second part was an air-ground operation, originally it was to consist of the 2/503rd american parachute battalion to take the airfield. Then the 25th and 21st brigades of the 7th division were to cross the Markham river and assist the parachute battalion to occupy the area. But it would turn out, when they arrived to Markham, the Australians first had to advance through the Bulldog road to reach Wau, and although a ton of work had been done on it the Bulldog road had not reached Markham river yet. At first General Berryman boldly said to General Kenney that he would be him a bottle of whisky that a jeep could simply cover the gap to the road by august the 1st, he lost the bet. Thus it was decided transport aircraft would be required to take the 7th division directly from Port Moresby into the overgrown landing ground at Nadzab. The parachute battalion would not receive any support from Markham. MacArthur decided to instead employ the full 503rd parachute regiment led by COlonel Kenneth Kinsler to hit Nadzab on August 8th. Now thanks in a large part to cooperation between Generals Vasey, Herring, Whitehead and Kenney the planning for the operation went well. Extensive air and land reconnaissance of the area was the key to success. With all the preparation done, D-day for the 9th division's amphibious assault was scheduled for September 1st, Z day for the 7th divisions operation against Nadzab would be September 2nd. Like all good operations, a diversion was going to be implemented. General Savige's forces had been conducting a series of attacks in the Salamaua area for months. The “Salamaua magnet” had successfully convinced General Nakano the allies intended to hit Salamaua. Nakano also believed holding Salamaua would keep Lae safe. General Adachi would go on the record to state, orders given to him and other forces was to hold Salamaua as long as possible, probably until the last man if it came down to it. Adachi knew if Salamaua fell, Lae was pretty much a lost cause. The irony of course was this all led to troops being pulled away from Lae to bolster Salamaua, when Lae was in fact the target.  Air supremacy over the Huon Gulf was going to be a necessity for Operation Postern to succeed. Generals Berryman and Kenney needed to acquire new airfields that would be used to neutralize Wewak and Madang, two key Japanese air bases. The allies began building airfields at Benabena and Tsili Tsili which could act as advanced fighter bases and refueling points. Benabena already had a functioning airstrip, but Whitehead wanted to develop it further, Kenney was concerned as he knew the Japanese were aware of the site. Kenney wanted to divert the enemy's attention away from the airfield being built at Tsili Tsili which the Japanese did not know about yet. The Japanese were tossing wave after wave of air raids against Benabena, doing minimal damage. Meanwhile a military road was being constructed from Bogadjim on the northern coast up the valley of Mindjim river to Yaula and Yokopi and it was intended to extend past the Finisterre range into the Ramu Valley. On August 1st the New Guinea force HQ estimated the road would reach Ramu Valley within 8 weeks. THe development of the road and other activity in the Ramu valley was drawing attention from the Japanese, thus the 2/2nd independent company as sent to reinforce the 2/7th at Benabena. As this occurred, the secret construction work at Tsili Tsili raged on using some innovative ideas. The construction workers were using camouflage and careful timing of flights to hide the existence of Tsili Tsili's airfield, and managing to do this successfully for two months. An enormous amount of air transport and equipment was allocated for the task. The 871st airborne engineers battalion were sent in to hammer the job out and soon 3 dry weather runways were operational by september. Over on the Japanese side, they were reorganizing their air forces in New Guinea. After receiving alarming reports of enemy airfields being constructed at Mount Hagen and Benabena, knowing full well these would threaten their airfields at Wewak and Madang, it was decided the air strength of New Guinea would be bolstered by the 7th air division of Lt General Sudo Einosuke. From June 19th onwards, aircraft of the 7th division began arriving at Wewak from the Dutch East Indies. The 6th air division had moved its HQ from Rabual to Wewak on July 9th of 1943, 324 aircraft strong. The 7th air division brought another 156 aircraft, alongside this the 4th air army was brought over to Rabaul on August 6th placed under the command of General Imamura's 8th area army. Additionally to support the defense of Wewak and Madang, General Adachi was planning to toss 3000 soldiers under Lt General Katagiri Shigeru's 20th division against Benabena while Lt General Mano Goro's 41st division would occupy Mount Hagen. Such operations were scheduled to begin in early september. A detachment of the 30th independent engineer regiment of Lt Kitamoto Masamichi were sent over to Kaiapit alongside patrols further into the Ramu valley. They gradually occupied Dumpu and Wesa. But the increasing allied threat to Salamaua and Lae prompted Adachi to postpone the Benabena attack until August 1st and as a result Lae's airbase was being abandoned. Since early july, Lae was facing a substantial issue maintaining aviation fuel, it had been a point of refueling for aircraft going between Rabaul and other airfields like Madang and Wewak. Alongside this, Lae was within allied medium bomber range, and the threat prompted the Japanese to build 3 new airfields on the northwestern coast of New Guinea at But, Dagua and the Boram Plantation. It was the 20th and 41st divisions who ended up providing most of the labor to construct these airfields. On August 14th Tsili Tsili saw its first two squadrons of P-39 Airacobras of the 35th fighter group led by Lt Colonel Malcolm Moore. These arrived just in time to meet the beginning enemy attacks. Japanese aircraft had finally spotted the secret airfield during some reconnaissance flights on August 11th. On the morning of August 15th, 7 Ki-48 Lilly's escorted by 36 Ki-43 Oscars attacked Tsili Tsili. The bombers were intercepted immediately and all were shot down by 26 Airacobras and 3 Lightnings. However the Oscars managed to shoot down two C-47's of the 21st troop carrier squadron. The other C-47's scrambled to escape back to Port Moresby by flying at treetop level. The allied fighters then intercepted the Oscars lading to 3 Oscars being downed at the cost of 4 Airacobras. The following day saw another raid, but Thunderbolts and Lightnings intercepted the raiders downing some 15 Oscars. After receiving such a blow, the Japanese commanders at Wewak decided to conserve further air strength. Unbeknownst to them the situation was far more dire than they thought. You see the Japanese commanders did not believe the enemy fighters and medium bombers had the range to hit Wewak.  To geek out a bit, when such aircraft like Mitchells first arrived in Australia, they were equipped with a lower turret. Now when they began performing operations in New Guinea, it required low altitude flying and thus the turrets became useless, so they were removed and replaced with forward firing guns at the nose. General Kenney's air depot at Townsville working tireless to modify 172 Mitchells between July and September of 1943. The removal of the large turrets allowed for an additional square shaped 11,500 liter metal fuel tank to be installed, which was suspended by hooks from a bomb shackle. These fuel tanks gave the aircraft an extra two hours flying time, just enough to give them the range to hit Wewak. These tanks were very vulnerable to catching fire during combat or from crash landings so they were made dischargeable. A minor innovation, that made all the difference. On August 1th aerial photographs indicated the Japanese had 8 medium bombers, 31 light bombers, 69 fighters at Wewak and Boram plus 34 medium and 34 light bombs with 23 fighters at Dagua and But. Thus Kenney elected to hit them and he had at his disposal two heavy bomber groups the 43rd and 90th bomb groups with 64 bombers alongside two medium groups, the 3rd attack group and 38th bomb groups with 58 modified mitchells.  Kenney's plan was to toss 8 squadrons of heavy bombers for night raids against Wewaks 4 airfields followed up by 5 squadrons of Mitchells. Fighter could refuel at Tsili Tsili to help escort and boy would they, an unprecedented 99 fighter escorts would take part in the raids. On the night of August 16th the first raid occurred seeing 12 B-17 and 38 Liberators take off from Port Moresby, all but two reached Wewak by midnight. For 3 hours Colonels Harry Hawthorne and Aruther Rogers led the 43rd and 90th bombardment groups to pound the 4 airfields causing tremendous damage. Countless aircraft tried to take off the next day at Boram only to fail due to damage. The next morning, two squadrons of Mithcells of Lt COlonel Brian O'Neill's 38th bomb group left Port Moresby to hit Dagua and But while two squadrons of Colonel Donald Hall's 3rd attack group would hit Wewak and Boram. They would be employing some new toys, the first parachute retarded fragmentation bombs or also called Parafrags. They had been developed from standard 10 kg fragmentation bombs which were carried in a honeycomb rack in the bomb bay. A small parachute slowed and straightened out the course of the bomb allowing the bomber to get out of the blast range before it exploded. Further work was also going into the development of “daisy-cutter” bombs, which were bombs wrapping with wire to iron rods onto them to produce a ground level fragmentation effect when used with a ground proximity fuse. Nerd stuff.    The 3rd group bombers ended up catching some newly arrived Japanese aircraft perfectly lined up on each side of the runways. The Mitchells strafed them before dropping 786 10 kg paragraph bombs, annihilating 60 aircraft. Meanwhile the 38th group Mitchells faced some issues discharging their auxiliary fuel tanks, leading to only 3 bombers reaching Dagua and none to But. The 3 who reached Dagua strafed and low level bombed it with 105 ten kg parafrags destroying and damaged at least 17 aircraft and intercepting a single Oscar. Not a bad haul at all for just 3 Mitchells. The following day, Kenney tried to repeat the raids, but this time only half of the 49 heavy bombers reached their targets and the bombing was quite inaccurate. However, most of the 62 Mitchell's reached the target this time, but they would be pounced upon by Japanese fighters and anti-aircraft fire from an enemy that was waiting for them. A flight led by Major Ralph Cheli, commanding the 405th bomb squadron was jumped by nearly a dozen Oscars. Cheli's plane was badly hit, his right engine and wing catch fire. Yet despite this Cheli led his flight across Dagua airfield before crashing into the ocean. He was captured and sent to Rabaul where he would later be executed. For this brave action Cheli was awarded the Medal of Honor. In the end 15 Oscars were destroyed at the cost of 2 lightnings and 1 mitchell. Two additional raids were conducted on August 20th and 21st.   The 5th air force claimed to have destroyed 20 enemy aircraft on the 20th and 70th on the final day, half of which were shot down in air combat by the Lightnings. An estimated 174 Japanese aircraft were put out of action during these attacks, almost 90% of which came from Wewaks total air strength around 200 strong. Even before it had a chance to derail the battle for Lae, the 4th air army had been completely annihilated. Wewak was neutralized, the door was open to smash Lae. 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. A ton of planning was raging on and now there was to finally be twin operations to thrust into the central pacific and south pacific. With some new toys, Kenney's airforces had all but smashed what the Japanese had created to defend Lae. Now the door was wide open for Lae to be assaulted.

Chapter 1 What is The Four Agreements aboutThe Four Agreements are a set of principles outlined in the book "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. These agreements are meant to guide individuals towards personal freedom and happiness. They are: 1. Be impeccable with your word: This agreement emphasizes the importance of speaking with integrity and using your words consciously. It encourages being truthful, avoiding gossip or self-judgment, and using words to spread love and positivity. 2. Don't take anything personally: This agreement reminds us not to take the opinions and actions of others personally. Understanding that people's behaviors are driven by their own beliefs and experiences can help us avoid unnecessary suffering and maintain emotional well-being. 3. Don't make assumptions: This agreement advises against making assumptions about others' intentions or motivations. It encourages clear communication and seeking clarity by asking questions instead of assuming things. By doing so, we can minimize misunderstandings and conflicts. 4. Always do your best: The final agreement acknowledges that our best effort may vary from day to day due to circumstances or personal limitations. It urges us to consistently strive for our personal best without self-judgment or comparison to others. By doing so, we can avoid regrets and live with a sense of fulfillment. These agreements serve as practical guidelines for personal growth, self-awareness, and building healthier relationships with ourselves and others.Chapter 2 Is The Four Agreements Valued"The Four Agreements" is highly valued by many readers and has become a popular self-help book. It was written by Don Miguel Ruiz and published in 1997. The book draws on ancient Toltec wisdom and presents four principles or agreements that can guide individuals towards personal freedom and happiness. These agreements are: 1. Be impeccable with your word.2. Don't take anything personally.3. Don't make assumptions.4. Always do your best. Many people appreciate the simplicity and practicality of these agreements, finding them to be powerful tools for personal growth and transformation. They provide guidance on how to improve communication, cultivate healthier relationships, and live a more authentic and fulfilling life. Countless readers have found value in applying these agreements to their lives, making "The Four Agreements" a highly regarded and influential book in the field of personal development.Chapter 3 Summary of The Four Agreements In this article, we explore the transformative teachings presented in "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. The book offers a profound guide to achieving personal freedom and happiness through four simple yet powerful principles. By delving into these agreements, readers can gain valuable insights on how to live an authentic and fulfilling life. Join us as we delve deeper into the wisdom imparted within "The Four Agreements" and uncover the pathways to self-empowerment and contentment.Chapter 4 Author of The Four Agreements The book "The Four Agreements" is written by Don Miguel Ruiz, a renowned Mexican author and spiritual teacher. He released the book in 1997. The four agreements mentioned in the book are based on ancient Toltec wisdom and offer a practical guide to personal freedom and happiness. In addition to "The Four Agreements," Don Miguel Ruiz has written several other books that explore similar themes of personal growth and spirituality. Some notable works by him...

Countless people are struggling with anxiety, angst and stress. Despite the advancements in safety, communication, and technology, people are lonely, exhausted, and angry. Here's the good news: Anxiety doesn't have to have the last word. The chaos, the feeling of being overwhelmed, and the anxious lives we've built can change. In my new book, Building a Non-Anxious Life, we'll walk through the six choices you have to make to find peace in the chaos. Enjoy listening to the first chapter in this special bonus episode. Pre-Order your book before October 2nd and get $75 in free bonus items. Visit JohnDelony.com to order now.

The notion of enlightenment is ephemeral, but the Empire seeks it anyway. Countless individuals search, and each comes away with a different lesson. Opening Theme 0:00 Intro 0:37 Dragon Clan 1:02 Unicorn Clan 14:32 Crab Clan 29:08 Minor Clans 41:16 Outro 51:21 Closing Theme 52:32 DON'T FORGET TO LIKE & SUBSCRIBE! Find Us On: Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/user?u=84724626 Website at https://www.itsamimic.com iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/its-a-mimic/id1450770037 Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/3Y19VxSxLKyfg0gY0yUeU1 Podbean at https://itsamimic.podbean.com/ YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQmvEufzxPHWrFSZbB8uuw Social: Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/itsamimic/ Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/itsamimic/?hl=en Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/ItsaMimic/ Email at info@itsamimic.com Game Master 1:  Roman Kovacic Game Master 2:  Megan Lengle Written by:  Roman and Megan Lengle Director:  Megan Lengle and Roman Editor: Adam Nason Produced by:  Megan Lengle Executive Producer:  Adam Nason Intro/Outro Music by:  Tyler Gibson Logo by:  Megan Lengle This episode is meant to be used as an inspirational supplement for Legend of the Five Rings and tabletop roleplaying games in general.  It's A Mimic! does not own the rights to any Wizards of the Coasts products or Alderac Entertainment Group products. Artwork included in this episode's video visualizations is published and/or owned by Alderac Entertainment Group.

Podcast Interview with Anthony Chene, NDE (near death experience) filmmaker We talked about DEEP stuff that many don't talk about openly due to fear or societal judgment Millions of people have had near death experiences and don't always know how to share that, once they've seen the other side It can also be traumatic when you feel isolated and alone and now possibly seeing/hearing things that others don't believe in or experience Today we aim to bring hope to this conversation in a rare, almost never done interview with Anthony Chene who has done COUNTLESS interviews on NDE's and many other great films on enlightenment and awakening spiritually You are not alone! My husband has also gone through this and for us as a family, it was very traumatic and scary - until we found help! As we go into this new age of Aquarius - many people are experiencing NDE's OR they are experiencing new spiritual gifts that are coming online that they don't know how to share or talk about. We want to talk more about this so people can find community and not feel judged or shameful. Let's come together out of love and compassion and support one another! Anthony started out as a freelancer (DOP, director, or video reporter) for various clients, and also developed his own projects (documentaries, videoclips, fiction). Find him on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/@AnthonyCheneProduction   And his website:    www.AnthonyChene.com   FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MAGDALENA GRACE HERE: https://linktr.ee/magdalenagrace     JOIN OUR HEALTHY N WEALTHY N WISE SUBSCRIPTION HERE:   https://loiskoffi.lpages.co/healthy-n-wealthy-n-wise-subscription/   LEARN ABOUT MICRODOSING FOR YOUR HEALTH/WEALTH/WISDOM JOURNEY https://microdosingforhealth.now.site WANNA SIGN UP AND BE A PLEDGING PATRON FOR HEALTHY N WEALTHY N WISE? https://patron.podbean.com/loiskoffi   JOIN OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL FOR MORE INSPIRATION   https://t.me/healthynwealthynwise   FOR MIST MAGDALENA GRACE'S RESOURCES - go to www.loiskoffi.com/resources     JOIN HER FACEBOOK COMMUNITY AT HER PODCAST WEBSITE: www.healthynwealthynwise.com   SUBSCRIBE TO HER YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/loiskofficoffee  

See if this sounds familiar. You're driving down the road thinking you're well on the way to your destination. You pass several signs that say otherwise but they don't catch your eye. Finally you come to the realization that you've been going the wrong way! Maybe that will happen to you, spiritually speaking, today on a Daily Walk. Countless people today think they're on the highway to heaven, but in reality are on the road to destruction. Pastor John Randall takes us to Matthew seven, as we continue through the Sermon on the Mount. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29

Potty training puppies is every pet owner's rite of passage. Along with all the cuddles and playtime comes the inevitable challenge of potty training. It can be a frustrating and messy process, leaving many dog owners feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. cute jack russel puppy playing with toilet paper. | Photographer: Georgiy DatsenkoAs someone who has trained dog owners how to survive and thrive in their puppy-potty-training-journey, I'm here to help. My Puppy Coach program and FREE Potty Training Course were inspired by each dog owner's journey from frustration to confidence! And I'm sharing some of the big tidbits with you in this blog. Key Takeaways: Potty training puppies before they get older can help make your training more effective. Shouting, getting angry, punishments, and even indulgence are detrimental to potty training puppies. Treats plus positive reinforcement can do wonders to your potty training experience. MORE ABOUT POTTY TRAINING PUPPIES IN DOGGY DAN'S PUPPY COACH PROGRAM! Table of Contents: The Importance of Potty Training Puppies Early Potty Training Puppies: How Long Does It Take to Train Them? Different Methods and Tools That Make Potty Training Puppies Fast Can You Potty Train 8-Week-old Puppies? How Early Can You Start? Common Mistakes to Avoid When Potty Training Puppies How Do I Stop My Puppies From Peeing In The House? Potty Training Puppies: How To Instruct Puppies To Tell You They Have to Pee How to Use Treats the Right Way When Potty Training Puppies What Are the Best Treats for Potty Training Puppies? How Positive Reinforcement + Treats Help in Potty Training Puppies Conclusion: A Successful Potty Training for Puppies Start with YOU The Importance of Potty Training Puppies Early How early is early in puppy potty training? Some puppy parents feel that they have to wait until the puppy is a couple of months old before introducing potty training. It's an assumption I totally understand: when dogs are pups, they may look too young and vulnerable to be doing any actual training with them. But here's a puppy fact I want every dog owner to know: your puppy's brain is like a sponge. The younger they are, the more they can absorb information. This fact has actually inspired me to make a schedule for potty training 8 week-old puppies that I recommend to fur dads and moms.   Another plus: younger puppies have not yet caught negative habits that might interfere with your training. By starting early, you can take advantage of this prime learning period and make potty training a smoother, more effective process. START TRAINING PUPPIES WITH THE RIGHT FOUNDATION. START WITH THE PUPPY COACH™️ PROGRAM. Potty Training Puppies: How Long Does It Take to Train Them? I consider this a legitimate question. Pee accidents are a serious business, so it's easy to want to squeeze the duration of the entire potty training journey in a month. However, when it comes to training young puppies to use the potty, PATIENCE IS KEY. Which also means riding the potty training up from four months to a year. You're Not Just Teaching Your Puppies to Potty the Right Way — You're Teaching Trust, and Right from Wrong “Why can't I finish everything in a month, Doggy Dan?” Puppy potty training is more than just teaching your dog where to potty, and how to potty right. In fact, everything begins with your relationship with your puppy. The level of trust between you and your furbaby will influence the length of your potty training journey. You need to first build trust, routine, familiarization and recognition, then consistency. It will take a while, but if you stick with it, the steps will work out. DOGGY DAN'S FREE GUIDE FOR POTTY TRAINING PUPPIES. CLICK TO LEARN MORE. Different Methods and Tools That Make Potty Training Puppies Fast “But is there any way for me to ensure that my puppy learns fast?” Here's a MAJOR puppy potty training realization I have learned through the years: YOU — dog owner — hold the key! Most of the time, it's not the training that is long and slow. Sometimes, dog owners are in so much hurry, they make training difficult and complicated for their dogs. If you really want to help your puppies learn potty training fast, here are some tips — and tools — to have. Methods and Tools #1: Build Trust with Your Puppy To effectively potty train your puppy, it's important to establish a relationship of trust and respect. Remember that your puppy is just a baby, and may not yet understand what is expected of them. Take the time to get to know your puppy, and let them get to know you. FROM WELL-TRAINED PUPPIES TO WELL-TRAINED DOGS. TRANSITION WITH THE DOG CALMING CODE™️. Play with them, give them treats, and make sure they feel safe and loved. When your puppy trusts you, they'll be more willing to learn and follow your lead. Methods and Tools #2: Have the Right Tools When it comes to potty training puppies, having the right tools can make all the difference. Invest in a good quality crate or pen, as well as some puppy pads or outdoor training pads. These tools will help you create a safe and comfortable space for your puppy to learn, and will also make clean-up easier. Additionally, make sure you have plenty of treats, toys, and praise on hand to reward your puppy for good behavior. Methods and Tools #3: Start Slow One of the biggest mistakes dog owners make when potty training their puppies is trying to do too much too soon. Remember, your puppy is still learning and developing, and they may not be ready for full-on potty training right away. Instead, start slow and gradually introduce them to the idea of potty training. Begin by taking them outside to potty after meals and naps. Gradually increase the time between potty breaks as they become more accustomed to the routine. PUPPY COACH™️: THE PROGRAM TRUSTED BY THOUSANDS OF PUPPY OWNERS. Methods and Tools #4: Stick to Routines Consistency is key when it comes to potty training puppies. Establish a routine for your puppy that includes regular potty breaks, meals, playtime, and sleep. Stick to this routine as much as possible, even on weekends or holidays. When your puppy knows what to expect, they'll be less anxious and more relaxed, making it easier for them to learn and follow your commands. And remember, be patient and stay positive — potty training is a process, but with the right tools and attitude, you and your puppy can succeed! Can You Potty Train 8 Week-old Puppies? How Early Can You Start? The good news is that you can start as early as 8 weeks old! While some may say that it's too early to start potty training at this age, the truth is that it's actually the perfect time. Puppies are like sponges at this age – they absorb everything around them and are eager to learn. PUPPY ALL GROWN UP? TRAIN YOUR GROWING DOGS WITH THE DOG CALMING CODE™️. That being said, it's also a need to keep in mind that your puppy is still a baby, and their bladder and bowel control is still developing. This means that accidents will happen, and that's okay! Be patient, and remember that potty training is a process that takes time and consistency. To start potty training your 8 week-old puppy, begin by setting up a designated potty area and taking them to it frequently. Use a consistent cue word or phrase (like "go potty") to help your puppy learn what is expected of them. Reward your puppy with plenty of praise and treats when they go in the right spot, and try not to punish them for accidents — this will only confuse and scare them. Common Mistakes to Avoid When Potty Training Puppies Potty training puppies can be a challenging task, and there are many common mistakes that dog owners make along the way. If you don't want any delay or mishap to happen during your potty training journey with your puppy, here are some mistakes to take note of. Mistake #1: Rushing Things Too Soon It's important to remember that potty training takes time and patience. Rushing your puppy can actually slow down the process and make it more difficult. Give your puppy plenty of time to learn, and don't expect them to be fully trained overnight. Mistake #2: Scaring Puppies Punishing your puppy for accidents can actually make them scared of going potty in front of you, which can make training even more difficult. Instead, focus on positive reinforcement by rewarding good behavior with treats and praise. And IF they do make mistakes, acknowledge the mistake without shouting, stomping your feet, threatening your puppy. And please — absolutely avoid rubbing their face on their pee. GET THIS FREE POTTY TRAINING GUIDE FROM DOGGY DAN! Statements like “Oh, dear!” and immediately cleaning up the spot will send a message without the terror. Mistake #3: Not Reinforcing Behavior Properly Reinforcing good behavior is key to potty training success. Make sure you're rewarding your puppy every time they go potty in the right spot, and use a consistent cue word or phrase to help them learn what is expected of them. Mistake #4: Not Starting with a Plan or a Schedule Establishing a routine is crucial in training puppies, as dogs are creatures of habit and do not appreciate unpredictability. Without a consistent schedule, potty training can become confusing for your puppy, leading to accidents, frustration, and delayed progress. By setting up a routine, your puppy will know when to expect potty breaks and when to hold their bladder, making it easier for them to learn and develop good habits. Mistake #5: Not sticking to a Routine Puppies thrive on routine, and it's important to establish a consistent schedule for potty breaks. If you're not consistent with taking your puppy out to potty, they may not learn good habits. Mistake #6: Not Taking Cues From Your Puppy It's important to pay attention to your puppy's behavior and cues to determine if they are ready for potty training. If your puppy is still having accidents, it may be a sign that they need more time to develop bladder and bowel control. By avoiding these common mistakes and staying patient and consistent, you can help your puppy develop good potty habits and make the potty training process as smooth as possible. How Do I Stop My Puppies From Peeing In The House? One of the biggest challenges of puppy potty training is getting them to stop peeing in the house. PUPPY COACH™️: HELPING PUPPY OWNERS TRAIN THEIR FURBABIES WITHOUT THE STRESS AND FRUSTRATION. Accidents can happen, but with a bit of patience and consistency, you can teach your furry friend the appropriate place to go. Tip #1: Firstly, it's important to designate a spot for your puppy to pee outside. This will help your puppy learn where they should go and also make it easier for you to clean up after them. Make sure this spot is easily accessible, and take your puppy there regularly throughout the day. Tip #2: If your puppy does have an accident inside the house, it's important to clean it up immediately. Cleaning up a pee spot can prevent puppies from coming back to the same place. Use an enzymatic cleaner specifically designed for pet messes, as it will effectively break down any odors and discourage your puppy from returning to that spot. Tip #3: Another helpful strategy is to use a crate to help your puppy hold their pee for longer periods. Dogs generally avoid going potty in their sleeping area, so using a crate can help teach your puppy to hold their bladder until they are taken to their designated potty spot. However, it's important to make sure the crate is not too big for your puppy, as they may be more likely to pee in a large area that they don't consider their sleeping space. Tip #4: Finally, it's important to assess your dog's readiness for outdoor potty training. If your puppy is not yet ready to go potty outside, you can use a crate or potty grass indoors to help them learn where they should go. Make sure to be patient and consistent with your training approach, and to praise your puppy when they do go potty in the right spot. With time and persistence, your puppy will learn where to go potty and become fully trained. DOG CALMING CODE™️: THE PROGRAM FOR YOUR BIGGER, GROWING DOGS. Potty Training Puppies: How To Instruct Puppies To Tell You They Have to Pee One of the most important aspects of potty training your puppy is teaching them to let you know when they need to go outside to potty. Here are some tips on how to instruct your puppy to tell you when they have to pee: Tip #1: Follow a Routine and Be Familiar with It Consistency is key when it comes to potty training your puppy. Establish a routine and stick to it. Take your puppy outside to their designated potty spot at regular intervals, such as first thing in the morning, after meals, and before bedtime. Over time, your puppy will learn to associate these times with going potty outside. Tip #2: Use Clear, Distinct Commands When you take your puppy outside to potty, use a clear, distinct command such as "go potty" or "do your business." Say the command in a positive tone of voice and wait patiently for your puppy to go potty. LEARN THE BASIC FOUNDATIONS OF POTTY TRAINING PUPPIES WITH THE PUPPY COACH™️ Tip #3: Be Familiar With Their Body Language Puppies often give signals when they need to go potty, such as sniffing around or circling. Be familiar with your puppy's body language so you can anticipate when they need to go outside. If you notice these signals, take your puppy outside to their designated potty spot immediately. How to Use Treats the Right Way When Potty Training Puppies Treats are a powerful tool when it comes to potty training your puppy. Used correctly, they can help reinforce good potty training habits and make the process more enjoyable for both you and your furry friend. Here are some tips on how to use potty training treats the right way: #1: Emphasize the Power of Treats and Positive Reinforcement Treats can be an effective way to encourage your puppy to go potty outside. However, giving treats alone may not work in the long run. Use positive reinforcement, such as praise or playtime, to create a positive association with going potty outside. #2: Only Use Treats Specifically for Potty Training When using treats for potty training, it's important to use treats that are specifically designated for this purpose. This means using treats that are small, easy to chew, and not too rich or filling. Using high-value treats such as cheese or chicken can be effective, but it's important to reserve these treats only for potty training sessions to maintain their effectiveness. #3: Use Treats for Specific Commands When taking your puppy outside to go potty, use a specific command such as "go potty" or "do your business" and reward your puppy with a treat immediately after they've done their business. This will help your puppy learn to associate going potty outside with the command and the reward. #4: Couple Treats with Positive Reinforcement When using treats for potty training, it's important to pair them with positive reinforcement such as praise, petting, or playtime. This will help reinforce good behavior and create a positive association with going potty outside. PUPPY COACH™️: LEARN THE SECRETS TO TRAINING PUPPIES THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY. What Are the Best Treats for Potty Training Puppies? Potty training your puppy can be challenging, but using treats as a reward for good behavior can make the process smoother and more enjoyable. However, not all treats are created equal when it comes to potty training. In this section, we'll discuss the best treats for potty training puppies and why they're effective. Best Treats #1: Small Training Treats These are often small and soft, making them easy to chew and digest quickly. They come in a variety of flavors and can be used for training sessions. Best Treats #2: Freeze-dried Treats These are often small and lightweight, making them easy to carry around and use as rewards during potty training sessions. Best Treats #3: Low-calorie Treats If your puppy is on a special diet or if you're concerned about their weight, look for low-calorie treats that won't add too many extra calories to their daily intake. How Positive Reinforcement + Treats Help in Potty Training Puppies I'm a big believer of positive reinforcement especially in training dogs. Our dogs LOVE it when we're proud of and because of them. But I also believe that positive reinforcement alone can only do so much before our dogs tire out. So here's a formula I would recommend: positive reinforcement + treats = success. Why? Here are a few reasons. Firstly, it makes the training process enjoyable for both you and your puppy. Your puppy is more likely to look forward to the training sessions when they know they will receive treats as rewards. Secondly, it strengthens the bond between you and your dog. Treats + praise promotes trust and a positive relationship. Your puppy will begin to associate you with positive experiences and will be more willing to obey your commands. Lastly, it provides a clear and consistent message to your puppy that certain behaviors are desirable and will be rewarded. By helping your dog understand that great habits give them reward, you are making it easier for them to learn and repeat the desired behavior in the future. Important reminder: It's necessary to note that positive reinforcement or treats alone should not be used as a sole training method. Use other training techniques, such as establishing a routine, using a designated potty spot, and giving consistent commands. When used correctly and consistently, positive reinforcement and treats can make the potty training process more enjoyable for both you and your furry friend while reinforcing positive associations with desired behaviors. DOG CALMING CODE™️: PREPARING PUPPIES TO BECOME WELL-TRAINED, CALMER DOGS Conclusion: A Successful Potty Training for Puppies Start with YOU Let me emphasize this: the success of your puppy's potty training lies in your hands. Waiting for your puppy to figure it out on their own won't work—they need your guidance. Establishing a consistent routine is crucial, but it's up to you to enforce it. The truth is, your puppy needs you to make potty training successful. It can be overwhelming to think about, but don't worry, you're not alone. I'm here to help. Countless puppy owners have come to me, feeling hopeless and frustrated, only to exclaim, "It's working! I'm finally getting the hang of potty training my puppy!" By following the best practices in puppy potty training and taking advantage of the free course I have available, you too can become a happy, stress-free puppy owner.   ~ Doggy Dan 

The “Illusion of Access.” That's what the entire Biden corruption saga is about. Not access, just the illusion of it. Countless foreign businessmen and corrupt CEOs have showered the Biden family with millions of dollars for an “illusion”—at least that's what we are being told by the mainstream media. Where did this idea come from? Who coined the term, and how did it come to be so well coordinated? If we believe the media, the notion that the Biden family received millions of dollars for an “illusion” came from Hunter Biden's former business partner, Devon Archer. The problem is that it isn't true. Mr. Archer never said it, and the Biden's never sold an illusion either—they sold real access. ⭕️ Watch in-depth videos based on Truth & Tradition at Epoch TV

Harsh Judgment Interviewing a couple who raised two children with Huntington's disease (HD) on my program, they relayed a heartbreaking story where they stood before a judge who clearly didn't understand the nature of HD. After repeated arrests for shoplifting, violent behavior, and other issues, the judge commented from the bench that she felt this resulted from “bad parenting.” Unable to address the court or defend themselves, the couple shared, “We had to take it on the chin.” A five-minute search or phone call by the judge would have provided a bigger picture of the nature of this horrific disease that brutalizes both patients and their caregivers. Sadly, the judge chose to go with an uninformed decision—and a regrettable lack of compassion. While the judge's comments remain grievous, how many caregivers “don the black robe” and make harsh and ill-informed pronouncements upon themselves while looking in the mirror?  Countless caregivers spend way too much time condemning themselves for the out-of-control behavior of someone else.  Whatever we wish that judge to have said to this broken and despairing couple, we would benefit from posting that same message on our bathroom mirrors. I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. —Abraham Lincoln

On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. You can see and hear transformation in action. I look forward to helping YOU learn the skill of organization, too! In this episode, I introduce you to Mary B. She's a mom of 4 and after her divorce found Organize 365®. She walked away from that divorce thinking she wasn't good enough. When she looked around her house, her negative self talk got the better of her, telling her she wasn't even good at keeping her house organized. Then when she noticed she'd also been gaining weight, she started to dig into why. Mary was very vulnerable and shared the mental health journey she has been on and how Organize 365® played a role in her healing.  Mary saw a naturopath and also saw an EMDR therapist when her anxiety and panic attacks became regular. Through EMDR therapy, she discovered trauma from the divorce hanging around, and unfortunately even more trauma from her childhood. All this trauma was stuck in her body and keeping her cortisol levels high. We discussed how no two people experience the same thing in the same way, and also about how you can move on from a traumatic event without dredging up the past to try and “solve the problem.” Listen in as we discuss the guilt we feel as women - even when we are the ones doing most of the childcare and generating an income too! Research has supported that for each child a woman adds to their life, they gain three and a half hours of extra work while the man gains none. How much leisure time does the dad lose when a child is brought into the family? NONE. How much time does the mom lose when a child is brought into the family? Countless!! It's time for us. You should not feel guilty about budgeting for home cleaning services then using that time you get back for yourself. Use it for your hobbies and interests - guilt free.  It was so important to have this conversation because it seems as though we are living these isolated lives, even in such a connected world. We keep everything so private to “save face” when really it's all falling apart behind closed doors. These conversations need to be normalized.  Mary is not stuck anymore and has been able to conquer her paper piles. If you find yourself in a similar situation to Mary's, you can reach out to her in the Organize 365 community app so you can have a private, candid conversation with her directly. EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter  I am grateful that you are reaching out to share your stories and progress with me and with the Organize 365® community. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!

Leslie is joined by Steve Sallman, Director of the United Steelworkers Health, Safety and Environment Department, where he's worked for over 19 years. The two discuss the urgent and timely topic of protecting workers from deadly heat. As the planet gets hotter, and wide swaths of the United States are seeing record temperatures, heat is becoming an ever more urgent workplace health and safety issue – in both in-door and out-door occupations. It's no surprise that unions work to provide solutions. The USW works to negotiate common sense solutions into their contracts like rest breaks, ample supplies of water, electrolytes, and proper ventilation. UPS drivers made this a centerpiece of their recent contract negotiations too, signaling that this was so significant that they were willing to strike as necessary. They ultimately got what they needed, including fans and air conditioning in their trucks. However, all workers need protections, starting with a national standard on heat exposure like workers have for other hazards like falls and asbestos exposure. Without proper controls and protections, working in the heat can cause illness and even death. According to the BLS, there have been 436 work related deaths caused by heat exposure since 2011, and an average of 2,700 cases per year of heat-related illness. The real number could be much higher, given that many workers who are exposed to extreme heat are undocumented and reluctant to come forward. Even when it's not immediately obvious, heat is harming a worker's body, which can cause them to suffer long-term consequences, like renal damage. The Biden administration is taking this threat seriously, enabling workers to make some headway. Just last month, President Biden ordered the DOL to issue the first ever hazard alert for heat. In the same announcement, the department also announced that OSHA would intensify enforcement of existing safety provisions when it comes to heat. Biden also announced funding to improve weather forecasting, as well as additional money for clean drinking water in Western states impacted by drought. A handful of states – California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Minnesota – also issued their own heat exposure standards. Only Minnesota and Oregon have protections for indoor workers as well. But corporations and the Republicans who serve them are unfortunately pushing back hard, lobbying against protections and, in some cases, even overturning them. Business groups in Oregon are suing the state over heat related workplace protections. Even worse, Republicans in Texas earlier this summer even took the extreme step of passing a law that eliminates local ordinances requiring water breaks for construction workers. After Austin in 2010, and Dallas in 2015, required water breaks, reported heat illness numbers in Texas dropped from 770 to 170. Now workers are bracing for what comes next. This isn't just a matter of lost productivity, though heat can impact that as well. It's truly life and death. In June, a postal worker in Texas collapsed and died in triple digit heat. This summer, a Houston-area construction worker also collapsed and died of hyperthermia. Countless more will soon be at risk once the new Texas law goes into effect. The USW continues to fight for workers, as demonstrated by the union's comments to OSHA in the federal register. Until then, the USW continues to push for an OSHA standard and works to protect workers through their contracts and other health and safety work. The website for the United Steelworkers is www.USW.org. Their handle on Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers.

Leslie is joined by Steve Sallman, Director of the United Steelworkers Health, Safety and Environment Department, where he's worked for over 19 years. The two discuss the urgent and timely topic of protecting workers from deadly heat. As the planet gets hotter, and wide swaths of the United States are seeing record temperatures, heat is becoming an ever more urgent workplace health and safety issue – in both in-door and out-door occupations. It's no surprise that unions work to provide solutions. The USW works to negotiate common sense solutions into their contracts like rest breaks, ample supplies of water, electrolytes, and proper ventilation. UPS drivers made this a centerpiece of their recent contract negotiations too, signaling that this was so significant that they were willing to strike as necessary. They ultimately got what they needed, including fans and air conditioning in their trucks. However, all workers need protections, starting with a national standard on heat exposure like workers have for other hazards like falls and asbestos exposure. Without proper controls and protections, working in the heat can cause illness and even death. According to the BLS, there have been 436 work related deaths caused by heat exposure since 2011, and an average of 2,700 cases per year of heat-related illness. The real number could be much higher, given that many workers who are exposed to extreme heat are undocumented and reluctant to come forward. Even when it's not immediately obvious, heat is harming a worker's body, which can cause them to suffer long-term consequences, like renal damage. The Biden administration is taking this threat seriously, enabling workers to make some headway. Just last month, President Biden ordered the DOL to issue the first ever hazard alert for heat. In the same announcement, the department also announced that OSHA would intensify enforcement of existing safety provisions when it comes to heat. Biden also announced funding to improve weather forecasting, as well as additional money for clean drinking water in Western states impacted by drought. A handful of states – California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Minnesota – also issued their own heat exposure standards. Only Minnesota and Oregon have protections for indoor workers as well. But corporations and the Republicans who serve them are unfortunately pushing back hard, lobbying against protections and, in some cases, even overturning them. Business groups in Oregon are suing the state over heat related workplace protections. Even worse, Republicans in Texas earlier this summer even took the extreme step of passing a law that eliminates local ordinances requiring water breaks for construction workers. After Austin in 2010, and Dallas in 2015, required water breaks, reported heat illness numbers in Texas dropped from 770 to 170. Now workers are bracing for what comes next. This isn't just a matter of lost productivity, though heat can impact that as well. It's truly life and death. In June, a postal worker in Texas collapsed and died in triple digit heat. This summer, a Houston-area construction worker also collapsed and died of hyperthermia. Countless more will soon be at risk once the new Texas law goes into effect. The USW continues to fight for workers, as demonstrated by the union's comments to OSHA in the federal register. Until then, the USW continues to push for an OSHA standard and works to protect workers through their contracts and other health and safety work. The website for the United Steelworkers is www.USW.org. Their handle on Twitter and Instagram is @steelworkers. (Image Credit: David Montesino/star-telegram)

Countless people including Tyson Fury, Dr.Jordan B Peterson, Rich Roll, and Niall Horan, explain how alcohol is destroying your life, and why you need to get rid of it entirely from your life."All alcoholic drinks, including red and white wine, beer, and liquor, are linked with cancer. The more you drink, the higher your cancer risk."Speakers:Tyson FuryDr. Jordan B PetersonNiall HoranSteven Bartlett: https://twitter.com/StevenBartlettRich Roll: https://twitter.com/richrollShowtime SportsMusic:Epidemic SoundSoundstripe▶Subscribe for New Motivational Videos Every Week:http://bit.ly/MotivationVids▶DOWNLOAD our Top 100 Quotes of All Time:https://bit.ly/topquotesfreepdf▶JOIN our Newsletter for Exclusive Updates, Discounts, and Deals: https://bit.ly/Motiversitynewsletter▶READ our Weekly Blog -https://bit.ly/motiversityblog▶SHOP Official Motivational Canvases and Apparel -https://bit.ly/motiversityshop▶BECOME A MEMBER of our loyal community!https://bit.ly/motiversitymembers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What would you do if you saw a strange ship pass you by and a tall man with an eerie grin on the side of the road flag you down? While Mothman was terrorizing Point Pleasant, WV, there was another entity roaming the area - Indrid Cold, also known as the Grinning Man. Countless witnesses claimed to see this strange, grinning man; in fact, one man - Woodrow Derenberger - claimed to enter his spaceship and visit his home planet of Lanulos. But, is it believable? Listen now!Patreon: Support Believing the Bizarre and get tons of extra content by joining our Patreon.For updates, news, and extra content, follow Believing the Bizarre on social media:InstagramFacebookTwitterDiscordWant to discuss the episode on the day it drops with Tyler and Charlie? Follow on Twitch and check out the extended Twitch streams every Tuesday.Shop Merch: You can rep Believing the Bizarre and buy some unique merchThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5780832/advertisement

Dr. Parsley began his journey into the realm of peak human performance when he became a Navy SEAL at the ripe age of 19 years and went on to serve during the Gulf War. After a brief hiatus from the SEAL community to complete his undergraduate studies, medical school, his internship and residency, Dr. Parsley then went full-circle and became the physician for the West Coast SEAL teams. His incredible success with the SEALs lead to him becoming the go-to medical human performance expert for not only the SEALs, but the entire special forces of the US military, even after his departure from the military practice and into private consulting. Dr. Parsley is currently a highly sought after human performance expert and works with the elite of the elite in their respective fields. Countless entrepreneurs, professional sports teams, top tier athletes, international corporations, and high level executives turn to Doc when they need that extra boost to ascend to their peak capabilities.In this episode we discuss:Why better sleep is the most powerful thing you can do for overall health.What you can do to perform at your most optimal levels.How to counteract the effects of chronic stress.Peptides, Hyperbaric, Psychedelics, and other cutting edge performance boosters.This episode it brought to you by Koze Health, Better Help, Inside Tracker, 1stPhormDoc Parsley's Sleep Remedy - Sleep Better and Recover FasterFree Stressless Sleep GuideOrder Dr. Lyon's Book Forever Strong - https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong/Mentioned in this episode:10% off your first month of online therapy with BetterHelphttps://betterhelp.com/drlyon10% off your first orderhttps://kozehealth.com/DRLYONInside Tracker 20% Off the Entire Storehttps://info.insidetracker.com/drlyonVisit 1st Phorm Website for Free Shippinghttp://www.1stphorm.com/drlyon

In today's episode, I'm talking about corn syrup and its link to inflammation. Corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup or corn syrup solids are commonly used as a sugar-based sweetener in ultra processed foods and baby formula. Countless studies show that corn syrup drives inflammation and the hyper formation of advanced glycation end products. Corn syrup consumption even in the short term can promote neuroinflammation and alter the brain's ability to defuse oxidative stress.  The beauty of all this, is that nobody has to consume corn syrup. You can choose pure maple syrup, you can bring your own ketchup free of corn syrup to the restaurant (have countless friends who do this), you can pass on the Gatorade, you can drink Zevia or carbonated water instead of Dr. Pepper, you can choose baby formulas without corn syrup solids like the Mt Capra goat milk recipe.    -------- Get the 30 Day Microbiome Upgrade https://drwholeness.activehosted.com/f/36 Start accumulating health with the Shake the Sugar guide: https://drwholeness.com/stsguide Ask your lifestyle health questions on social media, tag @drwholeness and use #accumulatehealth. -------- Connect with Dr. Matt online:

Twenty two service men and women die by suicide everyday. Those are just the ones that can be counted. Countless others suffer alone. You can only embrace the suck so long, before you need to change your operation.    What is up and welcome to episode two hundred sixteen of Above Ground Podcast. This week we are joined by Gunny Claus. Gunny, is a retired Marine Drill Sergeant, who adopted his persona of Gunny Claus, to make some meaning and give back to the community.    Upon returning home Gunny wanted to make a difference and found his way to helping Toys for Tots. When asked to appear as a living example, Gunny was forced out of his box. Gunny opened himself up to allow parts of himself to be touched that as a Marine would not have been otherwise.    Gunny provides us a chance to witness in real time that how we affect someone has ripple effects throughout our world. And you never know when you might run into one of those particular individuals. Be careful, you meet the same people on the way up as you do on the way down. They just look differently from your back, so remain on your toes and treat people kindly.    Irreverent Warriors is a national organization that helps vets heal through shared experience,  humor,  and providing understanding, connection and camaraderie to help mental health and prevent suicide. Gunny will be in NYC on August 26, 2023 for the Silkie's Hike NYC. A non athletic hike kicking off at W 67th Street at 7:00am.    Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Above Ground Podcast. Thank you to everyone who came out to NipperFest last week and spoke with us. We were grateful to be part of the connection and the community. Please continue to rate, review, subscribe and share. Until next Wednesday, get well, be safe, stay Above.     https://irreverentwarriors.com

Modern Day, In the remote and chilling expanse of Alaska lies a mystery that has baffled adventurers and experts alike - The Alaskan Triangle. Countless aircraft and vessels have vanished without a trace, leaving authorities bewildered and whispers of supernatural forces… lurking in the shadows. Check out our socials for more updates!Twitter @MMMacabrePodInstagram: @mondaymorningmacabreFacebook @mondaymorningmacabreWebsite mondaymorningmacabre.comMusic by Kevin MacLeod ~ Moonlight Hall

Are you a business owner, realtor, salesperson, or entrepreneur looking to take your business to new heights and make a lasting impact in the world? If so, this video is for you! We delve into the power of sponsorships and how they can skyrocket your business growth. We look at real-life examples of both successful and disastrous sponsorships, giving you a roadmap for finding the perfect match that aligns with your brand values, mission, and target audience. Learn from the mistakes of major brands like Bud Light, whose recent controversial sponsorship of Dylan Mulvaney and a Pride Parade caused a major backlash. We'll uncover the lessons from these mishaps to ensure you avoid similar pitfalls in your sponsorship endeavors. But it's not all about avoiding mistakes. We're here to show you the immense potential sponsorships hold for getting in front of your ideal customers and generating valuable leads. Discover how industry giants like Adidas and Nike have seamlessly integrated sponsorships to dominate their markets and reach new heights. If you're ready to elevate your business to the next level, leveraging sponsorships effectively can be a big key. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain a competitive edge and take your brand to the spotlight it deserves! SUBSCRIBE OR I'LL TAKE YOUR CAT ╔═╦╗╔╦╗╔═╦═╦╦╦╦╗╔═╗ ║╚╣║║║╚╣╚╣╔╣╔╣║╚╣═╣ ╠╗║╚╝║║╠╗║╚╣║║║║║═╣ ╚═╩══╩═╩═╩═╩╝╚╩═╩═╝ If you like my content, you'll love the lion chaser's bookclub! Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theli... If you want to take the first step in mastering your purpose, check out this episode called START WITH WHY: Start With Why - Start With Why - The life changing advice from Simon Sinek| Ep 31    • Start With Why - ...   If you want to learn how to be more productive, I made this for you! The Secret to Limitless Productivity| Ep 35    • The Secret to Lim...   If want to know why we NEED YOU to reach your potential, watch this episode: Why we need you to reach your potential | Ep 38    • Why we need you t...   If you are looking to find your career, watch this: What career is right for you? | Ep 34    • Why we need you t...   If you are new to the podcast, The Knowledge Gap Show is a guide to mastering your purpose and growing your business. We believe that self-help is just one step in growth, but better yet, helping others should be the goal of almost anything we do. SOCIALS: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6U7aRXP... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/joe.ignace/ and https://www.instagram.com/theknowledg... The Discord for only the coolest Knowledge Gap Fans: https://discord.gg/nmfXtux7YD THE MOST INCREDIBLE WEEKLY MOTIVATIONAL EMAIL: joeignace.com/subscribe Consulting Services: If you want to start a podcast, I'd love to talk to you about making your idea into reality! Book a call with me here: https://calendly.com/josephignace/fre... My charitable foundation: Donate to the Knowledge Gap Foundation that is starting high school clubs geared towards helping students network to get better jobs and figure out their purpose earlier in life: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-... Learn more about Joe and the Knowledge Gap Consulting Services at joeignace.com About Joe Ignace: Joe graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in accounting and finance in the top 1% of students totally debt free. After graduation, he ran a $1.2 million sales organization of 35+ salespeople as the second youngest district sales leader in over 168+ years of business at 24 years old. He is a serial Entrepreneur. Joe is the founder and host of the knowledge gap podcast, the knowledge gap consulting services, and he is the president and founder of the knowledge gap foundation. Joe strives to help young people master their purpose, develop leadership skills, and win in business.

Are there any real "shortcuts" to success? If so, what are they and how do I apply them to my business? Countless entrepreneurs would like to know the answers to these questions, but according to Dan Kennedy, the solutions aren't that simple. Interviewed by Dwight Woods, a longtime student of Dan's most elite programs, Dan clears up common misconceptions surrounding mindset, efficiency, and effectiveness, while also sharing his top tips for accelerating achievement through clarity of goals, simultaneous action, "failing fast" and developing marketing stamina. MagneticMarketing.com NoBSLetter.com

Countless pastors carry out their ministries faithfully — and some abuse their position and cause many to stumble. What does God have to say to hypocritical pastors?This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3279340/advertisement

Countless pastors carry out their ministries faithfully — and some abuse their position and cause many to stumble. What does God have to say to hypocritical pastors?This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3279343/advertisement

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, July 26th, 2023. PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Summer has been great here at CrossPolitic, and we want you to join us on this ride… First, we’re no longer calling it the Fight Laugh Feast club… it’s now called the Pub! Second, we are launching a new line of content, focused on family entertainment. We will have our new show “This America” and our exciting new “Rowdy Christian Guides” highlighting the practical guides to fun and godly life! Additionally, we will have the live streaming of our conferences, and our past conference talks, all bundled within our new polished Fight Laugh Feast App. Sign up today! Head on over to fightlaughfeast.com, and join the Pub! that’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-biden-admin-launches-permanent-pandemic-preparedness-office?utm_campaign=64487 Biden admin launches PERMANENT pandemic preparedness office President Joe Biden has created a permanent office for pandemic response. Called the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, the new office within the executive branch replaces the Covid-19 response team that Biden ushered in during his first days in the White House. This new office will ensure that the Biden administration can continue to implement so-called pandemic mitigation strategies for any new communicable disease that comes down the pike. "This will be a permanent office in the Executive Office of the President (EOP)," the White House offers in a briefing, "charged with leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic or to significant public health-related disruptions in the United States." This office replaces those set up for both Covid and the oddly named Mpox, so called because its original name, Monkey Pox, was deemed to be racist by Democrats who believe that in some way "monkey" is racist against black people. The new team, led by retired Major General Paul Friedrichs, will "continue to coordinate and develop policies and priorities related to pandemic preparedness and response." This office will be primarily responsible to the executive branch, and will "drive and coordinate federal science and technology efforts related to pandemic preparedness." What this entails in specific is the overseeing of "efforts to develop, manufacture, and procure the next generation of medical countermeasures, including leveraging emerging technologies and working with HHS on next generation vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and other public health threats." The administration also took the opportunity to tout its efforts during the Covid pandemic, which began when a virus created through gain-of-function research leaked from a Wuhan, China lab that was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. It was also during the Biden administration's pandemic response that Americans were encouraged to not leave their homes, to shut down churches and schools while leaving casinos, liquor stores, and Walmarts open, and to mandate the wearing of face coverings that later studies revealed were steeped with bacteria. Under Biden's watch, newly-created vaccines were mandated both for federal employees and the employees of companies that contracted with the federal government. This is the kind of pandemic response the new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy will be ready to implement as soon as the next potential pandemic comes along. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/24/greta-thunberg-fined-for-disobeying-swedish-police-at-climate-protest Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying Swedish police at climate protest Greta Thunberg has been fined by a Swedish court after she was found guilty of disobeying a police order to leave a climate protest. The 20-year-old climate activist, who from 2018 became the face of the youth climate movement, had admitted taking part in the protest in Malmö in June, but pleaded not guilty on the grounds she had acted out of necessity. “My actions are justifiable,” Thunberg told the court in Malmö, according to local media. “I believe that we are in an emergency that threatens life, health and property. Countless people and communities are at risk both in the short term and in the long term.” Five years ago, Thunberg, then 15, began skipping school each Friday and staging solo climate protests outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm, holding up a sign reading: “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (school strike for climate). Her weekly demonstrations snowballed into a global wave of youth climate protest, as she gained fame for her youth and her blunt speaking on the dire future faced by young people staring down the barrel of the climate crisis. Although the school strikes movement lost some of its momentum with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Thunberg has continued to travel the world joining climate protests and speaking at international summits, urging world leaders to act on the climate crisis. It is believed that Monday’s trial is her first conviction for climate protest. Thunberg was part of a group of protesters that blocked the road for oil trucks in Malmö harbour. She was charged for failing to leave when ordered to do so by police. The fine will be based on Thunberg’s reported income and it was not immediately clear how much she would have to pay, Reuters reported. https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tim-graham/2023/07/24/solvency-dies-darkness-washington-post-pace-lose-100-million-year Washington Post On Pace to Lose $100 Million This Year The New York Times buried the lede in a story about Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos owning The Washington Post. It isn't quite profitable, you learn in the eighth paragraph: "The Post is on a pace to lose about $100 million in 2023, according to two people with knowledge of the company’s finances." The headline doesn't include that eye-grabbing detail. It's just this: A Decade Ago, Jeff Bezos Bought a Newspaper. Now He’s Paying Attention to It Again. The Amazon founder, who purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, has taken a more active role in the paper’s operations this year. Yes, you can imagine he'd take a "more active role" with this nagging problem. Post employees were delighted a liberal billionaire bought the paper, so they didn't have to be too worried about profits. "Prestige journalism" for the liberals isn't working out right now, even as the paper extends its Trump obsession forward. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/russia-lgbtq-transgender-procedures-banned/2023/07/24/id/1128275/ Russian President Signs Legislation Marking the Final Step Outlawing Gender-affirming Procedures Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation Monday which marked the final step in outlawing gender-affirming procedures, a crippling blow to Russia’s already embattled LGBTQ+ community. The bill, which was approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person,” as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records. The only exception will be medical intervention to treat congenital anomalies. It also annuls marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents. The ban is said to stem from the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views as the country’s “traditional values.” Lawmakers say the legislation is to safeguard Russia against “Western anti-family ideology,” with some describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism.” Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ people started a decade ago when Putin first proclaimed a focus on “traditional family values,” supported by the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2013, the Kremlin adopted legislation that banned any public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” among minors. In 2020, Putin pushed through constitutional reform that outlawed same-sex marriage, and last year signed a law banning “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” among adults as well. https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2023/07/24/brazil-lula-limits-gun-rights-by-decree-hoping-for-disarmed-country/ Brazil: Lula Limits Gun Rights by Decree, Hoping for a ‘Disarmed Country’ Brazilian radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a “Responsible Gun Control” decree this weekend to further restrict civilian access to firearms, rolling back policies implemented by former President Jair Bolsonaro. The executive order, signed on Friday at the presidential Planalto Palace, forbids civilians from having access to certain types of firearms, reduces the total legal number of firearms a citizen may own, greatly reduces the annual amount of ammunition that civilians can legally buy, and imposes restrictions on shooting clubs and firearms for hunters, marksmen, and collectors. The decree also establishes guidelines to transfer authority over the regulation and inspection of civilian firearms from the Brazilian army to the federal police, which will now exercise exclusive power over civilian activities involving weapons and ammunition in cooperation with the nation’s Justice and Public Security Ministry. In a speech announcing the new regulations, Lula said, “we cannot allow there to be arsenals of weapons in the hands of people.” “That is why we will continue to fight for a disarmed country,” Lula said. “It is the Brazilian police who have to be well armed, it is the Brazilian armed forces who have to be well armed. What we need to lower is the prices of books, and the price of access to cultural things that our children do not have access to.” Brazil’s Minister of Justice Flávio Dino said that the new set of rules ends “irresponsible armamentism” as a result of Bolsonaro’s gun rights reforms. Civilians are now only allowed to purchase up to two firearms for self-defense, down from four, and must comply with a series of requirements to demonstrate proof of self-defense use. The total amount of ammunition that Brazilian citizens can buy per year has been reduced from 200 to 50 bullets. The decree rolled back reforms Bolsonaro implemented that allowed civilians to purchase 9mm, .40, and .45 Automatic Colt Pistols (ACP), as well as semi-automatic smoothbore firearms. Brazilian citizens can no longer legally obtain these types of firearms. The decree also reduces the duration of firearm registry permits from ten years to three to five years depending on the firearm’s intended use. Active members of Brazil’s police and other government security officials, meanwhile, no longer have to abide by any time limit on their permits. Lula further imposed restrictions on firearms for hunters, marksmen, and collectors, reducing the total number of firearms and ammunition permitted in each category, introducing new required authorization permits for hunters, establishing new sub-categories for sports shooters, and reducing the number of firearms legally allowed for collectors from five of each model down to one weapon of each model, type, brand, variant, caliber, and origin. While the decree “guarantees” legal possession of these types of firearms if previously obtained and properly registered, the Brazilian government announced that it will implement a buyback program for these firearms this year. The decree also imposes restrictions on sport shooting clubs, prohibiting 24-hour establishments and limiting operating hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Shooting clubs and instructional businesses must now be located at least one kilometer away from public or private schools, giving existing locations an 18-month grace period to comply with the new ruling. The new gun control decree is the first part of a broader “Security Action Program” launched by Lula’s administration on Friday. In addition to gun control, the Security Action Program, according to the Brazilian government, seeks to combat school violence, protect the Amazon region, and change regional public fund financing. The program will also greatly increase penalties for crimes “committed against the democratic rule of law,” including longer prison sentences for those who organize, finance, or lead “anti-democratic movements.” It will also reportedly provide for the blocking of bank accounts and seizure of assets of people in whose cases law enforcement finds “sufficient evidence of authorship or financing of crimes against the democratic state of law.” Now, to my favorite topic, sports! https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-lebron-james-18-year-old-son-suffers-heart-attack-on-basketball-court?utm_campaign=64487 Lebron James' 18-year-old son suffers heart attack on basketball court During a basketball workout at the University of Southern California, basketball legend Lebron James’ son, Bronny, was rushed to the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. A family spokesperson told TMZ Sports, "Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information." "LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes," the spokesperson added. Sources with direct knowledge told the outlet that a 911 call was made at 9:26 am on Monday morning from USC’s Galen Center, where the 18-year-old had fallen unconscious. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Sources said that it was a Code 3, in which first responders use lights and sirens during transport, indicating the seriousness of the incident. Bronny had recently committed to the USC Trojans and is expected to play for the NBA like his father.

This is Garrison Hardie with your CrossPolitic Daily News Brief for Wednesday, July 26th, 2023. PUB MEMBERSHIP PLUG: Summer has been great here at CrossPolitic, and we want you to join us on this ride… First, we’re no longer calling it the Fight Laugh Feast club… it’s now called the Pub! Second, we are launching a new line of content, focused on family entertainment. We will have our new show “This America” and our exciting new “Rowdy Christian Guides” highlighting the practical guides to fun and godly life! Additionally, we will have the live streaming of our conferences, and our past conference talks, all bundled within our new polished Fight Laugh Feast App. Sign up today! Head on over to fightlaughfeast.com, and join the Pub! that’s fightlaughfeast.com. https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-biden-admin-launches-permanent-pandemic-preparedness-office?utm_campaign=64487 Biden admin launches PERMANENT pandemic preparedness office President Joe Biden has created a permanent office for pandemic response. Called the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, the new office within the executive branch replaces the Covid-19 response team that Biden ushered in during his first days in the White House. This new office will ensure that the Biden administration can continue to implement so-called pandemic mitigation strategies for any new communicable disease that comes down the pike. "This will be a permanent office in the Executive Office of the President (EOP)," the White House offers in a briefing, "charged with leading, coordinating, and implementing actions related to preparedness for, and response to, known and unknown biological threats or pathogens that could lead to a pandemic or to significant public health-related disruptions in the United States." This office replaces those set up for both Covid and the oddly named Mpox, so called because its original name, Monkey Pox, was deemed to be racist by Democrats who believe that in some way "monkey" is racist against black people. The new team, led by retired Major General Paul Friedrichs, will "continue to coordinate and develop policies and priorities related to pandemic preparedness and response." This office will be primarily responsible to the executive branch, and will "drive and coordinate federal science and technology efforts related to pandemic preparedness." What this entails in specific is the overseeing of "efforts to develop, manufacture, and procure the next generation of medical countermeasures, including leveraging emerging technologies and working with HHS on next generation vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and other public health threats." The administration also took the opportunity to tout its efforts during the Covid pandemic, which began when a virus created through gain-of-function research leaked from a Wuhan, China lab that was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. It was also during the Biden administration's pandemic response that Americans were encouraged to not leave their homes, to shut down churches and schools while leaving casinos, liquor stores, and Walmarts open, and to mandate the wearing of face coverings that later studies revealed were steeped with bacteria. Under Biden's watch, newly-created vaccines were mandated both for federal employees and the employees of companies that contracted with the federal government. This is the kind of pandemic response the new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy will be ready to implement as soon as the next potential pandemic comes along. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/24/greta-thunberg-fined-for-disobeying-swedish-police-at-climate-protest Greta Thunberg fined for disobeying Swedish police at climate protest Greta Thunberg has been fined by a Swedish court after she was found guilty of disobeying a police order to leave a climate protest. The 20-year-old climate activist, who from 2018 became the face of the youth climate movement, had admitted taking part in the protest in Malmö in June, but pleaded not guilty on the grounds she had acted out of necessity. “My actions are justifiable,” Thunberg told the court in Malmö, according to local media. “I believe that we are in an emergency that threatens life, health and property. Countless people and communities are at risk both in the short term and in the long term.” Five years ago, Thunberg, then 15, began skipping school each Friday and staging solo climate protests outside the Swedish parliament in Stockholm, holding up a sign reading: “Skolstrejk för klimatet” (school strike for climate). Her weekly demonstrations snowballed into a global wave of youth climate protest, as she gained fame for her youth and her blunt speaking on the dire future faced by young people staring down the barrel of the climate crisis. Although the school strikes movement lost some of its momentum with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Thunberg has continued to travel the world joining climate protests and speaking at international summits, urging world leaders to act on the climate crisis. It is believed that Monday’s trial is her first conviction for climate protest. Thunberg was part of a group of protesters that blocked the road for oil trucks in Malmö harbour. She was charged for failing to leave when ordered to do so by police. The fine will be based on Thunberg’s reported income and it was not immediately clear how much she would have to pay, Reuters reported. https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tim-graham/2023/07/24/solvency-dies-darkness-washington-post-pace-lose-100-million-year Washington Post On Pace to Lose $100 Million This Year The New York Times buried the lede in a story about Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos owning The Washington Post. It isn't quite profitable, you learn in the eighth paragraph: "The Post is on a pace to lose about $100 million in 2023, according to two people with knowledge of the company’s finances." The headline doesn't include that eye-grabbing detail. It's just this: A Decade Ago, Jeff Bezos Bought a Newspaper. Now He’s Paying Attention to It Again. The Amazon founder, who purchased The Washington Post for $250 million in 2013, has taken a more active role in the paper’s operations this year. Yes, you can imagine he'd take a "more active role" with this nagging problem. Post employees were delighted a liberal billionaire bought the paper, so they didn't have to be too worried about profits. "Prestige journalism" for the liberals isn't working out right now, even as the paper extends its Trump obsession forward. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/russia-lgbtq-transgender-procedures-banned/2023/07/24/id/1128275/ Russian President Signs Legislation Marking the Final Step Outlawing Gender-affirming Procedures Russian President Vladimir Putin signed new legislation Monday which marked the final step in outlawing gender-affirming procedures, a crippling blow to Russia’s already embattled LGBTQ+ community. The bill, which was approved unanimously by both houses of parliament, bans any “medical interventions aimed at changing the sex of a person,” as well as changing one’s gender in official documents and public records. The only exception will be medical intervention to treat congenital anomalies. It also annuls marriages in which one person has “changed gender” and bars transgender people from becoming foster or adoptive parents. The ban is said to stem from the Kremlin’s crusade to protect what it views as the country’s “traditional values.” Lawmakers say the legislation is to safeguard Russia against “Western anti-family ideology,” with some describing gender transitioning as “pure satanism.” Russia’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ people started a decade ago when Putin first proclaimed a focus on “traditional family values,” supported by the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2013, the Kremlin adopted legislation that banned any public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” among minors. In 2020, Putin pushed through constitutional reform that outlawed same-sex marriage, and last year signed a law banning “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” among adults as well. https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2023/07/24/brazil-lula-limits-gun-rights-by-decree-hoping-for-disarmed-country/ Brazil: Lula Limits Gun Rights by Decree, Hoping for a ‘Disarmed Country’ Brazilian radical leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a “Responsible Gun Control” decree this weekend to further restrict civilian access to firearms, rolling back policies implemented by former President Jair Bolsonaro. The executive order, signed on Friday at the presidential Planalto Palace, forbids civilians from having access to certain types of firearms, reduces the total legal number of firearms a citizen may own, greatly reduces the annual amount of ammunition that civilians can legally buy, and imposes restrictions on shooting clubs and firearms for hunters, marksmen, and collectors. The decree also establishes guidelines to transfer authority over the regulation and inspection of civilian firearms from the Brazilian army to the federal police, which will now exercise exclusive power over civilian activities involving weapons and ammunition in cooperation with the nation’s Justice and Public Security Ministry. In a speech announcing the new regulations, Lula said, “we cannot allow there to be arsenals of weapons in the hands of people.” “That is why we will continue to fight for a disarmed country,” Lula said. “It is the Brazilian police who have to be well armed, it is the Brazilian armed forces who have to be well armed. What we need to lower is the prices of books, and the price of access to cultural things that our children do not have access to.” Brazil’s Minister of Justice Flávio Dino said that the new set of rules ends “irresponsible armamentism” as a result of Bolsonaro’s gun rights reforms. Civilians are now only allowed to purchase up to two firearms for self-defense, down from four, and must comply with a series of requirements to demonstrate proof of self-defense use. The total amount of ammunition that Brazilian citizens can buy per year has been reduced from 200 to 50 bullets. The decree rolled back reforms Bolsonaro implemented that allowed civilians to purchase 9mm, .40, and .45 Automatic Colt Pistols (ACP), as well as semi-automatic smoothbore firearms. Brazilian citizens can no longer legally obtain these types of firearms. The decree also reduces the duration of firearm registry permits from ten years to three to five years depending on the firearm’s intended use. Active members of Brazil’s police and other government security officials, meanwhile, no longer have to abide by any time limit on their permits. Lula further imposed restrictions on firearms for hunters, marksmen, and collectors, reducing the total number of firearms and ammunition permitted in each category, introducing new required authorization permits for hunters, establishing new sub-categories for sports shooters, and reducing the number of firearms legally allowed for collectors from five of each model down to one weapon of each model, type, brand, variant, caliber, and origin. While the decree “guarantees” legal possession of these types of firearms if previously obtained and properly registered, the Brazilian government announced that it will implement a buyback program for these firearms this year. The decree also imposes restrictions on sport shooting clubs, prohibiting 24-hour establishments and limiting operating hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Shooting clubs and instructional businesses must now be located at least one kilometer away from public or private schools, giving existing locations an 18-month grace period to comply with the new ruling. The new gun control decree is the first part of a broader “Security Action Program” launched by Lula’s administration on Friday. In addition to gun control, the Security Action Program, according to the Brazilian government, seeks to combat school violence, protect the Amazon region, and change regional public fund financing. The program will also greatly increase penalties for crimes “committed against the democratic rule of law,” including longer prison sentences for those who organize, finance, or lead “anti-democratic movements.” It will also reportedly provide for the blocking of bank accounts and seizure of assets of people in whose cases law enforcement finds “sufficient evidence of authorship or financing of crimes against the democratic state of law.” Now, to my favorite topic, sports! https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-lebron-james-18-year-old-son-suffers-heart-attack-on-basketball-court?utm_campaign=64487 Lebron James' 18-year-old son suffers heart attack on basketball court During a basketball workout at the University of Southern California, basketball legend Lebron James’ son, Bronny, was rushed to the hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. A family spokesperson told TMZ Sports, "Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information." "LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes," the spokesperson added. Sources with direct knowledge told the outlet that a 911 call was made at 9:26 am on Monday morning from USC’s Galen Center, where the 18-year-old had fallen unconscious. He was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Sources said that it was a Code 3, in which first responders use lights and sirens during transport, indicating the seriousness of the incident. Bronny had recently committed to the USC Trojans and is expected to play for the NBA like his father.

This week Jess and Dana discuss the baffling mystery of bathrooms that lack purse hooks, leaving us to wrestle with our bags in germ-infested restrooms! And that's not all, Dana goes on a late night rampage against the word 'lope,' claiming it sounds like a "dirty dopey" that she just can't stand! Important stuff here, people!!   ***CLEANSING BREATH***     Jess Corner - Weirdo of the Week Anonymous Artist ‘Wanksy' Draws Penises On UK Potholes To Make Government Fix Them   Dana Corner - Golden Oldies  California Community Hosts Adorable Dog Parade for Animal-Loving Neighbor's 100th Birthday Dr. Robert Moore, a 100-year-old dog lover, received heartwarming tributes from family and friends: "My father, he was so touched," Moore's daughter said Dr. Robert Moore, a retired San Jose State University dean, had a birthday celebration fit for a dog lover.   *******   Jess Rave - Purrrfect Pals https://purrfectpals.org/ Finding acceptable foster care for semi-feral and extremely shy cats and kittens needing socialization and human contact can be challenging for Purrfect Pals. The amazing partnership between Purrfect Pals and MCC has made this wonderful program possible. Countless kittens, that might otherwise have been euthanized, have all been altered and adopted. Purrfect Pals pays for all the costs related to the program such as food, litter, crates and veterinarian care.   Dana Rave - Seed Your Future  www.seedyourfuture.org We envision a U.S. where: Everyone understands and values the importance of plants and the people who work in the art, science, technology, and business of horticulture. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? There has been a decline in interest in plants and in pursuing careers in horticulture. The average U.S. citizen can identify more than 1,000 brands and logos, but fewer than 10 local plants. Most schools stop teaching plant-based concepts in the third grade. ZERO middle-schoolers in our focus groups across the country said they have heard the word "horticulture."

The tragedy exposed various deficiencies in safety management and emergency response. It remains a stark reminder of the importance of rigorous risk assessment, effective control measures, continuous monitoring of safety systems, and fostering a culture where workers feel empowered to stop unsafe work. 

Terrified of running out of money in retirement? Countless people share the same fear. With so much recent discourse surrounding inflation and a looming recession, you may have a tighter grip on your money than usual. Today's guest is here to help cool some of your concerns. In this episode of the BiggerPockets Money podcast, we're joined by David Stein from Money for the Rest of Us, who believes there are reasons to be optimistic about the economy and even more reasons to stay on the straight and narrow when it comes to investing. If you're easily overwhelmed by the thought of investing or choosing the right asset classes, David's message is clear: investing doesn't need to be difficult. There are plenty of tools the average person can use to invest, grow their nest egg, and have enough money for retirement. Don't let fear stop you from putting your money to work! Whether you're a novice or long-time investor, you're in for a treat with today's episode. Tune in as David addresses several issues—including the current state of the economy, whether we should brace for a recession, and the markets he's investing in. He also talks about the benefit of steering clear of individual stocks in lieu of ETFs and index funds, as well as when it might be smart to buy an immediate annuity! In This Episode We Cover The four-percent rule and how to avoid running out of money in retirement How current returns on real estate compare to those of other asset classes The benefit of buying exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and index funds in lieu of individual stocks Diversifying your investment portfolio to include non-U.S. markets Three important principles to focus on when deciding where to invest Buying annuities to lock in an additional income stream during retirement And So Much More! Links from the Show BiggerPockets Money Facebook Group BiggerPockets Forums Finance Review Guest Onboarding Join BiggerPockets for FREE Mindy on BiggerPockets Scott's Instagram Grab Scott's Book, “Set for Life” Listen to All Your Favorite BiggerPockets Podcasts in One Place Apply to Be a Guest on The Money Show Podcast Talent Search! Listen to The Real Estate InvestHER Show Join The Real Estate InvestHER Community on Facebook Register for an Upcoming InvestHER Event Money Moment Choosing the Right Investment Type for Your Goals with David Stein Check Out the Latest Five-Year TIPS at TreasuryDirect Click here to check the full show notes: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/money-432   Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email us: moneymoment@biggerpockets.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is up, all you burners, stoners and potheads...newcomers too!  Mr and Mrs Weedman are back with a fantastic episode.  Mr Weedman delivers canna-news you can surely use, along with some recent developments in the world of weed.  Mrs Weedman shares some great articles from the canna-verse.  She's talking about cannabis vs alcohol, a great first hand story of cannabis saving a person's life, and a story about the DEA's 50th anniversary - celebrating the "achievements" of their failed War on Drugs. Together we have some laughs, share our passion for the plant and smoke a great strain together, a little GG4 from our friend @Earl217.Thanks for listening and as always, hit us up!Twitter: @weedman420podIG: @weedman420chronicles2.0 *NEW ACCOUNT, 2.0*YouTube: Weedman420 ChroniclesEmail: weedman420chronicles@gmail.comShop: www.eightdecades.comIG: @eightdecadesEmail: eightdecadeinfo@gmail.com#ImHigh #Cannabis #StomptheStigma #HomeGrow #FreethePlant #CannabisEducation  #CannabisResearch #Weed #Marijuana #LegalizeIt #CannabisNews #CBD #Terpenes  #Podcast #CannabisPodcast #eightdecades #LPP #Lifestyle #HealthyLifestyle #NaturalMedicine #PlantMedicine #News #Research #MedicalMarijuana #Infused #420 #Education #Health #Wellness #WorldNews #Gardening #budtender #kief #pauliesayssmokesmart #Hemp  Article Links:* https://cannabisnewsworld.com/2023/07/03/pot-is-mind-bogglingly-complicated-says-chemist/* https://www.greenstate.com/perspective/cannabis-vs-alcohol/* https://cannabisnewsworld.com/2023/07/03/cannabis-is-a-miracle-plant-with-the-ability-to-change-lives/* https://www.greenstate.com/perspective/nikki-lawley-cannabis-connects-my-dots/COPYRIGHT 2021 WeedMan420Chronicles©

As entrepreneurs, it can be quite difficult for us to take the right kind of rest. Countless things vie for our time and attention. And even when we do manage some downtime, we can be plagued by feelings of guilt,  restlessness or even fear. But what if taking the right kind of rest could actually increase your productivity, creativity and ability to problem solve? With these questions in mind, I interviewed Alyson Caffrey, a small business Operations Strategist, the  Bestselling Author of The Sabbatical Method, and the founder of Operations Agency. First, Alyson and I discussed how women, especially, feel we have to justify rest. Then Alyson related several powerful truths, including acclimating to ascend, building a business to thrive without you, channeling a sabbatical personality, and acting rather than reacting. “If we're building a business that can't function without us, then we might need to reconcile with the fact that we could be building a personal life that can.” – Alyson Caffrey What You'll Learn 30,000 foot view Acclimate to ascend (repair to build) Thriving without you Taking a break before you crumble Sabbatical personalities Standardizing to serve clients more Action not reaction Contact Info and Recommended Resources I highly recommend you listen to every episode of my Foundations for Your Coaching Business series: mollyclaire.com/the-masterful-coach. Connect with Alyson Caffrey Alyson Caffrey is a small business Operations Strategist, Bestselling Author and founder of Operations Agency. She's commonly referred to as ‘The Wolf' among our clients because she just gets shit done. Alyson is best known for helping streamline the back-end ops for a multitude of brands and using her Operations Simplified™ framework to unleash the power of small teams. She and the team at Operations Agency are determined to help businesses thrive profitably, serve more clients and create high-performing teams. Alyson is mom to two young sons under three years old (yea, it's crazy) and enjoys spending her time at home with her growing family. Websites: Operations Agency  Book: The Sabbatical Method  Youtube Instagram | @operationsagency Facebook LinkedIn | Alyson Caffrey Connect with Molly Claire Masterful Coach Foundations: Are you a mission-centered Life Coach ready to build your profitable + purposeful business? Masterful Coach Foundations + The 10K Accelerator Method is designed just for you: mollyclaire.com/foundations. Drop me a comment or question:  Instagram | Molly Claire Coaching IG  molly@mollyclaire.com Facebook I appreciate your feedback and rating of my podcast: Please head on over to your favorite podcast platform and leave a review of The Masterful Coach. This easy task truly helps! Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Amazon Music | RSS Work with me: mollyclaire.com/coaching Get my FREE 10K Goal Tracker: This free goal tracker will help you organize your plan so you can make money + make a difference, one client at a time. Request your instant access copy today! mollyclaire.com/make-your-first-10k-goal-tracker Feeling stuck in your coaching business? It's not your fault. To help you get unstuck, I have 5 Tips No One Ever Told You. Get them for FREE at mollyclaire.com. Get my book: The Happy Mom Mindset: mollyclaire.com/book

Have you ever pondered the possibility of being manipulated by beliefs that were once held dear to your heart? You're not alone! Countless believers have experienced the same struggle. Some beliefs may appear appealing at first glance, but in reality, they lead to destruction. What does this teach us? It emphasizes the importance of anchoring ourselves in unwavering truth, a truth as solid as a rock. Join us in this enlightening video as we delve into the concept of false doctrines and unveil ways to evade their grip. Discover how to become unshakable and immovable, no longer swayed by stormy doctrines. Our exploration will guide you on the path to understanding what constitutes a false doctrine, empowering you to avoid its influence. Furthermore, we will explore how to build a firm foundation in Jesus, the cornerstone upon which a strong and enduring church is established. Prepare to unravel the truth, fortify your beliefs, and embark on a journey towards a solid and unwavering faith. Don't let false doctrines steer you astray any longer. Join us in this eye-opening video and empower yourself to navigate the realm of beliefs with discernment and confidence. ONLINE COURSES & MEMBERSHIPS

As skeptics continue to groan, the market just stays in rally mode. The Last Call panel breaks down whether these doubters will stand pat or give in to the growing optimism from investors.

A new MP3 sermon from DTBM, International is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: MOI-30-b - SOMEDAY YOU WILL SEE COUNTLESS ROWS OF ANGELS ENCIRCLING THE THRONE--WOW, Subtitle: Short Clips - Meet The Real Speaker: Dr. John Barnett Broadcaster: DTBM, International Event: Sunday Service Date: 7/11/2023 Length: 1 min.

Countless people including Rich Roll, Lucy Hale, Dr. Daniel Amen, Jesse Lingard, Doug Bopst, Davina McCall, and Clark Kegley explain why you need to not touch alcohol."At least one in ten Americans meet the criteria for either alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence; which we now call 'alcohol use disorder'."Special thanks to our partners:Tom Bilyeu: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeuDiary of a CEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3fczpT0IfI&t=0sSpeakers:Rich Rollhttps://www.richroll.com/Lucy Halehttps://www.instagram.com/lucyhaleDr. Daniel Amenhttps://danielamenmd.com/Jesse Lingardhttps://www.instagram.com/jesselingar...Doug Bopsthttps://www.instagram.com/dougbopst/?...Davina McCallhttps://twitter.com/ThisisDavinaMusic:SoundstripeAudiojungleEpidemic Sound▶Subscribe for New Motivational Videos Every Week: http://bit.ly/MotivationVids▶DOWNLOAD our Top 100 Quotes of All Time:https://bit.ly/topquotesfreepdf▶JOIN our Newsletter for Exclusive Updates, Discounts, and Deals: https://bit.ly/Motiversitynewsletter▶READ our Weekly Blog - https://bit.ly/motiversityblog▶SHOP Official Motivational Canvases and Apparel - https://bit.ly/motiversityshop▶BECOME A MEMBER of our loyal community!https://bit.ly/motiversitymembers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of The Waves, one year after the Supreme Court decision that set off a national crisis in reproductive health care, we're taking a look at what the end of Roe has wrought. Countless lives have been affected: There's the people who've traveled across the country to get their lives back, the people who've been forced against their will into pregnancy and childbirth, and those who've been denied life saving medical care because their doctors are afraid of the law. There's also the people doing what they can to mitigate the damage—with ballot measures, and abortion funds, and the tools and knowledge to help someone manage an abortion on their own. Slate senior writer Christina Cauterucci talks with Diane Horvath and Morgan Nuzzo, who opened an abortion clinic in Maryland just as Roe fell. She also sits down with Elaina Ramsey, who leads a faith-based pro-abortion group in Ohio that's been charting new ways to use the specific assets of faith communities to help people get abortions, and Jessica Valenti, a journalist who's been tracking the warp-speed rollback of abortion access across the country, and telling the stories of people whose lives have been upended because of it. Some of Christina's Writing on Abortion: Birth Control Is Next You Will Still Be Able to Get a Medication Abortion—Even if This Barbaric Ruling Stands What Anti-Abortion Advocates Really Think of Women's Lives If the “Abortion Pill” Gets Banned, There's Still One Good Move The Religious Left Has Found Its Mission If you liked this episode, check out: What the F*** Do We Do Now?    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you'll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices