Podcasts about Germany

00:00:00 – Cold open: AI-consciousness teaser, travel/schedule notes 00:04:32 – Alex Jones "clips of the week" (cutting-room chaos and impressions) 00:08:54 – More AJ riffing ("Mr. Pepperoni," maggot segment, broadcast zaniness) 00:13:25 – Caddyshack II parody project: song production chat & birthday viewing ritual 00:16:48 – Studio-cat hijinks; YouTube copyright strikes; segue to news 00:21:32 – Russia: worker keeps co-workers' salaries after transfer glitch; legal fallout 00:30:44 – Election roundup: NYC's ManDanny win and vibe check on results 00:35:22 – PBS-framed ManDanny vs. Trump quotes and reaction 00:40:25 – CA Prop 50 redistricting chat; broader election takeaways 00:44:45 – Utah Valley shooting claim: "12 Israeli phones" and what that could mean 00:49:46 – Enrollment stats follow-up; speculation; pivot to drone story 00:54:31 – Belgium nuclear base mystery drones; can jammers/anti-drone systems cope? 00:59:32 – DIY anti-drone startup video; cheap kinetic defenses vs. pricey jammers 01:04:20 – Russia→Venezuela hypersonic missiles headline; skepticism about capabilities 01:09:18 – Hypercolor tangent; then into "scientists disprove the simulation" debate 01:14:15 – Simulation paper segment wraps; move to Wacky News 01:19:04 – Dubai café's $980 coffee; tasting notes and sticker-shock 01:24:00 – Menu price spelunking; inflation/chat about "normal" dinner costs 01:28:46 – Germany: tourist mails back cathedral skull after ~60 years; absolution chat 01:32:57 – Catacomb details; packaging jokes; segue to next oddity 01:37:01 – Miami Publix "bathroom knife" incident; poop-knife memes and play-by-play 01:41:34 – Follow-ups, bond talk; tease of AI-Disney fake trailers segment 01:43:49 – Watching AI-generated Disney/Pixar trailers that don't exist; commentary 01:52:46 – Louvre jewel-heist/security tech tangent 01:57:43 – Sign-off & plugs; Saturday AI-consciousness teaser; "keep watching the skies" Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research ▀▄▀▄▀ CONTACT LINKS ▀▄▀▄▀ ► Website: http://obdmpod.com ► Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/obdmpod ► Full Videos at Odysee: https://odysee.com/@obdm:0 ► Twitter: https://twitter.com/obdmpod ► Instagram: obdmpod ► Email: ourbigdumbmouth at gmail ► RSS: http://ourbigdumbmouth.libsyn.com/rss ► iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/our-big-dumb-mouth/id261189509?mt=2  

We go to the heart of street photography in Berlin, Germany, to visit an independent camera shop where sales of analogue cameras are flying because of celebrities opting for old school tech. And we go behind the lens to the development labs to discover the rising demands and rising costs as equipment is sparse. What is the price of taking a good photo?If you'd like to get in touch with the programme, our email address is businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Sean Allsop

Most countries have a value added tax of some kind that is computed on consumption of goods and services. For example, European countries have extremely high VAT typically ranging from about 17% to 27% depending on the country, with most EU member states using standard rates between 19% and 25%. For example, Germany applies a standard rate of 19%, France 20%, Italy 22%, and Hungary 27% (the highest in the EU), while reduced rates can apply for specific goods and services such as food, books, or medicines depending on national policy.Canada has a goods and services tax of 5% charged by the federal government. Provinces also charge sales tax. In some cases the two sales taxes are combined into a harmonized sales tax. Like in the EU, the sales tax is charged at all stages in commerce, but the sales tax paid on input costs are deductible from the amount collected and owing.Are taxes inflationary? They fund the government, but slow the economy. The addition of import tariffs is just another tax. It's a sales tax levied on imports. Imagine if the federal government were to levy a sales tax on the American consumer. I believe there would be an outright revolt. I believe Republicans and Democrats alike would be united against such a move. It is pretty clear that the power of the purse rests with the Congress in the US. The executive branch of government does not have power to impose taxes. We will see if the tariffs imposed by the President will survive the challenge that is before the courts. ------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

In a historic victory, New Yorkers elect Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor -- thanks, in part, to a surge of young voters. One 24-year-old tells us why she jumped to help him run. A fellow Nova Scotia candidate says he did everything he could to get his friend Chris d'Entremont elected as a Conservative -- so it's a serious betrayal that he crossed the floor to the Liberals.A controversial new proposal would see teachers in Germany educating students on a subject that hasn't been on the curriculum for a long time: wartime preparedness. We'll get hold of a Catholic Priest from Chicago in the middle of his weeks-long trek to Ellis Island, New York -- to send a message of support for immigrant rights.A TikToker rates pedestrians on their sidewalk manners, becoming a social media darling in the process -- and you may find his sidewalk criticisms to be a real change of pace. People are still very upset about the shocking jewelry heist at the Louvre -- and now, they're arguing that the museum has never really had security down to a fine art.As It Happens, the Wednesday Edition. Radio that eavesdrops on a Louvre's quarrel.

Europe is a prime target for global adversaries. There is a strong emphasis on eCrime across the region as well as a rise in hacktivism and espionage stemming from ongoing conflicts. The CrowdStrike 2025 European Threat Landscape Report breaks down these trends. In this episode, Adam and Cristian cover the highlights. They start with cybercrime, a major theme of the report. The five most targeted European nations were the U.K., Germany, Italy, France, and Spain, which also represent the region's largest economies (excluding Russia). The most targeted sectors were manufacturing, professional services, technology, industrials and engineering, and retail. Adam explains how eCrime threat actors are looking for victims with a high need to stay operational. “With manufacturing, if they're knocked offline because of ransomware, they can count the downtime in dollars and cents,” he shares as an example. On the nation-state front, Russia is top of mind. Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many Russian threat actors who operated globally are more focused on Ukraine and areas related to the conflict. Adam and Cristian discuss reports of North Korean threat actors supporting the Russians with weapons and personnel, North Korea targeting Ukraine, and the tactics and techniques that stand out most. The European threat landscape is crowded and complex. Tune in to understand the key findings, and download the full report for more details. https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/resources/reports/2025-european-threat-landscape-report/

Ochelli Effect 11-5-2025 SNAFU NEWSThis week we released some old shows and if that gets a few more downloads than new shows, we might keep doing so until Chuck Returns from Texas around the 25th. We had to do at least one SNAFU NEWS before Friday when we plan to have LIVE events, -8pm , The Regular Call-in show 8-10pm, Ae of Transitions 10-11pm & Uncle The Podcast 11pm-Midnight. LL Times Eastern)SELECTION NIGHT 2025 + SHUTDOWN RUNDOWN = AMERICA LAST ?Bomb threats in New Jersey and Trump warnings for California mark Election Dayhttps://apnews.com/article/election-2025-voting-threats-monitors-ballots-225eba3f30c8697924fc166ed9996736?Democrats sweep key races in 2025 elections in early referendum on Trumphttps://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/election-day-2025-voting-results/ Americans will still get partial SNAP benefits despite Trump post, White House saysThe clarification comes after the president threatened on Truth Social to withhold federal food aid funding until Democrats agree to reopen the government. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/04/trump-snap-funding-shutdown-food-aid-00635141Trump administration warns shutdown could force US airspace closureshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/04/government-shutdown-airspace-flight-delays---SNAFU EFFECTTwo men accused of plotting terror attacks at LGBTQ+ bars in the Detroit areahttps://apnews.com/article/michigan-arrests-terror-plot-f47736ddf21df6614f75fb932d6aeac4?China denies nuclear testing, calls on US to maintain moratoriumUS president claims China, Russia have carried out secret nuclear weapon tests as he seeks to justify return to testing.https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/3/china-denies-nuclear-testing-calls-on-us-to-maintain-moratoriumCBS News heavily edits Trump 60 Minutes interview, cutting boast network ‘paid me a lotta money'Trump said Paramount's sale to David and Larry Ellison was ‘greatest thing that's happened in a long time' for free presshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/03/trump-cbs-60-minutes-interview-editedAUDIO word from Mike SwansonMICHAEL SWANSONBE IN THE KNOW: Sign-up for The email listhttps://wallstreetwindow.comFACEBOOK:https://www.facebook.com/tradermike BY MICHAEL SWANSON:The War State: The Cold War Origins Of The Military-Industrial Complex And The Power Elite, 1945-1963https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EWLGXHW/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0Scenario Hypothetical = You discover your neighbor is either Fuentes or Carlson. A: How fast do you arrange to move your family a safe distance away? B: How long before Israel needs a preemptive strike because Tucker and Nick are less than 2 years from possessing Nukes? C: Do you finally commit to siding with the Warts and all element in modern Trumpism formerly known as The Republican Party, or side against it with something that makes sense which also automatically means no Woke, and Post-Woke American Democrats?Tucker Carlson's interview with far-right antisemite Nick Fuentes divides conservativeshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/31/conservative-reaction-tucker-carlson-nick-fuentes-interviewTucker Carlson under fire for Nick Fuentes interviewhttps://www.youtube.com/shorts/9_Z87k2rN1wCheck The whole interview and let Chuck know what clip he missed that is chocking PLEASE. Also he will come up with a prize for somebody who can begin to make a convincing case, This isn't simply a well planned PR uplift for both of them to raise money for The Groyper Army and solidify Tucker as the Alt Media 3.1 hero they've been selling him as since he left Alphabet Cereal land corporate media and occupy the space Charlie Kirks successors have already failed to keep a hold on?Listen for Yourself if you like...Tucker Carlson Interviews Nick Fuenteshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efBB0D4tf1YCarlson is a Content generator who has been inserted into the LEFT/RIGHT paradigm in every angle possible. He has been platformed and highly paid to infect nearly every ideological corner in American political discourse. Currently on his own branded platform today he has a long history of being employed by, everyone.Groyper Army = group of white Christian nationalists are followers, fans, or associates of American far-right figure and content creator  Nick Fuentes. The name is partially inspired by a variant of Pepe the Frog but there is a great deal of nuance absent in this definition.ALSO ALSOSeymour HershHOW DICK CHENEY MADE ME A BETTER REPORTERhttps://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-dick-cheney-made-me-a-better?utm_source=postKentucky plane crash: death toll rises to 12 as officials investigate how engine detachedhttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/05/ups-plane-crash-louisville-investigationDid Chuck mention the post-assassination Jackie Kenney Halloween costume controversy? ---FROM THE APAP Afternoon Wire HEADLINESFrom Tuesday 11-4-2025 Sir David Beckham: Soccer star is knighted by King Charles III for services to sport and charityMedieval tower collapse: Worker dies after 11 hours trapped within partially collapsed medieval tower in RomeObit: Mona Ziade, who helped shape the AP's Middle East coverage in the 1980s and ‘90s, dies at age 65Harvard explosion: 2 Massachusetts men have been arrested in the weekend explosion at Harvard Medical School, FBI saysGrand slam: Denny's to be acquired and taken private in a deal valued at $620 millionClimate: Pets contribute to greenhouse gases like us. Here's how to reduce their carbon pawprintWATCH: Christmas harvest begins in Germany, where some say decorating trees began---FROM THE RUNDOWNBomb threats in New Jersey and Trump warnings for California mark Election Dayhttps://apnews.com/article/election-2025-voting-threats-monitors-ballots-225eba3f30c8697924fc166ed9996736?It's never been easier to be a conspiracy theoristhttps://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/30/1126457/its-never-been-easier-to-be-a-conspiracy-theorist/Venezuela Strikes Fall Short of Triggering Legal Limits, White House Sayshttps://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/11/03/venezuela-strikes-fall-short-of-triggering-legal-limits-white-house-says.html Idiot Media Ignore 40 Years Of History To Pretend Trump Attacks On Cartels Are Unprecedentedhttps://thefederalist.com/2025/11/04/idiot-media-ignore-40-years-of-history-to-pretend-trump-attacks-on-cartels-are-unprecedented/Dick Cheney Dies at 84—Unfortunately Not at The Haguehttps://newrepublic.com/post/202647/dick-cheney-dies-iraq-war-torture-no-regretsCheney, architect of endless war, helped kill our faith in leadershttps://responsiblestatecraft.org/dick-cheney-dies/ Israel rocked by scandal as top military lawyer resigns, goes missing, is found and thrown into jailhttps://apnews.com/article/israel-military-scandal-prisoners-abuse-7becb2de4079b76b656910cc3c640d0d Israeli soldiers defend torturing Palestinian prisoner, saying they deserve thankshttps://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251104-israeli-soldiers-defend-torturing-palestinian-prisoner-saying-they-deserve-thanks/Here's the Only 40 Seconds of Fox News Covering Trump Not Knowing Who He Pardonedhttps://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/heres-the-only-40-seconds-of-fox-news-covering-trump-not-knowing-who-he-pardoned/Support Newsvandal / PayPalhttps://newsvandal.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=15a14ef5fbdec40eb0032a960&id=a1b4a4f870&e=0f82208480---BE THE EFFECTSUPPORT Ochelli and The NetworkMrs.OLUNA ROSA CANDLEShttp://www.paypal.me/Kimberlysonn1---NOVEMBER IN DALLAS LANCER CONFERENCENOVEMBER 21-23 2025DISCOUNT FOR YOU10 % OFF code = Ochelli10https://assassinationconference.com/The Fairmont Dallas hotel 1717 N Akard Street, Dallas, Texas 75201. situated with easy access to Dealey PlazaChuck will be the Emcee & A LIVE Myths Panel is PlannedBE THE EFFECTListen/Chat on the Sitehttps://ochelli.com/listen-live/TuneInhttp://tun.in/sfxkxAPPLEhttps://music.apple.com/us/station/ochelli-com/ra.1461174708Ochelli Link Treehttps://linktr.ee/chuckochelliAnything is a blessing if you have the meansWithout YOUR support we go silent.---NOVEMBER IN DALLAS LANCER CONFERENCEDISCOUNT FOR YOU10 % OFF code = Ochelli10https://assassinationconference.com/Coming SOON Room Discount Details The Fairmont Dallas hotel 1717 N Akard Street, Dallas, Texas 75201. easy access to Dealey Plaza

The Far Right in Europe and German Rearmament. Judy Dempsey examines the rise of Europe's far right, noting that while they succeed in complaining, they often struggle to govern, exemplified by the AfD's lack of concrete policies. Hungary's Viktor Orbán, though long-ruling, now faces popular pressure. Dempsey highlights Italy's Giorgia Meloni as an exception who has successfully governed by clearly communicating her reform agenda. She confirms that Russia supports destabilizing far-right movements across Europe, particularly hoping for an AfD win. Additionally, Germany's Chancellor Merz is committed to redeveloping the military and infrastructure for NATO defense.

The Far Right in Europe and German Rearmament. Judy Dempsey examines the rise of Europe's far right, noting that while they succeed in complaining, they often struggle to govern, exemplified by the AfD's lack of concrete policies. Hungary's Viktor Orbán, though long-ruling, now faces popular pressure. Dempsey highlights Italy's Giorgia Meloni as an exception who has successfully governed by clearly communicating her reform agenda. She confirms that Russia supports destabilizing far-right movements across Europe, particularly hoping for an AfD win. Additionally, Germany's Chancellor Merz is committed to redeveloping the military and infrastructure for NATO defense.

Today's Headlines: Democrats had a massive Election Day sweep nationwide — flipping or holding major seats at every level. At the Supreme Court, justices are hearing Trump's unprecedented tariff case — deciding whether he can impose tariffs on his own under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that the administration has “lots of other options” if they lose… but, of course, they won't. Meanwhile, Trump announced there will be no SNAP payments until the government reopens, despite multiple court orders requiring partial payouts. The shutdown is dragging on, and the Transportation Secretary warned that the FAA may have to shut down airspace next week due to thousands of unpaid, overworked air traffic controllers. In global security news, European officials say Russia tried to smuggle explosives onto cargo planes in Germany and the UK this summer — part of a wider sabotage campaign targeting Western aviation. Four people have been arrested so far. Stateside, a UPS plane crashed in Louisville, Kentucky, killing three and injuring at least 11. The FBI also arrested two people in connection with an intentional explosion at a Harvard University medical building over the weekend. And finally, former Vice President Dick Cheney — architect of the Iraq War and self-proclaimed “defender of democracy,” depending on who you ask — died yesterday at 84. Resources/Articles mentioned in this episode: CNBC: Bessent says U.S. has 'lots' of options to use on tariffs if it loses Supreme Court case Axios: Trump says SNAP will only get paid after shutdown, defying multiple court orders ABC News: Department of Transportation might be forced to shut down some airspace next week: Duffy  WSJ: Russia Suspected of Plotting to Send Incendiary Devices on U.S.-Bound Planes NBC News: Three dead, at least 11 injured in UPS plane crash in Louisville, Kentucky NBC News: 2 men arrested in explosion at Harvard University and accused of setting off firework in medical building, FBI says Axios: Former Vice President Cheney, architect of Iraq War, dies at 84 Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of American Thought Leaders, I visited the Food Independence Summit, an annual event dedicated to homesteading, sustainable living, and reclaiming food autonomy, in Walnut Creek, Ohio. The 2025 summit, with a theme of “Seed to Spoon,” took place in mid-June earlier this year in the heart of Ohio's Amish country.Homesteaders, farmers, gardeners, educators, and healthy food advocates spent two days together participating in hands-on workshops, listening to keynote presentations, and networking with like-minded people.For many Americans, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of supply chains, including the food supply chain. The summit's focus was on learning how to grow, preserve, and prepare homegrown food.While at the summit, I spoke with organizer John Miller to learn about the philosophy behind this growing homesteading and self-sufficiency movement. I also spoke with renowned farmer Joel Salatin about what new trends he's seeing.I even got some hands-on practice pressure-canning beef tacos with the help of Sarah Thrush, a canning expert and social media influencer.“There's a lot of reasons people can, but one of them is so they can decide what goes in the jar, like if you have health concerns, or if you want to know what your food is sourced from, or you just like your chili recipe and you want it in bulk,” Thrush said. “It's like the ultimate meal prep.”I also spoke to physician Julian Douwes, who flew to Ohio all the way from Germany. Dr. Douwes is the director at Clinicum St. Georg in Bad Aibling, Germany, where they developed the first known cure for Lyme disease. Many people in the Ohio Amish community suffer from Lyme disease. Miller himself was cured from an awful case of the disease through this therapy, called whole-body hyperthermia.Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Ink is one of country music's most fascinating new figures: Born in Germany, raised in Georgia, she's gone on to write with Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and more. On this week's episode of Nashville Now, Ink brings her swagger and joyful nature to the cabin to talk about her tremendous new EP Big Buskin'. Ink says she's “making a permanent mark,” and it's hard to disagree. We also send our cameras backstage at the Ocean Calling festival to talk to Nelly about his country crossover career that just won't quit.   Country is Here…Nashville is Now. Check out our Hear Now playlist on Spotify, updated weekly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week we step away from youth sports and talk about how parents can best support truly elite level, college, and professional level athletes on their journey in sports with Dr Sue Schimmel and Maureen Breeze, authors of the new book Playing the Long Game: A Handbook for Parenting Elite and College Athletes. We discuss conversation strategies, unintentional parental pressure, and investing in the relationship before you invest in the performance. Its a great conversation. Dr. Sue Schimmel is a clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience working with professional and collegiate athletes. She serves as a registered provider for several major leagues, including the NHL, MLS, NFL, and PGA, and is also listed in the USOPC Mental Health Directory.  For three years, she worked intensively with a Division I men's soccer team and continues to consult with multiple collegiate programs. Dr. Schimmel is also the co-author of Playing the Long Game: A Handbook for Parenting Elite and College Athletes and co-founder of The CAP Project, which offers resources, consultation, and research to strengthen the coach–athlete–parent relationship.  Maureen Breeze is a leadership development specialist and certified executive coach serving organizations including NASA, Johns Manville, Arrow Electronics, Kraft Heinz, University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Newmont Mining, among others. She has facilitated leadership trainings and team capacity building sessions for organizations across the U.S. and in Germany, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, and China. Maureen is the co-author of Playing the Long Game: A Handbook for Parenting Elite Athletes and cofounder of The CAP Project, which provides services and consultation to support the coach-athlete-parent dynamic. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at University of Denver's Center for Professional Development where she teaches business leaders coaching skills to support performance management and talent development.  Connect with the Authors: https://www.coachathleteparentproject.com/ BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call John@ChangingTheGameProject.com PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams. Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing.  Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

Upcoming Ayurveda Retreat/ Workshop/ EventsA Two-Week Immersive Healing Experience, with Dr. Vignesh Devraj MD (Ay)Guided personally by Dr. Vignesh Devraj MD (Ay), our upcoming retreat isn't just about receiving treatments, it's about transforming the patterns that created imbalance in the first place.Dates: December 22, 2025 – January 5, 2026Venue: Sitaram X The Postcard Old Goahttps://sitaramretreat.com/ayurveda-experience/Many Germans are drawn to Ayurveda not simply for detox or retreat experiences, but for something deeper: a structured space that allows surrender. In this conversation, Dr. Vignesh Devraj and Carina Preuss explore why certain cultures resonate so strongly with Ayurveda, the psychology of control and burnout, and how nature's rules offer a more sustainable path to health than society's rules.Episode Highlights:- Backstory of one of the Oldest German Panchakarma Retreats - Why Germans Feel at Home in Ayurveda- The habit of anticipating results & controls- Healing Through Rules of Nature- Younger professionals choosing Ayurveda for prevention Episode Timestamps:00:00 – 01:30: Intro & Setting the Context01:40– 08:30: Origin Story of Ayurveda Parkschlöss908:30 – 11:00: Early Days & Reception in Germany11:00 – 33:00: Why Germany Embraced Ayurveda33:00 – 42:00: Rules, Discipline & Relief42:00 – 47:30: Post-War Germany & Emotional Healing47:30 – 52:00: Panchakarma as Performance Strategy52:00 – 57:00: Future of Ayurveda57:00 – 60:00:Consciousness & Course CorrectionBook a Consultation with Dr. Vignesh DevrajIf you're interested in a one-on-one Ayurvedic consultation with Dr. Vignesh Devraj, you can schedule your session through this link: https://calendly.com/drvignesh/30-minute-session-with-dr-vignesh-devraj-md-ay-ist For those facing financial difficulties, we offer limited free consultations. You may apply using the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd29nHcrC1RssR-6WAqWCWQWKKJo7nGcEm8ITEl2-ErcnfVEg/viewform About Carina Preuss Carina Preuß is a 2nd-Gen Ayurvedic Entrepreneur. After completing her international hotel management studies and working in the luxury hotel industry worldwide, she joined the family business, Ayurveda Parkschlösschen, recognised as the Best Retreat in the World in 2020. She is also a certified yoga teacher and has been leading the Parkschlösschen yoga department since 2013. In 2016, Carina also trained to be a Certified Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant.Balancing the Mighty Vata – Online Course Now AvailableAyurveda's unique strength lies in its deep understanding of Vata—the dynamic force behind Prana (life energy), the nervous system, and our emotional well-being. Managing Vata is often considered the most challenging yet crucial part of healing.To help guide you through this, I've recorded a comprehensive workshop titled “Balancing the Mighty Vata”—featuring over 6 hours of in-depth content and practical guidance you can integrate into daily life.

1910.  When Britain calls on Canada to help fund its naval arms race with Germany, Wilfrid Laurier faces his greatest political test since the Boer War.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-nations-of-canada--4572969/support.

We'd love to hear from you! Reach out to us via this Buzzsprout link to let us know what you're thinking about this episode!Chrisha and Catherine are BACK to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the "I love you" heard around the world in Supernatural's episode "Despair."They begin with an update on how they are both doing (spoiler alert: shipwreck documentaries and true crime are major pasttimes at the moment) and their take on the current status of fandom in general.They then move on to the events from Purgatory Con 9, which took place in Dusseldorf, Germany, from May 31st-June 1st, 2025. They focus in particularly on Jensen talking about the meaning of "Watching Over Me" and his approbation as he listened to Misha discuss "Despair"'s homosexual declaration of love. As part of this discussion, they contrast their past worry about getting things wrong in their analysis with their current, more relaxed feeling about approaching Supernatural-related material, even without the confirmation of figures like Ackles.Their conclusion: If it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, it's a f***ing duck, y'all. And that's how they're going to approach everything from now on.Note: The question Jensen answered about "Watching Over Me" was from @blanketforcas.bsky.social, who kindly provided us with a transcript of what she asked here after this episode went live! Thanks, Tess!Credits:PurCon 9 Audio of Jensen talking about "Watching Over Me": meat+salt on XArticle "'Supernatural' Fans are Losing It Over Jensen Ackles' Latest Confession": Lauren Gordon for Parade"I wrote 'Watching Over Me' for us" Destiel News Meme: dclovesdestiel on TiktokPurcon 9 Text of Misha's answer to the query of what would have happened if Castiel arrived on S1: Drula aka CasIsLoved on X (via castiels-influence on tumblr)PurCon 9 Audio of Jensen and Misha's introduction on stage: MishsMaroon on XPurCon gif set of Misha talking about how "Despair" happened: purewasteland on tumblrFollow us on Bluesky @thefangirlbiz.bsky.socialJoin our Kofi Discord community at $1/month: https://ko-fi.com/thefangirlbiz/tiersSupport our podcast by buying our new merch: https://www.redbubble.com/people/thefangirlbiz/shopThanks for listening!

OM is the mantra of all mantras, the expression of perfect perfection of life that is happening as every person and every form of the cosmos. Including you, the reader. Pronunciation of OM reveals this to the whole body and mind.  This conversation is between two devotees of the OM: Sybille is a Yoga teacher, student of Sanskrit and the wisdom traditions, mother, historian, and co-founder of Hatha Vinyasa Parampara Studio in Mainz, Germany. She is also a lover of the vibration of the OM. We explore the beauty of Om, its sonic completeness, and how Sanskrit, practiced rather than merely studied, can cleanse the doors of perception. Key Takeaways Om Is The Breath Of The Universe – It includes all other sounds, and contains the same rhythm of expansion and return found in life and nature. Sanskrit Is An Embodied Practice – Beyond signifier and signified, it is a sonically intelligent language that includes the whole body nervous system. Sound Is Real, Not Just Symbolic – In Sanskrit and in Yoga, sound actually exists, it wriggles through the air, it ripples through us; it's not just a vehicle of conceptual meaning. Precision In Mantra Creates Harmony – Subtle shifts in pronunciation affect energy, and pleasure leads the way.  Chanting Is Subtle Asana – Just like postures, refining sound in the instrument of our body involves subtle adjustments, in devotion to the flow of prana Silence Is Part Of Om – The fourth part of Om is silence, the natural state, what is the base of all sound and form. Links & Resources Learn more and access resources to practice at https://www.heartofyoga.com  Support the Heart of Yoga Foundation! This podcast is sustained by your donations.

Welcome to the podcast. Thanks for listening. If you're enjoying these memories, please subscribe to our channel or Google the Wisconsin Broadcast Association Museum. Today we're stepping into the glittering world of 1960s Hollywood with a guest who lit up both the Silver Screen and the international stage. Born in Germany and discovered while vacationing in Italy, Elke Sommer became one of the most recognizable European stars to conquer Hollywood, starring alongside legends like Peter Sellers, Paul Newman, and Bob Hope. Known for her striking beauty, quick wit, and undeniable charm, she brought a unique blend of sophistication and playfulness to every role, from comedies to thrillers. Beyond acting, Elke is a talented painter, writer, and a woman whose life is as fascinating as her film career.

An Interview with Dr. Tobias Nicklas Professor Tobias Nicklas explores the surprising world of Christian Apocrypha — stories and traditions that continued shaping faith far beyond the biblical canon. From the Infancy Gospel of Thomas to the Acts of John and the Acts of Paul and Thecla, these writings raise profound questions about Jesus's humanity and childhood, a suffering God, and the role of women and imagination in early Christianity. Their influence, Nicklas shows, still colors Christian memory and art today. Professor Tobias Nicklas studied Theology and Mathematics at Universität Regensburg, Germany, and he did his doctorate on the "Jews in the Gospel of John." His German post-doc focused on Christian Apocrypha including the Unknown Gospel on Papyrus Egerton 2, one of the most ancient witnesses of early Christianity. He has been teaching at the Universität Regensburg since 2007. In 2018 he—and colleagues—founded the Centre for Advanced Studies "Beyond Canon" at the same University. Tobias has authored several monographs, including The Canon and Beyond (Tübingen, 2024) and the book we discuss in the podcast, Reading Christian Apocrypha with Janet E. Spittler (Minneapolis, 2025). A complete transcript is available here: https://earlychristiantexts.com/beyond-the-canon/

The book began with a trip to Buchenwald Memorial near Weimar, Germany. UNO English Professor John Price was inspired by a memorial at a massive oak stump- all that was left of a famous oak tree mentioned in German literature and music. “Goethe's Oak: a Holocaust Memorial” imagines the history this famous tree experienced over the centuries of its long life. Hear an interview with author John Price

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney dies, Americans across several states head to the polls for off-year elections, the U.S. reportedly seeks U.N. approval of a Gaza force, Ghana and Germany vow to strengthen their bilateral ties, British activist Tommy Robinson is cleared of a terror charge, Trump contradicts a court order on paying SNAP benefits, a new study details a record retreat of an Antarctic glacier, Australia launches a solar power sharing initiative, OpenAI signs a $38 billion Amazon Web Services deal, and David Sacks describes the risk of AI as “Orwellian.” Sources: www.verity.news

It's your turn...to click here to send us your comments on the showThe delicious schnitzel's are calling us over to Germany again for another round of Essen Spiel 2025 and as always we've got you covered with games, experiences and bringing to life the convention.  In this first part we cover the journey over including an encounter with "Double Bake Brenda" on Tuesday, Wednesday including the press event and Thursday.  Stay tuned for the next part which includes Friday - Sundays shenanigans.OUR PLAYERS - JP & DaveySPECIAL GUEST - Mark Monk (NinjaGeekGames)LINKS REFERENCED IN THE SHOWGaming Rules Pre-Essen Stream featuring JP - https://www.youtube.com/live/xYcKA9NcANI?si=NgUK6VQfiHViP3KcEssen Diaries - Missed our vlogs during the event, you can catch them on our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJMkOlbitmc&list=PLKzfzaHJK9iEgvZ1MGW1-d2Lhuu6ZqpHi EPISODE CHAPTERS0:00 - TURN 1 - Player Count3:08 - TURN 2 - Welcome to Essen SPIEL 202516:27 - DAY 0: WEDNESDAY49:18 - DAY 1: THURSDAY1:31:58 - TURN 3 - The Final TurnSupport the showSUPPORTING THE SHOW- Support us on Ko-FiENGAGING WITH THE SHOWWe want your questions so engage with the show through our channels below:- Email Us - BoardGameGeek - Facebook - Instagram- Youtube - TikTok- Join us on Discord

On this episode of Housekeys, host Cam Villa welcomes Tarah Pahlavan, a REALTOR® whose journey has taken her from Iran to the United States, Germany, and back to the U.S. Tarah blends her background in architecture, international business, and real estate economics to create a distinctive perspective on the industry. She believes success means living a fulfilled and balanced life and staying centered around family, friends, health, and meaningful work. Tarah's advice to new REALTORS® is simple: keep learning—observe successful agents, engage with the SAR, and stay on top of trends shaping the future of real estate.  Music: Welcome to the Show by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4614-welcome-to-the-show  License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license  All speakers in this podcast do not speak on behalf of the Sacramento Association of REALTORS® nor do they represent the Sacramento Association of REALTORS®. All presenters are speaking on behalf of their own profession.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Pam Cusick as guest to the show.   About Pam Cusick, Senior Vice President at Rare Patient Voice:   Pam Cusick is an experienced research professional with more than 30 years of expertise in study design, implementation, and analysis. Her background in public health communications and research, coupled with her passion for patient advocacy, dovetail with Rare Patient Voice's mission and vision. She hopes to expand Rare Patient Voice's panels to include all patients and caregivers who want to share their opinions and impact their disease category.   Pam earned a BA in Psychology from Sweet Briar College, and a MA in Psychology from the New School for Social Research. She is Past-President of the Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Council Lead for the Horses and Humans Research Foundation. In addition, Pam has recently been named a Laureate by the Insights Association! This recognition, given by peers across the industry, is a true lifetime honor—and she is "still taking it all in."   As Senior Vice President, Pam's focus is on the continued growth and success of RPV, with an eye on client services, business development, and oversight of patient outreach, panel management, and marketing.   About Rare Patient Voice:   Rare Patient Voice, LLC connects patients and family caregivers of rare and non-rare diseases with opportunities to share their opinions with companies and researchers by participating in all types of research studies. These include surveys and phone interviews, online bulletin boards, focus groups, clinical trials, and more.   While RPV began with a focus on rare diseases, we now welcome patients and family caregivers living with all medical conditions. We currently cover more than 1,500 rare and non-rare diseases and conditions. Over the years, we have paid patients and family caregivers over $15 million for participating in research.   We work with thousands of organizations, patient advocacy groups, and individuals to spread the word about RPV. Since launching in the United States in 2013, RPV has expanded across the globe. We now recruit patients and caregivers for research studies in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.    

Plus: AMD reports sharp increases in profit and sales. Rivian Automotive records a jump in third-quarter revenue. And Nintendo boosts guidance for the full year. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom, Julie, and Eric are back from Germany and ready to talk about games, food, crowds, and everything else they saw at Spiel 2025. 00:44 - Tired 01:50 - Official Numbers/Crowd Flow 07:09 - Travel Adventures and Weather 08:46 - What Was Different for Eric 11:31 - Food 13:35 - Eric's Birthday 15:44 - Julie's Author Signing 21:16 - Tom's Live Show 25:22 - Big Games 31:14 - How To Stand Out 35:51 - Limited Stock and How To Deal With It 40:17 - What Did We Go Home With? 44:12 - A Carnivore Did It 47:25 - Flow 50:50 - Ghost Lift 54:48 - Formidable Farm 58:22 - Leaders 59:52 - The Old King's Crown Questions? Tales of Horror? tom@dicetower.com

(00:00-26:12) – Query & Company opens on a Tuesday with Jake Query and producer Eddie Garrison discussing last night’s Indiana Pacers loss on a Giannis Antetokounmpo buzzer-beater. Jake weighs in on how the fans reacted to Myles Turner’s return, plays what Turner had to say after the game about the fan reaction, and has a theory as to how Turner felt last night during that game. (26:12-38:55) – The Director of International, Ben Guerrero, from the Indianapolis Colts calls into the show from Berlin to share all the events that will be going on leading up to the game against the Atlanta Falcons, how the selection process goes with the NFL to determine who plays in international games, why the franchise has adopted Germany as one of their international markets, and educates Jake on some of the words that he has learned in his eight trips to Germany. (38:55-46:08) – The first hour of the show concludes with Jake and Eddie sharing the breaking news that the Indianapolis Colts have traded two first round picks to the New York Jets for 2x First-Team All-Pro cornerback, Sauce Gardner. (46:08-1:08:44) – ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder joins the show from the Colts complex to break down the blockbuster trade between Indianapolis and the New York Jets that sends AD Mitchell and two first round picks to the Jets and Sauce Gardner to the Colts. Holder shares that the Colts started out by making calls about pass rusher before making this deal and believes that this deal will improve the pass rush with two shutdown corners on the outside. (1:08:44-1:17:09) – Jake and Eddie continue sharing their thoughts on the Colts trading for Sauce Gardner and open the phone lines for Colts fans to share their thoughts on the trade. What message is Chris Ballard sending to the team by trading for Sauce and trading away AD Mitchell? (1:17:09-1:28:41) – The second hour of Query & Company concludes with Jake and Eddie welcoming more callers to share their thoughts on the Colts acquiring Sauce Gardner. (1:28:41-1:53:26) – SNY sports anchor & reporter, Jeane Coakley, joins Query & Company to give the New York perspective on the blockbuster trade between the Jets and Colts. She shares what type of person Sauce Gardner is in the locker room, how shocked she was to see the Jets were trading him, believes that being on a winning team could even motivate Gardner to be even better than he already is, and reacts to another trade the Jets made. (1:53:26-2:07:05) – Scott Agness from Fieldhouse Files makes his weekly appearance on Query & Company and starts his conversation with Jake by discussing how things played out last night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Myles Turner’s return. Scott also comments on the performance last night for Isaiah Jackson and some of the injuries that the Pacers suffered last night. (2:07:05-2:13:22) – Today’s show closes out with Jake being joined by JMV in studio to discuss last night’s Pacers game, Colts trading for Sauce Gardner, and to preview his show!Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s Best of Features: (00:00-11:34) – The Director of International, Ben Guerrero, from the Indianapolis Colts calls into the show from Berlin to share all the events that will be going on leading up to the game against the Atlanta Falcons, how the selection process goes with the NFL to determine who plays in international games, why the franchise has adopted Germany as one of their international markets, and educates Jake on some of the words that he has learned in his eight trips to Germany. (11:34-22:44) – ESPN.com’s Stephen Holder joins the show from the Colts complex to break down the blockbuster trade between Indianapolis and the New York Jets that sends AD Mitchell and two first round picks to the Jets and Sauce Gardner to the Colts. Holder shares that the Colts started out by making calls about pass rusher before making this deal and believes that this deal will improve the pass rush with two shutdown corners on the outside. (25:51-34:00) – SNY sports anchor & reporter, Jeane Coakley, joins Query & Company to give the New York perspective on the blockbuster trade between the Jets and Colts. She shares what type of person Sauce Gardner is in the locker room, how shocked she was to see the Jets were trading him, believes that being on a winning team could even motivate Gardner to be even better than he already is, and reacts to another trade the Jets made.Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/query-and-company/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Tuesday's edition of WagerTalk Today, Bryan Power breaks down Texas vs Duke in CBB action and gives an NBA play on Thunder vs Clippers. The Prez joins to preview NFL Week 10's Falcons vs Colts in Berlin, Germany. Jesse Schule joins to talk Sixers vs Bulls and teams he is looking to fade in College Football week 11. Host, Andy Lang provides props & free picks – don't miss out!Introduction 00:00Jesse Schule 1:30Team to Fade: Indiana 2:00Team to Fade: Oregon 6:23Sixers vs Bulls 10:17Bryan Power 14:30Thunder vs Clippers 15:15Texas vs Duke 19:12Betting CBB 22:00Andy Lang All Around the World Free Picks (NBA & NHL Props) 27:42The Prez 29:30Atlanta Falcons vs Indianapolis Colts 30:00Johnny Why 39:25Magic vs Hawks 43:30

For this episode of In Bed with the Right, Adrian and Moira return to the year 1933. They continue the story of how Hitler seized power, what it did to society, what it felt like to live through it, and -- as always -- what role gender and sexuality played in events. Reminder: We're going month by month for these episodes. This eighth installment covers October 1 to October 31, 1933. It's all about the economy: about how the Nazis tackled (or pretended to tackle) the economic problems in Germany; how monetary policy interlocked with rearmament; and how everyday Germans experienced the economy versus the Nazi party and the elites.On the episode we mention our LIVE SHOW: if you're interested in joining us in San Francisco on November 20, tickets can be purchased here.A selection of books we consulted for or referred to in this episode:Adam Tooze, The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi EconomyAlbrecht Ritschl, "Deficit Spending in the Nazi Recovery, 1933-1938"Götz Aly, Hitler's Beneficiaries: Plunder, Racial War, and the Nazi Welfare StateChristiane Kuller, Bürokratie und Verbrechen: Antisemitische Finanzpolitik und Verwaltungspraxis im nationalsozialistischen Deutschland

Epcot at Walt Disney World is unlike any other theme park. It blends innovation, culture, and entertainment into one unforgettable experience. Whether you're fascinated by technology, drawn to global flavors, or simply want to enjoy a different kind of Disney day, Epcot has something for everyone. Here's how to make the most of one perfect day at Epcot.Start Early: Arrive for Rope DropEpcot opens earlier than many guests realize, and arriving before the official opening—known as “rope drop”—is the best way to get a head start. Head straight to one of the park's most popular attractions:Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in World DiscoveryRemy's Ratatouille Adventure in the France PavilionFrozen Ever After in the Norway PavilionIf you're staying at a Disney resort, take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry to enjoy even shorter lines.Morning: Explore Future World (World Celebration, Discovery, and Nature)Begin your day with Epcot's innovative side. Start with Spaceship Earth, the iconic geodesic sphere that takes you on a journey through the history of human communication. Then explore:Soarin' Around the World – a breathtaking simulated flight over famous landmarks.Living with the Land – a peaceful boat ride through futuristic greenhouses.Test Track – design your own virtual car and put it to the test.These attractions showcase Epcot's original vision: a celebration of human creativity and progress.Lunch: Savor the Flavors of the WorldLunch at Epcot is an event in itself. Head to World Showcase, where 11 countries circle the lagoon, each offering authentic cuisine, drinks, and entertainment.Some fan favorites include:Les Halles Boulangerie-Pâtisserie (France) for sandwiches and pastriesVia Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria (Italy) for wood-fired pizzaLa Cantina de San Angel (Mexico) for tacos with a waterfront viewIf you're visiting during one of Epcot's seasonal festivals—like the International Food & Wine Festival—sample small plates from the festival booths scattered around the park.Afternoon: Stroll and Discover the World ShowcaseSpend your afternoon exploring the pavilions at a leisurely pace. Each country offers detailed architecture, cultural exhibits, and unique shopping opportunities. Don't miss:The American Adventure show, an impressive blend of history and animatronicsMatsuriza drummers in JapanThe Voices of Liberty a cappella group performing in the rotunda of The American AdventureFor a cool break, visit the DuckTales World Showcase Adventure on the Play Disney Parks app for an interactive scavenger hunt.Evening: Dinner and FireworksAs the sun sets, Epcot transforms into a glowing wonderland. Reserve dinner in advance—options range from fine dining to casual bites:Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada) for signature steaksTakumi-Tei (Japan) for an elegant dining experienceSpice Road Table (Morocco) for small plates with lagoon views End your night with Luminous: The Symphony of Us, Epcot's nighttime spectacular over World Showcase Lagoon. This blend of fireworks, fountains, and music is a fitting finale to a day that celebrates human connection and creativity.The Magic of EpcotEpcot is more than a theme park—it's an exploration of what's possible when imagination meets innovation. Whether you're riding through space, tasting your way around the world, or watching fireworks dance across the water, a day at Epcot is a reminder that adventure and inspiration can be found in every corner of the globe.

Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program's trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security's fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it's too late. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program's trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security's fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it's too late. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program's trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security's fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it's too late. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for the official launch of Reimagining Social Security: Global Lessons for Retirement Policy Changes by Romina Boccia and Ivane Nachkebia, a timely and urgent new book in which the authors rethink how America can safeguard retirement security for current and future generations. As the Social Security program nears a fiscal tipping point, the authors bring together expert insights, international case studies, and actionable policy solutions to show how the United States can reform its retirement system without burdening younger generations with unsustainable debt and taxes.Now marking its 90th year, Social Security faces a critical moment: By 2033, the program's trust fund depletion could trigger automatic benefit cuts of 23 percent unless Congress acts. Reimagining Social Security dives into the root causes of this crisis and explores how reforms adopted in countries including Canada, Germany, Sweden, and New Zealand can offer valuable guidance for the United States. Through original interviews and novel analysis, the authors present a compelling case for bold reforms that take a meaningful step toward fiscal sustainability while safeguarding a vital source of income for many retirees and protecting workers from undue tax burdens that reduce their choices and opportunities for a better life.The event will feature presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in retirement and fiscal policy. Join us for a timely discussion on principled, evidence-based reforms to restore Social Security's fiscal sustainability and to protect future generations from mounting debt and economic decline—before it's too late. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff and Alex discuss the WKU and WKC World Championships with several superstars from the week including Jeff as he returns from Germany!

The world couldn't believe it — President Trump says he wants to restart nuclear testing after more than 30 years. In this video, learn the powerful English words and phrases people are using to talk about this shocking news story.✅ Speak Better English With Me https://brentspeak.as.me/ Use code Fall15 for 15% off. Link to Original Newscast: Link: https://youtu.be/v6Fi0lUeiU4?si=6ikTI85lrQeqo1B4Stirring the Pot: Causing trouble or making a situation more intense.: On social media, many people stir the pot just to get attention.Concern: A feeling of worry about something important.: His parents showed concern when he didn't answer the phone.Match (Verb): To be equal to or compete with something or someone.: My socks don't match, but they're comfortable!The couple met at work and turned out to be a surprising match.Match (Noun): A contest or competition between two sides.: The match between Ukraine and Germany started three minutes ago.Moratorium: A temporary stop or suspension of an activity.: The U.S. has had a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1992.Match: A small stick used to start a fire.: He lit the match to start the bonfire at the campsite. Insists: Says something strongly and refuses to change one's opinion.: My dad insists that family dinners are important.She insists that she's right, even when she might be wrong.Clarified: Explained something to make it clear or easier to understand.: The manager clarified that the meeting starts at 2:00, not 3:00.Taken by Surprise: Shocked or not expecting something to happen.: I was taken by surprise when I saw my old friend at the grocery store.They were taken by surprise when the power went out during dinner.Resume: To start again after stopping for a while.: The president wants the United States to resume nuclear testing for the first time in over 30 years.Detonations: Explosions, especially from bombs or weapons.: During the war, detonations became a frightening part of daily life.Arsenal: A collection or supply of weapons.: The U.S. already has the world's largest nuclear arsenal, so many question why testing is needed.Consequences: The results or effects of an action, often negative.: Experts warn that restarting nuclear tests could have serious consequences for world peace.Contamination: Pollution or poisoning of an area, especially by dangerous substances.: Washing your hands helps prevent food contamination.Nevada: A U.S. state where most past nuclear tests took place.: The new tests would likely happen at the old site in Nevada.The desert in Nevada can be very hot during the summer.Sacrificed: Gave up something valuable for another purpose.: She sacrificed her weekend to help her friend move to a new house.The team sacrificed the fun of trick-or-treating to focus on training for the big game.Comprehensive: Including all or nearly all parts of something.: The museum offers a comprehensive look at the history of the city.Ratified: Officially approved by a government or group.: The treaty was signed but never ratified by the United States Senate.Fall Into Place: To begin to happen smoothly or make sense.: After weeks of planning, everything started to fall into place for the wedding.Arms Race: A competition between countries to build more or better weapons.: Experts worry that this move could start a new arms race between global powers.Justification: A reason or explanation that makes something seem right.: The president's justification is that the U.S. must stay strong against other nuclear nations.His only justification for being late was that the bus broke down.

Hey guys before you listen to this one, do realize this is part 3 on a series about General Kanji Ishiwara, so if you have not already done so I would recommend listening to Part 1 & 2.    This episode is General Kanji Ishiwara part 3: The gradual fall into War with China   I tried so hard this time to finish this up neatly in part 3 and utterly failed. I wrote pages and even deleted them to keep squeezing, but theres simply too much to the story. Part 3 will be focusing on the insane politics of the 1930's and how Ishiwara tried to prevent war with China.   Its rather ironic that the man who was the chief instigator that ushering in the conquest of Manchuria was unable to impose his will when it came to molding Manchukuo. Now while Ishiwara Kanji was the operations officer given official responsibility over the planning and conduct of military operations to seize Manchuria, the arrangements for that new state, being political in nature, were not in his sphere of influence. Regardless, Ishiwara was extremely vocal about his opinions on how Manchukuo should develop and he heavily emphasized racial harmony. He continuously hammered his colleagues that the economic development of Manchukuo should reflect the spirit of racial cooperation. Ishiwara assumed the economic interests of Manchukuo would simply coincide with that of the Kwantung army, by definition both's ultimate goals would be unity of Asia against the west. He was very wrong. Ishiwara was consumed by his theory of final war, everything he did was to prepare for it, thus his obsession of racial harmony was another part of the plan.    In 1932 the self government guidance board was abolished in march, leaving its functions and regional organizations to be tossed into brand new bureaus of the new government of Manchukuo. An organization emerged in April called the (Kyowakai / Concordia Association). It was brought together by Yamaguchi Juji and Ozawa Kaisaku, and its purpose was to promote racial harmony and it was backed by members of the Kwantung army, notably Ishiwara, Itagaki and Katakura. The Kwantung army flooded money into the organization and it grew rapidly…well amongst the Japanese anyways. General Honjo was a bit weary about how much the organization might have in the political sphere of Manchukuo, he did not want to see it become an official political party, he preferred it remain in a educative role. By educative role, I of course mean, to be a propaganda arm of the Kwantung army to exert influence over Manchukuo without having real skin in the game.    But to Ishiwara the Concordia Association was the logical means to unify the new nation, guiding its political destiny, to be blunt Ishiwara really saw it should have much more authority than his colleagues believed it should. Ishiwara complained in August of 1932, that Manchuria was a conglomerate of conflicting power centers such as the Kwantung army, the new Manchukuo government, the Kwantung government, the Mantetsu, consular office and so on. Under so many hats he believed Manchukuo would never become a truly unified modern state, and of course he was one of the few people that actually wanted it to be so. He began arguing the Kwantung army should turn over its political authority as soon as possible so “Japanese of high resolve should hasten to the great work of the Manchurian Concordia Association, for I am sure that we Japanese will be its leaders. In this way Manchukuo will not depend on political control from Japan, but will be an independent state, based on Japanese Manchurian cooperation. Guided by Japanese, it will be a mode of Sino-Japanese friendship, an indicator of the present trends of world civilization” Needless to say the Concordia Association made little headway with the Chinese and it began to annoy Japanese leaders. The association gradually was bent into a spiritless propaganda and intelligence arm of the IJA, staffed largely by elite Japanese working in the Manchukuo government.    Ishiwara began using the Concordia Association to promote things such as: returning leased territories like the Railway zone, abolition of extraterritoriality, equalizing payment between the races working in Manchukuo, the kind of stuff that would promote racial harmony. Such advocacy as you can imagine deviated heavily with the Japanese military, and Ishiwara's reputation would be hurt by this. The Kwantung Army staff began shifting dramatically, seeing Ishiwara isolated, aside from Itagaki and a few other followers being around. The upper brass as they say had had enough of the nuisance Concordia Association's and gradually took control of it and made sure to stop the talk of concessions. In August of 1932 Ishiwara received a new assignment and it seems he was only too happy to leave Manchuria.   Ishiwara returned to Japan, disgusted with the turn of direction Manchuria was going, and believing he would be blamed for its future failures he submitted his resignation. But the IJA knew how popular Ishiwara was and how dangerous he could become so they rejected his resignation. Instead they gave him a military decoration. He was in a very strange spot now, for the youthful officers of the Kodoha faction loved Ishiwara, but the senior top brass of the IJA were extremely suspicious of him and lets just say he was kept under close watch.   Now with Ishiwara back in Japan he would get himself involved in a bit of a war between two factions. As many of you probably already know, the Japanese military of the late 1920s and early 1930's saw the emergence of two factions: the Kodoha “imperial way” and Tosei “control” factions. The Kodoha sought what they called a “showa restoration” to give the emperor absolute power like the good olds days as they say. They were willing to even form a coup if necessary to make this happen. Another thing they believed was in the Hokushin-ron “northern strike” war plan. The idea behind this was that the USSR and communism as a whole was Japans largest threat and the IJA needed to invade the USSR. Now the Tosei faction believed in most of what the Kodoha did, but they differed on some issues. Number 1) they were not willing to perform a coup to usher in a showa restoration, no they thought they could work with the existing Zaibatsu elites and politicians to get things done. THe Kodoha hated the politicians and Zaibatsu to the point they wanted to murder them, so differing opinions. The Tosei also believed the next world war would require a total war strategy, to build up Japan to fight the USSR, but probably the US as well. They favored Nanshin-ron “the southern strike” policy, to target the resources of south east asia necessary to give Japan what it needed to be self sufficient. Another thing that separated these two factions, the Kodoha typically were younger officers.   Despite their differences, everyone in the Japanese military understood forceful expansion into Asia was going to happen and this meant collison with the USSR, America and Britain. Ishiwara's first assignment back in Japan was a temporary duty with the foreign ministry, he was a member of the Japanese legation to the league of nations under Matsuoka Yosuke. The league of nations at this time was performing the Lytton Commission which was investigating the Macnhurian problem, ie: Japan invading Manchuria. Upon returning to Japan in summer of 1933, Ishiwara sought a regimental command, but found it difficult to acquire because of his troublemaker like history. Then General Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko who commanded the 2nd sendai division gave him command over the 4th infantry regiment. Ishiwara went to work training the men under him to counter the latest soviet infantry tactics and of course he lectured extensively about his final war theories. During this time rumors emerged that Ishiwara supported the Nanshin-ron strategy. Many of his old colleagues who supported Hokushin-ron demanded he explain himself and Ishiwara did. These rumors were actually false, it was not that Ishiwara favored the Nanshin-ron strategy, it was simply that he did not back all aspects of the Hokushin-ron strategy.   Ishiwara believed to challenge the USSR, first Japan needed an Asian union, which he thought would take probably 30 years to create. But to usher such an Asian union, first Manchukuo needed to be hammered out properly, something Ishiwara thought Japan was failing to do. Also Japan's military strength was insufficient to overwhelm the multiple enemies before her, the war she would enter would be a protracted one. To win such a war she needed resources and allies, notably Manchukuo and China. To confront the USSR, Japan would need to subvert outer mongolia, but to confront the USA and Britain she would have to seize the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and Guam. It was going to be a global clash.   Ishiwara was gravely concerned with how powerful the USSR was becoming in the early 1930s. In the 3 years since he had left Manchuria, the Soviet divisions in east asia had jumped from 8 to 14 by the end of 1935, while Japanese divisions in Manchuria were only 3. For aircraft the Soviets had 950 vs 220 for Japan. On top of that the Soviets had TB-5 long range bombers, capable of hitting Japan, but the Japanese had no comparable aircraft. A large reason for such build up's were literally because Kodoha leaders were publicly threatening the Soviets such as Generals Sadao Araki. The Kodoha faction faced a lot of challenges as to how they could hope to face off against the USSR. They figured out three main principles needed to be overcome: 1) Japan had to prevent the USSR from being able to defeat its enemies to the west and east one at a time, Japan should seek diplomatic aims in this like allying with Germany. 2) A devastating blow was necessary to the USSR far east, perhaps against the Trans-siberian railway and air bases in the maritime provinces. 3) If Japan was able to demolish Soviet resistance in the far east, Japan would need to take forward positions on the Manchurian border for a protracted war. Ishiwara tried to figure out ways to get by these principles. First he advocated for Japanese troops strength in Manchuria and Korea to be 80% equivalent to that of the Soviets east of Lake Baikal at the offset of hostilities. He also urged cooperation with Germany and to preserve friendly neutral relations with Britain and the US, that is until the soviets were dealt with of course. Ishiwara vigorously felt the Nanshin ron strategy to push into southeast asia and the pacific was far too ambitious for the time being and that all efforts should be made to consolidate Manchuria for resources. Ishiwara tried to win over some Naval support for his plans, but none would be found. When Ishiwara showed his formal plans for Asia to the war ministry, they told him his projections in Manchuria would cost at least 1 billion 300 million yen. They also notified Ishiwara the navy were asking for about the same amount for their programs. Now while Ishiwara spent years trying to produce a 6 year plan to build up Manchuria, other significant things were going on in Japan.   The Kodoha faction as I said had a lot of younger officer support and a lot of these were men who came from rural parts of Japan. A lot of these men came from poor families suffering, and it looked to them that Japan was a nation full of social injustice and spiritual disintegration. These young officers were becoming more and more vocal in the early 1930's about wanting a showa restoration. They thought Japan would be better off as a military state with the emperor on top. Ishiwara empathized with the desire for a showa restoration, and many of the young officers calling for it claimed he was one of their champions. He made some fiery speeches in 1935 linking the evils of capitalism to the destitution of rural japan. He argued farmers were bearing crushing burdens because of economic privation. In his words “if the clash between the exploiters (landlords and capitalists) and the exploited continues much longer the exploited will be ground to bits. The present system of free economic competition has produced a situation where there is a small number of fabulously rich and limitless number of desperately poor. The national has indeed reached a national crisis. Liberal capitalism must inevitably give way to a newer system". What that “newer system was” however differed from what the youthful officers saw as their Showa restoration. Ishiwara wanted the Japanese government to create plans and policy, the Kodoha hardliners wanted to form a violent coup.    Kodoha officers began to push Ishiwara to champion their cause more and more. However by late 1935 Ishiwara's name would actually begin to be connected to the Tosei faction. While Ishiwara supported much of the Kodoha ideology, he simply did not share their beliefs in the same Showa restoration, he was more akin to the Tosei in that regard. Now after the manchurian incident the two factions kind of went to war with another to dominate the military. The Kodoha faction was early on the most powerful, but in 1934 their leader Araki resigned from the army due to failing health and he was replaced by General Senjuro Hayashi who favored the Tosei. In November of 1934, a plot was discovered that involved Kodoha officers seeking to murder some top ranking politicians. The result of this saw the Tosei faction force the resignation of the Kodoha leader General Jinzaburo Masaki, who was serving as the inspector general of military education. In retaliation to this, the Kodoha officer Saburo Aizawa murdered the Toseiha leader General Tetsuzen Nagata. This caused a frenzy, things began to really escalate, and many looked at Ishiwara Kanji to prove which side he favored. While in prison awaiting trial, Aizawa asked Ishiwara to be his defense counsel, to which he promised he would consider it. At the same time other Kodoha officers began pressing Ishiwara to support their cause openly. It is really hard to see where exactly Ishiwara was in all of this as all of his speeches prior were purposely ambiguous. He looked like a fence sitter and after what will be the February coup of 1936, there was testimony that Ishiwara was a middle-echelon member involved in the coup, other testimony literally had him on the list of people to be assassinated. A few weeks before Aizawa's trial, Ishiwara refused his request.   On February 26th, Ishiwara was awakened at his Tokyo home by a telephone call from Colonel Suzuki Teiichi informing him a rebellion was underway. Ishiwara, though ill at the time rushed over to the Military police HQ in Kudan. There he was informed of what was going on and how the officers were now taking the side of the showa restorationists or to quell the rebellion. From there he rushed to meet War Minister Kawashima Yoshiyuki where he demanded a proclamation of martial law to cope with the rebellion. He then urged Vice Chief of staff Sugiyama to order units from garrisons around Tokyo to overwhelm the rebels. Within 24 hours of the event, Ishiwara was then named operations officer of the Martial Law headquarters and he began coordinating plans to deal with the crisis. Thus Ishiwara occupied a crucial position in quelling the coup. On the night of the 27th a bunch of officers who sympathized with the rebels came to the HQ to argue for delaying actions against them. To this Ishiwara rose up and announced “we shall immediately carry forward plans for an assault. All units will assemble for that purpose. The army will wait until noon of the 28th; then it will begin its assault and crush the rebellion”. The next day,  Ishiwara went to the main entrance of the War Ministers office, where a large number of the rebels occupied and he demanded to talk to their leaders face to face. He hoped the youthful officers who looked up to him would see reason. They let him in, after they had shot Captain Katakura Tadashi for trying to do the same thing. Ishiwara then told them he shared many of their goals, but condemned their use of force. With a pistol pointed at him Ishiwara declared this “If you don't listen to reason you will be crushed by the severest measures”. He delivered his ultimatum and just walked out the door.    By the 28th the tides turned on the rebels. Emperor Hirohito put his foot down, demanding an end to the mutiny, many of the top Kodoha leaders walked away because of this. The Navy brought all of its power to Tokyo bay including its SNLF marines, all guns were on the rebels. Some of the rebels held out, still hoping the Emperor would change his mind and order a showa restoration, but by the 29th it fell apart. The rebels surrendered, aided by Colonel Tomoyuki Yamashita (one of my favorite generals of WW2, fascinating character). In the words of Matsumura Shuitsu a member of the Martial law HQ “In the midst of all the confusion and commotion, Ishiwara never lost sight of his objective and dealt with the criss with cool efficiency. If ever there was a case of the right man in the right place it was Ishiwara at that time. No doubt, what brought about the ultimate surrender of the rebel forces, was, of course, the Imperial command. But I believe that in a large part the collapse of the rebellion was due to the decisiveness of Ishwara, who never swerved, never hesitated. In short, Tokyo was saved by Ishiwara's courage”. It is rather ironic, many would point out it was Ishiwara who instigated the insurrection, but when it came time for it, he was the largest one to stamp down upon it. One could argue, by suppressing the rebellion, Ishawara had exploited the crisis in order to earn the political power necessary to bring about his version of a Showa Restoration.   During the mutiny, after meeting the rebels, Ishiwara actually had a secret meeting with two Kodoha officers at the Imperial Hotel. They were Colonel Hashimoto Kingoro and Colonel Mitsui Sakichi. He spoke to them about the possibility of forming a new government. The 3 of them came to these conclusions to actually perform a real Showa restoration. The rebels needed to go back to their barracks; the emperor needed to endorse the showa restoration; and members of the cabinet and top military leaders had to support it. Ishiwara then went to the Martial Law HQ and demanded Army vice chief of staff Sugiyama that he submit to the emperor a petition “to establish a restoration which would make clear the spirit of the nation, realize the national defense, and stabilize the peoples livelihood”. Sugiyama wanted nothing to do with this and told him “its simply impossible to relay such a request from the army” Ishiwara knew Sugiyama's position was too strong to challenge directly so he backed off, this was his last attempt to alter the nation's course through confrontation. Because of his actions during the quelling of the rebellion, this little scene was forgotten, his reputation was not tarnished…well it was amongst the Kodoha hardliners who saw him as a traitor, but other than that. Yet again he seems to be a man of many contradictions.  After the February coup the Kodoha faction ceased to exist and the Toseiha's ideology grabbed most of the military, though they also faded heavily.     Ishiwara went back to planning and lecturing taking a heavy notice of how Germany and Italy's totalitarian models were looking like the most efficient ones that Japan should emulate. He pushed heavily for a national defense state. He kept advocating for a 5 year plan he had to push Japan into a total war economy, but the industrialists and economists kept telling him it was far too much. I could write pages on all the ideas he had, he covered every aspect of Japanese society. He wanted the whole of Japan to devote itself to becoming the hegemonic power in Asia and this required self-sufficiency, more territory, alliances, an overhaul of Japan's politics, economy, etc etc he worked on this for years. One thing I find amusing to note, Ishiwara's plans had the national defense state not run directly by the military. No instead the military would only focus on military affairs to maximize their efficiency, thus civilians would lead the government. In his words “the tactics and strategy of national defense in the narrow sense are unquestionably the responsibility of the military. But national defense in the widest sense, industry, economy, transportation, communications are clearly related to the field of politics. Of course, the military can naturally express their opinion on these matters in order to counsel some minister whose duties are political, but to go before the general public and discuss the detailed industrial and economic is an arrogation of authority”. So ye, Ishiwara actually sought to remove military officers from political positions.    In 1937 Ishiwara was promoted to the rank of major general and his duties were of the operations division of the general staff. Because of his popularity and now his rank, some began to see him almost as that of a rising dictator. In January of 1937, the government of Hirota Koki who had come to power largely because of the february coup were having problems. Politicians were unable to deal with the rising military budgets. Ishiwara was eager to press forward his national defense state idea. Alongside this Captain Fukutome Shigeru, his naval counterpart was angry at the cabinet for hindering funding and called for their dissolution. In one meeting Ishiwara blurted out “if there's any disturbance the military should proclaim martial law throughout the country until things were straightened out”. Well within days the cabinet fell on its own and now everyone looked to a successor.    The Army and Navy fought for their candidate. The Nazi favored Ugaki Kazushige, but the Army held grudges against him. Ishiwara also did not like his appointment stating he had a bad political past, by bad that meant he had advocated for military budget cuts. Ugaki refused the job because of the pressure and made a note about Ishiwara's remarks towards him. Seeing Ugaki pushed aside, Ishiwara and his followers pushed for 3 other candidates; Hayashi Senjuro, House President Konoe Fumumaro and President of the privy council Hiranuma Kiichiro. Ishiwara sent to each man his 5 year plan to test their enthusiasm for it. Hiranuma didn't like it, Konoe was neutral and Hayashi liked it. So Ishiwara backed Hayashi go figure. All of his Manchurian oriented followers pushed to get him into office. When Hayashi was given Imperial command to head a new government, Ishiwara met with his Manchurian faction friends to draw a list of people to put in the cabinet. Itagaki Seishiro was chosen as war minister; Admiral Suetsugu Nobumasa known to have radical reformist leanings for navy minister; Matsuoka Yosuke or SHiratori Toshio for foreign minister, industrialist Ikeda Seihin for finance, Tsuda Shingo for commerce and industry, Sogo Shinji as chief cabinet secretary and Miyazaki as chairman. Ishiwara himself stayed carefully in the background to make it seem like he was only attending military duties.    But rivals to Ishiwara began working against him, especially some of those Kodoha hardliners who felt he betrayed them. They pressed Hayashi to not accept many of Ishiwara's cabinet candidates such as Itagaki and Hayashi backed off the majority of them as a result. The effort to form a Macnhurian cabal failed and this further led to a lack of enthusiasm for Ishiwara's national defense plans. Hayashi's government which Ishiwara had placed his hopes upon became antagonistic towards him and his followers.    Now over in Manchuria, the Kwantung army was looking to seize territory in northern China and inner mongolia. This was something Ishiwara was flip floppy about. At first he began speaking about the need to simply develop Manchukuo so that China and Inner mongolia would follow suite, but gradually he began to warm up to schemes to invade. Though when he heard his former Kwantun colleagues were basically going to perform the exact same plan he had done with the Mukden incident he traveled back to Manchuria to dissuade them. Ishiwara landed at Dairen and within days of his arrival he learned that 15,000 troops under Prince Demchugdongrub, known also as Prince Teh of Mongolia, backed by Kwantung arms and aircraft were launching a full scale invasion of Suiyuan province. Ishiwara was furious and he screamed at the General staff “the next time I visit the Kwantung Army I'm going to piss on the floor of the commanders office!”    Within a month, the Warlord Yan Xishan, now fighting for the NRA turned back Prince Teh's forces. This angered the Kwantung army, fueling what Ishiwara always feared, a war between China and Japan. Ishiwara began lecturing left right and center about how Japan needed to curb her imperialist aggression against China. He advocated as always racial harmonization, about the East Asian League idea, cooperation between China and Japan. He thought perhaps China could be induced by joined a federation with Japan and to do all of this Japan should help develop Manchukuo as a positive model. Ishiwara warned any aggressive actions against China would waste valuable resources needed dearly to be directed against the USSR. In his words “China was an endless bog that would swallow men and materiel without prospect of victory and it would cripple the possibility of East Asian Union” Prophetic words to be sure.   Ishiwara was still influential and many in Hayashi's cabinet headed him, trying to push for more diplomacy with China. But by spring of 1937 Tokyo HQ had split over the issue. On one side were Ishiwara and those seeking to obtain a sort of treaty with China to form an alliance against the USSR. On the other hand the Nationalists and Communists were on the verge of forming a united front allied to the USSR, thus the invading China faction was gaining steam. This faction simply sought to get China out of the way, then focus on the USSR. As much as Ishiwara fought it, the China War would come nonetheless.   In June of 1937, a report from a Japanese civilian visiting China reached Colonel Kawabe Torashiro. The report stated that the China Garrison Army in the Peking area were planning an incident similar to what had occurred in Mukden in 1931. Kawabe took the report to Ishiwara who said he would investigate the matter. Ishiwara pressed the war ministry to send Colonel Okamoto Kiyotomi to the military administration section to north china to warn Generals Hashimoto Gun of the China Garrison Army and Kwabe Msakazu commander the brigade station in the Peking area that Tokyo would not tolerate provocation actions. Okamoto came back and stated they reassured him it was just rumors and nothing was occurring.   Two weeks later on July 7th, the infamous Marco Polo Bridge incident began WW2. When it began, Tokyo took it as a minor incident, just some skirmishes between minor forces, but the fighting grew and grew. The two factions in Tokyo who we can call the “expansionists and non expansionists” began arguing on what to do. The expansionists argued this was the time to deliver a quick and decisive blow, which meant mobilizing and dispatching divisions into northern China to overwhelm them. The non expansionists argued they needed to terminate hostilities immediately and seek diplomacy before the conflict got out of hand. From the offset of the conflict, Ishiwara led the doomed non expansionists. Ishiwara tried to localize the conflict to prevent more Japanese from getting involved. To do this he urged Prince Kan'in to send a cable on July 8th to the local Japanese forces to settle the issue locally. But they reported back that the Nanjing government was tossing 4 divisions of reinforcements to the area, prompting the Japanese to mobilize 3 divisions in response. For 3 days Ishiwara tried to halt the reinforcements, but the Nanjing report came true, the Chinese reinforcements arrived to the scene, pushing the Japanese to do the same. General Kawabe Masakazu argued 12,000 Japanese civilians were in the area and now under threat, thus Ishiwara had to stand down.   The conflict at the Marco Polo Bridge quickly got out of hand. Ishiwara was very indecisive, he tried to thwart the spread of the conflict, but he was continuously forced to stand down when reports false or true poured in about Chinese offensives. In fact, Ishiwara's efforts were getting him in a ton of trouble as his colleagues began to point out they were hindering the military operations which at the time were trying to end the conflict quickly. Ishiwara did not go down without a fight tossing one last attempt to stop the conflict. He urged Prime Minister Konoe to fly to Nanjing to speak directly with Chiang Kai Shek, it was a last ditch effort before the Japanese reinforcements arrived. When Konoe received requests to do this from multiple Japanese military leaders on urged on by Ishiwara, he was initially favorable to the idea and had a plane prepared for the trip. But within hours of the idea leaked out raising a storm of protests from the expansionists. Sugiyama then told Konoe it was Ishiwara pushing the idea and that his views represented a small minority in the military. Konoe ultimately back down and chose not to do it. Ishiwara was outraged when he found out screaming “tell the Prime minister that in 2000 years of our history no man will have done more to destroy Japan than he has by his indecisiveness in this crisis”.   Ishiwara began fighting with his colleagues as the situation worsened. He tabled a motion to press Nanjing to support Manchukuo in order for the Japanese to withdraw, but his colleagues blocked it. By August the conflict had spread as far as Shanghai and now even the IJN were getting involved. To this Ishiwara argued they should just evacuate Japanese civilians in Shanghai and pay them several hundred million yen in compensation as it would be cheaper than a war. He was quickly overruled. Thus the North China Incident simply became the China incident. In early september Ishiwara tried one last attempt to negotiate a settlement, trying to get Germany to mediate, but by mid september Ishiwara's influence had dropped considerably. By late september Ishiwara was removed from the General staff by General Tada. The remnants of Ishiwara's followers in the central army were defeated, particularly when Konoe declared in January of 1938 that Japan would not treat with Chiang Kai-shek. Ironically Konoe would quickly come around to believe Japan had made a grave mistake. By 1938 24 IJA divisions were tossed into China, the next year this became 34. 

FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with author and journalist Antony Loewenstein about his upbringing in Australia, his film "Germany's Israel Obsession", and the seminal book he published in 2023, "The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World", and the possibility of a one-state outcome after a genocide.

Dr Nina Fuller-Shavel discusses the use of injectable mistletoe as a cancer treatment in conjunction with the standard treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Nina was working as a doctor in the UK's NHS when she discovered in her early thirties that she had breast cancer. That was a decade ago, but that experience helped focus her mind on the reality of being a cancer patient and of the importance of treating the whole person not just the disease. Injectable mistletoe therapy is used widely in hospitals in  Germany with up to 60% of patients having it as part of their cancer care, but it is rarely used in the UK or the states.  Yet results and published data suggest it can help a patient's fatigue, general quality of life and may even be able to help improve white cell count, which could be critically important for chemotherapy patients who sometimes have to delay further treatment if their therapy causes their white cell count to drop too low. Nina has now had patients who have been on the treatment for years and is keen to persuade the British authorities to adopt it as recommended, cost effective cancer treatment . You can find out more about this podcast on its website and if you would like to support it you can do so via Patreon at or via PayPal. The host of the podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director.  You can follow Liz on X and read further information about the podcast on her Substack newsletter. Medical Matters with Liz Tucker has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/

On this episode, Damien welcomes Harvard Men's Basketball Senior Captain Chandler Pigge' (@Chandlerp13). Chandler shares his journey of prayer, faith and work from Texas, Japan and Germany to the Ivy League as an audacious Christian athlete.

Reese Witherspoon (Gone Before Goodbye, The Morning Show, Big Little Lies) is an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award-winning actor and producer. Reese joins the Armchair Expert to discuss growing up on a military base in Germany, being surprisingly not cautious when her kids want to chase adrenaline, and originally thinking that acting was a hobby to pay the bills. Reese and Dax talk about her theory on dating and the decline in romcoms, refusing to read during her audition for Election while in character as Tracy Flick, and her experience hosting the first SNL back after 9/11. Reese explains why women make movie stars of men, cowriting her novel Gone Before Goodbye with Harlan Coben, and how her edges have softened over the course of her life.Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch new content on YouTube or listen to Armchair Expert early and ad-free by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/armchair-expert-with-dax-shepard/ now.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There were some fun results this weekend, so Musa and Ryan begin with a quick recap of some games around Europe (02:00), including more goals and red cards in Germany, Arsenal extending their lead at the top of the Premier and League and a wonder goal from Piotr Zieliński in Inter's win at Verona (16:42).They then chat about Haaland's evolution and the difference between good players and great ones. Finally, with four points separating the top six in Serie A, there's a discussion about which is the most intriguing of the top five European men's leagues at the moment (36:35).Don't forget, tickets are available for our live show at the Southbank Centre in London on December 4th. Go get them here.For more podcasts each week, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, become a Stadio member by going to patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time we spoke about the fall of Wuhan. In a country frayed by war, the Yangtze became a pulsing artery, carrying both hunger and hope. Chiang Kai-shek faced a brutal choice: defend Wuhan to the last man, or flood the rivers to buy time. He chose both, setting sullen floodwaters loose along the Yellow River to slow the invaders, a temporary mercy that spared some lives while ripping many from their homes. On the river's banks, a plethora of Chinese forces struggled to unite. The NRA, fractured into rival zones, clung to lines with stubborn grit as Japanese forces poured through Anqing, Jiujiang, and beyond, turning the Yangtze into a deadly corridor. Madang's fortifications withstood bombardment and gas, yet the price was paid in troops and civilians drowned or displaced. Commanders like Xue Yue wrestled stubbornly for every foothold, every bend in the river. The Battle of Wanjialing became a symbol: a desperate, months-long pincer where Chinese divisions finally tightened their cordon and halted the enemy's flow. By autumn, the Japanese pressed onward to seize Tianjiazhen and cut supply lines, while Guangzhou fell to a ruthless blockade. The Fall of Wuhan loomed inevitable, yet the story remained one of fierce endurance against overwhelming odds.   #174 The Changsha Fire Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the summer of 1938, amid the upheaval surrounding Chiang Kai-shek, one of his most important alliances came to an end. On June 22, all German advisers to the Nationalist government were summoned back; any who refused would be deemed guilty of high treason. Since World War I, a peculiar bond had tied the German Weimar Republic and China: two fledgling states, both weak and only partially sovereign. Under the Versailles Treaty of 1919, Germany had lost extraterritorial rights on Chinese soil, which paradoxically allowed Berlin to engage with China as an equal partner rather than a traditional colonizer. This made German interests more welcome in business and politics than those of other Western powers. Chiang's military reorganization depended on German officers such as von Seeckt and von Falkenhausen, and Hitler's rise in 1933 had not immediately severed the connection between the two countries. Chiang did not share Nazi ideology with Germany, but he viewed Berlin as a potential ally and pressed to persuade it to side with China rather than Japan as China's principal East Asian, anti-Communist partner. In June 1937, H. H. Kung led a delegation to Berlin, met Hitler, and argued for an alliance with China. Yet the outbreak of war and the Nationalists' retreat to Wuhan convinced Hitler's government to align with Japan, resulting in the recall of all German advisers. Chiang responded with a speech praising von Falkenhausen, insisting that "our friend's enemy is our enemy too," and lauding the German Army's loyalty and ethics as a model for the Chinese forces. He added, "After we have won the War of Resistance, I believe you'll want to come back to the Far East and advise our country again." Von Falkenhausen would later become the governor of Nazi-occupied Belgium, then be lauded after the war for secretly saving many Jewish lives. As the Germans departed, the roof of the train transporting them bore a prominent German flag with a swastika, a prudent precaution given Wuhan's vulnerability to air bombardment. The Japanese were tightening their grip on the city, even as Chinese forces, numbering around 800,000, made a stubborn stand. The Yellow River floods blocked northern access, so the Japanese chose to advance via the Yangtze, aided by roughly nine divisions and the might of the Imperial Navy. The Chinese fought bravely, but their defenses could not withstand the superior technology of the Japanese fleet. The only substantial external aid came from Soviet pilots flying aircraft bought from the USSR as part of Stalin's effort to keep China in the war; between 1938 and 1940, some 2,000 pilots offered their services. From June 24 to 27, Japanese bombers relentlessly pounded the Madang fortress along the Yangtze until it fell. A month later, on July 26, Chinese defenders abandoned Jiujiang, southeast of Wuhan, and its civilian population endured a wave of atrocities at the hands of the invaders. News of Jiujiang's fate stiffened resolve. Chiang delivered a pointed address to his troops on July 31, arguing that Wuhan's defense was essential and that losing the city would split the country into hostile halves, complicating logistics and movement. He warned that Wuhan's defense would also be a spiritual test: "the place has deep revolutionary ties," and public sympathy for China's plight was growing as Japanese atrocities became known. Yet Chiang worried about the behavior of Chinese soldiers. He condemned looting as a suicidal act that would destroy the citizens' trust in the military. Commanders, he warned, must stay at their posts; the memory of the Madang debacle underscored the consequences of cowardice. Unlike Shanghai, Wuhan had shelters, but he cautioned against retreating into them and leaving soldiers exposed. Officers who failed in loyalty could expect no support in return. This pep talk, combined with the belief that the army was making a last stand, may have slowed the Japanese advance along the Yangtze in August. Under General Xue Yue, about 100,000 Chinese troops pushed back the invaders at Huangmei. At Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with poison gas finally forcing Japanese victory. Yet even then, Chinese generals struggled to coordinate. In Xinyang, Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted; they expected relief from Hu Zongnan's forces, but Hu instead withdrew, allowing Japan to capture the city without a fight. The fall of Xinyang enabled Japanese control of the Ping-Han railway, signaling Wuhan's doom. Chiang again spoke to Wuhan's defenders, balancing encouragement with a grim realism about possible loss. Although Wuhan's international connections were substantial, foreign aid would be unlikely. If evacuation became necessary, the army should have a clear plan, including designated routes. He recalled the disastrous December retreat from Nanjing, where "foreigners and Chinese alike turned it into an empty city." Troops had been tired and outnumbered; Chiang defended the decision to defend Nanjing, insisting the army had sacrificed itself for the capital and Sun Yat-sen's tomb. Were the army to retreat again, he warned, it would be the greatest shame in five thousand years of Chinese history. The loss of Madang was another humiliation. By defending Wuhan, he argued, China could avenge its fallen comrades and cleanse its conscience; otherwise, it could not honor its martyrs. Mao Zedong, observing the situation from his far-off base at Yan'an, agreed strongly that Chiang should not defend Wuhan to the death. He warned in mid-October that if Wuhan could not be defended, the war's trajectory would shift, potentially strengthening the Nationalists–Communists cooperation, deepening popular mobilization, and expanding guerrilla warfare. The defense of Wuhan, Mao argued, should drain the enemy and buy time to advance the broader struggle, not become a doomed stalemate. In a protracted war, some strongholds might be abandoned temporarily to sustain the longer fight. The Japanese Army captured Wuchang and Hankou on 26 October and captured Hanyang on the 27th, which concluded the campaign in Wuhan. The battle had lasted four and a half months and ended with the Nationalist army's voluntary withdrawal. In the battle itself, the Japanese army captured Wuhan's three towns and held the heartland of China, achieving a tactical victory. Yet strategically, Japan failed to meet its objectives. Imperial Headquarters believed that "capturing Hankou and Guangzhou would allow them to dominate China." Consequently, the Imperial Conference planned the Battle of Wuhan to seize Wuhan quickly and compel the Chinese government to surrender. It also decreed that "national forces should be concentrated to achieve the war objectives within a year and end the war against China." According to Yoshiaki Yoshimi and Seiya Matsuno, Hirohito authorized the use of chemical weapons against China by specific orders known as rinsanmei. During the Battle of Wuhan, Prince Kan'in Kotohito transmitted the emperor's orders to deploy toxic gas 375 times between August and October 1938. Another memorandum uncovered by Yoshimi indicates that Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni authorized the use of poison gas against the Chinese on 16 August 1938. A League of Nations resolution adopted on 14 May condemned the Imperial Japanese Army's use of toxic gas. Japan's heavy use of chemical weapons against China was driven by manpower shortages and China's lack of poison gas stockpiles to retaliate. Poison gas was employed at Hankou in the Battle of Wuhan to break Chinese resistance after conventional assaults had failed. Rana Mitter notes that, under General Xue Yue, approximately 100,000 Chinese troops halted Japanese advances at Huangmei, and at the fortress of Tianjiazhen, thousands fought until the end of September, with Japanese victory secured only through the use of poison gas. Chinese generals also struggled with coordination at Xinyang; Li Zongren's Guangxi troops were exhausted, and Hu Zongnan's forces, believed to be coming to relieve them, instead withdrew. Japan subsequently used poison gas against Chinese Muslim forces at the Battle of Wuyuan and the Battle of West Suiyuan. However, the Chinese government did not surrender with the loss of Wuhan and Guangzhou, nor did Japan's invasion end with Wuhan and Guangzhou's capture. After Wuhan fell, the government issued a reaffirmation: "Temporary changes of advance and retreat will not shake our resolve to resist the Japanese invasion," and "the gain or loss of any city will not affect the overall situation of the war." It pledged to "fight with even greater sorrow, greater perseverance, greater steadfastness, greater diligence, and greater courage," dedicating itself to a long, comprehensive war of resistance. In the Japanese-occupied rear areas, large armed anti-Japanese forces grew, and substantial tracts of territory were recovered. As the Japanese army themselves acknowledged, "the restoration of public security in the occupied areas was actually limited to a few kilometers on both sides of the main transportation lines." Thus, the Battle of Wuhan did not merely inflict a further strategic defeat on Japan; it also marked a turning point in Japan's strategic posture, from offense to defense. Due to the Nationalist Army's resolute resistance, Japan mobilized its largest force to date for the attack, about 250,000 personnel, who were replenished four to five times over the battle, for a total of roughly 300,000. The invaders held clear advantages in land, sea, and air power and fought for four and a half months. Yet they failed to annihilate the Nationalist main force, nor did they break the will to resist or the army's combat effectiveness. Instead, the campaign dealt a severe blow to the Japanese Army's vitality. Japanese-cited casualties totaled 4,506 dead and 17,380 wounded for the 11th Army; the 2nd Army suffered 2,300 killed in action, 7,600 wounded, and 900 died of disease. Including casualties across the navy and the air force, the overall toll was about 35,500. By contrast, the Nationalist Government Military Commission's General Staff Department, drawing on unit-level reports, calculated Japanese casualties at 256,000. The discrepancy between Japanese and Nationalist tallies illustrates the inflationary tendencies of each side's reporting. Following Wuhan, a weakened Japanese force confronted an extended front. Unable to mount large-scale strategic offensives, unlike Shanghai, Xuzhou, or Wuhan itself, the Japanese to a greater extent adopted a defensive posture. This transition shifted China's War of Resistance from a strategic defensive phase into a strategic stalemate, while the invaders found themselves caught in a protracted war—a development they most disliked. Consequently, Japan's invasion strategy pivoted: away from primary frontal offensives toward a greater reliance on political inducements with secondary military action, and toward diverting forces to "security" operations behind enemy lines rather than pushing decisive frontal campaigns. Japan, an island nation with limited strategic resources, depended heavily on imports. By the time of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Japan's gold reserves,including reserves for issuing banknotes, amounted to only about 1.35 billion yen. In effect, Japan's currency reserves constrained the scale of the war from the outset. The country launched its aggression while seeking an early solution to the conflict. To sustain its war of aggression against China, the total value of military supplies imported from overseas in 1937 reached approximately 960 million yen. By June of the following year, for the Battle of Wuhan, even rifles used in training were recalled to outfit the expanding army. The sustained increase in troops also strained domestic labor, food, and energy supplies. By 1939, after Wuhan, Japan's military expenditure had climbed to about 6.156 billion yen, far exceeding national reserves. This stark reality exposed Japan's economic fragility and its inability to guarantee a steady supply of military materiel, increasing pressure on the leadership at the Central Command. The Chief of Staff and the Minister of War lamented the mismatch between outward strength and underlying weakness: "Outwardly strong but weak is a reflection of our country today, and this will not last long." In sum, the Wuhan campaign coincided with a decline in the organization, equipment, and combat effectiveness of the Japanese army compared with before the battle. This erosion of capability helped drive Japan to alter its political and military strategy, shifting toward a method of inflicting pressure on China and attempting to "use China to control China", that is, fighting in ways designed to sustain the broader war effort. Tragically a major element of Chiang Kai-shek's retreat strategy was the age-old "scorched earth" policy. In fact, China originated the phrase and the practice. Shanghai escaped the last-minute torching because of foreigners whose property rights were protected. But in Nanjing, the burning and destruction began with increasing zeal. What could not be moved inland, such as remaining rice stocks, oil in tanks, and other facilities, was to be blown up or devastated. Civilians were told to follow the army inland, to rebuild later behind the natural barrier of Sichuan terrain. Many urban residents complied, but the peasantry did not embrace the plan. The scorched-earth policy served as powerful propaganda for the occupying Japanese army and, even more so, for the Reds. Yet they could hardly have foreseen the propaganda that Changsha would soon supply them. In June, the Changsha Evacuation Guidance Office was established to coordinate land and water evacuation routes. By the end of October, Wuhan's three towns had fallen, and on November 10 the Japanese army captured Yueyang, turning Changsha into the next primary invasion target. Beginning on October 9, Japanese aircraft intensified from sporadic raids on Changsha to large-scale bombing. On October 27, the Changsha Municipal Government urgently evacuated all residents, exempting only able-bodied men, the elderly, the weak, women, and children. The baojia system was mobilized to go door-to-door, enforcing compliance. On November 7, Chiang Kai-shek convened a military meeting at Rongyuan Garden to review the war plan and finalize a "scorched earth war of resistance." Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, drafted the detailed implementation plan. On November 10, Shi Guoji, Chief of Staff of the Security Command, presided over a joint meeting of Changsha's party, government, military, police, and civilian organizations to devise a strategy. The Changsha Destruction Command was immediately established, bringing together district commanders and several arson squads. The command actively prepared arson equipment and stacked flammable materials along major traffic arteries. Chiang decided that the city of Changsha was vulnerable and either gave the impression or the direct order, honestly really depends on the source your reading, to burn the city to the ground to prevent it falling to the enemy. At 9:00 AM on November 12, Chiang Kai-shek telegraphed Zhang Zhizhong: "One hour to arrive, Chairman Zhang, Changsha, confidential. If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned. Please make thorough preparations in advance and do not delay." And here it seems a game of broken telephone sort of resulted in one of the worst fire disasters of all time. If your asking pro Chiang sources, the message was clearly, put up a defense, once thats fallen, burn the city down before the Japanese enter. Obviously this was to account for getting civilians out safely and so forth. If you read lets call it more modern CPP aligned sources, its the opposite. Chiang intentionally ordering the city to burn down as fast as possible, but in through my research, I think it was a colossal miscommunication. Regardless Zhongzheng Wen, Minister of the Interior, echoed the message. Simultaneously, Lin Wei, Deputy Director of Chiang Kai-shek's Secretariat, instructed Zhang Zhizhong by long-distance telephone: "If Changsha falls, the entire city must be burned." Zhang summoned Feng Ti, Commander of the Provincial Capital Garrison, and Xu Quan, Director of the Provincial Security Bureau, to outline arson procedures. He designated the Garrison Command to shoulder the preparations, with the Security Bureau assisting. At 4:00 PM, Zhang appointed Xu Kun, Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment, as chief commander of the arson operation, with Wang Weining, Captain of the Social Training Corps, and Xu Quan, Chief of Staff of the Garrison Command, as deputies. At 6:00 PM, the Garrison Command held an emergency meeting ordering all government agencies and organizations in the city to be ready for evacuation at any moment. By around 10:15 PM, all urban police posts had withdrawn. Around 2:00 AM (November 13), a false report circulated that "Japanese troops have reached Xinhe" . Firefighters stationed at various locations rushed out with kerosene-fueled devices, burning everything in sight, shops and houses alike. In an instant, Changsha became a sea of flames. The blaze raged for 72 hours. The Hunan Province Anti-Japanese War Loss Statistics, compiled by the Hunan Provincial Government Statistics Office of the Kuomintang, report that the fire inflicted economic losses of more than 1 billion yuan, a sum equivalent to about 1.7 trillion yuan after the victory in the war. This figure represented roughly 43% of Changsha's total economic value at the time. Regarding casualties, contemporary sources provide varying figures. A Xinhua Daily report from November 20, 1938 noted that authorities mobilized manpower to bury more than 600 bodies, though the total number of burned remains could not be precisely counted. A Central News Agency reporter on November 19 stated that in the Xiangyuan fire, more than 2,000 residents could not escape, and most of the bodies had already been buried. There are further claims that in the Changsha Fire, more than 20,000 residents were burned to death. In terms of displacement, Changsha's population before the fire was about 300,000, and by November 12, 90% had been evacuated. After the fire, authorities registered 124,000 victims, including 815 orphans sheltered in Lito and Maosgang.  Building damage constituted the other major dimension of the catastrophe, with the greatest losses occurring to residential houses, shops, schools, factories, government offices, banks, hospitals, newspaper offices, warehouses, and cultural and entertainment venues, as well as numerous historic buildings such as palaces, temples, private gardens, and the former residences of notable figures; among these, residential and commercial structures suffered the most, followed by factories and schools. Inspector Gao Yihan, who conducted a post-fire investigation, observed that the prosperous areas within Changsha's ring road, including Nanzheng Street and Bajiaoting, were almost completely destroyed, and in other major markets only a handful of shops remained, leading to an overall estimate that surviving or stalemated houses were likely less than 20%. Housing and street data from the early post-liberation period reveal that Changsha had more than 1,100 streets and alleys; of these, more than 690 were completely burned and more than 330 had fewer than five surviving houses, accounting for about 29%, with nearly 90% of the city's streets severely damaged. More than 440 streets were not completely destroyed, but among these, over 190 had only one or two houses remaining and over 130 had only three or four houses remaining; about 60 streets, roughly 6% had 30 to 40 surviving houses, around 30 streets, 3% had 11 to 20 houses, 10 streets, 1% had 21 to 30 houses, and three streets ) had more than 30 houses remaining. Housing statistics from 1952 show that 2,538 houses survived the fire, about 6.57% of the city's total housing stock, with private houses totaling 305,800 square meters and public houses 537,900 square meters. By 1956, the surviving area of both private and public housing totaled 843,700 square meters, roughly 12.3% of the city's total housing area at that time. Alongside these losses, all equipment, materials, funds, goods, books, archives, antiques, and cultural relics that had not been moved were also destroyed.  At the time of the Changsha Fire, Zhou Enlai, then Deputy Minister of the Political Department of the Nationalist Government's Military Commission, was in Changsha alongside Ye Jianying, Guo Moruo, and others. On November 12, 1938, Zhou Enlai attended a meeting held by Changsha cultural groups at Changsha Normal School to commemorate Sun Yat-sen's 72nd birthday. Guo Moruo later recalled that Zhou Enlai and Ye Jianying were awakened by the blaze that night; they each carried a suitcase and evacuated to Xiangtan, with Zhou reportedly displaying considerable indignation at the sudden, unprovoked fire. On the 16th, Zhou Enlai rushed back to Changsha and, together with Chen Cheng, Zhang Zhizhong, and others, inspected the disaster. He mobilized personnel from three departments, with Tian Han and Guo Moruo at the forefront, to form the Changsha Fire Aftermath Task Force, which began debris clearance, care for the injured, and the establishment of soup kitchens. A few days later, on the 22nd, the Hunan Provincial Government established the Changsha Fire Temporary Relief Committee to coordinate relief efforts.  On the night of November 16, 1938, Chiang Kai-shek arrived in Changsha and, the next day, ascended Tianxin Pavilion. Sha Wei, head of the Cultural Relics Section of the Changsha Tianxin Pavilion Park Management Office, and a long-time researcher of the pavilion, explained that documentation indicates Chiang Kai-shek, upon seeing the city largely reduced to scorched earth with little left intact, grew visibly angry. After descending from Tianxin Pavilion, Chiang immediately ordered the arrest of Changsha Garrison Commander Feng Ti, Changsha Police Chief Wen Chongfu, and Commander of the Second Garrison Regiment Xu Kun, and arranged a military trial with a two-day deadline. The interrogation began at 7:00 a.m. on November 18. Liang Xiaojin records that Xu Kun and Wen Chongfu insisted their actions followed orders from the Security Command, while Feng Ti admitted negligence and violations of procedure, calling his acts unforgivable. The trial found Feng Ti to be the principal offender, with Wen Chongfu and Xu Kun as accomplices, and sentenced all three to prison terms of varying lengths. The verdict was sent to Chiang Kai-shek for approval, who was deeply dissatisfied and personally annotated the drafts: he asserted that Feng Ti, as the city's security head, was negligent and must be shot immediately; Wen Chongfu, as police chief, disobeyed orders and fled, and must be shot immediately; Xu Kun, for neglect of duty, must be shot immediately. The court then altered the arson charge in the verdict to "insulting his duty and harming the people" in line with Chiang's instructions. Chiang Kai-shek, citing "failure to supervise personnel and precautions," dismissed Zhang from his post, though he remained in office to oversee aftermath operations. Zhang Zhizhong later recalled Chiang Kai-shek's response after addressing the Changsha fire: a pointed admission that the fundamental cause lay not with a single individual but with the collective leadership's mistakes, and that the error must be acknowledged as a collective failure. All eyes now shifted to the new center of resistance, Chongqing, the temporary capital. Chiang's "Free China" no longer meant the whole country; it now encompassed Sichuan, Hunan, and Henan, but not Jiangsu or Zhejiang. The eastern provinces were effectively lost, along with China's major customs revenues, the country's most fertile regions, and its most advanced infrastructure. The center of political gravity moved far to the west, into a country the Nationalists had never controlled, where everything was unfamiliar and unpredictable, from topography and dialects to diets. On the map, it might have seemed that Chiang still ruled much of China, but vast swaths of the north and northwest were sparsely populated; most of China's population lay in the east and south, where Nationalist control was either gone or held only precariously. The combined pressures of events and returning travelers were gradually shifting American attitudes toward the Japanese incident. Europe remained largely indifferent, with Hitler absorbing most attention, but the United States began to worry about developments in the Pacific. Roosevelt initiated a January 1939 appeal to raise a million dollars for Chinese civilians in distress, and the response quickly materialized. While the Chinese did not expect direct intervention, they hoped to deter further American economic cooperation with Japan and to halt Japan's purchases of scrap iron, oil, gasoline, shipping, and, above all, weapons from the United States. Public opinion in America was sufficiently stirred to sustain a campaign against silk stockings, a symbolic gesture of boycott that achieved limited effect; Japan nonetheless continued to procure strategic materials. Within this chorus, the left remained a persistent but often discordant ally to the Nationalists. The Institute of Pacific Relations, sympathetic to communist aims, urged America to act, pressuring policymakers and sounding alarms about China. Yet the party line remained firmly pro-Chiang Kai-shek: the Japanese advance seemed too rapid and threatening to the Reds' interests. Most oil and iron debates stalled; American businessmen resented British trade ties with Japan, and Britain refused to join any mutual cutoff, arguing that the Western powers were not at war with Japan. What occurred in China was still commonly referred to in Western diplomatic circles as "the Incident." Wang Jingwei's would make his final defection, yes in a long ass history of defections. Mr Wang Jingwei had been very busy traveling to Guangzhou, then Northwest to speak with Feng Yuxiang, many telegrams went back and forth. He returned to the Nationalist government showing his face to foreign presses and so forth. While other prominent rivals of Chiang, Li Zongren, Bai Chongxi, and others, rallied when they perceived Japan as a real threat; all did so except Wang Jingwei. Wang, who had long believed himself the natural heir to Sun Yat-sen and who had repeatedly sought to ascend to power, seemed willing to cooperate with Japan if it served his own aims. I will just say it, Wang Jingwei was a rat. He had always been a rat, never changed. Opinions on Chiang Kai-Shek vary, but I think almost everyone can agree Wang Jingwei was one of the worst characters of this time period. Now Wang Jingwei could not distinguish between allies and enemies and was prepared to accept help from whomever offered it, believing he could outmaneuver Tokyo when necessary. Friends in Shanghai and abroad whispered that it was not too late to influence events, arguing that the broader struggle was not merely China versus Japan but a clash between principled leaders and a tyrannical, self-serving clique, Western imperialism's apologists who needed Chiang removed. For a time Wang drifted within the Kuomintang, moving between Nanjing, Wuhan, Changsha, and Chongqing, maintaining discreet lines of communication with his confidants. The Japanese faced a governance problem typical of conquerors who possess conquered territory: how to rule effectively while continuing the war. They imagined Asia under Japanese-led leadership, an East Asia united by a shared Co-Prosperity Sphere but divided by traditional borders. To sustain this vision, they sought local leaders who could cooperate. The search yielded few viable options; would-be collaborators were soon assassinated, proved incompetent, or proved corrupt. The Japanese concluded it would require more time and education. In the end, Wang Jingwei emerged as a preferred figure. Chongqing, meanwhile, seemed surprised by Wang's ascent. He had moved west to Chengde, then to Kunming, attempted, and failed to win over Yunnan's warlords, and eventually proceeded to Hanoi in Indochina, arriving in Hong Kong by year's end. He sent Chiang Kai-shek a telegram suggesting acceptance of Konoe's terms for peace, which Chungking rejected. In time, Wang would establish his own Kuomintang faction in Shanghai, combining rigorous administration with pervasive secret-police activity characteristic of occupied regimes. By 1940, he would be formally installed as "Chairman of China." But that is a story for another episode.  In the north, the Japanese and the CCP were locked in an uneasy stalemate. Mao's army could make it impossible for the Japanese to hold deep countryside far from the railway lines that enabled mass troop movement into China's interior. Yet the Communists could not defeat the occupiers. In the dark days of October 1938—fifteen months after the war began—one constant remained. Observers (Chinese businessmen, British diplomats, Japanese generals) repeatedly predicted that each new disaster would signal the end of Chinese resistance and force a swift surrender, or at least a negotiated settlement in which the government would accept harsher terms from Tokyo. But even after defenders were expelled from Shanghai, Nanjing, and Wuhan, despite the terrifying might Japan had brought to bear on Chinese resistance, and despite the invader's manpower, technology, and resources, China continued to fight. Yet it fought alone. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. In a land shredded by war, Wuhan burned under brutal sieges, then Changsha followed, a cruel blaze born of orders and miscommunications. Leaders wrestled with retreat, scorched-earth vows, and moral debts as Japanese force and Chinese resilience clashed for months. Mao urged strategy over martyrdom, Wang Jingwei's scheming shadow loomed, and Chongqing rose as the westward beacon. Yet China endured, a stubborn flame refusing to surrender to the coming storm. The war stretched on, unfinished and unyielding.

274. Holy Spirit Stories and Fruit and Ways to Identify His Guidance in Our Lives with Margaret Feinberg   Exodus 31:3 NIV "and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills—"   *Transcription Below*   Questions and Topics We Cover: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, so will you share some insight into what you've been learning about the Holy Spirit from your most recent research for your latest book, entitled The God You Need to Know? If someone listening has trouble identifying the Spirit's role and God's direction or Jesus' voice in their life, how would you encourage them to grow in attention and recognition of His voice and leading? Do you have any stories to give as illustrations for the Spirit still mightily being at work in the world and in people's lives today?   Margaret Feinberg, one of America's most beloved Bible teachers, speaks at churches and conferences and hosts the popular podcast The Joycast. Her books and Bible studies, including Taste and See, Fight Back with Joy, More Power to You, and The God You Need to Know have sold more than one million copies and received critical acclaim and national media coverage from the Associated Press, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, and more. She was named by Christianity Today as one of fifty women most shaping culture and the church today. Margaret savors life with her husband, Leif, and their superpup, Zoom.   Margaret's Most Recent Work: The God You Need To Know Book and Bible Study   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Dream Seller Travel, Megan Rokey   Other Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: 150 Brain Science and Spiritual Abundance with Ken Baugh Special Patreon Re-Release Theology and Discipleship with Ken Baugh 259 God Speaks to His Kids . . . Here's How with Chris Allen Fruitful with Laura Dugger   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 2:18) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Do you love to travel?   If so, then let me introduce you to today's sponsor, DreamCellar Travel, a Christian-owned and operated travel agency. Check them out on Facebook or online at DreamCellarTravel.com. Today we get to learn from one of the most joyful human beings I've ever encountered.   My guest for today is Margaret Feinberg, and she's an author and researcher and podcaster and speaker. Most recently, her research project turned into a book where she was researching all about the Holy Spirit and His work in the Old Testament and the New Testament, and still His work that's present and active in our lives and around our world today. So, her stories of His specific presence at work in our lives are so moving, and she also pairs that with practical ways that we can more clearly hear from the Holy Spirit and identify His voice in our lives.   We also chat about the true definition of the word weird, which I actually want to elaborate on now because in the moment I couldn't find the definition that was so powerful. So, weird is defined as unearthly or uncanny, extraordinary, involving or suggesting the supernatural, and completely fantastic. Sometimes we think the Holy Spirit may be inviting us into something that seems weird, but He's redefined weird for us, and I just pray that all of us after this conversation will accept the invitation with gladness from Holy Spirit in our lives to join in whatever adventure He has planned for each one of us today.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Margaret.   Margaret Feinberg: (2:18 - 2:24) What a delight to be with you today. It's absolute joy, and you look fantastic, by the way.   Laura Dugger: (2:24 - 2:45) You're so kind. I can tell that joy is one of your markers already, and that makes me think you just have such a rich spiritual heritage in general. So, we don't typically start here, but can you go back and share your parents' story of coming to faith in Jesus Christ?   Margaret Feinberg: (2:46 - 5:22) Absolutely. I share this in the book, The God You Need to Know, in Bible study, but it's pretty beautiful. They actually came to know Jesus back in the 1970s during the Jesus movement, and my father was raised Jewish, and my mom was not really raised much in the church, and so, they got married, and separately on the same weekend, they came to know Christ. My father, back in the 1960s, he was actually a surfboard manufacturer.   He helped build longboards the very first time that longboards were cool, and these customers kept coming into his little store and telling him about Jesus, and eventually he grew so frustrated that one weekend he went out turkey hunting, and he was sitting in turkey blind, had tons of time around him, and decided to sit down and read the entire New Testament over the course of that weekend, and he read it, and he thought, “Wow, Jesus came to earth.”   He lived, he died, and he was resurrected that we can have eternal life for free, and he thought, in his Jewish brain, that is a good deal, and so, he just believed in Christ, and meanwhile, my mom is at home and has her own encounter. She's finishing reading a book by the name of The Great Late Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey, which was actually the best-selling book of the decade back in the 1970s, and at the end of that book, it had an invitation to come to know Christ, and so, both of them come to know Christ separately on the same weekend. They come home on that Sunday, and they're a little awkward about it because it sounds weird. They don't really want to tell each other, and then finally start to spell out, and there's such joy that they both came to know Christ because the Holy Spirit was at work in their lives. What's amazing is that they had been trying to have kids for the first eight years of their marriage and hadn't been able to conceive, and within a month of them coming to know Jesus, I was conceived. So, you just see the work of the Holy Spirit all over that, and that He is leading people to Christ. He is on the move, and sometimes it doesn't involve any of us doing anything, and that's a freedom marker for us. It's not our job to run around and try to save everybody. Holy Spirit is already at work, and when we have the opportunities to be part of that, it is a privilege and a joy. Trust in a God who is so good and so loving and so kind that He will find people through reading books and hiding out in a turkey blind hunting turkeys all weekend.   Laura Dugger: (5:23 - 5:45) That gives me goosebumps even to hear the timing of that and you being conceived. Then you also had a unique childhood. At that time, not as many people were homeschooled, and your story was fascinating. So, what was homeschooling and spiritual discipleship like for you in the growing up years?   Margaret Feinberg: (5:46 - 8:18) Yeah, so, in those early years, my mom and dad had that mom-and-pop kind of surf shop down in Cocoa Beach, Florida. For all you surfing nerds, Ron Jon loaned my dad the money to marry my mom. I mean, so, we're talking deep surfing roots, still friends to this day, and so, they would work, and a lot of you are entrepreneurs and are listening, and you get this, but they would often work seven days a week, 14 hours a day, just trying to keep this little store open with their employee. It just was. It's just a rough business, retail, and so, the only way that they could get away was they would leave the store in the hands of a manager. They decided to buy a really small, inexpensive boat, and we would go sail from the coast of Florida into the Caribbean. So, as we did that, what do we do for school. I remember for third grade, we actually went for an entire year, and so, it was homeschooling. Now, this is like early 80s, and you have to think like it's not exactly fact-checked, reputable, like you send your work in like once or twice a year. So, I'm living on this boat, super remote, not even around a ton of kids, pretty isolated, and I figured out that if I did all my schoolwork in one day that I could play the other six, and so, that was my year of third grade. Fortunately, things turned out okay, but I learned so much more just meeting people from all over the world, surfing or swimming.   I learned how to, at eight years old, shoot my first lobster because we had to survive off the ocean. So, it was an incredible experience. Then after that, ended up going into public school in the later years once we got to like probably fifth, sixth, a lot more steady than those early years. But you know, the thing that I always saw in my mom was I would wake up, and she would usually be on the couch or on the deck of the boat, and she would be reading her Bible, and there was something about that. It wasn't spoken.   It wasn't like you must do this, but I watched it, and I saw it, and now all these years later, that's what I do. So, for all those mamas and papas who are listening and watching, I just want to encourage you - like how you live, those little things, the kids and the grandkids and the great-grandkids, they watch, they see, and it matters, and so, thank you. Those of you who are engaging in those things. It pays dividends for decades and generations to come.   Laura Dugger: (8:20 - 8:28) That's incredible, and then can you share about your own faith journey? You saw that modeled. When did it become personal to you?   Margaret Feinberg: (8:29 - 11:44) Yeah, you know, even as a young kid, I was aware of God and Jesus and Holy Spirit, and just the Lord was very tender to make Himself real to me when I was young. When I went away to college, and this is just normal behavior, you know, there is that kind of making faith your own, figuring it out, and so, my freshman year of college, I partied like a rock star. I got the bees, the beer, the boys, and the Ben and Jerry, like I, you know, I just all the things, and I remember at the end of that year, I had this sense that God was saying to me like, you are my child. I have called you by name.   You are mine. Come back to me, and I read about this in The God You Need to Know, but one of those was a turning point I went to. It was actually a Methodist conference on Holy Spirit, and while I was there, I had an unusual experience, but in it, you know, I'm watching, I'm listening to all these lectures.   I'm in the conference. I'm attending all these things, and at one point, I had a thought pop into my mind that was not my own, and the thought was go to the prayer room and look underneath the tablecloth. I was like, okay, that's weird, but it was like go to the prayer room and look underneath the tablecloth. So, I'm like, you know what? At the end of the day, like what do I have to lose?   I mean the worst thing that happens is I wander into our prayer room. Okay, we'll take the risk, and I remember going in there, and I'm kind of like there's some people praying (a couple). I'm trying to like I don't want to be weird like I know it's a conference on the Holy Spirit, but still I'm like I am not going to be weird about it. So, I'm like trying to peek underneath a tablecloth, and there's nothing there, and there's all these tables around the room. So, I'm kind of like making my way across, and I'm seeing like one lady like eyeing me like what is happening. So, I peek under another one. Anyway, I go table after table, nothing after nothing until I reach the very last table. I pick up the tablecloth, and there is a Bible, and I look, and it's full of like notes and photographs. So, I pull it out, and there's a name on the front, and so, I just kind of said, “You know, excuse me in the prayer room like does anybody know this person, and most people were like no, and one lady says you know what I do know her, and she had to leave the conference early, and I actually have her phone number.” So, all of a sudden I'm on the phone calling this lady and saying “Hey, I just found your Bible on the phone.”    She says, “You have no idea. That Bible is full of decades of prayers and notes and photos that can't be replaced. I have been sitting here praying that someone would find my Bible.” So, I'm just in awe like Holy Spirit, I didn't even know - like wow like this is not just a mental learning.   This is a real experience, and so, I told a couple people at the conference about it. One said' “You know what, actually, if you're driving up that direction, I've been praying to get a ride up that direction.” So, I was able to drop off this ministry worker, return this Bible to this precious woman, and that really became one of the markers in my life. Oh my goodness Holy Spirit is real. He is on the move. He is leading and guiding us, and this is such an exciting thrilling adventure to be on.   Laura Dugger: (11:45 - 12:12) Wow, and it absolutely is. You are an incredible storyteller. It's so powerful the way that you wrote some stories in your books, the way that you're sharing it now. God has really gifted you with that, and that's part of your purpose in life being that storyteller. So, how did you begin to uncover the purpose that God had for you in life?   Margaret Feinberg: (12:12 - 15:09) That's such a great question, so, I'm going to answer that a couple different folds. Can I do that? So, the first answer is all of our purpose is the same. It is to love God, love others, and delight in Him forever.   That is the purpose of all of our lives, and so, that is the answer. At the same time, a lot of what I think you're saying is purpose is a little bit about vocation. Is that right?   And so, we need to recognize that as believers that this idea that somehow our vocation or what we do is our purpose and is supposed to give us meaning and value to God has really only been around for the last 50 to 75 years and largely established in the American culture. But for thousands of years, that has never been the case. And so, what that does is that for a lot of us, when we don't kind of understand that it puts a heavier weight on the job. The vocation that we do to carry all of this burden of purpose, fulfillment, meaning, ordained by God.   I mean, that becomes like a heavy burden for a single job or vocation to carry that it was never meant to. Right? And so, again, back to what is our purpose? It is loving God, loving others, and delighting. And that never changes no matter whether you are raising littles, whether you are whatever the title on your business card, if you still have those, or identification on social, whatever it is. But that never changes.   And so, I think that we have to step back and recognize that. Now, I do understand that I am in a role in which my job provides spiritual meaning. And that is delightful.   And I am super grateful for that. But in that, my spiritual meaning is still not about what books I write or podcasts or any of that nonsense. It's all about how I'm living in my community and real one-to-one relationships that are done privately and never published on social media.   That is the real life. And so, I just want to encourage everyone out there to think that that job is the thing. The job is never the thing.   Now, don't let that distract you because what do you do when you're retired? What do you do if you can't do that job? But if you are in a vocation, if you are in a role, that to understand, yes, God can use that, and to invite Holy Spirit into that space, but to make sure that we don't find our identity in that.   Because that's a short runway. That's going to end at one point. And to really ground ourselves into the eternal and what does not have an end and what will sustain us from our first breath until our last.   Laura Dugger: (15:10 - 16:38) Wow, I love how you put all of that. And so, I'm going to share a story, so, bear with me because you may not be aware, but back in 2013, our lives first crossed paths. So, back then, we were pregnant with our first child.   And my husband, Mark, and I went with my parents to the American Association of Christian Counselors conference in Nashville. And you were one of those keynote speakers at the Opera Land Hotel. And I was just mesmerized by every word you shared.   And so, I see why people write about you, and they say you're one of America's most beloved Bible teachers, because you were so endearing from the first word spoken. But at the time, you were battling cancer. And yet you were still willing to generously and joyfully share about the goodness of the Lord and the ways that we encounter Him in nature through olives and bees and so on.   But the one other thing that has stuck with me for over a decade is when you encourage the audience of probably thousands of people in attendance, that if we don't know what to be thankful for today, be thankful for nose hairs. So, do you remember that?   Margaret Feinberg: (16:39 - 19:24) I do. Yeah, that defined gratitude in the little things and in the heart. I do.   And the reason I said that, because without context, that sounds really, really strange. But whenever anybody who's out there and is walking through any medical, whether that's mental health or physical challenges, one of the difficulties is in the medical world, they don't tell you everything that's coming. And so, there are all these hidden surprises, and you can read about it, and you can WebMD it, and you can read online, and all of them are just going to say you're going to die tomorrow.   We already know that. We know we shouldn't Google these things, right? But no matter what you're walking through, there are things that people just don't tell you.   And so, I knew that going through chemotherapy, I would lose my hair. And sure enough, in 10 days, it was all falling out. Nobody told me that that included all my hair, including my nose hairs.   And so, what I had to learn the hard way is when you don't have nose hairs, like kind of what holds anything that's liquid in your nose, it just falls out. And so, my encouragement was to everybody, you don't have anything to give thanks to God for today. Give thanks for your nose hairs.   And just a light way of saying, you know, even when you're walking through the darkness, and I know some of your listeners and your viewers are, you are in dark seasons. And if that is you, I just want to say, I get you. I get it.   I have battled cancer. I have battled autoimmune. I have battled being sick for years.   I have battled being embezzled. I have battled surviving a destructive pastor. I know suffering and pain.   But even when we're in the darkness, we are a people who poke holes in the darkness until it bleeds light. And that's who we are. And gratitude is just one of those tools that helps us do that.   So, I just want to encourage you today, like whatever it takes for you. And there is something in this concept of joy. And I don't quite understand.   I can't quite wrap my head around it. But joy is something that you can give away even when you don't have it. And in the process of giving away joy when you don't have it, somehow our capacity for joy expands.   It's a strange equation in God's economy. It does not add up. It does not make sense.   But whether it's, you know, climbing in an MRI machine and saying, man, has anybody praised God from this square inch today? Whether it's showing up and giving just a simple gift to someone else, whether it's writing the note, whether it's encouraging someone else, even in our own pain. When we do that, our capacity for joy just grows bigger and bigger.   Laura Dugger: (19:25 - 21:58) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Do you have a bucket list of travel destinations? Or maybe you have a special event coming up like a big anniversary, a honeymoon, or even just that first trip to Europe?   If so, you need to call DreamCellar Travel. 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That's worth saying again, in most cases, there is absolutely no service fee for this work.   Instead of booking online and being the one to deal with your airline schedule changes or the sudden change in country entry requirements, or the hotel that looks beautiful but is really under construction, call a professional. Let them deal with the problems that arise while traveling so you can just enjoy the trip. DreamCellar Travel has been planning dream trips since 2005 to amazing destinations such as Alaska, Italy, Hawaii, Canada, the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France, South Africa, Iceland, and more.   Where do you dream of going? You can reach out to the DreamCellar Travel at 309-696-5890 or check them out online at DreamCellarTravel.com. Thanks for your sponsorship.   You just lived this so well, and I know joy is a fruit of the spirit. Will you share some insight into what you've been learning about the Holy Spirit, especially from all your research from your latest book? As you mentioned, it's entitled The God You Need to Know.   Margaret Feinberg: (21:59 - 25:44) Yeah, I'm super excited about this book and Bible study. I've had a lot of questions about the Holy Spirit since I was a little girl. I remember reading the Bible and thinking, Jesus, He's so real.   He's so human. That I can recognize, and I get the picture of God on the throne, all powerful and sovereign. But when I think about the Holy Spirit, I'd be like, I'm struggling here a little bit.   And growing up in Southern Baptist and Methodist and Episcopal and non-denominational and charismatic, I got little pieces of Holy Spirit, but I just kind of struggled. And I think one of the reasons I struggled is that often, maybe like you, when I ask questions about Holy Spirit, I was like, “Well, you need to go read the book of Acts and read Acts 2.” And that's that beautiful moment of Pentecost where the spirit comes in and it's like a violent wind and tongues of fire.   They descend and people start speaking in other languages and other people hear they're declaring the glories of God. And then all of a sudden 3,000 people get saved. I think that is awesome.   But that doesn't look like my every day. So, I'm not quite sure. And so, for the last few years, I've been struggling to write this book.   And when I really came alive was with a scholar by the name of Jack Levison, and he focused in on the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. And all of a sudden that changed everything for me. Because what happens is if we jump to Acts, and particularly Acts 2 to understand Holy Spirit, it would be like showing up on your wedding day and being like, this is who you're marrying.   And you're like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I don't know this person. Like we haven't courted. We haven't dated.”   I don't, what, what, what? And yet that's often what we do as believers when we're directing people. And so, I took a deep dive into Holy Spirit throughout the Old Testament, looking at Genesis where Holy Spirit hovers over the waters, the chaos, the darkness, looking at how Holy Spirit hovers over our lives and how that's consistent with God, as in the book of Deuteronomy, as well as Jesus in the New Testament, that hovering like a, like a hen, I wanted to gather the children.   And you start to see this through it. You start to look in the lives of Bezalel, who was the first person who was filled with Holy Spirit, to do what to make and to make those, you know, the tabernacle and to lead an entire guild of artisans. We see the life of the Spirit in Daniel, where all of a sudden Nebuchadnezzar on multiple occasions is saying the Spirit of God is in him.   We have somebody who is literally running around like a wild animal at certain points in his life, who is still recognizing the power of Holy Spirit. I think it's the word in Hebrew is Ketria. We start seeing it in the life of Ezekiel, where the Holy Spirit is lifting him up, giving him new perspectives.   And what's cool is that once you start to recognize the rule of Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, you arrive at Acts 2 and you go, of course, it would happen this way. And suddenly for those of us who for maybe we've been hesitant about Holy Spirit, or maybe we've had maybe a lack of teaching or maybe some teaching that was a little bit abusive and was used to manipulate. Like all of a sudden we can back up from that and be like, oh, Holy Spirit, this is you from the beginning of time.   This is so normal. This isn't weird. This is just part of just being a follower of Jesus.   And so, one of the things that I love about this book is it takes the weird out, takes the scary out. It's so just biblically based, especially in the Old Testament. And I think some of your listeners and viewers will be surprised like, whoa, I didn't know that was, what?   That's where? And that's really fun and exciting.   Laura Dugger: (25:45 - 26:14) Absolutely. I think it did bring to light so many things from the Old Testament, like I said, especially. And I think you were even able to share some of your own stories, and that's why we're so often called to remember.   I think when we preserve and document those and share those stories, we can reflect back and remember God nudging us like he did with you, putting a thought in your mind that was not your own. That increases our faith in others, I think, as well.   Margaret Feinberg: (26:14 - 28:25) I think it really, really does. I think that one of the things we have to remember when Holy Spirit, so, in Psalm 139, we know that God knows he made us in the womb. And so, to recognize that all of us are made differently, and my hunches are some listeners right now who are thinking, man, yeah, I know people who talk a lot about Holy Spirit, but that's just not me.   I don't really see or enact or feel Holy Spirit. And so, first of all to you, I want to say I don't feel Holy Spirit either. I've been to a ton of churches and conferences, and the person on the stage will say, man, do you feel the Holy Spirit here?   And I'll be like, nope, nope, not at all. So, I'm not a feeler. But what I can do in those moments is I can acknowledge with my head, Holy Spirit is here, because we know that as part of the Trinity, Father, Son, Spirit, Holy Spirit is here.   And then secondly, to recognize that like Psalm, you know, that describes that He knew us in the womb, that we are all different. We know today that there's a neurodiversity, right? So, some people learn audio, some people visual, some people like myself, ADD, ADHD.   And God knows that, like the Creator did not make a mistake. And so, wouldn't it make sense that the Holy Spirit, who knows us as the spirit of a living God, would interact with us in different ways? I have an e-newsletter, and I've surveyed, you know, thousands of people, how they recognize the spirit, and it's just so diverse.   Some are like me, a thought pops back in my head that is not my own, that causes me to love God, love others, serve others, take risks in godly good ways. For other people, they do feel it. Some people have like a warmth in their body.   Some people kind of just feel like this, this just comfort or peace, like liquid love that envelops them. Some people recognize God and the Holy Spirit through nature. And so, I listen to this, and I think, doesn't that make sense that God and Holy Spirit would know us so well that He would know how to communicate with us?   And so, that when we start gathering with other believers and say, “Hey, how is Holy Spirit working in your life?” It starts to get this excitement of recognizing it and celebrating it and making it normal and not weird.   Laura Dugger: (28:28 - 28:48) And I think let's even take that one step further. So, if somebody is listening and they currently have trouble identifying the spirit's role or God's direction or Jesus's voice in their life, how would you encourage them with even first steps to grow in attention and recognition of His voice and leading?   Margaret Feinberg: (28:49 - 34:09) Goodness, that's such a great question. Something that's really changed my life in the last few months is my friend, Drake. He's a Young Life leader here.   And he said, Margaret, when I'm training people how to recognize Holy Spirit, he says, “I and the kids get a journal and write one question down for Holy Spirit each day. The question could be about purpose, identity, Holy Spirit, what's on your heart, Holy Spirit, who do I serve today? And write that one question down.”   That's it. That's all we're doing. And then throughout the day, return to that one question in prayer again and again.   And then pay attention to conversations that suddenly you have, Bible passages that flutter through your mind, the sermon that's given, conversations with other believers. Like just pay attention. And it's amazing.   And then the next day or that night, jot down whatever happens. The next day, change the question or keep the same question. And just start changing the posture of your life to pay attention to that one question.   And I think you're going to start to see and encounter some things. It may not happen quickly. It may take a few weeks or even months, but it will happen.   I think I was thinking about this just this morning. I haven't shared this with anybody. But in some ways, like people are like, I don't recognize Holy Spirit.   It's kind of like my friends who are birders. Okay. Some people super into birding.   And I know there are birds. I mean, occasionally I'll see a bird out the window, but birders have a whole different mentality. They slow down.   They pay attention. And they have some tools like binoculars to be able to look and to see. And it's the same thing about paying attention to Holy Spirit.   We've got to slow down, pay attention. And maybe the tool is just asking Holy Spirit one question a day. But suddenly you'll start to see and recognize.   Can I give you a fun story? Please. Okay.   So, just at Easter came around and I was probably a couple weeks before and they're having this crazy good sale at Target on some new releases. So, I'm at the Target website early in the morning before they sell out. And I saw a purse and I bought myself a few things.   But I saw a purse and I immediately thought of my friend Janella. And so, I was just like, I'm just going to buy this for her. Now, let me be clear.   I've never bought a purse for her before. I don't really carry around a ton of purses. I'm a Apple pay, like keep it light.   Like it's just not my thing. But put it in the cart, send it to her. So, I get a text from her about a week or two later.   And she goes, how did you know? Did I tell you about my Easter meltdown? And I said, no, I didn't know.   And she tells me, and I had known this, that her mother had passed away last year. What I didn't know is every single year, since she was a little girl for Easter, her mom would buy her a dress and a purse. And this was the first Easter without her mom.   And she could justify financially buying the dress, but not the purse. And all of a sudden this purse, which wasn't a normal purse. She's like, this is an Easter purse.   I was like, I don't know that, but okay. Arrived. And she said, I just, I just cried because I knew that the Lord saw me.   He heard me. You know, he was with me, part of his kingdom. And so, she says, but here's the thing.   The purse matched my dress perfectly. And you start to see that happen. And I didn't hear a voice from God say, go buy your friend a purse.   I was just like, “Hey, I've been praying every day, a single thing from Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, will you order my steps?” And then you see something that you couldn't orchestrate on your own in 500 years happen.   And you go, that is the work of Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit in the New Testament, it's parakletos. It means advocate.   It can be translated comforter, advisor, barrister. For those of you watch too many British shows like I do, you know, the legal counsel. But if I were to kind of break that down from just biblical words, here's how we know it's the Holy Spirit.   Number one, Holy Spirit will remind you: God loves you. God sees you. God hears you.   And you're part of His kingdom. And what happened in that story was both of us experienced that. God loves, He sees, He hears, and we're part of His kingdom.   And so, that is the thrilling part about life in the Spirit. It's not so I feel good or I have little things that happen. It's about being part of God's kingdom on this earth, living out the life that Christ describes and designed for us.   And so, we cannot do that apart from Holy Spirit. And also, you may notice I haven't been using the term the Holy Spirit because we wouldn't say I talked to the God today. I talked to Jesus.   And Holy Spirit is a person; a person you can have a relationship with. And just as you can have a relationship with Christ and talk to Christ, you can do the same with Holy Spirit who is, again, paracletes, your advisor, your comforter, your helper. Why would you not tap into that?   Why would you want to spend a life missing out on the fullness of that?   Laura Dugger: (34:10 - 36:48) Oh, that's good, and I'll have to try and apply that and refer to Holy Spirit rather than I even did it there, the Holy Spirit. I'm thinking in the book of John, I love the amplified version where it says, “one of the things to describe Holy Spirit is standby.” And I've thought of that so many times because I love looking up definitions and seeing exactly what that means.   And it's just the immediacy of the help available. And that's been a way that I've experienced Him in my life especially the short prayers of help, please help now. Or if I need direction, a lot of times it comes in parenting for me, like, I'm not sure which way to go.   Can you give me discernment right now? And He's immediately available. So, I would say my own personal experience, it's a lot of what you've mentioned, definitely through reading the Bible that I feel like He speaks so much.   You're like, well, bring the words off the page. Journaling is such a practical way. And I'll link to our friend Chris Allen's episode just about hearing from God and training our kids on how they can do the same.   Just those thoughts that they're not always from us, but we're processing thoughts that are given to us. But one other thing, so, this is inspired from your book. You mentioned about dreams and just asking Holy Spirit to speak to you through dreams.   So, in our life currently, one of our daughters is going through some health issues and we were launched into having to do this FODMAP diet. And it's not that big of a deal, but I had never heard of it before. And it limits and restricts quite a few things.   So, the immediate need of that seemed a little bit overwhelming. We're kind of in a busy season and completely revamping everything our family eats all day. I've been preoccupied and kind of consumed with that.   So, twice this week, because in my quiet time I felt like God just kept saying, bring it to me, come to me with this, ask me the questions. And so, I've been journaling and I feel like He's been responding with Scripture. But the last two nights in a row, I've woken up with a recipe in mind for our family.   And that has never happened before. But you are the one who challenged us just to say, just ask. And that was probably, probably started asking over a month ago.   So, thank you.   Margaret Feinberg: (36:49 - 40:32) Wow. I love it. And you know what?   That makes me want to ask. Does that make sense? Like there's this excitement and there's this joy.   When you share about how Holy Spirit is working in your life, I'm like, I want that too. And that's just, yeah, I think that so often we forget who is with us.   The person, the person of Holy Spirit is with us. We don't have to keep all this striving and straining. And man, I got a life hack this on my own.   You know, there is this availability of the power and the presence of the person of Holy Spirit, the spirit of the living God. One thing I want to note on the Trinity, just so that I don't, I don't want anybody to think, oh, she's just cutting out one part of the Trinity. No.   Trinity is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A couple of things on that. Number one, often, and part of the emphasis on the Holy Spirit, a little bit more in looking at this in the Old Testament, is when we see things in groupings of three, we tend to think that the third one listed tends to be lesser than or third place.   Right. And yet Father, Son and Spirit are equal. And what we see throughout the Bible is we have to remember that where there is one, all are present.   And so, like in creation, we see God take the lead. But, you know, Holy Spirit is mentioned in Genesis 1 to Jesus using the reference of we is there. And so, we start to see that the word, I think it's the word perichoresis is this term that describes the Trinity in a dance.   And so, at different parts of Scripture, we'll see one member of the Trinity take the lead, but the others are always present, whether it's, you know, Jesus taking the lead in the Gospels. But we see the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. We see God saying, this is my son and whom I am pleased.   Well, please listen to Him. And so, to recognize that, but also to recognize, again, like this, this reality that Holy Spirit is in us and with us. Like, wow, that starts to change everything.   So, all of a sudden, and you say, “It's no big deal changing the way your family eats. Can I just say that is an enormous deal. The time that it takes to prepare the food, the thinking, the thought space, the bad recipes, it is so big.”   So, you can try to minimize that. But I'm just going to say, “First of all, I'm glad there's a way forward, but I'm sorry, because that is massive. And it's a lot.”   And Holy Spirit wants to meet us there. Remember Genesis 1:2, “In the beginning, God created the heavenly earth and the earth was formless and void.” Tohu wavohu in the Hebrew.   “And the spirit was hovering over.” That word is merechefet. And it means to hover, to brood like a mama eagle.   One rabbi translated it as to flutter. And what is the spirit fluttering? Remember in the Bible, sorry to go to teaching mode, but whenever someone is introduced in scripture, the introduction is the most important.   We see that in the life of Saul. He literally is hiding in baggage and can't find his own donkeys. And it plays out that way, right?   So, how is Holy Spirit introduced? Could have entered any place and comes on the scene hovering over the chaos, the uncertainty, and the unknown. And so, here you are in that place of uncertainty and unknown, a little chaotic.   And what is Holy Spirit? Here's a recipe.    Doing what? Reminding you, you are loved by God. You are seen by God.   You are heard by God. And you are part of this kingdom. Man, when we start to share these stories, it just, oh, it creates this hunger to experience and know the spirit more.   Laura Dugger: (40:32 - 42:02) It does, and it's so humbling, just his loving kindness.    I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website.   You can visit thesavvysauce.com and see all of the latest updates. You may remember Francie Heinrichson from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities.   And we are thrilled with the final product. So, I hope you check it out. There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones, so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living.   You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible, so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com.    Are there any other stories that come to mind to think of Holy Spirit being alive and moving and working in people's lives today?   Margaret Feinberg: (42:03 - 46:15) Oh, I'll give you one that I just found. You know what's so funny? Again, when you start to use the prayer prompts, when you start to do these just like a burger, all of a sudden you're like, oh my goodness, I didn't know how many birds there were.   So, went over to our friend's house. It was somebody at church. We actually, they weren't our friends at that point.   We noticed that when they came to our church, the son is on the spectrum. And so, in Sunday school class would often just stare at the wall in the corner by himself, not interact a whole lot, and their daughter. And so, my husband said, hey, let's bring a meal over to them.   And they invited us to stay for dinner. And so, the son comes in and he's probably maybe nine years old, wrapped up in a blanket, like a little burrito. And he won't make any eye contact with us.   You know, the mom's like, say, “Hello to Margaret.” Won't interact. Kind of woombas around, disappears, comes through a few times.   Finish eating. We go out in the living room. And the mom starts telling the story that she was exhausted as a mom.   She was completely burnt out. And she just said, “You know what? I'm going to the reservoir and I'm going to go paddle boarding.”   Just take a few minutes for myself. So, she goes out. She's paddle boarding.   All of a sudden she sees like a piece of paper on the surface of the water. She looks down and she goes, what is that? So, she picks it up.   Turns out to be a QR code to the zoo. Now, she doesn't know if it's used trash or what, but she's like, I'm going to keep this. She paddles some more, sees another piece of paper.   It's another QR code to the zoo. She's like, maybe they blew away from the, I don't, so, she grabs it. And she prays and she says, Lord, now you know that we're a family of four.   So, if we're really supposed to go to the zoo, we need four of these. Keeps paddle boarding. Finds two more.   And so, she comes home and says, “Guys, we're going to try to go to the zoo. I don't even know if these work.” But next day goes to the zoo, scans them.   Boop, boop, boop, boop. They all work. So, they go to the zoo.   So, they're walking through. And all of a sudden, the son comes upon a display of red pandas. And he just stops in his tracks.   And he stares and he watches. And the rest of the family, you know, the sister and the dad want to go on and they do. But he just says, “Mom, can we stay here?”   And so, he stays there for several hours just staring in this strange connection. He's never had, Mom had never seen anything like this with the red pandas. And so, she's telling me this story.   And suddenly I look around their living room and I realize there is panda paraphernalia everywhere. She looks at her son and says, “Honey, why don't you go put on your panda outfit?” Disappears, comes back in the panda outfit.   And all of a sudden, he's looking at us. He's talking to us. He's engaging us.   He goes over to his parents and paws them like a panda. And all of a sudden is snuggling with them. And she says that one encounter at the zoo changed their relationship with their son.   She says there are days that my son will get completely overwhelmed and start having a meltdown. And she'll use panda language and go up to him and say, “Well, you know that pandas eat 13 hours a day. Maybe you need a snack.”   And it is provided this connection and this new language for them as a family that they never had before. All because she went paddle boarding at the reservoir and pieces of paper started floating on the surface of the water. Friends, this is the work and power and presence of Holy Spirit.   Reminding us we are loved by God. We are seen by God. We are heard by God.   And we are part of this kingdom. And for your listeners, that may be strange stories of paper. And that may seem really odd.   But, man, I read a book that talks about Jesus saying, “Hey, go check out the fish.” And all of a sudden a coin to pay taxes comes out of his mouth. I read a book that declares that, you know, he is the alpha and the omega.   He is the beginning and the end. He knows where we are. He knows what we need.   And He wants to intercept. And sometimes that shows up like recipes in your brain in the morning.   Laura Dugger: (46:16 - 47:27) Amen, sister. And you can keep sharing as many stories as you want. But one more.   As I was reading your book, it was actually over Easter weekend. And at that time we had some tornadoes that were passing through the Midwest where we live. And in the middle of the night, we're all up.   We're in the basement. And once the sirens ceased, we got our girls back to bed. And we came and I just wondered, we came back to bed and I thought, is this just going to be for a few moments?   Is it going to happen again? Are we going to be up all night and need to take cover? So, with those concerns on my mind, I crawled back into bed.   And, you know, cortisol is kind of rushing through. So, I picked up your book to read. And my eyes fell to the words you quoted from part of Isaiah 31:5.   So, I specifically fell to this where it says, “He will shield it and deliver it. He will pass over it and will rescue it.” And I fell asleep well knowing that I could receive comfort from Holy Spirit, that the storm had passed for the night and God was shielding our family from it.   And indeed He did. They ceased.   Margaret Feinberg: (47:28 - 47:42) Isn't that incredible? I mean, we talk about I mean, just that's the word of God and the power of Holy Spirit, like speaking right in that moment in that exact situation. That is awesome.   Absolutely awesome. I love it.   Laura Dugger: (47:43 - 48:17) So, I love just Holy Spirit is even working through the words on your pages. I want you to be encouraged. I know you've prayed over this resource, but it's so incredible.   Somebody once said that books are little missionaries. And it's so true throughout the world. You have no idea who's cuddled up in bed reading these words and getting to encounter him.   So, thank you for all of your work for this. But Margaret, do you have any other practical tips that you want to impart to us so that each of us can cultivate the fruit of spirit in our lives?   Margaret Feinberg: (48:18 - 50:39) Yeah, I would say, you know, if you're if you're new to this and this idea, you know, pick up a copy of The Gods You Need to Know. There's also a Bible study. I am passionate about doing this in community.   The Holy Spirit, we often in the Americana church, think of our little personal private relationship with Jesus. And that's not church history. That's not the work of God.   Since the beginning of time, it has always been through relationships and community and recognizing that each of us has something to bring to the table in relationship with God and each other and gifts and talents and insights. I am in my questions. I think I referred to this later or earlier about, you know, I surveyed a bunch of people in my newsletter just about, hey, so, how do you recognize Holy Spirit?   One lady responded and she said, “Well, I recognize Holy Spirit because whenever I'm lost, I ask Holy Spirit for directions, and I just know where to go.” And she goes and it happens over and over in, you know, neighborhoods when I'm driving, when I'm going places. And I thought, okay, so, first I'll just be honest. My first thought was that's weird. I haven't heard that before.   And we assign anything weird that we aren't familiar with. And then I thought a little longer. I thought, man, I want her on my team.   I want her on my team because I get lost all the time. And I think that at times, sometimes we encounter people who encounter the Spirit differently than us. Remember that neurodiversity, but to recognize living in relationship, hearing how Holy Spirit works in different, sharing those stories.   There's something contagious and powerful in it. So, I would say definitely pursue Holy Spirit in relationship with others. Get together with others.   Start talking about this. Start praying together. Holy Spirit, we want to know you.   You know, it's okay to say, Holy Spirit, in the past, I've seen really unhealthy things. Or nobody's really taught me about you. But I trust that as the Spirit of the living God that you want to reveal yourself.   Just start praying, Holy Spirit, I want all of you. See what happens over the course of a week or two of praying that.   And what you become aware of. What Bible passages flutter through your mind. What conversations you suddenly stumble upon.   What answers to things you've been plagued with suddenly come. I trust God that if you ask and you honestly pursue, God will show up and show off.   Laura Dugger: (50:41 - 51:45) I completely agree. And now I'm curious to look up. I feel like the Lord has kind of put on my mind the word weird this year a few times.   Because truly, when you think of what he did, even in the Old Testament, think of Noah, just like, okay, I'm obeying. I'm putting nails in this wood for never seeing rain. It's weird what we're called to sometimes.   And I think that's what can make me hesitate for obedience sometimes. Like, that feels weird. Or I don't want people to think I'm weird.   So, I'm going to look up the definition of weird. I'd love to read it to you. Okay, so, I just looked up the definition of weird.   And it says, suggesting something supernatural or uncanny. And I think we should reframe the word weird. And when we're invited into something weird by supernatural God of the universe, that's an incredible invitation, like you say, to adventure.   So, I hope we can embrace the weird.   Margaret Feinberg: (51:47 - 54:41) And to recognize that feeling of, I don't want to do this. This feels strange. That is universal.   That is not you. That is not unique. And for all of our listeners and viewers, I have it.   Everybody has it. When we're trying to discern, you know, if something is prompted by the Holy Spirit, number one, is this, does this align with scripture? And does it align with the character of God?   Does it increase my dependence on God? Which means it's probably going to go against my natural instinct, which unfortunately is pretty self-word rather than outward. Does it cause me to love God and love others more?   And so, of course, Holy Spirit is going to be working in this expansive ground to pull us away from our self-word direction outward. And that is always going to be stretching and feel strange. And sometimes we're not going to see the outcome.   And we've got to become comfortable with that. We are not responsible for the outcome. We are responsible for obedience.   Some time ago, I swim a lot. And I just felt just in my gut, like, talk to the person in the lane next to you. And so, I go out swimming, and he's next to me, and I'm like, okay.   And so, I started this conversation with this elderly gentleman. And I'll just be honest. It was more like a non-versation.   I mean, we talked about sports ball teams and the weather and nothing. I really cared. Nothing deep.   Nothing meaningful. And on one hand, maybe I misheard. Okay.   But no harm, no foul. I mean, I showed kindness to a stranger. Loved others.   Like, there's no, like, okay. You know, on the other hand, I will never know what might have happened. Maybe he felt left alone.   Maybe he felt seen. But the outcome doesn't matter. And so, there are going to be times that we step out, and we see it, and we encounter it, and it's so exciting.   And there's going to be other times that we go to that thing, and we go, Lord, I didn't even know what that was. But maybe that was about quick obedience. You know, almost like building a muscle, getting stronger to say, you did it then.   I'm going to keep challenging. I'm going to give you opportunities to do this again and again. Because I want you on the front lines of, you know, eyes are searching to and fro for people who are, you know, obedient, quick to respond, that Holy Spirit wants to use.   And so, know that not seeing a result, totally normal. Keep going. Keep going.   Because you will see responses sometimes. And it is awesome. And in part of that, it's almost like building a muscle that I think God is so gracious and so loving kind that he will show you, like, quick outcomes sometimes when you respond to that little impulse to keep you going.   But there are going to be times you're not going to see them, but he's still at work. Because, again, you may be one of 17 people in a long chain where the fruit or the outcome as part of God's kingdom is still coming. And after a while, it's fine to be number 4, 7, 9.   You don't always have to be number 17.   Laura Dugger: (54:42 - 55:06) That's so good. That is such the biblical principle of being faithful with little. And then sometimes He allows us to be faithful with much.   And, Margaret, this is not your only resource that you've written for all of us to enjoy. Can you share some of your other resources and what's available or what you've learned that we may learn if we pick up a copy?   Margaret Feinberg: (55:06 - 56:31) Yeah. You know, I've definitely the most passive. I just gave four years of my life to this book and Bible study.   I do a ridiculous amount of research, so, I'm very, very slow. So, top would be The God You Need to Know book and Bible study. But I think another one, and you referenced it earlier, is a book called Fight Back with Joy, and it's also a Bible study.   And it just takes a look. You know, it tells a little bit about my cancer story, but it's really about anybody who's battling anything. You know, sometimes in life we pick the battles, and sometimes the battles pick us.   And sometimes that's in your marriage, maybe a custody battle. It may be a health issue. It may be a financial calamity.   It may be the loss of a business. There's just so much in a strange relationship with a kid that you love so much. And in that darkness, you know, it's so easy to sink.   And this book and study is just, it shows that more than whimsy, joy is the weapon we use to fight life's battles. And gives just tons of practical tactics on how to enact that and what that looks like, and how, most importantly, how to rally around others in a healthy, beautiful way when they are in the midst of that. I think one of the failures of the church today is to really equip and train believers of every size and form of how to love others well in the midst of their pain.   What to say, what not to say, how to give, how to support. And this book and resource really does that well.   Laura Dugger: (56:32 - 56:43) Oh, so grateful for all of those. We'll make sure and add a link in the show notes. And if we want to connect or follow you after today's conversation, where would you like to direct us online?   Margaret Feinberg: (56:44 - 57:09) You can find me at my website at Margaret Feinberg. I do my most loving of my people, I'll just be honest, through my e-newsletter. I mean, I sit down, I pray over, I pour my heart and my life into that.   It's quiet. Nobody ever sees it. I am also on socials, on Instagram, at Facebook, at MA Feinberg, at Margaret Feinberg.   But I would love to connect with you. And if anybody wants to email, my email is hello@margaretfeinberg.com.   Laura Dugger: (57:09 - 57:26) Love it. Thank you for sharing all of that. And you may be aware that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge or discernment.   And so, as my final question for you today, Margaret, what is your savvy sauce?   Margaret Feinberg: (57:27 - 58:05) My savvy sauce is waking up every day and asking the Holy Spirit one question. When I don't know what to pray, I just say, “Holy Spirit, order my steps.” And if you will do this, you will do this for just 15 days.   I have a belief. It may just change the course of your life. The great part, it takes less than 30 seconds.   This is not doing heavy lifting. This is not time consuming, man. If you're raising those littles and you are overwhelmed, if you're running a business and you are overwhelmed, something very simple like this can change everything.   Laura Dugger: (58:06 - 58:10) So good. And you are so obviously connected to the vine, to the Lord. And I just want you to receive this, the fruit of the spirit.   I have experienced every single one in this conversation from engaging with you today. You are loving, joy, peace, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. And all wrapped into one.   So, praise the Lord for the way He made you. You are an absolute delight. I have enjoyed this so much.   Thank you for being my guest.   Margaret Feinberg: (58:10 - 58:11) What a privilege and joy. Grateful for you.   Laura Dugger: (58:11 - 1:02:30) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.    Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.    We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.    That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.    This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.    Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.    And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.    First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.    You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.    We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.    And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.    And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Nick Musica is a practicing hands-on SEO expert since 2003. He led SEO efforts at High Point Insurance (Now Plymouth Rock), Esurance and Rocket Lawyer before starting his SEO agency, Optics In, in 2019. Nick and his team provide SEO strategy and execution for small businesses in various sectors, including finance, technology, & cannabis. Nick co-authored When Search Meets Web Usability, a book about SEO and web usability, in April of 2009. He also taught a masters-level class on User Experience at NYU and has presented at SMX in Germany and ClickZ in San Francisco. Connect with Jon Dwoskin: Twitter: @jdwoskin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.dwoskin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejondwoskinexperience/ Website: https://jondwoskin.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwoskin/ Email: jon@jondwoskin.com Get Jon's Book: The Think Big Movement: Grow your business big. Very Big!   Connect with Nick Musica: Website: http://opticsin.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmusica/                                                                           *E – explicit language may be used in this podcast.

Episode 327 of the InGoal Radio Podcast, presented by The Hockey Shop Source for Sports,  features another upbeat and informative interview with PWHL Montreal and soon-to-be Olympic goalie Sandra Abstreiter.In the feature interview appropriately presented by NHL Sense Arena, we catch up with Abstreiter, who did a quick hit on the podcast early last season, to talk about her offseason focus, helping Germany qualify for the upcoming 2026 Olympics with a .967 save percentage, and evolving expectations going into her third PWHL season . We also expanded on some of the stories she shared last time, including starting goalie at 16, being self taught off YouTube, and learning from Ann-Renee Desbiens with the Victoire.In this week's Parent Segment, presented by Stop It Goaltending U the App, we dig into the mailbag to answer questions about gear, technique and dealing with difficult coaches.We also review this week's Pro Reads, presented by Vizual Edge, we try something a little different by sharing a conversation with all three Seattle Kraken goalies about Montréal Canadiens Sam Montembault saying he can identify the handedness and stick tape color of almost every NHL shooter -- how rare is it? Does it help? And what information matters the most when reading a shooter?In our weekly gear segment we go to The Hockey Shop Source for Sports for a deep dive on the all new Bauer Pulse stick, a limited innovation line with an exciting new take on goalie grips.

In Hour 2, Andy and Randy talk about whether the Falcons will dump Parker Romo this week or take him to Germany, discuss some of the other results across the NFL in Week 9, and chat with more Falcons fans after the loss to the Patriots.

Send us a textDoug is back from a whirlwind nonrev trip to Germany with his dad. We remember the history of Hawaiian Airlines as its airline code and operating certificate are laid to rest. We discuss:Doug and Dale's amazing, and fast, nonrev adventureGood bye Hawaiian AirlinesCreeping 777-9 certification delaysATC controllers not getting paid as shutdown drags on The COMAC 919 gains traction in AsiaListener commentsJoin The Network!https://www.nexttripnetwork.com/

November 3rd, 2025 - We welcome back Mike Koeniger to discuss Germany's newly released abuse report. Then we're joined again by Bp. Joseph Strickland to discuss the war against divine order. TheStationOfTheCross.com/ACT  

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger PictureUK, Germany and many other questions are struggling through the green new scam, this will not end well for them. People are experiencing Biden/Fed inflation from the past 4 years. Trump is countering this with low energy prices. Trump makes deal with China.  Obama now sending the message out to the infiltrators to get ready for the battles or we are finished. The [DS] will be moving from an information war to a physical war. Kash Patel countered and dismantles another [FF] . When the crimes are exposed the D party will cease to exist. They will fight to the very end because they do not want to go on trial. In the end this will all fail.   Economy Rooftop Solar Panel, Battery Installations Are Causing Fires in the UK The once-Great Britain has gone all-in on "green energy" as a matter of national policy, and it hasn't worked out too well for them. There's just one problem: They're catching fire. A surge in house fires caused by solar panels and their batteries is sparking safety concerns over Ed Miliband's plan for millions more rooftop installations. UK fire services faced a blaze involving a solar panel once every two days in 2024, according to data gathered by insurance company QBE, marking a 60pc increase in the past two years. That's a lot of fires, presenting a deadly danger - and a 60 percent increase in two years is nothing short of alarming. There may be more to it than just the solar panels, but they are certainly a contributing factor:   Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1984594356154831267 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney Confirms He Apologized to President Trump for Reagan Ad Effort   GYEONGJU, South Korea, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Saturday he had apologised to U.S. President Donald Trump over an anti-tariff political advertisement and had told Ontario Premier Doug Ford not to run it. Carney, speaking to reporters after attending an Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea, said he had made the apology privately to Trump when they both attended a dinner hosted by South Korea's president on Wednesday. “I did apologise to the president,” Carney said, confirming comments by Trump made on Friday. Carney also confirmed that he had reviewed the ad with Ford before it aired but said he had opposed using it. “I told Ford I did not want to go forward with the ad,” he said. The ad, commissioned by Ford, an outspoken Conservative politician who is sometimes compared to Trump, uses a snippet of Republican icon and former President Ronald Reagan saying that tariffs cause trade wars and economic disaster.   Source: theconservativetreehouse.com (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1984268764414631994   at +8.2%, Vermont at +7.0%, and Maryland at +7.0%. This was followed by West Virginia, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, with increases of +6.9%, +6.8%, and +6.6%, respectively. Concerningly, grocery prices in rural areas jumped +7.6% YoY compared to+5.6% for residents of large cities. US consumers are still drowning in inflation. People start feeling the effects of inflation almost immediately in tangible ways,