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This week, we're thrilled to welcome Susan, the winner of last fall's listener giveaway for a mini feng shui home consultation. Together, we explore the emotional and practical realities of living alone in a large home — and how clutter, unfinished projects, and constant change can subtly impact how we feel each day.Through the lens of feng shui, we discuss the importance of creating a space that supports clarity, groundedness, and ease. We share practical, accessible shifts to help Susan transform her home into a place that feels harmonious, supportive, and truly aligned with her life.What we talk about in this episode:-The essential need for calmness and clarity in life -How different spaces in a home can evoke different feelings-Feng shui principles that can help improve energy flow in a home-How clutter can create emotional and physical overwhelm-The front door is crucial for welcoming positive energy-Windows as a representation of clarity and vision in life…and much more!Mentioned in this episode:2026 Feng Shui Amulet for Protection and LuckOur Feng Shui Energy Map EkitRegister for our free & on-demand Feng Shui plant workshop, available for a limited timeHarmonize your Home with Feng Shui PlantsEnhance your qi, prosperity and wellnessThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.Time stamps for this episode:[04:11] Home Environment and Emotional Connection[06:59] Feng Shui Insights and Home Layout[09:52] Understanding Clutter and Its Impact[13:00] The Importance of Command Position in Spaces[16:11] Career and Workspace Dynamics[19:12] Addressing Eye Issues and Window Clarity[21:58] Exploring Doors and Their Symbolism[25:06] Future Plans and Home Utilization[27:57] Final Thoughts and RecommendationsMORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERENEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
In this episode of the Award-winning PRS Journal Club Podcast, 2026 Resident Ambassadors to the PRS Editorial Board – Lucas Harrison, Christopher Kalmar, and Priyanka Naidu- and special guest, Scott P. Bartlett, MD, discuss the following articles from the February 2026 issue: "Anthropometrics versus Experts' Subjective Analysis of Cleft Severity and PSIO Outcomes in Unilateral Clefts: A Proposal for a New Grading" by Tanikawa, Chong, Fisher, et al. "A Modified Method for Ear Projection in Auricular Reconstruction: Split-Thickness Skin Graft Combined with Retroauricular Fascia Flap for Postauricular Coverage" by Li, Feng, Hu, et al. "Total Ear Reconstruction with Costal Cartilage in Challenging Cases: Silicone-Induced Vascularized Capsule Technique" by Park. Special guest Dr. Scott P. Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett is one of the world's leading craniofacial surgeons and serves as Director of the Craniofacial Program and an attending surgeon in the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Oral Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is also a Professor of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and holds the prestigious Mary Downs Endowed Chair in Pediatric Craniofacial Treatment and Research at CHOP. Dr. Bartlett's clinical expertise encompasses congenital and acquired deformities of the skull, face, jaws, and ears, as well as complex facial aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. He served two terms as Section Editor for the Pediatric Craniofacial Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. His research portfolio includes landmark contributions to facial growth and development, age-related facial structural changes, non-surgical correction of ear deformities, and the use of advanced imaging and implant materials to improve operative planning and long-term outcomes. READ the articles discussed in this podcast as well as free related content: https://bit.ly/JCFeb26Collection The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of ASPS.
Lin Feng cuts a path of devastation through the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven in search for the final Spirit Orb of Chiyou. When it is not promised in Kun-Lun as Loki promised, Feng sets his sites on Earth and his brother Lin Lie, the Iron Fist.Issue Covered: Deadly Hands of Kun-Lun Issue One
Chinesen besichtigen das alte Europa in 12 Tagen - Rom, Paris, Wien, München, Kölner Dom und Amsterdam. Zum Beispiel Hu der Tiger, Feng der Heuhüpfer, Lan die Orchidee und Cheng der Glorreiche. Für 15 Euro extra gibt es das Super-Famous-Paket: Einen Abstecher nach Trier ins Karl-Marx-Haus. Von Anja Kempe. Regie und Produktion Anja Kempe. WDR 5 / BR2 radioReportage / SWR Kultur - Reportage FOLGE 'HÖR MAL DEUTSCHLAND' IN SPOTIFY
In this episode of the Holistic Spaces podcast, we explore the meaning of the Lunar New Year and what the Year of the Fire Horse brings. We share the story of the Great Race—the origin of the 12 zodiac animals—highlighting the clever rat, the steady ox, the cooperative ram, and the deeper wisdom woven into this tradition. It's a playful but powerful way to connect to the cultural roots of the Lunar New Year.We also share simple Feng Shui tips to help you welcome the new year with intention: bringing in red through flowers or table décor, placing nine fresh oranges in the kitchen to invite abundance, and energetically clearing your home to release stagnant qi. These small rituals help create a vibrant, supportive space as we step into the Year of the Fire Horse.What we talk about in this episode:-The Great Race that determined the order of the zodiac animals-Adding red to your celebrations to symbolize and welcome good fortune-Bringing in fresh oranges to represent wealth and abundance-Sweeping your home to clear stagnant energy-The unique traits of each zodiac animal in 2026…and much more!Mentioned in this episode:2026 Feng Shui Amulet for Protection and LuckOur Feng Shui Energy Map EkitThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.Time stamps for this episode:[01:47] The story of the great race[10:29] Feng shui tips for celebrating the new year[17:34] Conclusion and additional resourcesMORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERENEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
In this episode of the Award-winning PRS Journal Club Podcast, 2026 Resident Ambassadors to the PRS Editorial Board – Lucas Harrison, Christopher Kalmar, and Priyanka Naidu- and special guest, Scott P. Bartlett, MD, discuss the following articles from the February 2026 issue: "A Modified Method for Ear Projection in Auricular Reconstruction: Split-Thickness Skin Graft Combined with Retroauricular Fascia Flap for Postauricular Coverage" by Li, Feng, Hu, et al. Read the article for FREE: https://bit.ly/EarElevationRecon Special guest Dr. Scott P. Bartlett. Dr. Bartlett is one of the world's leading craniofacial surgeons and serves as Director of the Craniofacial Program and an attending surgeon in the Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Oral Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is also a Professor of Surgery at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and holds the prestigious Mary Downs Endowed Chair in Pediatric Craniofacial Treatment and Research at CHOP. Dr. Bartlett's clinical expertise encompasses congenital and acquired deformities of the skull, face, jaws, and ears, as well as complex facial aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. He served two terms as Section Editor for the Pediatric Craniofacial Section of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. His research portfolio includes landmark contributions to facial growth and development, age-related facial structural changes, non-surgical correction of ear deformities, and the use of advanced imaging and implant materials to improve operative planning and long-term outcomes. READ the articles discussed in this podcast as well as free related content: https://bit.ly/JCFeb26Collection The views expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of ASPS.
China's president, Xi Jinping, has become the most all-powerful leader of the communist state since Mao, and his grip on the country has been strengthened by technology and China's growing economic and military might. The United States might have belatedly realized it was in a great-powers competition with the People's Republic, but we might still be failing to understand how Chinese people themselves are dealing with—and resisting—their authoritarian government. Award-winning journalist Emily Feng, author of the new book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom, has documented China's state oppression of those who fail to conform to Xi Jinping's definition of who is “Chinese.” She has profiled nearly two dozen people who are pushing back. They include a Uyghur family, separated as China detains hundreds of thousands of their fellow Uyghurs in camps; human rights lawyers fighting to defend civil liberties in the face of incredible odds; a teacher from Inner Mongolia forced to make hard choices because of his support of his mother tongue; and a Hong Kong fugitive trying to find a new home and live in freedom. Join us as Feng reveals dramatic human stories of resistance and survival in a country that is increasingly closing itself off to the world—even as it flexes its muscles on the world stage. Feng illustrates what it is like to run against the grain in China, and the myriad ways people are trying to survive, with dignity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The two biggest nuclear superpowers are now without limits on arsenals for first time in decades; will the US receive a frosty welcome at Winter Olympics? Feng shui-obsessed driver causes accidents in Shanghai. Adam Gilchrist shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The two biggest nuclear superpowers are now without limits on arsenals for first time in decades; will the US receive a frosty welcome at Winter Olympics? Feng shui-obsessed driver causes accidents in Shanghai. Adam Gilchrist shares details on these stories with Lester Kiewit. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Do you believe in astrology? Palm reading? Physiognomy? Feng shui? The Chinese tradition of reading facial features and palms is long and storied; while the practice is not as widespread as it once was, the practice still exists. Listen in as two young travelers have their own fortunes revealed in today's ChinesePod lesson. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/1859
Robert möter Ann Cisse, medial rådgivare, tarotläsare och feng shui-konsult som arbetar med intuition och energi som beslutsstöd för företagare och ledare. Hon har lång erfarenhet av att använda otraditionella metoder som tarot, klassisk feng shui och date selection för att skapa tydlighet, bättre timing och starkare förutsättningar i viktiga beslut.Samtalet handlar om hur intuition kan fungera som ett praktiskt komplement till analys och data i entreprenörskap. Vi pratar om beslutsfattande, prestation, arbetsmiljö och varför fler företagare utforskar metoder som ofta kallas “flum” – men som, rätt använda, kan ge en reell konkurrensfördel.00:00:00 Intro: intuition, business & varför rationella människor blir nyfikna00:07:30 Från skepsis till verktyg: varför entreprenörer söker alternativa metoder00:16:00 Medialitet & intuition som beslutsstöd i företagande00:26:30 Feng Shui för företag: miljö, riktning och fokus00:38:00 Yin & yang i arbetsliv, prestation och återhämtning00:48:00 Månen, energi och timing i affärer och beslut01:00:00 Mat, energi och vardagsvanor som påverkar fokus och resultat01:11:00 Tarot som reflektionsverktyg för ledare och entreprenörer01:23:00 Så går en tarot-reading till – bortom flum och fördomar01:35:00 Feng shui hemma vs på kontoret: energifällor att undvika01:45:00 Date Selection: välj rätt timing för lansering, avtal och förändring01:53:00 När intuition slår data – och när den inte ska göra det01:58:30 Summering: hur du testar själv och använder detta pragmatiskt
In this episode Randel and Owen continue their talk with Marin Spivack about Chen Taiji training training with Chen Yu, Feng ZhiQiang, and, Gene Chen.From his website:"Marin Spivack holds a Bachelors in Asian Studies from University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on Political Science of China. He is proficient in conversational Mandarin and well versed in the cultural nuances and lifestyle of mainland China and gongfu culture specifically which made such an unlikely journey in gongfu possible.In 2002 he became a formal disciple of Chenyu, training the ancestral practices taught to him by his father, Chen Zhaokui. This fist consists of the direct family methods passed to him from his father Chen FaKe which Chen Zhaokui made popular and practiced to a high skill. Training the traditional way at Chenyu's home during years living in Beijing Marin Spivack was fortunate to have gained a significant amount of detail and foundation to himself practice this art to fruition and acquire the ability to pass it on accurately. He continues to develop, deepen and share that system of gongfu in traditional classes in the the Boston area, U.S.A."WebsiteInstagramYouTube#kungfu #gongfu #teaching #podcast #taiji #taichi #martialarts #wushu #kungfuconversations #china #chentaiji #chentaichi #baguazhang #yangtaiji #qigong #chenyu #fengzhiqiang
In this episode of The Writing Life, Singapore-based writer Choo Yi Feng shares his approach to writing speculative fiction. Choo Yi Feng is an intertidal explorer, climate activist, ecologist and fiction writer. The Waiting Room is his debut short story collection. Elsewhere, his short stories have previously been published in Foglifter Journal, Anathema: Spec from the Margins, Queer Southeast Asia and Alluvium, the journal of Literary Shanghai. He was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2022. His residency in the Dragon Hall Cottage was supported by the National Arts Council of Singapore. He sat down with writer and mentor Simon K Jones to discuss world building in speculative fiction, and how his work blends elements of science-fiction, horror, mythology, and more. Together, they touch on his month-long residency in Norwich UNESCO City of Literature, his method for developing mysterious, compelling characters, and how his interest in the sea and sea animals translates in his stories.
Unexplained Inc. would like to welcome Joan for her first solo appearance on the show after joining a panel last summer.Joan Widen always had a sense of knowing. She would see and hear spirits and have vivid dreams and premonitions – that was her “normal”. Though not fully understanding her gifts, as the years passed, she felt there was more to discover about who she really was and needed to seek out her purpose. Her efforts to better understand her talents have led her tovdevelop and expand her skills as a Intuitive Life Coach, Reiki (Master/Teacher), Pranic Healing, Crystal Healing, Feng Shui, House/Office Clearing, and Mediumship. Joan is able to help you connect with passed loved ones and clear energy blocks to help you move forward with purpose so you can achieve what you want out of life.www.joanwiden.comInstagram @journeywithjoanwidenTikTok @clairvoyantmediumYouTube @joanwidenclairvoyantmedium Here are some of the topics discussed in this episode:- Joan's psychic and unexplainable experiences in childhood- A visit form light beings during a healing session- Predictions for 2026...they may surprise and on August 12th are we losing gravity or ascending?- Feng-shui and the provocative frequency of the colour orange.- Spiritual AI- The Tao of Alice Cooper...yes you heard that right...plus so much more!Connect with Unexplained Inc. here:https://www.unexplainedinc.com/Connect with Unexplained Inc. and follow on Rumble:https://rumble.com/user/Unexplainedinc
Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you.Feng shui asks a simple question most people never consider: is your space supporting the life you want to live?I've spent years questioning the hidden systems shaping our health and freedom, and this conversation with Danijela Saponjic opened a door most people never think to walk through. Feng shui, environmental health, and energy flow quietly influence your nervous system, your relationships, and your ability to create a life that actually feels aligned.This episode goes far beyond aesthetics or surface-level decluttering. We get into how your home functions as a living interface between your body, your mind, and the world around you. We talk about why ancient systems understood holistic health as incomplete without addressing space, how conscious living begins at home, and why ignoring your environment keeps you fighting the same internal battles on repeat.If you care about sovereignty, healing, and building a life that supports rather than drains you, this conversation will challenge how you see your bedroom, kitchen, office, and the land you live on. This is about reclaiming agency by understanding the structures you exist inside every day, and learning how to make them work for you instead of against you.You'll Learn:[00:00] Introduction[07:13] Space is the forgotten fourth health pillar of ancient traditions[12:57] The universal feng shui basics that work across all home types [19:01] How to declutter with children in the house[35:55] Counteracting feng shui challenges in existing homes[45:37] How the five feng shui elements connect to cardinal directions [01:07:00] The story of how every glass desk in an office led to total business collapse within 24 hours[01:12:08] How do you feng shui an apartment when surrounded by other people's energy?[01:35:58] Why decorating against your geography creates energetic breaks that sabotage manifestation[01:41:24] Why rectangular spaces provide the necessary structure for manifesting, while domes keep you circling[01:52:26] Why feng shui is a living philosophy of presence and reverence, not a decorating techniqueJust starting out with Feng Shui and energy work? Explore three free ways to begin — gentle, practical, and easy to try today.Download Palaces of LifeTry the Butterfly MeditationGet the 7 Simple Feng Shui Tips eBookStart where you feel curious.Find more from Danijela:Danijela | Website Unfolding Space | Space Activation CertificationFind more from Alec:Alec Zeck | InstagramAlec Zeck | XThe Way Forward | InstagramThe Way Forward is Sponsored By:RMDY Academy & Collective: Homeopathy Made AccessibleHigh-quality remedies and training to support natural healing.Enroll hereExplore hereNew Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground UpExperience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more. Visit www.NewBiologyClinic.com and use code THEWAYFORWARD (case sensitive) for $50 off activation. Members get the $150 fee waived
In this 100th episode of Smashing Secrets Feng Shui, Jo explores how to prepare for the Fire Horse year (2026) using classical feng shui principles, Chinese New Year traditions, and Qi Men Dun Jia intention work. As the new lunar year approaches, this episode explains how to clear old energy, reset your home, and consciously align with the fiery, spiritual momentum of the Horse. Listeners are guided through traditional pre-Chinese New Year rituals, including spring cleaning, symbolic feng shui activators, abundance practices, and timing considerations to avoid unintentionally disrupting incoming luck. This episode covers: Feng shui preparation before Chinese New Year Spring cleaning rituals to clear stagnant qi Feng shui symbols for luck, prosperity, and abundance Why haircuts, debt clearing, and timing matter energetically An introduction to Qi Men Dun Jia for manifestation and spiritual focus How to use directional meditation in 2026 for leadership, clarity, courage, wealth, influence, harmony, and networking Annual deity directions for the Fire Horse year Auspicious dates and times for deep cleaning in February Qi Men Dun Jia is explored as a meditative, intention-based form of feng shui, showing how facing specific directions can help remove obstacles, attract mentors, increase confidence, strengthen influence, and sharpen clarity throughout the year. This episode is ideal for anyone interested in feng shui, Chinese astrology, BaZi, manifestation, energy clearing, spiritual intention setting, or preparing their home and life for the Chinese New Year.
Bracey and Anna dive headfirst into the world of New Age spirituality and energy work—exploring everything from Reiki, the Emotion Code, Psych-K, and past-life regression to tarot, pendulums, manifestation, and witchcraft. As promised, here's the comprehensive list below of everything we talked about:* Energy Work:* Emotion Code* Reiki* Psych K* Past life regression* Feng shui* Meaning-making systems:* Numerology* Astrology* Human Design* Matrix of Destiny* Gene Keys* Divination:* Tarot* Oracle cards* Dice* Pendulum* Dream journaling* Manifestation:* Scripting* Affirmations* To Be Magnetic* Witchcraft* Altars* Spells* Reclaiming/cultivating power* Vision boards* EFT* Journaling/lists* Visualization* Subliminals* Teachers:* Debbie* Jess Lively* Pea the Feary* Jas Nenna* Vaness Henry* Rachel Lieberman* Jes Fields* Sydney Liann* Regular guys: Deepak Chopra, Wayne Dyer, Joe DispenzaExploring:* Feminine/masculine balance* WitchcraftSome episodes you may have missed….Here's some good ones from the archives!2026 Hopes, Goals, and IntentionsBody Chats with Julia BakerTeaching a Topic: Mind Body ConnectionIf you've enjoyed any of our episodes, we'd appreciate it if you'd share with a friend. That's how podcasts grow - through connection - and we appreciate you helping us grow! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit likehearted.substack.com
Zapraszamy do wysłuchania trzeciego podcastu realizowanego we współpracy z OIC POLAND Fundacją Akademii WSEI. Na półmetku projektu Unicorn Hub Innovation Lab, projektu współfinansowanego ze środków Funduszy Europejskich dla Nowoczesnej Gospodarki, w ramach Priorytetu II Środowisko sprzyjające innowacjom, Działanie FENG.2.27 Laboratorium Innowatora.W tym odcinku pytamy Agatę Koprowską o to, co czyni ten program atrakcyjnym i wyróżniającym się w naszym krajowym ekosystemie. Szczególną uwagę zwracamy na aspekt mentoringu oraz łączenia startupów z dużymi firmami poszukującymi innowacyjnych rozwiązań. W naszym studiu goszczą także uczestnicy programu: Sebastian Gruszka (Field Control) oraz Sebastian Majchrzak (Progress Cup). Obaj szczerze opowiadają o swoim doświadczeniu związanym z Unicorn Hub Innovation Lab i roli, jaką udział w programie wywarł na rozwój ich biznesów.
Scopri la vera storia di Amleto, il leggendario principe Amleth le cui imprese nelle saghe norrene ispirarono William Shakespeare secoli prima della sua celebre tragedia. In questo episodio di Leggende Affilate, scaviamo nelle cronache medievali di Saxo Grammaticus per rivelare un guerriero vichingo assetato di vendetta, molto lontano dai dubbi esistenziali del teatro inglese.Dalle Gesta Danorum emerge la figura brutale di un principe danese che finge la follia per sopravvivere allo zio Feng, l'assassino di suo padre Horwendil. Vedremo come il vero Amleth abbia usato un'intelligenza sopraffina per ingannare la corte, sostituire tavolette di legno con condanne a morte e orchestrare una vendetta finale tra arazzi intrecciati e palazzi in fiamme. Analizziamo i dettagli storici più crudi: dai banchetti in Britannia dove il pane sapeva di sangue alle prove psicologiche superate con astuzia millenaria. Se pensavi di conoscere la storia di Amleto, preparati a scoprire la versione originale fatta di scudi d'oro, battaglie scozzesi e brutale determinazione norrena.Lorenzo Manara è scrittore di libri storici e fantasy. Acquista subito i miei romanzi!
In this episode Randel and Owen talk with Marin Spivack about Chen Taiji training training with Chen Yu, Feng ZhiQiang, and, Gene Chen.From his website:"Marin Spivack holds a Bachelors in Asian Studies from University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on Political Science of China. He is proficient in conversational Mandarin and well versed in the cultural nuances and lifestyle of mainland China and gongfu culture specifically which made such an unlikely journey in gongfu possible.In 2002 he became a formal disciple of Chenyu, training the ancestral practices taught to him by his father, Chen Zhaokui. This fist consists of the direct family methods passed to him from his father Chen FaKe which Chen Zhaokui made popular and practiced to a high skill. Training the traditional way at Chenyu's home during years living in Beijing Marin Spivack was fortunate to have gained a significant amount of detail and foundation to himself practice this art to fruition and acquire the ability to pass it on accurately. He continues to develop, deepen and share that system of gongfu in traditional classes in the the Boston area, U.S.A."WebsiteInstagramYouTube#kungfu #gongfu #teaching #podcast #taiji #taichi #martialarts #wushu #kungfuconversations #china #chentaiji #chentaichi #baguazhang #yangtaiji #qigong #chenyu #fengzhiqiang
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. In this episode, Justin interviews Deyna Feng, Director of Captive Programs at Cummins, about her role at the company. They discuss the reality of climate change risks and how Cummins uses captives to address them in the short- and long-term in the U.S. and 36 countries globally. They talk about the various facets of the company, from property to supply chain, to business continuity, to human resources, at risk from climate events. They discuss the variety of regulatory sustainability reporting requirements around the globe. Listen for steps to take to use captives for your climate risk planning and strategy. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our topic today is the interconnection between captives and climate risk. To help me delve deeper into this connection, I've asked Deyna Feng of Cummins to rejoin us. It will be great to catch up with her! [:49] You're going to walk away from this episode with a lot of great ideas for your captive programs. But first… [:55] RIMS-CRMP and Some Prep Courses. The next virtual prep course will be held on March 110th and 11th and again on April 21st and 22nd. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes. [1:12] RIMS Virtual Workshops are coming up. On January 21st and 22nd, Chris Hansen returns to deliver the course, "Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US". [1:26] On February 4th and 5th, Ken Baker will return to deliver the course, "Applying and Integrating ERM". [1:36] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's notes. [1:47] RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:57] The RIMS-CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management is hosted by the famous James Lam. This is a live virtual program that helps elevate your expertise and career in ERM. [2:10] You can enroll now for the next cohort, which will be held over 12 weeks from April 14th through June 23rd. Links to registration and enrollment are in this episode's show notes. [2:24] On with the show! Deyna Feng is rejoining us for the first time since 2021. She is the Director of Captive Programs at Cummins. [2:38] Cummins designs, manufactures, distributes, and services a broad range of power solutions, from traditional diesel and natural gas engines to advanced electric, hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell technologies. [2:50] Deyna is here to discuss how climate change has had a huge influence on how she manages captives for Cummins. We're also going to speak a little more broadly about the ways you might think about climate risk as you launch or alter your captive program. Let's get to it… [3:06] Interview! Deyna Feng, welcome back to RIMScast! [3:21] Deyna Feng has been working for Cummins for the past 15 years. She was always with the risk insurance team and, since 2015, she's managed the captive operations, the insurance programming inside it, and the whole insurance company. [3:52] Deyna started with Cummins as Regional Risk Manager for Asia Pacific. Then she joined the company to manage its captive. Deyna has been really passionate about this career path because captive is such a wonderful risk management and risk insurance tool. [4:08] Deyna says Cummins has been using its captive constantly and actively managing different types of risk and profiles. [4:34] A captive is an insurance company. Cummins's captive is a pure captive, or a single-parent captive, so it purely insures the parent company's risks and business. [4:44] The benefit of a captive insurance company is that, instead of buying insurance from the commercial market, you can really tailor your insurance program within a captive. [4:55] They also provide financial benefits like tax benefits and some other things you can manage through the captive. [5:03] For the past few years, it's been hard on the insurance market on the property and the liability side. Cummins uses its captive, proactively, managing the whole program in a really unique way. Everything is tailor-made to your own program, your own risk. [5:21] If you are a good risk management account, you will receive benefits by doing such a self-insurance arrangement. [5:38] Justin recalls from reporting that in 2025, there are hundreds more captives among medium and small businesses than there were 20 years ago. Feng agrees. It's a booming market for the whole captive industry. It's growing for all captive domiciles around the world. [6:01] Deyna and Justin believe that captives are a big part of the future of risk management. [6:09] Justin reconnected with Deyna because of her unique philosophy that climate change can greatly impact a captive and, therefore, a company. [6:38] Deyna thinks everyone is feeling the effects of climate change in the current environment. They see more things happening, more frequently, with more severity; events like wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. [6:53] Deyna says, Before, it's rarely showing anywhere, or a 500-year event, then suddenly, something happens. We experience such dramatic events in different facilities globally. So, we are thinking such events can escalate super quickly and become catastrophic. [7:17] Deyna asks how we can manage such events, especially when you are dealing with a large insurance program, and it involves a big business interruption to your global company. [7:29] Deyna thinks there is a growing concern for global companies like Cummins for a few important reasons. First, frequency and severity are rising. Also, it's less predictable in certain areas, and there will be increasing exposure for large, global facilities. [8:08] Deyna speaks of supply chains. For a large manufacturing company with a global footprint, it's important to manage supply chain risk in a better way. The climate risk is changing globally, so it will impact Cummins's supply chain risk to a large extent. [8:30] Deyna says it also increased the complexity of managing claims, like a hurricane claim. Hurricane Helena is our recent example. It happened over a year ago, but it impacted multiple locations in that area and also impacted Cummins's warehouses and logistics centers. [8:50] It impacted the whole business revenue and the whole area. So, it becomes a much more complex claim to manage and handle. Even now, Cummins is still dealing with the whole impact of that Hurricane Helena flood claim. [9:11] Justin asks about polycrisis and how one event triggers others that the captive manager has to oversee and try to resolve. [9:31] Deyna says, Cummins has suppliers in that area. If those suppliers don't have good insurance coverage, then Cummins helps them out, so they can help Cummins's local business. That impacts a lot. Cummins is still dealing with a business interruption claim from that event. [10:06] Deyna says one important area for climate risk management is dealing with government regulatory requirement reporting changes, not just in the U.S, but worldwide, with international reporting. [10:25] Certain countries are more advanced in regulation development. So, for those countries, Cummins has to make sure to do a proper evaluation and prepare for those government reporting requirements. [10:44] That involves a whole set of reviews from different lenses. To manage the risk more effectively and efficiently, Cummins needs to consider a few options. One is about data. [10:59] The whole risk management and risk insurance program is data-driven, so Cummins makes sure to gather important climate risk-related data and then models it globally in CAD. This way, Cummins can anticipate future risk and business impact. [11:24] The second is the partners Cummins works with. Those are insurance, reinsurance, and brokers. They offer different types of climate risk-related data analysis. [11:38] From there, certain captives can use such data-driven arrangements and cat modelling to plan their parametric solution. That's a unique type of risk, tailor-made. [12:00] Deyna says Cummins's global insurance program has broad coverage, already covering such climate risks. That's useful for specific risks in certain areas. You have the trend, you see the need, and then you use this to pay claims quickly without complex claim procedures. [12:28] The other area Cummins has been doing is leveraging the data it receives and then utilizing the captive to do the strategic planning. That is how Cummins utilizes the captives to structure its global property liability program. [12:46] And then Cummins uses the captive as a fronting mechanism, and then puts more layers within the captive to manage large claims more flexibly. [12:58] Then the other part is using the captive to buy reinsurance to transfer certain catastrophic events or the higher risks to the reinsurance market. So it's a diversified captive strategy. [13:15] Justin asks about business continuity planning. Deyna says that to manage climate risk, business continuity planning is important. Lots of companies use it to manage traditional risks, like a flood or a fire, but it is also important to deal with future climate risk resiliency planning. [13:39] The supply chain risk is part of that, and then when you identify the high-risk area, like a heat wave, or cold stress, or water stress, how can you make sure your local businesses are well prepared to deal with those situations, especially in the long run? [14:00] Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. Booth sales are open now! [14:22] General registration and speaker registration are also open right now! Marketplace and Hospitality badges will be available starting on March 3rd. Links are in this episode's show notes. [14:37] Let's Return to Our Interview with Deyna Feng! [14:45] Deyna says Cummins is based in Indiana. Deyna lives there. [14:53] Deyna says, This year, the snow hit us super early. Before, it's after Christmas time, when we start seeing snow, and January is super cold, and this year, like, early December, we're already in cold weather. [15:05] Justin says, Yeah, we're recording in mid-December right now, and we received somewhere between 6 and 12 inches of snow on Sunday, just a few days before recording this. [15:17] Justin continues, And now, today, we're gonna be hitting the 50 degree mark. So everything is finally gonna melt away, but it's also gonna wreak havoc on our senses, and people are gonna get sick, right? That just happens. Yes, I'm just venting here about climate change. [15:41] Globally, Deyna has regional risk managers, a renewal team, and a claims team, who work together as one big team of around 16 people in total. [16:07] Dena describes her role as Director of Captive Programs. The insurance company is complex. They have to deal with all the government requirements and year-end matters, program renewal, and Cummins's captive, covering the international employee benefits side. [16:20] Cummins's captive covers the medical and the non-medical program for over 36 countries. [16:29] Justin interviewed the Risk Manager of the Year for 2025, Jennifer Pack, with Hilton. In addition to her role in risk management for Hilton, she was also the captive manager, and she said that sometimes that's a one-day-a-week job, and sometimes it's a four-day-a-week job. [6:47] It really depends on various things, and climate change was one of the items that she mentioned. Justin says, It's something that our audience should be thinking about, because captive management is not going away. [17:05] Justin says, It is something that you want to have in your arsenal as a risk professional, and it can enhance your career, like it's doing for Deyna. [17:16] Justin says, We've seen how some policymakers in the U.S. try to debunk climate change, even though there's overwhelming evidence to suggest that it is a real thing, and it still ranks very highly on the World Economic Forum's list of top risks. [17:31] Justin asks, Against that backdrop, how are you swaying the decision makers at Cummins these days? You just said you were going to speak to some of your internal stakeholders, so what do you need to do to convince them? [17:45] Deyna says that the World Economic Forum emphasizes that climate change now represents massive physical and transition risks, with over $3.6 trillion in damage from disasters since 2000. So, it's a serious number. [18:10] Deyna says, Our CEO takes climate change seriously. We are trying to be the environmental sustainability advocacy lead in the industry and market. [18:23] Deyna says, Cummins has a strategy and commitment to the 2030 environment goals and 2050 targets. We are doing Destination Zero, which is helping not just our own facility, but also our customers and suppliers to navigate the energy transition and environmental goals. [18:46] Cummins's CEO is Jennifer Rumsey. Deyna says she's an awesome, wonderful CEO. [19:07] Justin says, It sounds like you have a line of communication to her. [19:11] Deyna says, We do. This is an important topic. We do annual reporting, including all the aspects relating to this Destination Zero goal. It involves so many functions within Cummins to work with these goals and targets. [10:38] The goals include decarbonization, material changes, community goals to address the site and community greenhouse gas emissions, and also, volatile organic components, water, and waste. [19:56] There are so many things that can be leveraged and developed perfectly with this approach. [20:06] A Final Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved, in part, by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [20:25] Spencer awards undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., and Pre-Instructor of Practice Scholarships to students enrolled at an accredited college or university in the U.S. and Canada, and physically studying in either location. No remote coursework eligibility from other locations. [20:42] Including part-time, graduate scholarships to risk management and insurance professionals continuing their education. [20:48] Since 1980, Spencer has invested more than $11.1 million in the scholarship program with awards to over 1,700 students. More than 85% of Spencer's scholarship recipients remain in the industry to this day. [21:03] They've got undergraduate scholarships, full-time Master's scholarships, part-time Master's scholarships, pre-dissertation Ph.D. candidates, doctoral candidates, and pre-instructor of practice scholarships all open now. The application deadline is January 31st, 2026. [21:25] Visit SpencerEd.org/scholarships. You'll find the different application buttons. See the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [21:37] Let's Return to the Conclusion of Our Interview with Deyna Feng! [22:00] Justin asks Deyna what makes captives uniquely suited to handle climate-driven volatility, compared to traditional insurance solutions. [22:06] Deyna says, Climate risk is quite dynamic, systematic, and also regulatory-driven. It needs continuous investment to understand your climate risk and the government reporting requirements. It's not just one-time managing the risk. [22:25] Deyna says, We look at now as the baseline, with the short-term, mid-term, and long-term, all the way to the end of the century, how the climate risk score is changing for our global facilities. Those are evolving risk scores, not just a one-time risk score. [22:51] Cummins takes a systematic and holistic approach to evaluate the climate risk, so it's not like a daily market change. [23:10] Deyna says, The other part is regulatory diversity, for the whole climate risk aspect, how you manage the risk, matching with different compliance requirements. [23:22] In the U.S., the federal government sets the broad framework, like the Clean Air Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and some national emission standards. But then, across the 50 states, over 35 states enforce renewable portfolio standards or clean energy standards. [23:41] Different states have different goals, like greenhouse gas reduction targets, and then some other things. And some states are super aggressive on their targets, with much higher standards and quicker standards than the federal guidelines. [24:05] Cummins has a designated team focusing on all the government requirements, the reporting, etc. We share data internally across the broader function teams. [24:24] If we collect data on the climate risk score, we want to make sure everybody leverages the same set of data. We have the same tone and the same message passing on to the global leaders, regional leaders, and even site leaders. [24:37] Justin asks about having systems in place. [24:42] Deyna says, We are building a risk framework around this area. That includes the centralized data. We share the same set of data with the stakeholders. We do need internal stakeholder alignment. [24:55] Deyna says, We have strategic alignment, talking about the same thing. Then we also need to work with site leaders at the site-level resiliency on their business continuity planning. [25:10] Deyna's team provides global training because climate risk is still quite a new concept to many people managing the risk. Deyna wants to make sure they understand where we come from, how we manage the data, and the risk. [25:21] Justin asks about Cummins's risk insurance and captive strategy. [25:28] Cummins uses captives strategically. From this climate risk management, Deyna says, we also have different approaches, from a few lenses. First is the risk data. [25:41] Deyna says, We select a good partner to help us review our global portfolio, and we gather the individual site climate risk score. [25:51] Deyna says, Then we put them together so that we can generate the whole company profile, the regional risk map, down to the country level and site-specific level about where the risky areas are for the individual site from a climate risk perspective. [26:06] Deyna says, Then, from the insurance program perspective, we also have a layered insurance program with our captive actively involved in leading the strategy and also, doing the transfer of the larger layers or risks to the reinsurance market. [26:23] Deyna continues, So, we buy the multi-year aggregate stop-loss in the captive to cap our volatility. Then, there are some other ways about parametric insurance that other companies can consider. [26:36] For Cummins, because we have broad coverage, we already consider such cat risks, including future rainfall, wind, and heat-related scenarios. [26:48] In addition to these, supply chain risk is an important piece to manage. So, contingency BI is also an important area to be considered in your insurance program, and it also covers the climate risk profile. [27:02] Deyna says, We have been using captive funding for the business resilience project. We do the business continuity planning stress test globally, and we also fund the climate risk project from the captive. [27:34] Deyna says, The most important thing is how to manage your employees' well-being. That's not just physical health; we are talking more about mental health. And to be frank, in certain areas, people already experience the climate risk impact, like heat, in the summertime. [27:52] Cummins has its International Employee Benefits Program in its captive, leveraging this program together with the climate risk management and working with HR, about how to better manage climate risk, with resiliency, in the future. [28:09] Deyna continues, talking about mental health support during disaster, emergency relocation, and making people, employees, and their families feel they are safe, working in a safe environment, and also that they don't need to worry about climate risk impact on operations. [28:20] Justin asks Deyna for words for young risk professionals coming up and organizations beginning to explore captives for climate risk financing. What are the misconceptions or blind spots that she sees? [29:44] Deyna says a blind spot about climate change is thinking that climate risk is too long-term for a captive and that captives are for managing whatever is coming up suddenly. In reality, floods, wildfires, and hurricanes are happening now and more frequently than before. [30:26] If we can model these types of risks for short-term, medium-term, and long-term retention strategies, that's important for captive or risk insurance for large companies to consider the future strategy. [30:41] The other thing Deyna hears is that captives only handle traditional reinsurance programs. Cummins uses the captive to fund risk insurance strategies or projects. Gathering climate risk data, building up the model, and cat modelling. [31:00] This also includes thinking about how to integrate this type of risk into risk financing and the insurance program. Cummins is managing it actively. [31:12] The other thing Deyna hears is that data is optional. So, especially for captive, everything is data-driven. [31:25] We have to do cat modelling, we have to make sure we buy the proper insurance program with proper premium payment, and also whether the retention level is appropriate for our site level, for captive, and for the overall program. So, data is the key, or data is the king. [32:00] Deyna says this touches employee safety, employee benefits, supply chain risk, and environmental liability. Lots of areas touch climate risk, not just the property program. [32:26] Deyna lists some suggestions. Build a holistic climate risk profile within the company, across all the global sites, that covers all the countries. Each company will change dramatically in climate risk. It must be data-driven. [33:01] To gather the data, find a proper partner to work with a reputable climate-risk expert to help you check legislative changes, access the hazard or cat modelling, and provide good climate risk data matching with those regulatory changes and compliance requirements. [33:24] Then support your thorough risk evaluation. That's the data part. [33:28] Then, on top of the data, build a good insurance management program, and leverage your captive to build the captive strategy relating to retention, the limit, and the parametrics, insurance program design, like parametric triggers. [33:45] In addition to the insurance program, you have the ERM, the Enterprise Risk Management, ESG reporting, and all the compliance relating to country requirements and state law requirements. [33:58] In Europe, it's CSRD. In the U.S., it's an SEC filing. So, there are lots of different regulatory requirements relating to this area. You want to make sure your data can support your reporting and then can be sustainable, year over year, not just a one-year data point. [34:15] Then, the other thing is the business continuity. Make sure that the good BCP management or integration, including climate risk, especially for all the high risks you are capturing, you should have really good operational resilience to face that. [34:33] Justin mentions that CSRD stands for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, which sets the standard for how EU companies need to report on their sustainability work. He had to plug that in because there are so many abbreviations and acronyms in risk management. [34:53] Deyna's last point is to share the data internally with a cross-functional group, with internal stakeholders, including senior leadership reporting up to the CEO and COO level. [35:05] Share the data with the middle management team, global team, global leadership team, global management team, and then down to the site level. [35:15] All the parties need to work together to shape a holistic strategy around climate risk management. It's not just for risk insurance or captive only. [35:25] Justion says, Excellent. And so these are great tips for everybody. If you're thinking about launching a captive against your climate risk data profile, I think this is the way to go. [35:37] Justin says, Ms. Rumsey is your CEO, but before that, she was the Chief Operating Officer. So, you must have already had a good working relationship with her before she was promoted, right? [36:02] Deyna says, Yes. This is an important area, because we have not only climate risk, but also the whole risk relating to this area, managed by an environmental sustainability team. [36:16] They organize all the different functions, trying to achieve the goals, and then figure out all the different aspects of our operation and what we can do to meet our future goals. [36:27] This is long-term-driven. It's not like a five-year project; you get it done, and the project is completed. It's long-term. [36:35] Justin says, Ms. Rumsey had come on as COO in March of 2021. You and I first met, or at least recorded the RIMSCast episode, in May of 2021. [36:46] So right around that time, you were probably having higher-level discussions with her, and now you already had her ear, so I think that just speaks to the value of relationship building along the way. Would you agree? [36:58] Deyna says, We have the designated team internally managing this area, and we do connect through that lens, trying to gather the data a long, long time ago. [37:10] Justin says, But it's the sort of thing where, first of all, it's nice to see that people are promoted from within. I think that's a really great thing that Cummins did. [37:18] And second, the fact that you already had that line of communication, and it's not like you had to establish a new one with a new CEO. You already had that line of communication with somebody who was moving up into the role. [37:30] So, I think that speaks to Cummins's credit. I think it speaks to your credit and to your advantage, because you don't have to start from scratch and build that line. [37:40] Deyna acknowledges, Yes, it's super important. [37:44] Well, Dana, it has been such a pleasure to see you again, to record with you again here on RIMSCast. It's been almost five years, and we hope to see you at RISKWORLD. [38:00] Thank you once again for rejoining us, and hopefully, the next time I see you, it won't be five years in between. [38:06] Deyna says, Definitely. I love RIMS events, and all the conferences, the webinars, and even your podcast, so it's super good. [38:17] Justin says, Thank you so much. You're a wonderful guest. [38:20] Special thanks again to Deyna Feng for joining us here on RIMScast. Links to other RIMSCast episodes about captive insurance management are in this episode's show notes. [38:34] I've also got links to RIMS Risk Management Magazine articles about captives, as well as other RIMS resources, so check it out and go to the Risk Knowledge page of RIMS.org. [38:46] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [39:14] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [39:32] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [39:49] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [40:06] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [40:21] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [40:32] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support! Links: RIMS Risk Management Magazine: Year In Risk Edition | Feature Article RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | April‒June 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for exhibitors, members, and non-members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now Spencer Educational Foundation Scholarships | Submission Deadline Jan. 31, 2026 RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Series Featuring Joe Milan! Cummins Inc. Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam PrepMarch 10‒11 | April 21‒22, 2026, 9:00 am‒4:00 pm EST, Virtual Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops "Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US" | Jan. 21‒22, 2026 "Storytelling with Data for Risk Management" | Feb. 2‒3 "Applying and Integrating ERM" | Feb 4. "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" | March 4‒5, 2026 Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars Related RIMScast Episodes about Captive Management: "Broadcasting Captive Wisdom with James Swanke" "Risk Management Momentum with Lockton U.S. President Tim Ryan" "RIMS 2025 Risk Manager of the Year, Jennifer Pack" "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2021" (featuring Deyna Feng) Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) 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RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guest: Deyna Feng, Director of Captive Programs, Cummins Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
This week, Erin and Sara catch up and discuss the Critic's Choice awards, Feng shui, no shoe rules, and more.Executive Producers: Erin Foster, Sara Foster, and Allison BresnickAssociate Producers: Montana McBirney and Olivia GeffnerAudio Engineer: Josh WindischProduced by Wishbone ProductionProduced by Dear MediaThis episode is sponsored by:Bon Charge (boncharge.com PROMO CODE: Foster)Smartypants (shop on amazon, target, Walmart)Durable (durable.com/first)Boll & Branch (bollandbranch.com/foster15)Needed (thisisneeded.com PROMO CODE: Foster)Skims (skims.com)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Doctor Wendy Walsh explores the consequences of a society with an oversupply of single men. She's joined by film director Violet Feng, who shares her documentary "The Dating Game" that delves into China's one-child policy and its effects on the country's population. They discuss the rise of a surplus of single men, the impact on mental health, and the potential consequences for society, including increased crime rates and the military's role in addressing the issue. This conversation sheds light on a pressing global concern.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Doctor Wendy Walsh talks to film director Violet Feng about her documentary, The Dating Game. The film explores the social issue of an oversupply of men in China due to the one-child policy. Violet shares her personal connection to the topic, having made films about China for years, and how she wanted to understand the perspectives of Chinese men. They discuss the emotional impact of the policy on the men, including attachment trauma and low self-esteem, and how this affects their ability to form relationships.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's important to start well, but we need to finish well. what does it take? 2 Chronicles 24:1-7; 13-25 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Randel and Owen talk with BB on training with Chen Taiji with Feng Zhi Quan, Zhang Xue Xin and Bai Ping Liang. From his Facebook page:"Tai Chi journey since 1979. In 93, I honed my practice with Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang in China. Deeply honored to be a disciple of Master Zhang Xue Xin. His profound knowledge and guidance have significantly shaped my Tai Chi path."FacebookInstagramYouTube#kungfu #teaching #podcast #gongfu #taiji #taichi #martialarts #wushu #kungfuconversations #china #chentaiji #baguazhang #yangtaiji #qigong
Willet Feng and Diane Wu Feng are the Co-Owners of burger-chan, a "mom and pop burger shop" founded in 2016 and located in Houston, Texas. Chef Ryan Stewart of Silver Linings Hospitality recently partnered with them and has taken over the major operations of burger-chan so that Willet can focus on is next concept, the still young Borrowed Goods. Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/ Today's sponsors: Meez: Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is built just for you. Organize, share, prep, and scale recipes like never before. Plus, engineer your menu in real-time and get accurate food costs. Sign up for free today and get 2 FREE months of invoice processing as a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast. Visit getmeez.com/unstoppable to learn more. Cerboni - Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Reliable tax preparation & Business incorporation. Seamless Payroll and compliance report. Strategic CFO Services That Drive Business Growth. Detailed, custom reporting for complete financial clarity. Dedicated support for restaurants & Multi-location businesses. End-to-end financial management under one roof. US Foods®. Make running your foodservice operation easier and more efficient with solutions from US Foods®. Utilize a suite of digital tools, like the all-in-one foodservice app MOXē®, and enjoy exclusive access to quality Exclusive Brands products. Learn how partnering with US Foods helps you get more out of your business by visiting www.usfoods.com/expectmore Restaurant Systems Pro - Lower your prime cost by $1,000, and get paid $1,000 with the Restaurant Systems Pro 30-Day Prime Cost Challenge. If you successfully improve your prime cost by $1,000 or more compared to the same 30-day period last year, Restaurant Systems Pro will pay you $1,000. It's a "reverse guarantee." Let's make 2026 the year your restaurant thrives. Guest contact info: burger-chan on Instagram: @burgerchanhtx Borrowed Goods on Instagram: @borrowedgoodshtx Willet on Instagram: @willetcooks Diane on Instagram: @dianewfeng Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!
Follow Tiankai on Linkedin!Follow us on Instagram and on LinkedIn!Created by SOUR, this podcast is part of the studio's "Future of X,Y,Z" research, where the collaborative discussion outcomes serve as the base for the futuristic concepts built in line with the studio's mission of solving urban, social and environmental problems through intelligent designs.Make sure to visit our website and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts so you never miss an episode. If you found value in this show, we would appreciate it if you could head over to iTunes to rate and leave a review – or you can simply tell your friends about the show!Don't forget to join us next week for another episode. Thank you for listening!
Happy winter to all our listeners in the Northern Hemisphere!As temperatures drop and daylight fades, many of us naturally spend more time indoors. This makes it an ideal moment to refresh your space and create an environment that feels warm, inviting, and supportive for the season. This week, we're sharing practical tips for enhancing your home's energy—from brightening your front door to balancing the five elements and weaving Yuletide symbolism into your décor. Small, intentional changes can bring warmth and vitality to your home all winter long.What we talk about in this episode:Feng shui principles to enhance winter decoratingThe front door is crucial for inviting energyRed as a powerful color in feng shuiIncorporating fire, wood, and earth elements for balanceEvergreens as a symbol of growth and vitality in winterWreaths to represent unity and continuity in decor…and much more!Mentioned in this episode:Reset Your Home & Spirit: Year of the Fire Horsefind abundance and success with feng shui in 2026!Our Feng Shui Energy Map EkitThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERENEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
In this episode, Pete talks with Maeve about Mei Feng and the Foundry Keyword. We go through how the keyword is playing early on in this edition and what their strengths are. She definitely seems to be a good flexible generalist keyword. Support us on patreon.com/ragequitwire https://discord.gg/tZrjadfDb3 Giveusyourmoneypleasethankyou-wyrd.com/ragequitwire
Donna Stellhorn is an Astrologer and Feng Shui Expert with more than 20 years' experience. She wrote a monthly column on Feng Shui for the newspaper, The Light, for 8 years. (Just to clarify; a newspaper is a blog they used to print on paper and throw on your porch). Donna's first Feng Shui book was published in Europe in 1996. Since then she has written 12 books, including Feng Shui Form and the best-selling booklet Sage and Smudge: Clearing Your Personal Space. Her annual Chinese Astrology series, which includes Chinese Astrology 2017 Year of the Fire Rooster, is the third best-selling Chinese Astrology series in the World. Her upcoming book, Plate Size Matters, combines Feng Shui with weight loss where she describes how she used Feng Shui techniques to lose 35 pounds and keep it off. This book will be available in 2017.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-x-zone-radio-tv-show--1078348/support.Please note that all XZBN radio and/or television shows are Copyright © REL-MAR McConnell Meda Company, Niagara, Ontario, Canada – www.rel-mar.com. For more Episodes of this show and all shows produced, broadcasted and syndicated from REL-MAR McConell Media Company and The 'X' Zone Broadcast Network and the 'X' Zone TV Channell, visit www.xzbn.net. For programming, distribution, and syndication inquiries, email programming@xzbn.net.We are proud to announce the we have launched TWATNews.com, launched in August 2025.TWATNews.com is an independent online news platform dedicated to uncovering the truth about Donald Trump and his ongoing influence in politics, business, and society. Unlike mainstream outlets that often sanitize, soften, or ignore stories that challenge Trump and his allies, TWATNews digs deeper to deliver hard-hitting articles, investigative features, and sharp commentary that mainstream media won't touch.These are stories and articles that you will not read anywhere else.Our mission is simple: to expose corruption, lies, and authoritarian tendencies while giving voice to the perspectives and evidence that are often marginalized or buried by corporate-controlled media
This Teisho was given by the Rev. Do'on Roshi at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo on June 25, 2025. In this talk Do'on Roshi discusses the 5th case from the Blue Cliff Record known as Hsueh Feng's Grain of Rice. If you would like to learn more about the Buddhist Temple of Toledo or to make a donation in support of this podcast please visit buddhisttempleoftoledo.org. Part of Rev. Do'on Roshi's Teisho on the Blue Cliff Record series.
Today, we'll talk about Empress Dowager Feng, a formidable woman whose intelligence, political acumen, and unwavering determination allowed her to guide her empire through turbulent times, leaving a lasting legacy in Chinese history.
We want to feature the editors of four Canadian films that are not only critically acclaimed in this year's festival circles but also reflect the great community spirit behind their creation. Whether it's the utterly independent visions of MATT AND MARA and UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE or the deeply necessary stories of the Indigenous community in ABERDEEN and THE STAND, this year's Canadian films, in all their shapes and forms, are not short of boldness and style. Sara Bulloch is an editor and filmmaker in Winnipeg, Canada. She's edited films and series like ABERDEEN (premiered at TIFF2024), ALTER BOYS, SEEKING FIRE, ANCIENT BODIES, and many short films including I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY BODY which won Audience Choice Award at Gimli Film Fest 2023. Short films she's written/directed have screened with Toronto Jewish Film Fest, the8fest, Gimli Film Fest, and more. Her films often explore mental health, identity, and relationships. Her short film, HOT DOG GUY won a People's Choice Award at Vox Popular Media Arts Fest 2022. She's also a motion graphics artist and community organizer. From 2019-2023 she organized OurToba Film Network & Fest, a community group for women, non-binary and gender diverse Manitobans in film. Xi Feng is a film editor based in Montreal. Having lived in China, Canada, and France, she has cultivated a unique blend of cultural and artistic sensitivity. Feng has worked as an editor on award winning films including CETTE MAISON, CAITI BLUES and most recently UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE, which won the inaugural Audience Award at the Directors' Fortnight at Cannes and is Canada's 2025 submission for the Oscars. Her filmography includes films premiered at major festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, Sundance, TIFF, Vision du Réel, HotDocs, etc. Nathalie Massaroni is a Winnipeg-based editor and post production supervisor of more than 400 hours of television. Since graduating from the University of Winnipeg's film program, she has edited features and series including WINTERTIDE, ALTER BOYS, SEEKING FIRE, and ABERDEEN (which premiered at TIFF 2024). Nathalie has also edited other short form series and films such as D DOT H, TAILOR MADE, and I HURT MYSELF. If she's not working on a computer, you can find Nathalie at the dance studio or sipping coffee with a cat on her lap. Ajla Odobasic is a Bosnian-Canadian film editor based in Toronto. Her credits include MATT AND MARA, THE WHITE FORTRESS, the TFCA Best Canadian Film Award-winning ANNE AT 13000 FT, A.W: A PORTRAIT OF APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL, and the CSA-nominated HELLO DESTROYER. Her work has screened at several festivals and platforms including Locarno, TIFF, the Berlinale, MoMA, CBC Gem, and the Criterion Channel. Ajla teaches editing in Humber College's Film and Television program. Sarah Hedar is a Vancouver-based editor and story editor. Her patience and sense of humour keeps the challenges that so often bog down the creative process at bay. Sarah's award-winning work on provocative and original films spans both documentary and narrative projects, from features to shorts. Her keen eye for visual storytelling reflects her belief in the power of community, and the importance of continuously reassessing the status quo while building a world filled with empathy and hope for a brighter future. Her work has screened at festivals across the globe, but most notably, Sundance, TIFF, and VIFF. Kelly Boutsalis is the International Programmer, Canada for the Toronto International Film Festival. She's also a freelance writer, and has written about film and television for the New York Times, NOW Magazine, Elle Canada, Flare, POV Magazine and more. She's also written about lifestyle, design, and culture for publications including Vogue, Toronto Star, Chatelaine, VICE and Toronto Life. Originally from the Six Nations reserve, she lives in Toronto. She is on the board of imagineNATIVE and a member of the Toronto Film Critics Association.
This week, we explore the theme of gratitude through the lens of Feng Shui, highlighting how cultivating thankfulness—especially during the holiday season—can enrich well-being and strengthen relationships. We share a simple Feng Shui gratitude ritual that involves choosing a meaningful object and writing a note of thanks, then connecting these intentions to specific areas of the Bagua mandala. Embracing gratitude as a daily mindset is central to Feng Shui practice, helping to cultivate greater harmony, balance, and abundance in all areas of life.What we talk about in this episode:-How practicing gratitude can improve well-being and harmony in relationships-Feng shui as a mindfulness practice that can enhance gratitude-How the different areas of the bagua can be connected to specific gratitude practices-Manifesting gratitude through tangible actions in our spaces-A simple feng shui gratitude ritual you can do at home…and much more!Mentioned in this episode:Our Feng Shui Energy Map EkitThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERETime Stamps for this Episode:[01:21] Introduction[04:24] Gratitude and feng shui[08:42] A simple feng shui gratitude ritual you can do at home[11:44] Exploring the feng shui bagua for gratitudeNEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
Mark Feng is the chairman and CEO of Markor, a conglomerate that includes a large retail and manufacturing operation in China, as well as brands like Caracole, A.R.T. Furniture, Jonathan Charles and Rowe. Markor was founded in a remote Chinese city in 1990 by Feng's father, an artist and former interior designer. While it has grown into a sprawling international operation, Markor still retains its origins as an art-and-design-first company. Now Feng is looking to add technology into the mix with the launch of his own AI company, DecorX. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about the confusing state of the furniture industry today, balancing high design with commercial appeal, and why he thinks, over time, AI will transform every part of the industry. This episode is sponsored by LoloiLINKSMarkorDecorXDennis ScullyBusiness of Home
This is a reupload of the Internet Kids podcast in honor of the life of Ben Bader. Ben was one of my best friends and he was such a light in this world. Ben tragically passed away on October 23, 2025. This podcast was started by Ben and Harry to share the stories of our friends as we all built online businesses. Ben was a phenomenal writer, marketer, and friend. He lived by a simple philosophy: work hard to build your dream life and have fun with people you love. Ben believed that anyone could achieve their dreams and he did just that. If you want to read Ben's email go here: https://benbaderemails.com/If you want to read his Tweets go here: https://x.com/benhbader
On this week's episode we are taking time to explore how we can honor and remember our ancestors, particularly during the liminal time of late October and early November. Around the world, across cultures, the autumn is a time of year when communities participate in rituals and celebrations for the dead. A major element of feng shui is the continuity of lineage and the spiritual support that ancestors provide to the living. Today we explore practical ways to connect with one's ancestry through altars and cultural practices.What we talk about in this episode:-How honoring ancestors strengthens both the living and the dead-Why liminal times, such as autumn, facilitate communication between realms-Feng Shui as a practice to honor ancestors-Creating an altar to acknowledge the foundation laid by ancestors-Rituals for the dead vary across cultures and traditions.-Creating a space for ancestors in your home is important…and much more!Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERETime Stamps for this Episode:[01:38] Introduction[04:22] The significance of liminal times[09:54] The importance of ancestry in feng shui[12:35] Cultural celebrations for the dead[17:54] Ways to connect with your ancestry[20:54] Creating an ancestor altar[23:30] Feng shui principles for creating an altarNEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
En Ivoox puedes encontrar sólo algunos de los audios de Mindalia. Para escuchar las 4 grabaciones diarias que publicamos entra en https://www.mindaliatelevision.com. Si deseas ver el vídeo perteneciente a este audio, pincha aquí: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lem_JgyodMY Renacer es dejar morir lo que ya no te sirve para dar paso a una versión auténtica y alineada con tu plan de alma. Cristina Navarro te invita a acompañar este proceso de transformación profunda con técnicas de Tapping que liberan bloqueos y abren camino a tu nueva vida. Cristina Navarro 30 años de estudio de la energía. Especialista en Acupuntura, Feng-shui y Radiestesia. Formadora desde hace años de Alquimia Energética. Investigadora del campo energético y armonizadores de desequilibrios energéticos en espacios y lugares. http://www.puravidaki.com Más información en: https://www.mindaliatelevision.com PARTICIPA CON TUS COMENTARIOS EN ESTE VÍDEO. ------------INFORMACIÓN SOBRE MINDALIA----------DPM Mindalia.com es una ONG internacional, sin ánimo de lucro, que difunde universalmente contenidos sobre espiritualidad y bienestar para la mejora de la consciencia del mundo. Apóyanos con tu donación en: https://www.mindalia.com/donar/ Suscríbete, comenta positivamente y comparte nuestros vídeos para difundir este conocimiento a miles de personas. Nuestro sitio web: https://www.mindalia.com SÍGUENOS TAMBIÉN EN NUESTRAS PLATAFORMAS Facebook: / mindalia.ayuda Instagram: / mindalia_com Twitch: / mindaliacom Odysee: https://odysee.com/@Mindalia.com *Mindalia.com no se hace responsable de las opiniones vertidas en este vídeo, ni necesariamente participa de ellas.
This week on the Holistic Spaces podcast, we are discussing feng shui rituals to honor the autumn season. Starting with the significance of autumn from the feng shui perspective, we explore the cyclical nature of yin and yang, and the connection to the metal element. We share practical rituals to align with the energy of the season that can help embrace change and letting go as we prepare for the winter ahead.What we talk about in this episode:-Autumn as a time for letting go and decluttering-Rituals that can help align with seasonal energies-Engaging with nature to help connect with seasonal changes-Wearing white to enhance the metal element's energy-Sound rituals to activate energy…and much more!Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERETime Stamps for this Episode:[01:27] The essence of autumn[02:48] Yin and yang as is relates to seasonality[06:30] Feng shui rituals for autumn[09:53] The metal element and autumn[11:24] Sound ritualsNEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
Take a look at all the famous logos with the hidden messages that might surprise you. Every line and color in the logos of the world's most famous companies have a whole lot of meaning behind them. From hidden messages in Wendy's symbol to NBC's peacock secret – get ready to learn a bunch! For example, it's hard to believe, but Pepsi paid over a million dollars to create this special logo with its secret meanings. The new design hints at mysterious and secretive themes, such as the Earth's magnetic field, Feng shui, Pythagoras, geodynamics, the theory of relativity, and the golden ratio. The designer has explained that this logo also makes reference to Mona Lisa, the Parthenon, and even René Descartes. The red, white and blue colors have always represented the American flag. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Across the world, September signals the start of the new school year and this week we are looking at how feng shui can be used to support our children, creating a more nurturing home environment for them. We discuss the importance of bedroom arrangement, incorporating design elements for emotional support, and activating family harmony in our homes. The power of feng shui is to support everyone in the home and can be especially useful for children to foster a more supportive atmosphere for growth and learning.We cover:-Feng shui practices that can be integrated into daily family life for lasting benefits -Using color to intentionally enhance a child's space-The ideal arrangement of a child's bedroom for their comfort and sense of well-being-Feng shui practices that can be modeled for children to encourage their own mindfulness…and much more!Mentioned in this episode:Our Free Feng Shui Energy Map EkitThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERENEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERETime stamps for the episode:[01:28] Introduction [03:25] Creating a supportive bedroom for your child[09:02] Bringing in elements of flexibility and kindness[13:44] Activating the family area of your home[16:43] Mindfulness exercises for your childrenORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE
Our guest this week is Olivier Cortambert of London, UK who is head of solutions architecture at Yospace and father of a son with a rare undiagnosed disease.Olivier and his wife, Feng, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of Antoine (3) who has a genetically tested undiagnosed disease, which presents with; low muscle tone, hearing loss, non-verbal as well as difficulty swallowing and walking. We learn about Small Steps, a UK based agency that provides free services to those who are unable to walk and the pros and cons of having an undiagnosed rare disease. We also learn about Olivier's involvement with the SFN Mastermind Group. The Cortambert family story is one filled with hope and optimism all this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes -WhatsApp – +44 7801 120520Email – olivier.cortambert@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortambert/Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/
This week on Smashing Secrets Feng Shui, Chloe and Jo ride the wave from a very real forest-fire moment (with a heroic cat Theo) to the soothing science of Blue Mind, before landing on your feng shui guide for September. We unpack the shift from Monkey month → Rooster month (starts 7 September) in a Snake year, what that means for BaZi (Chinese astrology), and how to work with yin wood over yin metal for clarity, creativity and calmer communication. In this episode Storytime: Chloe stumbles on a live fire in Epping Forest and rallies help (and records an interview!)—a lesson in intuition, earth energy and serendipity. Energy weather: What the Rooster month brings in a Snake year—endings → beginnings, polish, elegance, communication upgrades. Element check-in: Why yin wood creativity meets yin metal refinement—and when to lean on Water if your Day Master is Yin Metal. Blue Mind 101: Remembering Dr Wallace J. Nichols—why being in/near/on/under water calms the nervous system (and how to tap it when anxiety spikes). Nature prescriptions: Forest bathing, barefoot grounding, and why September–November wood energy loves you outside more than “activating” wood sectors at home this month. Feng shui compass tips (September): Luckiest sectors: South, South-West, West, North Trickier sectors: North-East, East, South-East, North-West → add appropriate remedies and go gently Your diary, sorted — 3 “banging” good dates (for everyone): 9 September (best 15:00–17:00 and 19:00–21:00) — success, heavenly happiness, relationship uplift 17 September — romance, weddings, stability, long-term moves, study starts, investments 23 September — openings, acquisitions, business launches; communications smooth as Rooster energy beds in Key takeaways September Rooster Month Feng Shui: Expect refinement, polish, and better communication after the 23rd. Chinese Astrology (BaZi) tips: Strong yin wood can feel pressurised against yin metal—support with Water (Blue Mind practices). Feng Shui Directions September: Prioritise S/ SW/ W/ N; apply cures in NE/ E/ SE/ NW. Wellbeing: Use water, nature, forest bathing, grounding to regulate and inspire. Lucky Dates September: 9th, 17th, 23rd—bookmark for proposals, launches, romance, and big conversations. Links & mentions Chloe's behind-the-scenes stories & essays: Substack – @ChloePresents Support extra tips, monthly cures & deep-dives: Patreon – Smashing Secrets Feng Shui If you enjoyed today's mix of feng shui, Chinese astrology, and a dash of real-life adventure, share the episode with a friend and tag us with what you're planning on 9th, 17th, or 23rd. Lots of love!
Many Amazon sellers from China excel at supply chain and operations, but struggle with branding and Western culture. This episode uncovers the hidden gap and how bridging East and West can change the game. Join us as we welcome Feng Xiaoxiao, a distinguished leader in the Chinese e-commerce community and a driving force behind 4,000 Amazon sellers in Shenzhen. Known as Professor Xiaoxiao, Feng shares her compelling journey from Shenzhen to New York, where she is currently pursuing a master's in integrated marketing at NYU. Feng provides insightful perspectives on the hurdles Chinese Amazon sellers face, such as high advertising costs and cultural misunderstandings, which impede their efforts to establish robust brands in the U.S. market. Her dedication to bridging these cultural gaps offers a unique lens into the e-commerce challenges faced by both Chinese and American sellers. Listen in as we explore the complexities of intellectual property (IP) awareness among Chinese sellers, heightened by Amazon's strict IP policies. Through education and adaptation, many are now prioritizing innovation and registering patents, although IP infringement remains a significant issue. We discuss the contrasting strengths of American and Chinese sellers, where Americans shine in innovation and branding, and Chinese sellers excel in product enhancement and cost reduction. This episode also touches on the misconceptions Americans may have about modern China and the potential for cross-cultural learning to enhance e-commerce strategies on platforms like Amazon. In a fascinating conversation about cross-cultural marketing, we dive into the intersection of Chinese and American e-commerce sellers, emphasizing the necessity of mutual learning. Feng shares success stories and highlights the importance of cultural understanding and aesthetic alignment in improving brand appeal. We also discuss strategies for targeting specific U.S. audiences, using tools like Facebook data to find unique market positions. As we wrap up, the discussion turns to the opportunities for collaboration between Chinese and American sellers, aiming to foster fair competition and mutual growth in the competitive landscape of global e-commerce. In episode 462 of the AM/PM Podcast, Kevin and Xiaoxiao discuss: 00:00 - Challenges of Chinese Amazon Sellers 02:33 - Global Connections Through Technology 06:20 - Challenges of Building US Brand 14:39 - Chinese Amazon Sellers & IP Infringements 19:01 - Cross-Cultural Marketing in E-Commerce 22:59 - Cultural Influence on Conversion Rates 29:08 - Market Research and Cultural Understanding 33:06 - Marketing Strategies and Consumer Data 37:25 - Reliability of Academic vs AI Data 41:27 - Opportunities for Chinese and American E-Commerce Seller Collaboration 48:01 - Amazon Business Owner Seeks Branding Help 54:07 - Common Ground Between East and West
Feng Chen Wang is a Chinese, London-based fashion designer who embodies what it means to update tradition. Her eponymous brand creates pieces that are deeply personal yet globally resonant, merging traditional Chinese references with modern tailoring, sportswear influences and futuristic silhouettes. As her brand marks a decade of boundary-pushing design, Wang reflects on her upbringing in Fujian, collaborations with major brands such as Converse and why straddling cultures is her superpower in both design and business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to Art is Awesome, the show where we talk with an artist or art worker with a connection to the San Francisco Bay Area. Today, we are replaying Emily's chat with photographer Shao Feng Hsu from August of 2023. The Podcast is taking a quick end of Summer break, but will return with a brand new Episode in mid September. About Artist Shao Feng Hsu:Shao-Feng Hsu is a photographer whose work around the world mainly focuses on the interaction of humans and aquatic environment. From his native Taiwan — where he trained as a competitive swimmer — to Australia, Cambodia, Japan, and beyond, Shao-Feng Hsu has immersed himself in aquatic cultures in an ongoing study of the impact of the Anthropocene Era on our waters. In December 2017, he was selected to participate in Angkor Photo Festival Workshop, where he documented life in a village without proper sanitation and running water. Expanding on the project's themes back in Taiwan, he collaborated with the environmental NGO, RE-Think, on projects to illustrate shoreline pollution. His project, Inner Tidal Zones, combines color photograms and digital images to capture the perspective of aquatic creatures and the emotions of the water. He is a graduate of the Creative Practices program at the International Center of Photography and a recipient of Rita K. Hillman Award of Excellence. During the pandemic lockdown he co-founded Fotodemic.org and cademy.biz. He is currently a Fellow at the Headlands Center of the Arts and teaches B&W darkroom at California College of the Arts (CCA) Photography Program.Visit Shao's Website: ShaoFengHsu.comFollow Shao on Instagram: @ShaoFengHsuFor more about the Headlands Graduate Fellowships HERE.Pictures of You: Headlands Center for the Arts Graduate Fellowship Exhibition at The LabSF Camerawork --About Podcast Host Emily Wilson:Emily a writer in San Francisco, with work in outlets including Hyperallergic, Artforum, 48 Hills, the Daily Beast, California Magazine, Latino USA, and Women's Media Center. She often writes about the arts. For years, she taught adults getting their high school diplomas at City College of San Francisco.Follow Emily on Instagram: @PureEWilFollow Art Is Awesome on Instagram: @ArtIsAwesome_Podcast--CREDITS:Art Is Awesome is Hosted, Created & Executive Produced by Emily Wilson. Theme Music "Loopster" Courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 LicenseThe Podcast is Co-Produced, Developed & Edited by Charlene Goto of @GoToProductions. For more info, visit Go-ToProductions.com
Last time we spoke about Black Saterday and Operation Iron Fist. Conflict erupted in Shanghai on August 13, when Japanese marines disguised as civilians provoked Chinese guards, resulting in fierce gunfire and urban warfare. Both sides engaged in skirmishes around vital locations, with the Eight Character Bridge becoming a focal point. On August 14, air raids misfired catastrophically, killing over a thousand civilians in what became known as "Black Saturday." In an attempt to regain control, Chiang Kai-shek authorized Operation Iron Fist, a bold offensive targeting Japanese strongholds. The attack commenced early on August 17, involving coordinated assaults aimed at exploiting weak points in the enemy defenses. However, poor coordination, entrenched opposition, and the complexity of urban combat resulted in further devastating losses for the Chinese troops. By August 18, Operation Iron Fist had failed, with the Japanese reinforcing their positions and announcing a strategic shift towards expanded military engagement. #158 The Battle of Shanghai Part 3: The Chinese Counteroffensive “Drive them into the Sea!” Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On August 18, the Japanese military reinforced their presence in Shanghai, shipping an additional 1,400 marines from Manchuria to bolster the ranks of the Japanese Shanghai Special Naval Landing Force or “SNLF”. Yes, all of you who don't listen to my Pacific War week by week podcast are going to get a lot of acronym lessons soon. And yes, they are not quote en quote real marines, but like most telling these stories its easier to refer to them this way. This influx of troops was a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, heightening tensions as the battle for control intensified. As the battle in Shanghai raged on, a growing sentiment emerged among Chinese leaders that crucial chances had been squandered. On August 18, Chiang Kai-shek sent his trusted aide, Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng, to confer with General Zhang Zhizhong at the front lines. They assessed the situation and agreed that instead of attacking the heavily fortified Hongkou area, they should redirect their focus to the Yangshupu district. The aim was to breach the defenses and split the Japanese forces along the Huangpu River. This strategic shift was precisely what the German military advisers and frontline commanders had anticipated, signaling a decisive move away from their earlier hesitance to engage within settlement boundaries. As attrition took its toll on the Chinese troops already committed in Shanghai, the responsibility for the offensive was placed on the newly arrived 36th Infantry Division, a unit highly trained by German forces. They were positioned to advance from the eastern edge of Hongkou, with two regiments tasked to march south toward the Huangpu. In the early hours of the 19th, two regiments of the 36th launched their long-planned attack, moving swiftly towards the front lines. The night was illuminated by the flames of sabotage and incendiary bombs, aiding visibility amid the chaos. However, the assault quickly faced significant challenges. Many of the Chinese soldiers were inexperienced, becoming easy targets for Japanese infantry positioned in rooftops and upper-story windows. In the absence of cover, some troops were forced to take shelter behind the fallen bodies of their comrades. For a moment, the Chinese troops felt a surge of hope, believing they could push the Japanese into the Huangpu River. General Zhang Fakui, observing from the opposite bank, envisioned a breakthrough. However, upon reaching Broadway, parallel to the river, they confronted a formidable barrier. High walls guarded the wharves, and even the largest artillery pieces struggled to breach the defenses. Attempts to scale the steel gate resulted in devastating fire from entrenched Japanese machine gunners, while fortified factories like the Gong Da Cotton Mill proved equally impenetrable. As the Chinese forces suffered under relentless bombardment, their momentum diminished. The 88th Infantry Division, previously effective, showed signs of disarray and hesitated to engage. Compounding their woes, Japanese reinforcements arrived, swelling their ranks to 6,300 well equipped marines. Despite these challenges, the Chinese committed to deploying their newly acquired British built Vickers tanks, a symbol of their efforts to modernize their military over the years. But with each hour, the balance of power tilted further in favor of the Japanese forces. Meanwhile the 87th Infantry Division was assigned two armored companies, yet it suffered catastrophic losses. The tanks, recently shipped from Nanjing, had crews untrained in coordinated assaults, and many were left without infantry support. The Chinese forces struggled to secure adjacent streets, allowing Japanese armor to outflank and destroy their tanks. The Japanese, too, faced coordination challenges between their armor and infantry, resulting in some of their tanks being annihilated by Chinese anti-tank weapons. On the 20th, General Zhang Zhizhong inspected the Yangshupu front and encountered a former student leading a tank company ready to attack the wharves. The tanks, hastily repaired and ill equipped for battle, faced fierce enemy fire, and the young officer expressed concern about the infantry's ability to keep pace. Despite Zhang's insistence that the assault must proceed, the attack ended in disaster as the tank company was decimated by shells from anchored vessels. The battle blended modern warfare with tactics reminiscent of earlier centuries. An officer named Wu Yujun managed a position during a Japanese cavalry attack on the 18th. After two unsuccessful assaults, Wu set an ambush that resulted in the annihilation of the Japanese riders. This incident illustrated the stark contrast on the battlefield where Chinese soldiers often confronted a technologically superior enemy while grappling with their own inexperience. Many of the Chinese units arriving in Shanghai were very green, countless having never faced battle before, and their lack of experience proved costly in the initial days of fighting. Brigade Commander Fang Jing of the 98th Division observed that his soldiers constructed inadequate fortifications that crumbled under the Japanese 150mm howitzers. He lamented, “Often, the positions they built were too weak and couldn't withstand the enemy's artillery,”. On the 20th, 5 Chinese aircraft returned after yet another unsuccessful attack on the Japanese battleship Izumo, which remained anchored in the Huangpu. During their flight over western Zhabei, they encountered two Japanese seaplanes. One Chinese pilot broke formation, diving steeply to fire a brief machine-gun salvo, but his plane was quickly shot down, bursting into flames before crashing. The Chinese attacks had posed a significant threat to Japanese bombers, particularly the vulnerable Mitsubishi G3M medium aircraft targeting Shanghai and central China. Japan's First Combined Air Group suffered heavy losses, with half of its medium attack planes damaged or destroyed within the first three days of fighting. However, the Chinese pilots, largely inexperienced and inadequately trained, began to falter against the superior Japanese fighters, eventually withdrawing from the skies over Shanghai. Ground troops expressed frustration over the lack of effective air support, as they rarely saw their planes after the 20th, instead carrying out major troop movements only under the cover of darkness. The Japanese air superiority drastically affected operations on the ground, dictating when Chinese soldiers could eat and transport supplies. Without effective fighter protection and limited anti-aircraft capabilities, the Chinese troops were left exposed. Most of their anti-aircraft weaponry consisted of 20mm Solothurn guns that were ineffective against aircraft and were more often used against infantry. Officers hesitated to use these guns for fear of revealing their positions to the enemy. By the morning of the 21st, the 36th Division had been relentlessly attacking the wharf area for over 48 hours, yet victory remained elusive. Although some tanks had infiltrated the wharf, they were met with dishearteningly strong Japanese defenses and a well-manned enemy presence. The commanders recognized that they had advanced too quickly without securing their flanks, and their reserves, which could have provided crucial support, remained in the rear. Reluctantly, they concluded that a withdrawal was necessary. The retreat was a painful acknowledgment that pushing the Japanese into the Huangpu River would not be as straightforward as hoped. Part of the Chinese failure stemmed from an inability to execute joint operations across different military branches. German advisors noted that artillery support for the forces in Yangshupu from the Pudong side was limited. In contrast, Japanese naval guns were actively providing support, significantly relieving the pressure on their marines. This imbalance resulted in heavy losses for the Chinese, with the 36th Division suffering over 2,000 casualties by the late 22nd. Meanwhile, Japanese naval aircraft attempted to impede the movement of additional Chinese troops to Shanghai by bombing the railway from Suzhou. Although several bridges were destroyed and railway stations sustained damage, the delays were minimal, offering some reassurance to Chinese commanders who understood that reinforcements were essential for a successful continuation of the battle. The light cruiser Jintsu, carrying the 3rd Division, set to land six miles north of Shanghai, while the 11th Division would disembark a dozen miles further up the Yangtze River. By the evening of the 21st, the task force arrived at the Yangtze River and the Saddle Islands off the river estuary. The soldiers had to transfer to smaller vessels capable of navigating the shallow waters of the Huangpu River. On the 23rd, Matsui Iwane got aboard the light cruiser Yura and was greeted by Rear Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, then the commander of the 8th cruiser division. Yes, the same man who would be blamed for losing at Midway in 1942. The Japanese fleet had made a strategic sweep as far south as Hangzhou Bay the previous day to disrupt Chinese troop movements and force them to spread thin along the coast. However, with the landings imminent, it was clear the assault would happen at Wusong and Chuanshakou. Initially, Matsui preferred landing both divisions at Chuanshakou for a sweeping advance into the lightly defended countryside west of Shanghai, which would encircle tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers. The 3rd Fleet, however, proposed a bolder strategy: the 11th Infantry Division would proceed with the landing at Chuanshakou, while the 3rd Infantry Division would land at Wusong, directly confronting the heavily concentrated Chinese forces around Shanghai. This plan aimed to exert pressure from both the front and the rear, a tactic that could yield success but risked high casualties if faced with stiff Chinese resistance. Aware of the operation's risks, the naval officers sought to ease potential tensions with their army counterparts by offering over 500 elite marines to support the assault, preparing for what could be a pivotal moment in the campaign. Shortly after midnight on the 23rd, the marines designated as the primary assault wave at Wusong arrived in a convoy of steamers from Shanghai. Their arrival was eagerly anticipated, as they would spare the 3rd Division from being the first to land. As the naval artillery barrage reached a deafening climax, the boats glided across the smooth water towards the shore. Any time a Chinese machine gun opened fire, it drew immediate response from the Japanese gunners, swiftly silencing the threat. Meanwhile, trench mortars onshore targeted the advancing vessels, but their rounds fell harmlessly into the water without causing any damage. At 3:00 am, the first landing craft reached the bank, dropped anchor, and lowered its ramp. The marines waded ashore, climbing the 15 foot high dike to survey the terrain. Suddenly, machine gun fire erupted from a Chinese position just 50 yards away, cutting down several marines. Undeterred, the marines charged with fixed bayonets across the open field. An explosion marked the spot where a soldier had triggered a landmine, followed by more detonations, but there was no retreat; they pressed on, swarming over the Chinese trench and engaging in a brief yet fierce hand-to-hand struggle. Within moments, they had taken the position. The marines quickly cleared the area, paving a path to their immediate objective, a military road running parallel to the Huangpu River. While setting up defensive positions, the 3rd Division began to disembark at the water's edge. By 8:00 a.m, the divisional command stepped ashore as the last unit to arrive. Meanwhile, naval pilots were busy bombing and strafing roads further inland to impede any enemy reinforcements. The landing had unfolded with remarkable success, marking a significant moment in the operation and setting the stage for greater advances by Japanese forces. Meanwhile the 11th division began setting foot on the beach north of Chuanshakou at 3:50 am. As the soldiers advanced towards the town's outskirts, they encountered only minimal resistance as Chuanshakou was defended by a single Chinese company. Matsui was pleased with the outcome; everything had unfolded according to plan and, in fact, better than he had dared to hope. Casualties in both divisions were surprisingly low, amounting to little more than 40 soldiers. At 5:30 am, Zhang Zhizhong received an urgent phone call at his new headquarters in a small village near Nanxiang. On the line was Liu Heding, commander of the 56th Infantry Division, reporting that an enemy force of unknown size had landed near Chuanshakou. With heavy bombardment disrupting communications, details were scarce, but Zhang immediately recognized the gravity of the situation: a new front was opening, complicating his command significantly. Realizing he could not effectively manage the situation from Nanxiang with communications down, Zhang decided to head to the command post of the 87th Infantry Division in Jiangwan, a town closer to the landing area. By the time he arrived at the 87th Division's base, it was nearly 9:00 am. He was informed that the Japanese had not only landed at Chuanshakou but also at Wusong. Recognizing the urgency, he quickly dispatched half of the 87th Infantry Division and a regiment from the recently arrived Training Brigade, an elite unit fresh from Nanjing, to respond to the threat. Given that the 56th Infantry Division alone could not secure the area around Chuanshakou, Zhang assigned the 98th Infantry Division to defend most of the Yangtze riverbank under threat. He also dispatched the 11th Division, which had just arrived in the Shanghai area with Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng to move toward Luodian, a town just a few miles from the landing zone at Chuanshakou. Meanwhile, the Japanese forces were advancing swiftly. While the main landing contingent engaged in fierce fighting for control of Chuanshakou, a small unit of a few hundred soldiers was dispatched down the road to Luodian. Marching under the scorching August sun, the reservists, weary from the trek, found little resistance upon reaching Luodian. They hastily set up camp without adequately preparing defenses, making them vulnerable targets. Later that afternoon, advance units of the 11th Infantry Division reached Luodian, shaken but determined to attack even after facing air raids on their journey. The ensuing skirmish was swift; within an hour, the Japanese were repelled. Back over at Wusong Hu Guobing received orders to push back the Japanese on August 21st. He led his regiment towards the Japanese lines, as his platoons dispersed further, dividing into smaller squads. Soon, the sharp crack and rattle of small arms fire resonated along the regiment's front. Battalion Commander Qin Shiquan, a graduate of the Central Military Academy, led two companies toward the enemy positions, taking care to remain unnoticed. When they drew close enough, he ordered his bugler to sound the charge. Then, raising his Mauser pistol, he turned to face his men and shouted, “Attack! Attack!” This sudden noise revealed his position, making it vulnerable. Japanese observers hidden nearby quickly relayed his coordinates to warships offshore. Within minutes, shells began to rain down on the unit with alarming accuracy. Amidst the storm of fire unleashed by the Japanese, all semblance of order disintegrated, and chaos ensued as each unit fought to survive. Hu Guobing spent most of the day dodging Japanese aircraft that circled overhead, waiting for targets to emerge. As Hu Guobing recalled “It felt as though the enemy could see everything. It was crucial not to act rashly. Our only real options were to take cover in a hole or hide behind a ridge”. The gunfire continued throughout the afternoon and did not relent until darkness began to fall. Only then could the soldiers breathe a little easier, grab a few bites of their field rations, and quench their parched throats with sips from their water canteens. Seizing the relative safety of night, they hurried to improve their positions, knowing that once dawn arrived, it would be too late; a shallow trench or inadequate camouflage could spell doom. Although it had been Chiang Kai-Shek's decision to place Zhang Zhizhong and Feng Yuxiang in charge of Shanghai, now designated the 3rd War Zone, he was having regrets. In a telephone conversation with Feng Yuxiang shortly after the Japanese landings, Chiang emphasized the importance of monitoring the younger front-line commanders. He urged “Don't hesitate to give them advice,”. Feng assured him that he would not hold back. He then recounted an anecdote about General Nogi Maresuke, who, during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, allegedly delegated all major decisions to his chief of staff. Feng told him “The frontline commanders possess courage and a fighting spirit. Their role is to take orders and engage in battle. Mine is to stay back, like Nogi, write a few poems, and wait for the inevitable,”. Chiang persistently insisted, “Regardless of the situation, don't be shy. Share your insights with them.” “Of course,” Feng responded. “If I notice something amiss, I'll address it without hesitation. You can count on me.” However, this assurance did little to calm Chiang's concerns. A great concern was Zhang Zhizhong. Much of his rhetoric about fighting the Japanese seemed to lack substance. Zhang had not demonstrated the necessary resolve to launch attacks against the small Japanese forces in the city when decisive action could have turned the tide of the battle. With Japanese reinforcements firmly entrenched in two locations within the greater Shanghai area, it was now too late to pursue a quick victory over the enemy. Compounding the issue, Zhang appeared to spend an excessive amount of time making grandiose statements to the newspapers rather than focusing on the ground situation. Chiang's frustration was palpable, and it was shared by his German advisors, who concurred that Zhang lacked the requisite “toughness” to confront Japanese resistance effectively. The decision to send Deputy War Minister Chen Cheng to the front was an early indication that Chiang was considering replacing Zhang. In a particularly humiliating twist, Zhang was not even informed of Chen Cheng's appointment and learned about it indirectly through other field commanders. Fearing that he was being sidelined, Zhang Zhizhong hurried to the 3rd War Zone headquarters in Suzhou to assess the situation. While in Suzhou, called Chiang, whom began harshly criticizing him for being so far behind the front lines. “What are you doing in Suzhou? What are you doing in Suzhou?”. Zhang Zhizhong replied “Mr. Chairman, I'm back in Suzhou to discuss important strategic matters. Otherwise, I'm constantly at the front What's the matter with you?” Chiang was incensed by this perceived disrespect. “What's the matter with me? You ask me what's the matter with me!” His voice rising to a hoarse shriek, Chiang Kai-shek abruptly hung up. At this point, Zhang must have had little doubt that his days as the chief field commander were numbered. The Japanese landings had accomplished their immediate objective of relieving pressure on the small marine forces holed up in Shanghai. As a result, the Chinese were forced to halt their attacks on Hongkou and Yangshupu and had to reconsider how to allocate their resources across various fronts. If the Japanese landing party grew large enough, the Chinese forces could risk becoming the target of a Japanese pincer movement. In essence, within a few days, they had shifted from an offensive posture to a defensive one. Against this backdrop, Chen Cheng, leading the 15th Army Group, arrived in Suzhou on August 24th. His presence aimed to bolster resistance, and he was also there to familiarize himself with local conditions, as he was expected to take on a greater role at the front shortly. Chen's confident demeanor and readiness to overrule local commanders indicated that real authority already resided with him. While he agreed with Zhang Zhizhong's plans from the previous day to counter the landings, he deemed them insufficient given the threat posed by the fresh Japanese troops. Consequently, he ordered that more soldiers be redeployed from Shanghai proper to the landing zones. To counter the dire situation, Falkenhausen devised a plan aimed at reigniting enthusiasm for the offensive among the Chinese forces. During a meeting on the 25th, he proposed rallying all troops in the Luodian area to mount a coordinated attack from all sides against the Japanese landing force. Emphasizing the German preference for a decisive strike, he aimed to push the invaders back into the Yangtze. The assembled officers expressed their agreement with the plan. However, as dawn broke, the optimism from the night's discussions began to wane. It had been 48 hours since the landings, and the Japanese army had solidified its foothold at Chuanshakou, rapidly approaching a point of strength that would make it nearly impossible to dislodge them. Tanks and artillery were assembled along the riverbank, while engineers constructed a pier to facilitate the faster unloading of troops and supplies. They had already established a bridgehead that extended 10 miles in length and reached a depth of five miles, initiating the construction of a road heading inland, an evident preparation for a major offensive. In a secret report to Chiang Kai-shek, Falkenhausen outlined the challenging situation as the Japanese consolidated their material advantages. “It should be noted that the enemy's army and navy operate in close coordination. Although their land-based artillery is still relatively weak, this is offset by their robust naval artillery and ship-based aircraft,”. He further noted that the airfields on Chongming Island contributed to Japan's now “complete air superiority, as a result, the main operations on our side should be executed after dark.” From late August onward, most Chinese movements occurred after sunset. Only then could Chinese and Japanese infantry engage on more equal footing, without the overwhelming advantage provided by air support. Night became the great equalizer in the uneven battle for Shanghai. During the day, the relentlessly active Japanese forces seemed to be everywhere. They deployed rubber boats up small rivers to scout and disrupt. Their observation balloons hovered on the horizon, keeping a vigilant watch on the Chinese and swiftly scrambling aircraft upon detecting any movement. They combined technological superiority with a bravery that bordered on the suicidal; when faced with the prospect of capture, many Japanese soldiers preferred death. Following a fierce battle in the vicinity of Luodian, the Chinese retrieved the body of a sergeant major who had committed hara-kiri, while a gravely injured private was found attempting to slit his own throat with his bayonet. Luodian remained the immediate target for nearly all the Japanese forces in the area, facing the same Chinese units that had driven them out on August 23rd. The Chinese were well entrenched in and around the town, but they lacked the numbers to consider launching offensive operations against the Japanese at Chuanshakou. Instead, their priority was to strengthen their defenses. While waiting for the Japanese to resume the assault, they endured massive and sustained bombardment. Among the Chinese officers, there was a growing sense of crisis and a palpable fear that their defensive line could collapse at any moment. From their perspective, the Japanese appeared to be gaining momentum. However, the situation looked quite different from the Japanese invaders' point of view. Japanese casualties began to rise as the Chinese reinforcements sent to the Luodian area started to make an impact. Two days after the landings, the number of dead and injured from the 11th Division had exceeded 400, and the toll continued to climb. Among the casualties was a senior staff officer who was killed moments after stepping off his landing craft at Chuanshakou, struck down by a Chinese aircraft that had evaded Japanese fighter cover. The death toll escalated so quickly that not all bodies could be cremated, as was customary for the Japanese; privates and junior officers were hastily buried instead. For an army that prided itself on honoring its fallen soldiers more than those left alive, this was a significant blow to morale. The 3rd Division faced different challenges in its sector. It was subjected to relentless attacks on the first day of the landing and had to repel two further major enemy assaults on the second day. Additionally, it experienced occasional shelling from Chinese artillery located on the Pudong side. The greatest threat, however, came from the division's right flank. North of the landing zone lay Wusong Fortress, which had been guarding the approach to Shanghai since the wars against British and French forces in the mid-19th century. From their fortifications, Chinese infantry and artillery continuously targeted the Japanese as they disembarked from their boats and advanced inland. They also fired upon small vessels navigating up the Huangpu River, delivering supplies to the division. As the 3rd Division expanded its bridgehead in the days following the landing, Wusong Fortress remained a persistent threat, impeding the buildup of Japanese forces on shore. Compounding the Japanese sense of being encircled, the village of Yinhang to the south was also under Chinese control. This, combined with the steadily increasing number of Chinese defenders in front of the landing zone, created a challenging tactical situation for the Japanese. Although initial casualties had been lighter than the planners had feared, the number of Japanese losses began to rise. By the 25th, the 3rd Division, often referred to as the “Lucky” Division, reported over 300 accumulated casualties. Two days later, that number had escalated to 500, the majority of whom were killed in action. On the 28th, the 3rd Division was finally able to capture the village of Yinhang, freeing itself somewhat from the tactical constraints it had faced up to that point. On the same day, following an intense naval bombardment, the 11th Division launched an assault on Luodian. Leading the charge was Wachi Takaji, a 44-year-old regimental commander who surged forward with his sword drawn, personally dispatching several enemies along the way. The Chinese defenders were driven out of the town and fled down the roads leading inland. By noon, Luodian was firmly under Japanese control. However August 29th marked a significant triumph for Chinese diplomacy, as Chiang Kai-shek's signed a non-aggression treaty with the Soviet Union. The pact between Nanjing and Moscow laid the political and diplomatic groundwork for Soviet military aid to China while ensuring that the Soviet Union would not reach an agreement with Japan as long as hostilities continued. Initially, Chiang Kai-shek had been wary of Soviet intentions, expressing concerns in his diary on August 1st, when the diplomats were preparing the treaty, that he feared the Kremlin might use the agreement to pressure Japan into signing a similar pact with Moscow. However, following the signing, skepticism gave way to optimism. Three days after announcing the treaty, Chiang confidently predicted in a speech that the Soviet Union would eventually enter the war against Japan. Chiang would not be wrong about that, but it would only come in 1945, officially. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had a clear reason to encourage China to engage in a full-scale war with Japan: it would secure Russia's western flank while he focused on the strategic challenges posed by a Europe dominated by Hitler. A conflict with China could drain Japanese resources, thereby reducing the threat from Asia in the long term. Exasperated British diplomats attempted to warn Chiang Kai-shek about what they perceived as a Soviet ruse, advising that the Russians “only have their own interests in mind.” Nevertheless, this did little to undermine the Chinese leader's belief in the Soviet Union's willingness to help. At a deeper cognitive level, there was a reason why Chiang Kai-shek and his associates clung to the belief that not only Soviet aid but also direct Soviet participation in the hostilities was imminent. This aligned with their expectations of how a war with Japan would unfold. The Chinese General Staff's War Plan A, drafted in 1937, was based on the premise that a conflict with Japan would soon trigger a larger conflict involving either the Soviet Union or the United States. Thus, the key objective for China was to withstand the superior Japanese forces until relief could arrive from a more powerful ally, whether that be Russian or American. This strategy was not as naive as it might seem; it was based on the understanding that neither Moscow nor Washington would want to see Japanese power grow too strong on the Asian mainland. Despite the capture of Luodian and Yinhang, the Japanese continued to face significant challenges. Their grip on the Shanghai region remained highly precarious, relying on control of two isolated pockets north of Shanghai and a beleaguered garrison within the city. Due to their numerical inferiority, they were under intense pressure from Chinese forces. The landings at Wusong and Chuanshakou had initially bolstered the manpower in the Shanghai area by fewer than 8,000 troops, and although reinforcements were gradually arriving, the pace was slow. Matsui Iwane recognized the need for a more radical increase in troop levels to achieve a decisive outcome. By the end of August, he cabled Tokyo, arguing that to complete the operation successfully, he required a total of five divisions or at a minimum the release of the 11th Division's Amaya Detachment, currently stationed in northeast China, to reunite with the division at Chuanshakou. The Japanese imperial staff and navy command responded mostly favorably, agreeing to redirect the detachment to Shanghai alongside several units of the elite marines. One week after the landings, Wusong Fort continued to pose a significant problem for the 3rd Division and the navy, which was responsible for supplying the division. Chinese artillery fire made anchoring near the landing zone a perilous endeavor, resulting in several naval officers being killed when caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. At times, the shelling was so severe that vessels had to interrupt their operations and retreat to a berth in the middle of the Huangpu River, unloading only part of their supplies. Matsui now planned for the 3rd Division to launch a frontal assault on Wusong, while the 11th Division would maintain a support role, dispatching only one regiment to assist. The attack commenced at 10:00 am on August 31rd. Following an intensive naval and aerial bombardment involving 30 planes, a regiment from the 3rd Division boarded landing craft, sailed down the Huangpu River, and landed on the riverbank north of Wusong. Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, the soldiers engaged in fierce skirmishes with scattered Chinese units in front of Wusong in preparation for a final entry into the city. Meanwhile, the Asama Detachment from the 11th Division initiated its part of the offensive by marching along the bank of the Yangtze toward Shizilin. On the morning of September 1st, the Japanese tightened their grip on Wusong. The regiment from the 3rd Division seized a hamlet west of Wusong and readied for an assault on the town itself. The defending Chinese forces put up strong resistance, and it was not until late afternoon that the Japanese made any significant progress, aided by artillery fire from their ships. The Asama Detachment experienced somewhat greater success that day, successfully capturing the fort at Shizilin in the afternoon. The Japanese launched their final offensive against Wusong at dawn on the 2nd. To their surprise, the fort fell with relative ease. By 10:00 am, Matsui saw the Rising Sun flag hoisted over Wusong. “I felt boundless gratification,” he noted in his diary. With the fall of Wusong, the town of Baoshan became the last major obstacle to uninterrupted Japanese control of the riverbank, stretching from Chuanshakou to the outskirts of Shanghai. The fort at Baoshan also posed a significant threat to Japanese naval operations due to its strategic location at the confluence of the Yangtze and Huangpu rivers. Chiang Kai-shek fully recognized the importance of Baoshan and ordered a battalion of the 98th Infantry Division to hold the town at all costs. Baoshan had one notable advantage: like many ancient Chinese towns, it was encircled by a thick city wall that had historically helped fend off invaders and still served its defensive purpose well. The Japanese were acutely aware that Baoshan favored defense, and even a small contingent of Chinese forces could potentially hold out for an extended period. On the 4th, the 3rd Division sluggishly advanced toward Baoshan. Around mid-afternoon, an artillery unit arrived to assist by bombarding the city wall. Despite this support, the Japanese soldiers, sent in waves to scale the wall, suffered significant casualties and failed to penetrate the defenses by nightfall. At noon on September 5, Japanese bombers launched an air raid on Baoshan, while naval artillery rained shells indiscriminately over the town's gray roofs. The land attack began an hour later when Japanese tanks advanced toward the town gates. The Japanese pressed the Chinese defenders into a shrinking perimeter. By sunset, the defenders were left with only 100 soldiers. The night passed without incident, as the Japanese refrained from attacking without air support, but everyone knew that dawn would herald the end. Just as the sun rose above the horizon, the assault resumed. As the city neared its fall, the defending commander Yao Ziqing ordered a soldier to escape and report the situation to his superiors. Unnoticed by the Japanese, the soldier scaled a wall and fled into the surrounding countryside, becoming the sole survivor of the battle. He carried with him a message from the battalion: “We are determined to stay at our posts and to continue fighting the enemy until each and every one of us is killed.” 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. Despite initial Chinese hopes for a counteroffensive by the newly arrived 36th Infantry Division, their inexperience and poor coordination led to heavy losses. As the Japanese gained reinforcements, they executed strategic landings at Chuanshakou and Wusong, overwhelming Chinese defenses. Amidst escalating casualties, Chinese troops struggled to maintain morale. However, their resolve to fight persisted, even as defeat loomed over the besieged city and its defenders.
Last time we spoke about the Oyama Incident and decision to fight at Shanghai. In July 1937, escalating tensions between Japan and China erupted into war after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. As conflict spread, Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek, believing in his nation's resilience, called for unity to resist Japanese aggression. A pivotal moment occurred on August 9 at Hongqiao Airport, where a violent confrontation left several Japanese soldiers dead. The circumstances remained murky, with both sides blaming each other, further inflaming hostilities. Despite attempts at negotiation, the military standoff intensified, leading to a consensus that war was imminent. Chiang mobilized troops to Shanghai, a crucial city for both strategic and symbolic reasons, determined to demonstrate that China could defend its sovereignty. The Chinese forces, under Generals Zhang Fukai and Zhang Zhizhong, faced logistical challenges but aimed to strike first against the increasingly aggressive Japanese military. On August 12, both nations prepared for conflict, leading to a drastic escalation. #157 The Battle of Shanghai Part 2: Black Saturday and Operation Iron Fist Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. On Friday, August 13 of 1937, the residents of Shanghai began enduring the sounds of rifle fire and machine gun salvos, punctuated by the distant booms of artillery. Members of the Japanese marines, disguised in civilian clothes and posing as rowdy thugs, boisterous ronin, arrived at barricades manned by the Peace Preservation Corps at the northern edge of Yangshupu around 9:15 a.m. They began to provoke the Chinese guards with loud taunts and jeers. When the Chinese fired a warning shot into the air, the Japanese retaliated with deadly intent. The Chinese responded in kind, resulting in a lethal exchange. From that moment on, the situation was beyond control. As the day progressed, nervous skirmishes continued throughout the northern part of Shanghai. Chinese commanders dispatched patrols to conduct probing attacks, hoping to identify weak points in the Japanese defenses and push them back wherever possible. Meanwhile, their Japanese counterparts rushed to occupy key positions outside their main line of defense, aiming to gain an advantageous position should their adversaries launch a larger offensive. Small bands of soldiers from both sides maneuvered along narrow alleys to minimize the risk of detection; however, whenever they encountered each other, the results were deadly. In the western sector of the front line, where the Chinese Army's newly arrived 88th Infantry Division was preparing its positions, the center of activity was the headquarters of the Japanese marines near Hongkou Park. This location resembled a fortress, featuring a massive four-story structure shielded from air and artillery bombardment by a double roof of reinforced concrete. The building, which encompassed a large inner courtyard, occupied two city blocks and could accommodate thousands of troops at once. Highly visible, it represented both a significant military threat and a symbol of Japan's presence in Shanghai. The Chinese were acutely aware of their objective: they had to eradicate it. The Sichuan North road lies south between the marine headquarters and the Japanese section of the International Settlement. This road became the scene of frantic activity from the first day of battle. Japanese armored cars and motorcycle patrols, with machine guns mounted on sidecars, sped up and down the otherwise deserted street, while trench mortars positioned along the pavement lobbed grenades into Zhabei to the west. As columns of smoke rose into the sky from buildings in the Chinese district, Japanese officers squeezed into a narrow conning tower atop the marine headquarters, watching the bombardment's results through field glasses. Reports of Chinese snipers stationed in the upper floors of buildings along the road prompted Japanese squads, led by sword-wielding officers, to carry out door-to-door searches. Suspects were unceremoniously dragged away to an uncertain fate. Not a single civilian was visible in the area; everyone stayed indoors, behind closed windows and drawn curtains. On the afternoon of August 13, the Eight Character Bridge, located west of the marine headquarters, became the site of one of the battle's first major engagements. The bridge, measuring just 60 feet in length and spanning a minor creek, was deemed by both sides to have significant tactical importance. The Chinese commanders viewed it as a crucial route for advancing into the Hongkou area, believing that if the bridge fell into Japanese hands, it would be like a "piece of bone stuck in the throat." At around noon, Major Yi Jin, a battalion commander of the 88th Infantry Division, led a couple of hundred men from around the North Railway Station toward Eight Character Bridge. When the soldiers reached their objective at about 3:00 p.m., they spotted a small Japanese unit that had just arrived across the creek and was setting up defensive positions. The Chinese opened fire and managed to secure the bridge, prompting the Japanese to launch a brief artillery bombardment that resulted in several Chinese casualties. Gunfire near the bridge continued intermittently until 9:00 p.m., when a fragile silence fell over the area. Further to the east, in the 87th Infantry Division's sector, the day was also characterized by frantic maneuvering, punctuated by lengthy bursts of violence. Chinese reconnaissance parties infiltrated enemy-held areas, making their way to the Japanese Golf Club near the Huangpu River, where they began shooting at workers busy preparing the makeshift airfield. As the first volleys from the Chinese snipers rang out, clouds of dust filled the air, causing the workers to hastily seek cover. Japanese soldiers stationed in the clubhouse immediately returned fire, throwing off the snipers' aim. After about an hour, two Japanese vessels moored in the Huangpu River, the destroyer Run and the gunboat Seta were called in to assist the Japanese marines facing the 87th Infantry Division on land. Four- and six-inch shells screamed across the sky, exploding in the Chinese districts to the north. Shanghai University was also shelled, as the Japanese troops on land believed it had been occupied by Chinese soldiers. Ultimately, the last remaining staff members, two Americans, were forced to flee the campus. The naval artillery had come to the aid of the beleaguered infantry onshore, a scene that would be repeated continually in the days and weeks to come. Late that evening, Chiang Kai-shek finally ordered his military commanders to “divert the enemy at sea, block off the coast, and resist landings at Shanghai” Even before the mobilization of troops began, panic swept through Shanghai. Meanwhile, the city's waterfront took on an increasingly ominous tone. The China Daily News wrote “Arms, ammunition, and supplies streamed from several Japanese cruisers and destroyers onto the O.S.K. wharf in what appeared to be an unending flow. Additionally, a large detachment of soldiers in full marching gear disembarked, while a cruiser, the Idzumo, two destroyers, and nine gunboats arrived shortly before.” Zhang Zhizhong, the commander of the left wing, finally received the orders he wished to hear. Zhang intended to deploy all available troops in a bold effort to eliminate the Japanese presence once and for all, following the strategy recommended by the Germans. However, the plan had a significant weakness. The assault was to focus on the marine headquarters and the rest of the Hongkou salient while deliberately avoiding combat within the formal borders of the International Settlement. This decision was made as a concession to international public opinion and was politically sound. However, from a military perspective, it was nearly suicidal and greatly increased the risks associated with the entire operation. The Hongkou area represented the most heavily fortified position along the entire front. The marine headquarters was at the center of a dense network of heavy machine gun positions, protected by barbed wire, concrete emplacements, and walls of sandbags. On Saturday, August 14th, the Nationalist military command decided to target one of the most significant Japanese naval assets in Shanghai: the Izumo, anchored with support ships on the Huangpu River in the city center. Shortly before 11:00 a.m., five Chinese planes appeared over the rooftops, flying toward the river and the Japanese vessels. The aircraft released their bombs, but all missed their target, with several detonating on the wharves, demolishing buildings and sending shrapnel flying through the air. In response, the Japanese battleships unleashed a massive barrage, further endangering those unfortunate enough to live or work in the area as shell fragments rained down with deadly force. At 11:20 a.m., another Chinese air raid occurred, this time involving three planes, once again targeting the Izumo. However, for two of the pilots, something went horribly wrong. “From one of the four monoplanes, four aerial torpedoes were seen to drop as they passed over the Bund, far from their intended target... Two others fell on Nanking Road.” Either the pilot misjudged the target, or there was a malfunction with the release mechanism. Regardless of the cause, the bombs landed in one of the city's busiest civilian areas, where thousands were walking, shopping, and enjoying a hot August Saturday. At 4:46 p.m., the public health department's work diary noted, “Palace Hotel hit! Many injured and dead in street! Nanking Road opposite Cathay Hotel.” A reporter vividly captured the horror of the scene: “A bomb arced through the air, struck the Palace Hotel with a glancing blow, and unleashed indescribable carnage. As the high explosive fumes slowly lifted, a scene of dreadful death emerged. Flames from a blazing car danced over distorted bodies. Bodies wrapped in coolie cloth lay in shapeless heaps at the entrances to the main doorways and arcades of the Palace and Cathay hotels, their heads, legs, and arms separated from smashed masses of flesh. The corpse of a Chinese policeman lay dead in his tracks, shrapnel lodged in his head, and a disemboweled child was nearby.” To make matters worse, another pilot mistakenly released his bomb over Avenue Edward VII, another major shopping street. When the numbers were finally tallied, over 1,000 people, both Chinese and foreign had been killed. The bombs struck the International Settlement, a zone that was politically neutral and presumed safe. Hundreds of civilians were killed culminating in what would soon be referred to as “Black Saturday” or “Bloody Saturday.” By the time these tragedies unfolded, the Battle of Shanghai had already entered its second day. Zhang Zhizhong's men prepared their positions for most of the day, then launched their attack late in the afternoon. Intense fighting erupted in the few hours before sunset, and it quickly became clear that the 88th Infantry Division was encountering resistance that was tougher than expected. In addition to the direct fire from entrenched Japanese positions, the attackers were bombarded by the Third Fleet's powerful artillery, which was awe-inspiring even when it employed only a fraction of its total strength of 700 pieces. However, the Chinese infantry lacked proper training in the use of heavy weaponry against fortified enemy positions. Their heavier guns, which could have made a significant difference, were held too far in the rear and missed their targets too easily, as inexperienced crews used flawed coordinates from observers who were not close enough to the action. Additionally, some of the Japanese positions had such thick defensive walls that it was questionable whether even the most powerful weaponry in the Chinese arsenal, the 150 mm howitzers, could do more than merely dent them. These tactics resulted in extraordinarily heavy losses for the Chinese, including among senior ranks. Around 5:00 p.m., Major General Huang Meixing, the 41-year-old commander of the 88th Infantry Division's 264th Brigade, was leading an attack near the marine headquarters. His divisional commander, Sun Yuanliang, attempted to reach him via field phone, but he was forced to wait. When he finally managed to get through to Huang, he cracked a rare joke: “It took so long, I thought you were dead.” Just minutes later, as if fate wanted to punish Sun Yuanliang for his black humor, Huang Meixing's command post was struck by an artillery shell, killing him instantly. Shock spread through the ranks as the news circulated, recalled Wu Ganliao, a machine gunner in the 88th Division. “Brigade Commander Huang was a fair-minded person, and he showed real affection for his troops. It was sad new”. Huang was by no means an exceptional case; Chinese officers died in large numbers from the very first day. One regiment lost seven company commanders in a single short attack. Several factors contributed to the high incidence of death among senior ranks. One reason was the ethos among some officers to lead from the front in an effort to instill courage in their men. However, leading from the rear could also be highly risky in urban combat, where opposing forces were often just yards apart, and the maze-like environment created by multi-story buildings and narrow alleys led to a fluid situation where the enemy could be just as likely behind as in front. Moreover, soldiers on both sides deliberately targeted enemy officers, perhaps more so than in other conflicts, because rigid leadership hierarchies placed a premium on decapitating the opposing unit's command. However, the massive fatality rates among officers, and even more so among the rank and file, were primarily the result of Chinese forces employing frontal assaults against a well-armed, entrenched enemy.The men who were dying by the hundreds were China's elite soldiers, the product of years of effort to build a modern military. They represented the nation's best hope for resisting Japan in a protracted war. Nevertheless, on the very first day of battle, they were being squandered at an alarming and unsustainable rate. After just a few hours of offensive operations with minimal gains, Chiang Kai-shek decided to cut his losses. In a telegram, he commanded Zhang Zhizhong: “Do not carry out attacks this evening. Await further orders.”In the weeks leading up to the outbreak of the battle of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek received a parade of leaders from various provinces eager to participate in the upcoming fight. After years of the Warlord nonsense , a new sense of unity began to emerge among them for the first time. All of these factions proclaimed they would lend their troops to his leadership if he pledged them against Japan. As a sign of his sincerity, Chiang decided to appoint the position of overall commander in Shanghai to one of his longest-standing rivals, our old friend, the finger nails inspector, Feng Yuxiang. This was a political savvy move directed at the Communists, trying to earn their favor. Feng Yuxiang did not hesitate when offered the command. “As long as it serves the purpose of fighting Japan, I'll say yes, no matter what it is.” His appointment was announced just as the first shots were fired in Shanghai. Feng was about a decade older than his direct subordinates, which Chiang considered an advantage. He desired someone who was both composed and prudent to counterbalance the fiery tempers of the frontline commanders, as Chiang put it“ The frontline commanders are too young. They've got a lot of courage, but they lack experience.” Feng moved his command post to a temple outside Suzhou in mid August. Almost immediately afterward, he visited Zhang Zhizhong, who had established his command near the Suzhou city wall. At that time, Zhang was just beginning to realize how formidable the Japanese resistance in Shanghai truly was. His staff started to notice troubling signs of his deteriorating health, sensing that sickness and exhaustion were taking a toll on his ability to stay upright and effectively lead the battle. Perhaps this feeling of being overwhelmed was why he failed to undertake basic tasks, such as providing adequate protection from air attacks. Meanwhile, Shanghai society responded to the sudden outbreak of war. In July, the city's residents worked, ate, drank, and played as they had for decades. Beginning in August, however, they had to entirely remake their lives. Local institutions began to relocate; by late September, it was announced that four local universities would open joint colleges with institutions in China's interior. In the country's premier commercial city, business was being devastated. “Like a nightmare octopus flinging cruel tentacles around its helpless victims,” the North-China Daily News reported, “the local hostilities are slowly strangling Shanghai's trade.” A shopkeeper lamented, “We obtain a lot of business, of course, from tourists who visit Shanghai. What tourists are there these days?” For the foreigners in Shanghai, the war was seen as a violent diversion, but nothing truly dangerous, at least, that's what they thought. For the Chinese, however, life was unraveling. As the fighting intensified around the Japanese district, thousands of refugees poured into the streets, heading for Suzhou Creek and the Garden Bridge, the only link to the International Settlement that remained open. It was a chaotic and merciless stampede, where the weak were at a severe disadvantage. “My feet were slipping… in blood and flesh,” recalled Rhodes Farmer, a journalist for the North China Daily News, as he found himself in a sea of people struggling to escape Hongkou. “Half a dozen times, I knew I was walking on the bodies of children or old people sucked under by the torrent, trampled flat by countless feet.” Near the creek, the mass of sweating and panting humanity was nearly uncontrollable as it funneled toward the bridge, which was a mere 55 feet wide. Two Japanese sentries were almost overwhelmed by the crowd and reacted as they had been trained, with immediate, reflexive brutality. One of them bayoneted an old man and threw the lifeless body into the filthy creek below. This act of violence did not deter the other refugees, who continued to push toward the bridge, believing they were heading toward the safety of the International Settlement. Little did they know, they were moving in the wrong direction, towards the horrific slaughter of innocent civilians that would mark the entire Shanghai campaign. The American advisor Claire Chennault had been in the air since the early hours of August 14. After only a few hours of sleep at his base in Nanjing, he jumped into a lone, unarmed fighter to observe the Chinese air raid as a neutral party. The night before, he had been at the Nanjing Military Academy, in the company of Chiang Kai-shek and his wife Soong Mei-ling. That night, as war loomed, Soong Mei-ling in tears said “They are killing our people!” Chennault asked “what will you do now?”. She replied “We will fight,”. Chennault was the one who suggested bombing the ships on the Huangpu River because of the artillery support they provided to the Japanese infantry. Since there was no Chinese officer with the expertise to prepare such an operation, Soong Mei-ling had asked Chennault to take over. Although he was completely unprepared for this new role, he felt a growing affinity for China, fueled by excitement at the prospect of contributing to their fight. Eleanor B. Roosevelt, the wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was in Shanghai at the time of the bombing and was horrified by the loss of innocent life. She sent a letter to Japan's premier, Prince Konoye, urging him to seek ways to minimize the risk of Chinese air raids, which she argued were caused by the presence of Japan's military in the Shanghai area. The Japanese did not respond. However, the day after her letter, the Izumo was moved from its anchorage near the Japanese Consulate to the middle of the Huangpu River. The cruiser remained close enough to contribute its artillery to the fighting inland, but far enough away to significantly reduce the danger to civilians in the city. The 15th was surreal, even after thousands had been killed in battle, the fighting in China remained an undeclared war as far as the Japanese government was concerned, and it committed forces only in a piecemeal fashion. The Japanese Cabinet continued to refer to events in Shanghai and further north near Beijing as “the China Incident.” However, euphemisms were not enough to disguise the reality that Shanghai was becoming a significant problem. In the early hours of the 15th, a Japanese Cabinet meeting decided to send army reinforcements to the hard-pressed marines in Shanghai, leading to the deployment of the 3rd and 11th Divisions. The two divisions were to form the Shanghai Expeditionary Force, a unit resurrected from the hostilities of 1932. Many of the soldiers sent to war were reservists in their late twenties and early thirties who had long since returned to civilian life and were poorly disciplined. In their habitual disdain for the Chinese, Japanese leaders figured that this would be more than enough to deal with them. Underestimating the foe would soon prove to be a mistake they would repeat again and again in the coming weeks and months. To lead the force, the Japanese leaders brought out of retirement 59-year-old General Matsui Iwane, a veteran of the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War. Matsui was a slight man, weighing no more than 100 pounds, with a large 19th century mustache and a palsy affecting his right side. He was not an accidental choice; he knew China well and had been an acquaintance of Sun Yat-sen. Hongkou or “Little Tokyo” had become an area under siege. Surrounded by hostile Chinese troops on three sides, its only link to the outside world was the dock district along the Huangpu River. From the first day of the battle, the area was bombarded with Chinese mortar shells, prompting an exodus among Japanese residents, some of whom had lived in Shanghai for years. An increasingly common sight was kimono-clad women carrying heavy loads as they made their way to the wharfs to board ferries taking them back to Japan. Hongkou, said visiting Japanese correspondent Hayashi Fusao, “was a dark town. It was an exhausted town.” Those who remained in “Little Tokyo,” mostly men forced to stay behind to look after their businesses, tried to continue their lives with as little disruption to their normal routines as possible. However, this was difficult, given the constant reminders of war surrounding them: rows of barbed wire and piles of sandbags, soldiers marching from one engagement to another, and the sounds of battle often occurring just a few blocks away. “Every building was bullet-marked, and the haze of gunpowder hung over the town,” wrote Hayashi. “It was a town at war. It was the August sun and an eerie silence, burning asphalt, and most of all, the swarm of blue flies hovering around the feet.” It seemed Vice Admiral Hasegawa Kiyoshi, the commander of the Japanese 3rd Fleet, had bitten off more than he could chew in aggressively expanding operations in the Shanghai area. August 16th saw repeated Chinese attacks, placing the Japanese defenders under severe pressure, stretching their resources to the limit. Rear Admiral Okawachi Denshichi, who headed the Shanghai marines, had to hastily commit reserves, including irreplaceable tanks, to prevent a Chinese breakthrough. That day Hasegawa sent three telegrams to his superiors, each sounding more desperate than the last. After his second telegram, sent around 7:00 pm, warning that his troops could probably hold out for only 6 more days, the Naval Command ordered the marine barracks at Sasebo Naval Base in southern Japan to dispatch two units of 500 marines each to Shanghai. Following Hasegawa's 3rd telegram later that night, the navy decided to send even more reinforcements. Two additional marine units, consisting of a total of 1,400 soldiers waiting in Manchuria for deployment at Qingdao, were ordered to embark for Shanghai immediately. The Chinese, however, did not feel that things were going their way. The battle continued to be much bloodier than anyone had anticipated. Throwing infantry en masse against fortified positions was the only feasible tactic available to an army rich in manpower confronting an adversary with a clear technological advantage. Yet, this approach turned the battle into a contest of flesh against steel, resulting in tremendous loss of life. Chiang Kai-shek was losing patience. After several days of fighting, his troops had still not succeeded in dislodging the Japanese from the streets of Shanghai. The Japanese marines entrenched in the Hongkou and Yangshupu areas proved to be a harder nut to crack than he or his generals had expected. At a meeting with his divisional commanders, Chiang ordered a massive attack to be launched in the early morning of August 17. The troops were to utilize more firepower and be better prepared than they had been for the assault three days earlier. Codenamed Operation Iron Fist, it was the most ambitious Chinese offensive in the first critical week of the Shanghai campaign. Colonel Hans Vetter, the advisor assigned to the 88th Division, played a key role in planning the offensive. He aimed to employ “Stosstrupp” or “stormtrooper” shock troop tactics that the Germans had effectively used during the Great War. After an intense artillery bombardment, a small, elite group of determined, well-armed men was to punch through the Japanese lines and fight their way deep into the enemy camp before the defenders had a chance to recover from the initial surprise. This procedure was to be followed by both the 88th Division moving in from the west, targeting the area south of Hongkou Park, and the 87th Division conducting a parallel operation from the east. Zhang Zhizhong recognized a window of opportunity while he still enjoyed a significant, but likely temporary, advantage against the Japanese. This opportunity had to be seized before reinforcements arrived. However, the odds were not favorable. Urban combat with modern weaponry of unprecedented lethality was a costly affair, especially when the enemy had the upper hand in the sky. Japanese airplanes constantly threatened the Chinese positions, carrying out relentless sorties throughout the day. The Chinese Air Force remained a factor, but it was uncertain how much longer it would hold out against the more experienced Japanese pilots and their superior, more maneuverable aircraft. The growing Japanese presence overhead, supported by both shipborne planes and aircraft based on airstrips on Chongming Island in the Yangtze Delta, greatly complicated any major movements on the ground. Despite these challenges, the Chinese Army continued its troop build-up in the Shanghai area. The 98th Infantry Division arrived on August 15 and placed one brigade, half its strength, at the disposal of the 87th Infantry Division, ensuring that the division's rear area was covered during Operation Iron Fist. Operation Iron Fist kicked off as planned at 5:00 am on the 17th. Utilizing all available firepower, the 87th and 88th Infantry Divisions launched simultaneous assaults against stunned and bewildered Japanese defenders. In line with the Stosstrupp approach of rapid penetration, Zhang Zhizhong introduced a new tactical principle, prompted by the severe losses during the first few days of fighting. Forces under his command were to identify gaps in the Japanese defenses and exploit them, rather than launch massive, costly, and most likely futile attacks on heavily fortified positions. Once an enemy stronghold was spotted, the main forces would circumvent it and leave just enough troops to keep it pinned down. Chen Yiding, a regimental commander of the 87th Infantry Division, played a pivotal role in the assault. His soldiers, each equipped with provisions for two days, made good progress during the first hours of Iron Fist, leveraging their local knowledge and moving with the slippery dexterity of alley cats. They would enter a building on one street, knock down the wall inside, and exit onto the next street, or they would throw down beams from rooftop to rooftop, sneaking as quietly as possible from one block to another without being noticed by those on the ground. They proved elusive targets for the Japanese, who expected them to come from one direction, only to be attacked from another. Nevertheless, changing the tactical situation from the previous days was not enough. The attackers encountered well-prepared defenses that sometimes could not be circumvented, resulting in significant losses from the outset of the assault. An entire battalion of the 88th Division was wiped out while trying to take a single building. Despite their sacrifices, there was no major breakthrough anywhere along the Japanese defense lines. This was partly due to strong support from Japanese naval artillery stationed along the Huangpu River and partly a reflection of poor coordination between Chinese infantry and artillery.Equally detrimental to the Chinese cause was their careful avoidance, during the first days of combat in Shanghai, of fighting inside the International Settlement or even in the predominantly Japanese part of the settlement, in order to avoid angering the outside world and swaying international opinion against them. This approach frustrated their German advisors. “It was obvious that the attacking troops had been told to engage only enemies standing on Chinese territory, not the ones inside the international areas,” the Germans wrote, with an almost audible sigh of regret in their after-action report. This frustration was shared by several Chinese officers at the frontline. “We are much handicapped by the demarcation of the foreign areas,” the adjutant to a divisional commander told a Western reporter. “We could have wiped out the enemy if it had not been for orders from the Central Government and our commander to avoid causing damage to foreign lives and to give them adequate protection.” The presence of the large foreign community primarily played into Japanese hands. Many of Chiang Kai-shek's officers believed that if the Chinese had been able to move through the French Concession and the International Settlement to attack the Japanese from the rear, they could have won easily. Zhang Fakui would later say “Without the protection provided by the foreign concessions, they would have been wiped out,”. At the end of the day, the Japanese emerged victorious. Their defense proved stronger, as it had for four long years on the Western Front during the Great War. The challenge facing the Japanese was tough, but at least it was straightforward and uncomplicated: they had to hold on to Hongkou and Yangshupu while waiting for reinforcements to arrive. They proved adept at this task. In many cases, Chinese soldiers found themselves fighting for the same objectives they had targeted when the battle for Shanghai began several days earlier. By August 18, the Chinese attack had been called off. Operation Iron Fist had proven to be a costly endeavor for the Chinese, who endured heavy casualties in the vicious urban fighting. The Japanese, on the other hand, suffered approximately 600 casualties, of which 134 were fatalities, according to the Official Gazette. The Japanese marine units dispatched from Manchuria on August 16, the day of crisis for their compatriots in Shanghai, arrived in the city during the morning of August 18 and were immediately thrown into battle. A few hours later, the Japanese Cabinet announced the formal end of its policy of non-expansion in China, which, by that time, had already been a hollow shell for several weeks. “The empire, having reached the limit of its patience, has been forced to take resolute measures,” it stated. “Henceforth, it will punish the outrages of the Chinese Army, thereby spurring the Chinese government to self-reflect.” 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. On August 13, Japanese marines, disguised as civilians, provoked Chinese guards, leading to mutual gunfire. The fierce urban fighting escalated, especially at the strategically vital Eight Character Bridge. Despite determined Chinese assaults, heavy losses ensued as they struggled against well-fortified Japanese positions. As artillery and air strikes rained down, civilian casualties soared, culminating in the infamous "Black Saturday," followed by the failed Operation Iron Fist.
Feng shui rules, celebrating some poddie birthdays, and weekend plans because Gavin is going out of town. You can join our Wally Show Poddies Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/WallyShowPoddies