Podcasts about eastern asia

It's the Ranch It Up Radio Show Herd It Here Weekly Report!  A 3-minute look at cattle markets, reports, news info, or anything that has to do with those of us who live at the end of dirt roads.  Join Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt, the Boss Lady Rebecca Wanner aka 'BEC' by subscribing on your favorite podcasting app or on the Ranch It Up Radio Show YouTube Channel. EPISODE 65 DETAILS Tick-Borne Disease Found In Kansas Cattle Theileria Orientalis Ikeda: A New Threat to Kansas Cattle Linked to the Asian Longhorned Tick A newly detected red blood cell parasite, Theileria orientalis Ikeda, has raised alarm in Kansas cattle herds. This parasite, linked to the invasive Asian longhorned tick (ALHT), causes a disease known as theileriosis or bovine infectious anemia, posing a significant threat to livestock health and production. What is Theileria Orientalis Ikeda? When Theileria orientalis Ikeda enters the bloodstream, it destroys red blood cells, causing anemia in infected cattle. This depletion of red blood cells hampers oxygen transport throughout the animal's body, leading to severe health complications. How is Theileriosis Spread? Theileriosis primarily spreads through contaminated needles and insect vectors, with the Asian longhorned tick being a key carrier. Scientifically known as Haemaphysalis longicornis, this invasive tick originated in Eastern Asia. It is believed to have been introduced to the United States around 2010, with its presence first confirmed in 2017 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While mainly found in the eastern United States, efforts are ongoing to curb its westward spread. Recent Cases in Kansas Reports indicate that infected cattle in Kansas were purchased from Virginia and transported to the state for feeding. While the Asian long-horned tick has been identified in neighboring states like Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma, it has not yet been detected in Kansas. The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory urges cattle producers to exercise caution when importing livestock from other states. Familiarizing oneself with the symptoms of bovine infectious anemia is critical for early detection and containment. Symptoms of Theileriosis in Cattle Cattle infected with Theileria orientalis Ikeda may exhibit symptoms such as: Anemia Loss of appetite Lethargy Fever Reduced milk production Difficulty breathing Yellowing of mucous membranes Foamy nasal discharge Abortion Sudden death Pregnant heifers, calves, and stressed animals are particularly vulnerable. While no vaccine exists for theileriosis, infected animals can recover, though they often remain carriers, capable of spreading the disease to healthy cattle. Protecting Kansas Cattle Producers are encouraged to: Inspect Imported Livestock: Screen cattle for signs of illness before integrating them into local herds. Monitor for Ticks: Watch for signs of the Asian longhorned tick and implement tick control measures. Consult Veterinarians: Work closely with veterinarians to manage and mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. By staying vigilant and proactive, Kansas cattle producers can help protect their herds from this emerging threat. SPONSORS Trans Ova Genetics https://transova.com/ @TransOvaGenetics American Gelbvieh Association https://gelbvieh.org/ @AmericanGelbvieh Allied Genetic Resources https://alliedgeneticresources.com/ @AlliedGeneticResources Clear Springs Cattle Company https://www.bredforbalance.com/female-sale Axiota Animal Health https://axiota.com/ @MultiminUSA Jorgensen Land & Cattle https://jorgensenfarms.com/ @JorLandCat Ranch Channel https://ranchchannel.com/ @RanchChannel Questions & Concerns From The Field? Call or Text your questions, or comments to 707-RANCH20 or 707-726-2420 Or email RanchItUpShow@gmail.com FOLLOW Facebook/Instagram: @RanchItUpShow SUBSCRIBE to the Ranch It Up YouTube Channel: @ranchitup Website: RanchItUpShow.com https://ranchitupshow.com/ The Ranch It Up Podcast is available on ALL podcasting apps. https://ranchitup.podbean.com/   Rural America is center-stage on this outfit. AND how is that? Because of Tigger & BEC... Live This Western Lifestyle. Tigger & BEC represent the Working Ranch world by providing the cowboys, cowgirls, beef cattle producers & successful farmers the knowledge and education needed to bring high-quality beef & meat to your table for dinner. Learn more about Jeff 'Tigger' Erhardt & Rebecca Wanner aka BEC here: TiggerandBEC.com https://tiggerandbec.com/ #RanchItUp #StayRanchy #TiggerApproved #tiggerandbec #rodeo #ranching #farming REFERENCES https://hpj.com/2025/01/17/tick-borne-disease-found-in-cattle-imported-to-kansas/

* DDoS Attack Hits Record Breaking 5.6Tbps* Telegram Captcha Trick Lures Users into Running Malicious PowerShell Scripts* 7-Zip Patch Released to Address Mark of the Web Bypass Vulnerability* MasterCard DNS Misconfiguration Exposed for Years* Supply Chain Attack Targets Chrome Extensions, Potentially Impacting MillionsDDoS Attack Hits Record Breaking 5.6Tbpshttps://blog.cloudflare.com/ddos-threat-report-for-2024-q4/Cloudflare has mitigated the largest DDoS attack ever recorded, peaking at a staggering 5.6 terabits per second (Tbps).1 This UDP-based attack, launched by a Mirai-based botnet of over 13,000 compromised devices, targeted an internet service provider (ISP) in Eastern Asia on October 29th, 2024.2While the attack lasted only 80 seconds, it highlights the growing trend of hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks.3 These attacks, exceeding 1 Tbps, surged in the fourth quarter of 2024, with a quarter-over-quarter growth of 1,885%.4Cloudflare observed a significant increase in short-lived attacks, with 72% of HTTP and 91% of network layer DDoS attacks lasting less than 10 minutes. This trend favors "blitz" attacks designed for maximum impact during peak usage periods.Ransom DDoS attacks also saw a notable increase, peaking during the holiday season.5 Cloudflare emphasizes the need for automated DDoS protection services to effectively mitigate these rapid and powerful attacks.6The most targeted sectors included telecommunications, service providers, internet services, and marketing/advertising. China, the Philippines, and Taiwan were the most frequently targeted regions.Telegram Captcha Trick Lures Users into Running Malicious PowerShell Scriptshttps://x.com/vxunderground/status/1881946956806926351Cybercriminals are exploiting the recent pardon of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht to spread malware.The attack leverages a "Click-Fix" tactic, where users are tricked into running malicious code disguised as a necessary step. In this case, fake Ross Ulbricht accounts on X (formerly Twitter) direct users to a Telegram channel.Within the Telegram channel, users are presented with a fake "identity verification" process. This process culminates in a Telegram mini-app that automatically copies a PowerShell command to the user's clipboard.Victims are then instructed to paste this command into the Windows Run dialog and execute it. This action downloads and executes a malicious script, potentially leading to the installation of Cobalt Strike, a powerful penetration testing tool often used by threat actors for malicious purposes.This sophisticated attack highlights the importance of exercising extreme caution before executing any code received from unknown sources. Users should always verify the authenticity of any such requests and never blindly execute commands from untrusted sources.7-Zip Patch Released to Address Mark of the Web Bypass Vulnerabilityhttps://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/7-zip-fixes-bug-that-bypasses-the-windows-motw-security-mechanism-patch-now/7-Zip users are urged to update to the latest version (24.09) immediately to address a critical security vulnerability (CVE-2025-0411). This flaw allows attackers to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) security warnings in Windows, potentially enabling them to execute malicious code on unsuspecting users' machines.Introduced in June 2022, MotW flags downloaded files as potentially risky, prompting warnings when users attempt to open or run them. This additional layer of security helps prevent malware infections.The newly patched vulnerability allowed attackers to exploit nested archives. When extracting malicious files from such archives, 7-Zip failed to propagate the MotW flag to the extracted files, essentially rendering the security warnings useless.Fortunately, the 7-Zip developer released a fix on November 30th, 2024. However, due to the lack of auto-update functionality, many users might still be running vulnerable versions.Given the potential severity of this exploit, it's crucial for all 7-Zip users to update to version 24.09 as soon as possible. This vulnerability is similar to others exploited in the past to deliver malware. Patching promptly is essential to stay protected.MasterCard DNS Misconfiguration Exposed for Yearshttps://krebsonsecurity.com/2025/01/mastercard-dns-error-went-unnoticed-for-years/A critical error in MasterCard's domain name system (DNS) configuration went unnoticed for nearly five years. This misconfiguration could have allowed attackers to intercept or divert internet traffic for a portion of the mastercard.com network.The issue stemmed from a typo in one of the five DNS server names MasterCard uses at Akamai, a major internet infrastructure provider. These servers translate website names into numeric addresses for computers. Instead of ending in "akam.net" like the others, this particular server was named "akam.ne."Philippe Caturegli, a security researcher, discovered the typo and registered the corresponding domain "akam.ne" for $300 to prevent malicious actors from exploiting it. Caturegli observed hundreds of thousands of DNS requests hitting his server daily, indicating others might have made similar typos.Had Caturegli set up malicious services on "akam.ne," he could have potentially intercepted emails or even obtained website encryption certificates for affected domains. However, he responsibly reported the issue directly to MasterCard.MasterCard downplayed the security risks, claiming there was "not a risk to our systems." Caturegli disputed this, highlighting the potential for attackers to leverage public DNS resolvers and long-lasting cached data to reroute a significant portion of traffic.The incident underscores the importance of robust DNS configurations and responsible vulnerability disclosure practices. MasterCard has since corrected the error, but the episode raises concerns about potential security weaknesses in critical infrastructure.Supply Chain Attack Targets Chrome Extensions, Potentially Impacting Millionshttps://blog.sekoia.io/targeted-supply-chain-attack-against-chrome-browser-extensions/A sophisticated supply chain attack has targeted Chrome extension developers, compromising dozens of extensions and potentially impacting millions of users.The campaign involved phishing emails impersonating official Chrome Web Store communications. These emails lured developers into granting access to a malicious OAuth app, allowing attackers to upload compromised versions of their extensions.The attack, which may have been ongoing since at least December 2023, targeted sensitive data like API keys and session cookies from services like ChatGPT and Facebook for Business.While many compromised extensions have been removed from the Chrome Web Store, and developers have released updates, the full extent of the damage remains unclear.This incident highlights the critical importance of robust security measures for developers and the need for constant vigilance against evolving phishing tactics. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit edwinkwan.substack.com

Thom has finished his solo jaunt across Oceania and Eastern Asia and naturally, we have tons to talk about. Which songs stood out and which old songs did he breathe new life into? We review the tour stats and our favorite highlights of his “new kind of solo show”. Also, the newspile is dense with items like an interesting interview with the “director” of the Nosferatu Amnesiac/Kid A sync, a spooky song from Thom's wife Dajana, a fashion collab between Thom and a Japanese designer, Roger Waters opening up a public feud with Thom, three very different Radiohead covers, and plenty more.

On today's First Up pod: we have the big stories from the UK and Eastern Asia and the US presidential debate; you might've seen her on Celebrity Treasure Island - Labour deputy Carmel Sepuloni joins us to catch up on the week in politics and Nathan pays a visit to Auckland Museum where they're celebrating one hundred years of netball in New Zealand First Up - Voice of the Nathan!

In this episode of the Foreign Area Officer podcast, I sit down with LTC(P) David Bradley, former Chinese instructor at the United States Military Academy, to explore the intricate dynamics of China's relationships and ambitions. We delve into the one China policy, the complex history and current situations in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the broader security environment in Eastern Asia. Gain insights into U.S. foreign policy, military strategy, and the crucial role of foreign area officers in navigating the challenging geopolitical landscape posed by China's actions and strategies. This episode provides valuable insights for comprehending global diplomatic and economic interactions involving China.

Owls are magnificent animals that share our cities with us, and live in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. They range in size from huge, like the Blakiston's Fish-Owl of Eastern Asia, to the songbird-sized Elf Owl, weighing less than half a deck of cards. Owls play key roles in their ecosystems and even help control pests such as non-native rodents. By giving these amazing birds their space when they're nesting, preserving habitats where they breed and hunt, and avoiding rodenticides that could poison their prey, we can help ensure a safe future for our world's incredible owls.More info and transcript at BirdNote.org. Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible. 

This retrospective episode consists of previously aired short segments that have been compiled here as they all relate to a common topic. It's called Good Plant/Bad Plant because each segment focuses on two plants: one that support pollinators, birds and other animals and one plant, or plant group, that is an invasive or noxious weed. In this episode (Part 1 of 3), Master Gardener Volunteer, Tim Kennelty, covers native species like oaks, monarda, serviceberry, and willows. But he also advises against invasive species such as Japanese knotweed, Japanese stiltgrass, Asian bittersweet, and Asian bush honeysuckle. In the first segment, oaks (genus quercus) and Japanese knotweed are put under the microscope. The mighty oak refers to the many oak trees that are native to New York. Oaks can grow to about 100 feet and can live from 200 to 400 years. Oaks are generally relatively easy to grow and thrive in well drained acidic soil in full sun. They're really beautiful, majestic trees, often with attractive fall foliage in shades of red, gold, and orange. Oaks support more than 500 different caterpillar species, which of course turn into butterflies and moths, but are critical food for young birds as well. And they produce acorns that are eaten by squirrels, deer, turkey and other birds. If the oak is the king of beneficial plants, the queen of invasive plants is Japanese knotweed. It can grow from three to 15 feet and has bamboo like stems. Knotweed thrives in disturbed areas like drainage ditches, wetlands, streams, woodland edges, and along roadsides. It spreads rapidly through underground rhizomes. Knotweed forms dense thickets that crowd out and shade native vegetation, reducing species diversity while also adversely impacting ecosystems and wildlife. Management includes repeated cutting, and most likely will require herbicide application. The second segment in this episode focuses on monarda and Japanese stiltgrass. Monarda didyma, known by a number of different common names including bee bam, Oswego tea and bergamot, is native to eastern North America. It is a great addition to butterfly gardens and bird gardens. By contrast, Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is a widespread invader of woodlands, roadsides and trails. It is an annual grass, but a prolific seeder, that germinates in the spring and dies back each fall. Once introduced, it is extremely difficult to remove from a site. Serviceberry and Asian bittersweet are featured in the next segment. Amelanchier spp. is a native North American shrub that is sometimes grown as a small tree. There are many species of this native that grow in full sun to part shade, have small five-petalled white flowers that emerge before or at the same time as the leaves, and have small edible berries that darken to a deep reddish-purple to black when ripe. Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a woody, deciduous, perennial vine has since naturalized and become an extremely aggressive, capable of damaging natural areas. It chokes out desirable native plants by smothering them with its dense foliage and strangling stems and trunks. Willows and Asian bush honeysuckle are the conversation topics for the last segment in this episode. Most, shrubs and trees of the Salix genus, are mostly native to north temperate areas and are valued as ornamentals, as well as for their shade, moisture control, and wildlife attributes. By contrast, invasive bush honeysuckles originated in Eurasia and Eastern Asia, and were introduced in the U.S. for ornamental landscaping, erosion control, and wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, bush honeysuckles self-seed aggressively and rapidly escape into natural areas. Although the fruits have poor nutritional value for wildlife, birds disperse them widely. Native vegetation is displaced as bush honeysuckle blocks sunlight and exudes chemicals into the soil that are toxic to other plants. Learn more about these plants on this episode of Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley. Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3 of this Good Plant/Bad Plant Retrospective series. Host: Jean Thomas Guest: Tim Kennelty Photo by: Tim Kennelty Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Annie Scibienski Resources

Buddhism Reference – Gandhari Languages and Texts. An ancient center of Buddhist scholarship important in the transmission of Buddhist scholarship into central and Eastern Asia. E-books - “Buddhism Reference – Now Available   Threefoldlotus.com/home/Ebooks.htm

Hey Friend! We are continuing with the healthy hormones series today to address a VERY important aspect of hormones and that is - fertility.   According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 6 people are affected by infertility worldwide.   It's estimated that 48.5 million couples experience infertility globally.   9% of men and 10% of women aged 15-44 reported fertility issues in the United States   9 of 10 counties with the highest total fertility rate are in Africa followed by Afghanistan.   Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, and Eastern Asia have the lowest fertility rates in the world with an average of 1.5 children per woman.   I know we've got a few listeners in Sweden, you'll have to tell me what you all are doing there because you have one of the highest fertility rates in all of Europe.   I found it interesting, as today's guest will touch on, that 60% of infertle individuals reported having higher levels of anxiety and depression   41% of infertile women have depression   87% of infertile women have anxiety   Growing your family is a big deal and a major desire for many. My mom had 3 miscarriages, one before me, one after, and one after my sister. Hearing her story and those of many others has really left a mark on my heart.   I also know first hand that the journey of trying to conceive can come with many emotions. It can be a very emotionally draining, discouraging, and even painful journey.   My hope is that after today's episode you would feel seen, be encouraged, and find hope for what's possible for your health and In growing your family.   Blessings & Hope, Robin *** Tori Black is an RN and Fertility Coach specializing in holistic fertility support. She helps women understand their fertility so that they can improve it naturally!   Listen to the Fruitful Fertility Podcast   Connect with Tori for support: simplywomanandwomb.com   *** Learn how to eat healthy, enjoyable meals simply and consistently. Secure your spot for the What to Eat Masterclass: visiondrivenhealth.com/whattoeat *** When you're ready, here are 4 ways I can support you in your health journey:    1. Grab my free 5 Day Sugar Fast Devotional In this 5 Day Devotional you have the opportunity to drop weight and sugar cravings while gaining a totally new approach to health that is grounded in Jesus. Download it here.    2. Join my free Facebook group  In this group you'll have access to years of resources I've shared along with the new content I put out weekly. Additionally, you'll be in good company with fellow Jesus loving ladies looking to live a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Join us here.    3. Take the Healthy Cooking Made Easy Mini Course  This short course will show you how to enjoy healthy cooking with confidence by saving time, cooking less, and loving what you make! Sign up here.    4. Work with Me Directly Whether it's joining my 6 week course, the Healthy Weight Loss Academy or getting 1-1 coaching, I am all about SIMPLIFYING healthy weight loss and providing the tools and resources you need to create healthy habits you'll keep by partnering with God and following my proven Sustainable Health process. For more info and to apply, click here. 

This week in the cryptocurrency industry, Robinhood's expansion of staking options to European markets, particularly focusing on Solana, indicates a strategic move to engage with the growing interest in staking services abroad and provide users with new investment opportunities. Concurrently, the Ethereum network introduces Blast, a Layer 2 scaling solution, alongside details about its upcoming airdrop, aimed at driving user engagement and improving network performance.Solana's ecosystem sees further development with the introduction of Solayer, a re-staking protocol aimed at optimizing yields and enhancing the efficiency of staking practices on the platform, reflecting ongoing efforts within the Solana community to enhance functionality and user experience. Meanwhile, Chainalysis reports on Eastern and Central & Southern Asia shed light on different patterns and scales of crypto usage, with Eastern Asia maintaining its stronghold in the crypto market, characterized by high adoption rates and significant trading volumes.Today's News

Today we are in Story County, Iowa with the Struthers Family presenting the 183rd Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award sponsored by the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers! We hear from Chuck and Kay Struthers about their farming operation and the family history in ag. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig gives his praise for the Struthers family and talks a little bit about how the Northern Lights impacted ag GPS devices. The Struthers' nominating neighbor discusses the family's impact on the community and how planting season is going in the area. CSIF Executive Director Brian Waddingham talks about the 20th anniversary of the organization and the Good Farm Neighbor Award. Frazier Nursery's Alex Frazier talks up the burr oak that they gift each award presentee. As we stand on a cattle farm with the Struthers family, the Iowa Beef Industry Council's Casey Anderson talks about a recent trade trip to Eastern Asia. You can find a map of where the Good Farm Neighbor Award has been presented and nominate your neighbor at supportfarmers.com!

The sloth bear is the most widespread of the four bear species found in India. More popularly known as “Baloo” from the Jungle Book, sloth bears are found across a large variety of habitats below an altitude of 1,500m, such as tropical forests, scrubland and grasslands. Sloth bears are regionally extinct in Bangladesh and [are listed as “Vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List due to extensive habitat loss and degradation. Additionally, the rising demand for bear bile in Eastern Asia makes the sloth bear susceptible to the illegal wildlife trade. Historically, sloth bears were used for the disturbing “Dancing Bears” practice by the Kalahadhar Tribe. Fortunately, persistent efforts from NGOs, such as Wildlife SOS has ended this horrific practice and rescued all 600 affected bears.Another major threat to the sloth bear is human-wildlife conflict. Interactions between these bears and humans peak during the flowering of the mahua trees in the summer. The mahua fruit is crucial for the livelihoods of indigenous and tribal communities, as they are used not only as fodder and fuel but also to brew local alcohol. However, sloth bears often forage these fruits during the summer, which often leads to fatal human-bear conflicts in central India. In this episode, I interview Dr. Nishith Dharaiya, the co-founder of the Wildlife Conservation Biology Research Foundation.  He is also the co-chair of the IUCN Sloth Bear Expert Team. In this episode,  Nishith talks candidly about his conservation and research work on sloth bears in Gujarat over the last few decades. We also revist his PhD on Gir's lions. Tune in to also learn about the work being done by WCB Research Foundation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anishbanerjee.substack.com

It's like we're walking around blindfolded. We feel we are alone in the universe while spirit guides hover close by, waiting for us to acknowledge them. We feel it all comes down to our wills and to our efforts while energy pours into our hearts from a cosmic Source. Reiki Master Jan Thompson knows those spiritual realms, relying upon them for the healing work she does. It makes her humbler than most, and wiser too. Because she knows we only live our lives on this plain because of the life-giving energies of another. CorrectionJan wants to offer the following clarification: Kuan Yin, who she mentions at the 15:42 mark in our conversation, is a deity from Chinese mythology (not Japanese) who is nevertheless revered throughout Eastern Asia as the Goddess of Compassion and the Bodhisattva of Mercy. Links & ResourcesJan's book: Divine Healing:Powerful Stories of Transformation with Higher Selves and Beings of Light, by Carol Anne Halstead, et al (including Jan's chapter, "All Our Answers Lie Within: Through Love and Forgiveness"); FriesenPress; 2023Jan's Reiki and energy work: https://www.ascensionarts.caJan's dowsing work (with Carol Anne Halstead): https://www.ascensiondowsing.comPersonal LinksMy web site (where you can sign up for my blog): https://www.brianepearson.caMy email address: mysticcaveman53@gmail.comSeries Music Credit"Into the Mystic" by Van Morrison, performed by Colin James, from the album, Limelight, 2005; licensed under SOCAN 2022

Explore key global crypto updates, including India's upcoming exchange database, Eastern Asia's adoption trends, Hong Kong's crypto task force involvement, South Korea's CBDC pilot, Nomura's Tokyo office opening, SBF trial testimony, FTX insider revelations, and Ledger's recent layoffs.#CryptoNews #GlobalCrypto #CBDC #SBFTrial #FTX #Ledger #CryptoIndustryUpdates_____________News Links

Resources for this episode available at 505updates.com. From Edwin Kwan in Sydney, Australia: The New South Wales cashless gambling trial suffered a cyber attack. The state's gaming minister said that it would soon announce an oversight panel, which among other focuses, will also be looking into the data security and data privacy of trial participants.From Olimpiu Pop in Transylvania, Romania: The other week, I decided that ChatGPT is obsolete. I wanted to try Google Bard. Whoops. It doesn't work. According to the site, it's not available in the EU. Does it have something to do with the new European AI Act? From Kadi Grigg in Alexandria, Virginia: The Android Malware family now has a new member: Fluhorse, a dangerous android malware that is targeting users in Eastern Asia. From Katy Craig in San Diego, California: Brett Callow, a threat analyst at Emsisoft, reports that over 200 organizations have fallen victim to the MOVEit bug exploitation. This led to 33 breach disclosures affecting the personal information of more than seventeen and a half million people. The scale of the breach is staggering. From Sourced Network Production in New York City. "It's 5:05". I'm Pokie Huang. Today is Thursday, July 13th. Here's the full story behind today's cyber security and open source headlines...

It's Tuesday, July 11th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus.  (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson 1,000 Nigerian Christians killed in last 30 days Nigeria has turned into the hardest place on Earth for Christians.   Equipping the Persecuted reports that over the last 30 days, more than 1,000 Christians have been brutally killed in Nigeria — a higher rate than ever for the genocide wrought by Muslims in that country since 2008.  Sound of Freedom takes 3rd place at box office Sound of Freedom. That's the major motion picture film addressing the problem of child trafficking. It took third place in the box office over the last week, topping $40 million, reports LifeSiteNews. The goal was to sell 2,000,000 tickets to mirror the number of children who have been trafficked globally.  Remarkably, they have already sold 3,863,582 tickets. Sound of Freedom experienced the most successful opening weekend for a religious film since 2014's Heaven is for Real. Watch the Sound of Freedom trailer and get tickets through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com.    Muslim countries have worst slave trafficking The recently released 2022 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Report on Trafficking in Persons finds that 28% of trafficked persons from Africa and Asia wind up in the Middle East, 10% in Western Europe, 8% in Eastern Asia, and 5% in North America. The Muslim countries again come out as the very worst for slave trafficking.  In relation to the prevention of child abuse and exploitation, Out of the Shadows.global finds the most unsafe nations in the world are largely Muslim countries.  The worst is Niger. Then comes Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, Congo, Ethiopia, Algeria, and Pakistan.   The best places in the world are Canada, France, South Korea, Sweden, and Australia.  If you want to help fund the fight against trafficking, give a donation through Shared Hope International, a group which was featured on Family Talk with Dr. James Dobson in a conversation with former Congresswoman Linda Smith. Their website is www.SharedHope.org. Pervasive porn problem Approximately 35% of all internet downloads are related to pornography. Additionally, 77% of men aged 18-24 visited pornographic websites at least once per month.  And the use among younger men is increasing.   It is estimated to be worth around $97 billion, with annual revenue from U.S.-based companies alone reaching up to $14 billion.  The largest porn-consuming nations in the world are the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Brazil. Those three countries are followed by Japan, France, Mexico, the Philippines, Germany, Italy, Canada, Spain, and Egypt.   The United States, in first place, has 13 times the porn consumers per capita over the number two nation for porn which is the United Kingdom.  Of the major nations in the world, the most unsafe places for the crime of rape include Botswana, South Africa, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Australia, Belgium, and the United States.  71% of Americans support homosexual faux marriage Gallup's annual Values and Beliefs poll conducted back in May found that the number of Americans supporting homosexual mirage, has finally leveled at 71%. That's the same as last year, and up from 35% at the turn of the century. Support for homosexual relationships has dropped Yet the nation's support for same-sex relationships has dropped for the first time from 71% to 64% since last year. The largest demographic that has cooled its enthusiasm for this form of sexual perversion was Republicans — an appreciable drop from 56% support to 41% support.  Jeremiah 18:7-8 says, “The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.” America's social conservatives rising The percent of Americans who call themselves socially conservative is climbing up as well — up to 38% from 30% in 2021.  That's the highest score since 2012.   The ratio of those who refer to themselves as socially liberal has slipped from 33% to 29%, according to the Gallup study.  Disney and Target stocks are down Disney stock closed around $88 yesterday. That's a 55% drop from a $195 high in 2021. Target stock stands at $132 — about half of where the stock stood in November 2021. Walmart stock is up slightly since 2021. What part is pop culture playing in the demise of Target?  Gospel singer Jimmy Levy's song, “Boycott Target,” squeezed out Taylor Swift for the #1 spot on iTunes around the first of June, reports Fox News.  Additionally, Levy's “Reclaim the Rainbow” took the #1 position again last week.  Let's keep in mind 1 John 2:17.  It says, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Sky high mortgage rates Mortgage rates hit 7.22% last week. That's the highest for the year. Buyers are hesitant to jump in. And sellers are more hesitant to sell now that interest rates have doubled over the last 18 months.  Real estate purchase applications are down 22% last week, in a year-over-year comparison.  Layoffs in info tech, designer clothes, luxury cars, comm services Layoffs.fyi calculates a total of 216,000 layoffs thus far in 2023, compared to 165,000 layoffs in 2022 — most of which are technology jobs. Nonetheless, the bull markets for the first six months of 2023 were still the sectors including information technology, designer clothes, luxury cars, and communication services. By contrast, utilities, energy, and health care were the worst performing sectors in the U.S. stock market, reports MSN.  Worldview listeners weigh in from Texas, Rhode Island, & Guatemala Worldview listeners continue to email me about why they like the newscast at Adam@TheWorldview.com.  (Remember to include your whole name, city and state, and your country if outside America.) Marie Curb in Plainview, Texas wrote, “My son, Steven, and I listen to The Worldview while eating breakfast.  We enjoy hearing when God's people take a stand and when you use Scripture to back any point you're making. Thank you for the time and energy put into getting out the truth!” Officer Andrew Morgan in Tiverton, Rhode Island wrote, “I just wanted to write to thank you for the newscast. I really enjoy listening to it on my way to drop my son off at daycare. It keeps me informed of current events from a Christian perspective and calls out sin straightforwardly for what it is. The Worldview serves as a great encouragement, and a constant reminder to pray for the persecuted church. Keep up the good work.” And Philip Reber in Chimaltenango, Guatemala wrote, “I usually listen to your newscast together with the Generations program while I'm at work, partly because my wife only understands Spanish. I enjoy the news coming from a distinctly biblical worldview. And I highly enjoy hearing the news from someone I consider a friend, as we communicate by e-mail occasionally. God bless!” 11 Worldview listeners gave $2,298.38 Recently, 11 Worldview listeners gave toward our $80,000 goal by Monday, July 31st to keep this unique Christian newscast on the air. Our thanks to Cathy in Fate, Texas who gave $25, Abigail in Post Falls, Idaho who gave $30, Shari in Lakeway, Texas who gave $100, and Nathan in Morriston, Swansea, Wales who gave $128.38. We thank God for Michael in Ritzville, Washington who gave $200, Patricia in Windsor, Colorado who gave $300, as well as Kirsten in Fargo, North Dakota and Adrian in Black Creek, British Columbia, Canada – both of whom pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300 each. And we're grateful for the generosity of Joshua in Troy, Alabama who gave $315 and Casey in Apple Valley, California who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600. Those 11 donations add up to $2,298.38. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (Drum roll sound effect) $12,238.88. (Crowd cheering sound effect) In order to hit our $40,000 immediate goal by this Friday, July 14, we still need to raise $27,761.12. I'm looking for 10 Worldview listeners to pledge $100/month for 12 months. Then, we would need 13 to pledge $50/month for 12 months.  And another 26 listeners to pledge $25/month for 12 months.  Just go to TheWorldview.com and click on “Give” at the top right to give what the Lord is prompting you to donate to keep this weekday newscast on the air.  Make sure to select the “Recurring” tab if that's your wish. Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Tuesday, July 11th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Has the word “democracy” become a catch-all for good government? At this point, the idea is so romanticized that it may go unnoticed that the way America is run today is somewhere between a democracy and an oligarchy.Garett Jones, associate professor of Economics at George Mason University, delves into those questions in his book 10% Less Democracy: Why You Should Trust Elites a Little More and the Masses a Little Less. He also studies the factors and foundations of economic growth in his book The Culture Transplant: How Migrants Make the Economies They Move To a Lot Like The Ones They Left. Garett and Greg discuss the true meaning of the word “democracy,” whether it's better to have a well-educated elite calling the shots, and how migration can actually determine how prosperous a country will be. *unSILOed Podcast is produced by University FM.*Episode Quotes:What we love about our so-called ‘democratic system” are its most undemocratic parts03:18: When people use the phrase "we're a nation of laws, not of men," that's a way of saying in the short run, democracy doesn't decide how this trial turns out; the voters don't get to rule on this. We have some rules we set a long time ago. We have some nerdy judges who oversee the system, and they're making the decisions. So a lot of what we love about our so-called “democratic system" are its most undemocratic parts.08:54: The closer a politician is to voters, the further the politician is from wisdom.How do we measure democracy?06:09: The modern methods of measuring democracy often make this mistake of blurring together, like actual voter participation in government with neutral rules that can't be manipulated in the short run. So the first part, to me, is truly democratic. The second part is pretty much judicial independence, which is not democratic.Can migration determine how prosperous a country will be?43:04: The most important channel through which immigration of people from places like China and Western Europe the way that ends up shaping broadly shared prosperity is through our old cliche in economics, which is institutions. So for reasons that are somewhat poorly understood, countries that wind up with a lot of migrants from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, or Eastern Asia tend to wind up with better institutions, better rules of the game. Better rule of law, lower corruption, and that by itself creates a better set of rules that help create broadly shared prosperity for everyone.Show Links:Recommended Resources:The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies Choose Bad Policies by Bryan CaplanPolitical Realism by Jonathan RauchIron law of oligarchyPolitical Parties by Robert MichelsTammany HallGuest Profile:Faculty Profile at George Mason UniversityGarett Jones WebsiteGarrett Jones on LinkedInGarett Jones on TwitterHis Work:10% Less Democracy: Why You Should Trust Elites a Little More and the Masses a Little LessThe Culture Transplant: How Migrants Make the Economies They Move To a Lot Like The Ones They LeftHive Mind: How Your Nation's IQ Matters So Much More Than Your OwnBanking Crises: Perspectives from the New Palgrave Dictionary of EconomicArticles on EconlibMore scholarly articles

Dave DeCamp returned to Antiwar Radio this week to discuss developments in Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia. Scott and DeCamp talk about the U.S. drone encounter with Russian fighters over the Black Sea, the horrific battle for Bakhmut and the unnecessary tensions with China over Taiwan. Discussed on the show: “Who's Your George Ball?” (Hersh Substack [paywall]) “Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut: ‘Our troops are not being protected'” (Kyiv Independent) “US Intelligence Officials See China Preparing for Fight 'They Don't Want'” (VOA) “China: For some, where restraint ends and hawkishness begins” (Responsible Statecraft) Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com and the host of Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Download Episode. Dave DeCamp returned to Antiwar Radio this week to discuss developments in Eastern Europe and Eastern Asia. Scott and DeCamp talk about the U.S. drone encounter with Russian fighters over the Black Sea, the horrific battle for Bakhmut and the unnecessary tensions with China over Taiwan. Discussed on the show: “Who's Your George Ball?” (Hersh Substack [paywall]) “Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut: ‘Our troops are not being protected'” (Kyiv Independent) “US Intelligence Officials See China Preparing for Fight 'They Don't Want'” (VOA) “China: For some, where restraint ends and hawkishness begins” (Responsible Statecraft) Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com and the host of Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp. Follow him on Twitter @decampdave This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott. Get Scott's interviews before anyone else! Subscribe to the Substack. Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjY

Aung San Suu Kyi - Fear Creates Corruption - Nobel Acceptance Speech! Hi, I'm Christy Shriver and we're here to discuss books that have changed the world and have changed us. And I'm Garry Shriver, and this is the How to Love Lit Podcast. This week, we want to turn our attention to the words and ideas of peace advocate and Nobel Laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi. Her story is set in Southeast Asia. A region that includes the nations of Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. It is the most diverse region of Asia and includes hundreds of different cultures, religions, racial make ups and languages. Just politically there are nine different kinds of regimes represented in this region of the world, ranging from military juntas, like Myanmar to monarchies like Brunei to democracies like the Philippines. Freedom House, a non-profit that monitors democracies and indexes freedoms around the world, does not rate a single country in the region as “free”. Countries such as The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia are rated as partly free, but Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam are not. Of course, there are many variables that create barriers to freedom in the region, and each country has its own unique story. This week, we want to explore the story of Myanmar and of a woman who has devoted her life to its survival. Many people may know Myanmar by its other name, Burma. Yes, and that is confusing. Up until 1989, it was called Burma, but in 1989, the military dictatorship changed the name of the country claiming it was more historically accurate to call it Myanmar instead of the British-derived Burma. However, there was no public referendum on that, and many opposed the change, including Aung San Suu Kyi. She, along with many others continue to refer to the country as Burma. This is just one indication of the many political problems that plague this nation. The country is large, over 55 million people life there. It's natural beauty ranges from pristine beaches to the Himalayan mountains where many tribal groups live in relative seclusion. Myanmar has cool wildlife like tigers and leopards and elephants. It's full of of buddhist temples, in fact, there are thousands pagodas in Myanmar earning the country the nickname, the land of pagodas, just the ancient Bagan city has over 2000 still standing. Almost any landscape picture of Myanmar will showcase the glittery golden pagodas that dot the landscape, reminding us that this is a with a deep and rich history. But before we get too far into politics or religion, let's situate it geographically. It is bordered by India to the West, and by Western China, Thailand and Laos to the east. It is also the largest nation in continental Southeast Asia. Remember India is considered Southern Asia, and China is considered Eastern Asia, so Mynamar is between the two. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode we look at some of the physical evidence from this period.  In particular, since we are talking about the sovereign known as Ankan Tenno, we will look at a glass bowl, said to have come from his tomb, which appears to have made its way all the way from Sassanid Persia to Japan between the 5th and 6th centuries CE.  Along the way we'll take a brief look at the route that such an item may have taken to travel across the Eurasian continent all the way to Japan. For more on this episode, check out https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-79 Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 79:  Ankan's Glass Bowl. We are currently in the early part of the 6th century.  Last episode was our New Year's wrapup, but just before that we talked about the reign of Magari no Ōye, aka Ohine, aka Ankan Tennō.   According to the Chronicles, he was the eldest son of Wohodo, aka Keitai Tennō, coming to the throne in 534.  For all of the various Miyake, or Royal Grannaries, that he granted, his reign only lasted about two years, coming to an unfortunate end in the 12th month of 535.  The Chronicles claim that Ohine was 70 years old when he died, which would seem to indicate he was born when his father, Wohodo, was only 13 years of age.  That seems rather young, but not impossibly so. It is said that Ankan Tennō was buried on the hill of Takaya, in the area of Furuichi.  And that is where my personal interest in him and his short reign might end, if not for a glass bowl that caught my eye in the Tokyo National Museum. Specifically, it was the Heiseikan, which is where the Tokyo National Museum hosts special exhibitions, but it also hosts a regular exhibition on Japanese archaeology.  In fact, if you ever get the chance, I highly recommend checking it out.  I mean, let's be honest, the Tokyo National Museum is one of my favorite places to visit when I'm in Tokyo.  I think there is always something new—or at least something old that I find I'm taking a second look at. The Japanese archaeology section of the Heiseikan covers from the earliest stone tools through the Jomon, Yayoi, Kofun, and up to about the Nara period.  They have originals or replicas of many items that we've talked about on the podcast, including the gold seal of King Na of Wa, the Suda Hachiman mirror, and the swords from Eta Funayama and Inariyama kofun, which mention Wakatakiru no Ōkimi, generally thought to be the sovereign known as Yuuryaku Tennō.  They also have one of the large iron tate, or shields, on loan from Isonokami Shrine, and lots of bronze mirrors and various types of haniwa. Amongst this treasure trove of archaeological artifacts, one thing caught my eye from early on.  It is a small, glass bowl, round in shape, impressed throughout with a series of round indentations, almost like a giant golf ball.  Dark brown streaks crisscross the bowl, where it has been broken and put back together at some point in the past.  According to the placard, this Juuyo Bunkazai, or Important Cultural Property, is dated to about the 6th century, was produced somewhere in West Asia, and it is said to have come from the tomb of none other than Ankan Tennō himself. This has always intrigued me.  First and foremost there is the question of provenance—while there are plenty of tombs that have been opened over the years, generally speaking the tombs of the imperial family, especially those identified as belonging to reigning sovereigns, have been off limits to most archaeological investigations.  So how is it that we have artifacts identified with the tomb of Ankan Tennō, if that is the case? The second question, which almost trumps the first, is just how did a glass bowl from west Asia make it all the way to Japan in the 6th century?  Of course, Japan and northeast Asia in general were not strangers to glassmaking—glass beads have a long history both on the Korean peninsula and in the archipelago, including the molds used to make them.  However, it is one thing to melt glass and pour it into molds, similar to working with cast bronze.  These bowls, however, appear to be something different.  They were definitely foreign, and, as we shall see, they had made quite the journey. So let's take a look and see if we can't answer both of these questions, and maybe learn a little bit more about the world of 6th century Japan along the way. To start with, let's look at the provenance of this glass bowl.  Provenance is important—there are numerous stories of famous “finds” that turned out to be fakes, or else items planted by someone who wanted to get their name out there.  Archaeology—and its close cousin, paleontology—can get extremely competitive, and if you don't believe me just look up the Bone Wars of the late 19th century.  Other names that come to mind:  The infamous Piltdown man, the Cardiff Giant, and someone we mentioned in one of our first episodes, Fujimura Shin'ichi, who was accused of salting digs to try to claim human habitation in Japan going back hundreds of thousands of years. This is further complicated by the fact that, in many cases, the situation behind a given find is not necessarily well documented.  There are Edo period examples of Jomon pottery, or haniwa, that were found, but whose actual origins have been lost to time.  Then there are things like the seal of King Na of Wa, which is said to have been discovered by a farmer, devoid of the context that would help to otherwise clear the questions that continue to surround such an object.  On top of this, there are plenty of tombs that have been worn down over the ages—where wind and water have eroded the soil, leaving only the giant stone bones, or perhaps washing burial goods into nearby fields or otherwise displacing them. So what is the story with the tomb of Ankan Tennō, and this glass bowl? To answer this, let's first look at the tomb attributed to Ankan Tennō.  The Nihon Shoki tells us in the 8th century that this tomb was located at Takaya, in the area of Furuichi.  This claim is later repeated by the Engi Shiki in the 10th century.  Theoretically, the compilers of both of these works had some idea of where this was, but in the hundreds of years since then, a lot has happened.  Japan has seen numerous governments, as well as war, famine, natural disaster, and more.  At one point, members of the royal household were selling off calligraphy just to pay for the upkeep of the court, and while the giant kofun no doubt continued to be prominent features for locals in the surrounding areas, the civilian and military governments of the intervening centuries had little to no budget to spare for their upkeep.  Records were lost, as were many details. Towards the end of the Edo period, and into the early Meiji, a resurgence in interest in the royal, or Imperial, family and their ancient mausoleums caused people to investigate the texts and attempt to identify mausoleums for each of the sovereigns, as well as other notable figures, in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki.  Given that many of those figures are likely fictional or legendary individuals, one can see how this may be problematic.  And yet, the list that eventually emerged has become the current list of kofun protected by the Imperial Household Agency as imperial mausolea. Based on what we know, today, some of these official associations seem obviously questionable.  Some of them, for instance, are not even keyhole shaped tombs—for instance, some are circular, or round tombs, where the claim is often made that the other parts of the tomb were eroded or washed away.  Still others engender their own controversy, such as who, exactly, is buried in Daisen-ryō, the largest kofun, claimed to be the resting place of Ōsazaki no Mikoto, aka Nintoku Tennō.  Some people, however, claim that it is actually the sovereign Woasatsuma Wakugo, aka Ingyō Tennō, who is buried there, instead.  What is the truth?  Well, without opening up the main tomb, who is to say, and even then it is possible that any evidence may have already been lost to the acidic soils of the archipelago, which are hardly kind to organic matter. By the way, quick divergence, here—if you look up information on Daisen-ryō, aka Daisen Kofun, you may notice that there are drawings of a grave, including a coffin, associated with it.  That might get you thinking, as I did at one point, that Daisen kofun had already been opened, but it turns out that was a grave on the slopes of the square end of the kofun, and not from the main, circular burial mound.  Theoretically this may have been an important consort, or perhaps offspring or close relative of the main individual interred in the kofun, but most likely it is not for the person for whom the giant mound was actually erected.  So, yes, Daisen kofun remains unopened, at least as far as we know. As for the kofun identified for Ankan Tennō, today that is the tomb known as Furuichi Tsukiyama Kofun, aka Takaya Tsukiyama Kofun.  While the connection to Ankan Tennō may be somewhat unclear, the kofun has had its own colorful history, in a way.  Now most of the reports I could find, from about '92 up to 2022, place this kofun, which is a keyhole shaped kofun, in the correct time period—about the early to mid-6th century, matching up nicely with a 534 to 535 date for the reign given to Ankan Tennō.  But what is fascinating is the history around the 15th to 16th centuries.  It was just after the Ounin War, in 1479, when Hatakeyama Yoshihiro decided to build a castle here, placing the honmaru, the main enclosure, around the kofun, apparently incorporating the kofun and its moats into the castle design.  The castle, known as Takaya Castle, would eventually fall to Oda Nobunaga's forces in 1575, and most of the surrounding area was burned down in the fighting, bringing the kofun's life as a castle to an end. Some of the old earthworks still exist, however, and excavations in the area have helped determine the shape of the old castle, though there still have not been any fulsome excavations of the mound that I have found.  This makes sense as the kofun is designated as belonging to a member of the imperial lineage. There are, however, other keyhole shaped kofun from around the early 6th century that are also found in the same area, which also could be considered royal mausolea, and would seem to fit the bill just as well as this particular tomb.  In addition, there are details in the Chronicles, such as the fact that Magari no Ohine, aka Ankan Tennō, was supposedly buried with his wife and his younger sister.  This is, however, contradicted by records like the 10th century Engi Shiki, where two tombs are identified, one for Ankan Tennō and one for his wife, Kasuga no Yamada, so either the Chronicles got it wrong, or there were already problems with tomb identification just two centuries later.  So we still aren't entirely sure that this is Ankan Tennō's tomb. But at least we know that the glass bowl came from a 6th century kingly tomb, even if that tomb was only later identified as belonging to Ankan Tennō, right? Well, not so fast. The provenance on the bowl is a bit more tricky than that.  You see, the bowl itself came to light in 1950, when a private individual in Fuse, Ōsaka invited visiting scholar Ishida Mosaku to take a look.  According to his report at the time, the bowl was in a black lacquered box and wrapped in a special cloth, with a written inscription that indicated that the bowl had been donated to a temple in Furuichi named Sairin-ji. There are documents from the late Edo period indicating that various items were donated to Sairin-ji temple between the 16th to the 18th centuries, including quote-unquote “utensils” said to have been washed out of the tomb believed to be that of Ankan Tennō.  Ishida Mosaku and other scholars immediately connected this glass bowl with one or more of those accounts.  They were encouraged by the fact that there is a similar bowl found in the Shōsōin, an 8th century repository at Tōdai-ji temple, in Nara, which houses numerous artifacts donated on behalf of Shōmu Tennō.  Despite the gulf of time between them—two hundred years between the 6th and 8th centuries—this was explained away in the same way that Han dynasty mirrors, made in about the 3rd century, continued to show up in burials for many hundreds of years afterwards, likewise passed down as familial heirlooms. Still, the method of its discovery, the paucity of direct evidence, and the lack of any direct connection with where it came from leaves us wondering—did this bowl really come from the tomb of Ankan Tennō?  Even moreso, did it come from a 6th century tomb at all?  Could it not have come from some other tomb? We could tie ourselves up in knots around this question, and I would note that if you look carefully at the Tokyo National Museum's own accounting of the object they do mention that it is quote-unquote “possibly” from the tomb of Ankan Tennō. What does seem clear, however, is that its manufacture was not in Japan.  Indeed, however it came to our small group of islands on the northeastern edge of the Eurasian continent, it had quite the journey, because it does appear to be genuinely from the Middle East—specifically from around the time of the Sassanian or Sassanid empire, the first Iranian empire, centered on the area of modern Iran. And it isn't the only one.  First off, of course, there is the 8th century bowl in the Shousoin I just mentioned, but there are also examples of broken glass found on Okinoshima, an island deep in the middle of the strait between Kyushu and the Korean peninsula, which has a long history as a sacred site, mentioned in the Nihon Shoki, and attached to the Munakata shrine in modern Fukuoka.  Both Okinoshima and the Shōsōin—at least as part of the larger Nara cultural area—are on the UNESCO register of World Heritage sites, along with the Mozu-Furuichi kofun group, of which the Takaya Tsukiyama kofun is one.. Okinoshima is a literal treasure trove for archaeologists. However, its location and status have made it difficult to fully explore.  The island is still an active sacred site, and so investigations are balanced with respect for local tradition.  The lone occupant of the island is a Shinto priest, one of about two dozen who rotate spending 10 days out at the island, tending the sacred site.  Women are still not allowed, and for centuries, one day a year they allowed up to 200 men on the island after they had purified themselves in the ocean around the island.  Since then, they have also opened up to researchers, as well as military and media, at least in some instances. The island is apparently littered with offerings.  Investigations have demonstrated that this island has been in use since at least the 4th century.  As a sacred site, guarding the strait between Kyushu and the Korean peninsula, fishermen and sailors of all kinds would make journeys to the island and leave offerings of one kind or another, and many of them are still there: clay vessels, swords, iron ingots, bronze mirrors, and more.  The island's location, which really is in the middle of the straits, and not truly convenient to any of the regular trading routes, means that it has never really been much of a strategic site, just a religious one, and one that had various religious taboos, so it hasn't undergone the centuries of farming and building that have occurred elsewhere. Offerings are scattered in various places, often scattered around or under boulders and large rocks that were perhaps seen as particularly worthy of devotion.  Since researchers have been allowed in, over 80,000 treasures have been found and catalogued.  Among those artifacts that have been brought back is glass, including glass from Sassanid Persia.  Pieces of broken glass bowls, like the one said to have come from Ankan's tomb, as well as what appear to be beads made from broken glass pieces, have been recovered over the years, once more indicating their presence in the trade routes to the mainland, although when, exactly, they came over can be a little more difficult to place. That might be helped by two other glass artifacts, also found in the archaeological exhibit of the Heiseikan in the Tokyo National Museum: a glass bowl and dish discovered at Niizawa Senzuka kofun Number 126, in Kashihara city, in Nara. This burial is believed to date to the latter half of the 5th century, and included an iron sword, numerous gold fittings and jewelry, and even an ancient clothes iron, which at the time looked like a small frying pan, where you could put hot coals or similar items in the pan and use the flat bottom to help iron out wrinkles in cloth.  Alongside all of this were also discovered two glass vessels.  One was a dark, cobalt-blue plate, with a stand and very shallow conical shape.  The other was a round glass bowl with an outwardly flared lip.  Around the smooth sides, the glass has been marked with three rows of circular dots that go all the way around, not dissimilar from the indentations in the Ankan and Shōsōin glass bowls. All of these, again, are believed to have come from Sassanid Persia, modern Iran, and regardless of the provenance of the Ankan bowl, it seems that we have clear evidence that Sassanian glassworks were making their way to Japan.  But how?  How did something like glass—hardly known for being the most robust of materials—make it all the way from Sassanid Persia to Yamato between the 5th and 8th centuries? To start with, let's look at Sassanid Persia and its glass. Sassanid Persia—aka Sassanid or Sassanian Iran—is the name given to the empire that replaced the Parthian empire, and is generally agreed to have been founded sometime in the early 3rd century.  The name “Sassanid” refers to the legendary dynastic founder, Sassan, though the first historical sovereign appears to be Ardeshir I, who helped put the empire on the map. Ardeshir I called his empire “Eran sahr”, and it is often known as an Iranian or Persian empire, based on their ties to Pars and the use of the Middle Persian, or Farsi, language.   For those not already well aware, Farsi is one of several Iranian languages, though over the years many of the various Iranian speaking peoples would often be classified as “Persian” in English literature.  That said, there is quite a diversity of Iranian languages and people who speak them, including Farsi, Pashto, Dari, Tajik, and the ancient Sogdian language, which I'm sure we'll touch on more given their importance in the ancient silk road trade.  Because of the ease with which historical “Iranian” ethnic groups can be conflated with the modern state, I am going to largely stick with the term Persian, here, but just be aware that the two words are often, though not always, interchangeable. The Sassanid dynasty claimed a link to the older Achaemenid dynasty, and over the subsequent five centuries of their rule they extended their borders, dominating the area between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf, eastward to much of modern Afghanistan and Pakistan, running right up to the Hindu Kush and the Pamir mountains.  They held sway over much of Central Asia, including the area of Transoxiana.  With that they had access to both the sea routes, south of India and the overland routes through the Tianshan mountains and the northern and southern routes around the great Taklamakan desert – so, basically, any trade passing between Central and East Asia would pass through Sassanid territory. The Persian empire of the Sassanids was pre-Islamic—Islamic Arab armies would not arrive until about the 7th century, eventually bringing an end to the Sassanid dynasty.  Until that point, the Persian empire was largely Zoroastrian, an Iranian religion based around fire temples, restored after the defeat of the Parthians, where eternal flames were kept burning day and night as part of their ritual practice.  The Sassanids inherited a Persian culture in an area that had been dominated by the Parthians, and before that the Hellenistic Seleucids, and their western edge bordered with the Roman empire.  Rome's establishment in the first century BCE coincided with the invention of glassblowing techniques, and by the time of the Sassanid Empire these techniques seem to have been well established in the region. Sassanid glass decorated with patterns of ground, cut, and polished hollow facets—much like what we see in the examples known in the Japanese islands—comes from about the 5th century onward.  Prior to that, the Sassanian taste seems to have been for slightly less extravagant vessels, with straight or slightly rounded walls. Sassanid glass was dispersed in many different directions along their many trade routes across the Eurasian continent, and archaeologists have been able to identify glass from this region not just by its shape, but by the various physical properties based on the formulas and various raw materials used to make the glass. As for the trip to Japan, this was most likely through the overland routes.  And so the glass would have been sold to merchants who would take it up through Transoxiana, through passes between the Pamirs and the Tianshan mountains, and then through a series of oasis towns and city-states until it reached Dunhuang, on the edge of the ethnic Han sphere of influence. For a majority of this route, the glass was likely carried by Sogdians, another Iranian speaking people from the region of Transoxiana.  Often simply lumped in with the rest of the Iranian speaking world as “Persians”, Sogdians had their own cultural identity, and the area of Sogdia is known to have existed since at least the ancient Achaemenid dynasty.  From the 4th to the 8th century, Sogdian traders plied the sands of Central Eurasia, setting up a network of communities along what would come to be known as the Silk Road. It is along this route that the glassware, likely packed in straw or some other protective material, was carried on the backs of horses, camels, and people along a journey of several thousand kilometers, eventually coming to the fractious edge of the ethnic Han sphere.  Whether it was these same Sogdian traders that then made their way to the ocean and upon boats out to the Japanese islands is unknown, but it is not hard imagining crates being transferred from merchant to merchant, east, to the Korean Peninsula, and eventually across the sea. The overland route from Sogdia is one of the more well-known—and well-worn—routes on what we modernly know as the Silk Road, and it's very much worth taking the time here to give a brief history of how this conduit between Western Asia/Europe and Eastern Asia developed over the centuries.  One of the main crossroads of this area is the Tarim Basin, the area that, today, forms much of Western China, with the Tianshan mountains in the north and the Kunlun Mountains, on the edge of the Tibetan plateau, to the south.  In between is a large desert, the Taklamakan desert, which may have once been a vast inland sea.  Even by the Han dynasty, a vast saltwater body known as the Puchang Sea existed in its easternmost regions.  Comparable to some of the largest of the Great Lakes, and fed by glacial run-off, the lake eventually dwindled to become the salt-marshes around Lop Nur.  And yet, researchers still find prominent boat burials out in what otherwise seems to be the middle of the desert. Around the Tarim basin were various cultures, often centered on oases at the base of the mountains.  Runoff from melting ice and snow in the mountains meant a regular supply of water, and by following the mountains one could navigate from watering hole to watering hole, creating a natural roadway through the arid lands.  In the middle of the Basin, however, is the great Taklamakan desert, and even during the Han dynasty it was a formidable and almost unpassable wasteland.  One could wander the sands for days or weeks with no water and no indication of direction other than the punishing sun overhead.  It is hardly a nice place and remains largely unpopulated, even today. While there were various cultures and city-states around the oasis towns, the first major power that we know held sway, at least over the northern route, were the Xiongnu.  Based in the area of modern Mongolia, the Xiongnu swept down during the Qin and early Han dynasties, displacing or conquering various people. An early exploration of the Tarim basin and its surroundings was conducted by the Han dynasty diplomat, Zhang Qian.  Zhang Qian secretly entered Xiongnu territory with the goal of reaching the Yuezhi—a nomadic group that had been one of those displaced by the Xiongnu.  The Yuezhi had been kicked out of their lands in the Gansu region and moved all the way to the Ferghana valley, in modern Tajikistan, a part of the region known as Transoxiana.  Although Zhang Qian was captured and spent 10 years in service to the Xiongnu, he never forgot his mission and eventually made his way to the Yuezhi.  By that time, however, the Yuezhi had settled in to their new life, and they weren't looking for revenge. While Zhang Qian's news may have been somewhat disappointing for the Han court, what was perhaps more important was the intelligence he brought back concerning the routes through the Tarim basin, and the various people there, as well as lands beyond.  The Han dynasty continued to assert itself in the area they called the “Western Regions”, and General Ban Chao would eventually be sent to defeat the Xiongnu and loosen their hold in the region, opening up the area all the way to modern Kashgar.  Ban Chao would even send an emissary, Gan Ying, to try to make the journey all the way to the Roman empire, known to the Han court as “Daqin”, using the name of the former Qin dynasty as a sign of respect for what they had heard.  However, Gan Ying only made it as far as the land of Anxi—the name given to Parthia—where he was told that to make it to Rome, or Daqin, would require crossing the ocean on a voyage that could take months or even years.  Hearing this, Gan Ying decided to turn back and report on what he knew. Of course if he actually made it to the Persian Gulf—or even to the Black Sea, as some claim—Gan Ying would have been much closer to Rome than the accounts lead us to believe. It is generally thought that he was being deliberately mislead by Parthian merchants who felt they might be cut out if Rome and the Han Dynasty formed more direct relations.  Silks from East Asia, along with other products, were already a lucrative opportunity for middlemen across the trade routes, and nobody wanted to be cut out of that position if they could help it. That said, the Parthians and, following them the Sassanid Persians, continued to maintain relationships with dynasties at the other end of what we know as the Silk Road, at least when they could.  The Sassanid Persians, when they came to power, were known to the various northern and southern dynasties as Bosi—possibly pronounced something like Puasie, at the time, no doubt their attempt to render the term “Parsi”.  We know of numerous missions in both directions between various dynasties, and Sassanian coins are regularly found the south of modern China. And so we can see that even in the first and second centuries, Eurasia was much more connected than one might otherwise believe.  Goods would travel from oasis town to oasis town, and be sold in markets, where they might just be picked up by another merchant.  Starting in the fourth century, the Sogdian merchants began to really make their own presence known along these trade routes.  They would set up enclaves in various towns, and merchants would travel from Sogdian enclave to Sogdian enclave with letters of recommendation, as well as personal letters for members of the community, setting up their own early postal service.  This allowed the Sogdian traders to coordinate activities and kept them abreast of the latest news.     I'm not sure we have a clear indication how long this trip would take.  Theoretically, one could travel from Kashgar to Xi'an and back in well under a year, if one were properly motivated and provisioned—it is roughly 4,000 kilometers, and travel would have likely been broken up with long stays to rest and refresh at the various towns along the way. I've personally had the opportunity to travel from Kashgar to Turpan, though granted it was in the comfort of an air conditioned bus.  Still, having seen the modern conditions, the trip would be grueling, but not impossible back in the day, and if the profits were lucrative enough, then why not do it—it is not dissimilar to the adventurers from Europe in the 16th century who went out to sea to find their own fortunes.  And so the glass bowl likely made its way through the markets of the Tarim basin, to the markets of various capitals in the Yellow River or Yangzi regions—depending on who was in charge in any given year—and eventually made its way to the Korean peninsula and from there to a ship across the Korean strait. Of course, those ships weren't simply holding a single glass vessel.  Likely they were laden with a wide variety of goods.  Some things, such as fabric, incense, and other more biodegradable products would not be as likely to remain, and even glass breaks and oxidizes, and metal rusts away.  Furthermore, many of the goods had likely been picked over by the time any shipments arrived in the islands, making things such as these glass bowls even more rare and scarce. Still, this bowl, whether it belonged to Ankan or not, tells us a story.  It is the story of a much larger world, well beyond the Japanese archipelago, and one that will be encroaching more and more as we continue to explore this period.  Because it wasn't just physical goods that were being transported along the Silk Road.  The travelers also carried with them news and new ideas.  One of these ideas was a series of teachings that came out of India and arrived in China during the Han dynasty, known as Buddhism.  It would take until the 6th century, but Buddhism would eventually make its way to Japan, the end of the Silk Road. But that is for another episode.  For now, I think we'll close out our story of Ankan and his glass bowl.  I hope you've enjoyed this little diversion, and from here we'll continue on with our narrative as we edge closer and closer to the formal introduction of Buddhism and the era known as the Asuka Period. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support.  If you like what we are doing, tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to Tweet at us at @SengokuPodcast, or reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.      

In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues is joined by Giulia Pompili to talk about how both Russia and China work to increase their influence in European politics. The conversation focuses specifically on Italy. Giulia is a well-known journalist at Il Foglio, where she covers Eastern Asia. She is also the author of the Katane newsletter, and we had her come last year to talk about her previous book, Sotto lo stesso Cielo. This time, however, she's here to talk about her new book, which was co-written with Valerio Valentini and covers the topic of the day. It is in Italian and it is called Al cuore dell'Italia, whose full title translates as “To The Heart of Italy: How Russia and China are Trying To Conquer The Country”. What happened in the spring of 2020 in Italy? Are there similarities in the ways the Chinese Communist Party and Putin's regime have tried to capture Italian elites? Are there common features or motives that makes an individual pro-Russian or pro-Chinese? How Chinese and Russian institutions have attempted to influence and control the Italian press? What are the challenges ahead for the new Italian government? Listen for answers to these questions and more in this episode. Find Giulia Pompili on Twitter @giuliapompili Find Thibault Muzergues on Twitter @tmuzergues Find .think atlantic on Twitter @ThinkAtlantic Find IRI on Twitter @IRIglobal

Racquel Reid is a certified This Naked Mind coach with a unique story of recovery. In this episode, Racquel shares her drinking story and explains why her life got smaller 11 years ago when she first stopped drinking, and how after years of feeling “abnormal” and hiding away from the world, she rediscovered her power and magic and has built a life beyond what she could have imagined. Both in the “zigs and zags” of menopause, Racquel and Wendy discuss how happy they are to be alcohol-free at this stage of their hormonal lives and how they have both discovered a confidence and clarity in menopause. Racquel shares her next big leap: taking her coaching business on the road as she explores South America and Eastern Asia on her own. As a coach, Racquel works primarily with women who have already stopped drinking but are feeling disempowered and less than magical about their own lives. More about Racquel: http://www.racquelreid.com/

On today's episode of Xendependently Minded, I discuss Giorgia Meloni, Italy's Prime Minister, abolishing vaccine mandates and reinstating healthcare workers, an article in The Atlantic (brought to you by Pfizer) calling for "Pandemic Amnesty", Kyrie Irving vs. the Brooklyn Nets, NBA, and the world, and North Korea/South Korea and the impending conflict(s) in Eastern Asia. Where to find me: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/xen-podcasts/id1476108045?uo=4 Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kNDU0ZTI4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0W9iIqryRFYnGTIh8uWxS4 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/xendependently-minded Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xendependentpodcast Twitter:XenPods Facebook: Xendependently Minded TikTok: XendependentlyMindedPod --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/xendependentlyminded/message

A new trend is emerging out of Eastern Asia that may have big impacts on the world of publishing. It's called VTubing. And today we are talking all about the rise of making your fictional characters famous on social platforms, how to approach setting up a subscription for beginners, crushing it on Kickstarter/crowdfunding for special bookish projects, and opening a mobile bookstore with the amazing author Z. Knight.Z. Knight's Links:https://authorzknight.com/https://www.patreon.com/authorzknightJoin Ream, the subscription platform by authors for authors: https://www.ream.ink/And join our free community of subscription authors: https://www.facebook.com/groups/subscriptionsforauthorsYou can also find the episode transcripts here: https://subscriptionsforauthors.com/podcasthomeEPISODE OUTLINE:0:00 - 2:00 Introduction and Context2:00 - 5:20 From Indie Games to Indie Publisher to Indie Author5:20 - 6:47 How Z Got Started with Subscriptions6:47 - 8:44 What Z Learned When Starting Subscriptions8:44 - 12:15 What Z Knight Learned from Starting her own Publishing Company12:15 - 17:47 How Z Started a Mobile Bookstore17:47 - 19:38 Trigger Cities from Spotify, Trigger Cities for Books19:38 - 21:53 How Z Got Her Kickstarter to Fund Successfully21:53 - 25:38 Selling Your Readers On Unique Projects (Special Editions, etc.)25:38 - 30:40 Finding Readers through Live-streaming30:40 - 32:51 Getting Your Character 1 Million Followers on the Internet32:51 - 35:44 The Ideas Segment: Study Rooms for Your Readers, Twitch meets LitRPG and GenZ35:44 - 38:09 Why Experimenting is Key as An Author38:09 - 39:58 VTubing as an Author or as one of Your Characters39:58 - 41:47 Livestreaming is Mainstream for Storytellers and a Gen Z Audience41:47 - 44:32 The Start-up Creating Audible for Latin America44:32 - 49:59 How Z. Knight Is Building Her Subscription49:59 - 54:00 How Z Knight Finds Readers for Her Books54:00 - 55:56 ConclusionInteresting Links:Trigger Cities Spotify: https://playlistpush.com/blog/trigger-cities-bot-cities/Graphic Novel/Comic Book Market Size: https://bit.ly/3LW6pJaAudible for Latin America: https://beek.io/enPicture of Michael's Bus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFN7M2ED1lEABOUT REAM:Ream is a platform that helps authors make money with subscriptions.You can join Ream, the only platform built by authors for authors, here: https://ream.inkThank you so much for listening to this podcast! Always feel free to reach out to the team at contact@ream.ink. Happy writing everyone :)

The final leg of the European triple header is upon us, before the long journey to Eastern Asia, made for the first time in three years. Can the Scuderia find success at their home Grand Prix, or will Max Verstappen be victorious for the first time at Monza?Listen to the Podcast on a variety of streaming platforms:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7wl1QhIo1eKUAJ1oDqNWOO?si=rgdC5-VcSqWSIS1_Hl1eDgYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9H6HnfQos9sirDZpyKGpfQ/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f1-weekly/id1546519692Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/show/f1-weekly

Hello Interactors,There have been huge advances in how food is grown over the last decade. A new revolution in agriculture. It just may be coming at the right time. The world’s population is skyrocketing, and more and more people are pouring into cities. We’ll need more food and more ways to make it accessible and new techniques look promising. But at what cost?As interactors, you’re special individuals self-selected to be a part of an evolutionary journey. You’re also members of an attentive community so I welcome your participation.Please leave your comments below or email me directly.Now let’s go…A BERRY BIG PROBLEMThe red dot caught my attention; hidden in the soil of a bed once forgotten. Rain drops wiggled on the fervent green leaves as I lifted the cold pale yellow-green vine with ease. It was hugging its red friend in the shadows of the sun. My fingers surrounded the plump little ball as I tugged it loose of its clutches. On to my tongue enveloped in warmth as my teeth clamped down in the darkness. A cool and wet sugary burst lit my mouth with summer’s first gift. No sooner did the strawberry’s sweet secretion burst were my eyes darting for another with thirst.In Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Braiding Sweetgrass, she reminds us that strawberries are like “gifts simply scattered at your feet. A gift comes to you through no action of your own, free, having moved toward you without your beckoning. It is not a reward; you cannot earn it, or call it to you, or even deserve it. And yet it appears. Your only role is to be open-eyed and present.”Like the naturally occurring strawberries of her childhood, my strawberries just appeared one year. Probably a gift from a bird. Or, more likely, a rabbit. Most years the rabbits beat me to their splendor, but not this time.I get nostalgic around gardens. I’m not sure why. I never much liked being hunched over in the sweltering humidity pulling weeds and picking beans as a kid. Bugs buzzed erratically – irritably itchy inching near my ears. Heat seeking mosquitos swarmed my sweaty shins poking their needle through my white knee-high tube socks searching for red blood. But there’s pride in growing your own food and there’s no denying it’s better for you and better tasting.We always had a large garden in our backyard. Sometimes we’d have a plot in a field in the country next to a small farm. Most of those small farms are being sold off to large commercial farmers these days. The small-town rural agriculture of my Iowa childhood in the 70s and 80s gave way to large-scale rural agriculture. The Green Revolution was just gaining speed.Between 1960 and 2000 the world’s population doubled while the output of cereal grains like wheat, rice, and corn tripled. And it did it by only increasing croplands by 30%. Improvements in genetics, fertilizers, pesticides, and mechanization were fueled by increased private capital and tax-funded public subsidies. Globalization and the Green Revolution enabled unprecedented growth in rural agriculture. Crops could easily be shipped to markets and cities far from where they were grown. For the first time, wheat produced in Mexico found its way into bread sold in Tokyo.These advances lowered the price of food and provided much needed relief to a growing world population. But it came with a cost to the environment and biodiversity. Unchecked, it will only get worse. The world’s population is expected to grow exponentially until 2050 and over 70% will live in urban areas. To feed all these people will require 56% more food than what was produced in 2010. That means an additional 593 hectares of cropland – an area the size of India. But if we were to reverse the Green Revolution and rely on smaller organic farming practices, even more land would be needed as yields are mostly smaller. It’s believed two to three times as much land would be needed to produce as much wheat, corn, and potatoes as the conventional agriculture of today. If the world switched to organic farming using current areas of croplands only one half of the world’s population could be fed.Meanwhile, the world also needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ten percent of which comes from agriculture – including soils and rice production, 27% percent transportation – including the transport of food and grain around the world, and 24% from Industry – including the petrochemicals needed for Green Revolution farming. We also need to use less water. The UN says agriculture accounts for 70% of the world’s freshwater. In dryer areas (like Arizona) that number increases to 90%, due to water extracted from rivers (like the dwindling Colorado River), and aquifers (like the declining Ogallala).In 2007, these worries increasingly came into focus. Within four months the price of wheat inexplicably doubled, rice prices tripled, and corn shot up 50%. Food riots broke out for the first time since the 1970s. Egypt put their army to work baking bread. Rice hoarders in the Philippines were threatened by sentences to life in prison. This marked the end of the Green Revolution as we knew it. Just as the world had grown accustomed to seemingly guaranteed cheap food, a new dynamic had set in.In 1979, according to the World Bank, the percentage of global money going to food assistance peaked at 18%. By 2004 it had dropped to 3.5%. Private donations to relief efforts relaxed. They assumed the Green Revolution had cured worldwide famine. Governments reduced spending on agricultural research assuming hunger was a thing of the past. Farmers in developed countries also dissuaded their governments from assisting farmers in developing countries fearing competition. If poorer countries began providing for themselves, they’d miss out on selling to those markets.The environmental movement had also gained momentum and status. Investors and donors began pressuring the Ford Foundation, the original seed funder of the Green Revolution in the 1950s, to reduce the use of petrochemicals in agriculture. Norman Borlaug, the father of the Green Revolution, became frustrated when his effort to bring green-revolution practices to Africa was thwarted by protests by environmentalists.Then, highly populated countries like China and India began reducing agricultural exports so they could feed themselves. In 2006, India even began importing food again. Renewed concern over food security inspired governments worldwide to re-fund agricultural research. Venture capitalists fed startups keen to apply new technologies to food production. Beginning in 2010, the number of academic research papers on agricultural innovation exploded with topics like “indoor agriculture, remote sensing, vertical agriculture, hydroponic, aeroponic, aquaponic and soilless agriculture, precision agriculture, and other novel technologies.” A second Green Revolution was unfolding.BRINGING NEW MEANING TO GREENINGThe second Green Revolution aimed to be a Green Green Revolution. The original Green Revolution was born out of the 1950s institutional patriarchy found in government, urban planning, civil engineering, and agricultural. They sought, and continue to seek, to centralize, industrialize, and capitalize. These efforts led to prosperity and food security for many, but they have also balkanized, disenfranchised, and ghettoized many places in the world. Glamorized westernized ways have meticulously metastasized. Colonized earthly crust, of countries with cautious distrust, find temporary prosperity crushed when exhausted land goes from soil to dust.But the new Green Revolution, backed by a flux of venture capital greenbacks, hopes to bring agriculture’s ‘green’ sheen back. And like most high-tech ventures, these efforts are mostly urban. Researchers define Urban Agriculture as “the production, process, and distribution of food and other products by plant and/or livestock raised in and around cities to meet local needs.” By that definition, our family garden in suburban Iowa was a form of urban agriculture. My wild strawberries gifted here in Kirkland, Washington are too.In fact, after our town’s founder and chief colonizer, the British industrialist Peter Kirk, failed at attempts in the 1800s to turn Kirkland into a steel town – the ‘Pittsburgh of the West’. Kirkland then became known as a farm town. Summer fruit would be packed onto a ferry headed to Seattle’s growing urban metropolis. Soon real estate companies sold Kirkland’s agricultural land to developers. Kirkland went from a source of urban agriculture to a Seattle suburb.Seattle area farmland was also getting converted to suburban development. In the 1920s, the Picardo family, who had immigrated from Italy in 1890, secured 20 acres to continue farming. This acreage came to be called the Picardo Patch, or P-Patch. The city then bought the land in the 70s to preserve its use and the word P-Patch is now commonly used to refer to a community garden. The original P-Patch now boasts 259 community plots.But one of the more popular, and controversial, P-Patches in Seattle sits atop a parking garage below the Space Needle. Called the UpGarden, it converts 25,000 square feet of concrete into 98 gardening plots. There have been recent attempts to sweep the dirt away, but intense community protest saved it. It even inspired a rededication last summer.Both P-Patches are forms of urban agriculture researchers call Uncontrolled Environment Agriculture. They rely on the uncontrolled, or loosely controlled, variability of soil and climate conditions. The Picardo community farm resembles more traditional rural farming but in an urban environment. The UpGarden is a rooftop garden that mimics a traditional garden on the roof of a concrete parking structure. It also resembles a form of Controlled Environment Agriculture known as building-integrated agriculture.These are typically enclosed greenhouse structures inside a dedicated or mixed-use building. They’re plant factories. They draw on the innovations cited in the growing body of research literature and are a form of what some call Innovative Urban Agriculture. In dense urban areas, where space is a premium, they take on the form of indoor vertical gardens.These methods of indoor farming rely on less water and soil. In some cases, no soil at all. Hydroponic horticulture plunges roots to a small amount of nutrient rich water that can yield tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, and lettuces. A similar method, aeroponics, suspends plants in the air and can be grown by misting them with nutrient rich compounds forced through high-pressure mist heads. Tanks or artificial streams of water can also be used to grow fish (like shrimp) and aqua plants (like seaweed). This is known as urban aquaculture. Hydroponics and aquaculture can also be combined to create aquaponics. These are systems that take nutrient rich water from aquaculture tanks to feed trays of hydroponic plants.This method, although less high-tech, has been around for centuries. Since as early at 5 AD various forms of integrated polyculture rice-fish farming took place in Eastern Asia. Evidence of this practice existed well into 13th century China. Around that same time, the Mesoamerican Aztecs built islands, sometimes movable, on top of wetlands, shallow lake beds, and canals. These methods were used to meet personal, family, and local market needs. That’s as true of innovative urban agricultural in developing countries today as it was centuries ago.The poorest people in the world today spend upwards of 85% of their household revenue on food. It’s hard to tell how much urban agriculture is done today to offset these costs. In our highly industrialized and globalized agricultural economy, there’s little interest – and thus little data – on agricultural techniques outside the norm. One 1993 study estimated 15-20% of the world’s food was produced by some form of urban agriculture. A more recent 2010 study looked at 15 developing countries and determined urban agriculture made up anywhere from 3-27% of their total yields.While there are indeed individually motivated urban farmers in developed countries today, like in backyards, front yards, decks, empty lots, rooftops, and parking lots, most commercial innovative urban agriculture is motivated by social desire and market opportunity. Some claim hydroponic systems have the potential to grow 11 times more lettuce per acre than conventional means. One study suggests 1.5 times more tomatoes could be grown. And what about those little bursting red bundles of taste bud bliss? An estimated 13 times more strawberries could be grown through these new techniques.And don’t count out rooftop gardens. If you happen to be blessed with the climate of Bologna, Italy, you could be growing heaps of food from the heat on your roof. One rooftop garden produced an estimated 12,000 tons of vegetables in a single year – enough to round out meals of 77% of urban dwellers. One study estimates that if the industrial rooftops of Montreal featured hydroponic systems, they could grow 277% of that city’s total demand – at a fraction of the cost. A 2011 study suggested a 20-story “SkyFarm” high-rise in Egypt, equipped with vertical aeroponic greenhouses on every floor, could produce 200 times as much rice as that country’s most productive conventional rice farm.HOW HARMONIC ARE PONICS?These statistics can cast innovative urban agriculture as a panacea. And it just may be. But the Green Revolution was also cast in those same terms. In fact, over the last two centuries societies have routinely been seduced by the promise of technology, the adoration of the individual “great inventor’ who will finally, once again, save us from ruin. People glamorize and valorize individualistic human accomplishment while disguising and patronizing community and environmental suffering. Hypnotized by success and desensitized to distress.There is no doubt these new approaches to agriculture show great promise. They indeed use less water and land while producing more yield for less money. They are closed systems that can be optimized for efficiency. One aquaponic experiment featured a double recirculating system. One cubic meter of recirculated water could increase fertilizer efficiency by 24% compared to conventional aquaponic methods. It even managed to produce the same quantity and quality of tomatoes per cubic meter of water. As a bonus, that same quantity of water also produced 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) of tilapia fish. But all systems come at a cost.  These systems require buildings made of sophisticated construction. The growing supplies are made of plastics, processed metals, and synthetic fertilizers. Electricity to power their highly controlled climates, lights, computers, pumps, misters, and filtration systems must run around the clock and throughout the year. How clean is that electricity? Will increased yields induce profit seeking companies to package and ship even more food around the world? Few, if any, studies have been conducted on the upstream and downstream lifecycle costs of innovative urban agriculture.Furthermore, this is all new. And while there are many successful greenhouse and hydroponic companies out there selling vegetables today, cereals, grains, and proteins are also needed to balance the food basket. Aquaponics hold promise for efficiently growing diverse nutritious foods, but commercial scale is in its infancy. A 2016 survey in Europe revealed that 75% of commercial aquaponic enterprises were built on or after 2010. Nearly half of the employees were researchers working at universities. One-third were government funded, one-fifth were true commercial endeavors, but only 12% had sold fish or plants in the previous 12 months.Currently the U.S. leads in research and development of innovative urban agriculture. These investments seed similar efforts around the world in both developed and developing countries. There is no question these new forms of commercial agriculture will have an impact on how the world’s food is grown. But I also know the experience of eating that strawberry I plucked at my feet can’t be imitated. Sorry Driscoll’s.Driscoll’s strawberries, the world’s leading strawberry producer, are genetically engineered to yield a certain experience. Their farmers, or “strawberry manufacturers” as Driscoll’s calls them, all adhere to a certain standard to uphold their vision of what a strawberry is supposed to be. They ship a billion plastic clamshells of strawberries around the world. They have a room at their headquarters in California filled with monitors that track every truck carrying their red, heart-shaped berries across North America. They have two weeks to get their product from harvest to destinations across the country and around the world. They are so popular in China, their price and availability influences international trade relations.Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us that my opportunistic strawberry plant had “in fact been up all night assembling little packets of sugar and seeds and fragrance and color, because when it does so its evolutionary fitness is increased.” The more attractive nature makes that little bundle, the more likely an animal like me will eat it and spread its seeds. I guess to do my part to further this plant’s evolutionary fitness, I’ll need to poop in the nearby woods. Kids, don’t try this at home.But the Green Revolution changed these uncontrolled evolutionary elements of agriculture. The Green Revolution turned food evolution into a controlled ‘Big Ag’ volution. Strawberries are now engineered and their seeds are dispersed by ships, planes, and trucks. Once consumed, they’re flushed into wastewater treatment plants. The new Green Green Revolution, or Innovative Urban Agriculture, is the next stage in agriculture’s own technological evolution. But don’t forget, old fashioned residential and community gardens are part of it. But new technologies have the potential to maximize space, water, and energy to produce even more locally grown yummies. Perhaps we’ll even see Controlled Community Gardens.  Maybe these new techniques could transform who we are, our relationship with our food, and how we interact at a local level. It’s up to us. Perhaps food production can be made local again. New forms of urban agriculture could be a gift. Like a backyard wild strawberry. As Robin Wall Kimmerer puts it:  “It is human perception that makes the world a gift. When we view the world this way, strawberries and humans alike are transformed. The relationship of gratitude and reciprocity thus developed can increase the evolutionary fitness of both plant and animal.”If done right, I might add, maybe even the evolutionary fitness of the planet and us all. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit interplace.io

Welcome back passengers! Tonight we dive deep… too deep.. Into our bread and butter… we are diving back into unsolved murders. Hold on to your skivvies and make sure you have a drink and a magnifying glass because we are gonna talk about the Setagaya Murders. Bum bum buuuuuuummmmmmmmmm!!!!!!   Typically, New Year's Eve is a happy occasion. It indicates that things are changing and making room for something new. It's a time to rejoice in a brand-new beginning, typically with your family and close friends.   This day, known in Japan as Omisoka, is regarded as one of the most significant ones of the year. There are traditions and conventions connected, which are often observed. In Japan, New Year's is regarded as the most prestigious celebration, unlike in America where it is frequently associated with revelry and midnight kisses.   The holiday season, however, was permanently tarnished by a tragic occurrence that happened around the turn of the century. For almost 20 years, what happened on this night in the Tokyo neighborhood of Setagaya has baffled detectives to no end.   In contrast to other cultures, Japan celebrates a century's conclusion. Japan rang in the new millennium a full year after we did in America with the opening of 2001, while most of us did so with the notorious Y2K fear.   By most accounts, the Miyazawa family was a normal Japanese household.   The father, Mikio Miyazawa, age 44, was employed by the London-based marketing company Interbrand. It is unknown what type of work Mikio performed for the company, but it was a sizable one with locations in more than twenty nations and experience working on significant marketing campaigns for organizations like Microsoft, Nissan, Xerox, and many more. In fact, Interbrand was the organization in charge of branding the phrase "Wi-fi" the year prior, in 1999.   Interbrand coworkers characterized Mikio as "congenial." They said he was "the kind of man that got along with everyone - definitely not the kind to create enemies."   The family's mother and wife, Yasuko Miyazawa, was forty-one years old and similar to her husband. She was a teacher who spent a lot of time with the couple's two children, Rei, 6, and Niina, 8, and was universally regarded as sensitive and gentle.   The daughter, Niina, was in second grade and appeared to be your average young lady: she was lively, she was fun, and she loved ballet and soccer, two activities in which she was actively involved.   Rei, the family's youngest member, had recently been experiencing a problem: His speech handicap had been causing the family quite a bit of worry. It appears that they had begun to look for expert assistance, but it was still quite concerning to them. I  In 1990, Mikio and Yasuki Miyazawa moved into their house in Setagaya. It was a growing neighborhood with over 200 households at the time, and it seemed like a pleasant enough place to raise a family.   The second biggest of Tokyo's twenty-three districts, Setagaya is situated immediately southwest of the central city. Setagaya is a fairly residential-looking neighborhood that sticks out from its hectic, crowded surroundings and is within a short distance from Tokyo Bay.   Even by itself, the Miyazawa family house was intriguing.   The house was a two-story, communal structure. On the exterior, it appeared to be a single house, but in reality, it was more like a duplex. It made it possible for the Miyazawas to be neighbors with Yasuko's family, mostly her mother but also her sister and brother-in-law who were also living with her at the time.   Seven family members may now reside in this joint home, even though there was no interior link between the two homes. You must exit the building and enter through a different entrance to get from one side to the other.   The park directly back the house, however, was the feature that had the greatest impact. Although the park had been present for some time, the city had planned to enlarge it. This indicated that the majority of the Miyazawa's neighbors had been vacating their properties recently to make room for this growth.   The neighborhood, which had formerly been home to more than 200 people, had now been reduced to just four: the Miyazawas, their cousins who lived next door, two other families who resided on their block. Aside from that, the neighborhood was a ghost town.   The skate park directly behind the Miyazawa family house was where the majority of local activity was taking place. The Miyazawa family had some difficulties because this was the busiest area of the rapidly developing park. See, the only thing separating the skate park and the home was a fence.   Mikio had addressed some rowdy and annoying teens at the skate park the week before New Year's Eve for making too much of a ruckus. A witness claimed to have seen him encounter a group of teenage rebels who belonged to the Bosozoku, a form of Japanese motorcycle gang, at about the same time.   The Miyazawas were among the last households to begin making arrangements to move because of the park's growing foot traffic and the city's intentions to expand it further. In only a few months, they would be relocating to another house in the neighborhood, and it was December 2000. Therefore, all they had to do to stop worrying about it was rough out the skate park hooligans for a few months.   Sadly, they would never have the opportunity.   In addition to Mikio's run-ins with hooligans throughout the week leading up to New Year's Eve, the Miyazawa family will also encounter some other peculiar events.   The locals had reportedly begun to see some of the area's animals being physically abused over the summer. There are claims that neighborhood cats, most of which are stray, had been tortured and that rats had been discovered dead. One witness remembered witnessing a nice stray suddenly emerge one day without a tail.    Yasuko informed her father-in-law that a strange automobile had parked in front of their home on Christmas Day, December 25. Despite the fact that there was alternate parking nearby that wouldn't need the person parked to hop over a fence to enter the park, this has occurred more than once.   An eyewitness saw a guy who was thought to be in his forties going near the Miyazawa family home two days later, on the 27th. A apparently benign item that, in hindsight, appears suspicious. The neighboring park assures that people will be in the neighborhood for a number of reasons.   A guy was sighted in the adjacent Seijogakuenmae Station on December 29, just a few days before the start of the new century, not far from where the Miyazawa family was residing. Due to the weather, one eyewitness remembered this man's "skater"-style clothing as being peculiar and believed the man, who was also sporting a rucksack, appeared to be significantly underdressed.   Police suspect a guy fitting this general description bought a sashimi knife from the same retail center on this day, the 29th. It was quite simple to track down because it was the only one bought at this grocery on this particular day.   A man matching that description was sighted on December 30 about a mile from the Miyazawas' home, in the vicinity of Sengawa Station. This unsub, who was described as being between 35 and 40 years old, was moving steadily toward the Setagaya residence of the Miyazawa family.   Unbeknownst to them, the Miyazawa family's final day would be on Saturday, December 30.   They carried on with their usual activities while getting ready for the next holiday. Due to the approaching New Year and the fresh start of a new century, there was a celebratory mood in the air.   The family reportedly went shopping around about 6:00 PM in the early evening. Although we can't be certain if all four of the family members attended, a bystander remembered seeing them in a local mall around that time. This tale has credibility because a neighbor who was driving by their house that evening remembered seeing the family automobile disappearing at about 6:30 PM.   Yasuko contacted her mother who lived next door at approximately 7:00 that evening. The families spoke to one another over the phone frequently since they considered one another to be neighbors. The topic of the discussion was probably something unimportant, most likely Yasuko asking her mother if she wanted to see her granddaughter.   Niina walking next door to watch a taped TV show till 9:30 PM or so confirms this. Everything for the Miyazawa family had been quite routine up until this point in the night.   An accessible email that was viewed at roughly 10:38 that evening is the final activity we have of the Miyazawa family. It was Mikio reading a business email that was password-protected, indicating that he was most likely the one who opened it.   At least one member of the Miyazawa family was last known to be alive at this time. And their residence, which was often peaceful and calm, was about to turn into a house of horrors.   A witness heard what sounded like an altercation inside the Miyazawa house that evening at approximately ten o'clock while walking along the park trail behind the home. They couldn't recall any especially ear-shattering shouts or loud physical noises, but they claimed it just sounded like a couple arguing.   A neighbor of Yasuko's family would notice a loud pounding sound coming from the Miyazawa side of the building around an hour and a half later. They didn't know the precise time, but they were able to estimate it later using the current television programming schedule.   This happened at the same time that a witness or maybe a neighbor reported seeing a guy rushing along the sidewalk near to the family's home.   These were the only three indications that something wasn't right in Setagaya that evening. It would take hours before anybody realized how terrifying the Miyazawa house had become.   Three passengers were being picked up by a taxi driver not far from the Miyazawa residence. All three of these passengers, who will stay unnamed for this story due to the cab driver's oversight, were middle-aged males who kept to themselves the entire time.   It was far after midnight when the three guys were being dropped off at a neighboring station, something the taxi driver remembered as being quite unusual for the time.   A bloodstain from one of the individuals who appeared to have a wound was seen on the backseat of the taxi.   Yasuko's mother attempted to contact her daughter's family the next morning on New Year's Eve to arrange preparations for later that day. Unexpectedly, her call wouldn't even connect, much less ring.   She was unaware that someone had cut and purposely unplugged the phone lines in the Miyazawa family home hours earlier.   She went outside and made her way to the house where her daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren lived. When the doorbell went unanswered, she used her set of keys to allow herself in, according to the police report she would later submit.   There was no sound to be heard within the home itself. The moment Yasuko's mother walked inside the house, she would have realized something was wrong. As she entered the family's home, she quickly realized the reality as she came face to face with Mikio Miyazawa's body at the foot of the stairs.   The family's father, who was 44 years old, was found dead at the bottom of the stairway leading to the second storey after having been stabbed several times.   Yasuko's mother remembers trying to find out what had happened to the rest of her family by walking upstairs to the second storey. The remains of her granddaughter Niina and daughter Yasuko, who had both been viciously stabbed hundreds of times, would be waiting for her at the top of the stairs. Their suffering far surpassed that of Mikio's body.   Yasuko's mother recalls placing her hands on the corpses of her daughter and granddaughter in an effort to check for signs of life, either out of grief or even hope.   Her granddaughter Niina, with whom she had just finished watching a television show, and Yasuko, her daughter, with whom she had reared and been close for more than forty years. They were both now dead and icy, loved ones turned into corpses by an unidentified murderer.   The last catastrophe would be revealed to Yasuko's mother in an adjacent bedroom: six-year-old Rei, who had been struggling with a speech impediment in an effort to satisfy his parents, was still in bed. He had been strangled to death, which led detectives to believe that he was the family's first victim.   It goes without saying that Yasuko's mother—this devastated grandmother—would call the police. However, what she had witnessed was irreversible, and nothing could replace the family she had just lost.   When the event occurred, Tokyo Police were as appalled by the crime scene as Yasuko's mother had been. They were aware that this case would shock everyone in the neighborhood: witnessing a whole family being murdered by an unidentified intruder in the middle of the night is arguably the most terrifying scenario one could conceive.   Police started investigating the incident and piecing it together at the spot. Yasuko's mother, sister, and brother-in-law, who were all there when the crime took place next door, remembered anything peculiar or unusual that may have transpired that evening.   The only thing that sprang to mind for them was the loud thud that had happened at about 11:30 that evening; the timing was supported by a TV schedule that showed the thud happened during the broadcast of a certain program. When Mikio, the father, approached the alleged murderer, the police instantly assumed that the thud may have happened then. They assumed that he had fought with the person who had attacked Yasuko's family based on the injuries on his body, and that the loud thud Yasuko's family had heard could have been him being thrown to the bottom of the steps.   Mikio had been stabbed several times, with the majority of the wounds being to his neck. They would deduce that the sashimi knife that had been abandoned in the family's kitchen was what had caused the stab wounds. But the knife had somehow broken when Mikio was being attacked.   Investigators instantly hypothesized that the broken knife had been merely one of two murder weapons based on the evidence they had at the site. The killer also used a knife he had discovered in Mikio and Yasuko's very own kitchen to murder the two ladies upstairs.   The fact that Mikio's body was still in his day clothes—business-casual dress that he would typically wear out and about—was what was most peculiar about its discovery.    As for the bodies of Yasuko and Niina, however, the home was constructed so that a ladder leading to a third-story loft was located at the top of the stairs going to the second level. Many people have speculated that because the third-story loft contained a bed and a TV, Yasuko and Niina were both there when the killings took place, maybe in bed or watching TV.   Both Yasuko and Niina's bodies, which had been repeatedly stabbed, were discovered at the bottom of the ladder leading to the third-floor loft. Investigators determined that both individuals had been stabbed well past the point of death because of the excessive number of knife wounds. This gave rise to several speculations suggesting that the murderer had some type of hatred for women or at the very least had some anger toward them. Sadly, this is not an attitude that is particularly unusual in these homicides, but it would become important in the investigation that followed.   Rei, the family's son, was discovered murdered in bed. When police started to piece together the facts, they realized that Rei was the first member of the family to be slain, which explained why he had avoided a horrific stabbing death like the rest of his family.    About six hours after the deaths were found that afternoon, a young guy was brought into a hospital in Tobu Nikko Station. The Miyazawa family's neighborhood in Tokyo, Setagaya, is a few hours north of Tobu Nikko Station, and there are several connecting trains that run between the two.   This individual, whose age was given as thirty, was accepted without disclosing his identity or the nature of his injuries. A hand wound that was allegedly serious enough to have revealed bone was the actual damage. Staff members at the scene were astonished by how casually the man was treating the wound and thought him to be fairly suspect, which is why they had a good memory of the specifics.   This man was dressed in a black down jacket and pants and appeared to be well into his forties. The medical personnel had no idea what had transpired just hours earlier, yet the man was treated and then released despite not providing any information about himself.   The crime scene was completely covered with evidence of what had occurred in the early morning hours of December 31st, much to the investigator's amazement.   First and foremost, by locating the murder weapons right away, the authorities had found the key to any inquiry. Both knives were quickly discovered there, still covered in blood.   In contrast to many police investigations that falter in the absence of a murder weapon, the police in this case found two within the first few minutes of their inquiry.   But in addition to the blades, the Miyazawa family house turned out to be a gold mine of information that helped the police put together what had transpired that night.   The family's first aid box had been unlocked, perhaps by Yasuko and Niina, at some point during the actual assault, they would discover. Blood from eight-year-old Niina was discovered on several of the first aid kit's bandages.   Disgustingly, authorities would uncover unflushed excrement in the upper bathroom. This was reportedly left by the murderer, who was either too proud of his ability to get away with it or too ignorant of DNA testing. Investigators would find traces of a meal with string beans and sesame spinach that had presumably been consumed somewhere else.   Since then, internet websleuths have described this dish as relatively "boring," similar to what a mother might serve her kid. This has become a popular hypothesis about a man who continued to live at home with his mother.   The footprints of the presumed intruder were all over the home, strewn around in blood and mud. It will soon be generally recognized that these shoe patterns belonged to a particular kind of Slazenger footwear. At this time, Slazenger shoes were accessible all throughout Japan, but the shoeprint they left behind was for a very particular size that wasn't available there. Many ideas concerning the killer's ethnicity were sparked by the fact that this shoe size was a Korean shoe size and the shoe would have most likely only been found for sale in South Korea.   In addition to the bandages from the first aid kit used by Niina; towels and women's sanitary towels were also discovered with unidentified amounts of blood on them. This was a surprising discovery for the police since it supported the theory that Mikio had engaged the attacker on the steps, presumably injuring him and forcing him to seek immediate medical assistance.   Police would have to send the blood samples for testing, which is a process that will take some time to complete. They would have to continue looking for evidence until then, which the murderer had purposefully left behind.   The most shocking evidence found throughout the inquiry was a range of apparel and belongings that the killer (or killers) brought before leaving them behind. It appeared as though the murderer intentionally left the garments behind or at the very least paid no attention to doing so.   The attire that the murderer had most likely worn to the crime site was described as being suitable for a skater. The goods included a black AirTech jacket, a white and purple long sleeve shirt (which has alternately been referred to as a hoodie and a long sleeve shirt), black Edwin gloves, a multicolored scarf with no tags that is almost unrecognizable, and a black handkerchief.   The blood stains found on the long-sleeved shirt made it the most notable of the pieces. Even if it wasn't the proper size, the clothes weren't in the same style as anything the family members would have worn. Only Marufuru stores, a retail chain that also offered the style of gloves and hat discovered at the crime site, carried the white shirt with purple sleeves.   The handkerchief was also notable in its own right because the police learned that it had been ironed before use. Simply said, very few individuals would go to the trouble of ironing a handkerchief, thus this was strange. Internet theorists have said that the handkerchief being ironed is another more indication that the suspected killer lived at home with a mother figure because the thought of a young skater using a handkerchief is already a peculiar one.   Forensic experts would find traces of the male perfume Drakkar Noir on the handkerchief.    It was discovered that every piece of clothing had been cleaned in hard water, which meant that the water used to clean the clothes was rich in minerals and vitamins that aren't often present in water that naturally occurs. Japan has traditionally employed a soft water system, which simply means that the water is water with some sodium added. Given that Korea has a hard water system and that the clothing were cleaned the manner they were discovered, this would be a point in the killer's favor if they were identified as having Korean ancestry.   However, in addition to the clothing, the murderer also left behind further evidence in the form of personal possessions. A "hip-bag," which resembled a cross between a messenger bag, a tiny backpack, and a fanny pack, was the first and prominent of these accessories.    Although the hip-bag itself had a relatively innocent appearance, it did include certain bits of information that would help detectives approach the case in the future. A piece of grip tape used on skateboards served as the first piece of proof. The second was the Drakkar Noir fragrance traces that were discovered on the handkerchief. The most surprising discovery was sand, which was the final item removed from the hip-bag.   The location of the sand, which pointed to the Southwestern United States, allowed the identification of the material contained in that hip-bag. Specifically, the vicinity of Edwards Air Force Base, a military facility located roughly 100 miles north of Los Angeles.   This shocking piece of information, which may connect the murderer to a military facility hundreds of miles away, has probably thrown the entire investigation into a loop. Many people have interpreted this as evidence that the murderer was maybe an airman stationed in Tokyo or a certain category of contractor who conducted business internationally. Some have even attempted to connect this information to the handkerchief that has been ironed as a symbol of military bearing as the military does encourage ironing as a component of its standard behavior.   Despite the fact that there was a ton of evidence on the scene, the investigation was far from over. There would still be new information to emerge in the investigation, and there was still no strong indication of a suspect.   Days started to transform into weeks, which eventually changed into months. Police made a plea for anyone with information about the apparel while presenting the public with the evidence they had. Several pieces of clothes could be traced back to their owners, but the majority of the goods the murderer left behind at the Miyazawa home were ordinary. It was impossible to find every owner of the apparel because thousands of each had been sold in Japan in the few months before the deaths.   About a hundred days after the killings, at the beginning of April, authorities made an intriguing discovery. They had found a little Buddhist statue that was first brought in as evidence not more than a mile from the Miyazawa residence.   Jizo is a Buddhist god who guards children in the afterlife, and that statue was made in his likeness. Jizo, an embodiment of Buddhism in Eastern Asia, is thought to guard children who pass away before their parents in the afterlife from demons as they ascend to the spirit realm.   When the police first brought this in as evidence, they reasoned that possibly the murderer had left it behind as a token of regret or guilt.   Regardless of who put it there, it serves as a sorrowful reminder of the atrocities against the Miyazawas in the Setagaya province adjacent to the family home.   Police had outlined a sequence of events that led to the family's murder as they continued to piece together the evidence and test the forensics against their expanding database, which at the time of the family's murder in 2000 was still fairly recent in the world of crime-fighting.   The killer most likely entered the house through the second-story bathroom window, which was just above a fence separating the home from the park and was accessible from the rear of the house. This would be a somewhat physically demanding act that would need for the murderer to have at least a modicum of upper body strength.   They believed that after entering the house, the attacker had targeted the unfortunate six-year-old Rei first, going into his bedroom and strangling him while he was still asleep.   From there, the course of events slightly fragments, with investigators having doubts regarding the killer's future moves. They believe that as Mikio was working on his computer in the study below, the disturbance coming from above diverted his attention, and when he walked up the stairs, he came across the murderer. A fight broke out there, and Mikio fell to the ground, where he would be discovered hours later.   According to this sequence of events, Yasuko and Niina were the next to be approached by the assailant, who either assaulted them upstairs in the third-floor loft or at the bottom of the ladder leading to it. Niina used the first aid kit at some point to try to bind some of her own wounds, thus it's likely that the murderer attacked them with his broken sashimi knife, realized it couldn't be used, and fled to the kitchen to grab another. Yasuko and Niina attempted to obtain her medical treatment during this lull since they thought the murderer had abandoned them forever.   If this scenario is correct, the killer then returned with his new weapon to kill the family off, murdering the two at the foot of the ladder leading up to the loft.   Possibly around this point, Mikio heard a scuffle upstairs and hurried up there in an effort to distract the murderer from his family, not realizing that Rei had already been killed. The murderer managed to inflict Mikio's fatal wounds there, but not before breaking his murder weapon and becoming hurt himself. Their fight had brought them to the stairs.   The murderer, who was now not far from the family's kitchen, went inside to get his new murder weapon, then returned upstairs to kill Yasuko and Niina, who were attempting to treat Niina's wound with bandages from the first aid kit. Perhaps they were moving toward the loft in an effort to elude the murderer, expecting that the ladder would be lowered behind them.   However, police would find out during their reenactment of the incident that the murderer had remained after killing the four members of the family. He would eventually spend hours inside the house of the family.   Police concluded based on evidence that the murderer chose to remain in the home as an uninvited house guest rather than leave right after killing the Miyazawa family. He hadn't even bothered to cover the remains of the four family members when he made the decision to settle down for the evening.   One of the more peculiar events in the narrative itself was that the unsub had allegedly taken a nap on the family's sofa in the living room. Typically, suspects leave the scene as quickly as they can since each minute increases the likelihood that they will be found, but this killer seems to have relished the closeness of spending the night at his victim's house.   The murderer of the Miyazawa family treated himself to ice cream from the refrigerator. Police would soon find four ice cream wrappers with the alleged killer's prints on them; they were also known as popsicle wrappers in certain accounts. These fingerprints matched those that were left all around the house by people who weren't members of the family in attendance.   The family's PC was in the downstairs study and this unsub had also utilized it. A few hours or so after the family was probably killed, on December 31st, around 1:18 AM, they noticed that the computer had been accessed. The unsub had gone to the Shiki Theater Company's website, which Mikio had already bookmarked. Because theater was a love of Mikio's, you see, so one has to question if this was some kind of twisted joke on the part of the perpetrator, or if the family was indeed slain hours after many people thought they were. The odds are still very much in favor of the murderer doing it since someone had visited that website at 1:18 in the morning and attempted to purchase performance tickets online.   Hours later, at around 10:05 in the morning, the murderer reportedly allegedly signed on to examine the websites of Mikio's business, Interbrand, and the university Yasuko taught at. Interestingly, the murderer only visited websites that the family had bookmarked, maybe in an effort to enjoy the closeness of their home.   The murderer had only used the computer for 10 minutes total before unplugging it from the wall.   The killer had amassed the family's credit and ID cards throughout the course of the evening; they were all discovered organized in the family's living room, next to the sofa where the unsub had slept. Many people have argued that this was an extremely peculiar attempt by the killer—or killers—to try and guess the PIN numbers required to use the cards. He left them behind since he knew he wouldn't try to keep them guessing and risk being found out.   A strange assortment of the family's possessions and trash were also gathered by the unsub before departing and dumped in the bathtub for some reason. The majority of these items were trash, like ice cream wrappers or torn-up flyers, but they also included some of Mikio's work receipts, Yasuko's school records, and even feminine hygiene products stained with the murderer's blood. Many have speculated as to why the murderer would leave such a strange collection of trash in the bathtub, but have come to the conclusion that he may have intended to use them for anything and simply forgot. Unaware that he had left boats worth of evidence behind, he may have intended to let the goods soak before being discovered.   Police believed the murderer had stolen the family's money, around 125k yen, after he had been sleeping at the Miyazawa house for a few hours. That basically translates to more than a grand in American dollars. However, the fact that the killer had been eating ice cream and using the computer in the family's study where extra money was quickly discovered led the detectives to believe that this wasn't a straightforward heist.   Additionally, if this had been a robbery, the murderer may have taken some expensive items, but it appeared that the family's possessions had all been left behind. The only thing that was thought to be missing was a worn-out jacket that had belonged to Mikio.   The entrance door was locked when Yasuko's mother entered the crime scene, according to her memory. Police speculated that the killer may have returned through the second-story bathroom window he had used to enter because of this. The door was shut when Yasuko's mother arrived, but over time she has grown unsure of this fact, and it has never been made crystal clear how the murderer fled the scene of these horrible acts.   By 2006, forensic science had advanced to the point that sleuths could resurrect this monster. Or, at the very least, extract him from the Setagaya neighborhood's mid-2000s zeitgeist and turn him back into a mortal man with flesh and bone.   DNA genome testing was used to determine the precise characteristics of the murderer using the blood found on towels and feminine items at the site. The results were shocking.   Police found that the Miyazawa family's suspected murderer was of mixed ethnicity and probably not a citizen of Japan. One of the unsub's parents was of Southern European ancestry, while the other belonged to two distinct cultures, one of which was Eastern Asian.   According to a police source who spoke to the publication "Japan Today," the murderer was a guy of Asian descent.  “His DNA carried a marker from his father that occurs in one out of every 13 Japanese; one out of about 10 Chinese, and one in every 5 or so Koreans. Based on mitochondrial DNA, his mother had an ancestor originating from the southern Mediterranean area, probably around the Adriatic.”   But in addition to the probable DNA, we also have some additional information about the murderer. By comparing the clothing he left at the crime site, they were able to determine that he is approximately 175 cm tall, or five feet seven inches. His shoes were a Korean size, measuring little about eleven inches, or 27.5 cm, in length. He had blood type A since the blood found at the site did not match that of the victims.   Bizarre locations used to shoot in movies https://www.thetravel.com/25-of-the-most-bizarre-locations-ever-used-to-shoot-a-movie/

Take a journey into the liminal space between yin and yang today on this episode of Future Mycelium. We are talking all things Reishi.Titled the "Queen of the Forest" or "the mushroom of spirituality", Reishi/Lingzhi/Ganoderma Lucidum deserves a show all her own.Enjoy this relaxing and educational podcast permeating across Eastern Asia and who knows...you just might come face to face with something fang-toothed. That or a foot-reading cult.If you enjoy this episode, please rate it on whichever streaming platform you listen, and don't forget to follow the podcast along on social media @mushroomaffirmations and @future.mycelium or Future Mycelium on TikTokFor business inquiries, thoughts, corrections or reviews please email the podcast @futuremyceliumpod@gmail.com Below are the sound sources:TITLE:    Snack TimeARTIST: The Green OrbsGENRE:  Children's MOOD:   FunkyGenre : AmbientArtist : HazySong : DreamerDownload Link [ Mp3 ] ⤵https://www.plugnplaymusic.net/dreame...Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/artist/7cMQf...AppleMusic : https://music.apple.com/jp/artist/moj...Japanese Deep MounProvided to YouTube by RoutenoteEternal Space · HazyBeautiful Chinese Music - Cherry Blossoms -Free Copyright- - MR NCS

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:38).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 4-15-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of April 18, 2022.  This update of an episode from July 2017 is part of a series this year of episodes related to trees and shrubs. MUSIC – ~14 sec That's part of “The Ash Grove,” a traditional Welsh tune performed by Madeline MacNeil, on her 2002 album, “Songs of Earth & Sea.”  Born in Norfolk and raised in Richmond, Ms. MacNeil was a well-known and highly regarded musician based in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley until her passing in 2020. The music opens an episode where we revisit the status of North American ash trees and explore the water impacts of pest damage to trees generally. As noted in the July 2017 episode on ashes, North America is home to 16 native ash species, with six of those occurring naturally in Virginia.  The two most common ash species in Virginia are White Ash, which tends toward upland habitats, and Green Ash, which is often found along streams and rivers.  In those areas, Green Ash can be a significant portion of the vegetation and help create habitats, improve water quality, and stabilize flows.  Both species provide food for a variety of animals and both have been widely planted in cities and towns. Since the early 2000s, ash tree populations have been devastated by the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle native to Asia.  As of April 2022, the insect had been found in at least 35 states and the District of Columbia, and in nearly all of Virginia.  In an affected tree, the insect's larvae create a network of tunnels that impair the tree's transport of water and nutrients, eventually killing the tree.  Once an area's invaded, ashes are unlikely to survive for more than a few years without expensive chemical treatment of individual trees.  At the scale of whole forests, researchers and managers are exploring the use of parasitoid wasps as a biological control method. The Emerald Ash Borer is only one of many pest species threatening different trees in Virginia and elsewhere.  Several of these pests have been the subject of research on their water-related, or hydrologic, impacts.  Researchers are interested in how loss of tree leaves or death of trees can affect evaporation, soil moisture, water-table levels, streamflows, water chemistry, and snowpack.  Those water-cycle processes are in turn connected to ecosystem pathways of carbon, nutrients, and energy, all being affected by climate changes.  From all of these connections, little ash-boring beetles become part of a biosphere-sized story. Thanks to Janita Baker of Blue Lion Dulcimers and Guitars for permission to use Madeline MacNeil's music,” and we close with about 25 more seconds of “The Ash Grove.” MUSIC – ~24 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode builds upon and updates information in Episode 376, 7-10-17. “The Ash Grove/O Spirit Sweet of Summertime” is from Madeline MacNeil's 2002 album “Songs of Earth & Sea”; copyright held by Janita Baker, used with permission.  More information about Madeline MacNeil is available from Ms. Baker's “Blue Lion Dulcimers & Guitars” Web site, online at https://www.bluelioninstruments.com/Maddie.html. Virginia Water Radio thanks Daniel McLaughlin, of the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, for his help with this episode. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Emerald Ash Borer-infected White Ash tree that cracked and fell in a Blacksburg, Va., neighborhood in 2021.  Photo taken April 19, 2022.Nationwide range maps for ash tree species and the Emerald Ash Borer, as of January 2021.  Map from the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Emerald Ash Borer,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer/emerald-ash-borer.Adult Emerald Ash Borer.  Photo from the the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, “Emerald Ash Borer,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer/emerald-ash-borer. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE EMERALD ASH BORER The following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Forestry, “Emerald Ash Borer in Virginia—An Introduction,” online at https://vdof.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e2660c30d9cd46cc988cc72415101590. From Background Tab: “After only 1-5 years of infestation, the larvae create extensive tunnels under the bark that disrupt the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients, which eventually girdles and kills the tree. The length of this process depends on tree age, health, and EAB density in the area but no ash tree is safe - 99% of infested ash will die.” From Distribution Tab: “In the U.S., EAB targets 16 species of native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) and white fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus).  In Virginia, white ash (Fraxinus americana) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) are the most commonly found, though there are four other species that have limited ranges (pumpkin, black, blue, and Carolina ash). In the wild, ash often prefers wetter environments and are dominant species along rivers and streambanks.  Ash decline and death may have a negative impact on streambank stabilization and waterways in these rural areas.  Though only a small percentage of Virginia's forests are composed of ash (2-3%), urban areas can have tree inventories tallying up to 13% ash.  This is where dead ash poses the most risk!” From Biological Control Tab: “Biological control (or “biocontrol”) is a management strategy that involves releasing natural enemies from the pest's native range to control the pest at a given location.  Researchers identified wasps in the early 2000s from Eastern Asia that had co-evolved with emerald ash borers as a parasite to control its populations.  They then conducted extensive research in quarantined U.S. labs to study their life cycle, environmental parameters, and host species.  After nearly a decade of trials, only four wasp species passed the strict requirements set by the USDA-APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) and were approved for release.  APHIS now rears these wasps in large quantities then collaborates with federal, state, and local governments, as well as land owners to release them at approved sites.  These tiny stingless wasps lay eggs in EAB eggs or larvae, effectively killing the EAB host, and are commonly called “parasitoids.” ...These wasps do not harm humans in any way, they only target emerald ash borer as a host. The use of these biocontrol agents in suppressing EAB has shown promising results, but it will take years of controlled releases and research before we see successful parasitism and a reduction of the EAB population.” SOURCES Used for Audio Samuel H. Austin, Riparian Forest Handbook 1: Appreciating and Evaluating Stream Side Forests, Virginia Department of Forestry, Charlottesville, 2000. J. A. Biederman et al., “Multiscale observations of snow accumulation and peak snowpack following widespread, insect-induced lodgepole pine mortality,” Ecohydrology, Vol. 7 (2014), pages 150-162. J. A. Biederman et al., Increased evaporation following widespread tree mortality limits streamflow response,” Water Resources Research, Vol. 50 (2014), pages 5295-5409. S. T. Brantley et al., “Changes to southern Appalachian water yield and stormflow after loss of a foundation species,” Ecohydrology, Vol. 8 (2015), pages 518-528. T. R. Cianciolo et al., “Hydrologic variability in black ash wetlands: Implications for vulnerability to emerald ash borer,” Hydrological Processes, Vol. 35 (2021), e14014. D. W. Clow et al., “Responses of soil and water chemistry to mountain pine beetle induced tree mortality in Grand County, Colorado, USA,” Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 26 (2011), pages 174-178. Anthony D'Amato et al., “Ecological and hydrological impacts of the emerald ash borer on black ash forests,” Northeast Climate Science Center, online at https://necsc.umass.edu/projects/ecological-and-hydrological-impacts-emerald-ash-borer-black-ash-forests. M. J. Daley et al., “Water use by eastern hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) and black birch (Betula lenta): implications of effects of the hemlock wooly adelgid,” Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 37 (2007), pages 2031-2040. J. S. Diamond et al., “Forested versus herbaceous wetlands: Can management mitigate ecohydrologic regime shifts from invasive emerald ash borer?”  Journal of Environmental Management, Vol. 222 (2018), pages 436-446. Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, online at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/index.php.  Virginia information is online at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/state/virginia.php.  Information by county for each state is available in the table online at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/state-dectection-table.php. Gary M. Lovett et al., “Forest Ecosystem Responses to Exotic Pests and Pathogens in Eastern North America,” Bioscience Vol. 56, No. 5 (May 2006), pages 395-405. Steven G. Pallardy, Physiology of Woody Plants, Third Edition, Elsevier/Academic Press, Burlington, Mass., 2008. D. E. Reed et al., “Bark beetle-induced tree mortality alters stand energy budgets due to water budget changes,” “Theoretical and Applied Climatology, Vol., 131 (2018), pages 153-165. W. M. Robertson et al., “Soil moisture response to white ash mortality following emerald ash borer invasion,” Environmental Earth Sciences, Vol. 77 (2018). Anita K. Rose and James S. Meadows, “Status and Trends of Bottomland Hardwood Forests in the Mid‑Atlantic Region,” USDA/Forest Service Southern Research Station, Asheville, N.C., November 2016; available online at https://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/53238. Scott Salom and Eric Day and Scott Salomn, “Hemlock Wooly Adelgid,” Virginia Cooperative Extension (Publication 3006-1451/ENTO-228NP), Blacksburg, Va., 2016, online at https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/75419. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service/Northern Research Station [Newtown Square, Penn.], “Forest Disturbance Processes/Invasive Species,” online at https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/disturbance/invasive_species/.” U.S. Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service, “Plants Data Base,” online at https://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS):“Asian Longhorned Beetle,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/resources/pests-diseases/asian-longhorned-beetle;“Emerald Ash Borer,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/emerald-ash-borer;“Gypsy Moth,” online at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/plant-pest-and-disease-programs/pests-and-diseases/gypsy-moth. Virginia Departme

The English Language: most lifelong Americans take it for granted. For Yazidi refugees seeking a new life in middle-America, language hurdles can prevent access to physical and mental healthcare resources, as well as other necessities.A UNL study finds Yazidi refugees in Nebraska face challenges in accessing healthcare resources. The Yazidi are an ethnic group that have faced persecution in Eastern Asia.

The English Language: most lifelong Americans take it for granted. For Yazidi refugees seeking a new life in middle-America, language hurdles can prevent access to physical and mental healthcare resources, as well as other necessities.A UNL study finds Yazidi refugees in Nebraska face challenges in accessing healthcare resources. The Yazidi are an ethnic group that have faced persecution in Eastern Asia.

Maya decides to attempt to follow the footsteps of her 19th great grandfather, Genghis Khan, and try carrying a bag of gold from Eastern Europe to Eastern Asia.  Along her journey, she comes upon a gardener, named Kristen.  After enjoying some potato soup, they head out together.  They run into Pastor Mike along the way, and he asks them about their friendship.  Kristen offers to sing a song about how Maya has a friend in her, but Maya suggests they describe it using God's Word.  Together, the trio look at what the Bible says about friendships, the difference between Christian friendships and non-Christian friendships, and when a healthy friendship becomes a non-healthy friendship.  So put on some Randy Newman (maybe a little Shania Twain), grab your potato soup, and pull up a seat on the cry couch for this week's episode.   

On this week's episode of The WON Podcast, I am joined by the guys from Impossible Objects, a brand agency specialising in bringing, managing and distributing brands from Eastern Asia into the UK and Europe. Established by Ezra Brown, Rhys Thrupp and Joshua Rosscraig, the three of them have decided upon themselves to start their own agency, managing brands from the Far East region and distributing them to stores in the UK and Europe.  Using their experience within the industry, the three have taken a huge leap by forming their own agency, which took inspiration from their own personal problems of having access to brands from this particular region. The combination of these two factors has got them to where they are today, and we talk about the early stages of the agency, where they are now and what ideas they have for the future. Listen on to hear us speak about all of the above and much more on this week's episode of The WON Podcast. Want to find out more about Impossible Objects? Check out the below. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/impossibleobjects_/ Website - https://www.impossibleobjects.co.uk/ Liked what you heard? Make sure to subscribe on Spotify, Google or Apple podcasts and follow the Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thewonpodcast/  to make sure you do not miss out on Who's On Next.

After a murder appears to have been committed during a power outage on a luxury passenger submarine during World War II, Inspector Poiror begins his investigation to find the culprit, or culprits, before they arrive in Eastern Asia, specifically Japan.   Once evidence is gathered, and bodies start to pile up, Poiror lays out an elaborate sequence of events tying all the pieces together to single out who exactly he believes to be responsible for the deaths during the voyage and the motives behind them.  Written by Ean Smith (@marcusdayhooray).    Dylan Carey (@_groovebox_): Narrator, Captain Starboard Fee Basanavicius (@fbasanavicius): Carol von Berg Alex Cambell (@likethesoup92): Richard Texas Travis Marsala (@travismarsala): Inspector Poiror Susan Day: Lucille von Berg Ashley Whitehurst (@ashleymdub): Joyce Jeremy DeAntonio (@jeremydeantonio5): Dark Haired Man, Todd   Ep. Sponsor: Intersteller Church of Science - Ashley Whitehurst: Mom - Alex Campbell: Kid 1 - Jeremy DeAntonio: Tyler, Neighbor - Susan Day: Kid 2 - Fee Basanavicius: Announcer 1 - Travis Marsala: Announcer 2 - Dylan Carey: Doug Ep. Sponsor: Lyric Lads - Jeremy DeAntonio: Server - Fee Basanavicius: Customer - Ashley Whitehurst: Announcer - Travis Marsala: Lawyer - Alex Campbell: Lyric Lad Ep. Sponsor: Professor Potato Body - Jeremy DeAntonio: Bill - Dylan Carey: David - Fee Basanavicius: Announcer - Ashley Whitehurst: Professor Potato Body  Theme song: Secret Garden by Eugenio Mininni 

Chapter Three: Poiror Sits Back and Thinks After hours of sitting back and thinking through the evidence collected, Inspector Poiror lays out an elaborate sequence of events tying all the pieces together to single out who exactly he believes to be responsible for the deaths of a fellow passenger and the captain's stepfather, Todd.   Written by Ean Smith (@marcusdayhooray).  Dylan Carey (@_groovebox_): Narrator, Captain Starboard Fee Basanavicius (@fbasanavicius): Carol von Berg Alex Cambell (@likethesoup92): Richard Texas Travis Marsala (@travismarsala): Inspector Poiror Susan Day: Lucille von Berg Ashley Whitehurst (@ashleymdub): Joyce Jeremy DeAntonio (@jeremydeantonio5): Brian   Ep. Sponsor: Professor Potato Body - Jeremy DeAntonio: Bill - Dylan Carey: David - Fee Basanavicius: Announcer - Ashley Whitehurst: Professor Potato Body  Theme song: Secret Garden by Eugenio Mininni 

Kiersen starts the show with a great bevvy from Eastern Asia. This is a great moment in the B&B world because one of the main points of the show is to introduce our listeners to new drinks, experiences, and ways of thinking. Kiersen is from Pennsylvania originally but lives down in Nashville with her fiance, who PK has toured with and is the reason why our paths have crossed. They dive into some fun tales from our pasts but then jump into her life in counseling and helping with mental health. There is a good discussion on how to start the process of getting your head in the right spot. How food can help bring your mood up in times when life can get very heavy. Healthy living is not just something that takes one day, it is a long process of growing and changing bad habits. Kiersen relives a memory of the one time she got to ride a tour bus with her future hubby to a festival and then they dive into what a quick day in a roadie's life of food in the morning. One question PK asks is how do you wake up each day and try to help people when you know their situation is down? How do you stay positive in a world that is completely upside down at times? Kiersen talks about her goals in helping people and how she goes about her day and her job. PK wonders why we don't learn more key life skills while in school instead of memorizing things that we don't end up actually using in everyday life?Mental Health MATTERS. To find a therapist in your area, check out:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us** You can specify insurance/pay preference, gender preference, age preference, faith preference, type of therapy desired/ specific areas to work onSuicide Prevention Lifeline Number1-800-273-82555 Simple Ways to Boost Your MoodSoothe with your senses (observe something pleasing to you, listen to your favorite music, light a candle, take a hot bath, mindfully eat your favorite food)Move your body in a way that feels good for YOUSpend time with someone who brings you joy (virtually or in person)Write down 3 things you're grateful forPractice mindfulnessFree mindfulness apps:HeadspaceInsight TimerCalmThe Social Dilemma movie link:https://youtu.be/uaaC57tcci000:00 Welcome to Backyards & Bevvies Podcast 05:56 What is the Bevvy 12:28 The older I get... 19:20 I went out on tour once 29:35 Helping people to discover the answers 39:20 A deer just ran by! 48:45 What if school was better 57:50 There are going to be good and bad days 1:07:27 Food is good 1:14:00 know that each person is different 1:19:30 Bottoms UP!#weeklypodcast #podcastshow #backyardsandbevvies #backyards #bevvies #bottomsup #midweektreat #BTG #marriage #comedy #parenting #life #drama #interview #friendsPodcast https://backyardsandbevvies.simplecast.com/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/BackyardsBevviesPodcastInstagram https://instagram.com/backyardsbevviesFacebook https://www.facebook.com/backyardsbevviesTwitter https://twitter.com/backyardbevviesTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@backyardsandbevvies?lang=enPatreon https://www.patreon.com/backyardsbevvies

Chapter Two: The Evidence A second corpse, a flock of confusion, and a gaggle of suspicion lead Inspector Poiror and the other passengers to search each sleeping compartment for clues as to who among them may be a murderer, with just a brief pause to attack an enemy Japanese battle ship.   Written by Ean Smith (@marcusdayhooray).     Dylan Carey (@_groovebox_): Narrator, Captain Starboard Fee Basanavicius (@fbasanavicius): Carol von Berg Alex Cambell (@likethesoup92): Richard Texas Travis Marsala (@travismarsala): Inspector Poiror Susan Day: Lucille von Berg Ashley Whitehurst (@ashleymdub): Joyce   Ep. Sponsor: Lyric Lads - Jeremy DeAntonio: Server - Fee Basanavicius: Customer - Ashley Whitehurst: Announcer - Travis Marsala: Lawyer - Alex Campbell: Lyric Lad  Theme song: Secret Garden by Eugenio Mininni 

Ash trees were once abundant in Michigan, now hundreds of millions of them are dead. They were killed by the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle native to Eastern Asia.

Chapter One: The Facts After a murder appears to have been committed during a power outage on a luxury passenger submarine during World War II, Inspector Poiror begins his investigation to find the culprit, or culprits, before they arrive in Eastern Asia, specifically Japan.    Written by Ean Smith (marcusdayhooray).    Credits:  Dylan Carey (@_groovebox_): Narrator, Captain Starboard Fee Basanavicius (@fbasanavicius): Carol von Berg Alex Cambell (@likethesoup92): Richard Texas Travis Marsala (@travismarsala): Inspector Poiror Susan Day: Lucille von Berg Ashley Whitehurst (@ashleymdub): Joyce Jeremy DeAntonio (@jeremydeantonio5): Dark Haired Man, Todd   Ep. Sponsor: Intersteller Church of Science - Ashley Whitehurst: Mom - Alex Campbell: Kid 1 - Jeremy DeAntonio: Tyler, Neighbor - Susan Day: Kid 2 - Fee Basanavicius: Announcer 1 - Travis Marsala: Announcer 2 - Dylan Carey: Doug  Theme song: Secret Garden by Eugenio Mininni 

What you'll learn in this episode: The history of Metalsmith magazine, and why it maintains its name even as its scope has expanded beyond metals How SNAG has made efforts to diversify the voices in Metalsmith and open the organization to new members What type of content Adriane looks for as an editor, and how you can pitch ideas to her What changes need to be made in the jewelry industry to make it more equitable Why being a curator and being an editor aren't so different About Adriane Dalton Adriane Dalton is an artist, writer, and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. She is the editor of Metalsmith, the magazine published by the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG). She was formerly the Assistant Curator and Exhibitions Manager at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art (NEHMA) in Logan, Utah, where she co-curated “ARTsySTEM: The Changing Climate of the Arts and Sciences” and taught History of American Studio Craft, among many other curatorial and educational projects.  She holds an MA in the history of decorative arts and design from Parsons The New School for Design (2014), and a BFA in craft and material studies from the University of the Arts (2004). Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at Contemporary Craft (Pittsburgh, PA), The Wayne Art Center (Wayne, PA), Snyderman-Works Gallery (Philadelphia, PA), A CASA Museu de Object Brasileiro (Sao Paulo, Brazil), the Metal Museum (Memphis, TN), and Space 1026 (Philadelphia, PA). Additional Resources: SNAG Website Adriane's Instagram Photos: Recent Metal Smith Covers Transcript: Adriane Dalton took a meandering path to become editor of Metalsmith, the Society of North American Goldsmith's (SNAG) quarterly magazine, but her background as a maker, her work as a curator, and her education in the history of craft has only helped her hone her editorial skills. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about the overlaps between making, curating and editing; what she looks for when selecting work for the magazine; and why it's important we not just talk about objects and the people who make them, but the conditions in which people make them. Read the episode transcript here.  Sharon: What kinds of changes do you think? I don't know, galleries representing more Black jewelers and jewelers of color? What kinds of changes do you mean? Talking about them in classes? Adriane: For that particular issue, that essay by Valena Robinson Glass and the essay by Leslie Boyd touch on some of the possibilities for how to address those things. I would encourage anyone who's listening who hasn't read that issue or isn't familiar with it to go pick it up off your bookshelf or go purchase it from SNAG. There are a lot of ways you can be reflective. Some of it is as simple as trying to understand if you have a space where there are no Black, indigenous, or people of color in that space, whether you're a galleries or an educator, what are the barriers to access for people, whether they're economic or graphic? There are a lot of different things. I don't know that I can say there are one-size-fits all solutions to these things, but I think it's a matter of being reflective. Sharon: I know you're the editor of the publication; you're not speaking for SNAG itself, but what do you see SNAG doing to lower barriers? Adriane: I think some of the things SNAG has done have been done to create, for example—for our virtual conference, there were needs-based scholarships for folks to attend the conference if they had an economic barrier, which is one way SNAG has dealt with that. Because of us having canceled our conference last year, there's been a lot of upheaval. We're trying to get through and recover from the financial burden of having to cancel an annual conference, as many organizations have this past year.  One of the other things that has been done—and this started pre-pandemic—is changing how we define what it means to be a student. In the past, that was implied to mean a student of a four-year jewelry program. As most folks have probably noticed, there are fewer and fewer jewelry and metals programs in higher education in the U.S. than ever. So many programs have closed, and there have been a lot of community programs which have popped up, such as the Baltimore Jewelry Center, Smith Shop in Detroit, Brooks Metalworks, plus others. Then, of course, there are places like We Wield the Hammer and the Crucible in San Francisco. We're trying to include anyone who's taking classes in a community setting in this definition of student, offering lower rates for registrations for students, lower rates for student memberships and things like that. SNAG's membership cost at this point is $99 annually, which I believe is less than it used to be. I feel like it used to be higher than that.  Sharon: I don't remember. I get my renewal notice and I know I want to remain a member. Will there be a regular conference this year or next spring, do you think? Although who knows with the Delta variant.  Adriane: Right. There are plans for an in-person conference to happen in the spring of 2022 as it would normally, around Labor Day. I'm not involved in the conference planning, so I don't know exactly what the plan is at this point, but I think there are some other things that SNAG has planned in the meantime. We have other virtual programming.  We're going to be having a symposium in the fall in October. I believe it's October 22-23. This is part of what will be an annual program that happens every fall in addition to the conference, and it will be virtual. I believe the title of that symposium program is “Tides and Waves.” Each year, we'll have a different geographical focus throughout the world. I believe that is the focus for this coming symposium, which is happening this fall. I think it will have been announced by the time this comes up. Sharon: This fall being 2021? Adriane: Yeah, this fall being 2021. I think the geographical focus for this symposium is Eastern Asia. Sharon: Oh, wow, that will be interesting. I'm not a maker, and when I go to the conferences, I'm more focused on what people are showing, what's different. I'm trying to remember the issues you're talking about. It doesn't seem like there have been many—maybe they haven't been of much interest to me, but I haven't heard these issues being discussed at the conferences as much as how you form a gold something, or whatever. I don't know.  Adriane: You mean as far as conference sessions? Sharon: Sessions, yeah. Adriane: The last conference I attended was in Chicago. No, that's not true; I attended our virtual conference, but when you're working and the conference is happening and you're trying to zip in and out of things and pay attention to everything, it's all kind of a blur for me at this point, honestly. I think the most recent virtual conference dealt a little bit more with some of the things I was mentioning. For example, there was a panel that dealt with people who were makers or involved in the field in some way, but who also have a caretaking role, whether that's mothering or something that. That also speaks to what I was mentioning before, thinking about not just what we make, but the conditions in which we make. That is a huge topic that hasn't fully been addressed. How can you go to a residency and take a month or longer to do that when you have a small child—or not even a small child, a teenager—and do all of these things when you have some other person you have to care for? And of course, that disproportionately affects women in the field. I think one of the things that is great about an in-person conference but is much more difficult to have happen organically in a virtual setting, even now when we are accustomed to attending events virtually—and I love it; it's great because I can be in San Francisco; I can be in New York; I can be in London, but I don't have to leave my house. I just have to be awake at whatever time zone the event is happening in. But something that doesn't happen at these things is the organic conversations you have in small groups at dinner or over drinks. For me as the editor, those are the conversations I'm really looking for. What are people talking about that we aren't talking about more broadly, and how can we make space for that and bring that in? Sharon: That's an interesting question. Yes, you do hear that as you're having coffee with somebody or with a group. What's on your plate that you've heard? Maybe it's harder to hear that virtually, but something that you thought, “Oh, I want to investigate that more,” or “We need to do something about that, an article.” Adriane: Yeah, one very straightforward example is that during last year's virtual New York City Jewelry Week, I spent the entire week, morning to night for seven days straight, glued to my computer. I was picking my laptop up and taking it into my kitchen when I made dinner. By the end of the week, I didn't want to look at a screen again, but of course I had to. One of the presentations during New York City Jewelry Week last year was by Sebastian Grant— Sharon: He is? Adriane: Sebastian is a jewelry historian and teaches at Parsons - Cooper Hewitt. His presentation, which I believe was in concert with The Jewelry Library, was on looking at the history of Black jewelry artists from mid-century forward and trying to identify these makers and talk about their work and their stories that hadn't been shared or acknowledged. In a lot of publications, there hasn't been comprehensive publishing around some of these artists. After seeing his presentation, I reached out to him and asked if he would be interested in taking some of that research and sharing it in Metalsmith in a series of articles. So far, we've published two articles by Sebastian. That's a very direct example of being engaged in the field in a virtual setting, hearing conversations that are going on—it was a presentation, but there was also a Q&A afterwards—and knowing this is something that needs to be given more space.  Sharon: It must be great to be in a position where you can say, “This needs to be addressed further” and do something about it, to literally create. I know you have people you consult with on that, but still, that's very interesting. What other areas do you have in mind that are churning right now? Adriane: It's hard to say. I can talk a little bit about the examples of things that have happened over the recent volume that fit these criteria. Looking forward, it's a little harder because I'm just finishing up Volume 41—or getting ready to finish it up—and then Volume 42 will be starting. There's a lot of planning, a lot of question marks and things that are penciled in that I'm hoping will be written in in pen shortly.  One of the examples that directly came out of attending the conference in Chicago, aside from that conversation I mentioned with Lauren Eckert which led to the New Voices Competition, was at—I forget what it was called—but basically, it was the exhibition room where everyone has their small pop-up exhibitions. There was an exhibition that was curated by Mary Raivel and Mary Fissell, who are both based in Baltimore and involved with the Baltimore Center. Their exhibition was called “Coming of Age,” and they were specifically interested in artists who had come to jewelry making or metalsmithing as a second career after having some other career first. I was really interested in that, because there's the idea of the emerging artist as being someone who's young and just out of school, just out of undergrad or just out of grad school. I think it's a limiting way to think about where people are at in their creative process. I invited them to write about that exhibition, turn it into an article and talk about the interviews they did with the artists who applied to the show. We ran that in Volume 40, so it was the second issue of Volume 40 of Metalsmith. Sharon: That's a really interesting subject. It's so true; there are so many people who have come to jewelry making, whether it's in metal or in plastic or whatever, after a career doing something else, when they said, “Hey, I'm done with this and I really want to do what I want do.” I know Art Jewelry Forum, when they started—I don't know exactly where it ended up, but I know there was discussion in terms of age. Originally some of the grants being submitted had to do with age, and that really doesn't tell you anything. Adriane: Right. That actually came up in that article. It's been a while since I read it, so it's not fresh in my mind, but I believe they interviewed someone from Art Jewelry Forum—maybe it was Yvonne—and they brought this up and talk about that. In the article, they talk about how people fall into this gap where they're an age on paper where it seems like they should be mid-career artists, but they truly are emerging artists; it just may not seem that way if you know their age. I think it's interesting, and the more we try to put—and this is true of all sorts of things—rigid parameters on something, I think we limit ourselves in whom we invite to participate in the field or be in these spaces with us. It leaves people out. Not everyone can graduate from high school and go straight into college and start a career as a bench jeweler or a production jeweler or conceptual artist. There are a lot of different factors that contribute to where a person is in their career and the work they're making. Sharon: Yeah, that as well. What's a student today? It's an avocation. It may become their vocation eventually, but if they take a class at a community—I took a class at a jewelry school, and that's all the metalsmithing I've done. I was thinking about how you, being a maker, how does that affect—do you think you could do your job as well if you weren't a maker? Adriane: I don't think I could do my job as well if I were not a maker who had a grounding in the processes and traditions of metalsmithing. As I was saying earlier, the field and the materiality of the field has shifted a lot. My undergraduate study in learning the basics of jewelry and metalsmithing is helpful for me as I'm looking at the way authors are writing about artists' work. Not everyone who writes for the magazine is a maker or a jeweler, so there are some times when a term might come up, or someone might interpret a component of an object in a certain way. I, as someone who is a maker, and our readers often could look at that and say, “Well, I don't think that's quite right.” I then have the knowledge to write a note or an edit and say, “Hey, I think you might have this wrong. I think it's vermeil and not actually gold.” I don't think I would have that ability if I didn't have a background as a maker. Sharon: That's interesting. How do you find the journalism aspect? To me, what you're doing—it's both the combination of being a maker or jeweler and having the crafts background, but the journalism, not everybody could do that. Adriane: I don't think about it in that way necessarily. Having a curatorial background, I think about the magazine more curatorially, I would say. Maybe there's some overlap with the way someone with a journalism background would think about it, but because that is not my background and not my training, I don't know. I think about what I'm doing as the editor as interpretative, in the way that if you are a curator and you've done research and you're presenting a selection of artworks to the public, you have to contextualize them in some way. You have to make sure that the way that you've put things together, people can come into that space, whether it's in a print publication or in a gallery space, and hopefully they can come away with the things that are apparent and the subtleties at the same time. That's what I try to capture when I write my letter from the editor for every issue, which, as you alluded to earlier, sounds like a difficult task and it certainly is. Even though I have done a lot of writing, I'm always fussing with it and fussing with it and fussing with it up to the last minute. I want to make sure that when people read it, they get something out of it that isn't just, “Here's what's in this issue.” Sharon: That's interesting. Being an editor has so many similarities with being a curator. You're culling through things and what goes with what and setting the context, which is what you definitely do in the note from the editor, and I'll be thinking about them a little differently as I read more. I already look at them and think, “Oh, it's so hard to express yourself.” You do a very good job, but they're very weighty things you're talking about. It's not just, “Oh, we have pretty pieces of jewelry in this issue.” Adriane: Right. If that were the case, that would probably be all I had to say about it.  Sharon: That's true; moving from here on to Vogue. Adriane: I don't know about that. Sharon: Adriane, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. You've given us a lot to think about. I didn't enter this conversation realizing it would be so thought-provoking. Thank you. It's greatly, greatly appreciated. Adriane: That's wonderful; thank you, and thank you for having me. This has been a fantastic conversation. Sharon: So glad to have you. We will have images posted on the website. You can find us wherever you download your podcasts, and please rate us. Please join us next time, when our guest will be another jewelry industry professional who will share their experience and expertise. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.  

There is always a little magic behind every great design.  On this episode of the Design Mind frogcast, we're joined by Dave Lankford, VP of Product for Global Consumer Engagement at Disney Streaming (Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Star+) to talk about what it means to design products that tell stories. Designing streaming platforms for a brand with as large a footprint as Disney is no small feat, but luckily Dave and his global team are well-prepared for the task. At Disney Streaming, human empathy and machine intelligence play a critical role in the mission of storytelling. Dave discusses the importance of empowering creative, collaborative teams, how the improvisation technique “Yes, and” leads to innovative ideas, and what it takes to connect users with stories across vastly different regions, cultures and languages.Brought to you by frog, a global creative consultancy. frog is part of Capgemini Invent. (https://www.frogdesign.com)Find episode transcripts and relevant info (https://www.frogdesign.com/designmind/design-mind-frogcast-ep-17-the-magic-of-storytelling/)Download the frog report 'Convergent Transformation' (https://www.frogdesign.com/designmind/real-transformation-and-disruption-takes-convergent-design)Audio Production: Richard Canham, Lizard Media (https://www.lizardmedia.co.uk/)

The Millionaire's Lawyer JP McAvoy, Conduct Law   – The Sharkpreneur podcast with Seth Greene Episode 713 JP McAvoy JP McAvoy practices corporate and commercial law. He assists his clients with a wide range of transactions including financings and acquisitions, re-organizations, and corporate entity structuring matters. He acts for clients buying and selling businesses and represents a diverse range of corporations in Canada, the United States, and Eastern Asia. JP also teaches Corporate Law at Algonquin College and works with financial, insurance, and accounting advisers to provide tax, trust and estate planning advice to entrepreneurial clients and professionals. Prior to commencing private practice, JP was a founding employee of Silicon Valley start-up Zip2, which was sold to Compaq and later merged with Alta Vista. He is a Contributing writer for the New Economy Watch, founding member of the Ottawa Junior Chamber of Commerce, and a Business Legal Consultant with CPLS.PA (www.cplspa.com).   Listen to this illuminating Sharkpreneur episode with JP McAvoy about being The Millionaire's Lawyer. Here are some of the beneficial topics covered on this week's show: ●    How corporate and commercial law help businesses bring their idea to fruition and commercialize it. ●    Why it's important for businesses to have plan in place with the end goal in sight. ●    How business owners need to have protection from liability from day one. ●    Why business owners need to take a step back to make sure they are prepared. ●    How business owners need to talk to their lawyer's in the beginning stages of planning.   Connect with JP: Guest Contact Info Twitter @jp_mcavoy Instagram @jp_mcavoy Facebook Facebook.com/TheMillionariesLawyer LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/Jeffrey-jp-mcavoy Links Mentioned: jpmcavoy.com   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BENZINGA ELECTRIC VEHICLES CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 Click here to register for FREEEpisode Summary:Monday TradesGuests:Ben Rabizadeh, Story Tradinghttps://storytrading.com/about/For more trade ideas check out :https://www.benzinga.com/trade-ideasResources:https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/https://www.benzinga.com/differenceHosts:Aaron BryTwitter: https://twitter.com/aaronbry5Hot Stocks Luke JacobiTwitter: https://twitter.com/lukejacobiJason RaznickTwitter: https://twitter.com/jasonraznickSubscribe to all Benzinga Podcasts hereGet 20% off Benzinga PRO here Become a BENZINGA AFFILIATE and earn 30% on new subscriptionsDisclaimer: All of the information, material, and/or content contained in this program is for informational purposes only. Investing in stocks, options, and futures is risky and not suitable for all investors. Please consult your own independent financial adviser before making any investment decisions.Unedited Transcript CEO, Jason, Rasic here with us, the man, the myth, the legend on that gear shift on the power hour with us live today. Interesting different innovative company. You are alive with us out of the power hour, Jessica Billingsley, then the CEO of a great idea. Rich was out there.There we go. What's going on producer AB Donziger nation happy Monday, happy Monday, baby. With the markets are open after a weekend of no trading, except for Luke the cryptocurrency market. I'm going to go ahead and pull up about crypto. I started trading crypto when I was in college in 2013. And the reason why we did it was because we were college.Students would be up at 3:00 AM on a Tuesday. Still trading crypto. Yeah. I mean, that's, that's the beautiful thing about crypto and Luke, let me real quick. I have the heat map pulled up here on benzinga.com/cryptocurrency. Um, if you guys are trading crypto and this isn't in your, you know, bookmarks top pages, you need to add it because not only do you get this heat map that shows you what's going on in the crypto world, you also have the top news stories.But Luke, as we can see, this is not pretty for cryptocurrency over the last 24 hours, all red, um, and the major players, Bitcoin Ethereum down more than 8%. So Luke, the title of this video or this today's episode of power hour is by the dip question, mark question, mark. Question mark. And we're not just talking about, you know, the stock market.We're talking about crypto as well. Um, and typically. Typically, when we're talking about buying the dip, we're talking about, you know, retail investors, but Luke, let me just show you real quick. Let me share my other tab. This is El Salvador's president tweeting about this. We just bought the dip 150 new coins El Salvador.The first time he's done that, I believe this is the second time somebody to check, correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe this is the second. No, I think like, uh, it coincided the first time that El Salvador bought crypto there happened. I don't know if it was related or if there just happened to be kind of a, a crash in Bitcoin and he, they bought, uh, the dip then as well.So here we have government officials buying the dip. So now my ask out to using our nation is, are you out there buying the dip today, maybe in crypto, maybe in the stock market. But yeah, I mean, I, I think this is just awesome, Luke, we're seeing, you know, real government officials going out and buying the dip.Okay. So let's, let's hit the math on this. So we have a, let's take 44,000 as the average price, 700 Bitcoins they own, so I'll sell it or it's up to $31 million in Bitcoin. Not, not a small little wallet. Solar up and saying that wouldn't make me very confident in my government. Um, Hey look, solar up rash a little bit.I would appreciate some sort of, uh, you know, price average. Some, some costs averaging in on the way down. I wouldn't want to be just in, at a certain price. Um, so I'm sure different L cells. El Salvadorians. I don't know. I think you got it. All right. Well, we'll, we'll run with it. I'm sure it's very divided how people are feeling about that right now.Yeah. Uh, Oh, yeah, it be a fun exercise. Would, it would be calculating the, uh, the, the, the price that Bitcoin would need to get to, to become the rich, to make El Salvador, the richest country in the world. Right. So I guess if the us has light, light, light, like treasury of XYZ trillion, what does Bitcoin need to get to?That would be a fun game. Maybe we say that one for tomorrow. I like that, I think. Um, but all right. I mean, let's talk about the buy, the dip. All right. So you talked about the crypto dip. Uh, I'm not hitting the dip. Uh, my thing that I like to do, I like to look at the cryptos docs. Um, whenever this happens, Coinbase is on 5%.If we pull up our Voyager digital, my. Um, we're off 8%, uh, w whenever the move in the stocks is lighter than the underlying crypto, I don't typically buy those dips. Whenever the stocks underperformed the price of the underlying crypto, that's usually what I'm hopping in. There is the dips are good for these stocks, right?If you look at a Voyager digital it's transaction-based revenue, um, and, and so, so when the dip happens, there are more transactions. So, so it's a short-term positive. Is it a long-term positive Bitcoin sits at 40 K. One Bitcoin to go to a hundred K for, for the sake of the stocks. Uh, but, but at least in the short term, we get some of that volatility.There, there a little bit of a positive for the stocks. The stocks do have diversified revenue streams outside of just the price of a Bitcoin. Um, and so that's how I'm typically I've been trading. These stocks is whenever they underperform the price of the underlying crypto on the sell off days. That's when I've been hitting them today is not the.Yeah. I mean, look, look, I think you said it well, that, that this could be a short term bull case for Voyager, that there are more transactions as the coins are slipping. Um, but I think overall, the markets care more about, you know, what, what does the news mean for the longterm? Like, um, you know, what guidance can be expected to change.So if we continue to see a lot of, um, downward movement in different cryptos, I think the market. Theory is there will be less people wanting to trade crypto on Voyager. So if we could continue to see, you know, the coins crashing bad for voyage in the long run, even if in the short term, um, people are going out and 100 K in the next few months, but all right, Ronald is jumping the gun here.Uh, who's buying the dip. All right here. Here's a one-year chart, aspire spy that we have up on the screen. Daily candles. Spy is off a little more than 2%. Um, I zoom this out to take a look at when was the last time that we've had a 2% spy day. I don't know if anybody knows that off the top of my head of their head, or if they have a data source that will point them in that direction.Uh, but, but per my quick visual check on this chart, I don't recall the last time that we would have had a negative 2% spider. I mean, it doesn't look like we've had one. Again, this is very, very, uh, imprecise and me looking at it visually. So, so I'm curious if anybody else knows that. Uh, if we go over to IWM that that's the ETF that tracks the Russell 2000, the small cap stocks, another big red day.The thing that's nice for iwi. It's sort of nice. It's been going sideways for six months. So at least we have like a pretty clearly defined level of support down here. Um, but, but, but who is buying the dip? I see emperor in the chat saying that that he's hedged he's staying in, but hedged. Um, but if you are specifically going out today in buying the dip drop the one, if you're sitting on your hands, hit the.I'm just sitting on my hands today, producer, maybe I know that the buy, the dip has worked for the past two years. I've been a, by the different for the past two years. Today is a hands day for me. Yeah, look, I agree. I mean, I think that we're going to see throughout the rest of this week, is this a, you know, trend of a new market?Are we going to see us enter, you know, kind of a bear market or is this just a bad day? And then tomorrow we're going to, um, you know, see a rebalance. I Daniel, shout out Daniel in the chat. He's saying turnaround Tuesday. He's banking on a green day tomorrow. I, I, I don't know, Luke, I just gotta wait and see, I wanna see some strengths come back in the market before I start going long again.Um, shout out to born to be in MW. Those are the two brave chatters who are buying the dip. Everybody else's into everybody. Else's like me sitting on their hands today, not making a move. Those are the two brave ones, probably looking at the history. CNA, it's worked for two years straight. They're going to go ahead and hit the dip today.Yeah. And let us know in the chat. Are, are you in any short positions right now? Like where are you in any short positions going into the day? If so, um, you know, what were those positions? How are they working out for you today? I know a lot of people I've talked to. Um, you know, playing VIX, you know, buying some VIX calls or things like that to try to, to try to get out in front of this uncertainty.Um, but you know, I'm personally not in anything short or anything like that. That's headed my portfolio. So, um, you know, bad day for me overall producer AB um, and then what about. China, we will. You give us the lowdown on the China story for anybody who isn't aware and I'm going to, I that's Foxtrot x-ray India.That's an ETF that tracks, uh, Chinese stocks that's off about 4% today. Yeah. So essentially look, um, ever Grande is China's second largest real estate company. And evergreen has accumulated a lot. I want to say almost $2 trillion. Worth of debt over the past 10 years. And there's just a lot of fear that, um, you know, this company blowing up or filing for bankruptcy could be very bad for the Chinese economy as a whole.Actually they hold a lot of real estate. And then if the, if they have to liquidate it as a part of bankruptcy, it would just flood the market. Is that. Exactly. So it'd be like if a black rock or, you know, one of our biggest real estate companies had to, uh, you know, liquidate assets and thus, you know, messing up the markets.And so basically all Chinese stocks are getting crushed today. I know Baba is down about 5%, um, someone in the chat, let me scroll up and find it.Let's see zippity due to St. Baba breaking down new PNF target of 1 31. Um, so zippity, let us know if you're playing Baba. Like if you're buying puts, trying to watch it go down from, I think it's around one 50 right now down to 1 31, or let us know how you came up with that, um, target of 1 31. Um, because I do think that there will be.Some, some good value in some of these Chinese names, if they continue to get crushed. Uh, but I've been saying that stocks have continued to get crushed, so I'm kind of just staying away from Chinese stocks at the moment. Okay. Yeah. All right. So, so, so that's the move there. Um, and, and you know, what it might be time for.I might be a, by the different today.What do you see on the screen? I see Deedee global, Inc. This is of course China's, um, Uber S company down about 7% today, Baba, like we mentioned down five and a half percent. Um, and. I don't know. I mean, I still like Baba is just such a massive company. They make so much money that I think at some point we're going to get to a point where Baba is low enough, that it becomes a very enticing investment, not just for retail traders like us, Luke, but for institutions as well.They're going to say, Hey, wait a second. This company makes you know, a hundred billion dollars a year and this stock has a depreciated by more than 50% over the last. 60 or six bonds or so, and you know, not now, not yet, but I think when some of this fear subsides, we will see institutions get into, uh, you know, Baba.And I want to see that coming back up to the $200 inch. All right. So D is 41 million transactions a day China's population, 1.4 billion. All right, they're doing 41 million transactions a day. Oh, I, I totally did that backwards. Sorry. So need 41 million transactions per day divided by the population of 1.4 billion guys.That's 3% of the Chinese population is using DD every day on averageI mean, that's substantial. The company's not going anywhere.Well, I want to see what the sales are. The other thing. And we talked about this a minute ago, Luke, is that, you know, we talked about it in regards to the Voyager short-term versus long-term investors are almost always, and when I say investors, I'm talking about institutions, I'm talking about what moves the markets, um, are almost always more concerned with like the long-term outlook rather than news in the short term.Um, you know, so if there's news out there. Like what came out with apple and the app store fees that might hurt the revenue over a long period of time news, like that will move stocks and move markets. Um, but something that China recently announced that I think actually does have a, you know, longterm guidance impact on Chinese names is, uh, Luc China announced that they are.Not going to enforce the, you know, two child rule or whatever. So I think it been part of what they're doing is they're trying to encourage people to have more kids, um, and thus making more consumers, more, uh, you know, driving the economy further. If you have a wider base of, of young people that are spending money.So maybe right now wall China assets are getting absolutely crushed. People are overlooking that, that the stock is trading at at a.Even up to, Hey. I mean, if you look at Bob was financials, it looks like a fricking steal right now, too, but I don't think a lot of investors are seen it. All right guys. D D D is the Uber. China stock has gotten Hamed since it IPO we'll zoom out. Here's one year chart. Daily candles stock reached a high of 18 bucks on the day debuted as a public company down below $8.I did try to hit this thing along with calls amid this volatility here. So somewhere around here, those calls expired worthless. It was a waste of money. Um, it may be time to shoot it again. Um, Solar upstate and AB lose the candy. I'm not quite sure what that means. Solar up, if you don't mind, uh, elaborated on that a little bit.Um, but yeah, I mean, so saying don't divide, you know, don't forget to divide the government correct downs, but all right. If anybody likes DD long, give me the one, if not give me the two, basically the thesis would be the stock has gotten hammered for items which are outside of its control. It's been, you know, net negative Chinese headlines.Uh, it had like, like the app store thing, which it sends resolved. Um, you know, today we have the China real estate item, you know, 3% of the Chinese population is using DD every single day. Uh, the company reports twenty-five percent of the Chinese population uses D has used DD over the past year. Um, so, so, so, you know, one of you would hit it like.Two of you to go short. I want to see you over that, on that thing. And I'll let the crowd decide for me. That might be my one by the dip today. I like it, Luke. I mean, I think anytime there's a lot of fear, it makes for good buying opportunities. You just have to be fearless and get in there when everyone else is scared.Um, shout out, born to be born, to be free in the chats. And India is the market. China, um, gives out fake news. I do think there are a lot of good opportunities in India, too. I've been looking at just some kind of like India economy ETFs, um, because India's economy is actually growing at a faster rate, right?Or at least pre COVID pandemic than China's was. Um, so I think out of all the emerging markets, India does look very interesting as well. The crowd has sort of mixed on DD. It's definitely bearish, but it's at least some positivity in there. All right. We'll let it sit mixed bag. We have a hot guest to bring on producer.He'd be the first time he came on this show, he called the stock and the stock ran like 60. The next day. Yeah. Corey in the chat saying what's up with SMSI I'm glad you asked Corey. Cause we have a guy, um, Ben, who's going to come on from, from story, invest in and give us our story, story trading. That's going to give us some more insight on SMSI as well as some other stocks he picked out.So without further ado, let's go with. AndBen, how are we doing? Good. How are you doing a lot of, a lot of action, a lot of things that's off about. Yeah, guys. So if you're new here, maybe you haven't seen Ben on the show before. Um, Ben is from story trading. You can go follow him on Twitter. Also drop the website in that. Um, Ben, before we start getting into the tickers, can you just give us the kind of lowdown on story trading and what the mission is there?Uh, yeah, sure. Story trading. Uh, the ultimate goal is to explain market price action, to discover the story behind the trade and the premise behind that is that there's reasons for why stocks move up and down and through crowdsource collaboration, uh, and, uh, social networking in our community. We can identify those catalysts that cause stocks to go up or down there by giving people a better understanding of the behavior of the stock, the investor expectations behind the stock.Um, and then you can make better trading and investing decisions. So right now we collaborate as a community on WhatsApp and on zoom. And we have our own app that we're building on iOS and Android coming out very soon. Uh, you could go to our website and sign up for the waitlist. Wait, wait, before you get into it produced maybe with the stocks.Ben Reed recount the story of your first time that you came on the show because you just dropped the symbol. And then that thing ran. I did, I dropped a symbol is around $5 and 50 cents. It was air H E H R. Yeah, that was a stock I've owned for two or three years. And I identified an inflection point in the stock a couple of weeks earlier, uh, with my colleague Ashley Day in our VIP meetings that we have on Sunday nights.Um, I got in, in a big way at around $2 and 70 cents. By the time I got them Benzinga was around five 50 and that afternoon it ran to like nine plus dollars. And after hours. Oh my God. Yeah. Wait. So it must've been, which day would it have been? It would have been like around here or something then when you, and that was that big green candle there.This one. Nope. Keep going further back. Oh, that was the day baby. And Ben, you kind of made it, you kind of made it tough on yourself cause that's hard to follow up, but now our audience sees you and they expect the 60 to a hundred percent. Um, so you know, maybe, maybe. Next time, start to start us out with like a 10, 20% runners.So you don't have to try to follow that follow up the a hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah, I'll do my best. So yeah, I got all I, not a lot of talk about first. I just want to mention that before we get into it. Uh, I want to acknowledge what's going on in the market, um, on spy, on the cues on ideal IWM, there's a lot of important moving averages, being breached, um, 50 day moving averages in particular, across the board, pretty much, uh, it's something that, uh, We've been here before and it doesn't necessarily mean we dive down to the 200 day moving average, but it is a risk.It is something people worry about. I'm personally not doing much about it because I've been trading for over 20 years. And on many, many occasions, I've been able to time time the top or time getting out just in time when there's a crash, but I never get back. And the reversal and looking back months later, I'm like, I would've been better off if I'd never made a move.So that's been my experience. So I haven't made many moves today, except I did raise a little bit of cash with a firm that was just a, uh, a trade I made when they got the Amazon deal. Um, so I was up on that, raised a little bit of cash from pre. And I added to a VIP stock, a soy trading, VIP stock called QC copper and gold, uh, QCC, U F.I've never mentioned, uh, on here before, but we have videos on it.Yeah. You see you F yeah. It's, it's a, yeah, it's up about 30%. Well, right at this moment, 22%. Yeah. So that's a VIP pick. I've held it for months. They had significant significant news today. I think this could be a five to 10 bagger. So I've I added this morning. I'm still on the bid. Actually. I'm trying to buy.Um, but, uh, so that, that, that's all the moves I made today so far sold a little from buying more QC. And when you're ready, I can get into some of my prepared slides. I'll give you an update on errands and other. Yeah. Yeah. If you want to hear it, if you want to go ahead and share, update on air, uh, and then let's rip into the new stocks.How's that if you want to go ahead and share your screen, we'll get it pulled up real quick. One thing I like to do on days like this, where a spiced out and, you know, almost 2% or 2% at this point is I like to look around and see kind of which stocks. Are you are down more than the market and which stocks are down less or even up, because I think while the markets are getting crushed, when you do see those one or two stocks that are green, that's a good sign that just shows you some are cyclical assets, like gold might be doing well today, or, you know, things like that.But outside of that, if say, um, I don't know if there are any big name stocks that are actually like up-to-date, but say like Amazon is down only. Well here, I'll check for you producers. If you're wondering what. Uh, this is the movers widget in Benzinga pro. Okay. You go to Benzinga pro P R o.com two week free trial.Okay. Totally free. You can follow along. Uh, I'll even put the link in the chat and make it easy for everyone. Um, but AB here, all the stocks over there's 300 million market cap. If you on big stocks, we'll move it to a 10 billion plus market cap. These, these are the large cap stocks that are up today. Um, AstraZeneca.Uh, a lot of energy stocks, it looks like, yeah. I'm seeing American airlines in there. So, so there are some stocks that, you know, could just be up from wait, where do you see American airlines? All right. They're AAL. The only airline. I know. So that's showing me that there's some air American airlines is showing some relative strength, not only against the market, but also against its industry against airlines.Um, so things like that, I kind of like to add to my watch list on days and saying, Hey, like American airlines might be strong throughout the week. Um, you know, maybe airlines in general right now are performing better than the market. So I think even on down down days like this, there are always opportunities.You have to be a little bit. You know, I guess less risk averse, if you're worried about like an overall market correction that could still hurt some of these names. Um, but yeah, I mean, that's just something that I like to do is kind of add stocks in my watch lists that are performing better than the market are better than, than the relative peers.Okay. Yeah. And here I'll call it one more thing and we're trying to get to AHR, but, but I just, while I'm seeing it, so, so, so we look at a lot of these stocks that are up today. So you notice that there's a lot of energy names, uh, that are trading higher. There's a handful of them in there, USO that that's the ETF that tracks the price of oil is actually down.So, so, so the oil futures are actually down in price. W what that suggests that a first glance to me is that there's some rotation into those energy stocks. Um, you know, it might be dollars that are rolled, rotating out of like your, your triple Q stocks, uh, you know, tack heavy index into, uh, some of the, some of the energy games.I know, 0.7% now, man, at 3%, 2.7% and we're at the lowest. Oh, and we were just sitting at that low. We typically see that loop when there's market weakness that, um, you know, money flows into the value stocks, into the stocks that are currently making a lot of money compared to the more speculative assets like your, you know, big tech companies that are looked at as more growth opportunities.Um, but yeah, Ben, without further ado, let's get to H R um, I know we've got a lot to kind of run through, but we we've got some extra time today. Okay. Great. Let me know when that screen is upgrade. Yeah. Quick, the slimmer, I got to do story trading, not an investment advisor, investing in securities and false significant risk of loss.We talked about what story trading is. So air there it is. There's a chart. Uh, Fundamentals catalyst sentiment and technicals to do this. This is what I presented. It was $5 60 cents that they have been Zynga. And look what happened since it consolidated and it kept on running. It hit $12. Right now it's $10 89 cents.So let's find out what's going on. Sorry. Sorry, Ben. But before you really get into it, can you just give us some background as to what the company is, what it does. Sure they test a semiconductor chips, uh, that are used, uh, in, in this case, Silicon carbide is where most of their business comes from. These are chips that are primarily right now be used in electric vehicles.A Tesla is probably from everything we can glean the, uh, the end customer for most of their business right now. Uh, so they sell their testing equipment to a manufacturer semiconductor manufacturer called on semi. And then, uh, those trips make their way over to Tesla for Evie, but their technology can be used in many, many other industries that have a lot of other things going on that could help explode the stock even further, but just the Evie alone and the Silicon carbide, uh, testing of those chips, um, alone is something that could continue to be a very strong tailwind for this.Perfect. Yeah, you sir. Keep going. Okay, great. So I just want to review what happened here when it got from two 70 to five 60. So, uh, um, quickly, uh, when I presented last ended at 17.4 million orders in six weeks. And, uh, this was a real inflection point for the company because it's signified that they're going to be getting recurring transactions because they're testing technology of these chips in the past were only used for sampling.So apple was one of the big customers. It was, but it was used for sampling to verify that their production, uh, uh, was going well. And it was so they didn't need to test every single chip coming out of the system. But with electric vehicles, the chips, the silicone carbide chips, a lot more sense. Uh, testing a sample is not enough.You have to test each and every single one and burn them in basically, uh, get the ones that are not good. Get it out of the system. Otherwise the UV cars can kind of stop in the middle. So the inflection was recognizing that this is, this is going to be recurring orders. So look what happens since though, since, uh, I presented to you guys last, they got enough.They had 17.4 million orders. I got another 23.6 million orders in just two weeks. It started with a 3 million EBV order. Um, the impact is, is wrong on there. I start with a 3 million order, uh, then August 31st 1.2 million order for a separate. Use case Silicon photonics, which is something, it can be huge.It could be related potentially the apple watch coming out in a couple of years. We'll talk about that. Um, and then they got the biggest order in company history a week after that 19.4 million orders significantly in that press release, they talk about. Uh, use in also electric storage and solar power conversion, which makes it even more clear.The end customer here is Tesla, and you can see that the impact on the stock price is 5 83, 6 91, 8 39. This is before the news came out. Now we're again, we're at 10 90 this week. We have a catalyst. We have. Thursday after the close. Um, I don't know what the market's doing, but the stock is holding up.Well, it's only down 2% after the stock is like over tripled in the last two months. That's amazing. I think we could see a lot of strength today going into earnings on Thursday. We can maybe see an earnings anticipation, right? Um, one thing I want to caution people, the numbers won't be on the top line in this report, they just did this 19.4 million was after, you know, after that quarter close.So some people just be careful don't expect like 20 million quarterly number. It doesn't happen like that. Right. Uh, but nonetheless, people can be anticipating great Carter. The stock might run up. I'm going to be looking at backlog and guidance to, to figure out what I do on. You know, with the report.Initially, when I went on, I told you guys I'd be looking at first of, I did say 50 to a hundred dollars in two to three years. I think that's still on the table. Uh, as far as trading, I said, I was looking to take some off the table and the $9 plus range while with all this news that happened. I, I really haven't done that.Uh, and my new target to take some off the table is in the teens. Um, I had to take off a small amount, uh, because I had calls that were expiring and, uh, A little bit of a margin thing that's take care of. So I did sell a very small amount, but I still have over 90% of my position. And at this point, Yeah. I mean, I know since you've been on the first time, we've had a lot of chat interest about AHR, even on days where, you know, you're not on people in the chat are still asking about it.And yeah. I mean, I think, you know, right here, we're just waiting for that. The next big catalyst, if HR announces that Tesla is a partner, I think we'll see that stock run out. I mean, do you have any opinions? Yeah. That that's not going to be announced because they're not the direct customer that they're the end customer.Uh, so they, they, they sell this, their product, the semiconductor manufacturers, uh, you know, not to Tesla directly. In fact, it's possible. They have more than Tesla. They may have multiple UV customers are ready right now. So that's not something that's gonna be. Okay. Yeah. Thank you for that clarification.Cause I was thinking if we do get that announcement, that Tesla is a, you know, a partner that we'll, we'll see that stock run even more. Um, but like we were talking about earlier, I mean, AHR, it is showing, you know, it's not down as much as maybe some others in the market today. Um, the charts actually look pretty good on the, on the one day chart.Yeah, it's strong. It's strong because of earnings this week, I think. And here's, here's the chart here? 17.4 million in six weeks, all by 23.6 million in, in two weeks. There's one sentiment issue that people should be aware of. September 4th, they follow the. Uh, for up to $75 million in offerings. Now at the time when that happened, uh, I was actually very bullish about that, uh, because I know their financial situation.It's pretty good. They get paid 30% cash upfront. This is not, you know, uh, something out of desperation. Uh, I predicted that they filed that because good news was coming and like the next day then Nelson 19.4 million. Um, so they're only going to sell stock if the stock is really inflated and they were just preparing for that because they knew the good orders were coming that was followed up with a couple of days ago, uh, as part of the 75 million, they filed at 25 million ATM.Uh, they haven't sold any yet. Again, I think this is a signal that they know good news is coming and they want to be in a position to take advantage of very high prices to just shore up their balance sheet on. Definitely. Yeah. I mean, I think a lot of times people have kind of obviously a negative reactions to anytime a company raises money, but it doesn't always necessarily mean it's necessarily a bad thing.Yeah. And there you go. I have a point here were raised as you need to survive, which are bad raises that can impact the stock badly and raises that you want for growth, which is a good thing. And this is the letter. Yep. And we've seen a bunch of, uh, you know, really strong company. You know, do offerings for, for that reason to grow rather than out of necessity.So I'm definitely not, you know, something that's a deal breaker for me, at least. Um, when we see, let us know in the chat, if you have any questions about AHR, I'm sure Ben can, um, you know, either answer them or at least direct you toward the info that you need to answer those questions. Um, do we have more on AHR?Ben are, we were getting, I know that's all I got. So you let me know when you're ready. Yeah, it sounds good. I just want to give the chat one second to see if we have, uh, any questions fly in. If not, we will. We'll move on to the next one. All right. So, um, we did present a couple other stocks that Benzinga, and I'm all about accountability.I'm not going to put a stock out there and forget about it, uh, if it does poorly. So there were three other socks we met. Um, SMSI uh, has performed poorly. It was five 60 or five 70 ish. I think. I don't know exactly what it was at the time I presented on July 26th. It's now, before today, four 70, uh, if you recall, I was waiting for a big announcement with, uh, T-Mobile or Verizon that hasn't happened.It seems fundamentally all those things are still happening, but the PR is not happening. And, you know, that's something that, uh, They don't have total control over it. It's based on when the carriers decide to PR it. So that's why it didn't happen. I lost a great amount of money on calls on that. So, uh, so I missed that.I still own the common shares. Um, it's fundamentally as stories and tech, uh, just, you know, not playing any calls on that anymore because the timing of the PR is kind of unknown. Got it. Yeah. And we appreciate the, uh, the accountability or setting up a bad example for me though, because then anytime that I get a stock that doesn't perform well, I got to go back to.And own up to it. Um, you know, so let me know in the chat, which, which stocks that I need to be accountable with and go back and revisit. Um, definitely Baba for me recently. Okay. Kathy's asking that she missed a H I'm assuming she's talking about EHR. Cathy. We just talked about AHR. If you rewind about 10 minutes, you'll see us, um, give the low down and break down with what the most recent news is on AHR.Um, all right, Ben. Well, so we've got SMSI. What else is on the DOB? We also presented a VTS PSI. Uh, play a police training. I don't know if you remember that, but we did present that it's done very well with 7 26 1. We presented it before today was 8 96. I think it's still on with the market today, 53, but it's still up.They've had a couple of orders keep falling in since we presented to you. I still own it. Actually. I have some also deepen the money calls, so I'm very happy with how that's whole. Beautiful. Yeah. I mean, I think this is, this is one in an industry that, um, has of course long been dominated by, you know, just one name or two names.A taser comes to mind. But I think as, as we see. You know, real when you see companies spending money, trying to fix this problem that, uh, you know, obviously there's a demand out there to fix it. As far as police brutality, there will be a lot of other players that become, um, you know, sound investments. So this is one that definitely, um, you know, could be good for the longterm.Yeah, absolutely. I really do like this one for longterm. Uh, another one, which I'm very bullish on. I have a relatively large position is Dario health. Um, this has been basically parroting the, uh, uh, copying the Teladoc chart, tell the docs like the bellwether for this, uh, industry and all the, all the digital health plays are following that stock.Um, that's been up 16% since presentation before whatever it's doing today, maybe down. Yeah, Ooh, it is down 8% today, but it's probably still up since I presented it. So here we're waiting for game changing news of an insurer. I still believe that that news is coming. And when it comes, the stock will pull you reflate to 20 plus dollars.I spoke to the CEO last week. He said, no changes. Uh, you know, in his guidance, he still says it's imminent that these insure deals are going to be coming. So I'm very excited about that. And I still own it. I think it's going to pay off as just a matter of. Yeah. Um, you know, this one is definitely one that we've been seeing in the chat a lot, watching this one as well, kind of similar, similar things to, uh, about the police though.Police brutality market is just, it's a very growing industry, right? You have, um, Uh, you know, digital health Teladoc, as you mentioned, kinda dry, uh DRIO is kind of tracking Teladoc, but I think as we see more and more digital health evolve, we'll see a lot of names kind of become good investments. Um, I'm seeing David Miller in the chat saying AHR just went green.Um, when we were talking about a couple of minutes ago, I pointed that out, but the chart actually looks good today, especially compared to, to everything else out there. So definitely some strength in age. Yes. A E H R right now. And that's exciting when you get a stock that's green on a red day like this, sometimes they can squeeze.I'm not saying it's going to squeeze it all. Not saying that there's not a huge short position in AHR, but sometimes you can get unbelievably great performance and stops that stand out because all the traders are looking for what's green and they may all pile into a green stock. So. I wouldn't complain if that happens today.Yeah. Speaking of a, you know, squeeze it. So I, I was watching it earlier. Smile, direct club opened up and went up, uh, you know, a bunch I think about like 4%, which actually isn't that much. But compared to everything else today, seeing a stock that was up 4%. Yeah, it looks like it's doing pretty well. Um, and since then the stock has been trading down, trading down more than 11% from its highs currently at 6 46.So a lot of people kind of chatting about smile, direct club on different forums, Reddit, Twitter, you have it. Smile, direct club, picking up a lot of interest from retail traders. So that is one that is going to be on my watch list for the week I've been tracking. Uh, Reddit is excited about it. A huge short position.I think they're artificially trying to generate something. I don't love, plays like that. I don't believe there's any recent fundamental news justifying it, although I didn't do the full research on it, but, um, I, I just think there's stocks out there. They just target with very high, short positions. They go in there, they try to generate gamma squeezes by buying a bunch of calls.I think that's what they're trying to do with this. Yeah. I mean, and I mentioned this before on the show that I think with some certain stocks like this, like, all right, you have to keep a couple things in mind. A there's a reason certain stocks have such a high, short interest. And a lot of times it's because there are fundamental problems in the company that people are identifying and going out and saying, Hey, this makes for a good short, because X, Y, and Z, you know, for whatever reason it is a.But I I've said it before that I think with stocks, you know, like smile, direct club, or like wish that may have problems with the company, but that could be candidates for a short squeeze. I don't hate the idea of taking some money, maybe, uh, you know, for me, like I'll take like $500 and just buy some calls that I know like, Hey look, there's a good chance.These calls expire worthless. But if, if this comes to fruition, this stock does run. Then my $500 calls. You know, twenty-five hundred dollars or, you know, five times the amount. Um, so I think if you keep your, your risk very limited, you know, like, okay, this is a finite amount of money I can lose on these calls.And I I'm willing to take that risk on that. It's not a bad way to play some of these like very speculative, um, squeeze operations. Sure. Absolutely. Um, all right, so I got a few more quick ones. I know we're running short on time, but, uh, I've had, we've had every Sunday night, we have presentations at soy trading.Sometimes there's new socks sometimes are when there's a new stock. We track it as a VIP pick. So we've had three new socks presented, uh, since, uh, First one I'm pointing out is GMER, it's an NFT gaming stop. I'm excited about this because I know NFC is really hot. I never got into anything NFT, but the presentation by a colleague, Michael Michael Cook was really good, strong presentation.I got in the socks of 20%, 28% since it was presented. I own the stock. Let me just run through these. And then if there's questions we can get into it. Another one that was presented by a strong presenter in our community, our Warwick is NFU systems, IFU, very strong, fundamental story. We're tracking on our websites that VIP pick it's down 10% since the presentation.I don't own this one. Uh, then Rockley, this is interesting. This is, we got to take a minute. Broccoli is a stock that was uncovered during the research on air test systems. So a Ashley Day who presented to our community air test systems, um, he found broccoli. This was a spec that was originally SC health.Now Rockley has the Silicon photonic chips they work with, which air has the testing solution for an apple has been working with Rockley apples, given $70 million so far to run. To generate these chips, which have lasers on them that allow, uh, they have health sensors with lasers. They can do continuous glucose monitoring, heart rate, pulse SOPs, things like that.So this is like really the next generation in terms of, uh, med tech and digital home monitoring. And, uh, this is for the 2023 apple watch. I believe that's being developed at market caps. Only a billion dollars. I think that's so cheap. If this comes to fruition. It's been extremely volatile. I own it. I've also been shorting the puts because the premiums are so high, uh, because of the high volatility, but this is just an exciting stock.You know, we talked about digital health, Teladoc and Dario, and I've always had this vision of the future of, you know, if you're a star Trek fan, they had these tri quarters, right. You go onto the, the medical bay and the, you know, they put this tri quarter of your body. And I I've always been excited for that.And I feel like this is a big step towards that this apple watch that's coming from broccoli. And if this continues, if there's no hold ups here, and this comes out in 2023, I I'm thinking Rockley can be a 10 20 bagger. So I'm long broccoli and excited about the association with air because air might be in a position to test these special chips coming out of, uh, of, of broccoli.Yeah. I mean, I love this play. I think that a lot of, I think that's what we're going to see in the new developments in apple watches and in wearable tech is, um, you know, just more health insights. And I think, you know, obviously the global pandemic has, uh, you know, created an even even bigger demand for this because I know apple watch, you know, right now people were talking about like, oh, with COVID like how great it would be.If you could see your, um, Oxygen levels, you know, and all that data that in the future we will have on our way. Yeah. Yeah. I'm really excited for that very much. So I think this is a stock I'll take, uh, I guess what's the downside risk? I don't know. Apple says it's not working out. We're just going to cancel a contract.I guess there's a chance of that. But so far based on all the data I'm seeing, coming out of the companies, you know, it looks good. So if this, if this proceeds, I can't imagine this not being a 20, 30, $40 billion company. Um, so I'm just going to diamond hand this one, honestly. Yeah. And I'm looking at the chart right now.It looks like after the, uh, spec was announced, uh, the stock ran up to about $16 and since trading lower currently at $8 and 64 cents. Um, but kind of like AHR it's, it's actually green on the. Which we haven't seen a lot of stocks that are agreeing on the day. So, um, could be showing some, some strength right now, adding this to the watch list for sure.Ben R K L Y. Why do you think, do you think it's just cheaper for apple to kind of be outsourcing this rather than trying to develop this tech? Develop their own semiconductor chips. I mean, that's a huge industry you're talking about. I've, Rocklea outsourcing this to fab, you know, I'm not sure which one, but like what you want to be Intel on semi tower SEM, you know, tower some TSCM, uh, that's a trillion dollar market cap right there.So maybe one day they'll make their own ships, uh, you know, but for now they are, uh, relying on. Okay. So Rockley makes actual chips that, you know, empowers these, uh, lasers and what, well, Rockley, you're saying it's outsourcing the actual chip making company, but they have all the patents. Yeah. Okay. So it's, you know, TSM or, or AMD or someone like that is like, I'm not sure who they're using.Got it. Uh, Roy in the chat saying, do your research on CRISPR chips, these chips will help diagnose and cure chronic illnesses using DNA editing. Um, I don't know if you have any insight on CRISPR. I've heard a lot about it. It seems fascinating. I haven't researched it, but definitely something I'd like to look into.Okay. Awesome. Um, Ben, do you have any other stocks on today? Yeah, I just want to mention, first of all, these VIP picks, we've had 53 of them since May, 2020 that were dramatically outperforming the markets an average of 49% return over 245 day holding period, which is 73% annualized. You can see that performance is soy trading.com/performance.Uh, quickly, I want to mention a couple other VIP picks that are doing well today. I didn't mention QCC. Uh, doing great. It's actually, because of this, my trading account is up today. Believe it or not, just because of the move on QCC, a QC copper and gold. There's one more. I forgot to put a bullet on here, which is TPCs another VIP pick, which is a highly popular stock in our community.Uh, perhaps we'll do a dedicated presentation on TPCs. They just had a major technical, uh, event Friday. They broke out to a new multi-year high above a dollar 75. I bought shares on the breakout Friday, and it's holding up today. I'm at a dollar 75 in this kind of. I love the chart. I'm excited about that.I think just technically this can go to two plus and the very, very short term. So maybe we'll come back and do some updates on one of these, a fix at some point. Got it. Yeah. I'd love that. Um, I don't know if you have a minute, Ben, but we are getting some questions in the chat. Um, G mastic is asking about AMD.I don't know what your thoughts on are kind of, uh, you know, the whole semiconductor industry as a large. Yeah, I honestly, I don't know a lot about AMD. I, I don't do a lot of research on big caps. Sometimes I'll invest in, in big cap stocks. Uh, just because I like the industry and the Tam by specifically like research wise, I don't know anything specific about AMD, uh, to tell you on the apologize for that.Got it. Um, all right. Let me see if we have any other questions in the chat seeing if, if you know anything that you might have some. Um, the last pick, I believe you met TP or key SDN. What was the ticker again? T T P T P C S uh, they, they make, uh, submarines for the us military. I mean, submarine parts, um, lots of submarine parts.Uh, I don't know the details exactly which parts, but they make lots of parts and military contracts and, and this, they did a merger recently, which is going to dramatically increase their revenue. Um, and I think they're having a conference call next week. They just announced this morning, you're gonna have a conference call next week to talk about the merger, but just look at that chart.Uh, I just, I just think it's ready to explode. Yep. And just a quick note, I mean, obviously any of these super small companies microcaps are going to be a little bit riskier than some of your big names. Um, so just do it, that what you will. Um, but yeah. Ben, thank you for coming on today. It's good to check in on all the stocks that we've talked about.SMSI AHR. Um, and yeah, you know, I know we get a lot of questions from the chat about these stocks, so we'll, we'll have to have you back on soon to get more updates as. Sounds good though. Maybe we'll talk about the AHR earnings on Friday or next week. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's coming out. That's on the 20th.Yeah, that's this Thursday. Okay. Got it. And I'm going to go ahead and drop the link again to story trading it in the chat. If you haven't checked it out already, please do. That's where Ben and his team. Um, you know, their DD and VIP picks, as he mentioned, a lot of those picks are outperforming the market.Um, but yeah, you know, I just want to make that clear that some of these smaller names do, you know, become a little bit riskier investments are more established names. All right. Thank you. Any big plans for the rest of the day? Ben? I got a deal. Both of my cars are flooded out by hurricane Ida. Oh my gosh.Oh wait, uh, New York. Yeah, it was, it was terrible, man. Yeah. So I'm still, I'm still dealing with that. And we had some flooding in our homes. It's been crazy. I'm sure all the insurance companies are kind of like bogged down. You know, they are probably not the quickest, uh, customer service right now.All right. Well, like I said, thank you again for coming on and we'll get you back on after the AHR earnings. I know this is one that zinger nation as well. All right. Good luck everyone. All right, Ben. Enjoy the rest of your day. Good luck. Good luck with the cars. Thanks. Take care. All right. You too. All right.Y'all that was Ben from story trading. Go check out this site. If you haven't already, um, I'm going to pull up my Benzinga pro I'm just going to take tickers out of the chat from now until get technical. So let me know. Okay. You know what y'all are looking at. We do have the Benzinga E V conference coming up this Wednesday.So if you're interested in electric vehicles kind of want to learn how to trade, um, electric vehicles, which I think it's, um, you know, imperative, if you're out there actively trading that, you know, your way around these names, because it is such a hot industry in the markets. And one that is going to continue to grow.So if you're, um, you know, searching for kind of new ways to trade EVs, uh, let me know. I'll drop the link for the conference in the chat, and you also will be entered to win a free year of Benzinga pro that is more than a $1,500 value. Um, so you really have no reason not to sign up and register for the event.It is free. Uh, let, uh, let me see. Pickers from the chat. I'm seeing Hertz scrambler saying our bot checking on that. I'm not very familiar, um, via curious surgical, Inc. So let's see what this company does. Uh, wait a minute. We don't even have the company overview and Benzinga pro um, seems like it's some sort of biotech.Let me take a look at the chart. Oh, th this, this just IPO today hurts scramblerNellie for Tata is asking about Jemiah. This is one. Um, I I've gotten crushed on this one, so I've actually kind of like stepped away from trading it. The chart, honestly, the chart looks good. It looks like we have some previous support here. If we go back down and hit this spot again, this $17 flat. So if this were me just looking at the chart for one second, I would wait to see if we test this support again, right at $17 flat.And then get in on a double bottom and try to ride it back up, um, to this previous resistance, um, or maybe even right here of $23. So I think you could squeeze a little bit out of this trade. If we see it, see it bounce back down to, uh, you know, $17, but look on a stock like this, that's down 7.7% on the day.Um, you know, that's showing me that this is down more than the overall market, so it's showing relative weakness today. Um, so that just means to me, Investors are selling this at a faster rate than they are selling other assets or the buyers aren't coming in as much as, as in other assets. So that is one that I will, you know, I would look for on Jeremiah to drop down further.Of course, the story behind this one is that, uh, Africa is an emerging market. It is essentially the Amazon of Africa. So people do like it a lot for its long-term potential account. Another one in that same realm is ozone holdings. This is kind of the same deal, but out in Russia, I'm an Eastern Asia. So ozone is the e-commerce player out there.And yeah, I mean, I think one of the things I like about ozone, which I don't know the numbers off the top of my head for Jeremiah is that the percentage of people that actively use e-commerce in Russian. Is way lower than in other parts of the developed world. Um, so the idea is there that over time, Russia e-commerce will pick up and start matching that of the rest of the world and thus bringing a lot more business to ozone.So that's definitely one of the things that a lot of people are looking out for and ozone is just that win-win, Russia's e-commerce, um, you know, you know, get to the levels of that, of surrounding countries. Uh, shout out Chris catchy and the S in the chat saying our bot went public via spec surgical robot company.Uh, yeah. Look, my, my mom, uh, was, is a PA. So physician's assistant and she's done surgery for, you know, a very, very long time. And she's basically told me like, Hey look, the future is the future is going to be, you know, not even, not even people. Cutting into people. Essentially, the doctors are just going to be there, supervising the robots, doing the actual surgery.So I don't know when that's going to happen. Um, but apparently according to my mother, that is the future of medicine. So I'll have to keep my eye on this one. Chris, um, mom says in the chat chat saying, look an extra Shapiro here today. Uh, I will defeat you with facts and logic. A F R M a firm. Of course, affirm is a stock that has absolutely ran sensitives announced a deal with Amazon.Um, we saw a firm trading in this range for the better part of a, the past year from about 50 bucks to 70 kind of trading down here. And then here you can see where the deal was announced with Amazon initially spiked on the news, uh, that Amazon would be using a firm. So essentially, you know, if you're unfamiliar with this company, it's essentially just a buy now pay later.Um, so if you want to buy a couch off Amazon, that's a thousand dollars, a firm will allow you to say, Hey, Would you rather buy this thousand dollars couch and a hundred dollars, 10, a hundred dollars installments. There's no interest. Um, and essentially a firm is making money. If people don't pay those installments on time, uh, we we've seen a lot of kinda, you know, buy now pay later, come about over the past couple of years, fintechs are really eating this up.You know, I'm curious to see like long-term effects of this. If there will be a lot of debt passed on to kind of sub subprime borrower, We will see. So this first big green candidate. When the Amazon deal was announced, traded lower a little bit. And then this is when the company reported earnings and they of course spoke on the guidance of what this Amazon partnership will mean for the company.So the stock has seen two huge legs up in the past. And now currently trading down 9%. I mean, this is the definition of a growth stock. You're buying this company now because of all the money that it may make down the road. So anytime we have a day like today, where the QQ cues are just getting hit, we will see those more speculative growth plays get hit harder than the overall market.Um, I'm keeping my eye on apple down more than 10% from its highs. Uh, just a couple of weeks ago on September 8th. So stock was trading at $157. Now it's $15 lower at 1 42. And my thing with apple is I think you can make a very strong argument that this stock has been, uh, not only a growth stock. The one of, if not the best performing growth stock over the past 10, 20 years.And now it's gotten to a point where it's such a massive company and make so much money, uh, that you can make an argument that it's a value play. Um, oh, Jean monster, like Jemiah, Jim speaking to apple, gene monsters is one of the biggest apple and Tesla bowls. Uh, so he seems to know what it's talking about when he's able to identify, you know, strong companies.What's with S N T G today. Let's check it out. Solar. Centage holdings. Wow. I mean, talk about a stock that's showing relative strength up 26% while the markets are getting absolutely crushed I'm on the two day chart. Right now, we can see that the stock at all, the way as high as $3 and 58 cents, currently $3 and 16 cents cents controls means a financial service ride that offers a comprehensive range of financial services across consumer loan payment.Um, wow. So this is actually a Chinese stock. That's up this much.I mean, I'm not seeing any specific news on why the stock is moving so much, but we do have get technicals starting right now. I'm going to drop the link in the chat. Um, big get technical episode today. We're going to be talking about. How to trade options in a volatile market, how to trade options while the markets are getting a hit.Um, so if you're like me and your option contracts, we're just getting smoked today. Tune in, uh, when Neil and I on get technical, we will have Chris Capri joining us at one 30. He is an options wizard. So we will be able to learn a little bit more about, Hey, while the markets are down. You still want your portfolio to be.So, if you want to be agreeing, while markets are read to know and get technical, we're going to talk some hedging. Um, and without further ado, join me over there. Link is in the chat and I'll see you there.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/zingernation-power-hour/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

South East Asian and East Asian entertainment industries have been dominated by BL content in recent years. BL stands for "Boy Love" and depicts romantic relationships between men. In this episode, we talk about the origins of this niche genre, as well as how it has evolved from its roots in Japan to take multiple forms across entertainment industries in Eastern Asia. Most importantly, we breakdown the vast difference of what BL as a genre means for representation in comparison to LGBTQIA+ content we see more commonly Western content creation. --- Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, check out the links below: Website: thebiculturalidentity.com Instagram: instagram.com/thebiculturalidentity --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thebiculturalidentity/message

Guest Jake Ward, President Connected Commerce Council, joins to discuss anti trust laws, big tech, and representing small business.  Guest Dr. Cornelius Grove, author "A Mirror for Americans", joins to discuss education system in Eastern Asia. How is it different to America? Look at education formula, home life, and structure.  John McAfee dies in Italian prison...suicide or Epstein 2.0?

In this episode, we briefly talk about three different broad cultures: the Eastern Asia culture, European-American culture, and the African-American culture. Since we are most likely going to encounter these types of people in the future, we are going to look in-depth into these cultures.Music: Like That - Anno Domini Beats, Studio 2020 - Quincas Moreira, Awake - Emmit Fen 

One of the adages of modern science is that if a butterfly in China flaps its wings, it might lead to a hurricane weeks later in the Atlantic Ocean. There’s no way to prove or disprove that idea. But there does seem to be some evidence of a connection going the other direction: Warmer water in the northwestern Atlantic may be one factor in creating heatwaves over China, Korea, and Japan.Eastern Asia has undergone several deadly heatwaves in recent years. A month-long hot spell in 2018 broke a century-old record in Korea, with temperatures reaching 105 degrees.Several factors combine to create the hot weather, including high pressure over the Himalayas and the Pacific Ocean, and warmer waters in the northern Pacific. But researchers have identified a link with the North Atlantic as well.Earlier studies had already found some connections. Long-term changes in surface water temperatures in the North Atlantic and the northwestern Pacific seem to be linked, for example. And changes in the North Atlantic can influence Asian typhoons.The recent research looked at 40 years of Asian climate records. Scientists compared those numbers to sea-surface temperatures in the northwestern Atlantic. They found a link. They report that warmer water in that part of the Atlantic can create a “wave” in the atmosphere. It connects with global circulation patterns. As it reaches eastern Asia, the wave helps make conditions hotter and dryer -- contributing to deadly heatwaves.

In the final message from the Prayer Changes series, Ps Joel Hawting encourages us to play our role in changing the world by praying for the world and leads us in a time of praying for persecuted believers in Eastern Asia, India, and North Korea.

“There was a certain man who was a believer, and he was a nobleman and a fearer of God. He was rich in the things of this world, and he was well endowed with the qualities of nature; he belonged to a famous family and a well-known tribe. His name was SHIBAN the Sa'ora. He dwelt in the city which is called [...] KHAN BALIK , [...] the royal city in the country of the East. He married according to the law a woman whose name was KEYAMTA. And when they had lived together for a long time, and they had no heir, they prayed to God continually and besought Him with frequent supplications not to deprive them of a son who would continue [their] race. And He who giveth comfort in His gracious mercy received their petition, and He showed them compassion. For it is His wont to receive the entreaty of those who are broken of heart, and-to hearken unto the groaning of those who make supplications and petitions [to Him]. [....] Now God made the spirit of conception to breathe upon the woman Keyamta, and she brought forth a son, and they called his name " SAWMA.” And they rejoiced [with] a great joy, neighbours of his family and his relations rejoiced at his birth.’       So begins the history of Rabban bar Sauma, as translated by E. Wallis Budge. There were a number of travellers, missionaries, diplomats and merchants who made journey from Europe to China during the height of the Mongol Empire. While Marco Polo is the most famous of these, we have also covered a few other travellers in previous episodes. Yet, there were also those who made the harrowing journey from China to the west. Of these, none are more famous than Rabban bar Sauma, the first known individual born in China who made the journey to Europe. Rabban bar Sauma was a Turkic Christian monk who travelled from Khanbaliq, modern-day Beijing, across Central Asia, the Ilkhanate, the Byzantine Empire, Italy, all the way to the western edge of France, visiting Khans, Emperors, Kings and Popes.  Our episode today will introduce  you to Rabban Sauma and his incredible journey across late 13th century Mongol Eurasia. I’m your host David, and this is Kings and Generals: Ages of Conquest.       Sauma was born around 1225 in the city of Yenching, on which Beijing now sits. Yenching of course, we have visited before, when it was known as  Zhongdu, the capital of the Jurchen Jin Dynasty. The Mongols took the city after a bloody siege in 1215, which we covered  back in episode 7 of this season. Sauma was born to Turkic parents, either Onggud or Uighur, two groups which had long since recognized the supremacy of Chinggis Khan. Sauma’s parents were Christians of the Church of the East, often called, rather disparagingly, Nestorians. Nestorius was a 5th century archbishop of Constantinople who had argued, among other things, the distinction between Christ’s humanity and his divinity, and that Mary was mother of Jesus the man, but not of Jesus the God. For if God had always existed, then he could not have had a mother. For this Nestorius was excommunicated at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and his followers scattered across the east. From the Sassanid Empire they spread across Central Asia, reaching China during the Tang Dynasty. By the 12th century, the adaptable Nestorian priests converted several of the tribes of Mongolia, from the Naiman, the Kereyit to the Onggud, to which Sauma likely belonged. These Eastern Christian priests stayed influential among the Mongols for the remainder of the 13th century, with a number of prominent Mongols adhering to their faith. Sorqaqtani Beki, the mother of Great Khans Mongke and Khubilai, was perhaps the best known of these.       The young Sauma took his Christian faith seriously; so seriously, his parents sought to dissuade him, fretting the end of their family line if their son became a monk. Refusing fine meats and alcohol, Sauma instead hungered for ecclestical knowledge and purity. Accepted into the Nestorian clergy of Yenching in 1248, at age 25 he donned the tonsure and garb of the monk. Developing a reputation for asceticism beyond even his fellow monks, he largely secluded himself in his own cell for 7 years before leaving the monastery for the mountains. His devotion to Christ made him famous among the Nestorians of North China and Mongolia, attracting the attention of a young Onggud Turk named Markos. From the Onggud capital of Koshang in modern Inner Mongolia, Markos was mesmerized by the stories of the holiness of Sauma. The 15 year old Markos marched by himself to Sauma in 1260. Impressed by the youth’s tenacity even as he attempted to dissuade him from joining the monastery, Sauma eventually took Markos under his wing. Markos proved himself an excellent student, and within three years was accepted into the Nestorian monastic life.        Sauma and Markos became fast friends and pillars of the Nestorian community around Yenching, which by then was the capital of the new Great Khan, Khubilai, and renamed to Dadu, “Great City,” or Khanbaliq, “The Khan’s City,” to Turkic and Mongolian speakers. Khanbaliq is the origins of Marco Polo’s somewhat distorted version of Cambulac. While Sauma was happy to spend his life in the mountains near Dadu, Markos was much more energetic, and sought to convince his friend to partake in the most difficult of journeys; to the holy city of Jerusalem to be absolved of their sins. Sauma tried to scare Markos off this goal, and it was not until around 1275 that Sauma was convinced to accompany his friend. They went to Khanbaliq for an escort and supplies, and here news of their mission came to the most powerful monarch on the planet, Khuiblai Khan. Several sources, such as the Syriac Catholicos Bar Hebraeus, attest that Sauma and Markos were sent west by Kublai to worship in Jerusalem or baptize clothes in the River Jordan. Such a task is similar to the orders Kublai gave to Marco Polo’s father and uncle, instructed to bring back Catholic priests and sacred oil from Jerusalem for Yuan China. Khubilai often tried to appear a friend to all religions within his realm, and may have felt the need to honour his own mother’s memory, as she had been a Christian. That Sauma and Markos went with the blessings of the Great Khan holding his passport (paiza) would explain the favoured treatment they received over their voyage. Interestingly though, the main source for Bar Sauma’s journey, a Syriac language manuscript compiled shortly after his death from notes and an account he had made in his life, makes no mention of Khubilai’s involvment. Historian Pier Giorgio Borbone suggests it was deliberately left out, instead playing of the religious aspect of the pilgrimage as emerging from Markos and Sauma themselves, rather than imply they only made the journey on the order of Khubilai.       Setting out around 1275, Sauma, Markos and an escort began their journey to the west. Through the Yuan Empire they were met by ecstatic crowds of Nestorians coming out to see the holymen, showering them with gifts and supplies. Two Onggud nobles, sons-in-laws to the Great Khan, provided more animals and guides for them, though they warned of the dangers now that the Mongol Khanates were at war. They followed one of the primary routes of the Silk Road, via the former territory of the Tangut Kingdom, the Gansu Corridor, to the Tarim Basin, cutting south along the desolate Taklamakan desert, the harshest stretch of their journey. After staying in Khotan, they moved onto Kashgar, shocked to find it recently depopulated and plundered, a victim of Qaidu Khan. Passing through the Tien Shan mountains to Talas, they found the encampment of that same Khan. Here they minimized any connections they had to Khubilai, instead portraying themselves on a mission of personal religious conviction and prayed for the life of Qaidu and his well being, asking that he provid supplies to assist in their journey.  Qaidu let them through, and Sauma and Markos continued on a seemingly uneventful, but strenuous trip through Qaidu’s realm, the Chagatai Khanate and into the Ilkhanate.       Sauma and Markos’ journey to Jerusalem halted in Maragha,  chief city of the Ilkhanate. There, the head of the Nestorian Church, Patriarch Mar Denha, found use for these well-spoken travellers affiliated with the Khan of Khans. Mar Denha had not made himself many friends within the Ilkhanate, in part for his hand in the violent murder of a Nestorian who had converted to Islam. As a result the Il-Khan, Hulegu’s son Abaqa, had not provided letters patent to confirm Denha in his position, wary of alienating the Muslims of his kingdom. Mar Denha believed monks sent from Abaqa’s uncle Khubilai would be most persuasive. Abaqa Il-Khan treated Sauma and Markos generously, and perhaps influenced by his Christian Byzantine wife, on their urging he agreed to send Mar Denha his confirmation. In exchange, Mar Denha was to provide an escort for Sauma and Markos to reach Jerusalem, but the roads were closed due to war between the Ilkhanate and the Mamluk Sultanate. When Markos and Sauma returned to Mar Denha, he told them visiting his own Patriarchate was just as good as visiting Jerusalem, and gave them new titles. Both were made Rabban, the Syriac form of Rabbi. Markos was made Metropolitan of the Nestorians of Eastern Asia, essentially a bishop, and given a new name: Yabhallaha, by which he is more often known, while Rabban bar Sauma became his Visitor-General. Suddenly promoted but unable to return east due to a breakout of war between the Central Asian Khanates, Rabban Sauma and Mar Yabhallaha stayed in a monastery near Arbil until the sudden death of Mar Denha in 1281.       His experience with the Mongols and knowledge of their language made Yabhallaha a prime candidate to succeed Mar Denha, and the other Metropolitans anointed him Patriarch of the Nestorians. Wisely, Rabban Sauma encouraged Yabhallaha to immediately seek confirmation from Abaqa Il-Khan, who appreciated the move and rewarded Yabhallaha and the Nestorians of the Ilkhanate with gifts, such as a throne and parasol,  as well as tax privileges. Abaqa soon died in 1282, and Yabhallaha and Sauma faced scrutiny under Abaqa’s successor, his Muslim brother Teguder Ahmad. Accusations were made that the Nestorians were defaming Teguder Il-Khan in letters to Khubilai. Placed on trial before the Il-Khan, the two friends fought for their innocence and outlasted him. In 1284 Teguder was ousted and killed by Abaqa’s son Arghun. Mar Yabhallaha immediately paid homage to Arghun, in him finding a firm supporter. With Arghun’s backing, Yabhallaha removed his enemies from within the Nestorian church and strengthened his power. Desiring to complete the war with the Mamluk Sultanate, under Arghun efforts to organize an alliance with Christian Europe against the Mamluks reached new heights. Since the days of Arghun’s grandfather Hulegu, the Il-Khans had sent envoys to Europe in an effort to organize a Crusader-Mongolian alliance against the Mamluk Sultans of Egypt. Despite some close attempts, there had not yet been successful cooperation. Arghun was determined to change this and organize the coalition which  would finally overcome the Mamluks.   Desiring the most effective envoy possible, Arghun turned to Mar Yabhallaha to suggest an influential, well travelled and respectable Christian to send to spur Crusading fervour, aided by promises that Arghun would restore Jerusalem to Christian hands. Yabhallaha had just the man. Turning to his longtime friend, Yabhallaha asked Rabban bar Sauma to carry the Il-Khan’s messages westwards. Provided letters for the Kings and Popes, as well as paizas, gold, animals and provisions, in the first days of 1287, after a tearful goodbye with Mar Yabhallaha, the 62 year old Rabban Sauma set out, accompanied by at least two interpreters from Italy in his escort. The first steps of his route are unclear, likely taking the caravan routes from northern Iraq to somewhere along the southeastern Black Sea coast. From there they took a ship to Constantinople and met the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos II. As recorded in the Syriac history of Rabban Sauma, quote:    “And after [some] days he arrived at the great city of CONSTANTINOPLE, and before they went into it he sent two young men to the Royal gate  to make known there that an ambassador of [Khan] Arghon had come. Then the [Emperor] commanded certain people to go forth to meet them, and to bring them in with pomp and honour. And when RABBAN SAWMA went intothe city, the [Emperor] allotted to him a house, that is to say, a mansion in which to dwell. And after RABBAN SAWMA had rested himself, he went to visit the [Emperor, Andronikos II] and after he had saluted him, the [Emperor] asked him, "How art thou after the workings of the sea and the fatigue of the road?" And RABBAN SAWMA replied, "With the sight of the Christian king fatigue hath vanished and exhaustion hath departed, for I was exceedingly anxious to see your kingdom, the which may our Lord establish!"   Emperor Andronikos II politely welcomed the embassy, dining them and providing a house for their stay. Giving the gifts and letters from Arghun, Rabban Sauma met his first frustration as efforts to broach military aid led nowhere. The Emperor Andronikos provided gifts, excuses, and promised exactly no military aid for the Il-Khan. Whatever disappointment Rabban Sauma felt was offset with a tour of the sites of Constantinople, especially the great church of Hagia Sophia. In his homeland churches were small buildings or even mobiles tents; in Ani, in Armenia, he saw a city famous for its many churches. But nothing could compare to the majesty of the Hagia Sophia, the quality and colour of its marble, its 360 columns, the great space and seemingly floating roof. The mosaics, the shrines and relics alleged to date to the earliest days of Christianity, all captured Sauma’s heart. Of the church’s famous dome, Sauma wrote:  “As for the dome of the altar it is impossible for a man to describe it [adequately] to one who hath not seen it, and to say how high and how spacious it is.” In his  often laconic account of his travels, it is these icons of Christianity which earn the greatest description, and stood out to him more than his usually unsuccessful diplomatic efforts.    Departing Constantinople, by sea he set out for Rome. The voyage was rough, and on 18th June 1287 he was greeted by a terrifying spectacle, the eruption of Mt. Etna where fire and smoke ascended day and night.  Passing Sicily he landed at Naples, where he was graciously welcomed by Charles Martel, the son of the Napolese King Charles II, then imprisoned in Aragon. From the roof of the mansion  Sauma stayed at, on June 24th he watched Charles’ forces be defeated by the Aragonese fleet in the Bay of Sorrento. Sauma remarked with surprise that the Aragonese forces, unlike the Mongols, did not attack the noncombatants they came across. European chroniclers attest that later in June, after Sauma had moved onto Rome, the Aragonese began ravaging the countryside anyways.   In Rome later in 1287, Sauma’s hopes to meet the Pope were dashed as Pope Honourius IV had died in April that year. Finding the Cardinals in the midst of a long conclave to choose his successor, Sauma was welcomed before them as the envoy of the Il-Khan. Unwilling to commit to any alliance without a Pope, the Cardinals instead asked where Sauma came from, who the Patriarch of the East was and where he was located. Avoiding Sauma’s attempts to get back to his diplomatic purpose, the Cardinals then shifted to theological matters, grilling Sauma on his beliefs. The Nestorian impressed them with his knowledge of the early church, and managed to deftly slide past the disputes which had caused the excommunication of Nestorius some 860 years prior. Finding no progress on the diplomatic mission, Sauma engaged in a more personal interest, exploring the ancient relics and monuments to Christendom.  The account of Sauma’s journey indicates he visited “all the churches and monasteries that were in Great Rome.” At times, he misunderstood the strange customs of the locals, believing the Pope enthroned the Holy Roman Emperor by using his own feet to lift the crown onto his head.    With no progress to be made in Rome until the new Pope was elected, Sauma searched for Kings of the Franks most known for Crusading. After a brief tour of Tuscany, by the end of September 1287 Sauma was in Paris, there greeted with a lavish reception by King Phillip IV, who hosted a feast for this illustrious envoy. In Rabban Sauma’s account, he wrote”    “And the king of France assigned to Rabban Sawma a place wherein to dwell, and three days later sent one of his Amirs to him and summoned him to his presence. And when he had come the king stood up before him and paid him honour, and said unto him, "Why hast thou come? And who sent thee?" And RABBAN SAWMA said unto him, "[Khan] ARGHON and the Catholicus of the East have sent me concerning the matter of JERUSALEM." And he showed him all the matters which he knew, and he gave him the letters which he had with him, and the gifts, that is to say, presents which he had brought. And the king of FRANCE answered him, saying, "If it be indeed so that the MONGOLS, though they are not Christians, are going to fight against the Arabs for the capture of JERUSALEM, it is meet especially for us that we should fight [with them], and if our Lord willeth, go forth in full strength.”   Moved by the willingness of the Mongols to restore Jerusalem to Christian hands, Phillip promised to send a nobleman alongside Rabban Sauma to bring his answer to Arghun. With at least one king seemingly onboard, Sauma spent the next month touring Paris, visiting churches and impressed by the great volume of students within the city. Phillip showed Sauma the private relics of the French Kings, including what Phillip claimed was the Crown of Thorns, sold to his grandfather by the Emperor of Constantinople in 1238.        Around mid-October 1287, Rabban Sauma had moved across France to Gascony, where the King of England Edward I, old Longhsanks himself, was staying at Bordeaux. Edward was known to the Mongols, having gone on an inconclusive Crusade to Syria in 1271. Abaqa Il-Khan had attempted to coordinate movements with Edward during his campaign, but neither side had been able to line up their forces. Edward, then just the crown prince of England, had succeeded in doing little more than carry out small raids, assist in organizing a treaty between the Kingdom of Jerusalem and Mamuk Sultan Baybars. and survive an assassination attempt. Abaqa had sent envoys in 1277 apologizing to Edward for being able to provide sufficient aid and asked for him to return, but to no avail. Edward, by then the King of England, was by then rather more concerned with France and the conquest of Wales.   Ten years in early 1287, Edward had promised to take up the Cross again, and was excited by the arrival of Rabban Sauma late that year. Promising assistance, he invited Rabban Sauma to partake in the Eucharist with him, gave him leave to visit the local churches, and provided gifts and assistance when Sauma went back on the road to Rome. Feeling himself successful, by the time he returned to Rome in early 1288 a new Pope had been elected, Nicholas IV. The first Pope from the Franciscan Order, Nicholas was a man keenly interested in missionary efforts and the restoration of the Holy Land to Christian hands. It was under his aegis that John de Monte Corvino would travel to Dadu to establish a Catholic archbishopric there. Having interacted with each other during Sauma’s first visit to the Cardinals, Sauma and the new Pope got on splendidly. Kissing the hands and feet of Pope Nicholas, Sauma was provided a mansion for his stay in Rome and invited to partake in the feasts and festivities around Easter. Sauma on occasion led in the Eucharist beside the Pope, drawing crowds from across Rome eager to see how this foreign Christian undertook Mass. Though the language differed, the crowds were ecstatic that the rites themselves seemed the same.          Despite their friendship, no promises of organizing a crusade against the Mamluks were forthcoming. The Pope lacked the influence to send a large body of armed men on yet another disatrous journey. The crusades of the 13th century to the Holy Land had been catastrophes. The most thoroughly organized crusades of the century were those organized by King Louis IX of France. The first had ended in his capture by the Mamluks in Egypt in 1250, while the second had resulted in his death outside of Tunis in 1270. If even this saintly, highly prepared king had been met with failures, then what chance would any other force have? Nicholas wanted to convert Muslims and retake Jersualem, yes, but was very aware of the practicalities involved by this point.    And so, Rabban Sauma decided to return to the Ilkhanate. Nicholas asked Sauma to stay in Rome with him, but Sauma insisted he was only there as a diplomat, and it was his duty to return east. The Nestorian did convince the Head of the Catholic Church to give him, somewhat reluctantly, holy relics: a piece of Jesus’ cape, the kerchief of the Virgin Mary, and fragments from the bodies of several saints. Along with those were several letters for the Il-Khan, Mar Yabhallaha and Rabban Sauma. Copies of these letters survive in the Vatican archives, and though the letter to Yabhallaha confirms him as head of the Christians of the East, it is surprisingly condescending, explaining basic tenets of Christianity. Embracing Rabban Sauma one final time, he was dismissed and by ship, returned to the Ilkhanate.       On his return, he was warmly welcomed by his longtime friend Mar Yabhallaha and the Il-Khan Arghun. Arghun hosted a feast for them, personally serving them and richly rewarding the old man for his great efforts. Yet his efforts came to naught. The Pope had provided no assurances, and despite continued correspondence neither Phillip nor Edward committed men to the Holy Land, too preoccupied with their own conflicts. Arghun sent an embassy in 1289 telling the two monarchs that he would march on Damascus in January 1291 and meet them there. Distracted by turmoil on his borders, Arghun instead died of illness in March 1291. Acre, the final major Crusader stronghold, was taken by the Mamluks two months later, ending the Crusader Kingdoms and the possibilities of European-Mongol cooperation. Despite some outrage in connected circles in Europe, the fall of Acre merited no revival of any Crusader spirit for the region.       Rabban Sauma largely retired to his own church for his last years, but along with Mar Yabhallaha continued to visit the court of the Il-Khans, particularly Geikhatu who continued to patronize minority religions of the Ilkhanate.  Perhaps in 1293 they met another international traveller; Marco Polo, who spent much of that year in the Ilkhanate during his return from China. We have no way of confirming this, though we can imagine Geikhatu Il-Khan introducing two men who had both travelled across the continent, humoured by the individuals brought together by Mongol rule. Polo had arrived in China around the same time that Rabban Sauma and Markos had begun their own western journey. As Marco had spent much of his time in China in Bar Sauma’s city of birth, perhaps Polo told him of the things he had missed in the last twenty years, what had changed in Dadu and what had stayed the same, stirring memories in Rabban Sauma of land and family that he never saw again.       Rabban Sauma died in January 1294, leaving his friend Mar Yabhallaha alone in an Ilkhanate that, after the death of Geikhatu and conversion of the Ilkhans to Islam, grew increasingly mistrustful and hostile to non-Muslims. By the time of Mar Yabhallaha’s death in 1317, the brief flourishing of the Nestorian church under Ilkhanid patronage was over, and their influence across Central Asia dissipated with the continued conversion of Mongols across the region. The journey of Rabban Sauma was forgotten. His persian diary on his voyages was translated into Syriac not long after his death but was lost until its rediscovery in the 19th century. Translated now into several languages, Sauma’s journey shines another light on the integration of East and West under the Mongols, when for the first time a Christian Turk from China could travel to the Pope and Kings of Europe. Our series on the Mongol Empire in the late thirteenth century and fourteenth century will continue, so be sure to subscribe to our podcast. If you’d like to help us keep bringing you great content, please consider supporting us on patreon at www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals, or consider leaving us a review on the podcast catcher of your choice, or sharing this with your friends. All your efforts help immensely. This episode was researched and written by our series historian, Jack Wilson. I’m your host David, and we’ll catch you on the next one. 

Jeffrey McAvoy is a full-time corporate and commercial lawyer.  He has a history of working with tech startups including Elon Musk when they were looking at the internet and the way services were being provided.  Many of the principles that were emerging from helping them set up the first of their successful companies, led JP to write his book, The Millionaire's Lawyer.  He has since taken the steps to successfully run his firm in the virtual world.  Don't miss these Highlights:  The past year has seen leaps and bounds in the development of online business, and his firm was already set up to operate remotely and successfully online Moving to virtual businesses allows them to meet with the client and effectively manage their accounts from around the globe The evolution of creating his podcast and sharing stories with business owners about the legal struggles and the successes they have had in growing their businesses Helping clients realize what their end goal is so that they can grow and ultimately sell their business with confidence Remember to remain accountable along the way and monitor that goal to ensure that you are still on track to achieve it for yourself and your business About the Guest:  Jeffrey (JP) McAvoy practices corporate and commercial law with ConductLaw (http://www.conductlaw.com (www.conductlaw.com)) and is the founder of “The Millionaire's Lawyer” podcast.  JP assists his clients with a wide range of transactions including financings and acquisitions, re-organizations, and corporate structuring matters. He acts for clients buying and selling businesses and represents a diverse range of corporations in Canada, the United States, and Eastern Asia. JP also teaches Corporate Law at Algonquin College and works with financial, insurance, and accounting advisers to provide tax, trust and estate planning advice to entrepreneurial clients and professionals. Prior to commencing private practice, JP worked with Elon Musk as a founding employee of Silicon Valley start-up Zip2, which was sold to Compaq and later merged with Alta Vista. He is a Contributing writer for the New Economy Watch, founding member of the Ottawa Junior Chamber of Commerce, and a Business Legal Consultant with CPLS.PA (http://www.cplspa.com (www.cplspa.com)).  https://jpmcavoy.com/ (https://jpmcavoy.com/) https://jpmcavoy.com/podcast/ (https://jpmcavoy.com/podcast/) https://jpmcavoy.mykajabi.com/ (https://jpmcavoy.mykajabi.com/) to get a free digital copy of “The Millionaire's Lawyer” About the Host:  Duff Gardner is an award-winning 7-figure marketer, startup founder and digital producer.  Today, he leverages his 30+ years in a diverse range of businesses and his journey overcoming a series of out-of-the-blue panic attacks to help impact-driven entrepreneurs leverage the power of what he calls “startup thinking” to start, scale and serve in a big way.  He is the host of the podcast Off My Duff - The Entrepreneur Podcast and Founder of the training company Offers that Sell.  Duff holds an MSc. in Learning Sciences and Information Technology from Carnegie Mellon Silicon Valley, is a fierce advocate of LGBT+ rights and animal rescue, and lives in beautiful Victoria BC.  His mantra is: “teach what you love, live from your truth”. http://www.offmyduff.com (www.offmyduff.com)  Website -  https://duffgardner.com/ (https://duffgardner.com/) Linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/duffgardner/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/duffgardner/) Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/offmyduff (https://www.facebook.com/offmyduff) Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/duffgardner/ (https://www.instagram.com/duffgardner/) Twitter - https://twitter.com/offmyduff (https://twitter.com/offmyduff) Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/c/DUFFGARDNER/ (https://www.youtube.com/c/DUFFGARDNER/)   Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our...

Unknown 0:00There was a North bomb in a Pacific and Northern Pacific bomb last week. 27.1 barometric pressure in the North Pacific, it's not a hurricane. Who's ever heard of such a thing? 27.1 parametric pressure these days what's going on in the world with a record high pressure in Manitoba. This within the same within a day or two of this record low pressure, feet of snow are falling in Japan, there's unbelievable stuff going on in the world, there's a ripple effect. Not only that, the temperature rose over 100 degrees in the stratosphere, it's 18 miles up above the surface. This has nothing to do with the surface. There's no connection to the surface temperatures. I don't know how it happens, the satellite imagery picked up an enormous amount of ozone. I don't know if ozone is connected to this at all. But it went over 100 degrees, which is almost certain to weaken the polar vortex and it did weaken the polar vortex and the polar vortex split. Once that happens, the arctic air spill South off so you would think that here in the United States, we're going to get real cold. But no all of a sudden in El Nino weather pattern develops By the way, this is not no Nino year. This is a La Nina year. But El Nino weather pattern develops blocks off the arctic air. All arctic air goes down to Europe. They're getting clobbered Eastern Asia, places like that. They're getting all the polar air. There's questions that this polar vortex might even split into three. And probably within two weeks. Europe, no, it might even be at the end of next week already. There already could be big changes in our weather pattern, these things will finally start to be felt right over here. And that's what we all have to pay attention to those that love active weather winter weather. Don't get worried that we're going to waste another winter not humble enough, like last winter. You know last winter also in the stratosphere, temperatures went way up, not not over 100 degrees, but they were forecasting the polar vortex to weaken after that. How could it not but it never did. The polar vortex remains strong. And if the polar vortex is strong, the arctic air remains locked up. And the winter remains relatively mild. That's what happened last winter. This winter. We are hoping meaning meteorologists and weather buffs and people who love nature and love all this stuff. We are hoping for a real winter this year. We haven't had one yet here in Chicago, Texas has been bombarded in Oklahoma. They here in Chicago, we haven't had it Baltimore hasn't had it. So we're waiting. We're waiting. And the we're about to go through a week of like eerie stillness of just nothingness. And it's almost like I'm hoping it's like the calm before the storm. That's what I'm hoping because big changes. The National Weather Service, by the way, pointed this out, that big changes lie ahead. They did not use those words to be honest with you. They did not use those words. But they did say that the indications are that the weather pattern will become more active and colder towards the end of next week, or they said at least a little bit beyond our current forecast cycle. The current forecast cycle is seven days based upon the things that I read about the polar vortex so I I love to go into fantasy mode. And I love to be optimistic. But optimistic by me means storms. It doesn't mean storms. That's what it means to have a week of quiet weather. We are sad on this podcast. It's sad. It's not a time of happiness. on here we celebrate when there's intense weather that's a time of celebration. I'm not talking about hurricanes or devastating stuff. I'm talking about beautiful blizzards, heat waves, just mind boggling stuff that's going on in Australia right now day after day after day. This is this is the type of stuff where we celebrate. We celebrate that stuff over here.This transcript was generated by https://otter.ai

Glad tidings Encounter's Listeners! Todays episode is another CRYPTID 101 exploring the folklore and mythology of the Nine Tailed Foxes of Eastern Asia! From ancestral guardians to blood thirsty beasts these little foxes keep the surprises coming. Join your hosts as they discuss 3 of the best known foxes: The Huli Jing of Ancient China, the Kitsune (and its hierarchy) of Japan, and Koreas own the bloodthirsty Kumiho. Its the final episode of 2020! Don't Miss it! Dakota and Amanda would like to thank their Patreon Patrons for your continued support and If you like what you hear consider pledging a donation at www.patreon.com/encountersaparanormalexp   Intro / Outro: Strange Stuff by Matt Harris Additional Music: Maestro Tlakaelel by Jesse Gallagher

Traveling to Eastern Asia today on Episode #762 of #Riseandgrind

Meet Jillian Rifkind, an acupuncturist and Eastern Asia bodyworker who specializes in nutritional therapy using traditional foods and supplements, healing musculoskeletal pain through meridian balancing and gentle movements, and improving mental health and vitality.In this episode of the Awake and Thriving Podcast, Andria speaks with Jillian about visceral manipulation therapy and how organs can create physiological pain in other parts of our bodies. She explains the need to listen to your body and address the underlying problem instead of taking drugs that only take away the pain.Listen in to learn the benefits of not eating inflammatory foods for your overall organ health. You will also learn about sound healing which is using a body’s vibrations to tell it to transmit things better. “Looking inward and listening to our body and finding things to balance and harmonize can be really important.”- Jillian [27:37] What you will learn:· [1:36] Jillian explains her background in visceral manipulation, acupuncture, and how to use the body from a functional perspective.· [3:49] The stress we create in our organs that create physiological pain and why movement can be helpful.· [5:47] The importance of taking inflammatory foods off your diet for your organ health.· [9:48] How fixations in the internal organs system create discomfort or pain in other body parts.· [13:38] She explains the method she uses to analyze patient’s conditions which might include therapy or listening techniques.· [16:10] Sound healing definition, benefits, and the sessions that Jillian does with her patients which range from one to many depending on individual problems.· [27:06] The importance of listening to your body and looking for things to balance in the inside plus addressing the underlying problem, not relying on painkillers.· [23:32] She talks about her current read which is Breathless by James Nestor and its discussion on the health benefits of mouth taping.· [31:16] The nutritional benefits of eating meat which helps fuel the body in ways that plant-based meals can’t and how climatic conditions affects what our bodies need. Relevant Links:Website: https://dahliacenter.com/jillianrifkind LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-rifkind-80771a46/

Yvonne Wolf, our guest on the show this week, is an intercultural communicator who specializes in Asia. She tells us this is the philosophy of aging in Eastern Asia. I think it is also a privilege. Yvonne talks about the Asian mindset when it comes to exercise, diet, menopause, aging, and how the Asians revere those who are older. One story describes the surgeon general of Taiwan coming to senior centers to commend the people on staying healthy! Also,  the grandmother holds status!  Viewed as powerful, they take charge of budgets and other family matters. Older people are always the “go-to”  for advice! The age of CEO’s in Asia is generally at least 50 years old. So, we’ve just touched the surface. Yvonne will come back on the show and talk about:   The Chinese Zodiac and You   Why Life Starts At 60   Chinese Traditional Medicine and A Healthier You. So, take a listen - a perfect length for a walk!  

Patrick Loh is the Associate Pastor of Soakability Church in the nation of Singapore. He has travelled throughout Eastern Asia and God has used him to heal the sick sick and take the truth of the Gospel wherever he goes. Soakability church consists of a group of Jesus-lovers who just can’t get enough of God’s Presence! Soakability Website: www.soakability.com If you would like to support this podcast, you can donate in one of the following ways: Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/alancrookham CashApp: Acrookham Venmo: @Alan-Crookham Facebook page: Revival Carriers Podcast Email us at: revivalcarrierspodcast@gmail.com My Podcast Gear: Microphones: Samson Q2U - https://amzn.to/35MFH2x (Paid Link) Studio Headphones: Audio Technica ATH-M30x - https://amzn.to/3hJVrWz (Paid Link) Recording Device: Zoom H6 - https://amzn.to/3mAYUdq (Paid Link) Editing: Garageband (Free with MacBook Pro) Hosting: Anchor (Free) (I plan to upgrade to another service soon, this is very bare bones). Music by TheOJT - Licensed Under Creative Commons 0 License https://freesound.org/people/theojt/sounds/510803/

Rocky is a born psychic medium specializing in palmistry, a healer, life & spiritual coach. He helps his clients discover and release negative energy patterns and thoughts that affect their lives. Rocky's ancestry is with the Hmong people of Eastern Asia, who have a deep history rooted in shamanism and the spiritual plane. Since his childhood these gifts have been a part of his life, and he dives into his story of what it was like to grow up with extrasensory perceptions of reality, and how he's acclimated into a more human life at this point.  We also discuss his visions and where the Earth and humanity may be heading going forward. Find him @ https://www.rockyspsychicreading.com/ Enjoy!

Mike Imperi, headmaster of the Vail Mountain School shares his experiences as a travel business owner in Eastern Asia and offers insights on leadership, philosophy, and making hard decisions in the wake of the Coronavirus.

An extremely topical conversation between pseudo-intellectuals Anna, Tom and Daniel (Rees) about the way Said's concept of Orientalism made us in the West reconsider how we view and talk about Eastern Asia and the Middle East. Is there such a thing as a positive stereotype...? Also: Said's contributions to the musical world.

------------------Support the channel------------ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter SubscribeStar: https://www.subscribestar.com/the-dissenter PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ------------------Follow me on--------------------- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT Anchor (podcast): https://anchor.fm/thedissenter Dr. Joanna Schug is Associate Professor of Psychology and Undergraduate Studies Director at the College of William & Mary. Her areas of specialization include cross-cultural psychology, social psychology, and socio-ecological approaches to human behavior. In this episode, we talk about the socio-ecological approach, emotional expressivity, and relational mobility. We first refer to what the socio-ecological approach is and where it is positioned within Psychology. We then address the topic of emotional expressivity, and cultural differences between the West and Eastern Asia, regarding collectivism vs. individualism, and types of cognition – holistic and analytic thinking. Finally, we talk about relational mobility, the factors behind it, and how it can lead to increasingly segregated and polarized societies. -- Follow Dr. Schug's work: Faculty page: http://bit.ly/349wTAi ResearchGate profile: http://bit.ly/2QIaZ35 Relational Mobility: http://bit.ly/37se0L1 Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat: http://bit.ly/2D37Vqh Twitter handle: @joannaschug -- A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: KARIN LIETZCKE, ANN BLANCHETTE, SCIMED, PER HELGE HAAKSTD LARSEN, LAU GUERREIRO, RUI BELEZA, ANTÓNIO CUNHA, CHANTEL GELINAS, JERRY MULLER, FRANCIS FORDE, HANS FREDRIK SUNDE, YEVHEN BODRENKO, SERGIU CODREANU, ADAM BJERRE, AIRES ALMEIDA, BERNARDO SEIXAS, HERBERT GINTIS, RUTGER VOS, RICARDO VLADIMIRO, BO WINEGARD, VEGA GIDEY, CRAIG HEALY, OLAF ALEX, PHILIP KURIAN, JONATHAN VISSER, DAVID DIAS, ANJAN KATTA, JAKOB KLINKBY, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, JOHN CONNORS, AND PAULINA BARREN! A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, ROSEY, AND JIM FRANK, AND ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK! AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, MICHAL RUSIECKI!

On episode 508 of "Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do", Thom Singer sits down with lawyer Jeffrey (JP) McAvoy to discuss his interesting journey as an attorney and an entrepreneur.  JP has worked with many high level business professionals and has some unique perspectives on what it takes to be successful.     JP McAvoy practices corporate and commercial law. He assists his clients with a wide range of transactions including financings and acquisitions, re-organizations, and corporate entity structuring matters. He acts for clients buying and selling businesses and represents a diverse range of corporations in Canada, the United States, and Eastern Asia.     JP also teaches Corporate Law at Algonquin College and works with financial, insurance, and accounting advisers to provide tax, trust and estate planning advice to entrepreneurial clients and professionals. Prior to commencing private practice, JP was a founding employee of Silicon Valley start-up Zip2, which was sold to Compaq and later merged with Alta Vista. He is a Contributing writer for the New Economy Watch, founding member of the Ottawa Junior Chamber of Commerce, and a Business Legal Consultant with CPLS.PA (www.cplspa.com).   Over the last five years, JP has led over sixty five significant corporate and commercial transactions totalling more than $80 million including: Gazit America Inc. purchase of the 49,000 square-foot Nepean Medical Centre through its subsidiary, ProMed Properties Inc. in a transaction valued at $12.3 million. Multi-million dollar share sale of Arnone Paving and Concrete Ltd. and A & A Cutting and Coring to a large regional construction company. Combusco Inc. sale of assets to Reliance Comfort Limited Partnership by its general partner GP Waterheater Trust. In 2011, JP’s accomplishments earned him a Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under Forty Award. Contact JP McAvoy at his Email:  jpmcavoy@conductlaw.com   https://www.thomsinger.com/JP-McAvoy

We have my good friend Frank Toth (@franktoth94) on the show to discuss what is happening in the NBA after Daryl Morey's tweet supporting Hong Kong's protest and the implications of that tweet. We go into cultural differences between public figures in America and Eastern Asia and their general level of ethical standard that they are held on. We do go off on tangents here and there with Anchorman movie references so feel free to ignore all of those. We also spend the last 25 minutes of the show trying to end the show. Enjoy!

Rachel Mertensmeyer has long been captivated by understanding the consumer mindset and making people’s lives better with product innovation. She has a decade of marketing management experience in Fortune 100 companies including Unilever and Avon in New York and BBDO and WPP in Shanghai. Rachel’s first professional opportunity supported her entrepreneurial nature as she was tasked with the ground floor development of sales distribution in Eastern Asia for an American wine company. In 2016, while living in New York City, Rachel  experienced medical bill mayhem personally. This experience spurred her to apply her consumer product innovation background to create a better medical payments solution for patients. This is how RexPay was born in 2018. As a leader, Rachel places great focus on creating a holistic, respectful and cooperative work environment for her team. On a more personal note, Rachel places a high value on physical health and wellbeing for herself and for those around her. In her free time, she can be found teaching yoga, trail running in the deserts of Arizona, or making time for her friends and family.

This week “Gumby” and Dave are joined by Aviv Gozali, who is fresh off his record breaking performance at Bellator 225. He chats about when he decided to do it and what you can expect from the 18 year old in the future. Plus, Kai Kara-France stops by to talk about his fight at UFC in Shenzhen, China. Ranked #10 in the division he’s feeling close to a title shot against his old TUF coach Henry Cejudo, and has some pretty strong feelings about Cejudo’s recent call outs. All of that, plus the news of the week, a breakdown of the UFC’s return to China, and a countdown of the top 5 title challengers in Eastern Asia. It’s a loaded show, so don’t miss a moment. Time Stamps: 2:00 - Aviv Gozali Interview: Keep Rollin’ 7:15 - Kai Kara-France Interview: Title on the Way 21:00 - Fastest Fight News: NYC Booked 26:00 - Combat Countdown: Top 5 Eastern Asian Title Contenders 33:00 - UFC Shenzhen Breakdown: Free Title Fight!

Lynn Broaddus joins Jonathan on the ESG Players Podcast to discuss #6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals-Clean Water & Sanitation Lynn E. Broaddus, Ph.D., M.B.A., President of Broadview CollaborativeLynn made a decision early on to focus on natural resource sustainability. Her career includes work in energy conservation and efficiency, biodiversity, land conservation, water resources, and education. These experiences are underpinned by scientific rigor and a tireless belief that good people working together can make big differences.Lynn formed Broadview Collaborative, Inc. in 2014 to increase her impact on the resiliency and sustainability issues that drive her. While this is her first private sector endeavor, it builds on her history of creating new efforts and retooling struggling ones. During her six years with The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread she was charged with re-shaping the Foundation’s environmental programming in a way that would bring national stature to the Racine, Wisconsin-based foundation. The result was Charting New Waters, a nationally recognized and applauded endeavor. Over the span of six years, she convened hundreds of national leaders from government, business and non-governmental organizations, and academic experts to explore the intersections of freshwater and climate change, infrastructure and built environment, agriculture, energy, finance and public health. The initiative resulted in more than a dozen direct publications on U.S. water management needs, and spurred additional partnerships and initiatives that left the field undeniably changed, and more united.Prior to joining The Johnson Foundation, Lynn served for six years as executive director of Milwaukee Riverkeeper®, a water advocacy organization that she grew into a strong, nationally respected voice with what may be the largest volunteer base of any similar group in the country. Before joining Riverkeeper, she spent 12 years working for The Nature Conservancy and a related organization, NatureServe, where in her role as director of U.S. Network Partnerships she negotiated the first set of national data sharing agreements among the nation’s Natural Heritage Programs in all 50 states and the Navajo Nation. Earlier career experiences included energy conservation program work in the low-income neighborhoods of Lawrence, MA, and teaching biology and mathematics in rural Virginia.Lynn hosts On The Water Front, a blog dedicated to exploring a broad spectrum freshwater and sustainability topics, and tweets on water and other sustainability issues as @LynnBroaddus. She is a sought-after speaker, panelist, and moderator for national forums, and can be reached at LBroaddus@BroadviewCollaborative.comhttps://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/water-and-sanitation/Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in and there is sufficient fresh water on the planet to achieve this. However, due to bad economics or poor infrastructure, millions of people including children die every year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choices and educational opportunities for poor families across the world. At the current time, more than 2 billion people are living with the risk of reduced access to freshwater resources and by 2050, at least one in four people is likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water. Drought in specific afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition. Fortunately, there has been great progress made in the past decade regarding drinking sources and sanitation, whereby over 90% of the world’s population now has access to improved sources of drinking water.To improve sanitation and access to drinking water, there needs to be increased investment in management of freshwater ecosystems and sanitation facilities on a local level in several developing countries within Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Southern Asia, Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia.https://broadviewcollaborative.com

Local Laredo, Tx artist Diego "Ozotso" Canales joins us to talk about his upcoming artist talk at Schwartz Gallery (3/22/19), the inspiration behind his work, his experience in Eastern Asia, martian pottery, and the muse theory. Check out Diego's art on instagram @ozotso Outro Heels and Baby Faces - Innocent Android

Tim speaks with Lauren Libby, President of Trans World Radio about a new transmitter he is installing in Eastern Asia. This new transmitter will share the gospel with 60-million people. Most of these people have never heard the word of Jesus. To help build this transmitter, call 1-800-880-4TWR (1-800-880-4897) to make a donation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim speaks with Lauren Libby, President of Trans World Radio about a new transmitter he is installing in Eastern Asia. This new transmitter will share the gospel with 60-million people. Most of these people have never heard the word of Jesus. To help build this transmitter, call 1-800-880-4TWR (1-800-880-4897) to make a donation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No more playing around. America will claim her “just reward” for “helping” the Cubans. This conflict, however, will prove to be an expensive, costly headache for the US. It may even be a foreshadowing for another costly headache of a war that will drag on in Eastern Asia later that century. It turns out invading … 45- The American Filipino WarRead More »

Want more FOH? Visit footnotesofhistory.com/join Shownotes at footnotesofhistory.com/17 In the exciting climax to our mini series looking at imperialism in Eastern Asia, Japan is torn apart by a vicious civil war that pits the Shogunate against the Samurai. Tensions had built ever since the Americans had arrived and forced the Shogunate to submit to trade. In the capital Edo, the connections with Europe had led to the opening of trading posts, the establishment of churches and even Western-oriented schools where hip Japanese sent their children to learn about fashionable European culture. With western merchants prancing around Edo like it was their own New York, many samurai had simply had enough. The resulting war was by no means an accident – some clans had been planning their revenge since 1603. Regardless, in 1869, the new Empire of Japan was proclaimed from the new capital - Tokyo.

Lang Parker, headed out west from Wisconsin 15 years ago and continues her acting career in film, television and performing in commercials. Lang's impressive comedic timing, instant likability on and off camera and impressive writing skills gained her national attention on the Emmy-nominated NBC show Last Comic Standing. She floored judges when she came out in her overhauls and asked, “Have you ever been mistaken for a lesbian?” Lang regularly tours clubs and cities all over the United States as well as numerous tours overseas to entertain the US armed forces in Afghanistan and bases in Eastern Asia. Lang’s credits include: Beverly Hills 90210,The Ellen Degeneres Show, a pilot for a major US network, 40+ national and international commercials as well as dozens of movie & television roles. Lang has won California’s Funniest Female Contest and is described as Jane Lynch, consistently drawing parallels with the Rosanne star Laurie Metcalf. Lang also contributes to Shea Magazine. Lang also shot a starring role in the new comedy film “Izzy Lion: The Unspun Truth” due to be released in 2018. Lang ran her own comedy show in Los Angeles, "West Of The 405", attracted some of the biggest names in comedy and had been voted Top 8 Must-Attend Shows on the westside in beautiful Santa Monica, California. She continues to perform and create worldwide.

S3E9: I Was Abused in Thailand By Some Locals | Bali & Eastern Asia Tales with @jorgia_peach by The Travel Guydes - J. Cousteau & International P

The songs of paradise await you. A warm breeze brushes past your ears and the sweet melodies entice you deeper into the beautiful rain forests of Eastern Asia. If you have an opportunity to journey to Vietnam visit the bustling yet peaceful village of Hanoi. Make your way around the still waters of Hồ Tây until you have stumbled upon the gem of a club named Savage. There, if you are lucky, you will find Graz working the turntables or recording a new episode of his podcast Color. Follow @colortransmit

African American  woman in America has a higher chance of dying during or right after pregnancy than a woman in developing areas of Central Europe or Eastern Asia. What’s more, what Williams had to go through is especially revealing about the medical bias faced by black women.According to American College of Obstetrics and gynecology, at least 46% of maternal deaths among African- American women could be prevented (versus 33% for white women), which points to a systematic dismissal of symptoms and patient complaints, and less attention paid overall. Indeed, how race bias affects the medical profession is well documented.Indeed, even Serena Williams, whose body, as her husband correctly notes, “is one of the greatest things on this planet,” is just another black woman when it comes to being heard in the maternity ward—and when it comes to being dismissed. “African-American doctors, lawyers, business executives, and they still have a higher infant-mortality rate than…white women who never went to high school in the first place,” Michael Lu

In this episode, Jayant Bhandari the host of the highly acclaimed Capitalism and Morality sits down with Maurice Jackson of Proven and Probable to discuss the virtues that he sees in the Eastern Asia in particular Japan, Korea, and China. Jayant also shares the important distinction that third world economies are not emerging markets. With regards to Japan in particular, Jayant conveys why believes that Japan is currently the best society in the world today. In addition, Jayant shares how the Far East's Confucius philosophies has had a very unique and distinctive affect on these cultures as opposed to other so called emerging markets. Mr. Bhandari will share his concerns regarding democracy and its duplicitous effects on countries. Lastly, we highlight an issuer that has garnered Jayant's attention that he believes presents a unique value proposition. www.jayantbhandari.com website: https://www.provenandprobable.com youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/provenandprobable twitter: https://twitter.com/provenprobable

Lang Parker, headed out west from Wisconsin 15 years ago and continues her acting career in film, television and performing in commercials. Lang's impressive comedic timing, instant likability on and off camera and impressive writing skills gained her national attention on the Emmy-nominated NBC show Last Comic Standing. She floored judges when she came out in her overhauls and asked, “Have you ever been mistaken for a lesbian?” Lang regularly tours clubs and cities all over the United States as well as overseas to entertain the US armed forces in Afghanistan and bases in Eastern Asia. Lang’s credits include: Beverly Hills 90210,The Ellen Degeneres Show, a pilot for a major US network, 40+ national and international commercials as well as dozens of movie & television roles. Lang has won California’s Funniest Female Contest and is described as Jane Lynch, consistently drawing parallels with the Rosanne star Laurie Metcalf. Lang also contributes to Shea Magazine. Lang's own comedy show that she runs in Los Angeles, "West Of The 405" has a cult following, attracts some of the biggest names in comedy and has recently voted Top 8 Must-Attend Shows on the westside in beautiful Santa Monica, California. She continues to perform and create worldwide. langcomedy.com

Lang Parker, headed out west from Wisconsin 15 years ago and continues her acting career in film, television and performing in commercials. Lang's impressive comedic timing, instant likability on and off camera and impressive writing skills gained her national attention on the Emmy-nominated NBC show Last Comic Standing. She floored judges when she came out in her overhauls and asked, “Have you ever been mistaken for a lesbian?” Lang regularly tours clubs and cities all over the United States as well as overseas to entertain the US armed forces in Afghanistan and bases in Eastern Asia. Lang’s credits include: Beverly Hills 90210,The Ellen Degeneres Show, a pilot for a major US network, 40+ national and international commercials as well as dozens of movie & television roles. Lang has won California’s Funniest Female Contest and is described as Jane Lynch, consistently drawing parallels with the Rosanne star Laurie Metcalf. Lang also contributes to Shea Magazine. Lang's own comedy show that she runs in Los Angeles, "West Of The 405" has a cult following, attracts some of the biggest names in comedy and has recently voted Top 8 Must-Attend Shows on the westside in beautiful Santa Monica, California. She continues to perform and create worldwide. langcomedy.com