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Last time we spoke about the Japanese offensive at Changsha. In late September 1941, fighting in China had become a brutal struggle of endurance. Japanese forces kept pushing forward, but China—though battered by heavy losses—refused to yield. Help from abroad was slowly beginning to matter. American aid reached China through groups like the Red Cross, and volunteers later associated with the Flying Tigers offered crucial support to Chinese operations. Against this backdrop, Changsha in Hunan became the center of a dangerous autumn campaign. Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist leadership treated the city as strategically vital, knowing that its fate could influence the wider course of the war. In the end, the resistance at Changsha showed China's key advantage: resilience. The city's defense helped slow the Japanese advance, break up momentum, and create uncertainty as the campaign continued.   #212 The Autumn Battle of Changsha, 1941 Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In late September 1941, the war in China had already entered its fifth year. By then the conflict had lost whatever remained of novelty and had settled into something harsher and more exhausting: a long war of attrition fought across enormous distances, under conditions of chronic shortage, strategic uncertainty, and repeated local catastrophe. Japan still possessed formidable military strength. Its armies could strike hard, move fast, and exploit superior firepower, air support, and communications in individual campaigns. Yet the larger shape of the war had begun to change. China had not collapsed. The Nationalist government still stood. Chinese armies, however battered, still held the field. The line between survival and defeat remained dangerously thin, but it had not broken. This was the situation in which the autumn campaign in Hunan and Hubei unfolded.   The struggle around Changsha did not occur in isolation. It belonged to a wider military and political moment. In Europe, the war had already expanded into a continent-wide convulsion. Germany and the Soviet Union were locked in a massive struggle after the German invasion in June. Leningrad was under threat, Kiev had become the scene of disaster, and the approach of the battle for Moscow suggested that still greater bloodshed lay ahead. Stalin had pressed Churchill to open a second front in Europe and had been refused. The global balance of war was shifting, but not yet in any way that guaranteed relief to China.   In Asia, Japan continued to press forward. The pressure on China remained immense. Yet by mid-1941 China's position, though still precarious, no longer looked quite as desperate as it had in earlier years. International sympathy had grown. Material aid, however limited, was beginning to take more concrete form. In July, the American Red Cross sent China medical supplies worth millions of dollars. In August, more than a hundred retired American pilots and mechanics came together to aid China against Japan. The air unit they formed, later celebrated as the Flying Tigers, meant more than aircraft and personnel alone. It signaled that China's war was no longer quite so isolated. That change in atmosphere did not produce calm in Chongqing. It sharpened urgency.   For Chiang Kai-shek, the possibility that the international situation might slowly improve for China carried with it a hard implication: China had to endure long enough to benefit from it. That meant surviving not in abstract terms, but in particular places, against particular offensives, at moments when a local defeat might have consequences far beyond the immediate battlefield. In the autumn of 1941, one of those places was Changsha. Changsha had long occupied an outsized place in the military geography of the war. It stood as the capital of Hunan, a hinge between regions, and a vital position in the defense of central China. Its security affected the Xiang River basin, communications across the province, and the broader defensive posture shielding approaches toward the wartime capital. To lose it, even temporarily, would be more than a symbolic blow. It would threaten the larger balance of the front in south-central China and test whether Japanese offensives could still force dramatic strategic results.   At the same time, the battle for Changsha was not a simple contest between one Chinese army and one Japanese army facing each other across a fixed line. It was part of a larger operational struggle linking the Ninth War Zone with supporting actions from the Third, Fifth, and Sixth War Zones. It involved frontal resistance, hurried reinforcement, mobile defense, rear harassment, and the constant effort to turn Japanese momentum into Japanese overextension. Chinese commanders were trying not merely to survive a blow, but to absorb it, stretch it, and eventually strike back against an enemy whose speed could become a liability once supply lines lengthened and formations dispersed. This was the burden resting on the Military Commission in Chongqing.   There, while reports arrived in fragments and maps were revised hour by hour, Chiang Kai-shek spent long stretches in the operations room watching the situation in Hunan and Hubei develop. He had already ordered the various war zones to support the Ninth War Zone's operations, and now he followed the campaign with intense concentration. His attention moved repeatedly toward reports from the Sixth War Zone and Chen Cheng's counteroffensive toward Yichang, for Yichang was tied not only to local fighting in Hubei but also to the defense of the Yangtze approach and therefore to the security of Chongqing itself. In his mind, Hunan and Hubei had become the focal point of China's war effort in that season.   Meanwhile at the front, the situation was deteriorating fast. Japanese forces pressing into northern Hunan had already imposed severe strain on the Chinese defense. Blocking units had been battered back. Communications were uncertain. Some formations fought stubbornly but could not hold; others dissolved more quickly than hoped. The Japanese advance toward Changsha created exactly the kind of crisis Chinese commanders feared most: one in which the enemy moved with enough force and speed to threaten a major city before a coherent defensive response could be reassembled. Chinese units had to be thrown into action as they arrived, often after exhausting marches, often with incomplete knowledge of the situation, and often under immediate pressure from artillery, aircraft, and aggressive infantry assaults. Yet even at this dangerous stage, the campaign contained an opportunity as well as a threat.   The deeper Japanese units pushed into Hunan, the more exposed their rear became. Supply depots, transport lines, and communications stretched farther behind the spearhead. Chinese formations that had been driven aside were not always destroyed; some remained capable of reappearing to strike roads, depots, and isolated detachments. If Changsha represented the visible center of the struggle, the enemy rear represented its hidden vulnerability. The Chinese aim, therefore, was not simply to defend passively around the city. It was to combine stubborn resistance in front with harassment and disruption behind, so that Japanese advance would become increasingly difficult to sustain. The battle that followed unfolded under these pressures: a threatened city, a strained but unbroken defense, commanders forced to improvise under severe danger, and a wider international war that made every local decision feel heavier than the ground on which it was taken.   This subtle improvement in China's larger situation did not mean safety. China was still battered, under-resourced, and vulnerable. Japanese forces still possessed enormous advantages in mobility, firepower, and air power in many sectors. Large parts of the country remained occupied or threatened. Yet by mid-1941 something in the atmosphere had changed. In July, the American Red Cross sent China medical supplies worth millions of dollars. In August, more than a hundred retired American pilots and mechanics came together to aid China in its struggle against Japan. The air unit they formed would become famous under the name by which China knew them: the Flying Tigers. Their significance exceeded their immediate tactical value. They represented a visible sign that China was not entirely abandoned to isolation.   For Claire Chennault, romantic, aggressive, and optimistic by temperament, the new situation encouraged increasingly bold thoughts. For the first time he included in his planning the idea that Japanese home territory might one day be bombed from bases in China. Such schemes were ambitious and perhaps premature, but their very existence reveals an altered horizon of possibility. A country that imagines striking back is already psychologically in a different position from one concerned only with preventing collapse.     Yichang mattered directly to the fighting in Xiangbei, but it also mattered independently. It was tied to the security of the Yangtze approach and therefore to the defense of Chongqing. It belonged not only to the immediate problem of battlefield maneuver but to the larger question of whether China could do more than absorb Japanese offensives. Could Chinese forces exploit enemy overstretch? Could Japanese advances be turned into liabilities? Could local counterattacks and rear harassment generate effects greater than the raw size of the forces involved? By September 1941, these questions were no longer hypothetical. They were urgent. In Chiang's mind, Hunan and Hubei had become the focal point of China's war effort in that season.   The struggle around Changsha was central to that effort. From Chongqing, Chiang telegraphed Commander Xue Yue of the Ninth War Zone with instructions that made both the danger and the opportunity plain. The message emphasized that the enemy in northern Hunan, though still pressing hard, had already been bravely intercepted by Chinese units and was now exhausted, with lines of advance increasingly difficult to sustain. This, Chiang argued, created an excellent opportunity for Chinese forces to strike at the enemy's rear and seek annihilation rather than mere delay. He urged officers and soldiers alike to remain determined to destroy the enemy. Even if Japanese troops advanced to the vicinity of Changsha itself, Chinese forces were to renew their efforts, maintain their confidence in victory, and prevent the enemy from establishing a foothold.   The telegram also pointed to the broader operational picture. Japanese troops drawn from the sectors of the Fifth and Sixth War Zones had been committed to the invasion of northern Hunan, leaving their rear areas dangerously exposed. The Third, Fifth, and Sixth War Zones had launched supporting offensives on the twenty-third. Therefore, the Ninth War Zone had to strike resolutely and fiercely, preventing the Japanese from coordinating their forces and frustrating any attempt to occupy Changsha. The message was at once exhortation and operational logic. It reflected the core Chinese problem in the campaign: the Japanese thrust was dangerous and had to be blocked, but the very speed and depth of that thrust could also expose the attacker. Yet by the time Chiang sent his instructions, the danger around Changsha was already severe. After the 74th Army had been beaten back, there was no major Chinese force north of the city that could confidently block the Japanese advance in a straightforward, stable line. The Japanese 4th Division, together with the Hayabuchi Detachment, had defeated the 95th Division of the Chinese 37th Army and pushed toward Changsha. The prospect that the city might fall, at least temporarily, was no longer remote.   In response, Xia Chuzhong's 79th Army from the Sixth War Zone was ordered to move toward the city. Its vanguard was Wang Jiaben's 98th Division. That movement was a forced march in the literal sense. It was not a flourish of language but an admission of emergency. Troops were pushed beyond ordinary endurance because there was no time to gather strength under favorable conditions. Changsha could not wait for convenience, rest, or ideal concentration. Either reinforcements arrived in time to fight immediately, or they arrived too late to matter. Wang Jiaben was no stranger to battle. A veteran officer from the Yunnan Army, he had fought the Japanese repeatedly—more than twenty times since the outbreak of the War of Resistance. He belonged to that generation of commanders who had been shaped by the fragmented military politics of Republican China but whose careers were now being rewritten by the national emergency of the anti-Japanese war.   During the First Battle of Changsha, he had already distinguished himself. He led troops in a counterattack along the Tongcheng line in southern Hubei and intercepted retreating Japanese forces at Longmenchang and Changshoujie, killing more than a thousand enemy soldiers. He had experience, reputation, and a sense of what it meant to fight in the Changsha theater. This time he marched from Changde, driving his division forward with all possible speed. By noon on September 26 the 98th Division reached a position about two kilometers northeast of Changsha. There was scarcely time to settle the men. No careful preparation was possible. They had arrived because the city was in danger, and battle began almost at once. At dusk the division engaged the Hayabuchi Detachment.   The fighting continued until late in the night without decisive result. That in itself was costly enough. Troops who have just completed a punishing march are already close to the limits of their endurance. To be thrown immediately into combat magnifies every weakness: thirst, fatigue, confusion, and the difficulty of building fieldworks under pressure. What the soldiers of the 98th Division could do that night, they did with their hands and whatever tools they had. They scraped positions out of the earth. They assembled makeshift cover. Officers moved along the line trying to impose order on terrain that had become a battlefield almost as soon as it was occupied. At dawn on September 27 the Japanese intensified the pressure from the air.   More than twenty aircraft bombed the 98th Division's positions, tearing apart the earthworks that officers and soldiers had spent the night constructing. Bombing had a double effect. Physically, it damaged positions, wounded men, and disrupted preparations. Psychologically, it reminded defenders that they were being observed from above and struck by an enemy against whom they could often do little in the sky. Immediately after the bombing came a fierce infantry assault. Wang Jiaben and several other commanders went down to their respective regiments to supervise the fighting personally. This was dangerous, but under such circumstances commanders often believed that presence itself mattered. When fieldworks are collapsing, shell bursts are continuous, and communications are unreliable, authority must sometimes be carried by a body rather than a wire. The defenders held.   Again and again the Japanese attacked. Again and again they were repulsed only to reorganize and come on once more. Every minute the Chinese line remained in place was bought with blood. Fallen and wounded men were carried rearward in what seemed an endless stream. The cost of resistance accumulated visibly before the eyes of those still fighting. By noon even water could no longer be delivered to the front. That detail reveals the intensity of the battle more clearly than many grander statements could. A line that cannot be supplied even with water has reached a condition of severe strain. During brief pauses in the fighting, officers and soldiers pulled out dry rations and chewed them slowly, swallowing with difficulty while they waited for the next attack. Such moments are among the most characteristic in battle: not the long, smooth continuity imagined in peacetime rhetoric, but brief interludes of miserable necessity between explosions. At two in the afternoon the crisis deepened sharply.   A unit of the Japanese 4th Division worked its way behind the 98th Division's position and attacked from the rear. This was the kind of tactical development every defending commander dreads. A force can endure heavy frontal pressure if its line remains coherent and its rear reasonably secure. But when enemy troops appear behind a position, the entire structure of defense begins to dissolve. There, behind the line, were more than a hundred Chinese wounded awaiting evacuation. Japanese soldiers attacked them with bayonets. One of the wounded Chinese soldiers, already beyond ordinary capacity for resistance, rushed forward and detonated a grenade against a Japanese attacker. It was an act of desperation, but also of defiance. The episode captures something essential about the tone of the battle around Changsha. This was not a neat engagement between organized lines alone. It was a desperate collision in which even the badly wounded were drawn into last resistance. For Wang Jiaben, however, the tactical reality was impossible to deny. If he stayed where he was, the division might be annihilated. Personal courage could not alter encirclement. Resentfully, bitterly, and under the kind of pressure that leaves permanent scars on a commander's memory, he ordered retreat. When he led the survivors off the battlefield, fewer than half his men remained.   Reinforcements from another direction now entered the struggle. The Provisional 2nd Army of the Seventh War Zone dispatched the Provisional 8th Division under Zhang Junsong. At seven in the evening on September 27, Zhang's force arrived at Zuojiatang on the eastern outskirts of Changsha. Personnel of the Ninth War Zone waiting there reported grim news: a Japanese detachment had already entered the city that afternoon, and another detachment was only three kilometers away. The situation invited rashness. A commander arriving near a threatened city at dusk, with reports that the enemy is already inside, may feel compelled to hurl troops forward immediately in a gesture of resolution. Yet night fighting in an urban approach without adequate reconnaissance can turn courage into waste. Zhang Junsong considered the matter carefully. He concluded that to rush blindly into the city at night would likely produce confusion and heavy losses. Instead he first sought to strike the enemy outside the city. His troops deployed quietly and crept forward through the darkness, launching a probing attack. But they soon discovered that the Japanese were fully prepared and not vulnerable to easy surprise. The line could not be broken. With no prospect of success, the force withdrew.   The moment is revealing because it shows how narrow the margin had become. Chinese commanders were trying to recover initiative while still groping through uncertainty. Reports were incomplete, Japanese dispositions difficult to fix, and every hour dangerous. On the evening of September 28, the 79th Army's 6th Provisional Division occupied Yuelu Mountain west of Changsha. From that height officers and soldiers looked across the Xiang River toward the city. Changsha, for the first time, was in Japanese hands. The emotional force of that sight can only be imagined. Changsha had lived for years under threat. It had been defended, contested, prepared, and feared. The possibility of its loss had hovered over military planning and public consciousness alike. Now the danger had become fact. A city that had stood as an object of effort and anxiety was visibly occupied by the enemy. No single feeling could have governed the men who saw it. There must have been anger, shame, weariness, and dread—but also stubbornness. For in war a city seen in enemy hands is not always simply lost. Sometimes it is a summons.   Late that night Zhao Jiping, commander of the 6th Provisional Division, received a telegram from Xue Yue. He read it and then stood before the map for a long time. Days of anxiety began to lift. He was not alone in that reaction. Many Chinese generals involved in the campaign had felt that they were fighting a confused and chaotic battle. Japanese movements had been broad, rapid, and difficult to pin down. The Ninth War Zone had thrown numerous units into blocking actions, yet both well-regarded formations and weaker, improvised units had repeatedly failed to hold. After ten days of combat, Chinese losses were heavy. But Japanese forces too had been worn, stretched, and damaged. Only now, as the Japanese reached the apparent culmination of their advance, did the Ninth War Zone begin to recover rhythm. Chaos did not disappear, but it became more legible. The possibility of a more ordered counteroffensive emerged.   In the early hours of September 29, Zhao Jiping issued the order to force a crossing of the Xiang River and attack the enemy in Changsha. The preparations consumed the entire day. River crossings under combat conditions are among the most delicate operations in war. Boats must be assembled or found. Units must be organized into waves. Timing matters. Surprise matters. The location of landing points matters. The men themselves matter most of all, because they must sit exposed in fragile craft knowing that the real test will begin not in the middle of the river but at the far bank. Late that night the division crossed secretly by boat in six groups. The crossing itself went well enough. The river did not betray them. The groups made progress in darkness. Yet everyone involved understood that smooth movement on the water did not guarantee success. The crucial question was what waited at the landing points. It was expected that the troops going ashore at Daximen would be first to meet the Japanese. Once battle began there, the rest of the crossing accelerated.   Chinese soldiers landed, attacked fiercely, and drove the enemy back from the riverbank. The momentum of the assault mattered. In such moments hesitation on shore can doom an entire crossing, but aggression can seize a foothold before the defender fully stabilizes. By the time Chinese forces entered the city, dawn was breaking. Then came street fighting. Changsha had ceased to be an objective on a map. It became again what cities become in war: a place of corners, walls, alleys, debris, smoke, and sudden death. Fighting in a city strips away much of the abstraction through which campaigns are often remembered. Streets channel movement. Buildings become cover, obstacles, or traps. Distances shrink but danger multiplies. A few men behind masonry can delay many more. Noise magnifies confusion. The city itself seems to fragment into a hundred separate battlefields. For Changsha, the long season of anxious anticipation ended in direct flame.   Yet to understand the campaign only through the struggle at Changsha would be incomplete. While the city drew attention as the central prize, another set of operations was unfolding across Hunan and Hubei—less dramatic in appearance perhaps, but strategically significant. These were the actions of the 27th Army Group under Yang Sen. If the fighting around Changsha demonstrated the pressure of frontal battle, Yang Sen's operations illustrated another principle entirely: the stubborn, opportunistic use of weaker forces to harass, sting, and trouble a stronger enemy from behind. The 27th Army Group was composed largely of Sichuan troops. Their presence speaks to one of the larger political transformations of the war. Republican China had long been fractured by regional militarism. Armies had often owed stronger loyalty to commanders, provinces, or local power structures than to any unified national command. Yet the anti-Japanese war compelled a partial reordering of those loyalties. Many warlord forces, however imperfectly integrated, now turned their weapons outward under Nationalist command.   There were exceptions. Some men, like Han Fuqu, had preserved their own strength at the cost of military responsibility and lost both opportunity and honor in doing so. But in the main, especially among middle and lower-ranking officers and ordinary soldiers, the imperative of national survival overrode provincial identity. Men from distant regions marched and fought in terrains not their own because the war no longer permitted a narrow conception of interest. Yang Sen himself was an old warlord soldier, one of those figures formed in the fractured military world of earlier decades. By 1941 he was deputy commander of the Ninth War Zone and commander-in-chief of the 27th Army Group. Along the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border he had long been cautious in his operations.   At the beginning of the northern Hunan battle, his troops proved unable to withstand the force of the Japanese offensive and retreated in disorder into mountains and forests. That fact should not be softened. They were pushed back. But retreat did not mean disappearance. This is where Yang Sen's role became important. Once the main Japanese force had advanced far ahead, the troops that had scattered began to reemerge. They knew the terrain. They knew the roads, villages, passes, and wooded approaches. If they could not defeat the Japanese in a grand collision, they could search for openings behind the advancing columns.   On September 20, as the Japanese main force drove into the heart of northern Hunan, Yang Sen led elements of the 4th, 58th, and 20th Armies in pursuit for an entire day. The main body of the 4th Army had already been badly beaten at the Xinqiang River line, and only the 60th Division, recently transferred from the 37th Army, remained relatively intact. That single fact sharply defined the weakness of his means. He was not pursuing with fresh and powerful forces prepared for a decisive encounter. He was pursuing with fragments, survivors, and such units as still retained some offensive potential. But the Japanese, intent on rapid advance southward, paid too little attention to what followed behind them. That was the opening Yang Sen needed.   On the morning of September 21, the 60th Division acted on information supplied by an old beggar. Such details often sound almost literary, but they remind us that war in China was never fought by armies alone. Villagers, refugees, peddlers, guides, boatmen, and the destitute all participated in the circulation of military knowledge. A beggar could see what a reconnaissance officer had missed. On the basis of that tip, the 60th Division launched a surprise attack on the supply depot of the Japanese 40th Division at Zhangjiayuan. Division Commander Dong Yu led the action.   The Chinese quickly overwhelmed the more than three hundred Japanese troops guarding the depot. Once they broke in, they discovered an astonishing quantity of matériel: shell boxes, ammunition, food, medicine, gasoline, explosives, protective clothing, telephone wire, body bags, stretchers, and more, all stacked beneath heavy canvas. For men accustomed to scarcity, it must have seemed almost unreal. Dong Yu, delighted, is remembered as exclaiming to his deputy commander, "It's practically a department store!" The line has a momentary comic brightness in the middle of war, and that is part of why it survives. But its deeper significance lies in what it reveals. A modern army advancing deep into hostile territory is sustained by accumulation—ammunition, fuel, wire, medicines, rations, transport materials. To seize such a depot is not merely to take objects. It is to grasp the hidden skeleton of movement. Dong Yu then issued a one-word order: "Move."   At once the whole division became a swarm of carriers. Officers and soldiers grabbed whatever they could and began hauling the captured supplies away. The scene must have been one of extraordinary improvised energy—riflemen transformed into laborers, war reduced for a moment to the brute physical act of lifting, dragging, and carrying. They moved like ants dismantling a storehouse. But there was too much to remove and too little time. Before even two regiments had completed the work, the Japanese returned in force. Enraged, they sent more than a dozen aircraft to bomb the troops carrying off the captured crates, while over a thousand infantrymen rushed in on the ground. Dong Yu immediately ordered the men to abandon what remained and destroy it. Amid deafening explosions, the 60th Division withdrew from Zhangjiayuan. The Japanese pursued hard, driving them back into the mountains before finally stopping. Measured purely in terms of territorial occupation, the action changed little. The Chinese did not hold the depot. They were forced back again. But judged in operational terms, the raid mattered. Supplies had been captured, destroyed, or disrupted. Japanese rear security had been embarrassed. Time and energy had been consumed in response. In a campaign where the Japanese were racing south and depending increasingly on stretched lines, such harassment was not trivial.   After September 23, Yang Sen expanded these efforts. He sent whole divisions to harass the Japanese rear while also dispatching battalions and companies to ambush supply columns and disrupt transport lines. This was not the kind of warfare that produces neat dramatic maps in conventional military histories. The actions were scattered, local, opportunistic, and often inconclusive. Yet precisely for that reason they can be misunderstood. Not every useful military action ends in the destruction of an enemy division. Sometimes its value lies in forcing a stronger opponent to spend attention where he had hoped to spend only momentum. These operations were costly and uncertain. Small Chinese units striking roads and depots risked encirclement or aerial punishment. Yet they possessed one advantage: they did not need to win a grand battle to matter. They needed only to make movement harder, supply more precarious, and the rear less secure.   On September 25, even after the 26th and 37th Armies had suffered defeat elsewhere, Yang Sen gathered the troops that still retained some offensive capacity and launched another attack. In these actions, the 90th Division captured Wukou; the 59th Division reached the north bank of the Miluo River; the 60th Division advanced to Donggang; and elements of the 58th Army controlled the Yuanba–Zheyangqiao highway line by the twenty-sixth. These gains were not the dramatic centerpiece of the campaign. But they formed part of the cumulative pressure on Japanese operations. Every road contested from the rear, every convoy threatened, every depot exposed, and every forced diversion of troops weakened the enemy's ability to convert tactical advance into stable success.   The battlefield was fluid enough that Yang Sen's headquarters itself had to keep moving—from the Miluo River northward to Pingjiang. Mobile headquarters in such conditions lived under constant uncertainty. Reports arrived late or contradictory. Rumors outran facts. The front could bend in unpredictable ways. A command post that seemed safely behind the line in the morning might by afternoon lie only a few kilometers from enemy forces. Years later Mao Jiuyin, who had then served as an operations staff officer under Yang Sen, recalled the old commander's outward behavior in those dangerous days. Yang Sen, Mao remembered, was always joking with the people around him and could still laugh and talk during battle. On one occasion he even joked with his bodyguard about putting chili oil in his tea. To younger staff officers, such behavior appeared almost absurd.   Yet they knew how dangerous their situation often was. Sometimes they were only a few kilometers from the main Japanese forces. There is more than anecdote in this memory. Old commanders often cultivated a style of ease under danger not because they felt no fear, but because they believed visible calm itself was part of command. Men take emotional bearings from those above them. A commander who panics spreads panic faster than any enemy breakthrough. Yang Sen was sixty years old during the Second Battle of Changsha, and he liked to remark that he was five years older than Chiang Kai-shek. Age had not removed him from the front. His function in the campaign was not to shatter the enemy in one decisive frontal blow. It was to persist, reappear, sting, and remain troublesome. The 27th Army Group followed the Japanese nearly all the way to the outskirts of Changsha.   They did not fight many large set-piece engagements. That was never their main value. But the Japanese could not ignore them. If Japanese units turned and tried to hit them directly, they tended to dissolve into the landscape. If the Japanese pushed on and ignored them, they reappeared to sabotage roads, hit supply lines, and create alarms in the rear. Even Japanese official histories later described them memorably. They called them "like a swarm of annoying flies." The phrase was meant as contempt. But as so often happens in war, an insult became an accurate description of effect. If these Chinese troops could not be tigers in formal battle, they could still become intolerable as flies. And under certain conditions—fatigue, heat, uncertainty, stretched supply, shaken morale—flies can become more oppressive than an enemy would like to admit.   When later generations look back on campaigns, they often search for a single explanatory image. But the fighting of September 1941 resists reduction to one symbol alone. What gives the campaign its force in memory is not one isolated episode, but the convergence of several pressures at once: a city under threat, a command trying to coordinate multiple fronts, exhausted reinforcements thrown directly into battle, Japanese forces advancing quickly but becoming increasingly vulnerable the farther they pushed, and Chinese troops in the rear refusing to disappear after defeat. Seen from Chongqing, the campaign was a matter of telegrams, maps, and the management of strategic risk. Seen from the front, it was a matter of thirst, mud, broken fieldworks, sudden bombing, exhausted marching, and the uncertainty of whether the next order meant reinforcement, retreat, or death. Seen from the Japanese side, it was initially an aggressive advance toward an important objective, but one increasingly troubled by stretched supply, difficult terrain, and the persistent reappearance of Chinese forces behind the line of movement.   At the same time, the campaign reveals a Chinese war effort that had become more resilient than in the earliest years of the conflict. The Japanese advance toward Changsha was dangerous and at moments appeared close to success. Chinese blocking forces suffered severe defeats. Units arrived exhausted and were hurled into action at once. Commanders lost men at devastating rates. Changsha itself briefly fell into enemy hands. And yet the city was not simply surrendered as an accomplished fact. Chinese forces regrouped. Orders were coordinated across war zones. Reinforcements marched at desperate speed. Counterattacks were mounted. Forces west of the Xiang prepared and crossed back into the city. Elsewhere, troops under Yang Sen gnawed at the Japanese rear and made advance more costly than a map of front lines alone might suggest. This combination of desperate frontal resistance and incessant rear harassment was one of the characteristic strengths of China's resistance in this stage of the war. China could not always match Japanese power in one concentrated blow. But it could absorb, delay, fragment, and trouble that power across space and time. That is why the struggle around Changsha in late September 1941 deserves to be remembered not merely as a sequence of engagements, but as a layered event in which tactical battle, morale, logistics, political endurance, and international context all converged.   I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In late September 1941, Japan pushed deeper into China, but Chinese forces—supported gradually by international help—kept resisting. Changsha in Hunan became the central point of the conflict, seen as vital to strategic control in south-central China. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Hunan and Hubei, Yang Sen's 27th Army Group—often using smaller, opportunistic actions—reappeared behind Japanese lines to disrupt depots and convoys. Even when Chinese gains were temporary, the cumulative pressure delayed Japanese momentum.       

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Days of our Lives spoilers show that viewers can anticipate an intense week of drama and suspense. Major highlights for the week of July 20th include Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) expressing fury over a setup, Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) devising an escape plan to avoid EJ DiMera's (Dan Feuerriegel) twisted justice, and Gwen Rizczech's (Emily O'Brien) loved ones desperately searching for her.  DOOL spoilers reveal that EJ apologizes to Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow), hinting at a growing affection between the two. Meanwhile, Tate Black (Leo Howard) discovers a stash of pills set up by EJ in Holly's bag, leading to a confrontation between Holly, Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey), and Tate.  Days of our Lives spoilers indicate that Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) and Belle Black (Martha Madison) unravel clues that hint at Italy, while Gabi Hernandez (currently Cherie Jimenez) vents to Rafe Hernandez (Galen Gering). Gabi's sudden decision to retract her offer to bail out Titan leaves Xander Cook (Paul Telfer) and Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier) in shock.  DOOL spoilers hint that an enraged Holly continues to deny using drugs, with a distraught Sarah turning to Xander for help. EJ's guilt over his setup of Holly leads him to confide in Rita Lesley (Maggie Carney), while Gabi and Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) partner up over their concern for Gwen.  More Days of our Lives weekly spoilers confirms a tender moment between Kristen and her daughter Rachel Black (Lorelei Olivia Mote), hinting at Kristen's imminent departure. In a poignant scene, Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford) and Abe Carver (James Reynolds) renew their vows, even as Lexie plans to escape with Kristen.  DOOL weekly spoilers shows that Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) grapple with various challenges, while Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) confronts EJ over his setup of Holly. You are listening to Belynda from Soap Dirt. The most listened to soap opera podcaster. Visit our Days of our Lives section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/days-of-our-lives/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Days of our Lives Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/days-of-our-lives-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

Ep 268 | Should the face of American agriculture really be a Bravo star with tabloid drama and a business under investigation by the FBI? Well, it's complicated. This week on Discover Ag, Natalie and Tara share what the McBee Dynasty cowboy had to say about farming on Fox News — and why he might not be the best person for the job. Then there's the influencer who recorded their trip to a small-town grocery store, and it blew up in the worst way possible. Plus, why a World Cup star's diet has everyone debating what it takes to become an elite athlete. What We Discovered This Week

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Days of our Lives spoilers for July 20-24, 2026 expect a whirlwind of drama and shocking revelations. Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) is at his breaking point with his wife, while Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford) finds herself on her deathbed following another collapse. A kidnapping plot ensues, leading to an unexpected bonding between Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) and Gwen Rizczech (Emily O'Brien).  DOOL spoilers anticipate that Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) and Belle Black (Martha Madison) make a significant breakthrough in their investigation. Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) find solace in each other's company, leading to a potential fallout when Alex discovers Theo asleep on his couch.  Spoilers for Days of our Lives give a surprising twist as EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) receives bad news from Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) regarding his ownership rights to the hospital.  More DOOL spoilers suggest that EJ's relationship takes an unexpected turn, Lexie's health continues to deteriorate, and Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) may be sent to rehab, courtesy of EJ. The week ends on a high note with the return of Dimitri von Leuschner DiMera (Peter Porte) to Salem, stirring things up with Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart). Soap Dirt is the most subscribed to YouTube soap opera channel. Visit our Days of our Lives section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/days-of-our-lives/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Days of our Lives Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/days-of-our-lives-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Days of Our Lives 2-Week Spoilers for July 13 - 24, 2026 see that Theo Carver (Tyler Joseph Andrews) finds himself in turmoil while Kayla Brady (Mary Beth Evans) takes satisfaction in a surprising turn of events. Key characters like Lexie Carver (Nikki Crawford) and EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) face major challenges that keep the viewers on edge.  DOOL spoilers anticipate that the drama unfolds as Theo Carver's life spirals out of control, sparking his fury. Meanwhile, Kayla Brady is caught up in an intriguing situation that is too enticing to ignore. In the midst of all this, Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) lands in hot water over a car accident involving Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins) and Kelsey Kiriakis (Lena and Mira Chase). Spoilers for Days of our Lives indicate that the tension rises when EJ DiMera steps up his feud with Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk), attracting viewer sympathy with his charming accent and dimpled smile. As the plot thickens, Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) finds an unlikely friend in Gwen Rizczech (Emily O'Brien), while Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) and Belle Black (Martha Madison) delve deeper into the Stefano chess mystery. More DOOL spoilers expect that secrets unravel, alliances form, and tempers flare. Abe Carver (James Reynolds) confesses a secret to Theo, triggering his wrath. Meanwhile, Lexie Carver opens up about her declining health to Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), putting her in a difficult position. Holly Jonas (Ashley Puzemis) finds herself in the middle of a pill controversy, while EJ DiMera faces an unexpected setback when the state board revokes his ownership rights at the hospital, much to the delight of Kayla Brady the weeks of 07/13-07/24/2026. This episode was hosted by Belynda Gates-Turner for the #1 Soap Opera Channel, Soap Dirt. Visit our Days of our Lives section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/days-of-our-lives/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Days of our Lives Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/days-of-our-lives-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

It was a fun and informative first weekend of feeds, how about some more pod? Brett & Danielle check in on Monday night reacting to their first reactions of the live feeds. If Tuesday's Broveal was the first impression, and Thursday's premiere was the second impression -- call these our BB28 third impressions.We run through each of the 17 houseguests and talk about where we place their games after two episodes and a full weekend of live feeds.Follow Hey Julie on Bluesky and submit your questions ⁠⁠@HeyJulieBB⁠⁠.bsky.social, our ⁠⁠Discord server⁠⁠, or email us ⁠heyjuliebigbrother@gmail.com⁠!Watch Hey Julie on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠Follow Brett ⁠⁠@BrettRader⁠⁠.bsky.socialFollow Danielle ⁠⁠@DingDongDani.bsky.social

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt General Hospital 2-Week Spoilers for July 6 - 17, 2026 bring intriguing spoilers and storylines. Fans eagerly await the return of Jason Morgan (Steve Burton), who seems to have undergone a significant transformation during his absence. Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) is in a fiery mood as she faces hurdles in her path. Meanwhile, Willow Tait Corinthos (Katelyn MacMullen) and Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) are on the brink of trouble. An unexpected twist for Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) will change her life forever. GH spoilers also feature a showdown between Willow and Tracy, with Tracy growing suspicious of Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton)'s intentions. Additionally, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) teases Ethan Lovett (Nathan Dean Parsons) about a past incident. The drama unfolds as Carly argues with Zahra Amir (Maysoon Zayid) regarding Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy). Other characters such as Danny Morgan (Asher Jared Antonyzyn), Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) and Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins) find themselves embroiled in various predicaments. Spoilers for General Hospital see the plot thickens as Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) confides in Liz Webber (Rebecca Herbst), and Britt finds herself begging Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna). As the drama unfolds, Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) discovers a devastating truth about Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) and Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey).  Soap Dirt has grown to the most subscribed to YouTube soap opera channel. Visit our General Hospital section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/general-hospital/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date General Hospital Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/general-hospital-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

Patrick K. O'Donnell, guest author, recounts how, by August 1864, General Ulysses S. Grant had grown enraged by the disruption caused by irregular partisans and ordered Phil Sheridan to initiate "total war" in the Shenandoah Valley. Grant's instructions were severe: hang captured Rangers without trial, destroy all crops and livestock, and take all men under 50 as prisoners. While Sheridan did not follow these orders entirely to avoid political backlash before the election, he did launch the "Burning Season," putting farms and mills to the torch. The trigger for this escalation was the Berryville Great Wagon Raid, where Mosby's men devastated a massive Union supply train. To counter Mosby, Sheridan deployed Richard Blazer and his scouts, arming them with the Spencer carbine—the "machine gun of the Civil War"—which allowed for rapid-fire lever action. Blazer used his signature detective work to track the Rangers, successfully capturing a portion of Mosby's command at Myer's Ford. This segment also addresses the presence of independent "bushwhackers" like Moberly, a ruthless figure who tortured prisoners. Although Mosby occasionally operated in the same vicinity as Moberly, he did not tolerate such lawlessness within his formal command. The conflict transformed into a personal and lethal game of cat-and-mouse between Blazer's "Legion of Honor" and Mosby's Rangers, characterizing the brutal "brother against brother" nature of the Civil War in the Valley. The Unvanquished (5)

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Young and the Restless spoilers show that Patty Williams (Andrea Evans) blackmailing Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) is set to unfold. Patty has Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) hidden away, and Jack, alongside Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor) and Traci Abbott (Beth Maitland), are worried about her sudden disappearance.  Y&R spoilers reveal that Traci encounters Doctor Lawrence Markham (Jerry Burns), who has been paid by Patty to keep Diane hidden. Meanwhile, Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) confronts Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) and Devon Winters (Bryton James) over unsettled matters. The Young and the Restless spoilers indicate that Jack rallies allies to form a search party for Diane, while Nikki grapples with her deteriorating health. A surprising alliance is on the horizon as Kane Ashby (Billy Flynn) finds common ground with Lily, much to the chagrin of Devon. In addition, Phyllis Summers (Michelle Stafford) makes a move that could potentially hurt Kane. YR spoilers hint that Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) expresses her worries about her mother, Nikki's health. Simultaneously, Phyllis stumbles upon valuable information that could change the course of several lives in Genoa City. The week concludes with Victoria opening up to Claire Grace Newman (Hayley Erin) about Nikki's health and the upheaval caused by Victor Newman's (Eric Braeden) decision to hand over Chancellor to Lily. You are listening to Belynda from Soap Dirt. The most listened to podcast for soap operas. Visit our Young and the Restless section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/young-and-the-restless/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Young and the Restless Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/young-and-the-restless-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old white man, was stabbed to death by a minority. He told officers nine times he could not breathe - but they did not believe him. Instead, they placed Henry in handcuffs and accused him of racism. He bled out. Nigel Farage is leading the outrage — saying that in Britain white lives should matter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Animators are furious about Amazon MGM's new AI cartoon program, including a former Buzzfeed employee who claims they used her Cupcake character without consent. Others in the animation industry are expressing disappointment with Jorge R. Gutierrez (Book of Life) for using AI. So let's talk about the pros and cons of animators using AI, and whether or not this is just unavailable in 2026. Watch the podcast episodes on YouTube and all major podcast hosts including Spotify. CLOWNFISH TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary podcast that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. Get more news, views and reviews on Clownfish TV News - https://more.clownfishtv.com/ On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClownfishTV On Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4Tu83D1NcCmh7K1zHIedvg On Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/clownfish-tv-audio-edition/id1726838629 MORE CLOWNFISH TV - Official Merch Store: http://ClownfishMinus.com Facebook - https://facebook.com/ClownfishTV X - https://x.com/ClownfishTVcom Clownfish TV subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClownfishTVOfficial/ Disclaimer: This series is produced by Clownfish Studios and WebReef Media, and is part of ClownfishTV.com. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of our guests, affiliates, sponsors, or advertisers. ClownfishTV.com is an unofficial news source and has no connection to any company that we may cover. This channel and website and the content made available through this site are for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. These so-called “fair uses” are permitted even if the use of the work would otherwise be infringing. #Animation #Amazon #Cartoons #anime #Podcast #Commentary #News #Reaction #Gaming #Comedy #Entertainment #Hollywood #PopCulture #Tech #Anime #FYP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hi. On today's Even More News, Katy, Cody, and Jonathan talk about the potential maybe-for-real-this-time(?) Iran deal, the outrageous hypocrisy of Republicans upset that the Democrats' social media account insulted Stephen Miller, and the dwindling "Freedom 250" performer lineup (even more dwindling than when we recorded this!)PATREON: https://patreon.com/somemorenewsMERCH: https://shop.somemorenews.comYOUTUBE MEMBERSHIP: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvlj0IzjSnNoduQF0l3VGng/joinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Anna Child and her new boyfriend, Jason Hilde, were shot to death at Anna's home in Mason County, Washington in March 2026. A manhunt for the prime suspect, Robert Child, followed and he was taken into custody. Anna feared her estranged husband, Robert, and had obtained an order of protection. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy goes through the body camera footage and Robert's claims in his interview with detectives in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: Download the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/crimefix to get an extra 25 cents bonus for every gallon on your first tank of gas.Host:Angenette Levy https://twitter.com/Angenette5CRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

lick to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt General Hospital 2-Week Spoilers for May 11-22 unveil exciting hints particularly surrounding Dante Falconeri, played by Dominic Zamprogna, and Valentin Cassadine, portrayed by James Patrick Stuart. Dante finds himself conflicted and enraged, while Valentin is left in shock by an unexpected twist. Meanwhile, Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) is embroiled in a dramatic confrontation with Valentin, while Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud) and Lucas Jones (Van Hansis) share a surprising moment over shots. GH spoilers indicate that Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) suspects Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) of drugging Drew Cain Quartermaine (Cameron Mathison). Carly Corinthos Spencer (Laura Wright) finds herself in difficult conversations with both Nina and Charlotte Cassadine (Scarlett Fernandez). Amidst this, Dante's investigations lead to a crucial conversation with Elizabeth, which may reveal more about the mystery surrounding Willow and Drew. Spoilers for General Hospital give a surprising turn of events, Josslyn Jacks (Eden McCoy) goes missing, leading to an intense search headed by Carly and Valentin. As the plot thickens, Dante faces a tough spot with the WSB investigation into the shooting, potentially putting his son Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) at risk.  More GH spoilers divulge that Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) attempts to make amends with Lulu Spencer (Alexa Havins), while Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) battles her injuries. As Michael Corinthos' (Rory Gibson) devious plans for Willow and Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard) unfold, Brooklyn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) may surprisingly do the right thing amid the chaos. You are listening to Belynda from Soap Dirt. The most listened to podcast for soap operas. Visit our General Hospital section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/general-hospital/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date General Hospital Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/general-hospital-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

Former Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, joins Alastair Campbell and Vicky Spratt to discuss the Gen Z story as she sees it. Listen to hear her thoughts on the success of The Green Party, the allure of characters like Gary Stevenson and Zack Polanski, the hopelessness of young people, the danger of binary politics and short-term thinking, as well as her push for the government to reconnect with Gen Z and empower leaders of the future.  She also listens and responds directly to some of your experiences sent to us via voice note. To hear episode one and two of the Gen Z Story, sign up at ⁠therestispolitics.com ⁠and if you're a student, sign up with your student email address to get a year of TRIP Plus for just £20. For analysis on this interview and more insights into the Gen Z Story series, sign up to our free newsletter. Instagram: ⁠@restispolitics⁠ Twitter: ⁠@restispolitics⁠ Email: ⁠therestispolitics@goalhanger.com⁠ __________ Hosted by: Vicky Spratt Producer: India Dunkley Social Producer: Celine Charles Video Editor: Josh Smith, Lorcan Moullier Researcher: Olivia Taylor Hooper Exec Producer: Tom Whiter Editorial Director: Emily Kent Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Young and the Restless spoilers indicate the Newman family is wrestling with reality as Nick Newman, portrayed by Joshua Morrow, succumbs to a crippling addiction. The figure proving to be pivotal in his recovery journey might be Jack Abbott, enacted by Peter Bergman, much to the chagrin of Victor Newman, played by Eric Braeden.  Y&R spoilers unfold with Nick Newman and his brother Adam Newman (Mark Grossman) rushing to save Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) and Noah Newman (Lucas Adams) from a trap set by Matt Clark. The ensuing drama sees Nick collapsing due to a drug overdose, highlighting the severity of his addiction. The situation escalates further when the abandoned garage explodes, but Victor Newman saves the day by sending his security team in time to rescue his family.  Spoilers for Young and Restless suggest the Newman family, especially Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott), who has battled alcohol addiction herself, is deeply concerned about Nick's downward spiral. Despite the family's pleas, it appears that Nick is determined to conquer his addiction alone. Nikki, with her personal experience of the struggle, might seek assistance from her friend Jack Abbott, who has also battled addiction, to convince Nick to seek professional help. More Y&R spoilers draw parallels between Nick's current predicament with Jack Abbott's past struggle with opioid addiction. If Jack steps in to help Nick, it could potentially create strife between Victor Newman and Jack, possibly leading to a rift in Victor's marriage to Nikki.  Spoilers for Young and the Restless hint that Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) is likely to defend her father's reaction while undermining Jack's contribution to Nick's recovery. The anticipation of Jack's involvement in Nick's addiction storyline resonates with the audience due to the uncanny similarity of their experiences.  Soap Dirt is the most subscribed to YouTube soap opera channel. Visit our Young and the Restless section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/young-and-the-restless/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Young and the Restless Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/young-and-the-restless-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

What's the deal with mail and mailboxes these days!?

On today's edition of Three Point Stance: Andy criticizes Nike for removing a Boston Marathon slogan that caused controversy // Fitzy is fed up with the NBA's confusing playoff TV schedule

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Days of our Lives spoilers show that EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) finds himself in a troubling situation after being assaulted, and Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) is left seething over some undisclosed matter. Meanwhile, Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) seeks solace in Jeremy Horton (Trevor Donovan) as her relationship with Alex Kiriakis (Robert Scott Wilson) continues to waver.  DOOL spoilers reveal that Chanel Dupree (Raven Bowens) is overjoyed by the arrival of her sister Lani Price (Sal Stowers), while Gabi Hernandez (currently Cherie Jimenez) stumbles upon Theo Carver's (Tyler Joseph Andrews) journal, revealing his deep feelings for her. The tension escalates as EJ evicts Gwen Rizczech (Emily O'Brien) from the mansion, causing a stir with Xander Cook (Paul Telfer). Leo Stark's (Greg Rikaart) jealousy reaches new heights as he stalks Javi Hernandez's (Jacob Martinez) new love interest.  The Days of our Lives spoilers indicate that Theo hopes for his mother, Lexie Carver (Renee Jones), to awaken from her coma. Amidst it all, Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) probes Xander about his relationship with Gwen, and Kate Roberts (Lauren Koslow) is caught lying by Roman Brady (Josh Taylor).  DOOL spoilers hint that Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) confronts Xander, and a knock on Alex's door reveals Joy Wesley (AlexAnn Hopkins), setting the stage for a major revelation. Brady is incensed after learning about Kristen DiMera's (Stacy Haiduk) harsh words to Marlena, and Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) is instructed to carry out a sinister plan.  This episode was hosted by Belynda Gates-Turner for Soap Dirt. Visit our Days of our Lives section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/days-of-our-lives/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Days of our Lives Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/days-of-our-lives-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt

Full show - Monday | Animal encounter | News or Nope - Justin Bieber, Coachella, and the FAA | Enraged Erica - Traffic | OPP - I cheated on my husband. He's staying with me, but my BFF dumped me | The show's fancy night out together | There's a mystery in Erica's house | T. Hack needs to issue a retraction | Slacker's billion reasons to be grateful | Stupid stories www.instagram.com/theslackershow www.instagram.com/ericasheaaa www.instagram.com/thackiswack www.instagram.com/radioerin

Erica wants to know when all these other drivers moved to Colorado!

Full Text of Readings Saturday in the Octave of Easter Lectionary: 266 The Saint of the day is Saint Stanislaus Saint Stanislaus' Story Anyone who reads the history of Eastern Europe cannot help but chance on the name of Stanislaus, the saintly but tragic bishop of Kraków, patron of Poland. He is remembered with Saints Thomas More and Thomas Becket for vigorous opposition to the evils of an unjust government. Born in Szczepanow near Kraków on July 26, 1030, he was ordained a priest after being educated in the cathedral schools of Gniezno, then capital of Poland, and at Paris. He was appointed preacher and archdeacon to the bishop of Kraków, where his eloquence and example brought about real conversion in many of his penitents, both clergy and laity. He became bishop of Kraków in 1072. During an expedition against the Grand Duchy of Kiev, Saint Stanislaus became involved in the political situation of Poland. Known for his outspokenness, he aimed his attacks at the evils of the peasantry and the king, especially the unjust wars and immoral acts of King Boleslaus II. The king first excused himself, then made a show of penance, then relapsed into his old ways. Stanislaus continued his open opposition in spite of charges of treason and threats of death, finally excommunicating the king. Enraged, the latter ordered soldiers to kill the bishop. When they refused, the king killed Stanislaus with his own hands. Forced to flee to Hungary, Boleslaus supposedly spent the rest of his life as a penitent in the Benedictine abbey in Osiak. Reflection Saints John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Thomas More, and Stanislaus are a few of the prophets who dared to denounce corruption in high places. They followed in the footsteps of Jesus himself, who pointed out the moral corruption in the religious leadership of his day. It is a risky business.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

In the 954th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway is at the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) in Prague, where he is joined by special guest cohost Josh Arieh, the 2021 WSOP Player of the Year. Together, they discuss the enraged player who was disqualified deep in the €5,300 PLO European Championship, players who were upset on the bubble of that tournament when a chip leader gave the short-stacked big blind a walk, and recent bracelet winners such as Ole Schemion, Mike Leah, and Pedro Faustino. Arieh then talks about his deep run in the WSOP Europe Main Event, which ended in no small part due to his pocket aces getting cracked on the river. He also shares his thoughts on Prague, having the support of his wife, the Poker Hall of Fame, and playing golf with Daniel Negreanu. Finally, Chad tells you a bit about PokerNews' MyPlayers feature and catches up with 2023 WSOP Player of the Year Ian Matakis, who made the trip from Minnesota over to Prague. Will he be going for POY again?  A new PokerNews Podcast drops every day this week at approximately 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode! Time Stamps *Time    Topic* 00:00 | Welcome To The Show 00:46 | Player Gets DQ'ed From WSOPE 06:47 | PLO Bubble Controversy 09:47 | Arieh's Deep Main Event Run 20:32 | Recent Bracelet Winners 25:07 | Living In Las Vegas

Esther 3:1-15In this passage, King Ahasuerus elevates Haman to a position of great authority, and all are commanded to honor him, but Mordecai refuses to bow due to his identity as a Jew. Enraged, Haman's anger grows beyond Mordecai, leading him to plot the destruction of all Jews throughout the kingdom. He manipulates the king into issuing a decree that authorizes their annihilation, sealing it with royal authority and sending it across every province. As the decree spreads, fear and confusion fill the city, while the king and Haman sit unaware of the devastation they have set in motion.

Click to Subscribe: https://bit.ly/Youtube-Subscribe-SoapDirt Bold and the Beautiful spoilers show that Sheila Carter (Kimberlin Brown) misinterpreting a situation, leading to a suspenseful encounter with Taylor Hayes (Rebecca Budig) and Deacon Sharpe (Sean Kanan). The situation escalates rapidly, with Sheila dangerously trespassing into the home of Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Finn (Tanner Novlan), stirring up tension and fear. B&B spoilers reveal that Taylor and Deacon find themselves in a precarious situation, leading Taylor to plead for her life. The suspense continues to mount as Deacon finds refuge in the bushes, making a hasty escape to avoid Sheila's wrath. Meanwhile, Hope Logan (Annika Noelle) and Deke Sharpe (Harrison Cone) anxiously ponder over Sheila's possible discovery of Deacon and Taylor's secret. The Bold and the Beautiful spoilers indicate that Steffy's worst fears are realized as she grapples with the revelation of Sheila's intrusion and fears for her mother's safety. As the week progresses, a series of suspicious events raise Sheila's alert level, leading her to question Deacon's shaky alibi.  B&B spoilers hint that Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) and RJ Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) share a passionate moment in the design office. This episode was hosted by Belynda Gates-Turner for the #1 Soap Opera Channel, Soap Dirt. Visit our Bold and the Beautiful section of Soap Dirt: https://soapdirt.com/category/bold-and-the-beautiful/ Listen to our Podcasts: https://soapdirt.podbean.com/ And Check out our always up-to-date Bold and the Beautiful Spoilers page at: https://soapdirt.com/bold-and-the-beautiful-spoilers/ Check Out our Social Media... Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoapDirtTV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoapDirt Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/soapdirt/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@soapdirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapdirt/

Get ready for a juicy, truth-telling conversation. In this episode of The Emily the Mystic Show, Emily sits down with Madelyn Freya, a dark feminine guide and identity alchemist who's helped hundreds of women reclaim their power through shadow work, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, priestess work, and spiritual strategy. Madelyn shares her origin story, including how an abortion in her late 20s sparked a spiritual awakening, how manifestation and business success led to an identity crisis, and how healing chronic fatigue became the portal that deepened her work into true embodiment. Together, Emily and Madelyn unpack what dark feminine energy really means, why surrender is often the fastest path to your desires, and how pleasure and presence unlock the kind of quantum leaps you can't force. ✨ In this episode, we explore: Madelyn's astrology + human design(Capricorn Sun, Aquarius Moon, Libra Rising, Manifesting Generator) Moving back to Denmark and finding spiritual community abroad Her spiritual turning point: abortion, burnout, and reclaiming her life Healing chronic fatigue as a “shamanic illness” portal and initiation What dark feminine energy actually is (and what it isn't) Why light feminine practices work… until they don't How trauma stored in the body blocks pleasure, expansion, and manifestation Who her work is for: successful women hitting a glass ceiling, plus seekers at every level Priestess work + goddess connection (Isis, Freya, Hekate, Lilith) and how to avoid spiritual appropriation How to connect with a goddess archetype in a grounded way The Year of the Snake: deconstruction, tower moments, and nervous system survival tools Emotional release practices that actually work (dance, movement, sauna, embodiment) Why regulating your nervous system isn't about “getting somewhere” The surrender moment that changed everything: job, apartment, love arriving fast The Venusian Codes: using astrology to align your attraction, branding, and business energy The truth about manifesting: certainty without urgency

31% of Gen Z males say that a wife should "obey" her husband. What do you think?

Full show - Monday | Stupid injury | News or Nope - Noah Kahan, Bad Bunny, and Zach Braff | Slacker has (corned) beef with Erin | OPP - He threw out the baby clothes | Can you take a compliment? | Erica's rules for her fiancé's bachelor party | Enraged Erica - Obey | Beverage goblins | Stupid stories www.instagram.com/theslackershow www.instagram.com/ericasheaaa www.instagram.com/thackiswack www.instagram.com/radioerin

This passage opens the Book of Esther by describing the vast and powerful kingdom of King Ahasuerus, who rules over 127 provinces and hosts an extravagant series of feasts to display his wealth and glory. During the final banquet, the king commands Queen Vashti to appear before his guests to display her beauty, but she refuses. Enraged, the king consults his advisors, who warn that her disobedience could influence women throughout the empire to disregard their husbands. As a result, a royal decree is issued removing Vashti from her position as queen and declaring that every man should be master of his household. This decision sets the stage for the events that will follow in the story.

***This show is brought to you by Quince. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://quince.com/playonpod ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.*** Cloten orders a group of hastily assembled musicians to play under Imogen's window, hoping to win her heart. As they play, Cymbeline and the Queen pass by and tell Cloten to keep persisting with Imogen. A messenger brings word that ambassadors from Rome have arrived. The royal couple goes to greet the Romans, telling Cloten to join them after he leaves Imogen's chambers. Cloten knocks on Imogen's door and tries to bribe one of her ladies-in-waiting before Imogen appears. Imogen turns Cloten away so harshly that he vows to get revenge on Posthumus. As he rails, Imogen realizes that the bracelet Posthumus gave her is missing. She orders Pisanio to have her servants search for it. Meanwhile, Iachimo returns to Italy and goes to Philario's house, where Philario and Posthumus are discussing the prospects of war between Rome and Britain over the tribute that Cymbeline owes Caesar. Iachimo claims to have won the bet, saying he slept with Imogen and describing her bedroom in detail. He shows off the bracelet he took from her wrist, then adds the detail of the mole on Imogen's breast. Enraged, Posthumus turns over the ring he wagered. Back in Britain, Cymbeline refuses to pay the tribute Caius Lucius demands for Rome. Lucius says that can only mean war between the nations. Meanwhile, Pisanio receives a letter from Posthumus accusing Imogen of infidelity and ordering him to murder her. The PLAY ON PODCAST SERIES, “CYMBELINE”, was written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE and translated into modern English verse by ANDREA THOME. All episodes were directed by RAKESH PALISETTY and are based on the NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN THEATRE COMPANY'S stage production directed by STEPHEN BROWN-FRIED. Radio play by CATHERINE EATON.   Executive Producer: MICHAEL GOODFRIEND   This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA AGREEMENT.   The cast is as follows:   PURVA BEDI                     as    SICILIUS, LORD AND CAIUS LUCIUS     ANNIE FANG                   as    ARVIRAGUS, FRENCHMAN, LADY AND THE WRITER CHRISTINE TOY JOHNSON      as    CYMBELINE ANNA ISHIDA                               as    IACHIMO, ROMAN SOLDIER, AND JAILOR NAREA KANG                              as    CORNELIUS, MOTHER, SOOTHSAYER, LORD AND MESSENGER JENNIFER LIM                             as    IMOGEN KK MOGGIE                              as    POSTHUMUS MARIA-CHRISTINA OLIVERAS as    THE QUEEN AND BELARIUS SARAH SUZUKI                           as    PHILARIO, GUIDERIUS, AND COMPANION JEENA YI                               as    CLOTEN AND ROMAN SOLDIER JULYANA SOELISTYO               as    PISANIO AND JUPITER        Casting by THE TELSEY OFFICE: KARYN CASL, CSA.   Voice and Text Coach: JULIE FOH   Mix and Sound Design by LINDSAY JONES. Original Music Composition by CAROLINE ENG and LINDSAY JONES, with additional composition, orchestration and arrangement by STEPHEN BROWN-FRIED. Sound engineering and mixing by SADAHARU YAGI. Mix Engineer and Dialogue Editor: LARRY WALSH. Podcast Mastering by GREG CORTEZ at New Monkey Studio. Coordinating Producer: TRANSCEND STREAMING (KYRA BOWIE and LEANNA KEYES).   The Play On Podcast Series “CYMBELINE” is produced by NEXT CHAPTER PODCASTS and is made possible by the generous support of THE HITZ FOUNDATION. Visit NEXTCHAPTERPODCASTS.COM for more about the Play On Podcast Series. Visit PLAYONSHAKESPEARE.ORG for more about Play On Shakespeare.   Subscribe to Play On Premium for ad-free episodes and join our Patreon for exclusive merchandise and early commercial-free releases. Go to nextchapterpodcasts.com for our Bonus Content, where you'll find interviews with the artists, producers and engineers who brought it all to life. And remember: “FALSEHOOD IS WORSE IN KINGS THAN BEGGARS!” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Full show - Thursday | GMD - Is it time to put the dog down? | News or Nope - Savannah Guthrie, ACOTAR, Selena Gomez, and Benny Blanco | Enraged Erica - Headphones on a plane | Tiny victory | Erica is making a radical change | T. Hack's controversial second-best rankings | Slacker never uses lotion | Stupid stories www.instagram.com/theslackershow www.instagram.com/ericasheaaa www.instagram.com/thackiswack www.instagram.com/radioerin

Are you as passionate about quiet flights as Erica is?

Emasculated GEN Z Males Confront Enraged BOOMER Actor Clifton Powell by Greg Adams

Miracles can happen on Christmas Eve.Based on a post by auguy86, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at My First Time.Ken Dix flipped through the TV guide at a moderate pace; “500 channels, and nothing but Christmas specials on.”Finding nothing but disappointment at every turn. As it was Christmas Eve, every show was a mushy feel-good romp spouting lines about family and goodwill to others. None of that spoke to Ken in the slightest.“Ken?” a voice came from the kitchen.“What’s up, Mom?”“I’ve got my hands full with making everything for dinner tonight, but I’m going to run short on a couple of ingredients,” Helen Dix said, poking her head into the living room. “Can you run to the store real quick for me please?”“Sure thing,” Ken replied, seeing as he had nothing better to do.“Great, thank you. I made a list on the counter for you. The store should be open for another hour or two. The main things would be the eggs; I don’t have enough to finish my famous chess pie. If they have tea by the gallon, grab one sweet and one unsweet. The rest are great if you find them, but not essential.”“Got it,” Ken said as he took the list from the counter.Heading out to his car, Ken cranked up his Honda Civic and pulled out of the driveway. As he made his way into town, Ken reflected on his current situation. Though he loved his mom, being home for the holidays was always nerve-wracking for him. His hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia was crawling with former high school classmates of his, people he’d just as soon never see again. But up at MIT, he was actually among peers that he could relate to on an intellectual level. Not that he’d made that many friends up there. As a nineteen-year-old freshman, he was still stuck in the same boring math and science classes as everyone else. He couldn’t wait until he could start his health sciences training. Maybe then he could meet some decent people, perhaps of the female variety.Ken soon arrived in the parking lot of the local Kroger. It was soon obvious that the place was packed with last-minute shoppers, all trying to find that one final ingredient they were missing. Locking his car, Ken sauntered into the store, grabbing a shopping basket along the way. He found the shelves of the store well picked over, striking out on the nonessential items on his mom’s list. Making his way to the drinks aisle, he was pleased to see that the store was keeping the gallon jugs of tea well stocked for the holidays, and picked up a pair.Ken soon arrived in the refrigerated section of the store. Almost every shelf was empty, but he did manage to find one last carton of six eggs, just what his mom needed. Depositing the carton in his shopping basket, Ken made his way back to the front of the store, checking out in the express lane. He gripped the shopping bags tightly, being careful that the eggs weren’t harmed from the swinging of the bags. Arriving back in the parking lot, he was pleasantly surprised to see one of his former classmates, Jacqueline Brown. As he approached, she saw him coming.“Ken? Kenneth Dix?”She was extremely pretty, as was befitting one of the most popular girls in school, and kept her chestnut-brown hair cut just below her jawline. Her soft, warm facial features and bubbly personality belied the sharp intellect hiding underneath. She and Ken had been partners a few times in various subjects, and he had helped craft her entrance essay to the University of Washington. This earned her a full ride scholarship. In spite of her popularity, they had worked well together, and Ken even dared to call her a friend, at least in his own mind. They had never hung out on a social basis; her circle of friends would never have let her live that down. Still, times had changed. They were both out of high school, after all. What could it hurt to ask?“Jacqueline? Wow, I never thought I’d see you back here. Thought you escaped to cooler climates?”“Yeah, Seattle is nice, but nothing beats Christmas at home,” she replied, adjusting her UW sweatshirt. “You back for the same reason?”“Uh huh. Mom pretty much insisted. She won’t settle for anything less than a full family gathering on Christmas Eve. I’m just grabbing a few last things for her. But yeah, it’s great seeing you again. You, uh, you look good.”“Um; thanks,” she replied with hesitation.“I’m, uh, gonna be home for a couple of weeks. Would you want to, I don’t know, hang out sometime? Maybe grab a bite to eat? My treat.”“Well, Ken, that’s sweet of you to ask.” she said almost to herself. As she paused, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had gotten an idea. “Alright! Here, let me give you my number.” She scribbled a series of digits down on a scrap piece of paper, writing her name next to them. “I’ll, um, talk to you later, I guess?”“Sounds great!”Ken couldn’t believe it; he had actually done it! He had asked out the prettiest girl he had ever known! Moreover, she had given him her number! Things were definitely looking up.“Dick!” a voice behind them yelled.Ken turned, immediately recognizing Jason Brown, Jacqueline’s fraternal twin brother, along with his two flunkies, Brian and Barrett Sullivan. Jason had been the star quarterback at his high school, and the Sullivan boys were his best offensive linemen. They often served as his muscle off the football field, as well. Ken was intimately familiar with these three, as they had made it their mission in high school to make his life a living hell. Being stuffed in lockers, having his wallet stolen, all were commonplace with them. The three approached, attempting to appear imposing, which they were from the perspective of the ever-scrawny Ken.“I’ve got nothing to say to you guys,” Ken muttered as they approached.“Well I’ve got something to say to you, Mr. Kenny Dick,” Jason growled.“Just shut up and leave me alone,” Ken replied, his blood boiling at the use of Jason’s longtime nickname for him.“No! You shut the fuck up and listen!” Jason said, grabbing Ken by the collar of his tee-shirt and flinging him against his car. In the process, Ken dropped his shopping bags, the jugs of tea landing directly on the egg carton.“Jason! Stop it!” Jacqueline protested.Undeterred, Jason threatened. “Listen fuck-wad, you stay the hell away from my sister!”“She’s an adult, dickhead! She can have anyone she wants as a friend!” Ken protested.“You don’t belong on the same Planet as her! You’re nothing’! A pathetic sack of guts your dumbass mother decided to give a name to! Know what? Just do us all a favor and drop dead!”Enraged at the insult to his mom, Ken swung a wild haymaker at his assailant, but Jason was more than ready, pinning Ken’s arm back against his car. Jason then delivered a crushing punch to Ken’s gut, dropping him down to his knees. Before leaving, Jason knelt down next to his gasping victim.“Next time, I won’t be so nice. Next time; I might just kill you myself. See ya around. Dick.” Turning to his sister, Jason said, “Come on, time to go home.”Jacqueline looked down at the pitiful form of Ken before muttering, “Sorry, Ken.”The trio of boys sauntered off across the parking lot, laughing and high-fiving at their antics. Jacqueline followed right behind them. Ken picked himself up and inspected his groceries, discovering the crushed eggs in his bag. Swearing and cursing, he grabbed the misshapen carton and went to throw it in a nearby trash can.“No chess pie tonight.”As Ken returned to his car and began his drive home, Jason and his flunkies watched on from his car, still pleased with their efforts.“You shouldn’t have done that,” Jacqueline said in a lecturing tone.Jason turned to face his sister. “I do what I gotta do, Jacqueline. That fuck-wad has no business getting friendly with you. He needs to learn his place.”“Be that as it may, I can take care of myself,” she replied firmly.“Take care of yourself? Wait; you didn’t?”“I did. Jason, someday you’ll learn that there are more subtle and effective ways to ward off undesirables. Trust me, Ken won’t bother me ever again.”Back at Home.Upon arriving back home, Ken couldn’t bring himself to tell his mom about the incident with the eggs. He instead told her that the store had run out altogether. She had spent many sleepless nights in the past worrying about the constant bullying her son was subjected to in school. Ken didn’t want to give her anything else to worry about. By this time, has uncles had started arriving, and the living room was soon filled with the sounds of football games. In Ken’s mind, these were no more thought provoking that the mindless Christmas specials he had found earlier. Ken went up to his room to take a hot shower, as well as get some alone time in the process. As he stripped down, he saw a bruise beginning to form on his stomach from Jason’s punch. He winced in pain as he touched the tender skin.Shit; that’s not going away for a while.Ken took some Tylenol for the pain before stepping into the shower. The hot water helped relax his body, and the steam gradually built up, clearing his mind a bit. He finished after a while and, after making sure his door was shut, flopped facedown onto his bed. After laying there for around an hour or so, his mom finally called him down to rejoin the family for dinner.Taking his seat at the table, Ken glanced around the room at his various family members. His mom had two older brothers, Lee and Stan. Though Lee was tall and still relatively youthful looking at forty-five, Stan was shorter and beginning to bald as he approached fifty. Still, both of them had one notable thing in common as far as Ken was concerned: they were both still jocks at heart. Ken had never known his father; it had always just been him and his mom. He could tell that his uncles tried to be male role models for him, but their efforts were usually ill-conceived attempts to “man him up.” Never once did they understand his introverted tendencies, and always tried to get him to be more of a people person. After a while, Ken stopped paying their advice any attention.It was striking to Ken how similar Lee and Stan’s families were. They had both married beautiful, blonde cheerleaders, and now both had sixteen-year-old daughters, both of whom were among the most popular girls in school. It all sickened Ken; they were just perpetuating the stereotype of pretty and popular being the be-all, end-all in life. As the family ate, Ken remained silent for the most part. The adults were engrossed in discussions about their jobs, and the two daughters were giggling and playing on their phones the entire time. None of this was relevant to Ken.“You know, I saw something interesting today,” Lee said as dessert was being brought out. “I was at Kroger filling up my car, and saw you in the main parking lot, Ken. Looked like you were, uh, having some words with a few guys out there.”Shit! He saw that?Not wanting to worry his mom, Ken replied, “It; it was nothing.”“Nothing, eh? Is that why that punk punched you in the gut?”With a worried look on her face, Helen asked, “Ken, sweetie, what is he talking about?” She walked around the table to Ken’s seat and lifted up his shirt, seeing the bruise on his abdomen. “Was it that Jason boy again?”“Mom, just let it go.”“No! Ken, you know I worry about you!”“You worry about Me? I think you need to worry more about your brother!” Ken shouted, his anger exploding at last. “Right, Uncle Lee? Come on, you see your own nephew being ganged up on in a parking lot, yet you do nothing to help him out?!”“A man’s gotta learn to fight his own battles,” Lee replied in a calm voice.“No. You want to know what a man does? A man sticks up for his Family! No. Matter. What! You stood there and watched your own nephew get beaten up. That says a hell of a lot more about you than it does me. And if that’s family; I don’t want any part of this one.”Without a word, Ken stood and left the dining room. He then grabbed his MIT hoodie and headed for the front door. As he was about to get into his car and drive off, he saw to his frustration that his uncles’ cars were parked in the driveway behind him, blocking him in. Cursing under his breath, he prepared to leave on foot.“Ken! Come back inside, please!” Helen called after him, running down the driveway.“No. I’ve got to go out; clear my head.”“Ken, it’s Christmas Eve. Please, come be with your family.”“Mom, aside from you, not a single person in that house feels like family to me,” Ken replied coldly. “I’ll; I’ll call you after while.”Ken walked off into the cold Georgia night, not knowing for sure where to go or what to do. Nobody else was out, as they were all at home with their families. Remembering the square in historic downtown Alpharetta, he decided to head in that direction. Maybe the quiet walk would do him some good.Arriving in the town square, Ken walked along the sidewalks for a bit, peering into the darkened windows of the various shops and restaurants. Everything looked so different to him with everyone gone for the day; it all seemed so peaceful. As he continued to walk, he soon saw City Hall in the distance. In front of the building was a large green space, which was teeming with a surprising amount of activity for it being Christmas Eve. Ken moved closer, now spying a large gathering of people sitting on picnic blankets, all bundled up in coats and hats. Ahead of them, a large screen projected the classic film, It’s a Wonderful Life.Though Ken was never into the Christmas cheer, as it were, he felt strangely drawn to watch a few minutes of the film from a distance. He soon began to regret that decision, as the movie had reached the point where George Baily had an arrest warrant out for him, lashing out at his family in anger. Watching him get drunk and punched in a bar fight, Ken began to feel sick with anger. Despite all his efforts to help better the world around him, the universe conspired against George Baily; just as it seemed to be conspiring against Ken. Unable to watch a moment more, he turned and walked into the nearby park.Again alone with his thoughts, Ken sat on a bench near the fountain in the center of the park. He contemplated many things, as he often did in solitude. He thought about his piss poor excuse for a family, intent on changing him into what they say he should be. If only they could love him as he is. He thought about Jason Brown, a perpetual asshole that managed to get all the beautiful women his heart desired. If only the universe would serve up his just desserts, rather than conspiring against Ken. Sighing in frustration, he stuffed his freezing hands into his jeans pockets.Jacqueline!Feeling the scrap of paper still in his pocket, Ken suddenly felt a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dreary day. He needed something, anything to lift his spirits, and hearing her kind, sweet voice might just do it. Hell, he didn’t even care anymore if she was interested in him in a romantic sense; he just needed someone to listen and understand him. Digging out his phone, he dialed the number. After a single ring, a message began to play, seeming to be read by a game show host.“Congratulations! You’ve reached Live 95.5 FM’s world-famous Loser Line! Live 95.5; featuring the best entertainment in Seattle! If you’ve reached this message, you have attempted to hit on a girl Way out of your league! That poor young lady wants nothing to do with you, but you just couldn’t help creeping on her! That’s where we come in! Now you know what a loser you really are! So leave the girl alone, loser! You’re doing everyone a favor! If you’d like to leave a message for the world-famous Loser Line, begin speaking at the tone!”Beep!Ken hung up the phone in quiet disbelief. How could he have been so wrong about Jacqueline? They had worked so well together in school, and he even considered her a friend! She always spoke so kindly to him, how could this have happened? Was she really as nasty and shallow as her dumbass brother? Was she really just that good of an actress? As he pondered all this, Ken’s rage finally exploded out of him.“That two-faced bitch! Who the fuck does she think she is?! I trusted her! Hell, she would never have gotten a full scholarship without my help! All I ever did was Like her! And after all that, she doesn’t even have the decency to turn me down to my face?! What The Fucking Hell? At least her brother was honest about his disdain. She’s far worse! I can’t imagine how evil she’d be if a person actually offended her?”Slumping back down onto the park bench, every thought that entered Ken’s mind brought him lower. Jason was an ass, but then again, he didn’t know how to act any different. Uncle Lee was a moron, but then again, he had no malicious intent. But Jacqueline; she was the last straw. He had trusted her, opened up to her, and she repaid him by committing the single most cruel and senseless act Ken could ever imagine. Everything was crashing down around him. As he continued to sulk, Jason’s words entered into his mind once more.“I should just do everyone a favor and drop dead; is that what you want, Jacqueline? Seems like you agree with your brother, or you wouldn’t have given me that number.”Ken reached into his pocket, withdrawing a folding knife. It had been a high school graduation present to him from his grandfather, before he passed a few months later. A far cry from the typical Swiss Army knife, he unfolded the shiny, four-inch blade, which stood in beautiful contrast to the wooden handle. Inscribed in the wood were Ken’s initials. He had not used it for anything yet, never had any need to. As he stared at his reflection in the blade, Ken kept replaying Jason’s cruel words in his mind, to do the world a favor and drop dead.“Maybe that’s not such a bad idea.” Ken mumbled.Just as he took a firm grip on the handle, preparing to take the knife to his throat, an unfamiliar voice came from off to the side.“Hey!”Gabrielle’s Christmas night.Gabrielle Libertine relaxed in a lawn chair, savoring the crisp, cold air of Christmas Eve. This was her favorite time of the year, and being able to enjoy an outdoor showing of her favorite Christmas film, It’s a Wonderful Life, made it even better. It all fit in perfectly with her life philosophy: live for happiness. Not only her own, but as much as could be had for the world around her too.“You want the moon? Just say the word, and I’ll throw a lasso around it and

This week on Southern Charm, Craig tries to smooth things over with Salley so he can go on a date with Charly, Rodrigo has an engagement party, and Audrey starts to feel like Austen might not be that into her, and on RHOBH, Rachel Zoe hosts a dinner party with a tarot card reader and it goes as well as that usually does on this show (bad). Enjoy! RHOBH recap begins around 24 minute mark!Follow me on social media, find links to merch, Patreon and more here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three young boys are killed by a car bomb, their mother Doreen and older brother in the front seat are the only survivors. Detectives Goren and Eames learn Paul Whitlock developed a new kind of land mine and his wife had spotted some threatening-looking Middle Eastern men before the blast.  But there are indications the pipe bomb was built in their garage and someone swept it up. Bobby and Alex suspect the depressed Doreen blew up the car in a murder/suicide attempt.ADA Ron Carver insists the overbearing husband is their best suspect. The detectives find a space heater Doreen tampered with to leak carbon monoxide. The overwhelmed mother confesses she wanted to take the children to heaven with her, where she could be a better parent. But Goren and Eames discover the cold-blooded Whitlock knew Doreen wanted to die and was fine if she did - he just didn't know the children would get hurt. Enraged at his cruelty, the detectives insist Carver hold him legally responsible, but he says there's no crime in not stopping your wife from killing herself and her family.We're talking about Law & Order: Criminal Intent season 4 episode 7 “Magnificat.” Our returning guest is Katie from the A Date with Dateline podcast.Plot points in this episode are inspired by the 2001 case of Andrea Yates. For exclusive content from Kevin and Rebecca, sign up on Patreon.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tony, Chris, and Skraby discussed the Aztecs game against Grand Canyon. They discussed MLB owners being enraged by the Kyle Tucker signing. Finally, we previewed the AFC/NFC Championships.

It's a brand-new series launch! Marvel Mondays are officially here, and we're kicking things off with the movie that started it all.ABOUT IRON MANAfter being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR IRON MANMay 2, 2008 | TheatersCAST & CREW OF IRON MANRobert Downey Jr. as Tony StarkGwyneth Paltrow as Pepper PottsTerrence Howard as RhodeyJeff Bridges as Obadiah StaneBRAN'S IRON MAN SYNOPSISWe meet playboy Tony Stark. He's in the back of a military Humvee, answering all their questions about how cool he is, when they're suddenly attacked by Stark Industries explosives. He passes out—and when he comes to, he realizes he's being held captive.Cut back 36 hours earlier. Tony is supposed to be receiving an award… except he doesn't show up. He's too busy “working.” After the event, a journalist confronts him about selling weapons to terrorists. He denies it—and then they hook up. So that's Tony.We meet Pepper Potts, Tony's hyper-competent personal assistant; “Happy” Hogan, his bodyguard and chauffeur; and most importantly, J.A.R.V.I.S., his personal AI system.Tony heads to Afghanistan to show off his flashy new “Jericho” missile. It's a big deal. It's also very bad.Now we're back at the beginning. Tony was critically wounded in the ambush, but fellow captive Yinsen built an electromagnet to keep shrapnel from reaching Tony's heart and killing him. Problem… temporarily solved.Tony's captors are the Ten Rings terrorist organization, and they demand he build a Jericho missile. If he doesn't, he won't be set free. Instead of building the missile, Tony secretly builds a weaponized suit to help them escape. The Ten Rings discover his plan, and Yinsen sacrifices himself to distract them while the suit powers up. Tony fights his way out of the cave, finds Yinsen dying, and—furious—destroys the terrorists' munitions before flying away. He eventually crashes in the desert, destroying the suit.After being rescued by Rhodey, Tony returns home and announces that Stark Industries will no longer manufacture weapons. Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), his father's old partner and the company's acting manager, warns him this could destroy the company and its legacy. Tony reveals he has built a new miniaturized arc reactor—one capable of providing clean energy to the entire planet.In his workshop, Tony builds an improved Iron Man suit and a more powerful arc reactor for his chest. Pepper places the original reactor in a glass display case. When Stane presses for details, a now-suspicious Tony keeps his work to himself.At Tony's first public appearance after his return, reporter Christine Everhart reveals that Stark Industries weapons—including the Jericho—have been delivered to the Ten Rings and used to attack Yinsen's home village. Tony also learns Stane is attempting to remove him as head of the company. Enraged, Tony suits up and flies to Afghanistan, saving the village and dealing a devastating blow to the Ten Rings. On his way home, he's targeted by two F-22 fighter jets and calls Rhodey, revealing his identity to stop the attack.Meanwhile, the Ten Rings recover pieces of Tony's original suit and meet with Stane. Stane eliminates the terrorists and has his own suit reverse-engineered from the wreckage. To track the weapons supply, Tony sends Pepper to hack into company files from Stane's office. She discovers that Stane has been supplying terrorists and hired the Ten Rings to kill Tony—only for them to fail. Pepper then contacts Agent Phil Coulson of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.).Stane's scientists can't replicate Tony's arc reactor, so Stane ambushes Tony at home using a sonic device, paralyzes him, and steals his reactor. Left for dead, Tony crawls to his workshop and installs the original reactor. As Pepper and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents try to arrest Stane, he attacks in his Iron Monger suit. Tony fights him but is outmatched without his upgraded reactor. He lures Stane to the top of Stark Industries and instructs Pepper to overload the massive arc reactor. The resulting surge knocks Stane into the reactor, killing him.The press dubs the armored hero “Iron Man.” Agent Coulson provides Tony with a cover story, but at a press conference, Tony abandons it entirely and admits: “I am Iron Man.”In the post-credits scene, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury visits Tony and reveals that Iron Man isn't the only superhero in the world—introducing the Avengers Initiative. Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Holy Fathers at Mount Sinai lived in the wilderness around the holy mountain before the Emperor Justinian built the famous Monastery there in 527. The brethren were attacked by a band of Saracen barbarians who massacred Doulas, the superior of the community, and most of the other monks. They only stopped when a pillar of fire rose to the sky from the summit of Sinai, causing them to flee in fear.   The Forty-three Holy Fathers at Raithu were massacred on December 22, but are commemorated together with the fathers of Sinai. They lived the monastic life on the shores of the Red Sea. One day about three hundred Ethiopian barbarians raided the area, killing many Christians and enslaving their wives and children. They attacked the church at Raithu, where forty-three fathers had taken shelter. Their abbot Paul enjoined them to persist in prayer to the end, putting no stock in the passing life of this world, which they had renounced when they came to the desert. No sooner had he finished his prayer than the barbarians broke in, slaughtering all the monks but one, who escaped to bring news of the attack to Mt Sinai. When the barbarians returned to their ships they found that the Christians had run their vessels onto the rocks. Enraged, they killed all their prisoners. They themselves were massacred by a band of armed Christians who arrived soon afterward.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Revelation 12 A great sign appears in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She is pregnant and cries out in labor. A great red dragon appears with seven heads and ten horns. The dragon seeks to devour her child, but the child is caught up to God and His throne. The woman flees into the wilderness, where God prepares a place for her. A war breaks out in heaven, and Michael and his angels fight the dragon. The dragon is defeated and cast down to earth. He pursues the woman, but she is given wings to escape. Enraged, the dragon makes war on the rest of her offspring, those who keep God's commands and hold to Jesus.  We are reminded in this chapter that spiritual warfare is real and ongoing, but God is always in control. The woman symbolizes God's faithful people, and the child is Christ, whom the dragon cannot destroy. Although the dragon is powerful and full of fury, he has already been defeated and cast down. We may face trials, attacks, and pressure from the enemy, but God provides protection and strength for His people. The wilderness might seem like a place of hardship, but it is also a place of safety prepared by God. We are called to stay faithful, keep God's commands, and hold firmly to the testimony of Jesus. Victory is certain, and we can stand firm in that hope. Present Lord, we come to You with grateful hearts, knowing You are always near and never forsake Your people. You have defeated the enemy through the power of Christ, and You protect those who are Yours. Though the dragon rages, we trust in Your strength and faithfulness. Help us stand firm through every trial and hold fast to the testimony of Jesus. Give us courage to obey Your commands and wisdom to recognize Your provision, even in the wilderness. Strengthen our faith, and remind us that Your victory is certain. We rest in Your promises and live for Your glory.  Thought Questions: The dragon could not defeat the child, the Son of God. In an uncertain world, what does it mean to you to know the Savior is undefeatable? We overcome the accuser by “the blood of the Lamb”? How does Christ's blood inspire you to love Him more than even your own life? In what ways are you holding fast to the testimony of Jesus and keeping God's command, even as you face opposition or hardship?

Are you pro-leash like Erica or anti-leash like Slacker?

Holiday Party sightings bring out the pre-pandemic ghosts, but the biggest news is Bijan Robinson having to apologize for an offensive childhood game name on the postgame show. Following the Bucs' collapse, an enraged Todd Bowles put the blame squarely on his players, while Stephen A. Smith fumbled a key Pete Alonso stat. Finally, a look ahead to the playoffs with Boomer seeing a potential Super Bowl run for C.J. Stroud and the Texans.

Afternoon Rush Hour Podcast — Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni, Trump's Caribbean Chaos, and a Major Justice for Clayton Update Sponsored by Masterclass. Masterclass.com/RushHour for up to 50% off! & Sponsored by Cash App https://click.cash.app/ui6m/o7zx0it6 Download Cash App Today:  #CashAppPod  Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. This afternoon on The Rush Hour Podcast, we break down the escalating feud between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni — a Hollywood disagreement that turned unexpectedly dark as new accusations and behind-the-scenes fallout spill into the public eye. We also cover the latest on Donald Trump's reportedly illegal efforts to strike ships in the Caribbean Sea, a brewing scandal that's raising alarms across Washington. Plus, a major Justice for Clayton development: Laura Owen's new criminal trial has officially been moved to July 29th, 2026, setting the stage for a dramatic summer showdown. All that and more, Rush Hour style — politics, pop culture, and accountability, delivered fast. Tags: politics, entertainment, Trump, Caribbean Sea, Justice for Clayton, Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, legal news, breaking updates

What's up, dudes? You never knew Santa had a donkey? Well, Jeff Loftin from Lost Christmas and Alamo City Santa Jeremy Phelps did. In fact, they're here with me to talk all about the Rankin Bass special “Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey!”Nestor was born with abnormally long ears. His owner mistreated him, and the other animals teased him. One night when Roman soldiers came to the stable to buy donkeys, they dismiss Nestor and take all the other donkeys for free. Enraged, Olaf casts Nestor out into the frigid cold. Nestor's mother finds him and shields from the harsh weather with her own body, freezing to death in the process.The next day, Nestor meets a cherub named Tilly, who says that they need to travel to Bethlehem. When they reach the outskirts of the town, Tilly returns to Heaven, instructing Nestor to wait. When Mary and Joseph are expecting Jesus, they take Nestor because of his "gentle eyes", but are caught in a sandstorm. In the midst of the storm, Nestor hears Tilly's voice, but recognizes it as his mother's. She tells him to follow the voices of the angels. Nestor guides Mary and Joseph through the storm, while wrapping Mary in his ears to keep her warm. They arrive in Bethlehem, where Nestor finds the stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus. Nestor heads back home where he is hailed as hero by Olaf and the other animals. Santa? Check. The Holy Family? Yep. Spieltoe? Never thought Santa had a pack mule! So grab your Nativity scene and add a donkey to this episode on “Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey!”Lost Christmas PodcastFB: @LostChristmasPodcastTwitter: @LostChristmasP1IG: @lostchristmaspodcastAlamo City Santa                                                    IG: @alamocitysanta Etsy: North Pole General StoreFB: @northpolegeneralstore                                                                                              IG: @northpole_generalstoreGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

In this episode Abby and Vanessa discuss the latest RHOSLC episode. They discuss.. -Meredith and Lisa talking sh*t about Britani -Bronywyn and Meredith's uni prank -Meredith vs. Whitney -Meredith and the plane ride home -Bronywn and Whitney's “agreement” conversation -Angie and Elektra -Heather vs. Lisa -Mary vs. Meredith When you're finished listening, please don't forget to check out our sponsors. Go to BornShoes.com today for a 15% discount plus free ground shipping on all full-price shoes when you use my promo code, REALMOMS. Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com, promo code REALMOMS. So if you are looking for that perfect gift, or want to impress your friends and family with an epic meal the next time you host, go to GOLDBELLY.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code REALMOMS To explore coverage, visit ASPCApetinsurance.com/REALMOMS  Quince: Go to quince.com/realmoms for free shipping and 365 day returns! Sundays for Dogs: Go right now to sundaysfordogs.com/REALMOMS and get 50% off your first order. Or, you can use code REALMOMS at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite the extra hour of sleep, Erica was feeling cranky and enraged after Daylight Savings Time!

She was a maiden of fifteen who lived with her parents in the Christian enclave of Sinope in Pontus during the 1700s. One day, as she went to the marketplace, she passed by the house of the local Pasha (governor), who, seeing her beauty, was seized by lust for her. He ordered his servants to bring her to him, and made two attempts to defile her; each time, however, he was prevented by a mysterious power that kept him from her like an invisible wall. Determined to have his way for her, he kept her prisoner in his house; but she was able to slip away and run home to her parents' house.   Enraged that his prey had escaped, the Pasha called together the leaders of the Christian community and promised that, unless Helen were handed over to him, all the Christians in the town would be massacred. Grief-stricken and fearful, the leaders persuaded Helen's father to return the girl to the palace. The vile Pasha made several more attempts to rape the Saint, but once again he was restrained as if by an invisible wall as she recited the Six Psalms and all the prayers that she knew by heart. Realizing that he was powerless against her, the Pasha had her thrown in the common jail, then ordered that she be tortured to death. The executioners subjected the maiden to several cruel torments before killing her by driving two nails into her skull and beheading her. They then put her body in a sack and threw it in the Black Sea.   Some Greek sailors followed a heavenly light to the place where the sack had sunk, and divers retrieved the Saint's relics, which immediately revealed themselves as a source of healing for many. Her body was taken to Russia; her head was placed in the church in Sinope, where it continued to work miracles, especially for those who suffered from headaches. When the Greeks were driven from Sinope in 1924, refugees took the head with them. It is venerated today in a church near Thessalonika.

She was a maiden of fifteen who lived with her parents in the Christian enclave of Sinope in Pontus during the 1700s. One day, as she went to the marketplace, she passed by the house of the local Pasha (governor), who, seeing her beauty, was seized by lust for her. He ordered his servants to bring her to him, and made two attempts to defile her; each time, however, he was prevented by a mysterious power that kept him from her like an invisible wall. Determined to have his way for her, he kept her prisoner in his house; but she was able to slip away and run home to her parents' house.   Enraged that his prey had escaped, the Pasha called together the leaders of the Christian community and promised that, unless Helen were handed over to him, all the Christians in the town would be massacred. Grief-stricken and fearful, the leaders persuaded Helen's father to return the girl to the palace. The vile Pasha made several more attempts to rape the Saint, but once again he was restrained as if by an invisible wall as she recited the Six Psalms and all the prayers that she knew by heart. Realizing that he was powerless against her, the Pasha had her thrown in the common jail, then ordered that she be tortured to death. The executioners subjected the maiden to several cruel torments before killing her by driving two nails into her skull and beheading her. They then put her body in a sack and threw it in the Black Sea.   Some Greek sailors followed a heavenly light to the place where the sack had sunk, and divers retrieved the Saint's relics, which immediately revealed themselves as a source of healing for many. Her body was taken to Russia; her head was placed in the church in Sinope, where it continued to work miracles, especially for those who suffered from headaches. When the Greeks were driven from Sinope in 1924, refugees took the head with them. It is venerated today in a church near Thessalonika.

-- On the Show: -- Mike Nellis, Democratic strategist and social impact entrepreneur, joins David for a Substack Live to discuss what went wrong with Kamala Harris's 2024 campaign -- Donald Trump's government shutdown leaves airports unmanned, flights delayed, and the FAA in crisis as air travel collapses under dangerous conditions -- Kevin Hassett admits soybean exports to China stop, silos overflow, and Trump's trade war sparks panic inside his economic team -- Trump shocks reporters by floating clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, bragging about ending wars, and musing about using the Insurrection Act -- Karoline Leavitt clashes with reporters as she defends Trump with false claims, wild health care math, and attacks on Antifa funding -- Emmanuel Macron, Ilham Aliyev, and Edi Rama laugh after Trump confuses Albania, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, humiliating the U.S. on the world stage -- Trump concedes the shutdown is about killing Obamacare while ranting about Portland and insulting a judge he himself appointed -- Trump melts down over Bad Bunny, the NFL, water in Los Angeles, and the Insurrection Act during a chaotic Newsmax exchange -- On the Bonus Show: A judge who ruled against Trump has her house burn down, AOC tells supporters to “laugh at” Stephen Miller's “insecure masculinity,” Trump announces a White House UFC event on his birthday, and much more…

Happy Labor Day!! This Patreon.com/HardFactor Episode of Mark and Will breaking down the best Florida Man stories of last week is brought to you by our incredible sponsors: Hydrow - For a limited time go to Hydrow.com and use code HARDFACTOR to save up to $450 off your Hydrow Pro Rower!Brooklyn Bedding -  Go to brooklynbedding.com and use code HARDFACTOR at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. This offer is not available anywhere else.   Brooklyn Bedding - Go to brooklynbedding.com and use code HARDFACTOR at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. This offer is not available anywhere else. DaftKings - Download the DraftKings Casino app, sign up with code HARDFACTOR, and spin your favorite slots! The Crown is Yours - Gambling problem? Call one eight hundred GAMBLER Poncho - If you've been looking for the perfect shirt—something breathable, fits great, feels even better, and stands out in a good way—give Poncho a try.  Go to ponchooutdoors.com/HARDFACTOR for $10 off your first order. Lucy - Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy.  Go to ⁠⁠Lucy.co/HARDFACTOR⁠⁠ and use promo code (HARDFACTOR) to get 20% off your first order. Lucy has a 30-day refund policy if you change your mind. Timestamps: (00:00:00) Pre-K Curriculum and the Annual Seasons of Florida Man, (00:12:56) Enraged 70 year-old Florida Man assaults children over fishing in neighborhood pond, (00:23:00) 68 year-old Florida Man arrested for DUI after calling the cops on himself for killing a deer, (00:30:43) Florida Man throws Pizza Box at preggo gf while getting cucked by presumably handsome and manly Uber Driver, (00:39:12) Will's daughter joins for the heroic tale of a real life Florida Batman, Kyle Miven, who apprehended a criminal in his pajamas while protecting his neighborhood Thank you for listening, get access to more bonus podcasts like this at Patreon.com/HardFactor!! But MOST Importantly, HAGFD/W!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices