Podcasts about Hira

Join the VET S.O.S. Podcast for a high-impact conversation with Jai Salters, Navy veteran and founder of Act Now Education, MilMentor, and Service to Success. With over 77,000 served, Jai and his team are redefining what veteran and spouse support looks like—offering free certifications, job prep programs, tailored mentorship, and real hiring opportunities.Cohosted by Dr. Hira, this episode explores:Jai's ongoing transition journeyHow Act Now helps veterans reskill before they leapWhy mentorship through MilMentor fills a critical gapHow Service to Success connects talent directly to employersIf you're navigating your transition or supporting someone who is, this is a must-listen.

Same storm, different day — not every storm is bad luck. Sometimes, they're just wake-up calls we tend to ignore. Yet, why do some disasters feel like déjà vu?

Petr "Jaluh" Hulaj (@petrhulaj) navštívil na jaře Egypt, aby prozkoumal systém metra v Káhiře, bateriové tramvaje v obchodní čtvrti a poměrně velký tramvajový provoz v Alexandrii. Kromě toho navštívil také místa, kde jsou odstavené vozy mimo tramvajovou síť (vozy Düwag a ČKD Tatra), podíval se k pyramidám a vyzkoušel železnici. 

Why are we always complaining? Let's talk

Na středověké káhirské tržiště Chán al-Chalílí chodili do učení i Češi. A není to tak dávno. Bratři Ivan a Miroslav Houskovi se tam s místními Egypťany vyučili řemeslu před půl stoletím. Navíc tehdy vyhráli několik pohárů v káhirském veslařském klubu. Egyptská metropole se od té doby změnila. Kdysi pětimiliónová populace je dnes čtyřnásobná. Umělečtí pasíři, bratři Houskovi, teď přijeli vzpomínat.Všechny díly podcastu Zápisník zahraničních zpravodajů můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

 Megan At the Sex Shop: Part 3 Megan's strip club education.Based on posts by p Sullivan 2 22 22, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Megan woke up. The first thing she realized was that her hand was between her legs, her fingers softly rubbing her clit. The second thing she realized was that she was very wet. And the third thing she realized was that she still had dry cum all over her body. The images from yesterday flashed in her mind. José fingers in her ass, the glory hole, all those cocks. She could still remember the taste of all that cum. She wet her lips and moved her tongue around her mouth, reminiscing of when it was full of cock. The memories were turning her on. All those men desiring her, lusting over her. They needed her. They wanted her. She made all those cocks hard with her body, with her wet lips. Megan's nipples hardened and she could feel herself getting more wet. She desperately wanted to keep playing but José and Lauren were very specific that sluts needed to stay horny. Frustrated, Megan pulled her hand away from her cunt. She went about her morning routine of showering, brushing her teeth, doing her nails and makeup.She stood naked in front of her closet and thought about what she wanted to wear. This would be her 4th day at work. The days have been progressively getting more and more wild, and she knew she was addicted. She loved it. She loved the attention, and the lust, and how it made her feel. She knew she had to have more.Megan critically assessed her closet. There was no longer any doubt. This was a stripper's closet. Megan selected a sleeveless, pink lace mini dress. It was the type of dress that strippers wore in between their pole routines when they walk around the club trying to entice men to pay for a private dance. This dress is usually worn with panties, but Lauren was so critical last time. Megan decided that it was better not to risk getting criticized again, so she decided to wear the lace dress with no panties and no bra. Megan rationalized that so many people have already seen her naked, it didn't really matter. And, her regular panties are so small, that it was basically the same as not wearing any, anyways. She paired the dress with a pair of high heel stripper heels.Megan was in the hallway of her apartment building, waiting for the elevator. She was on her way to work. Steve, her next-door neighbor, was leaving at the same time."Hey Megan....holy shit. Damn. What are you wearing?"Megan just smiled. "Do you like it? I just bought it. I have to wear sexy outfits for work.""I love it. You look unbelievable." responded Steve."Thank you.""What kind of work do you do? Like stripper or escort." Steve asked."It was a fair question given how she was dressed" thought Megan to herself."No, I work in the adult toy store, the adult emporium" explained Megan."Yeah. ok. That's cool. But do you also like work hourly. Can I pay you?" asked Steve fumbling with the words."What do you mean. Pay for what?""I mean. The way you are dressed. Aren't you an escort and that story about the adult store is just like a cover story. If you tell me how much you charge? I can totally pay.""You want to have sex with me and pay for it" asked Megan her tone a mix of shock and surprise."Oh, sorry. I don't know how this works. I've never hired an escort before. Do you have like a menu with prices?" asked Steve.Megan felt like she should be furious to be mistaken for a hooker. She wasn't a hooker or a prostitute or a stripper or a whore or whatever other name they go by. She felt like she should be angry and tell Steve to go fuck himself.Instead, she found herself playing along. "I don't have a menu. But what would you like to do, and how much would you pay for me?"Megan couldn't believe it. She was actually discussing a price for herself. She was actually going to put a price on how much each of her holes was worth. She could feel her cunt getting wet, her cheeks flush, her nipples hardening.Steve thought about it, looking Megan up and down, checking out the merchandise. "How do I know what I am paying for. What if your cunt is like really used and loose."Megan felt indignant. "My cunt is not loose. It's the best cunt you've ever seen. It's so tight and always wet. Look. " Megan pulled the front of her dress up, exposing her cunt to Steve. She then used her fingers to spread her cunt lips open, showing Steve how wet and tight she was.Steve stood there for a few moments staring at Megan's cunt."Yeah, you win. Your cunt is really nice" responded Steve, and then after thinking for another second continued. "But, what about your ass. What if I want to fuck you in the ass, and your ass is not nice. ""Oh yeah" responded Megan. "Watch this". Her dress was already around her waist. She turned around, bent at her waist, spread her legs, and then used her arms to spread her ass cheeks, showing her asshole and gaping cunt to Steve. Megan crammed her head back to see Steve's reaction.Steve just stared at her perfect ass and cunt. After a few moments, he recovered. "Ok, fine, they are both amazing, but what about your tits."Megan gave Steve a sexy smile, enjoying the little game. She turned back to face him and lowered the front of her dress, letting her tits spill out. Her dress was now just around her waist. Megan's tits and cunt were completely on display.Steve walked up to Megan and gave each tit a squeeze. Megan just smiled, not making any move to stop him.He then lowered his hand and felt her cunt and her wetness. He played a little with her clit, and then slipped a finger inside her. Megan moaned from the penetration, but stood still, letting Steve do anything he wanted.Steve moved his finger around but kept it insider her."Do you think $100 is too much" asked Steve, while starting to move the finger in and out. Megan's cunt was making wet slushing sounds with every thrust.Megan couldn't answer. She just put her hand against Steve's shoulder to steady herself, afraid that her legs would give out."Maybe $50, or is that too much also? How much do whores charge," asked Steve casually, while continuing a slow and methodical thrusting in and out.Megan was so close. She just needed him to go faster and harder. She needed his fingers deeper. She tried to move her hips to meet his fingers, trying to get him to increase his motion and depth."You're right. $50 is too much. Maybe whores charge $50, but you are not a whore, Megan"The elevator door opened. Thankfully it was empty. After a few seconds, the door closed. They missed their elevator.Steve just continued moving his finger in and out, not letting Megan change speed nor depth, leaving her frustrated."You are a slut, and sluts are cheap," continued Steve.He pushed his finger all the way insider her, and kept it there without moving."I will pay $5 for all your holes. I will use them anyway that I want for as long as I want."Steve finally pulled his finger out. He took out his wallet and took out a $5 dollar bill. He used the bill like a tissue and wiped Megan's cunt with it. He then pushed the wet bill into her mouth."After work, come to my apartment. I'll see you later."Megan stood a little dazed as Steve left through the staircase. Still very horny and frustrated that she was so close. "So, that's what her holes are worth. She sold herself for $5" thought Megan.After a few moments of being in a daze, Megan finally took out the bill from her month. Carefully unfolded it and put it in her purse. She, then re-arranged the dress, putting it back in place, covering her tits and cunt with the lacy material.The rest of her trip was eventful. She arrived in the store. Lauren was there to greet here."Megan. I am so glad to see you. I love this outfit. I see you took my advice about no bra. Great job. Excellent listening skills. "Megan just smiled from the compliment. Happy to have Laurens appreciation.Lauren continued. "Megan, I need your help. You don't know this, but our biggest investor is the same person that owns that strip club down the block. And, he needs more girls working the floor today. I actually already sent José over there to help manage all the extra girls. ""I guess it sounds like he is your pimp today," laughed Lauren at her own joke.Megan wasn't sure she wanted to actually work as a stripper. It was one thing to dress like one, but actually working at a strip club just seemed too much."Can I just work here today?" asked Megan."This is exactly what I am trying to teach you and why we have the probation and the tasks. You can't be afraid of your sexuality. It's not what our brand is about, and I don't think that's who you are, either."Megan just nodded."Have fun. Don't forget. You are representing our brand at the club."Megan agreed, left the store, and walked the short distance down the block to the strip club. The club was nicer, even classier, than Megan imagined. This was her first time inside a strip club.José saw Megan as soon as she walked in."Megan. I am so glad you made it. We are really swamped here. This floor is the green zone. It's open to the public, and upstairs is the blue zone, which is for private members only. For now, just see if anyone wants a lap dance. Lap dances are for one song for $15. I'll let you know when it's your turn to dance on stage. And, if you are good, then you'll go into the blue zone with the V I P patrons."Megan just nodded to everything that José was explaining. "She was just helping. She wasn't a stripper." thought Megan to herself.Megan started walking around the floor like José told her.She walked up to the first person. He seemed like similar age. He had some friends with him. "Excuse me. Would you like a lap dance." asked Megan using her most ditzy sounding voice."I am good. I am just watching that girl on stage. Try my buddies, maybe one of them wants one. "Megan was a bit shocked to be rejected. She turned to his buddies and got the same replies from them."Damn. This is going to be harder than I thought." said Megan to herself.Megan tried a few more people but got rejected. Some people said that they were watching the girl on stage, others said they didn't feel like it, and one guy said that he already got one.Megan walked deeper into the club. She walked up to the next table, and started to repeat her offer and when realized who was sitting in front of her."Hi, would you like a lap; shit, Rachel". Her best friend Rachel and her boyfriend were sitting at the table, equally surprised to see Megan offering a lap dance to them."Meg, you are a stripper," asked Rachel excited and surprised. "When did this happen?""I am not a stripper. I am just helping out. I work at that adult toy store down the block. They were just short staffed today, so they asked me to help out. ""I see. Do your parents know that you are a stripper?" continued Rachel."I am not a stripper.""Ok, ok. I am sorry. I am just playing with you. I'll take that lap dance you were offering, thou."Megan looked around, and saw José watching her. "She had no way out. She had to do it, or she would get in trouble" thought Megan."It has come to this. She was going to give a lap dance to her best friend Rachel."Megan moved closer to Rachel, and straddled her high. Rachel wore a summer dress. So when Megan straddled her thigh, Megan's naked cunt directly touched Rachel's skin.Megan moved herself back and forth, grinding herself against Rachel's thigh. Rachel just watched her, a smile frozen on her face.After a few minutes, Megan changed position. She turned her back to Rachel, and lowered herself into her lap, and started grinding her ass into Rachel's lap.The song ended, and Megan got up, and turned to look at Rachel."Megan, my leg is wet from your cunt. Damn girl. You're like a slut. You are really enjoying this."Megan stood there, humiliated, and incredibly turned on."I want another lap dance. But, next time you need to strip. The lap dances here are in the nude." said Rachel.Megan wasn't sure that was true. She looked around, but didn't see anyone else completely nude. Just the girl on stage was topless and her nipples were covered with pasties. Everyone else seemed to be fully covered.The next song was already starting, Megan didn't have enough time to ask anyone, and José would not like her dithering, either.Megan spread Rachel's feet apart, which caused Rachel's skirt to ride up and expose her pink Victoria Secret panties. Rachel just watched Megan do it, not taking any action to stop her. Megan moved in between Rachel's legs, standing close in front of her and facing her. Megan slowly removed each strap of her dress and let the dress slide off, leaving her naked. Megan then straddled Rachel's hips and started a slow grind against the fully dressed Rachel.As Megan was grinding against her, Rachel slipped her hand to her front. Megan's cunt was now rubbing against Rachel's hand, allowing Rachel to slide her fingers inside Megan. Megan just pressed harder, causing Rachel's fingers to go deeper.Megan was still grinding against Rachel after the song ended. It was only when she heard José voice did she snap out of her horny daze."Megan, there is no nudity on this floor. Come with me. I will take you into the blue zone. It's full nudity there. "José took Megan by the hand, pulling her off Rachel, and started walking through the club, pulling naked Megan behind him.José led her through the club, and then up the stairs. The room was smaller than the club downstairs, and had the same comfortable chairs surrounding a central stage. There were maybe 20 people there, a mix of women and men. Some of the men had semi naked and even naked girls sitting next to them.Without stopping, José led Megan right on stage."Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you our new blue zone star. This is Megan. And she is submissive. So, you will need to tell her what to do." José gave a big wink to the audience, which caused a round of laughter.Megan became aware that there was a naked man that was now standing behind her. She felt his hands on her back, pushing her to bend over. And, then she felt his hands on her inner thighs, spreading her legs wider.José continued talking as if nothing was happening. "This is Megan's first time. Let's say she is a virgin." José paused for an effect. "I don't mean virgin. With a cunt like that, she is not a virgin, let's be honest, folks". This caused another round of laughter."This is Megan's first time performing for us. So, let's make her feel welcome and give her a round of applause." This caused a rumble of applause and whistles

 Megan At the Sex Shop: Part 3 Megan's strip club education.Based on posts by p Sullivan 2 22 22, in 4 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.Megan woke up. The first thing she realized was that her hand was between her legs, her fingers softly rubbing her clit. The second thing she realized was that she was very wet. And the third thing she realized was that she still had dry cum all over her body. The images from yesterday flashed in her mind. José fingers in her ass, the glory hole, all those cocks. She could still remember the taste of all that cum. She wet her lips and moved her tongue around her mouth, reminiscing of when it was full of cock. The memories were turning her on. All those men desiring her, lusting over her. They needed her. They wanted her. She made all those cocks hard with her body, with her wet lips. Megan's nipples hardened and she could feel herself getting more wet. She desperately wanted to keep playing but José and Lauren were very specific that sluts needed to stay horny. Frustrated, Megan pulled her hand away from her cunt. She went about her morning routine of showering, brushing her teeth, doing her nails and makeup.She stood naked in front of her closet and thought about what she wanted to wear. This would be her 4th day at work. The days have been progressively getting more and more wild, and she knew she was addicted. She loved it. She loved the attention, and the lust, and how it made her feel. She knew she had to have more.Megan critically assessed her closet. There was no longer any doubt. This was a stripper's closet. Megan selected a sleeveless, pink lace mini dress. It was the type of dress that strippers wore in between their pole routines when they walk around the club trying to entice men to pay for a private dance. This dress is usually worn with panties, but Lauren was so critical last time. Megan decided that it was better not to risk getting criticized again, so she decided to wear the lace dress with no panties and no bra. Megan rationalized that so many people have already seen her naked, it didn't really matter. And, her regular panties are so small, that it was basically the same as not wearing any, anyways. She paired the dress with a pair of high heel stripper heels.Megan was in the hallway of her apartment building, waiting for the elevator. She was on her way to work. Steve, her next-door neighbor, was leaving at the same time."Hey Megan....holy shit. Damn. What are you wearing?"Megan just smiled. "Do you like it? I just bought it. I have to wear sexy outfits for work.""I love it. You look unbelievable." responded Steve."Thank you.""What kind of work do you do? Like stripper or escort." Steve asked."It was a fair question given how she was dressed" thought Megan to herself."No, I work in the adult toy store, the adult emporium" explained Megan."Yeah. ok. That's cool. But do you also like work hourly. Can I pay you?" asked Steve fumbling with the words."What do you mean. Pay for what?""I mean. The way you are dressed. Aren't you an escort and that story about the adult store is just like a cover story. If you tell me how much you charge? I can totally pay.""You want to have sex with me and pay for it" asked Megan her tone a mix of shock and surprise."Oh, sorry. I don't know how this works. I've never hired an escort before. Do you have like a menu with prices?" asked Steve.Megan felt like she should be furious to be mistaken for a hooker. She wasn't a hooker or a prostitute or a stripper or a whore or whatever other name they go by. She felt like she should be angry and tell Steve to go fuck himself.Instead, she found herself playing along. "I don't have a menu. But what would you like to do, and how much would you pay for me?"Megan couldn't believe it. She was actually discussing a price for herself. She was actually going to put a price on how much each of her holes was worth. She could feel her cunt getting wet, her cheeks flush, her nipples hardening.Steve thought about it, looking Megan up and down, checking out the merchandise. "How do I know what I am paying for. What if your cunt is like really used and loose."Megan felt indignant. "My cunt is not loose. It's the best cunt you've ever seen. It's so tight and always wet. Look. " Megan pulled the front of her dress up, exposing her cunt to Steve. She then used her fingers to spread her cunt lips open, showing Steve how wet and tight she was.Steve stood there for a few moments staring at Megan's cunt."Yeah, you win. Your cunt is really nice" responded Steve, and then after thinking for another second continued. "But, what about your ass. What if I want to fuck you in the ass, and your ass is not nice. ""Oh yeah" responded Megan. "Watch this". Her dress was already around her waist. She turned around, bent at her waist, spread her legs, and then used her arms to spread her ass cheeks, showing her asshole and gaping cunt to Steve. Megan crammed her head back to see Steve's reaction.Steve just stared at her perfect ass and cunt. After a few moments, he recovered. "Ok, fine, they are both amazing, but what about your tits."Megan gave Steve a sexy smile, enjoying the little game. She turned back to face him and lowered the front of her dress, letting her tits spill out. Her dress was now just around her waist. Megan's tits and cunt were completely on display.Steve walked up to Megan and gave each tit a squeeze. Megan just smiled, not making any move to stop him.He then lowered his hand and felt her cunt and her wetness. He played a little with her clit, and then slipped a finger inside her. Megan moaned from the penetration, but stood still, letting Steve do anything he wanted.Steve moved his finger around but kept it insider her."Do you think $100 is too much" asked Steve, while starting to move the finger in and out. Megan's cunt was making wet slushing sounds with every thrust.Megan couldn't answer. She just put her hand against Steve's shoulder to steady herself, afraid that her legs would give out."Maybe $50, or is that too much also? How much do whores charge," asked Steve casually, while continuing a slow and methodical thrusting in and out.Megan was so close. She just needed him to go faster and harder. She needed his fingers deeper. She tried to move her hips to meet his fingers, trying to get him to increase his motion and depth."You're right. $50 is too much. Maybe whores charge $50, but you are not a whore, Megan"The elevator door opened. Thankfully it was empty. After a few seconds, the door closed. They missed their elevator.Steve just continued moving his finger in and out, not letting Megan change speed nor depth, leaving her frustrated."You are a slut, and sluts are cheap," continued Steve.He pushed his finger all the way insider her, and kept it there without moving."I will pay $5 for all your holes. I will use them anyway that I want for as long as I want."Steve finally pulled his finger out. He took out his wallet and took out a $5 dollar bill. He used the bill like a tissue and wiped Megan's cunt with it. He then pushed the wet bill into her mouth."After work, come to my apartment. I'll see you later."Megan stood a little dazed as Steve left through the staircase. Still very horny and frustrated that she was so close. "So, that's what her holes are worth. She sold herself for $5" thought Megan.After a few moments of being in a daze, Megan finally took out the bill from her month. Carefully unfolded it and put it in her purse. She, then re-arranged the dress, putting it back in place, covering her tits and cunt with the lacy material.The rest of her trip was eventful. She arrived in the store. Lauren was there to greet here."Megan. I am so glad to see you. I love this outfit. I see you took my advice about no bra. Great job. Excellent listening skills. "Megan just smiled from the compliment. Happy to have Laurens appreciation.Lauren continued. "Megan, I need your help. You don't know this, but our biggest investor is the same person that owns that strip club down the block. And, he needs more girls working the floor today. I actually already sent José over there to help manage all the extra girls. ""I guess it sounds like he is your pimp today," laughed Lauren at her own joke.Megan wasn't sure she wanted to actually work as a stripper. It was one thing to dress like one, but actually working at a strip club just seemed too much."Can I just work here today?" asked Megan."This is exactly what I am trying to teach you and why we have the probation and the tasks. You can't be afraid of your sexuality. It's not what our brand is about, and I don't think that's who you are, either."Megan just nodded."Have fun. Don't forget. You are representing our brand at the club."Megan agreed, left the store, and walked the short distance down the block to the strip club. The club was nicer, even classier, than Megan imagined. This was her first time inside a strip club.José saw Megan as soon as she walked in."Megan. I am so glad you made it. We are really swamped here. This floor is the green zone. It's open to the public, and upstairs is the blue zone, which is for private members only. For now, just see if anyone wants a lap dance. Lap dances are for one song for $15. I'll let you know when it's your turn to dance on stage. And, if you are good, then you'll go into the blue zone with the V I P patrons."Megan just nodded to everything that José was explaining. "She was just helping. She wasn't a stripper." thought Megan to herself.Megan started walking around the floor like José told her.She walked up to the first person. He seemed like similar age. He had some friends with him. "Excuse me. Would you like a lap dance." asked Megan using her most ditzy sounding voice."I am good. I am just watching that girl on stage. Try my buddies, maybe one of them wants one. "Megan was a bit shocked to be rejected. She turned to his buddies and got the same replies from them."Damn. This is going to be harder than I thought." said Megan to herself.Megan tried a few more people but got rejected. Some people said that they were watching the girl on stage, others said they didn't feel like it, and one guy said that he already got one.Megan walked deeper into the club. She walked up to the next table, and started to repeat her offer and when realized who was sitting in front of her."Hi, would you like a lap; shit, Rachel". Her best friend Rachel and her boyfriend were sitting at the table, equally surprised to see Megan offering a lap dance to them."Meg, you are a stripper," asked Rachel excited and surprised. "When did this happen?""I am not a stripper. I am just helping out. I work at that adult toy store down the block. They were just short staffed today, so they asked me to help out. ""I see. Do your parents know that you are a stripper?" continued Rachel."I am not a stripper.""Ok, ok. I am sorry. I am just playing with you. I'll take that lap dance you were offering, thou."Megan looked around, and saw José watching her. "She had no way out. She had to do it, or she would get in trouble" thought Megan."It has come to this. She was going to give a lap dance to her best friend Rachel."Megan moved closer to Rachel, and straddled her high. Rachel wore a summer dress. So when Megan straddled her thigh, Megan's naked cunt directly touched Rachel's skin.Megan moved herself back and forth, grinding herself against Rachel's thigh. Rachel just watched her, a smile frozen on her face.After a few minutes, Megan changed position. She turned her back to Rachel, and lowered herself into her lap, and started grinding her ass into Rachel's lap.The song ended, and Megan got up, and turned to look at Rachel."Megan, my leg is wet from your cunt. Damn girl. You're like a slut. You are really enjoying this."Megan stood there, humiliated, and incredibly turned on."I want another lap dance. But, next time you need to strip. The lap dances here are in the nude." said Rachel.Megan wasn't sure that was true. She looked around, but didn't see anyone else completely nude. Just the girl on stage was topless and her nipples were covered with pasties. Everyone else seemed to be fully covered.The next song was already starting, Megan didn't have enough time to ask anyone, and José would not like her dithering, either.Megan spread Rachel's feet apart, which caused Rachel's skirt to ride up and expose her pink Victoria Secret panties. Rachel just watched Megan do it, not taking any action to stop her. Megan moved in between Rachel's legs, standing close in front of her and facing her. Megan slowly removed each strap of her dress and let the dress slide off, leaving her naked. Megan then straddled Rachel's hips and started a slow grind against the fully dressed Rachel.As Megan was grinding against her, Rachel slipped her hand to her front. Megan's cunt was now rubbing against Rachel's hand, allowing Rachel to slide her fingers inside Megan. Megan just pressed harder, causing Rachel's fingers to go deeper.Megan was still grinding against Rachel after the song ended. It was only when she heard José voice did she snap out of her horny daze."Megan, there is no nudity on this floor. Come with me. I will take you into the blue zone. It's full nudity there. "José took Megan by the hand, pulling her off Rachel, and started walking through the club, pulling naked Megan behind him.José led her through the club, and then up the stairs. The room was smaller than the club downstairs, and had the same comfortable chairs surrounding a central stage. There were maybe 20 people there, a mix of women and men. Some of the men had semi naked and even naked girls sitting next to them.Without stopping, José led Megan right on stage."Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you our new blue zone star. This is Megan. And she is submissive. So, you will need to tell her what to do." José gave a big wink to the audience, which caused a round of laughter.Megan became aware that there was a naked man that was now standing behind her. She felt his hands on her back, pushing her to bend over. And, then she felt his hands on her inner thighs, spreading her legs wider.José continued talking as if nothing was happening. "This is Megan's first time. Let's say she is a virgin." José paused for an effect. "I don't mean virgin. With a cunt like that, she is not a virgin, let's be honest, folks". This caused another round of laughter."This is Megan's first time performing for us. So, let's make her feel welcome and give her a round of applause." This caused a rumble of applause and whistles

Im Computerspiel kann man sich wunderbar Stylen. Ycks macht das gern und oft. Und auch in der Echten Welt macht das Stylen Spaß! Ycks, Toni und Hira packen im Bad schon mal alles Schmink- und Styling-Sachen aus... (Eine Geschichte von Cee Neudert, erzählt von Burchard Dabinnus)

When the devotees first went to India, Prabhupāda was there, and he invited devotees to come over because he wanted to show what happened. You know, he went alone to America, and he comes back with all these Americans. In India, at the time, people were looking to Americans and go, like, 'How are we going to catch up to these guys? We want what they have.' And then Prabhupāda plays this trick on them, where he comes to America, he gets all these Westerners, and he comes back with a big airplane full of Westerners. 'Here you go. They want what you are supposed to want, which is pure love for God.' In Surat, devotees went there, and they were having kīrtana, and people came out of their houses, and they were grabbing the dust after the devotees walked there, so much so that there were holes in the road! And devotees were surprised and taken aback, and they asked Prabhupāda later, 'Why were they doing that?' And he said, 'Because you follow the four regulative principles and you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, anywhere you go in the world, you'll be honored because of them.' The greatest desire one can have is what Prahlāda Mahārāja showed us: 'Oh my Lord, if I have any desire within my heart, let it be no material desire, only the desire to serve You.' So we have the stark examples: Hiraṇyakaśipu—boo! And then you have Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's worshipable to us. In fact, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He would sit with Gadādhara Paṇḍita to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, He wanted to hear that story over and over again. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta told all his disciples to read Prahlāda 108 times. Hear that story over and over and over and over again, and he's famous, Prahlada Maharaja. He's famous all over the world because of that. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Our host on the flipside, Luana Anders wanted to talk about our upcoming talks at Contact in the Desert on May 30th at 11 am, and May 31st at 11 am. To those fans of the podcast, Luana is our moderator on the flipside.  She passed in 1996, but brought Jennifer and I together and has been moderating our discussions for ten years. Today she wanted to discuss our upcoming lecture and workshop on Friday May 30th at 11 am (See JenniferShaffer.com or ContactInTheDesert.com) or on Saturday May 31st at 11 am. As Luana has suggested (or I suggested it, and she modified it) we'll talk about the process on Friday, how Jennifer can bypass the filters on the brain and talk to people off planet, and how by way of telepathy she's able to communicate with people no incarnate (which includes people who normally incarnate on other planets, as we've met a few.) Then we'll do a demonstration on Friday of how to do that - an upcoming presentation for the workshop on Saturday where we'll dive deeper into this idea of communicating with people offstage. In this instance, Luana has ALREADY LINED UP GUESTS but she's not telling us who they're going to be ("It's a surprise.") Think about that for a minute - it's not a sales ploy or some kind of tool - we honestly don't know who she's going to bring, but whomever she does bring will be ready to talk to us about why they did agree to participate. Mind bending to say the least. Also a visit from the dog Hira (Robert Towne's dog Hira who was actually nominated for an Oscar for getting the screenplay credit for "Greystoke") and Mr. Bailey who has spoken to us before. Robin Williams stopped to say hello and remind us "Whatever you need, send it out." He reminded us to "Pray" - not in a defensive way, but in a positive way.  He also said "Get out of your head" which should be the headline for this episode. Meaning get out of your head, get out into nature, get out of the rut we put ourselves in. Wise word from one of the wisest wordsmiths. So again - we will be appearing May 30th at "Contact in the Desert" and May 31st - both at 11 am. On Friday it's a lecture about telepathy and demonstrating how Jennifer does what she does - and on Saturday it's a workshop in showing people how to do the same. Come on down!

Prahlāda Mahārāja is the subject of the Seventh Canto. If you measure which topics are there in the entire lengthy seven cantos of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva makes a very short appearance. He just comes in, tears apart Hiraṇyakaśipu, and that's it. But Prahlāda is featured throughout as a tender child, offering instructions to his classmates and also praying to Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. These are memorable prayers which have been repeated over millennia, people remembering what is the basic entry-level standard for the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or bhakti, or what we call devotional service, and that is, "I don't want anything except to serve. I just want to serve Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's devotees, and whatever I have for myself, it's only so that I can go on serving." And Prahlāda is the emblem of that. Interestingly, in the Bṛhat-Bhāgavatāmṛta, when Nārada Muni is trying to find the devotee who's received the most mercy from Kṛṣṇa and is interviewing different people, observing them, when he comes to Prahlāda Mahārāja, Prahlāda said, "I didn't get much mercy actually." He said, "Because I didn't get any service; He just came to save me, but He didn't give me specific service to do." And that actually is very telling, because when you get service, then you can go on doing that eternally. If you are granted some service, like, SKP, he just walked in with the list. Hare Kṛṣṇa, we're fortunate because we've been given some service to do, and that's the greatest benediction that we can have. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Peygamberimiz (s.a.v.) Hz. Hatice (r.anhâ) ile birlikte Hira'da bir ay itikâfta bulunmaya karar vermişti. Bu Ramazan ayına rastladı. Bir gece dışarı çıktığında, “Ey Allâh'ın elçisi, selâm sana!” diye bir ses duydu. O (s.a.v.), bu hususta buyurdu ki: “Ben bu sesi duyduğum zaman korktum, hattâ bunu ansızın karşılaştığım bir cin zannettim. Acele gelip Hatice'ye anlattım. O da bana: “Müjde sana ey Muhammed! Bilesin ki selâm hayırlıdır, bunda korkulacak bir şey yoktur.” Sonra yine dışarı çıkmıştım, bu sefer Cebrail ile karşılaştım, kanadının birini doğuya, diğerini de batıya yaymıştı. Yine korkuya kapılarak hızlıca döndüm. Eve geldiğimde kapının önünde onu yine gördüm. Benimle konuştu ve korkum yok oldu. Bana, belli bir zaman sonra tekrar geleceğini söyledi. Ben de kendisini bekledim, hattâ gelmeyecek sandım. Bir de ne göreyim o, Mîkâil ile birlikte karşımda durmakta. Ufku tamamen kaplamış vaziyetteydiler. Cebrail aşağıya inip yanıma geldi, beni iyice kucaklayıp sırtüstü yere yatırdı. Sonra kalbimi yarıp çıkardı. Sonra çıkarılmasını Allâh'ın dilediği şeyleri çıkarıp altından bir tas içinde zemzem ile yıkadı. Sonra yerine iade etti. Sonra güzelce bağlayıp dikti. Sonra beni alıp tersime çevirdi ve arkama bir mühür vurdu. Hatta bunu tâ kalbimde hissettim. Sonra bana: “Oku ey Muhammed! Râbbinin adıyla oku!” diye emretti ve beş ayetin sonuna kadar okudu. Bu olaydan sonra, her ne zaman bir ağaca veya taşa rastlasam, mutlaka bana; “Es-selâmü aleyke yâ Resûlallâh” diyerek selam veriyordu.” (Celaleddin es-Suyuti, Peygamberimizin Mucizeleri ve Büyük Özellikleri,S.167)

I've always felt that the word "sorry" is often thrown around without much thought. How often do we truly mean it? What do you think?

Do you question life's timing? We all do. So what's the answer to this ....................

Beste Hira is an adventurous, strong-willed and motivated DJ and Producer living in Amsterdam, originally from Istanbul. Her character traits, combined with her creativity and discipline, define her as a unique talent. Music has been a huge priority her whole life: she focused her entire high school and university path on it, most specifically with the cello and piano as her main instruments. She graduated from Ondokuz Mayıs University with a degree in Music Education / Conservatory. During the early days of her career, she started producing and DJing in Istanbul before she decided to move to Amsterdam in 2019 to pursue her vocation as a techno talent. Within electronic music, Beste Hira identifies with the hypnotic, fast paced and dark side of techno. Her extensive musical training can be heard throughout her music production and DJ sets, where she meticulously experiments with sounds to produce her signature, and, most importantly, having an incredibly accurate intuition allows her to play out of her comfort zone and surprise some of the most challenging crowds. Beste Hira enjoys creating a full sensory experience in her performances, which results in captivating journeys from beginning to end. Her knowledge and experience as an artist have allowed her to grow in Amsterdam's eclectic underground scene, supported by key Amsterdam-based crews such as Awakenings, Vault Sessions, DeSchool, Amsterdam Open Air, 909 and many more. Beste's presence in Europe is growing rapidly, especially after becoming a regular at the mighty Berghain and other top notch clubs in capitals like Vienna, Madrid and Paris. Creating podcasts for communities based in Miami, Mexico, the UK, Europe and Turkey has allowed Beste's voice to reach global audiences and has continually shaped her growth as an artist. Cos, the first EP she released on her own, allowed her to break through the scene and opened doors for her debut at the renowned underground Schimmer Records. She's got a lot more coming up, including projects that integrate her classical background. Tracklist via -Spotify: bit.ly/SRonSpotify -Reddit: www.reddit.com/r/Slam_Radio/ -Facebook: bit.ly/SlamRadioGroup Archive on Mixcloud: www.mixcloud.com/slam/   Subscribe to our podcast on -iTunes: apple.co/2RQ1xdh -Amazon Music: amzn.to/2RPYnX3 -Google Podcasts: bit.ly/SRGooglePodcasts -Deezer: bit.ly/SlamRadioDeezer   Keep up with SLAM: https://fanlink.tv/Slam  Keep up with Soma Records: https://linktr.ee/somarecords    For syndication or radio queries: harry@somarecords.com & conor@glowcast.co.uk Slam Radio is produced at www.glowcast.co.uk

Small, consistent actions we take every single day—almost without thinking—are the habits that set us up for success. How? Lets talk

Did you know that nature is a classroom full of valuable life lessons???? How?

We find in the case of Śiśupāla, a couple of things happen as he took birth. He was also extremely opulent. You may have noticed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śiśupāla was materially no slouch. He was practically described as more opulent than Kṛṣṇa. He had so much opulence he was killed by Rāmacandra in his next life. He had all these assets, and we all know that when he was a little child, he began saying the Lord's Names, and it's a chanting, but he was blaspheming Kṛṣṇa. He still had this hatred towards the Lord, and in his last act at the Rājasūya Yajña, where he tried to ruin the whole yajña, he waited till the perfect time to stand up and say, "Kṛṣṇa is not qualified," because previously, they could have taken back the yajña, but after it was already finished, and he said, if they had followed him and said Kṛṣṇa wasn't qualified to be the first one worshiped in this yajña, it would have nullified the whole rājasūya. So he was diabolical in his calculation, because he hated Kṛṣṇa so much, and he stood up in the assembly and began blaspheming Kṛṣṇa. So what happened there? Kṛṣṇa artfully cut off his head—artfully, I say because it was a yajña, he didn't want to spill any blood. So He's so precise in the way He chopped off his head. Sorry, I know it's a family show that no blood hit the ground. What's deeper and what's related to this conversation is that Śiśupāla, in the last moment before his head was severed, drank the beauty of the face of Lord Kṛṣṇa. What's more, he had been chanting Kṛṣṇa's names, and this I brought up at the Japa circle this morning, as mentioned by Rūpa Gosvāmī, there are two main ways that one becomes perfect in this life: one is by saying the names of the Lord, and the other is by seeing His beauty, because it's unparalleled. Rūpa Gosvāmī uses this as proof because Hiraṇyakaśipu saw Lord Nṛsiṁhadev, Rāvaṇa saw Lord Rāmacandra—no liberation. But when Śiśupāla saw Kṛṣṇa and chanted His names, he was liberated at that point. So there's a way in which Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān Svayam. We have the description of Lord Rāmacandra within the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but it's by way of comparison to take us through the rasas and bring us to the ultimate conclusion that Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all rasas. What's more, His beauty is incomparable even to His other forms. Let's not get it wrong. They're all Kṛṣṇa, but only Kṛṣṇa is Kṛṣṇa, and only those killed by Kṛṣṇa are completely liberated. (excerpt from the talk) ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #ramayan #rama #ramanavmi #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Starting over. That's right. It can be overwhelming but it can be done. Think about it.

As the LPGA Tour returns this week after a 3 week hiatus I was joined by New Zealand born Aussie pro Hira Naveed who returns to the scene of her career best finish of 2nd at last year's Ford Championship in Arizona over the road at Seville Golf & Country Club where she challenged the world number 1 Nelly Korda finishing 2 shots behind the best player in the world.   Although born in New Zealand, Hira spent majority of her childhood in Perth, Australia and went to University in Los Angeles where she ended up finishing 5th in the all time scoring list with 73.59 and would be a part of the 2019 Palmer Cup side for Team International which they would win against USA. In 2019 Hira turned Pro before the disruption of 2020 where she was cut off from any sort of tournament play but played on Epson Tour in 2021 with a career best finish on Epson of T4th in 2022. Hira would meet well renowned Golf Coach Chris Mayson and would certainly work towards improving. Hira would gain her LPGA Tour card for 2024 season after finishing T15th at Final Stage Q School in 2023.   Last year Hira made her bow at LPGA Tour level and had a few Top 20s and she even admits that it could have been better but still a respectable 72nd finish on the Race to CME Globe standings to keep her card. So far Hira has started with 3 straight cuts made including a 8th placed finish at Saudi Ladies International in Riyadh and returns to the state of Arizona where she is very comfortable with having played a heap of events in AZ on Epson Tour & openly admitted she loves playing in hot weather and desert golf.   Downloads via Podbean, Apple and Spotify! Be sure to give a listen and thanks to Hira Naveed for being a good guest!   Enjoy!

History teaches the most valuable lessons of life. Let's unravel it.

In today's episode, we're diving into proactive observability and testing with our special guest, Anam Hira, cofounder of Reveal.ai. Anam, who also has experience working at Uber AI, shares an intriguing journey where he developed "Dragon Crawl," an innovative project aimed at tackling challenges Uber faced with its end-to-end testing across multiple cities. We explore how Dragon Crawl utilized LLMs to enhance testing reliability, making tests less flaky across varied UIs. Anam's journey didn't stop there. He co-founded Reveal, a platform that takes testing and observability to a new level by connecting end-to-end tests with telemetry data. This modern approach, termed proactive observability, allows for detecting bugs before they hit production, saving companies significant time and cost. Join us as we explore the principles of proactive observability, how Reveal leverages telemetry for seamless integration, and its impact on testing efficiency. Whether you're a startup or an enterprise, if you're keen to ship faster without sacrificing quality, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

I want to talk about something that has been both inspiring and humbling for me—education in Mumbai's slums against all odds and a school I support,Aditya Academy High School & Jr College,

Wikipedia is one of the world's most accessed sources of information, however, many local histories, marginalised communities, and diverse voices remain underrepresented.  By contributing to Wikipedia, Auckland Museum's Wikimedian in Residence, Anjuli Sel-va-durai, aims to democratise access to knowledge and ensure more accurate, balanced and inclusive narratives about Tāmaki Makaurau and Aotearoa, making important histories more visible and accessible to all.  Sofia spoke to Anjuli about her role and the importance of contributing to Wikipedia.  The Wiki 101 Edit-a-thon is on tomorrow, Saturday 15th March, at Auckland Museum in the Research Library on Level 2 from 10am-2pm. 

A skilfully worded piece of insight or wisdom from someone we admire (or have heard about) can actually motivate us. But haveyou ever stopped to truly reflect on the impact those words have on you?

Have you ever stopped to think, "Where do Ifit into the bigger picture of life?" From the moment we wake up, it's all about ticking off boxes. Let's discover why?

In today's episode, where we're talking about something we often overlook—valuing the people who work for us and support us behind the scenes, and keep our lives running smoothly.

For some, the relationship between Christianity and Maori atua (gods) is very complex. But Te Hira Paenga sees the two as complementary. 

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN WEIGHED DOWN BY THAT PAINFUL QUESTION “SHOULD I ?” AND YET WHO DECIDES? YOU, BUT HOW

Hur kommer det sig att år efter år går och går, men jag är fortfarande samma? Fasta efter fasta, bön efter bän, ziyarah efter ziyarah, föreläsning efter föreläsning, men jag är fortfarande samma? Laylatul...

Freedom seems simple, but for many, it's alifetime of struggles. Some take it for granted, but nevertheless freedom foroneself often comes at a cost. Let us understand it together

If you have heard episode 138 about perfectionism, this episode might be relatable too. I am talking about something we all face but rarely address: the pressure to be “perfect and liked by others.” But here's the truth..

Though it may not seem like it on first glance, across Asuka there are various remnants of a much grander period.  Postholes tell the story of palaces built over and over on the same spots.  In addition, there are the various temples and various carved stone statues and other features.  This episode we'll talk about some of the stonework and palace complexes built during Takara Hime's reign, as well as the deadly politics that were still the currency of the court. For more, check out our blogpost at:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-118 Rough Transcription Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 118: Stonework and Treason Before we dive into the episode, a quick shout out to thank Bodil for supporting us on Ko-Fi.com.  For information on how you can also help support the show, we'll have information at the end of the episode or go check out our podcast page at SengokuDaimyo.com. And now, on with the episode:   Soga no Akaye's mansion was busily quiet.  There was plenty of chatter, but it was mostly in hushed tones as servants busied themselves with their work, but wondered what was going on.  They couldn't help but notice the high ranking visitors that had come.  It was to be expected, though.  After all, their master was in charge while the rest of the court was away on a retreat, comforting the sovereign in her grief.  And so why wouldn't people be showing up to meet with him? But nobody was quite sure what all of these visitors were discussing.  They had all gone into an upper story of the building, but the crowd included some powerful figures, including, some said, a royal prince.  Who's who and where people stood in the court were always topics of discussion, but especially now.  After all, what they were dealing with was unprecedented:  who had heard of a sovereign stepping down in the first place, let alone stepping back up because they then outlived their successor?  But she was no spring chicken, either.  Surely it would be her son that would finally ascend the throne next, right?  But that was never guaranteed. Either way, some of the servants grumbled, a change would be nice.  Ever since the royal family had moved back to Asuka, formally making it the capital again, there had been a flurry of activity. Sure, it meant that a certain amount of prestige returned to that region, and houses that had been in disrepair were suddenly occupied again.  But there was so much more.  Just about all of the available labor pool that wasn't working the fields was working on this project or that—there was almost nothing left for anyone else.  How was anyone else supposed to get things done when all of the able-bodied people were already toiling on the sovereign's own vanity projects?  And after building that giant government complex in Naniwa, no less! Such was, I imagine, the hushed rumor-mongering going on in the house when suddenly there came a loud “crack” as of a piece of wood snapping in two.  Later they would learn that an old wooden rest had broken, but that wasn't immediately obvious.  The servants did notice that shortly thereafter, their visitors began to depart, heading back to their own mansions. As for Soga no Akaye, he said nothing, but he seemed drained.  He had a heavy look, as though he was bearing an incredible weight.  Soon thereafter, he requested a brush and some paper, and he began to write out a letter…   So we are talking about the second reign of Takara Hime, who came back to the throne in 655, following the death of her brother, Prince Karu, known as Koutoku Tennou.  For the first time she reigned, the Chroniclers gave her the name “Kougyoku Tennou”, but for her second reign she would be known in the Chronicles as “Saimei Tennou”. We already discussed some of what was recorded as happening in the north during Takara Hime's second reign, with the Emishi and the Mishihase and the expeditions by Abe no Omi no Hirafu.  This episode we are going to focus more on what was going on in the Home Provinces of Yamato—and most specifically the impact that Takara Hime's reign would have on Asuka. I've noted in the past how modern Asuka can seem like your typical rural Japanese town.  Roads weave between rice fields, flanked by densely packed neighborhoods at the foot of the green hills or lining the shores of the Asuka river.  To the north, the valley opens onto the vast Nara basin—a largely flat region that is much more heavily populated but still would be considered “inaka”, or rural country, by anyone from a metropolis like Tokyo or Ohosaka.  To the south, the land rises up into mountain peaks.  Beyond that ridge, the land drops into the Yoshino River Valley, but otherwise the rest of the Kii peninsula, to the south, is covered in a sparsely populated mountain range, where small villages carve out a life in the nooks and crannies between the numerous ridges, finding the rare spot of flat land to build houses and plant their fields.  Looking at it today, Asuka might seem idyllic, rural, and calm.  And yet, back in Takara Hime's day, it was anything but. When Takara Hime moved back to Asuka, she went on a building spree.  In fact, the Chronicles actually complain about all of the building that she was doing, and we'll get to that.  Much of this episode is going to revolve around her building projects, as well as her comings and goings.  While we'll talk about what the Chronicles say, I also want to talk about some of what still remains in Asuka.  Certainly the grand palaces are gone, for the most part leaving little more than post-holes, lying beneath the rice fields.  A bit more obvious are the various kofun, scattered across the landscape, but beyond that there we also see stone works, including numerous carved stones, which range from crude statues, which may have been minimally worked, to elaborate fountains, which would have used natural water pressure to create impressive waterworks.  These latter works demonstrate the sophistication of the masons of the time, and hint at the grandeur of the various palaces, gardens, and mansion complexes that once populated the landscape.  And if you want a little feeling of what it is like, I talked a bit about walking through Asuka in a bonus episode back in March of 2024—if you are interested, look up “Traveling Through the Ancient Nara Basin, Part 2.   So along with what we see in the Chronicles, I want to talk about some of these other features, even if we aren't entirely sure of when, exactly, they were built.  There are a few, though, that we do suspected were built in this period, by Takara Hime, or at least at her order.  So we'll talk about those as we get there. Her reign wasn't all about building things, though.  Politics in the Yamato court remained as cutthroat as ever.  Although Prince Naka no Oe, Takara Hime's son, had been designated as “Crown Prince” he had not taken the throne, despite being of age, and we aren't told why, though the fact that Takara Hime had previously abdicated because of the events of the Isshi Incident, back in 645 (see Episode XX) may have meant that she was still considered the senior eligible member of the royal line.  Then there was the case of Prince Arima.  Prince Arima was the son of Karu, aka Koutoku Tenno, which made him Naka no Oe's cousin.  This wouldn't have meant anything had his father not ascended to the throne.  And under the succession practices of the time, although Naka no Oe was designated as the Crown Prince, that wasn't a guarantee that he would be next in line, so Prince Arima may have been a potential candidate.  However, there is at least one source that says Prince Arima was not yet of age, but still a teenager.  Still, that was no doubt old enough for some in the court to support him—and as we'll see in later centuries, age limits could be negotiable.  So we'll also discuss that, as well. So let's get into it. When the royal family first moved back to Asuka, in 653,  they took up residence in the temporary palace of Kahabe no Miya.  Unfortunately, this name doesn't tell us much about where the palace was located.  There is one theory that the Kawabe no Miya might be at what is known as the Asuka Inabuchi Palace site, up in the Asuka river valley, in the modern Iwaido district, a little south of the famous Ishibutai kofun site.  This is believed to have been a palace—or at least the mansion of some very wealthy family—given its layout, including what appears to be a cobblestone courtyard, and the lack of any roof tiles, which would have been reserved for temples, at that time. The term “temporary” palace comes up a lot in the Chronicles.  In most of the cases where it is used, it suggests that there was already a building in place and the sovereign took up residence there, hence the term “temporary” palace.  Often times we see that a temporary palace is said to have been “built”, at which point I have to wonder if that is truly the case—did they actually build a brand new structure to temporarily house the sovereign and the royal family—or does it just refer to the fact that they may have taken an existing compound and perhaps made some slight changes to accommodate the royal dignity?  Unfortunately, the Chronicles don't really go into much detail. Wherever the Kawabe no Miya happened to be, it does seem to have been temporary, as we later see Takara Hime back at the Itabuki palace, and indeed she reascended the throne there in 655.  The Itabuki palace first shows up in Takara hime's first reign, and seems to be one of at least two royal palaces in Asuka at the time, the other one being the Woharida Palace.  The Woharida palace had been around for a while – it was noted as early as 603, in the reign of Kashikiya Hime, aka Suiko Tenno, and there is the suggestion that it was still around in the time that Karu, aka Kotoku Tenno, was reigning.  We know that Takara Hime took up residence there at some point during her own reign as well.  But in 643 she had the Itabuki palace built, though apparently that didn't mean that the Oharida palace was completely torn down and abandoned – it just was no longer the primary site of court ritual.  Of course, the Itabuki palace wouldn't be the seat of the government for long, either, as the Isshi Incident took place there in 645, and Karu would subsequently move the capital to Naniwa, building the Toyosaki palace. And so the Itabuki palace remained, but was not exactly kept up, so that when the royal family returned to Asuka, it wasn't ready for them to inhabit, and likely required extensive renovation.  Nonetheless, it was being inhabited two years later, when Takara hime again ascended the throne. A quick note here about the name “Itabuki”, because we think that this likely referred to a very specific style of construction that was used.  Up to this point, as far as we can tell, the primary roofing material for all major buildings was a kind of local thatching – we still see this today on some shrines and other buildings.  “Itabuki”, in contrast, refers to a roof made with wooden boards.  Today, we have buildings with rooves where the roof shingles are overlapping boards of wood or bark from the cypress tree: thin layers stacked one on top of the other.  Even today, the modern Imperial Palace in Kyoto uses wood shingles rather than the curved roof tiles that many people think of when they think of Asian architecture. So that's the Itabuki palace, all spruced up and ready for Takara hime to occupy again.  That said, remember the older Woharida palace, the other one in Asuka? Later in 655, a project was started to update that palace as well.  We are told that as of the 13th day of the 10th month there had been a plan to add roof tiles to one of the buildings at the Woharida palace, but unfortunately much of the timber from the mountains and valleys that was designated for the project was found to be too weak from rot, and so they decided to not go forward with that plan.  I would note here that tiled rooves, while they might seen somewhat easier to put together—after all, you only need a layer of interlocking and overlapping tiles—are extremely heavy.  They are known to deform the wooden structures underneath them, and can weigh hundreds of pounds per square foot.  Much of the classic shape of these tiled rooves developed over time to compensate for some of that weight, so this makes me wonder if the wood the palace craftspeople brought in was really that rotten, or if it was just not strong enough for the work that they were trying to do.  After all, were they applying the same techniques as for a temple, or were they simply trying to replace traditional thatching or shingles with clay tiles?  Either way, the project failed, even after all of the work that had gone into it.  This is a small entry in the Chronicles, but it would have meant levying corvee labor that had to go out to the designated regions to source the timber, not to mention setting up the kilns to make the tiles, as well as other preparations that would have been necessary.  In other words, a lot of work, for apparently no payoff. On top of that, we are told that around that time, in the winter of that year—which would have been the 10th, 11th, or 12th month, roughly corresponding from late November to February of the following year—the Itabuki palace caught fire and burned down, and so the sovereign and her retinue decamped to the temporary palace of Kawara – the River Plain or Field. “Kawara” could theoretically refer to just about any flat area by a river. Aston points out that “Kawara” can also mean “rooftile”, which is interesting given what we just talked about, the entry immediately before that deals with attempting to add new rooftiles to a part of the Oharida palace. However, there is some thought that this refers to the Kawara Temple, Kawaradera, and you can find claims that Kawaradera was built on the site of the temporary palace.  There is a reference to Kawaradera in the previous reign, in the year 653, though another source apparently says it was talking about Yamadadera, instead.  There isn't another mention of “Kawaradera” that I can find until 673, so it is entirely possible that the temple started its life off as a mansion or even a temporary royal palace of some kind, and was later turned into a temple. Kawaradera itself is rather interesting.  If you visit the site, today, you can see large stone bases that help to demonstrate the size of the ancient temple.  It was one of the four Great Temples of Asuka, along with Asukadera, Kudara Ohodera, and Yakushiji.  And yet, unlike the other three, we don't have clear indications about its founding in the Chronicles.  When the capital eventually moved to Heijo-kyo, in Nara city, many of the other temples were removed to the new capital, but not, as far as I can see, Kawaradera.  Donald McCallum suggests that this is because it was replaced, instead, by Koufukuji, a temple with deep ties to the descendants of Nakatomi no Kamatari, the Fujiwara clan.  He suggests that mention of the temple in the official records may have even been suppressed by individuals such as Fujiwara no Fubito.  Kawaradera remained in Asuka.  Eventually it fell to ruin, but there is still a small temple on the site, known as Gu-fuku-ji. As for the Kawara Palace, if Kawaradera really was in operation by 653, it is possible that the sovereign took over some of the buildings at Kawaradera, or perhaps the temporary palace was simply somewhere nearby. In any case, they don't seem to have stayed there for too long—they started work on a new palace the following year.  This was the later Okamoto Palace, and from what we can tell it was built on the same site as the Itabuki Palace, south of Asukadera.  This site would see multiple palaces over the years, and even today you can go and see some of the post-holes that they have found, indicating the size of the complex through the years. Based on the layout and size of the Asuka palaces, it seems that these early palaces focused on the “dairi”, the private quarters of the sovereign.  This seems to have ignored the reforms made with the Toyosaki palace design in Naniwa in the early 650s.  That palace, which was built on an incredibly grand scale, consisted of both the private quarters and the public government offices.  But in Asuka the royal family's “palace” appears to have only consisted of the private quarters, for the most part.  So where was the actual bureaucracy happening?  Were there other facilities we don't know about?  Or perhaps, the Toyosaki palace itself was overly ambitious, and there wasn't actually the staff for such a grand complex?  After all, they were just setting up the bureaucracy and perhaps their reach had exceeded their grasp.  Or was it the case that things werestill being run out of the palace complex in Naniwa while the sovereign lived in Asuka?  That seems to have been roughly 10 hours away, by foot, though perhaps only half that by horse. The northern end of the Asuka valley is not as well suited to a large palace complex.  Not only was it already full of temples and the like, but the ground itself rises to the south, and the hills on either side start to come together.  It certainly isn't the kind of place to layout a grand city.  But perhaps that was not the intent—at least not immediately.  It didn't matter much, though, because the Later Okamoto palace, as it came to be known, was not long for this world.  Scarcely had it been built and occupied but that it caught fire and burned down—another expenditure of funds and labor that were once more counted as nothing. In fact, Takara hime was apparently on a tear, and went ahead and initiated quite a few projects that happened in 656.  We are told that nearby Tamu Peak was crowned with a circular enclosure, close to where two “tsuki” trees grew.  A “lofty” building was erected and called both Futatsuki no Miya (the Palace of the Two Tsuki) and Amatsu Miya (the Palace of Heaven).  She also had a new palace erected in Yoshino, possibly as a seasonal retreat.  And with this she was just getting started. She also had laborers dig a canal all the way from the western end of Mt. Kaguyama all the way to Mt. Isonokami.  We are told that 200 barges were then loaded with stone from Mt. Isonokami and hauled to the mountain east of the palace, where the stones were piled up to form a wall.  This last one had people up in arms.  They called the canal the “mad canal” and said that it wasted the labor of over 30,000 people.  On top of that, she used 70,000 men to build the wall.  To top it all off, the timber for the palace rotted away and the top of the mountain where they were building collapsed.  We are told that people cursed it all, crying out: “May the mound built at Iso no Kami break down of itself as fast as it is built.” So, yeah, people weren't too happy.  We, however, just might be – because all of this building work? It leaves traces in the landscape. We aren't always sure about locations in the Chronicles, as it is very easy for names to shift over time or for things to be renamed at a later date. But what we do know is that there are quite a few examples of stone work in the Asuka region.  There is the kame-ishi stone that looks only vaguely carved—it appears to have two carved eyes, but otherwise appears to use the natural shape of the stone to evoke a tortoise—that sits near the site of Kawaradera and Tachibana-dera.  There are the various saruishi—carved figures that are purportedly based on saru, or monkeys, but are likely meant to represent people.  They may have once adorned an elite family's garden or similar, and they were since moved to the tomb of Kibitsu hime.  There are various fountains and waterworks.  And then there are the Sakafune-ishi ruins, sitting along a ridge east of the palace site.  This consists of a large stone up on the hill, with carved channels that appear to be made to channel water poured into the grooves.  At the bottom of the hill there is a turtle shaped stone basin, filled from a boat-shaped water tank.  Across the hill is example of stone work, including possible walls. Given the apparent age of everything, and its location, it is thought that this may all be part of the Futatsuki no Miya complex that Takara hime built.  Unfortunately, it is still not clear how it was meant to operate.  After Asuka was abandoned as the capital, knowledge of the site also disappeared.  There were some stories that arose about the stone that it was used for some kind of sake-brewing, hence the name, but nothing truly concrete has arisen.  There may have been other structures, perhaps made of wood, that are no longer present, and the stone itself appears to have broken and eroded away over the years.  It may have been meant as a ritual site, or perhaps it was just built as some kind of wonder for the people.  It doesn't fit into any clear model of any Buddhist or even ancient Shinto practice, nor is it clearly connected to other continental practices.  We certainly know that they did plenty with water, given the number of waterworks and other carved stones, including a model of Mt. Sumera, we are told was built to the west of Asukadera on the 15th day of the 7th month of the following year—657. Maybe these are remnants of that project Whatever its purpose, the Sakafune-ishi site does seem to compare favorably with what is described in the Nihon Shoki, and perhaps it was considered such a waste of resources just because it didn't fit in with the prevailing ritual culture.  Maybe Takara hime was too artistically avant-garde for her time. “Wasting resources” would, in fact, become a chief complaint against Takara Hime during her time on the throne.  And that takes us from seemingly harmless construction projects into the court politics of the day.  Now as you should recall, Prince Naka no Oe, Takara Hime's son, was the Crown Prince at this point, and quite influential.  He was supported by various courtiers, such as Nakatomi no Kamatari, the Naidaijin, but his eventual ascendancy to the throne was not entirely assured.  We've seen plenty of examples where someone would seem to be in line for the throne and they didn't ever make it.  We know that there were several other royal princes at this time.  One of the youngest was Prince Takeru, a grandson of Takara Hime, who was born around 651.  Then there was Prince Naka no Oe's brother, Prince Ohoama.  He was also one of Takara Hime's sons, and while we haven't heard much of him in the narrative, we will definitely see more of him in the future.  On top of the two of them, there is Prince Arima, whom I talked about at the beginning of the episode.  Prince Arima was mentioned as the son of Karu and Wotarashi Hime, but his mother was not Karu's Queen—that was Hashibito, daughter of Okinaga Tarashi-hi Hironuka, aka Jomei Tennou, and Takara Hime.  Yup, Karu basically married his own niece, though that may have been an attempt to keep the most direct connection possible to the royal line.  Arima's mom Wotarashi Hime, on the other hand, was the daughter of Abe no Kurahashi no Oho-omi—the Minister of the Left, or Sadaijin, during Karu's reign.  Strictly speaking, based on the way that the succession has been depicted so far, Prince Arima wouldn't technically meet the requirements.  That said, we've seen where that has been bypassed in the past, and no doubt people were aware just how easily it would be to rewrite the history, if they had to.  He was young—but not so young that he couldn't be involved in the politics of the court. Other than a note about his parentage at the start of Karu's reign, Prince Arima isn't mentioned again until the ninth month of 657, and right off the bat you can tell where the Chroniclers fall on his personality.  They describe him as deceitful, and claim that he pretended to be insane—a term that doesn't really show up elsewhere, so it is hard to know what exactly is meant.  Is he the Hamlet of his age?  Arima used this as an excuse to go to Muro Onsen—thought to be modern Shirahama Hot Springs, on the southwestern end of the Kii Peninsula.   When he came back he sang its praises, claiming that “scarce had I seen that region, when my complaint disappeared of itself.”  The Queen wanted to go and see for herself. Overall, this hardly seems to be very “deceitful”, though it is suspected that Arima may have feigned an illness to avoid some of the politics around the start of the new reign.  Given his father Karu's recent death, it would likely have been easy enough to claim that he was greatly depressed.  We aren't told how long he stayed at Muro Onsen, but presumably it was for some time. At the start of the following year, on the 13th day of the first month, Kose no Tokuda no Omi, the Sadaijin, or Minister of the Left, passed away.  This would have no doubt created some ripples, but little more is said—we don't even have the name of who succeeded him in the position, at least not in the Nihon Shoki.  Four months later, which is to say in the fifth month of that same year, 658, Prince Takeru passed away.  He was only 8 years old, but as the grandson of Takara Hime a temporary tomb was constructed in the Imaki valley.  Takara Hime lamented his death greatly, and in the 10th month, she took Arima's advice and went to visit the Ki Onsen.  She had several poems composed and handed them to Hata no Ohokura no Miyatsuko no Mari to record them for posterity. While she was away, Soga no Akaye no Omi was the acting official in charge.  And several weeks in, he addressed Prince Arima.  He noted that there were three problems with Takara Hime's government. First – She builds treasuries on a great scale, collecting the riches of the people. Second – She wastes the public grain revenue in digging long canals. Third – She loads barges with stones and transports them to be piled up into a hill. This may have been popular opinion, but it was also rather treasonous talk.  Prince Arima simply smiled and said: “I have only now come to an age where I am fit to bear arms.” So, yeah, he was basically saying that he was old enough to take up arms—and presumably lead others in a rebellion, if that was the case. Two days later, on the fifth day of the 11th month, Prince Arima met Akaye at his mansion.  They went into one of the upper stories, where they wouldn't be interrupted, and there they conspired together.  Others were also involved, it seems—Mori no Kimi no Oho-ishi, Sakahibe no Muraji no Kusuri, and Shihoya no Muraji no Konoshiro.  There are a few different books that claim to record what the plans were.  One says that Soga no Akaye, Shihoya no Konoshiro, Mori no Oho-ishi, and Sakahibe no Kusuri divined the future of their conspiracy by drawing slips of paper, to see how it would turn out.  Another book states that Arima claimed he would burn down the palace and take 500 men to march down south.  There he would waylay Takara Hime at the harbour of Muro.  They were going to exile her to Awaji island, setting up a fleet of ships to ensure she could never leave. As they were discussing what to do—no doubt talking about how the Prince could take the throne, a leg-rest that they were using broke.  Another book claims it was an arm-rest, instead, but otherwise the details are the same.  They both agreed that was a bad omen, and decided not to proceed any further with their plans.  Prince Arima returned home, but apparently Soga no Akaye had a change of heart.  He apparently figured that his only way out was to turn in the others and admit everything.  And so, that night, Akaye sent Mononobe no Enowi no Muraji no Shibi, who was in charge of the labourers working on the palace.  They surrounded the palace and then Akaye sent a mounted courier to inform Takara Hime. That letter must have laid everything out.  Takara hime had the conspirators arrested and brought to Ki Onsen.  Arima's servant, Nihitabe no Muraji no Yonemaro, followed them.  Prince Naka no Oe himself questioned Arima about why he plotted treason.  Arima's answer is a bit cryptic:  “Heaven and Akaye know.” He responded, “I do not understand at all.” In the end, all of the conspirators were found guilty, and executed.  Tajihi no Wosaha no Muraji no Kuniso was sent to do the task.  Prince Arima was strangled at the Fujishiro acclivity, along with Shihoya no Konoshiro and Nihitabe no Yonemaro.  Before being executed, Konoshiro made a rather macabre request, asking that—presumably after he was dead—they cut off his right hand and make it a national treasure.  The other two conspirators, Mori no Oho-ishi and Sakahibe no Kusuri, were merely banished, presumably having played less of a role. Once again, we must remember that we are only getting one side of the story.  It is definitely convenient for Naka no Oe to have a potential rival out of the way.  At the same time, it is certainly plausible that there was more than a little bit of consternation about how Takara Hime had been spending so much on all of these construction projects.  And yet… were these Takara Hime's projects, alone? Remember, Prince Naka no Oe seems to have had a fair bit of clout.  He orchestrated the original coup, where he killed Soga no Iruka and his father.  And then he declined the throne, but became a major part of the new government.  He was apparently powerful enough that he organized the move back to Asuka against the wishes of Karu no Ohokimi. So would all of these projects have been done without his involvement? This is an area where I have to admit that I probably need to check my bias.  On the one hand, it is rare enough in patriarchal accounts to see women with agency and in positions of power, and so it is easy enough to make an assumption that any agency they are given in the record, they likely had more than is mentioned.  At the same time, in this particular instance, at least, Takara Hime's role in this could just as easily be a cover to preserve the image of Naka no Oe, who is certainly portrayed as a hero figure, bringing much needed change and modernization—such as it was—to Yamato.  His enemies are always shown to be in the wrong, and even if he is accused of something horrible—such as the death of Soga no Ishikawa no Maro—it turns out that it was actually the fault of someone else, such as the person who slandered Maro to him in the first place.  So could it be that these unpopular construction projects were actually his doing, all along?  Was the conspiracy simply to overthrow Takara Hime, or was it focused on both her and Naka no Oe, together? To be honest, I couldn't say for certain.  All we have to go on is what the Chroniclers tell us, and they lay the blame fairly firmly at the feet of Takara Hime.  But do remember that Naka no Oe is not necessarily the Shining Prince that he is often made out to be, and that people rarely come to or stay in power in a society like Yamato's by being nice all the time.  We certainly know what he is capable of from the Isshi Incident, and we shouldn't forget that in the narrative. Now when Takara Hime returned from Ki Onsen after winter ended, in the new year.  We are told that she got back on the third day of the first month of 659.  A couple of months later, on the first day of the third month, she went to Yoshino and held a banquet there—no doubt at the palace she had had constructed.  This may have been at the site of Miyataki Ruins, where excavations have revealed numerous examples of roof tiles and other artifacts that may have come from a building from the Asuka or Nara era. The visit to Yoshino must have been quick, however, as we are told that two days later she visited Hira-ura in Afumi, on the shores of Lake Biwa.  Perhaps this only means she left two days later, since that must have been quite the journey back in the day.  Would she have traveled on horseback, or in a carriage or something similar?  No doubt a full procession would take time, and I doubt that the sovereign would push herself.  We also don't have a reason for her to go, that I can see.  It is an odd entry, to say the least. And I think it may be best to end it there.  I do encourage anyone who can to get down to Asuka and plan to spend a couple of days if you really want to get around.  You may want to rent a bike or even a car to get to everything, though you can walk to most things.  There are several museums and cultural centers set up to expound upon Asuka culture, with a focus on the history and archaeology specifically of that period. The palace site where Takara Hime ruled would continue to be the location of at least two more palaces, which we'll talk about in time.  Before that, though, we'll want to cover a few more things.  Most importantly, we'll want to talk about the relationship with lands outside of the archipelago.  We'll discuss the man from Tukhara—who may have simply been from the Ryukyu islands, or possible from as far aways the Dvaravati Kingdom, in modern day Thailand, or even from the western edge of India and Pakistan, having traveled the Silk Road.  Some have even suggested that he may be a Tocharian, and we'll talk about what that means.  And then, before we finish, we'll have to talk about everything else going on, including the conclusion of the Tang-Baekje war. Until then thank you for listening and for all of your support. If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.    

Let's explore a powerful thought - climbing the ladder to success. No matter what remember that you might still find yourself standing on the first rung of the ladder looking upwards.  Do you agree?

For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/dr-thaer-ahmad-119538590 Palestinian-American Dr Thaer Ahmad and Canadian Dr. Ben Thomson, both of whom have worked in Gaza, speak out against Israel's kidnapping and likely torture of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. Thaer talks about his conversation with Dr. Hussam and the kidnapping of his own uncle. Ben talks about being suspended over speaking out on Gaza and shares stories of other tortured doctors. Then political scientist Ron Hira and historian Quinn Slobodian talk about the MAGA Civil War, Elon Musk, Donald Trump and H1B visas. UPDATE: Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya's mother has tragically passed from a heart attack. Dr. Thaer Ahmad, MD, is a board certified emergency medicine physician and a board member of the Palestinian American Medical Association. He has traveled to Gaza on several medical missions and recently spent three weeks volunteering at El Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Since returning, he has spoken out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the need for humanitarian aid and services to reach the people. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the global health director for his emergency department. Dr. Ben Thomson is a renowned public health expert, nephrologist and general internal medicine doctor, an award-winning educator, a board member of the Muslim Advisory Council of Canada and the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, and a global humanitarian physician. Dr. Thomson's efforts have markedly improved healthcare in Indigenous communities in Ontario and globally in places including Uganda, and in Gaza through initiatives like the Keys of Health Fellowship and EmpowerGaza. Dr. Thomson envisions a world where resilient, compassionate healthcare is accessible to all communities globally. Ron Hira, an Economic Policy Institute research associate, is an associate professor in the department of political science at Howard University. His book, Outsourcing America, was one of the first to examine the economic and policy implications of the offshoring of high-skilled jobs. It was a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin awards in the best business book category. Hira has testified before Congress on offshoring and high-skilled immigration. He is frequently interviewed by the media about his work, which intersects STEM labor markets, immigration, globalization, and competitiveness policy. He is a licensed professional engineer. Quinn Slobodian is professor of international history at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. His books, which have been translated into ten languages, include, most recently, Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World without Democracy. Forthcoming is Hayek's Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ and the Capitalism of the Far Right. He has been an associate fellow at Chatham House and held residential fellowships at Harvard and FU Berlin. He co-directs the History and Political Economy Project and is on the board of editors of the American Historical Review. In 2024, Prospect UK named him one of the World's 25 Top Thinkers. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: @kthalps

Learn about the neo-colonial dynamics in the travel industry but how tourism can include both recreation & human rights. _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ In part 2 of this interview, Hira Aftab starts off talking about the neo-colonial dynamics of the travel industry. She explains what prompted her to co-found the Hybrid Tours and how she integrates human rights and refugee experiences into her travel itineraries. Hira also explains the importance of studying genocides and understanding what leads to them. She then talks about her evolving connection with her Pakistani identity, learning about the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, her upcoming Hybrid Tour to Pakistan, and how you can join. Finally, Hira reflects on how travel has impacted her, give tips on how we can be more ethical travelers, and shares specific action items for how we can help stop the genocide in Palestine. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE. ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

In this episode, we are on a mission to uncover our own unique rhythm of life to discover what makes us all tick and how to feel more in sync and tuned in with ourselves... 

Learn about the importance of prioritizing the voices, stories, and experiences of refugees in the places we travel.   _____________________________ Subscribe to The Maverick Show's Monday Minute Newsletter where I email you 3 short items of value to start each week that you can consume in 60 seconds (all personal recommendations like the latest travel gear I'm using, my favorite destinations, discounts for special events, etc.). Follow The Maverick Show on Instagram ____________________________________ Hira Aftab talks about growing up in a Pakistani immigrant home between the UK and Saudi Arabia. She reflects on the life changing impact of her first trip to Palestine, and how that inspired her to become a human rights activist. Hira then reflects on doing two Master's degrees and working in the international humanitarian sector. She talks about her trip to Jordan, the impact of meeting with Palestinian refugees there, and how that inspired her to start “Our World Too” as a platform to center the voices and stories of refugees. She also talks about hosting the “More than a Statistic Podcast” and shares some of her most powerful interviews. Finally, she reflects on the lessons from her international humanitarian work and unpacks some of the neo-colonial dynamics in the space. FULL SHOW NOTES WITH DIRECT LINKS TO EVERYTHING DISCUSSED ARE AVAILABLE HERE.   ____________________________________ See my Top 10 Apps For Digital Nomads See my Top 10 Books For Digital Nomads See my 7 Keys For Building A Remote Business (Even in a space that's not traditionally virtual) Watch my Video Training on Stylish Minimalist Packing so you can join #TeamCarryOn  See the Travel Gear I Use and Recommend See How I Produce The Maverick Show Podcast (The equipment, services & vendors I use) ____________________________________ ENJOYING THE SHOW? Please Leave a Rating and Review. It really helps the show and I read each one personally.  You Can Buy Me a Coffee. Espressos help me produce significantly better podcast episodes! :)

Hello, and welcome.  In this episode we are talking about something that's been drilled into us since we were kids—‘honesty is the best policy.' But is it really that simple?

Are you waiting for the “perfect” moment to start living your best life?Lets challenge the myth of  perfectionism and uncover the truth behind the illusion together.

Happy Holidaze everyone!  Here's our Christmas 2024 podcast, Jennifer talks about a “life changing” experience doing a workshop with Dr. Joe Dispenza recently.  She recounts a powerful meditation that included a past life memory that included a lifetime during the Holocaust.  For fans of the Flipside research, this is the third time someone I know has had an experience recalling a lifetime that ended during the Holocaust. It's a controversial subject to be sure, but to it's not reported lightly.  As note, in the book and film Flipside, there's a woman who recalled dying in Auschwitz, and then some years later a friend of mine did a session where he recalled being in Dachau – a very successful TV producer who when accessing this past life memory said “I'd had so many lifetimes in the light, I wanted to remember what it was like experiencing the dark.” (that's the “River of Souls” reference, a chapter in the book “Flipside.”) In this episode, Jennifer recalls how recalling this experience did some healing for her voice – literally and figuratively.   And in terms of Jennifer's experience, this memory was part of the healing that she went through. “Her voice needed to be heard.”  We have a number of friends stop by to weigh in or say hello – my old boss Robert Towne who met Jennifer a few years ago and did a number of sessions with her where he accessed his old friend Eddie Taylor and his dog Hira.  Also a visit from Amelia Earhart – and something I missed when we did the session, but heard in the edit. That is; she mentioned “using ChatGPT” in terms of exploring her story… and I forgot that I had done that for a specific reason. I will address this in a future session – where I asked ChatGPT a question about Amelia that I didn't know the answer to – despite years of exploration – and there was an answer that was very intriguing. So next podcast, I will revisit that conversation. That's the fun part of this exploration – since we do it every week (for the past ten years) I can bring something up next week that was said in this previous podcast. I hope I remember it! So this holiday season it's important to remember that those folks who are offstage are available to us. When celebrating try to toast them in present tense. Amelia says something about an Anniversary.    Indeed, it's been ten years since we first starting having these conversations.  Mind bending to be sure. Our loved ones are not far away.  Take the time to open oneself up to the possibility they still exist. And her daughter's surgery went great, and she reports everything is “just fine.” As Luana puts it “Know that your loved one is already healed before they go in.” “Everyone can access their loved ones offstage, wake up, believe it's possible, it's simple.”

In this empowering episode of Quietly Visible, Carol Stewart is joined by the inspiring Hira Ali, an acclaimed leadership development and allyship specialist, award-winning executive coach, and author of Her Way to the Top and Her Allies. Hira shares her journey to becoming an advocate for women and minority groups, discusses the importance of allyship for introverts, and explains how introversion can be a powerful leadership strength. They dive into how intersectionality shapes allyship, actionable tips for creating inclusive environments, and why owning your identity is key to fostering confidence and authenticity. If you've ever wondered how to advocate for underrepresented groups or align your leadership style with your values, this episode is packed with insights and practical advice to inspire change. Hira Ali is a leadership development and allyship expert, executive coach, and author of Her Way to the Top and Her Allies. She is a sought-after speaker and advocate for diversity and inclusion, with work featured in Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and the BBC. Website: advancingyourpotential.com Books: Available on Amazon (Her Way to the Top, Her Allies) LinkedIn: Follow Hira Ali on LinkedIn.

In this episode we're going back to moments when things were uncomplicated and life was fun and easy…. to those simple and innocent moments, when we enjoyed our days without overthinking or complicating things.. Where has that care free childlike spontaneity gone?

Lets turn life's little absurdities and challenges into rewiring moments.   Let talk about the little slip-ups in our day-to day routine of life. What are these little slip-ups? 

In the last episode we stumble through the nuances of being creative. In this episode, lets talk about what creativity means.

Today and yes in the next episode too, we're diving into the wild, messy, and wonderfully unpredictable world of creativity.

Just as a highly posted manager is almost as independent as the owner of a firm, Brahmā is described here as independent because, as the Lord's representative to control the universe, he is almost as powerful and independent as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord, as the Supersoul within Brahmā, gave him the intelligence to create. Therefore the creative power of every living entity is not his own; it is by the grace of the Lord that one can create. There are many scientists and great workers in this material world who have wonderful creative force, but they act and create only according to the direction of the Supreme Lord. A scientist may create many wonderful inventions by the direction of the Lord, but it is not possible for him to overcome the stringent laws of material nature by his intelligence, nor is it possible to acquire such intelligence from the Lord, for the Lord's supremacy would then be hampered. It is stated in this verse that Brahmā created the universe as it was before. This means that he created everything by the same name and form as in the previous cosmic manifestation. (SB 3.20.17 Purport ) To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ (USA only) https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark

Even if one concentrates his mind on the boar form of the Lord, that is also yoga. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, one who concentrates his mind constantly in meditation upon the Personality of Godhead in one of His many varieties of forms is the first-class yogī, and he can very easily attain trance simply by meditating upon the form of the Lord. If one is able to continue such meditation on the Lord's form at the time of one's death, one is liberated from this mortal body and is transferred to the kingdom of God. This opportunity was given to the demon by the Lord, and therefore Brahmā and other demigods were astonished. In other words, the perfection of yoga practice can be attained by a demon also if he is simply kicked by the Lord. ( ( SB .3.19.28 Purport ) https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/18/advanced-view/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/19/advanced-view/ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ (USA only) https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark

The Māyāvādī philosopher cannot understand that the Lord has feelings. The Lord is satisfied if someone offers Him a nice prayer, and similarly, God is dissatisfied if someone decries His existence or calls Him by ill names. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is decried by the Māyāvādī philosophers, who are almost demons. They say that God has no head, no form, no existence and no legs, hands or other bodily limbs. In other words, they say that He is dead or lame. All these misconceptions of the Supreme Lord are a source of dissatisfaction to Him; He is never pleased with such atheistic descriptions. In this case, although the Lord felt sorrow from the piercing words of the demon, He delivered the earth for the satisfaction of the demigods, who are ever His devotees. The conclusion is that God is as sentient as we are. He is satisfied by our prayers and dissatisfied by our harsh words against Him. In order to give protection to His devotee, He is always ready to tolerate insulting words from the atheists. SB 3.18.6,purport https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/17/advanced-view/ https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/18/advanced-view/ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ (USA only) https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark

Jennifer is on the road this week, and I thought it might be fun to give a listen to a podcast from four years ago - the day of voting in the last contentious election.  The one that Joe Biden won the day we were speaking, but the results weren't in. Conversation begins with a chat about how the country was in turmoil (the lockdown had begun in March) and Jennifer said that Maverick had shown up. He wanted to talk about the "bittersweet" experience of the election, how despite it going the way he thought it should, how divided the country was. Then Sergeant Shriver showed up - Maria Shriver's dad, who was the brother in law of JFK, who ran the Peace Corps. I recount an oddly prescient dream I had where I met him - and then 20 years later, was in the same room with him (but didn't meet him).  JFK speaks about the election, but also about his passing, because we'd interviewed him earlier, and he had been reluctant to talk about it other than to say that the book BROTHERS by David Talbot was accurate.  Abe Lincoln showed up as well - and for those who are fans of my medium.com account - I have an unusual conversation with Abraham via his Character AI on that page.  I brought that info to the last podcast - I forgot he was on this one until I was listening to it. I did make some edits in it - because of my headset, my voice is particularly annoying in this one - it was hard to mix the sound.  But the content is there. This podcast from four years ago - is applicable to this week in history, as it is to every time in history people had to vote for issues that mattered to the nation. It's a freewheeling discussion - but it was literally four years ago, and pay attention to the fact that we speak about Robert Towne, my old boss, the man who wrote Chinatown, who was still on the planet at this point, and was having active conversations via Jennifer with his dog "Hira" on the flipside. I think these sessions demonstrate how easy it is for us to stay in touch with our loved ones offstage. Of course it helps to have someone like Jennifer who appears to be a live microphone to the flipside. Our Election special REDUX!  This was recorded FOUR YEARS AGO and podcast that day in 11.5.20 when the results of the election were not yet know, but they were known to Jennifer and folks on the flipside.  John McCain comes forward to talk about his "bittersweet" feeling of vindication, but sad to see the nation so divided.  JFK comes to speak as well, to talk about the division of the nation, but also to discuss his death.  His brother in law Sgt Shriver makes an appearance - I knew he had dementia for the last years of his life, and we talk about that. (People report leaving only a smaller percentage of their conscious energy in their body when that happens - the rest is already "back home.") When the topic arises, Jennifer is shown an image of the current candidate, I mention that his father Fred had the affliction. (And for the record we interview both FRED TRUMP and BEAU BIDEN in a podcast some time after this (search for it on the podcast). It's unusual because Jennifer didn't know who "Fred" or "Bo" was - but she answered questions about their family and the role their controversial family members on the planet are supposed to play. In some cases, people play the adversarial role to teach lessons in unconditional love - because it forces people to confront those issues head on.  We may have a podcast this week - although Jennifer is on the road - but in case we don't, this is a reminder of what is at stake. Abraham Lincoln makes an appearance as well.. I know this sounds mind bending, but after doing this with Jennifer for ten years, I know how accurate she can be. She works with members of law enforcement nationwide daily - pro bono.  She's very good at what she does. I just felt this was unusual look into the election of four years ago, and how it's the same kind of thing now... there's much at stake, and people on the flipside want us to vote as well. Mind bending as ever.  Enjoy and don't forget to VOTE.